Waukon native Amber (Mitchell) Murphy opens WAX by Amber on West Main Street in Waukon
WAX by Amber receives First Dollar Visit... WAX by Amber, newly opened this year at 102 West Main Street in Waukon, recently received a First Dollar Visit from the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. Pictured above with her First Dollar Visit certificate is business owner Amber Murphy. Photo courtesy of the Waukon Chamber of Commerce.
Providing a service unique to this area and being able to create her own schedule while doing what she loves are just some of the reasons Amber Murphy has opened WAX by Amber, a body waxing salon, at 102 West Main Street in Waukon. Murphy opened her new location in Waukon at the beginning of this year, creating the best possible scenarios for both herself and her clientele.
“I offer services that aren’t found in the area,” she explained. “I’m also very flexible with my hours and days I work. It’s amazing to make my own schedule to accommodate customers. I love what I do and wanted a space of my own to make people hairless. I love making people smile when they leave; when people leave happier than when they come in. I have always been a people-person, working on my service to the community.”
The former Amber Mitchell, daughter of Trent and Becky Mitchell of Waukon, has a sister, Makayla, and a brother, Tanner, and is a 2012 graduate of Waukon High School. She married 2011 Waukon High School graduate Ryan Murphy in March 2018 and they live in Waukon with their dog, Kia, and are expecting their first child.
Having developed a strong work ethic working at the S&D Cafe during her school years for nearly 14 years, Murphy attended Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) after high school and studied Business. While attending college, she also worked as a receptionist at Eclips Salon & Spa in Decorah, a position that further spurred her to attend the Salon Professional Academy in Onalaska, WI and focus on esthetics.
It was her familiarity with her hometown that led to her opening her own business here. “I always knew I wanted to have a career where I could be a part of my home community,” Murphy shared.
Although her flexible schedule does have its advantages, Murphy said that flexibility does come with some challenges as well. “It’s hard not knowing what the week will bring with appointments,” she explained. “It can be very slow to really busy, which can lead to working all hours of the day and weekends. But, there’s no income if I’m not working, and it’s also a challenge not having paid vacation days and other benefits.”
In addition to overcoming those challenges, Murphy is also working on growing her business, some of which can go hand in hand. “I hope to build my business up to where I’m booked up weeks in advance and have a successful business with services and products for retail,” she forecasted.
Murphy has already begun to diversify within her new location. “We now offer some clothing designed locally,” she said. “We also have other items to purchase, like body scrubs.”
WAX by Amber is open by appointment only, including evenings and weekends. “I can be pretty flexible with hours working if a certain time is best,” Murphy noted.
Appointments can be made by calling 563-568-8323 or booking online at www.vagaro.com/us04/wax1. Additional information can also be found on the WAX by Amber Facebook page.
