April 6, 2025 • 40 mins
Sarah Herbst's remarkable transformation from a struggling single mother to the "million-dollar sugarist" reveals what's possible when passion meets perseverance. Fourteen years ago, Sarah was living with her mom, jobless with a newborn baby, when she encountered someone performing sugaring at a spa. The elegant technique captivated her immediately - not just for its beauty benefits (it cleared up her eczema) but for the profound human connections it facilitated.
"When someone walks in the room to get a Brazilian with you," Sarah explains, "it's almost like they tell you things that they've told no one else. You bond with this person in such a special way." This realization became the foundation for her business philosophy when she eventually opened Sugar Bar in Ohio.
Her success didn't come overnight. Sarah candidly shares how she cried during her first attempts at sugaring and couldn't afford formal training initially. She developed her skills through relentless practice while building relationships with clients who valued both her technique and her authentic care. When opportunity arose to create her own business environment, she took the leap despite doubts about being "cut out" for ownership.
Today, Sarah manages two locations with thirteen employees, having strategically grown by one staff member per year initially. What makes her business model particularly meaningful is her commitment to hiring single mothers and women in recovery - creating opportunities for others facing challenges similar to those she once navigated. "If you have happy employees, you have a good business," she emphasizes, a philosophy that has clearly served her well.
Sarah's latest venture, SugarCon, represents her gift back to the sugaring community. This first-ever convention dedicated entirely to sugaring professionals takes place June 29-30 in Cleveland, bringing together brands, educators, and practitioners from across the industry. For anyone passionate about sugaring or contemplating their own entrepreneurial journey, Sarah's story demonstrates that success comes not just from technical skill, but from genuine connection, community building, and lifting others along your path.
If you’ve connected with or been inspired by this episode in any way, leave us a review and let us know your biggest takeaway - I’d love to hear how you embrace Sugaring For All!! And while you've got your phone out, make sure to follow us on Instagram @Love2Sugar.
If you are interested in learning more about Radeq Lab's Premium Prebiotic Sugar Line of products, you can find them at www.radeqlab.us.
If you are interested in our business planner you can find the SugarBoss Planner here --->https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/love2sugar
The link to our Monthly SugarBiz Blueprint: https://www.love2sugar.com/offers/cMhp76LA/checkout
Cheers to your Sweet Success!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello all and welcome back to this episode of the
Sugar Show.
You know when you meet someoneand you just easily hit it off.
That is this episode of theshow.
This is my time with SarahHerbst.
She is the self-proclaimedmillion-dollar sugarist, and
(00:21):
rightfully so.
She has built a beautifulbusiness in Ohio and she has now
taken that to the next leveland is sharing her expertise
with all of you.
We talk about that, we talkabout how she started in this
business, we talk about justwhat she is all about, and I
learned some pretty cool stuffabout little Miss Sarah, and I
(00:43):
say little miss because she's atiny little human In addition to
being a great human.
Um, I'm tall and she's a tinylittle thing, so I cannot wait
to wrap my arms around her liveat sugar con and I hope to wrap
my arms around many of you aswell Um, and really just spend
some time taking our businessesto the next level and taking our
(01:06):
relationships to the next level, and that's really what our
friendship is, and I am lookingforward to you getting to
experience that.
So, ladies and gentlemen, sarahHurst, I've got her here.
Folks, it's Ms.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Sarah Hurst.
Hello everyone, I waved, eventhough no one can see me.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Oh, they'll be able to see you.
Oh, they will.
Okay, we'll put it on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I've never been on a podcast before.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Really yes, well, I'm so glad I could be here for
your first time.
This is my first time, I knowI'm so excited.
I love this.
It's just two chicks hangingout talking about sugar, oh
great.
Yes, I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, welcome to the show, Thank you, thanks for
having me.
I'm I'm very excited about thisand I just saw we were saying
we can talk about sugaring fordays.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So, yeah, before we uh, before we hit the record
button, I mean we reallyprobably could have kept going,
but I said we got to get startedhere, so let's do it.
These folks are in theirtreatment rooms cleaning up, or
maybe they're walking the dog,or maybe they're on a long road
trip and they've chosen thisepisode to hear all about you.
