Rural Roots is a new part of the community

Carly Schneider and Katie Quinn, co-owners of Rural Roots Salon and Boutique, said the decision to open a business together started with a simple conversation.

“It was right around Christmastime, I think we were drinking wine together and dreaming a little bit,” Schneider said. “And then my mom stepped in and she was like, ‘Go for it, if it doesn’t work you’re not out a ton.’”

The two had known each other for some time before that night. Quinn is married to Schneider’s brother, and the two are neighbors.

While the shop now has a brick and mortar location southwest of the square in Washington, it started as an online business, an unusual approach at the time.

“At the time it was very new, I feel like the online boutique stuff has become a lot more common, but at the time that we started, neither of us knew of any,” Quinn said. “We just were kind of coming up with the ideas and finding ways to make it work.”

The store is now among Washington’s newest businesses. While it runs a boutique up front, the back area holds two barber chairs, where Schneider runs the other half of the business as a hair stylist.

“I’ve been doing hair in Iowa City for almost 15 years, and my kids are getting busier and things, and I wanted to be more involved in the community, so I started doing hair here full-time,” she said. “It just kind of goes hand-in-hand, it was helpful to have the boutique in the front and the salon in the back.”

Schneider said the chance to be more involved in Washington was a huge appeal of the work.

“The biggest thing for me is being able to see friends and family on a daily basis that I didn’t see before,” she said. “I was working three of four days in Iowa City for 10-hour days, so even though my kids were in Washington and we lived in Washington, I didn’t feel like I was a part of the community. Now, talking with people in the community every day, I feel more a part of it.”

Quinn, who was previously a stay-at-home mom, said she enjoyed her more regular interactions with community members.

“I love when people come in and try something on, and the boost of confidence you can see when they find something that they love and fits them well,” she said.

The two were happy to report that their working relationship had not altered their personal relationship. In fact, Quinn said their friendship was a key element of their team dynamic.

“We genuinely enjoy each other,” she said. “It makes it a lot easier to work with someone that you enjoy being around. When we’re not here, we’re often at my house or her house. Our kids are always together, we have a lot of the same friends, things like that. A continuation of our home and family life is coming in to work here.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com