Our salon suite owners continue to amaze and grow with us. That is why we love to share all their accomplishments and services whenever we have the chance! Today, we are excited to spotlight the owner of Meraki Beauty Design at Salons by JC Valrico, Florida – Sara Lawson!
The Realization of Making More Profit
Sara has been a part of the hair and beauty industry for nearly seventeen years and until joining the Salons by JC family, had always been a part of the open floor salon concept. Once Sara became pregnant with her youngest child four years ago, she moved from working in an open floor concept to providing hair services from home in North Carolina, where her family was stationed at the time. While working from home, Sara found she was operating at a higher return and with more liberties than before. “I realized how much I could actually make without having to pay commissions, the chargebacks, and all of that,” Sara said.
A New Start in Florida
A little over a year ago, Sara and her family made the move from North Carolina to Florida. “Once we got to Florida, I had some time to think about it, and I had been aware of the salon suite concept for a couple years,” Sara shared. Though Sara was interested at the time, establishing herself and her family in a new place was her first priority. A few months later, once her two children were adjusted, Sara knew it was time for her to get back into the work scene.
“I had driven by my local Salons by JC every time I made my way to the supermarket nearby and I had always thought it looked like a really nice salon suite concept,” Sara said, “but at the time I wanted to see about trying something different.” After a few months of looking into some design jobs, Sara made the decision to get back to her roots and establish herself at Salons by JC. As soon as she had made the decision, Sara called the location manager and the rest, as they say, is history.
Her Personal Journey
In just talking with Sara, all of her accomplishments and her ability to grow will come as no surprise. What might be surprising, however, is that through all of her professional accomplishments, being a military wife and a mom of two, Sara is also a recent cancer survivor.
Two years ago, Sara was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I went through the full thing- chemo, radiation, surgery, you name it,” Sara recalled. “You never know how strong you are until you’re faced with something like that. It really puts things into perspective.” Though her journey was not easy, Sara believes going through what she’s gone through made her a stronger person. “It changes you,” Sara said. “It sucked, going through everything. The chemo, the reconstructive surgeries. As much as all of that sucked, I really believe the journey changes you for the better.”
Meraki Beauty Design
Her personal battle with breast cancer has helped shape her professional mission as well. “Prior to being diagnosed, I had always been into using natural products, but even more so after going through cancer,” Sara says. “I wanted to create a brand that represented me, who I am, and what I believe in.” That’s where Meraki Beauty Design came from.” The word Meraki is a Greek word that means “to love and put passion into your work,” Sara said. “I do thorough research about my products and I wanted to create a place where clients could get safe and high-quality products.”
In August 2017, Sara made the decision to call Salons by JC home. “I wanted to do a total build out and totally customize everything.” It took about six weeks to build her space and by the first week of October 2017, Sara was fully operational.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to build meaningful relationships here,” Sara shared. “Through word-of-mouth and my own social media, I’m thankful for all the people I’ve managed to meet, especially considering I didn’t know a single person when I arrived.”
As for what’s next for Sara, the sky’s the limit and growth is the goal. “Looking forward, I’m hoping to expand my brand and continue to grow bigger and bigger,” Sara shares. “The girls here at Salons by JC are really supportive of my growth and I’m excited to see what’s next.”
A big thank you to Sara for sharing her story with us! We cannot wait to see what she does next and we are so happy to be a part of her journey!
About Salons by JC: In 1997, Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller began their journey to transform the beauty industry one salon suite at a time. Like most young entrepreneurs, they started out with a big idea but had to learn how to start and run a business from scratch. After much perseverance and hard work, one year later, they opened Salons by JC in Dallas, TX in 1998, welcoming beauty and wellness specialists who were ready to break free from the traditional salon model. The company has since moved its headquarters from Dallas to San Antonio, where it continues to grow through franchising. Today, Salons by JC has over 87 locations in 24 states and Canada. For more information, visit salonsbyjc.com or salonsbyjc.com/franchise
Blog written by:
Miranda Gonzales
Account Coordinator
Sammis & Ochoa
