EP #90 How A Stylist Built A Brand Where Women Feel Seen

A salon can be more than a service—it can be a sanctuary. We sit with stylist and founder Erica Mynar to unpack how Girl Time, her one-on-one salon suite in Fredericksburg, delivers calm energy, honest guidance, and gorgeous blonding without the noise or rush of a crowded floor. From the first hello to the final style, Erica designs every moment to feel personal, present, and pressure-free, so clients leave with great hair and real confidence.

Erica traces her journey from Paul Mitchell to commission salons and finally to ownership, sharing the lessons she kept—and the habits she left behind. If you’ve ever wondered what makes blonding shine over time, she breaks down techniques like balayage, highlights, and ombre, along with the maintenance routines that protect tone and hair health. She also busts a stubborn myth: conditioning your roots is not the enemy. Treat the scalp like skin, allow a short adjustment period, and enjoy less dryness, better balance, and brighter color.

We also go deeper than hair. Erica lives with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and explains how hydration, movement, and pacing allow her to thrive without letting the condition define her. That resilience shows up in her business: no double-booking, no stylist disappearing act, just focused time that respects both the client and the craft. Fredericksburg provides the perfect backdrop—close to mountains, beach, and DC—while community roots grow through Instagram, Google, and word of mouth.

If you’re dreaming of starting your own business, Erica’s advice will ground you: believe fully, practice perseverance, and celebrate the small wins that stack into momentum. Press play to learn how a clear brand, a calm suite, and a craftsman’s mindset can turn a vision into a neighborhood staple. If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors discover it.

Erica Mynar

Girl Time

girltimellc.glossgenius.com

1380 Carl D Silver Pkwy Suite 126, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Episode Transcript

Speaker (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG
Neighbors Podcast, where weshare the stories of our
favorite local brands.
I have a special guest joiningme today.
We have Erica Mynar, and she iswith Girl Time.
Erica, welcome to the podcast.
Hi, thank you for having me.
Of course.
Well, I'm excited to get toknow you and learn more about

(00:35):
your business.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout Girl Time.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
So Girl Time is a brand that I have made.
I am a hairstylist and I offera wide variety of different
services for your hair.
I made this brand because Ijust wanted women to have a
space where they can come and beauthentically themselves, and
the vibes are immaculate andthey don't have to worry about

(01:04):
anything.
Just come in, have your girltime, have a good time, and
that's about it.
I mean, it's always been mydream to open up my own hair
place or a hair studio, and it'sjust been so much fun.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
I love it.
I love your branding.
It it tells me exactly what toexpect.
So great job with that.
I love it.
So tell me, I'd love to learn alittle bit about your
background.
So tell me what uh led you tostarting this business.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
So I've been in the hair industry for going on 10
years now.
And I worked for variousdifferent people at uh
commission salons, and I tookeverything that I loved from
each salon that I worked at andmade it become one entity.
Um throughout the years, I'veseen the good, the bad, the

(02:00):
ugly, and it's just been greatto be able to have this
opportunity to open upsomething.
Um I started in hair school atPaul Mitchell 10 years ago and
had a dream of opening my ownplace and I made it become a
reality.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Amazing.
Well, congratulations on yoursuccess.
It's very exciting.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So tell me, what are yourspecialties?
Is there a certain um, youknow, uh area that you uh
specialize in?

Speaker 2 (02:37):
So yes, I actually specialize in blonding.
So anything that you can thinkof when it comes to blonding,
balayage, uh highlights, um,some people still love to get
the good old-fashioned ombre.
Um, so anything blonding Ispecialize in and just color
overall.

(02:57):
Um, I don't just do blondes, Ido it all.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Got it, got it.
I love it.
I love it.
So tell me, do you find thatthere are any myths or
misconceptions about either theindustry or about your business
specifically?

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Definitely.
So the biggest myth is that youshould not put conditioner on
your roots.
Um, the way that I explain itto my clients is when you wash
your face, after you get donewashing your face, you
moisturize your face, correct?
So, why not moisturize yourscalp?
A lot of people have a lot ofissues with giving getting an

(03:39):
overabundance of oils on theirscalp.
And I can guarantee you give ita two-week like change in
period, but you'll see adifference.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Amazing.
I did not, I didn't realizethat.
There are a lot of things thatyou you just kind of hear, and
some of them are like old wives'tales, so it's kind of like, is
that is that true or not?
So thank you for dispellingthat myth for us.
Definitely.
So let me ask you this if say afriend or someone you knew uh

(04:11):
came to you and said, Hey, I'vebeen watching you and um I've
been loving watching you openyour business and succeed.
I'm thinking about chasing mydreams and opening my own
business.
What advice would you givethem?

