The Entrepreneurship Series hosted Lacy Gadegaard on Tues. March 19th. Gadegaard shared her experience of starting her own company, overcoming various challenges in life, and making it what it is today.
Gadegaard’s passion for making others feel confident through their hair led her to the career she describes as, “…hairstylist by trade and CEO by accident.”
Before starting her company Laced in 2010, Gadegaard worked as a stylist for the Bellagio and later the Aria both located in Las Vegas. It was there that she began to experiment with extensions and found her own manufacturer that she would use for herself and her customers.
By 2014 Gadegaard had upgraded locations from her basement to her very own studio and continued to grow from there with her own salon in 2016 and by 2018 she had her own warehouse of extensions.
One of the biggest lessons Gadegaard wanted to pass on was to persevere and never give up on their business.
“You’re on cloud nine, cloud nine, and then something happens.”, Gadegaard said amid discussing how she began her business while supporting a husband and two children. She would later on have to deal with divorce and a brain tumor that resulted in her being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Gadegaard is so dedicated to her business that she even worked from the hospital while receiving her diagnosis as it took place during Black Friday, her busiest time of the year.
Her business has flourished in spite of personal trials. Laced was the provider for extensions during the 2015 and 2016 Victoria Secret fashion shows, has appeared in various magazines including Cosmopolitan. There is even a Laced Hair Foundation that provides extensions for women who have lost their own hair.
The Entrepreneurship Speaker Series is held every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.
Story by: Alex Shilling
eic@suunews.net
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Dimond
