Whether it’s being in a bridal party, attending a fancy fundraiser or just getting ready for a night on the town, most women have been there: You’d love to get your hair and makeup professionally done, but finding the time to get to the salon can make the experience less than glamorous. Enter Glam Set Go. The Sterling-based business launched in September to solve this exact dilemma. “My sister [Shikha Chaturvedi] and I are both the founders of the business,” says Sonali Chaturvedi. “We started it for busy women on the go, whether they are moms, entrepreneurs, teachers, executives, nurses, doctors, the list goes on—they don’t have time to go to the salon for their hair and makeup. We converted Mercedes Sprinters into these luxurious salons that actually come to your home, come to your office so that you don’t have to worry about finding the time to drive to a salon … We bring that luxurious salon experience to you.” Here, Chaturvedi shares the inspiration behind the mobile salon and what it’s like to launch a business during a pandemic.
Where did you get the idea for Glam Set Go?
My sister and I went to my friend’s 40th surprise birthday party in Arizona, and none of us really know how to do our own hair and makeup. [There were six or eight of us] and we arrived there, and we had all of these dinners, wine tastings, all of these things ready to go, and we were asking our friend, “Where can we get our hair and makeup done?” She knew someone who came to her house, but that’s where it all started. We thought, “We can actually solve this problem.” Sometimes people don’t want these types of things in their home. They have to set up. It’s a hassle. So why not provide this experience where you feel like you’re actually in a salon, getting pampered, having a glass of bubbly, and actually step out of your home or office?
What was it like to launch your business in a pandemic?
I think that was probably one of the most difficult decisions to make. We were originally supposed to launch in March [2020]. We decided to go ahead [in September] because everyone is finding their new normal now. If it’s weddings with 25 people or less, for example, people are still living their life. Providing this type of service where you can get your hair and makeup done offers a sense of normalcy.
What’s next for Glam Set Go?
Right now, we have two trucks and hair styling and makeup. We’d like to expand to haircuts and color and a barber truck for men by the end of 2021. We’re also looking to launch a makeup brand, something simple and luxurious with clean, multifunctional, good ingredients. [With anything we do], we’ll stick to that theme of busy women on the go.
This story originally appeared in the January issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly print magazine.