And I want to make sure thatwhat we do with this show is
(02:15):
talk about sweet success inaddition to business and
technique and theory and all ofthat.
But really the important pieceis lifting each other up and and
hearing what other people'sstories are, so that hopefully
it'll resonate with someone inthe audience that is similar to
you or, you know, just wondershow you got to where you got to,
(02:36):
and so thank you for sharingyour sweet success, Cause I know
the roads aren't necessarilypaved in.
You know candy and andsweetness the whole time.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Sunshine and rainbows and all of that.
You know, it's so interestingbecause when I look back at um,
my sugaring journey, and I thinkabout where I started and how I
got started, um, it's, it'samazing to think about Um.
I was just talking with myoldest daughter the other day
about when she was a baby, likewhen she was first born, and I
(03:10):
was reminding her that I did noteven have a job when she was a
tiny, tiny baby, when she wasfirst born, and I lived with my
mom and had nothing to my name.
You know this little tiny baby,and within a few months, you
know, I started working at a spa, this second spa that I had
(03:33):
worked at, and I watched my bosssugar and I thought it was the
most beautiful, elegant thingthat I had ever seen in the
entire world.
And this woman that I workedfor was extremely successful and
busy and she had showed me likea little bit of what to do with
the sugar paste and I took somehome and I was like off and
(03:58):
running, practicing with itconstantly.
I literally thought it was themost amazing thing in the world
and it was.
It was the most amazing thingin the world.
It eliminated the eczema that Ihad all over my legs, which
made me fall in love with it.
And from there I kind ofrealized I'm pretty good at this
and I can use this tool to makepeople feel really good about
(04:22):
themselves.
And then something specialhappened when I was doing the
Brazilians because that was abig service for us I realized
that women wanted to beconnected with like on a
different level.
In those in those services itwas very different and special
(04:42):
compared to like when you'redoing a facial.
Even I felt like when someoneand you've probably noticed this
too, just from years of likebeing a service provider when
someone walks in the room to geta Brazilian with you, it's
almost like they tell you thingsthat they've told no one else.
Like you, within minutes, bondwith this person in such a
special way.
And, um, being so young, I hadnever like experienced that with
(05:05):
experienced that before withpeople of all ages and different
backgrounds, and I loved it somuch.
So when I left that place thatI was working at, I had a huge
clientele that I had built up.
I knew that I wanted tocontinue on with how I was
treating my clients.
I went to work for anotherwoman who was absolutely
(05:25):
wonderful and amazing, but shehad different ideas about how
her business should be run, andI didn't agree with it or like
it.
I wanted to be able to continuenurturing my clients the way
that I had you know, taking themup to the front desk, making
sure their experience wasabsolutely perfect and
phenomenal.
So then I knew I was going tohave my own business someday.
I didn't start out thinking Iwas going to be a business owner
(05:45):
.
I felt like that was a lot.
I didn't know if I was cut outfor it, if I was that type of
person that could do thosethings and be in charge of that
much, and so it kind of justlike fell into my lap and came
naturally.
And I really always say thatthat I was in the right place at
the right time to see sugaring,to fall in love with it at the
(06:07):
right time, to see sugaring, tofall in love with it, to bond
with people, to know that I wasgood at doing that.
And from there I just became abusiness owner.
So Sugar Bar was born and Ireally had the benefit of
watching my business grow andbringing on my first employee
within that first year.
Um, and then every year afterthat I brought on another
(06:28):
employee.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
How many do you have now?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Now I have um 13, which is wild, and two locations
, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Which is crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I'm going to stop you for a moment and I want to
bring you way back to that daybefore you were, when you just
started starting sugaring.
You're a new esthetician,you're a new mom.
I want to bring you back tothat place for just a moment and
we're going to bring youforward again.
What do you remember feelinglike?
Because there's a lot of peoplethat are listening to this
(07:02):
right now and they're like ohwait, she's like me.
I feel like that right now.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
How many years ago was that?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Oh my God.
So my oldest daughter is almost14.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay.
So, 14 years ago, right yeah.
And you're a new mama andyou're thinking, oh my gosh, how
am I going to, how am I goingto make this?
I don't have a job.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Go back to that moment, Cause I want to honor
you in that way and and saycongratulations, girl, you did
it.
