Small business, big heart

Lisa Walsh (left) and Nikki McCart.

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South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation and the South Boston Chamber of Commerce are pleased to present the Thomas J. Butler South Boston Small Business Leadership Award to Lisa Walsh and Nikki McCart of MW Hair Studio.

Each year during the South Boston Street Fest, the two organizations present the award to businesspeople who exemplify service to the community and what Tommy stood for.

Tommy, who spent his career with Massport, was the heart and soul of South Boston — an unwavering community champion whose decades of service reflected his deep roots and fierce pride in the neighborhood. Known for his Irish wit, boundless generosity, and tireless advocacy, Tommy embodied what it means to be a good neighbor and a true South Boston leader.

Congratulations, Lisa and Nikki!

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MW Hair Studio wins Tommy Butler award

When Nikki McCart and Lisa Walsh of MW Hair Studio learned they were getting the Thomas J. Butler Small Business Leadership Award at the South Boston Street Fest, they cried happy tears — after first wondering if, perhaps, they were in trouble.

When they received an envelope from South Boston Chamber of Commerce Director Jenni McNeill announcing the award, their first reaction was confusion. “I was like, are we in trouble? What’s in the envelope?” Nikki recalled. “Is it a picture of us? I hope it’s a good one,” joked Lisa.

That mix of genuine emotion, quick wit, and complete lack of pretense pretty much sums up Nikki and Lisa — two longtime South Boston friends and business owners who have built MW Hair Studio into a thriving neighborhood business while quietly becoming fixtures in the community.

“To be able to actually say you are from here and you help build the community … you're preserving a piece of what we grew up with, and it's kind of our way to honor that piece by being able to contribute and give back and still be here and still show up,” said Lisa.

“It’s a huge privilege to have the opportunity to do it.”

According to Jenni: “There are people who show up when they know someone is watching, and then there are people who simply show up. Lisa and Nikki are always at the meetings. They contribute whenever and wherever they can. They support the neighborhood, other small businesses, community organizations, and local efforts without ever asking for acknowledgment or expecting anything in return.”

 The award, which will be presented during a ceremony at the Street Fest on Saturday, Sept. 19, recognizes their commitment to being part of the community — and their willingness to use their business as a way to help others.

 “We were rambunctious teenagers … and we lived through it,” said Lisa, “but we saw a lot of people not live through it. So, if we can give back and help get more into programs that help teens and people that need direction, I think that it's super important to be able to have a business that you can use to fund a thing like that.”

 In addition to providing gift cards to a plethora of fundraising events, the dynamic duo gives career talks to high school students and cosmetology school graduates, works with younger students and girls youth groups with C-6, and offers advice and guidance to anyone who asks.

 “And if you’re looking to work in a salon, you can always reach out to us. We can help you,” said Nikki, who actually went to school with Tommy Butler from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Nikki and Lisa’s commitment to the neighborhood extends to the way they run MW Hair Studio. They have been awarded a Carbon Neutral Certificate, meaning the amount they recycle offsets the amount of electricity they’ve consumed.

The owners also see their business as part of the changing South Boston landscape. While they remember a very different neighborhood, with Jonesies and the Tan Man and Slocum’s, they appreciate the opportunities that now exist for small businesses.

“I think it's nice to have this many opportunities to open business because this was never here before,” Lisa said about their location at 401 W. First St. “It's hard to envision it. But now that you see it changing and things are getting built, there's a lot more opportunity.”

In a world full of so many phony things, it’s nice to be a part of something that is authentic, Lisa and Nikki said. “To be able to show up as ourselves in those spaces and be embraced has been a huge bonus of being a business owner as well.”

And, apparently, showing up as themselves means keeping everyone laughing.

Nikki and Lisa are part of Darcy Bento’s Local Business Loop. “If you're finding ways to collaborate with other business, it lifts you both up,” Lisa said.

They see the South Boston Street Fest in much the same way. It’s an opportunity for local businesses to showcase what they do, connect with neighbors, and demonstrate that the neighborhood’s business community is thriving.

Lisa and Nikki are looking toward the future. They recently added a third chair and renovated the shop, creating what they described as a “much more cozy space.” Their five-year plan includes growing into a larger space, creating additional jobs, and potentially having room for community events and fundraisers.

For two women who never expected an award, never set out to be recognized, and seem to have just as much fun making each other — and everyone around them — laugh as they do giving back to the community, the Thomas J. Butler Small Business Leadership Award feels like a fitting tribute.

 “If you enrich your own community … with a thriving business, it's good for everybody,” said Lisa.

“We're just happy to be here,” she said. “Just happy to be a part of our community, and we're excited to see what other ways we can find to give back.”