Sarah Vida
I’m passionate about working with women and helping them let their confidence shine. Over the past 20+ years, I’ve learned that when you give a woman her confidence back—whether through hair or heart—she shows up differently in her life. This change can ripple through her family and community, making a powerful impact.
I specialize in soft, custom color and reviving fullness that has been lost due to hormonal, chemical, or physical changes. My focus is on natural beauty—bringing hair back to life with soft, lived-in color and subtle changes like filling in thin spots or adding fullness. While I love the dramatic transformations that extensions can offer, my true passion lies in those small, meaningful changes that restore a woman’s natural beauty.
The women I want in my chair are those who are ready to embrace their confidence and step into their lives feeling empowered. I’m here to support that journey, one strand at a time.
Yes, this is an old picture—back when the girls were too young to help in the salon! Hopefully, we can schedule a new family photo soon. Louis is now in middle school, and Bella and Cruz are in 2nd grade. As for Brian and me, we’re just a little older too!
The Story Behind Salon Freebird
When I first began my career in the salon industry, I worked in commission-based salons, and while I learned many valuable lessons, one stood out above the rest: hairstylists weren’t being taken seriously. I watched my husband’s career, along with those of my friends and coworkers, flourish with benefits like health insurance, 401Ks, and paid vacations—things that were rarely offered to stylists. It often felt like our profession was seen as a hobby, not a legitimate career.
I always wondered, why? Why were so many talented stylists stuck without the support they deserved? This fueled my passion to create a different kind of salon culture—one where stylists are respected, valued, and provided with the same opportunities for growth and security as in any other career.
At Salon Freebird, my goal has always been to build a place where stylists feel safe and cared for, with access to meaningful benefits like health insurance that allows them to prioritize their well-being and families. I believe that taking time off to travel, rest, and recharge should be celebrated, not discouraged. That’s the kind of environment I set out to create when I opened Salon Freebird.
We began as Freebird Beauty Shop, and as we grew, so did our vision. To stay relevant in a fast-evolving industry, we rebranded as Salon Freebird and moved to a more central location in Boulder. Our new space is rich in history, having been a salon since it was built, and we’re proud to bring it back to life with love and passion. Family is at the core of everything we do—my husband Brian and I built the salon with our own hands, and our children even helped. Brian, inspired by his father’s 40-year career running a dental practice, believes that a happy workplace leads to a happy life, and I couldn't agree more.
Salon Freebird is more than just a place to get your hair done—it’s a space where stylists and clients can recharge, feel supported, and be part of a community. We are constantly evolving, adding new services and experiences, and while some things work and others don’t, we embrace each challenge as an opportunity to grow. Our mission is to create a salon where both stylists and clients feel cared for, respected, and inspired every day.
My Journey with Hair Extensions
I’ve learned firsthand that your hair can change more than a few times throughout your life—mine certainly has. My first experience with hair extensions came after a devastating haircut during beauty school. As someone with very curly hair that grows out before it grows down, I struggled with the grow-out process. That’s when hair extensions became a lifeline for me. Back then, the technology was limited—my hair resembled ramen noodles—but at the time, it was the best option available.
Over the past 20+ years, hair extensions have come a long way, and I’ve never stopped learning and growing with them. What I’ve discovered is that even though I may not always be perfect at something right away, I believe in putting in the practice, learning, and evolving. I teach my staff the same—never stop learning. One thing I can promise to my clients and my team is that I will always continue to evolve, bringing the latest techniques and methods back to Salon Freebird.
For me, hair extensions became more than just a tool—they gave me confidence when I needed it most. As a busy wife, mother, business owner, and friend, not having to spend hours styling my hair and feeling beautiful when I woke up was a huge impact on my daily life. It gave me more time and helped me feel softer and kinder, allowing me to give more to my family and my relationships. Extensions also helped my natural hair grow back in fuller, protecting it as it recovered.
Even though I haven’t worn extensions this past year due to life’s unexpected turns, I still feel grateful for the fuller, thicker hair I now have because of the care and protection extensions have provided over the years. I can’t wait to get them back in!