Because I think sometimes weforget where we came from and we
forget those moments where welooked up at the ceiling and
said how am I going to survive?
I have this baby and I had twolittle boys.
Like, how am I going to feedthem?
(07:50):
How, how, how, what does thislook like?
Right, you're kind of likelooking up to the heavens, like
for answers, and feeling at themoment you know, as you're
laying in bed at two o'clock inthe morning, how am I going to
do this?
And and so, first of all, youmade it congratulations Cause we
forget those days they feellike so long.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Right, a hundred percent.
And it's literally how thatconversation even started with
my daughter is because she wewere talking about something
that her dad was buying versus Iwas buying, and she was like I
don't want my dad to have to buythat for me, and I was like
there was once a time where Ialso couldn't buy things, you
know, or something like that.
Yeah, just kind of, you know,humbling ourselves for a minute
(08:31):
and I that's kind of how itstarted and I was like I even
forget sometimes that, you know,this was all from nothing and
we have to remember those things, right.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But yeah, when I was new and doing that, it was sort
of like I don't know how toexplain it.
I just felt like I knew when Ipicked up that sugar that I,
this was something that I reallywanted to be good at.
And it's important to know forall the people out there
listening who are brand new orwho are feeling like I don't
know how I'm going to do this.
You guys, I was not good at itright away.
(09:07):
I cried first few days I waslearning it.
I put sugar on my arm.
It got stuck.
It was terrible.
I was bad at it.
That same boss I was talkingabout that.
I, you know, watched her sugarand she was.
I thought it was so beautiful.
She I don't think she let mesee sugaring clients for months
because she thought I was bad atit.
Like it wasn't, like Iinstantly became this like
(09:30):
master sugarist.
Yeah, I couldn't afford to go toan in-person class.
I had to pay for it myself.
So I saved up money and it'sfunny because now I know it
costs like I think it was like$500 to go to a class.
That was like down the streetfor me, but I still couldn't
afford it at that time, you know, Um, and then when I finally
(09:51):
did, I'd already been sugaringfor a little while, so, and then
, maybe a year and a half afterthat I think, I took an
Alexandria class, Um, so anyway.
So I was kind of like trying tofind a lot of educators back
then.
No, there were not.
Um, it was not a thing.
And so when we did thatAlexandria class at the spa I
(10:13):
was working at, I'm pretty surepeople came from other spots to
train with us because it waslike so few and far between that
somebody would come to train.
Like that wasn't a thing backthen.
Yeah, um, so a lot of thethings I do today, like with
education, with sugaring, arebecause I had no choice and I
was then booked with like 20clients a day.
So I had to figure out okay, Ihave to get every little hair
(10:36):
out or else it's not coming back.
How am I going to do this?
And, yeah, it just it was.
It was pretty amazing.
I remember very clearly those,those first few months of
sugaring and all the clientscoming in and, um, we were also
very blessed that because thesugaring was not well known in
(10:57):
Ohio at that time, I think wewere one of maybe two spas that
offered it.
Um, we ran a group on sale andwe sold like 800 Brazilians in
three days or something insane.
Yeah, so it was pretty, it wasa, it was a pretty awesome time.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, and then you had to figure out how you
sugared all those Cause.
With Groupon you made like halfof the half, oh, like a dollar.
Yeah, you're basically sugaringfor free.
It covered your expenses.
That was pretty much it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
But you know, everybody came back, and so
that's why, even today with mybusiness, a lot of people say
don't do Groupon.
I'm like listen, pretend likeyou're doing it for free and any
money you do get is just bonus,and the goal is to get that
client to come back to you forthe rest of their lives, because
that's what you really want todo.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And we know that once you put sugar on their body,
they're coming back.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Oh, they love the sugar, but they have to love you
because lots of people sugarnow.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
And that's something that's very interesting.
Like now with my salons.
I think there's at least six orseven sugaring places within 15
minutes and that's pretty wild,how much sugaring there within
15 minutes.
Um, and that's that's prettywild, how much they're sugaring.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
there was in Ohio Cause it's a lot and I love that
.
You know, now it's becoming likewe're shifting the tide right.
We're now shifting from, youknow, nobody even heard of
sugaring, to now there's moreand more people doing it,
branching out.
