Meet Nicole Kaczmarek

Tell us about yourself! Where do you live, who are your people, and what was a career you had before House of Colour?

My name is Nicole Kaczmarek and I live in Seattle, WA. I am married and have a 12-year-old son. Before House of Colour I was a pharmacist for 18 years. I own House of Colour Ballard. 

How did you first hear about House of Colour?

In addition to pharmacy, I was also a Stella & Dot stylist. I first heard of House of Colour from two other Stella & Dot stylists who shared their experience getting color analyses with House of Colour and eventually purchasing franchises.

When did you know you wanted to purchase the franchise?

It was during the pandemic. I was already burnt out in the pharmacy, and the pandemic was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was so busy, understaffed, and physically thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown or make a horrible mistake, and neither of those was acceptable. I needed a change. At that time, there wasn’t anyone in the Pacific Northwest offering the entire color to style analysis journey. I thought it was a great opportunity to be the one to fill that niche.  

What has surprised you about franchise ownership at House of Colour?

To be honest, the most surprising thing is how fast my business grew and how busy I am staying. Seattle is a very casual city and not known for wearing color. There are a lot of tech companies where a hoodie is standard work attire, and the weather dictates a lot of utilitarian Gore-Tex and fleeces. I didn’t know anyone in my community who worked with a personal stylist. I had no idea if anyone would even come to see me. 

But they did! I was seeing enough clients after just 2 months of opening that I quit my pharmacy career and was financially OK living in a very expensive city.

Name one thing you did that contributed to your success when you first launched your House of Colour business?

I think the most impactful thing I did when I first opened my business was to use social media to reach beyond my friends and family and help new people find me—specifically collaborating via socials with other local businesses. I have been delighted by how open other local women-owned businesses are to connecting you with the right clients. In turn, I want to connect my clients with local small businesses to keep my community thriving.  

How has working with clients been meaningful to you?

As a pharmacist, it felt really good to help and nurture my patients by educating them about their medications. Now, I feel like I am still nurturing and making my clients feel good, but in a much, much less stressful, and more fun way! I truly believe that when you show up as your best self, you feel good. So, giving clients new data and information about themselves to make small changes that have a big impact is really rewarding.  

What are your future goals with House of Colour?

I am so pleased with how successful my business is. My goal is just to stay consistent. I considered growing a team in my territory, but managing others would take my attention away from working one-on-one with clients, which is my favorite part of my business. I really appreciate that, over my five and a half years, my business has shifted to a more referral-based model, meaning my clients are sending their friends and family, which is the greatest compliment they can give me.