The Creative Illusionz hair salon sign hanging on the northwest corner of the new Gooseneck Implement dealership at Kenmare, North Dakota is not an illusion in itself.

That’s right, the local dealership boasts the nation’s only hairstyling salon located in a John Deere facility.

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Owner Jessilynn (Johnson) Borud is thrilled to see her unusual location turn so many heads. “Being right on the highway, there have been a few people who have stopped to make an appointment as they were passing through Kenmare,” she said.

Borud opted for her own color scheme for the business, leaving the trademark green and gold colors to the John Deere machinery sales and parts staff. In fact, she designed the layout for her rooms and equipment as the new Gooseneck building was being planned, then chose furniture and decor in shades of black, white and silver to create an elegant and contemporary salon setting.

“Everything fell into place,” she said, pointing out the separate shampoo and styling stations, the generous north- and west-facing windows that fill her shop with natural light, and a comfortable waiting area complete with two leather chairs.

Customers had their first look at the new shop, and their first haircuts under Borud’s experienced hands, when Creative Illusionz opened its doors for business on recently. While haircuts for women, children and men may be the mainstay of her business, Borud enjoys offering other services to her customers as well, especially waxing and coloring. “That’s all I’m doing for now, until I can get help,” she said. “No nails yet and no facials yet, but I want to expand.”

She built the shop with three styling stations and she intends to add at least one more hairdresser by the end of May, when her sister completes her training in Bismarck.

In the meantime, she wants to build her business by making other people look good. “I like to try something fun on people,” she said. “I like to give them a new look, get them outside their box a little, and I love to specialize in color!”

However, plans to build the Gooseneck building were delayed, which gave Borud a second chance to start the business. “A year later, I said absolutely, I’m ready,” she recalled. “There was no doubt in my mind this was what I wanted to do. I have seven years of experience now and this is an awesome opportunity for me to get started on my own.”

She confirmed that Creative Illusionz is the only styling salon in the United States affiliated with a John Deere operation. ”It’s easy to give people directions to my shop,” she said. “They all know where the Gooseneck is. It helps my business, too!”

She recently discovered the relationship between John Deere and Creative Illusionz has been broadcast across Canada when a friend from one of the provinces mentioned hearing about her new business from news outlets in his country. “When I would tell people what I was going to do or when [husband] Matt would bring it up, people would be totally shocked,” she said.

In her opinion, the connection between the two businesses has a practical side. “This will be nice for wives riding along with their husbands who are here getting parts or equipment,” she said with a laugh. “They can come in the shop here and do something for themselves so they don’t have to sit in their vehicles waiting for their husbands.”