Kim and Shawn Leader, owners of RockStarz & Groupies Hair Studio, 2404 Chamberlain St., say they want to rock Ames, one head at a time.

“You come in here, I think you feel like you’re walking backstage to something,” Shawn said. “And it is private — the owner is cutting your hair.”

Since opening the doors at their studio about seven weeks ago, the couple say business has been good.

“It actually has been way beyond my expectations,” Kim said.

Part of the draw, they said, is the laid-back, personalized nature of the studio.

“It is a relaxing atmosphere, but it’s not a feminine or masculine atmosphere,” Kim said. “I think people feel more comfortable.”

Males, especially, she said, feel more at home in an individual environment.

“They’re not being critiqued by 20 women standing at their stations,” Kim said.

Throughout the week, the studio is as private as they come, when Kim does private consultations.

“The door’s locked — I’m not interrupted,” she said.

The studio caters to a variety of clients, and Kim said she does everything from tame haircuts to wild ones.

Some of her clients are senior citizens. Others are students, some of whom get razor cuts for extra “spikiness.”

“A razor cut is done with a straight razor — it’s more of your jagged, rock and roll style cuts,” Kim said.

And the rocking, wild side of hair is really Kim’s passion.

“I like to do things that are outside the box,” Kim said. “I like to do unique, customized color.”

The pair also practice what they preach.

“My hair was pink and teal, and he just had a Mohawk,” Kim said with a laugh.

Kim said her two children have also experimented with color.

And, as a mother of two, her children are part of her motivation as a small business owner.

Doing hair had always been her dream.

“I’ve wanted to do it since probably I was 8 years old,” Kim said.

But she wanted to wait until her kids were older before heading back to work. Now, being the owner of her own business allows her to maintain the ability to stay home if, for example, one of her children is sick.

“It also allows me to be extremely flexible with hours,” Kim said.

That’s the flexibility she wanted, instead of starting out like most cosmetology graduates, working in a salon for someone else and having a set schedule.

“I knew when I was in school, I was not going to do that,” Kim said. “I came right out of beauty school into our own business.”

Both Shawn and Kim come from entrepreneurial families and understand the perks of small-business ownership.

“It’s a lot more work,” Shawn said, “but there are a lot more rewards.”