b'esIm not a hairdresser, Austin saysher daughter dropping by on her wayWe keep you smiling!with a laugh, and yet she acknowledg- homefrommiddleschooltosteala the business is all about style. Thehair clip or bum some money from her florist, she says, doesnt put dead rosesmother, grandfather or aunt (one of Ja-in his window. The salon, too, has tonines younger sisters also works at the have a lookand that look needs tosalon); and the short walk to and fromEveryeffortismadeto bebothprofessionalandcompletelythe newly-named Delia Bolden School,ensuretheutmostcomfort modern. where her son is a fourth grader. for each patient.So far, the salon seems to be walk- Shealsolovesthenetworking.I ingthatline.OnarecentWednes- live in this town and I work in thisEnjoy a modern professional day, a well-dressed older woman withtownandImfriendswithalotofenvironmentandacaring staff.aclassicAnnaWintour-esquebobbusiness owners, and creating a com-waited patiently in one of the salonsmunity is so important. As a former faculty member bamboo chairs for her stylist, who ar- Indeed, having stepped away fromof Fairleigh Dickinson Dental rived in black pants and a white topthe corporate world for more time withSchool, Dr. Wisz now devotes to lead her back to a hair washing sta- her family, Austin is now inspired byall her time to private practice.tion. They walked down the salons hipthe women around her who find the white oak floors, past a younger stylistspace and the energy to do things in ad-in a sleeveless top and with tattooeddition to motherhood, including beingWendy Wisz, DMDarms who was showing an intern withbusiness owners and community build-pink hair how to do a soft curl blow- ers. She hopes to do her part by creating out. Meanwhile a 20-something witha SOMA entrepreneurs coalition thatGeneral, Restorative & Cosmetic DentistryDoc Martens and a pierced nose wasfinds ways for small businesses to col-making an appointment for a cut. laborateonprojectsandprofessional Ontheotherside,stylistsofallservices in ways that benefit everyone.ages, shapes, genders and races workedThe two and a half years since the250 Millburn Avenue | Millburnon an equally diverse clientele; the sa- pandemic began have been exhausting973-467-0077lonperfectlyreflectsthevillageandon so many levels. Asked if its all beenSaturdays and Evenings Availablethe moment in which it finds itself. worth it, she ponders the question forOn site parking | Convenient locationamoment,thenre-peatsit,reallyseek-ing to answer honest-lythephilosophy majorcomingagain to the fore.Its rewarding for methatIcanhave myparentsenjoy theirlifetogether, that theyre still well, that theyre still hap-py. she says slowly. Myfatherhasput hisheartandsoul into his business for solongthatknow-ing he doesnt have to worry [means a lot].She talks a bit lon-ger, the question still roiling in her mind.Idofeelthatits Austin with her husband, Michael, daughter, Ella, and son,upwardandon-Reid. ward,shesaysat last. [The pandemic] This is deliberate on Austins part.hasnt brought us to our knees and Im Though her father has worked in thebetter on the other side for it. villageforalltheseyears,sheistheTiaSwansonwouldbehappyspend-first and still the only Garubo to liveinganentiredaypeoplewatchingat here.Sherelishesthesmallthings:Garubo.feature story /45'