July 27th, 2021
*Just a warning – this blog post is long but packed with great information! *
How are y’all doing this week? With summer in full swing, I’m curious as to what your tried-and-true tricks are to surviving the oppressive heat? I am so excited y’all! This is my very first interview for my blog and I am now brainstorming how to launch a second blog, as a result of the good vibes and overall excitement that came from the conversation l had with Heather. When I began my outline for this month’s blogs and knew I would be discussing safe alternatives to UV rays, as far as getting tanned skin, contacting Heather was the only logical option for me. I know Heather via her mom, and I follow her on social media. She is very inspirational, and I hope this blog entry does my interview with her justice.
To begin the interview, I asked Heather to explain her why. Her answer shocked me! She explained that she started going to a tanning salon and using a tanning bed, on a very regular and frequent basis, at the age of 11. This is something she would do with her mom. At the age of 17, she discovered that she had Basil Cell cancer and had it removed twice. This did not deter her tanning habit though, as she continued to go to the tanning beds. Skin cancer is, unfortunately, something she still deals with as recently as last month, due to the lasting damage she has because of her use of tanning beds. She no longer uses tanning beds and has not for several years, because her grandma asked her to stop. Heather also saw the scars that her grandma had from having skin cancer removed and she knew she did not want that to be her future. As a result, at the age of 20, she began spray tanning.
How long has Safely Sunning been in business? Courtney started Safely Sunning 9 years ago. Heather began working there 5 or 6 years ago and she bought the business 3 years ago.
Who gets spray tans? She says literally everyone – ages 4 to 97. Her young clients are pageant competitors or competition dancers and the more mature clientele are retired and she serves every age in between.
Do you offer any other services? She also offers teeth whitening at Safely Sunning. Heather is also a cosmetologist.
What is your rule about self-talk/body image and how did that come about? I asked this question because she had mentioned it in one of her social media posts. I fell in love with it and had to ask her more about it. Her policy came about as she was tired of negative self-talk by her clients and all of the apologizing for life experiences, not to mention the awkward position that it puts her in and what response did people expect her to give? She decided to get a poster made – “House rules – no self-deprecation, no apologies for flaws or bodily functions.” How amazing is that! This poster automatically puts her clients at ease and keeps Heather away from the awkward position of not knowing how to respond. I think this is a great reminder to love your body and appreciate everything that you have gone through, whether it be childbirth, surgery or just life!
How did you pivot over the past year and a half?
Heather was shut down, along with most of the service industry, for 10 weeks last year at the beginning of the pandemic. Going through it and not knowing when you were going to be able to return or how that was going to look is terrifying! After a freak out, with blunt encouragement from her husband, Heather came up with the catchy “Quarin-tan” kits. This included retail items that were just sitting in her shop. She offered 3 different kits at 3 different price points and only advertised them on her personal Facebook page. She sold out in 20 minutes! She personally delivered these kits to her customer’s front door. The kits were such a success that Heather reordered product several times from different companies and sold out every time. She decided that if she was going to sell that many products, she should be selling her own. After several trips to Dallas, she finally had her own products that she is still selling in her shop today.
After hearing how passionate Heather is about her business, I had to know what she enjoyed most about it.
Heather loves the day-to-day variety and seeing the transformation of her clients. For her it has always been about the clients. The built-in friendships and support system is a perk that she never expected when she started this journey. Please check out her website and follow her business on social media to be inspired on a regular basis.
I want to thank Heather for taking time out of her busy schedule to help educate myself and my readers. Whether this is the first time reading my blog, or you are a loyal subscriber, Thank you! I am so glad you tuned in this week! Do you have a friend or family member that could benefit from this blog? Tell them to subscribe!
Have a blessed week ~ Lacey