When you want to feel and look your best, what do you do? Twenty-four percent of Americans turn to plastic or cosmetic surgery. And if a few of your female acquaintances have admitted to a facelift, tummy tuck, or breast augmentation, then they’re in good company: Women account for roughly nine out of ten cosmetic surgeries overall, which might say something about women’s buying power in the industry.
Troy Mercer, Founder and Barber at Middleson Barber, and Mindy Dornier, Founder and Designer at Belle Cher – take a different approach to helping women and men look their best, and for far less money.
Troy Mercer, Owner and barber at Middleson Barber on Corporate Boulevard. Although Corporate Boulevard is not Penny Lane where “There’s a barber on the corner showing photographs of every head he’s had the pleasure to have known,” you’d be hard pressed to find a business on the boulevard where you’d enjoy a visit more.
Troy Mercer attended Zachary High School but wasn’t muchinterested in academics or going to college. He wanted to leave his hometown and do something different. Something where he might meet girls. So, he entered the hairstyling industry where he met his future wife, Maria, who taught Troy about hair coloring and other techniques. They’ve been happily married for 35 years.
Troy trained at the influential Lockworks salon system and spent 18 years working with his brother at Mercer Supply Company, a high-end barbershop on Nicholson Drive, until recently, when Troy decided to open his own shop Middleson Barber on Corporate Boulevard.
Mindy Dornier, never planned to enter the fashion industry. Her clothing brand, Belle Cher, began out of a practical need: finding affordable, attractive clothing for her children.
Mindy Dornier built her clothing company, Belle Cher, into a powerhouse business that today designs and manufactures clothes for women and children that are carried in hundreds of stores across the south east
Originally from Donaldsonville, Mindy graduated from LSU in 2010 with a degree in kinesiology. She initially planned to become a physician assistant, but after becoming pregnant with her first child, she decided to pursue a different career.
After a few years selling real estate and then managing The Legacy, a family-owned tennis club, Mindy became pregnant again, this time with twins. She was put on bed rest, which gave her some time to think – and she began designing her own clothing for children.
Her first apparel business Smocked Out evolved into Bel Cher, a wholesale women’s and children’s apparel brand carried by hundreds of boutiques throughout the Southeast.
Amy Irvin, Troy Mercer, Mindy Dornier, Out to Lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard
Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Photos by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez .
