Cre8 Salon and Spa: A Story to be Heard
By Misa Chappell for Summit Salon Business Center
 In 2004, Marcy Moreno and her husband Jeff Sagorac faced the unimaginable loss of their young daughter Adrienne in an automobile accident. As they pulled themselves together, they decided to honor their daughter's memory by creating a space that reminded them of what she had represented in life: beauty and love. They opened Cre8 Salon and Spa in 2006, with an intention to embody joy, peace, tranquility and gratitude. They hoped to transmit positive feelings through the energy of their business directly to each guest that walked through the door.
The Cape Coral, FL, salon was fortunate to begin with a wonderful crew and loving “work family.” When they attended The Summit in 2007, their biggest problem was a lack of structure and direction, which manifested itself in a lack of accountability on the part of both the owners and the employees. The Summit showed them that they could change for the best, so they took the leap of faith and began working with SSGC consultant Angie Torgeson on a monthly basis.
Every month that Angie visited the salon in 2008, business was up 25% over 2007. By September of 2009, the salon was up another 11%. Angie recalls that when she began working with Cre8, Marcy was a level 4A and was interested in split shifting. “She got a little scared, but I encouraged her to do it anyway,” says Angie, “and now she is up in her income from last year!” From January through September of 2008, Marcy worked 40+ hours a week; from January - September of 2009, she worked a split shift of 32 hours. Now Marcy is making another month's worth of income . . . while working so much less!
One stylist, Parnelli Gard, is what Marcy proudly calls “Cre8's poster child of success.” Parnelli started with Cre8 a month after its opening. A single mother of 4 boys, she was willing to do whatever it took the make ends meet. When Angie started working with her, she was making Level 1 income. She has since jumped to Level 2 and has done everything that Angie instructed. Her income from 2007 to 2009 is up 69%! Parnelli has also gone from making around $5k in monthly total sales to $8-$10k, and from $300-$400 in retail to over $1,000. “Parnelli never questioned the program,” says Marcy, “and her blind faith has paid off! She is always positive and sets a great example for the team!”
Marcy attributes Cre8's rapid ascent to the salon's willingness to embrace The Summit systems wholeheartedly. Of particular impact were new skills in coaching and mentoring, leadership, and education. Marcy now relishes the opportunity to coach and mentor each team member to live better, learn better and earn better. She conducts one-on-one meetings every month, and with Angie's support, they help the staff meet their weekly goals. As a stylist, Marcy feels as if she is “right there with them; I see their side, consider their feelings.”
Marcy and Jeff also credit Angie Torgeson for their new leadership skills. “Not only has she taught us how to mentor our staff, she is an amazing mentor for US! Being an owner is challenging and it's great to have Angie to bounce off ideas and ask questions. She is definitely an extension of the 'Cre8 Family'!” “Leadership is the foundation to the success of our business,” believes Marcy. “Taking time to mentor and coach our team has kept all team members accountable and responsible for their own success.”
Cre8's leadership has evolved in many ways in the past two years, including the owners holding themselves accountable as well as the team. Jeff and Marcy have learned that as owners, it's their responsibility to be true to their word and always follow up with the team when it comes to goals, one on one meetings and sometimes simply listening. Monthly group meetings are another powerful form of leadership, a time to share salon successes as well as those of individual team members. Each meeting is a potent reminder that they are all on the right path. The meetings also serve as an inspiring boost to keep moving forward!
Cre8 makes the most of marketing opportunities. Marcy uses her background in graphic design to create the salon's promotional materials. She strives for a consistent, branded image while she enjoys expressing her creativity in a way that adds excitement and revenue to the salon. The salon uses both Facebook and Twitter as marketing tools, which offer spectacular networking avenues that are also free of cost.
Education remains at the forefront of Cre8. The salon continuously attends educational events and many of the staff members take classes. In October, five of the stylists (including Marcy) got their color certification at Redken Exchange, which Marcy describes as an “intense yet thrilling” experience. According to Marcy, “Redken sets a prestigious level of standards and is the leading source of education in our industry.” Needless to say, she is grateful to have Redken's support.
There are many facets to the success of Cre8, but Marcy insists that the biggest factor for her business is following The Summit systems without wavering or questioning the structure. According to her, “we have been 100% committed to The Summit's plan, and the proof is in the pudding! Our team's commitment to the program has made each and everyone of us grow in leaps and bounds!”
The future looks bright for the salon. Marcy's vision has Cre8 consistently growing and reaching ever-new goals. She looks forward to upcoming education to expand knowledge, skills and improving customer services. In five years, she hopes to offer team members a chance to become shareholders. And in ten years, Marcy dreams of building and owning their own location, with perhaps double or triple the number of team members and a second or third floor. If their story so far is any indication, Cre8 will easily achieve all of this, and more.
The story of Cre8 Salon and Spa is a story to be heard because unlike so many others who have lost everything in the blink of an eye, Jeff and Marcy were able to not only recover but to emerge stronger. They bravely took their pain and poured it into the development of their lifelong dream to own their own business. Although they lost a child, they were determined not to lose themselves or their strength, and in the process they created something beautiful and inspiring for the benefit of countless others.
Checkout Cre8 Salon and Spa on the internet or become a fan on Facebook!
|
|
|
