BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2025 January 17, Friday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
editor@blairtoday.com – Facebook
When Hunter Drummond graduated from Tekamah-Herman High School in 2017, she was a volleyball player and FFA secretary with big dreams. Today, she’s the owner of A Dapper Co., a thriving hair salon housed in a historic Herman bank building that she purchased at age 23.
After graduating from Capitol School of Hairstyling and Esthetics in 2020, Drummond started her career at Studio 213, building a reputation for color services and wedding styling. But she had bigger plans. In March 2022, she took a leap that would change everything – investing $50,000 into an old bank building on Herman’s Fifth Street.
Working alongside family members to handle renovations, Drummond preserved the building’s historic features – from original bricks to the bank vault – while creating a modern salon space inspired by Omaha’s Old Market. Less than two years after opening her doors in May 2023, she’s booked months in advance, preparing for her next big adventure: motherhood in June 2024.
BlairToday: Most stylists start by renting a chair somewhere. What made you decide to invest in your own building at such a young age?
“I did start renting a chair right out of hair school in 2020. It was not at all what I was expecting, and knowing exactly what I expected from myself, I knew I couldn’t fail if I gave it my all – what’s to lose? The day I got my keys, I knew I could breathe a whole lot different. We immediately started throwing things out, ripping out walls, and seeing what history was hidden in there. I could barely wait another day to see! To this day, almost 3 years since I signed the papers, we still find many hidden historical ‘things.'”
BlairToday: Your salon specializes in complex services like extensions and color treatments. How do you approach helping clients achieve their dream looks?
“I feel like this is something that simply comes naturally to a stylist that loves his or her job. I always start by being honest, if it’s going to take more than one session to get to their dream color, I explain it! I feel it all comes from confidence. I know I can get someone their dream hair, I just need confidence from my client in return, and most times they trust me!”
BlairToday: You’ve developed quite a following in Herman. How do you approach building relationships with your clients?
“I always tell my clients that I feel like they’re my besties, cousins, aunts, friends, uncles, grandmas, etc. I’m not afraid of sharing tips and tricks that weren’t available ‘back when’. My biggest dream was for people to just trust me and love me how I loved them. I didn’t care if it was our first salon date, I wanted them ensured that I was going to do everything I could to make it a comfortable setting. This is what I would hope for, I just hope to give it to someone in return.”
BlairToday: As someone who grew up in this area, how has that local connection influenced your business?
“I actually grew up in Craig, NE, graduated from THS, but knew all of the people that came from Herman to Tekamah for school. A lot of my clients are friends from high school or family members/friends of them. I feel like in a small town, word of mouth is a necessity, and I love being able to connect again with people or make new connections!”
BlairToday: Your service menu includes treatments typically found in urban salons. Was that a conscious decision?
“I do have many bold changes for a small town salon, but this day in age, there are SO many new and upcoming trends since I started doing hair, that people are just so curious about them! I love offering things that are typically only found in the city, but offering it at a more reasonable price. I have always said that I am not in it for the money, I just love making friends.”
BlairToday: The building’s history seems to be an important part of your salon’s character. How do clients react to that?
“I just love it so much!!! My older Herman clientele or visitors recognize what I have preserved, but my new generations also love hearing me fill them in on what I have worked so hard to preserve and what I plan to do eventually with my building. I feel like I could go on about the history of this place for days, but I also learn new information to share, just as after!”
BlairToday: You maintain a strict cancellation policy while being booked months in advance. How do you balance that with small-town relationships?
“This is such a necessity! Seeing I am booked out for months in advance, when someone cancels, it is near impossible to get that spot filled instantly. This is a very hard thing for me to balance, because I am such a soft-hearted person, I want to be more forgiving, but I just can’t. And 75% of people do value my time, just as I do, and most of the time the others find somewhere else! And that is okay, but I will miss them!”
BlairToday: As someone who recently got married yourself, how has that experience influenced your bridal styling work?
“THIS! So I actually got married in the beautiful state of Montana, but I feel as though it really did help me see weddings from another standpoint. Being the one behind the chair verses the one in the chair was hard, but I truly could feel how much my brides trust in me to make their day and pictures picture perfect. Knowing how beautiful I felt, made me want to try even HARDER to make sure each of my bridal parties felt just as good as I did.”
BlairToday: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about running a salon?
“Just be a friend to someone. Not everyone can afford it, but they want to feel good, so give them a break. Don’t gossip when they leave, let their secrets leave with them and ask if they need advice the next time they come in. I never wanted to be the salon where everyone thought they could show up for gossip, I’m here to support anything you need to talk about and give you a big ole hug when you leave, knowing all you told me is safe. My salon is forever going to be a safe space.”
BlairToday: Looking ahead, what are your plans for A Dapper Co.?
“I do have a few things up my sleeve that are in the works. I am expecting a baby in June, so I would love to invite someone in to temporarily take over my clientele and build their own. I want to keep learning! I feel like this is my signature. Whether it’s learning another skill in the industry or learning more about a client. I am always open to learn something.”
BlairToday: Your clients often refer to their appointments as therapy sessions. How do you view that aspect of your work?
“Ah, yes! I consider myself a certified hairapist, mostly on how everyone refers to me as a therapy session! I just sit and either give them advice or just be a listening ear! I feel like when you just take a minute to let people say what they need to say, they feel so much better, which makes them feel a whole heck of a lot better looking at the end of their service! It’s a win-win!”
From her days as a Tekamah-Herman student to becoming a business owner, Hunter Drummond has built more than just a salon in downtown Herman. In a historic bank building where she still discovers hidden pieces of history, she’s created a space where clients find both style and support. As she prepares for motherhood in June while running A Dapper Co., Drummond continues to prove what she believed at 23 – that with enough heart and hard work, small-town dreams can become reality. Find her at 102 5th Street in Herman, where the old bank vault now holds very different kinds of treasures.
