Brown opens Blonde & Co

At just 20 years old, Taley Brown has already turned a passion for cosmetology into her own business, opening Blonde & Co. on the south side of the Holton Square.

A grand opening for the new salon, located at 105 W. Fourth St., was last month.

Brown, a 2024 graduate of Holton High School, began her cosmetology education while still in high school, attending Washburn Tech. By the time she graduated from HHS, she had also earned her cosmetology degree.

Her first client at Washburn Tech was a woman battling cancer.

“I had to cut all of her hair off. It was so sad, but at the same time, she just had this faith about her. No matter what happens, something good is always going to come back,” Brown said. “So I kind of took that mentality. I’m here for a reason, and that is when I fell in love with this job and understood the connection I could have with my clients.”

That connection with clients remains one of the things Brown enjoys most about doing hair.

“I love the science behind hair, which is so funny because I failed all chemistry classes in high school,” she said. “It’s about the individuality behind people's hair. People always want to know why one side of their hair can feel thick and curly while the other side can feel thin. There’s a reason behind that. It’s almost like the anatomy of the hair.”

After graduating from high school, Brown worked at a salon in Seneca. In February 2025, she began working at Ginger Snips in downtown Holton.

“I learned a lot from Ginger. She’s a cornerstone in the community. She’s a great businesswoman who taught me about the client experience,” Brown said. “In a small town, you see how your dollar travels. When you spend it here, I'm going take that and use it in the grocery store on the way home. It's just really neat.”

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