You know, people are reallysugaring, which means you need
to take your skills to the next,next level, because at the
(12:30):
beginning it was kind of like,oh, you know, you were the only
sugar you could kind of get awaywith, maybe not being the best,
but you were the only one, yes.
Now it's like oh, no, no, no,no, they're starting to learn in
school, they're learning, youknow, in your space they're
learning and they're branchingout, and now there's more people
.
So we have to really step upour game, which is why it's so
critical to learn these advancedskills.
(12:51):
And yeah, and so I want to keepon your success story really
quick, because then we're goingto talk about how you can
improve your advanced skills ifyou're in the audience.
So your sweet success.
So you now have two locations,which is not for the faint of
heart, my friend.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
It is not.
And I started doing that inCOVID during like COVID times,
after we were shut down for alittle bit and then reopened, I
noticed how truly valuable wewere to our clients.
We had a lot of clients thatwere not going anywhere else
because they were afraid ofCOVID.
They were afraid of, you know,getting their families sick but
(13:32):
they were choosing to come andvisit us and I was so honored by
that and we did so well in likepost-COVID times and it just I
really wanted to see can I takemy business model and put it
anywhere and see how it does?
So there was a, you know,another location I had always
kind of thought of for a secondbusiness and it's a little town
(13:56):
called Medina, it's about 40minutes from my first location
and it's a very different smalltown, vibe from my first
location, and I kind of was justlike let's do it and I put
another location there and itwas hard and I was like, oh, I'm
used to things just working out, you know, and it was a very
slow start.
(14:16):
I don't.
I wanted to see the same modelthat I'd done with my first,
which was a lot of word of mouth, advertising minus the Groupon
could work in that secondlocation and it made it a very
slow start for that secondbusiness.
It was.
I would say it took about sixmonths until we had a more
(14:37):
steady clientele, which, inretrospect, looking back, I see
how spoiled I was with my firstbusiness because, like, listen
to what I just said out loud ittook six months for us to have a
steady clientele.
Like that's, that's amazing.
That's incredible.
Um, and today the business isdoing very well and it's three
years in and I cannot believethat um, it's there and that I
(15:01):
have.
I'm a multi salon owner.
It's like the one thing I oftendo is I will sit in um either
of the businesses and just lookaround and you know um a
spiritual person and I'll justlike, thank God in the universe
that I have any of this, thatthis is really a reality for me
that this happened because Iknow how um truly blessed I am
(15:27):
that these things have workedout Um, but the biggest part of
it is the way that we treatpeople and the way that I teach
my staff to treat people andtheir clients.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You know I I don't want it to go unnoticed, though
that it is it comes with hardwork.
Yeah, it comes with youeducating yourself to be a
business owner, which is verydifferent than being a good
sugar pro.
You can have all the greatskills you like, but you can't
educate.
You can have all the greatskills you like, but you don't
have those business marketing,networking type skills.
(15:57):
You might be an amazing ownerand not have very great sugar
skills.
That's what you have staff for.
I think that some people feellike, oh, I'm just going to go
solo and then I'm going to.
You know that'll solve all myproblems.
I don't like this boss, so I'mgoing to solve all my problems
by going solo.
That you know.
That's not just it might beGod's plan, but a whole lot of
(16:18):
work on your part went into it.
You know.
I think some people feel likewe make it look easy.
Right, it's faith and a wholelot of sweat.
You know, because you, yougotta be the first one that
shows up in, the last one toleave for a long time.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I am and um a huge part of it is the way that I
treat my employees.
They are very important to me.
Their happiness is like on mostdays.
Their happiness is my numberone priority, even on days where
I'm frustrated with them.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I think that a lot of owners overlook that fact that
if you have happy employees, youhave a good business.
And I've been very, very luckythat I have an amazing staff and
they are very self-sufficient,self-motivated, but I put so
much effort and energy intomaking them feel appreciated and
(17:16):
comfortable and like lovingtheir work environment and
that's been a big part of it,because I always used to say I'm
not going into owning abusiness to make a million
dollars, I just want to be happyand I want to love what I do.
And then then I happened tomake a million dollars, which
was really awesome and like yay.