Speaker 2 (04:25):
So the first thing I would say is believe in
yourself.
You always have to have full100% belief in yourself and
don't ever give up.
It is not an overnight thing.
It takes time and it takes alot of I guess you could say

(04:45):
press perseverance.
Um but it just, you know, justkeep at it.
There's gonna be hard times,there's gonna be good times, and
every win, even if it's a smallwin, a win is a win.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
That's really good advice.
I love that.
I love that.
You have to be your owncheerleader sometimes too,
because not everyone is gonnacheer you on.
So you got to do it foryourself.
Definitely.
I love that.
So tell me, have you lived inthe Fredericksburg area long?

Speaker 2 (05:16):
So I've been in Fredericksburg for about three
years now.
I was in Northern Virginiabefore that, and originally I
came from Texas about 10 yearsago.
So yeah, it's a kind of newerto the Fredericksburg area,
still getting my feet and on theground and everything, but I'm
making it, it's a great area tobe in.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
It is.
So, what are what are some ofthe things that you have enjoyed
exploring so far?

Speaker 2 (05:44):
So I am a big like I like outdoorsy stuff, uh, so
hiking, and there's a lot ofhiking trails around here.
I have a dog and he goeseverywhere with me.
Um, and so we like to justexperience everything in this
area together.
Um, it's also nice being inthis area because you're two

(06:05):
hours away from the beach,you're two hours away from the
mountains, and about an hour anda half away from DC.
There's just there's so much todo.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
I agree.
I've always said Fredericksburgis just the perfect location,
you know.
Like you mentioned, you're soclose to DC with all the
culture, but you can get to themountains, you can get to the
beach.
We kind of have the best ofeverything here.
We really do.
I love it.
So let me ask you, let me askyou this.
Has there been a challenge or ahardship in your life or in

(06:39):
business that you feel like nowthat you've overcome it and
you're on the other side of it,you're better for it?

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Definitely.
So back in 2019 to 2020, I gotpretty sick.
Um, at the beginning of 2020, Ifound out that I have POTS.
It's a condition it's calledpostural orthostatic tachycardia
syndrome.
And this affects me in myday-to-day life and as well as

(07:07):
working.
Um, it has been hard toovercome, but with finding
different things, with you know,drinking enough water and
exercising, getting out anddoing things, I've definitely
been able to overcome it andmake it to where it's not my

(07:28):
life, it is just a part of mylife.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
I love that you say that.
It's not my life, it's just apart of my life.
That's powerful, isn't it?
Thank you.
Yeah, I love that.
Well, good good for you for umuh persevering again through
that and getting on the otherside of it.
That's that's amazing.
So tell me, what is somethingthat you wish the listeners knew

(07:56):
about Girl Time?
So uh let me think on that fora second.
I know we've talked about somuch already.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Um so well, Girl Time is a suite, uh, it is a
one-on-one experience.
So you don't all of the extranoise that you would get in a
traditional salon.
Um so say you came in and gotyour hair done, we would just be
having our Girl Time.
And I think that what is whatmakes me stand out from other

(08:31):
businesses in the area andhaving that one-on-one time.
You don't have to worry aboutme leaving and going to work on
another client.
My time, your time is our time,and it's Girl Time.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
I love that so much.
I'm so glad that you sharedthat because if you, you know,
when you go to a really busysalon, you do sometimes feel
like you're neglected and you'rebeing you're left in the chair
and you're like, where's mystylist?
Where'd she go?
So that's really nice that youhave that intimate atmosphere.
I love that.
Definitely awesome.

(09:05):
Well, Erica, uh, if if thelisteners want to uh connect
with you, if they want to learnfrom you, where can they find
you?

Speaker 2 (09:13):
So you can find me on Instagram.
Um, my Instagram is Hair byErica, uh, and it has two E's in
it.
So it's like bye, see youlater.
Um and I'm also on Google andFacebook as well.

Speaker 1 (09:27):
Amazing.
Erica, thank you so much forjoining me on the podcast today
and sharing Girl Time with us.
Of course.
Thank you so much for havingme.
You're welcome.

Speaker (09:39):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com.