Name of business: Swoon Salon & Spa

Type of business: Full-service salon

Location: 225 E. Main St., Turlock

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; By appointment or walk-in

Contact information: 209-656-0700

Specialty: Wide range of beauty services

History of business:

Turlock resident Ashley Tennyson has encountered her fair share of difficult setbacks throughout her life, but none hindered her from recently achieving her longtime dream of opening a salon.

Located in downtown Turlock, Tennyson took over the space that formerly housed A Beautiful Reflection & Day Spa in April and has since been hard at work remodeling the location alongside her mom and co-owner, Julie Edling.

Opening a salon wasn’t always in the cards for Tennyson, however, as she originally planned on obtaining a kinesiology degree from Stanislaus State. Shortly before starting classes at the university, Tennyson suffered a devastating brain hemorrhage and was placed in a medically-induced coma for three weeks. When she woke up, she had to relearn how to do everything that once came naturally to her: walking, reading and even talking.

Though she ultimately was able to obtain a degree in psychology from Stanislaus State, memory problems stemming from her brain injury made Tennyson realize that her life’s path was meant to be different, she said, and felt compelled to pursue a career in beauty. So, she began attending esthetician courses at Paul Mitchell and fell in love with the industry.

With the help of her mom, Swoon Salon & Spa has helped Tennyson realize a goal that once seemed unattainable.

“It’s been my dream. Once I got into the industry, I thought it’d be cool to one day own my own salon and have my own vibe, and my mom is the sort of person who loves projects,” Tennyson said. “We just bounce off of each other.”

Edling handles much of the salon’s financial side, Tennyson said, while she focuses on the salon’s branding via social media and face-to-face interactions with clients. The full-service salon offers hair and skin services, as well as teeth whitening, lash services, microblading, massages and, eventually, spray tanning.

“It just all worked out and the location is perfect,” Tennyson said.

With a myriad of salons in Turlock, she added that it’s not about standing out for Swoon Salon & Spa, but coming together, rather.

“There’s no competition — that’s one of my things,” she said. “I want everyone to come in here and feel welcome.”