By Lisa Carolin
Business Name: The Crazy Diamond
Business address: 110 N. Main Street
Business email, telephone number: [email protected], no phone number
Business hours: Wednesday through Saturday 4:30 to 6:30pm
Business website: thecrazydiamondclub.com
Two years ago in the spring of 2020, when Covid was causing so many things to be shut down, Lynae MacLellan, owner of the Devil’s Haircut salon in Chelsea, came up with the idea for The Crazy Diamond Club.
Things had been going extremely well at the salon with a strong team of employees and a successful business. Then a quarantine because of Covid interrupted all that.
MacLellan had a lot of time to think about her role not just as a service provider but also as a human being.
“During this time, I had a great conversation with another business owner in town, Phil Tolliver from Smokehouse 52 BBQ,” said MacLellan. “I was crying, upset, and depressed mostly from my lack of daily routine and personal interaction. He said, “Lynae, open your eyes and look around. When will you ever have time like this? Likely never again in your life. This is such a gift. Use it.”
That’s when MacLellan began writing her business plan for The Crazy Diamond Club, gathering input from people she knew. Thanks to their input, she was able to open The Crazy Diamond Club in February of 2021.
The bar has a membership structure, and MacLellan’s network of friends, family, colleagues, and clients joined The Crazy Diamond Club and invited their friends to join, too.
Due to Covid restrictions, she had to limit membership, and rather than do any marketing or publicity, MacLellan didn’t tell anyone aside from the people she knew that the bar was open.
“I had absolutely zero experience as a bartender, and I had a group of people who also had no experience stepping up to work with me and a very patient bar manager ready to teach us everything.” MacLellan said.
The members’ input guided the liquor selection, and The Crazy Diamond Club has hosted all sorts of parties ranging from a Bob Ross Paint and Pour to acoustic jam sessions.
“The Diamond is your space to do what you want,” she said. “We offer members the Diamond as a venue to host their own special events. We support our members who are artists by giving them a display and sell their work. There is a sense of community and camaraderie. It’s a place where people can leave their drama at the door and come together, while celebrating their authenticity, individuality, and quirkiness.
“It’s not a normal bar,” she said “We are building a culture and a community. You have to experience it to decide if you want to be a part of it. You will feel welcomed and embraced in all of your uniqueness.”
MacLellan says that this summer, The Crazy Diamond will be open on Saturdays for special events including weddings, showers, and trade shows.
As far as having the business located in Chelsea, MacLellan says that the Chelsea community helped support Devil’s Haircut and has been her home since the beginning of this journey.
“I learned a lot about Chelsea and its people, and honestly a lot about myself. My personal and professional life has been awkwardly public, and while that alone has posed many challenges for me, it’s also helped me to embrace my human side. And I feel like through the mission of Devil’s Haircut and the Crazy Diamond, I can help other people embrace their human side as well.”
