Today we’d like to introduce you to Millie Baggett.
Millie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve wanted to be in the beauty industry for as long as I can remember. Beauty has many different meanings, but what drew me to it is the way it enables confidence and empowerment. I wanted to give people that feeling. I just never thought I could make a living at it so off to college I went. I graduated with a B.A. in History from Furman University. After graduation, the beauty industry really started to pull at me. I became a licensed esthetician, then graduated from Make-Up Designory in LA…. still not satisfied. My parents had had enough of my “goals” so I had to do it on my own. I apprenticed under my hairdresser for a year, but I kept hearing about a colorist at an award-winning salon who was great. Because of my love and understanding for color as a makeup artist, I knew I wanted to specialize as a colorist. I applied to train under Russell Baggett… who would eventually become my husband. He claims he is still training me Haha!
Russell and I have always had a very entrepreneurial spirit so after many great years at that salon, Russell and I decided to start our own journey. In the fall of 2007, we opened up RuMM Color Studio in Alpharetta. It was quite an uphill battle because we opened right when the recession hit. Fortunately, we survived and are still going strong today.
After a few years of salon ownership, we decided to start our own family. Anyone that’s a parent knows that parenthood truly puts things in perspective. It sheds light on how lucky many of us are to have health, community, and family. On top of that, being a hairdresser you hear about all the ups and downs of your clients’ lives. The combination of a new perspective and daily reminders from our incredible clients, we decided to expand our salon brand into something deeper. In 2017, we launched RuMM & Co., an online beauty and lifestyle boutique that gives back. We feature brands that are organic, all-natural, and/or charitable in some way. We donate a portion of our sales to the Creedlove Fund of Cure Childhood Cancer in memory of Creed Campbell, the young son of one of our clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think you can find an entrepreneur that would say they’ve had a smooth road! It definitely not easy for us. Opening the salon during the recession was a long uphill battle. I don’t think I saw a paycheck for a couple of years. Everything was about surviving. As a hairdresser/owner, you are always walking a fine line. You want to be focused on your clients who are in your chair, but the business is always on your mind. We’ve been super lucky to have a team that understands that and is always willing to jump in and help.
As a woman, it’s always been challenging because everyone assumes my husband is the “man in charge.” That’s annoying as hell, but I get it and don’t let it bother me. I know what I bring to the table. If you’re not confident in your own abilities, no one else will be.
What should we know about RuMM & Co/RuMM Color Studio? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
RuMM Color Studio’s driving force is education. From the moment we opened, Russell and I knew we had to provide ongoing education for our stylists. Every stylist goes through RuMM’s training program. Once they are fully booked, we then ask them to teach our newer stylists. You learn so much about your own strengths and weaknesses when you educate others.
I’m also really proud of our salon’s longevity. It’s hard to be a small salon and remain relevant…AND to stay true to your vision. We don’t focus on the competition, we focus on ourselves and our own abilities. We’ve survived because we care about our clients and each other… and that shows. We don’t focus on the competition. We focus on ourselves, our growth as stylists, and our teamwork.
As owners of RuMM & Co, we have created a business with a theme of giving back. It threads through all of our brands and I love that. Whether it’s new technology, hand-crafting, or giving back, they are all making an effort to make the world a better place. We are proud to honor and highlight those brands.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Of course. I think women have an uncanny ability to multitask and compartmentalize. Plus we are empathetic. That’s what makes us great leaders. I’m proud to say that most of the brands we carry and support are female-founded. They don’t just run the business, they created it out of nothing. Challenges are everywhere. It’s all about how, or if, you face them.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5815 Windward Parkway
Suite 204
Alpharetta, GA 30005 - Website: https://rummandco.com https://rummcolorstudio.com/
- Phone: 770-817-7866
- Email: info@rummcolorstudio.com / info@rummandco.com
- Instagram: @rummandco @rummcolor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rummcolorstudio/ https://www.facebook.com/rummandco/
Image Credit:
Millie Baggett, Russell Baggett, Megan Hoffman, Tia McClain
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
