Faces of Cody: Monica Butler Paul

The connection that develops over the years with a hair stylist or barber is unique among relationships. You see each other every few weeks or, in some cases, weekly. You might spend half an hour or more together each time. You get to know each other and share events in your lives. This connection creates a bond that can last a lifetime, especially in a small town.

The oldest continuing hair salon in Cody, The Hair Affaire/11th Street Spa, is owned by go-getter Monica Butler Paul and her husband, Tom Paul. Cody Journal spent a couple of hours with Monica to chat about what has made her salon such a long-time fixture and a gathering place for so many generations of Cody residents.

If you’re familiar with the movie Steel Magnolias, Monica and her mother have created a similar environment. Within the spacious, welcoming interior, you find staff who support each other and the clients they serve. This comfort allows for that deep, unique connection with a stylist like no other relationship.

Deep Roots in Cody – Three Generations of Entrepreneurs

Monica’s family has been in Cody for generations. Her grandmother, Dora Holder, originally purchased the building where The Hair Affaire and 11th Street Spa now reside. Monica recalls being told that it was originally a mortuary here in town. She reports that it may be yet another haunted building in town. The south side of the building was her grandmother’s home for many years, with the existing hair salon rented out. In 1966, she added space to expand the hair salon and the part of the building where she ran The Clothes Tree, a clothing store.

Monica’s mother, Darlene, attended cosmetology school and later began working at the Magic Mirror on Sheridan. She expanded her skills and knowledge by attending Wella Color School and, in 1972, bought the Hair Affaire and Clothes Tree. Further expansions were made on the building in 1976 to accommodate more stylists.

Her dad, John Butler, came from upstate New York after four years in the Navy to work on the Bolton Ranch on South Fork for a month in 1963. Jim Bolton let him know he was welcome to come back. In 1967, he returned to the area and worked for various places, including Gordon’s Gas Station and Cody Lumber. During that time, one job had him on a pulling rig with Johnny Lewis in Oregon Basin for $1.15/hr.

Also during this time, John and Darlene met on a blind date set up by Mike Hansen, and things clicked into place for them. They married in 1968. After all the odd jobs John was doing, he decided it was time to find a trade. In 1970, he traveled to Toledo, Ohio, to a meat-cutting school for three months. John returned and took the job running the meat department at Baylo Groceries in the building now occupied by Ballard Funeral Home.

Cody Meats

In 1972, a building on Sheridan became available, and he opened Cody Meats, where he ran a successful business for nine years. The Big Chill is currently in this location. John’s business outgrew the downtown location. John developed, designed, and built the plant on 2AB, which is presently Legacy Meats.

Being a family business, everyone helped out. Her mother would come over after a day at the salon and help. Monica grew up wrapping meat and helping out. She earned her first paycheck at the age of ten. In 2001, He sold Cody Meats.

Hair Affaire becomes a Family Affair

During high school, she worked as a waitress at the Country Kitchen (now Granny’s Restaurant) for Don Blaylock on the graveyard shift, then she’d fill her days babysitting. After Monica graduated from Cody High School, she was determined to forge her own path. She decided to get an accounting degree and attended Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. With a strong work ethic, she always had a job. During this time she waitressed and managed an Italian restaurant in Deadwood, SD named Mama Leone’s.

While studying accounting, it was so all-consuming that she woke to dreams about numbers. It was literally a wake-up call for her that this was not the career path she wanted to go down. She excelled at it, but she missed interactions with people more. Even though she hadn’t originally intended to go to cosmetology school, this was an obvious choice because of her mom. After touring many schools throughout the region, she decided to go to the one that appeared the busiest: Blanco Blanco in Billings. It took 1200 hours to complete the degree, so Monica chose to attend stylist shows and work through her lunch hours to reach that goal more quickly. Her persistence paid off as she cut a full month off her studies and passed exams with flying colors. Her skills became an asset to the business her mother had already built.

In 1985, her grandma passed, leaving the apartment side of the building open. They rented out the apartment side of the building for a time, but when it sat vacant, they decided to expand that space into the 11th Street Spa. Her mother was behind the chair until she was 72 years old. Monica had expected a slower transition to owning the business when her mother retired. However, illness took her far too quickly, and Monica found herself the sole owner in 2015. She took on the owner role seriously and continues to add her own improvements.

Welcoming New Stylists

The staff members at the Hair Affaire/11th Street Spa added up their years of experience recently to find they had a combined 200+ years of experience. They regularly attend continuing education classes that add value to their long-term clientele. The classes help identify techniques that work for specific clients.

This vast experience of the stylists makes it an inviting place for new stylists. The current team is happy to share their knowledge and make way for those with new techniques to offer clients. Many newer hair salons use a booth rental space, but Monica continues to use a commission-based system. This way, they are a team, and the structure cuts out the drama of competition that can arise in a co-op-type situation. Plus, with the salon buying all the product, the stylists are never out of choices.

This business decision provides stability and reliability for not only the staff but also the customers. If a stylist can’t take a client for any reason, another staff member steps in easily to ensure customers are fully cared for. Monica is open to new stylists joining their team. If you are interested, give Monica a call. If you are looking for a hair salon with tons of experience to take care of your needs, stop by!

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