But my main goal in thebeginning was I want to enjoy my
(17:39):
life and do something that Ireally love doing and then help
other women do what I love doingA lot of what I've learned too.
So I'm very big into like therecovery community and helping.
You know women go through thatprocess and stay sober.
And when I first opened andhelping you know women go
through that process and staysober and when I first opened my
business, I only hired womenthat were single moms or in the
(18:00):
recovery community that neededthat kind of support and so that
I could help them.
You know, care for theirfamilies, build up the life that
I've built for myself, and overthe years I've gotten away from
that and had to get away fromlike specifically hiring those
people, but it always turns outthat they will find me anyways.
(18:20):
And so a lot of my staff aregoing through those journeys and
we're kind of doing it togetherand it's been a beautiful
process.
And so there is that secondarygoal for me with my business is
to help as many people aspossible, and people don't know
that, so it's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
That's incredible.
I love that.
I love that you're doing that.
Yeah, For so many reasons.
You know, um, this, this lifeis hard and if we can't lift
each other up and we can't takeeach other under each other's
wings, you know, and see thegood in people, but also the
people that work for you, forthem to recognize the good work
(19:00):
that you're doing and to workhard.
You know, this isn't given tothe owner, whether it's you, me
or someone else.
This was hard work by you andyou know.
I think some people ask me.
They're like, you know, shouldI be an employer and a solo?
And I and I say to them ifyou're going to be an employee
or a solo, doesn't matter, treatas an employee, treat it like
(19:21):
it's your own business, and askyourself am I the best employee
I possibly can be?
Am I showing up early?
Am I, you know, picking up thelittle?
You know dust bunnies on thecorner, or am I just leaving
that for someone else to do,Cause that's not my job, Right?
Am I loving on that client butbeing professional and setting
(19:43):
boundaries?
Am I, um, you know, am I, am Igiving 110%?
Or am I showing up andcollecting my hourly Right,
Because if your boss is pouringinto you, you need to pour into
them as well.
Now, there's plenty of bosseswho are not super great, and you
recognize that there was onethat was amazing and one that
was not perfect, which was alearning experience for you as
(20:05):
well.
Right, Like I'm always gratefulfor those experiences that
weren't good, because I can sayyou know, that's not how I want
to run my business experiencesthat weren't good, because I can
say you know, that's not how Iwant to run my business.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Oh, a hundred percent .
I learned so much about what Ididn't want to do in my business
and how I didn't want to treatpeople, and those things I carry
with me even today.
Sometimes I hear a little voicein the back of my head that was
my first boss.
This is what she would besaying right now.
I'm glad I'm not like that, youknow.
And then also I remember how Iwas as an employee and it also
reminds me that there's a reasonthat I'm the boss and that
someone else isn't.
When I want to get frustratedwith somebody, that helps me be
(20:40):
a better boss and I just have toremind myself there's a reason
I'm here and that they're thereand employees are such valuable,
amazing, important people and Ifeel like there's nothing wrong
with wanting to be an employee.
And everybody kind of gets intothis industry and thinks that
they want to just be their ownboss or be solo.
(21:01):
And a lot of my employees havesaid, like I'm so content
working here, I'll try to givethem more responsibility, or,
you know, I want you to do thisor that, and they're like I'm
good, like I'm really happy.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Well, think about it you buy all the supplies.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
You're worrying about whether the lights are on.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I know, right, you're the one that makes sure that
the cotton rounds are supplied,and you know, and all of that.
You're the one that's doing allthe marketing and this and that
.
Honestly, like, at the end ofthe day, if you run your own
business, by the time you net itout, you're probably making
less than if you were anemployee.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
A hundred percent.
I know my first job.
I made way more money therethan I did in my first few years
of business, for sure yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah, so if you are listening to this and you are an
employee, you are valued, youare so important, and if you are
not valued, then definitely gosomewhere else to be a different
person Find somewhere where youare, yes, yes, and you can, you
know, hit those levels.
They're just, you know, nettedout instead of you know they're
(22:03):
taking the taxes out for you andyou don't have to do it
yourself you know that too, andthat's what I want people that
are employees to really you know, employees and solos to really
understand is it's about whatyou're putting into it and about
the care and the love thatyou're putting into your clients
and your technique, because ifyou're hurting people, go get
some education, please, or God,go get some extra education.
