FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #90 How A Stylist Built A Brand Where Women Feel Seen
A salon can be more than a service—it can be a sanctuary. We sit with stylist and founder Erica Mynar to unpack how Girl Time, her one-on-one salon suite in Fredericksburg, delivers calm energy, honest guidance, and gorgeous blonding without the noise or rush of a crowded floor. From the first hello to the final style, Erica designs every moment to feel personal, present, and pressure-free, so clients leave with great hair and real confidence.
Erica traces her journey from Paul Mitchell to commission salons and finally to ownership, sharing the lessons she kept—and the habits she left behind. If you’ve ever wondered what makes blonding shine over time, she breaks down techniques like balayage, highlights, and ombre, along with the maintenance routines that protect tone and hair health. She also busts a stubborn myth: conditioning your roots is not the enemy. Treat the scalp like skin, allow a short adjustment period, and enjoy less dryness, better balance, and brighter color.
We also go deeper than hair. Erica lives with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and explains how hydration, movement, and pacing allow her to thrive without letting the condition define her. That resilience shows up in her business: no double-booking, no stylist disappearing act, just focused time that respects both the client and the craft. Fredericksburg provides the perfect backdrop—close to mountains, beach, and DC—while community roots grow through Instagram, Google, and word of mouth.
If you’re dreaming of starting your own business, Erica’s advice will ground you: believe fully, practice perseverance, and celebrate the small wins that stack into momentum. Press play to learn how a clear brand, a calm suite, and a craftsman’s mindset can turn a vision into a neighborhood staple. If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors discover it.
Erica Mynar
Girl Time
1380 Carl D Silver Pkwy Suite 126, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I have a special guest joining me today. We have Erica Mynar, and she is with Girl Time. Erica, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thank you for having me. Of course. Well, I'm excited to get to know you and learn more about your business. So let's start there. Share with us a little bit about Girl Time.
Speaker 2:So Girl Time is a brand that I have made. I am a hairstylist and I offer a wide variety of different services for your hair. I made this brand because I just wanted women to have a space where they can come and be authentically themselves, and the vibes are immaculate and they don't have to worry about anything. Just come in, have your girl time, have a good time, and that's about it. I mean, it's always been my dream to open up my own hair place or a hair studio, and it's just been so much fun.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love your branding. It it tells me exactly what to expect. So great job with that. I love it. So tell me, I'd love to learn a little bit about your background. So tell me what uh led you to starting this business.
Speaker 2:So I've been in the hair industry for going on 10 years now. And I worked for various different people at uh commission salons, and I took everything that I loved from each salon that I worked at and made it become one entity. Um throughout the years, I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and it's just been great to be able to have this opportunity to open up something. Um I started in hair school at Paul Mitchell 10 years ago and had a dream of opening my own place and I made it become a reality.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Well, congratulations on your success. It's very exciting. Thank you. Thank you. So tell me, what are your specialties? Is there a certain um, you know, uh area that you uh specialize in?
Speaker 2:So yes, I actually specialize in blonding. So anything that you can think of when it comes to blonding, balayage, uh highlights, um, some people still love to get the good old-fashioned ombre. Um, so anything blonding I specialize in and just color overall. Um, I don't just do blondes, I do it all.
Speaker 1:Got it, got it. I love it. I love it. So tell me, do you find that there are any myths or misconceptions about either the industry or about your business specifically?
Speaker 2:Definitely. So the biggest myth is that you should not put conditioner on your roots. Um, the way that I explain it to my clients is when you wash your face, after you get done washing your face, you moisturize your face, correct? So, why not moisturize your scalp? A lot of people have a lot of issues with giving getting an overabundance of oils on their scalp. And I can guarantee you give it a two-week like change in period, but you'll see a difference.
Speaker 1:Amazing. I did not, I didn't realize that. There are a lot of things that you you just kind of hear, and some of them are like old wives' tales, so it's kind of like, is that is that true or not? So thank you for dispelling that myth for us. Definitely. So let me ask you this if say a friend or someone you knew uh came to you and said, Hey, I've been watching you and um I've been loving watching you open your business and succeed. I'm thinking about chasing my dreams and opening my own business. What advice would you give them?
Speaker 2:So the first thing I would say is believe in yourself. You always have to have full 100% belief in yourself and don't ever give up. It is not an overnight thing. It takes time and it takes a lot of I guess you could say press perseverance. Um but it just, you know, just keep at it. There's gonna be hard times, there's gonna be good times, and every win, even if it's a small win, a win is a win.
Speaker 1:That's really good advice. I love that. I love that. You have to be your own cheerleader sometimes too, because not everyone is gonna cheer you on. So you got to do it for yourself. Definitely. I love that. So tell me, have you lived in the Fredericksburg area long?
Speaker 2:So I've been in Fredericksburg for about three years now. I was in Northern Virginia before that, and originally I came from Texas about 10 years ago. So yeah, it's a kind of newer to the Fredericksburg area, still getting my feet and on the ground and everything, but I'm making it, it's a great area to be in.
Speaker 1:It is. So, what are what are some of the things that you have enjoyed exploring so far?
Speaker 2:So I am a big like I like outdoorsy stuff, uh, so hiking, and there's a lot of hiking trails around here. I have a dog and he goes everywhere with me. Um, and so we like to just experience everything in this area together. Um, it's also nice being in this area because you're two hours away from the beach, you're two hours away from the mountains, and about an hour and a half away from DC. There's just there's so much to do.
Speaker 1:I agree. I've always said Fredericksburg is just the perfect location, you know. Like you mentioned, you're so close to DC with all the culture, but you can get to the mountains, you can get to the beach. We kind of have the best of everything here. We really do. I love it. So let me ask you, let me ask you this. Has there been a challenge or a hardship in your life or in business that you feel like now that you've overcome it and you're on the other side of it, you're better for it?
Speaker 2:Definitely. So back in 2019 to 2020, I got pretty sick. Um, at the beginning of 2020, I found out that I have POTS. It's a condition it's called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. And this affects me in my day-to-day life and as well as working. Um, it has been hard to overcome, but with finding different things, with you know, drinking enough water and exercising, getting out and doing things, I've definitely been able to overcome it and make it to where it's not my life, it is just a part of my life.
Speaker 1:I love that you say that. It's not my life, it's just a part of my life. That's powerful, isn't it? Thank you. Yeah, I love that. Well, good good for you for um uh persevering again through that and getting on the other side of it. That's that's amazing. So tell me, what is something that you wish the listeners knew about Girl Time? So uh let me think on that for a second. I know we've talked about so much already.
Speaker 2:Um so well, Girl Time is a suite, uh, it is a one-on-one experience. So you don't all of the extra noise that you would get in a traditional salon. Um so say you came in and got your hair done, we would just be having our Girl Time. And I think that what is what makes me stand out from other businesses in the area and having that one-on-one time. You don't have to worry about me leaving and going to work on another client. My time, your time is our time, and it's Girl Time.
Speaker 1:I love that so much. I'm so glad that you shared that because if you, you know, when you go to a really busy salon, you do sometimes feel like you're neglected and you're being you're left in the chair and you're like, where's my stylist? Where'd she go? So that's really nice that you have that intimate atmosphere. I love that. Definitely awesome. Well, Erica, uh, if if the listeners want to uh connect with you, if they want to learn from you, where can they find you?
Speaker 2:So you can find me on Instagram. Um, my Instagram is Hair by Erica, uh, and it has two E's in it. So it's like bye, see you later. Um and I'm also on Google and Facebook as well.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Erica, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing Girl Time with us. Of course. Thank you so much for having me. You're welcome.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG Neighbors Podcast.com.