I learn, you learn, you know.
(22:26):
I go to classes and I'm like,well, that's pretty good
technique.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Never thought I'd do it that way, right?
Oh, a hundred percent.
I've learned much from othereducators, oh for sure.
Even in the past few years ofseeing the way other people do
things, my clients laugh becausethey'll, I'll do something and
they'll be like you learned thatfrom so-and-so and I'm like I
know I did I love.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
when I see people running around with carrots the
carrot analogy I'm like okay, Igot, you got a carrot analogy.
So let's let's shift for aminute because I think that one
of the most exciting things I'vebeen doing this a really long
time, you've been doing this areally long time we were there
when nobody else was sugaringand you know we were trying to
really spread the word and youknow you go to a trade show and
(23:07):
there's no sugar booths.
You know you would go to, Iwould speak somewhere and I'm
like, right, raise your hands ifyou've been sugared crickets,
you know now it's.
The tables have turned and thereare multiple people in your
town that are sugaring andlearning and students are
learning, and it's just thismovement that we prayed about 14
years ago, right, and it is anabsolute joy.
(23:32):
And I am so impressed that youare starting the sugaring
convention, the sugar con,because, um, yeah, yeah, it's,
thank you for doing that,because it really is.
We are not in competition witheach other.
Our skills are in competitionwith other hair removal and it's
(23:54):
not even competition, right,it's just a different modality.
We go to a trade show andthere's four sugar booths.
Hallelujah, number one, numbertwo, guess what?
There's 200 skincare booths.
Yes, maybe in my lifetime Iwill see you know 10 or 12 sugar
companies you know at a booth Idon't know if there'll be 200,
(24:16):
but, um, but really, truly,there's enough hoo-hahs for
everyone.
There is enough, you knowStates and cities for us to be
in.
We should, together be liftingeach other up as sugar pros and
saying you know what you sugar.
Good on you, let me help you.
Good on you, what?
How can I be of service?
Because we are in competitionwith lasers and razors and
(24:40):
tweezing and you know threadingand nair and and bad.
You know, experiences likethat's what we are working so
hard to to lift the educationabout.
And so things like the, theinternational sugaring
conventioncom, um, are reallysaying, okay, you know what?
(25:03):
Now there's this base of humansthat are getting it and like we
don't need to tell you it's allnatural anymore, cause all know
that right, sugar and water, weall know that right it's.
But now how can we take thoseskills to the next level and
that's what you're doing.
So talk about how you got the umthe nudge to do sugar con and,
(25:23):
uh, how you decided to finallygo ahead and pull the trigger
and make that happen so I thinkwhat's so?
Speaker 2 (25:28):
what I want people to know about sugar con, first of,
is that it's sort of like it'snot like it's my idea, which you
touched on, and I it's like allof our idea, right?
Anyone who's been sugaring fordecades and been in the industry
and has ever, like, touched aball of sugar and fallen in love
with it and then gone to atrade show and you're right,
(25:50):
like had no representation ofsugaring or it's like all of our
idea collectively.
And I feel like it's just thatall that energy come together.
And I was talking with JamieRenee Nelms and Brooke Kennedy
and Ashley Davis and some othereducators when we were at an
(26:11):
event last March and someonecame up in the conversation.
They were like oh Sarah, didn'tyou want to do a thing?
And I was like I don't knowwhen I said that out loud, but
they think that I want to do athing and I do want to do a
thing and I must have said it inlike a comment somewhere, right
, just kind of hit me that likeall of us are sort of
collectively waiting forsomebody to like, take that leap
(26:33):
and put on the show party yes.
Someone has to get the partystarted.
And you know, just like you,like I've been going to the
trade show since very early onin my career.
I remember my first boss beinglike we're going to go here and
do this and I would just likeget a credit card and every last
penny went towards the Miamishow and the New York show and I
(26:55):
absolutely loved it and it wasamazing.
But you're right, I never sawsugaring at those shows and back
then I doubt anybody was eventhere that I would have known
besides Alexandria.
Um, and so it's just.
This is my dream convention,this is all of our dream
convention.
Um, I want every sugarist towalk in the door, see every
(27:22):
sugaring brand that they've everheard of or dreamed of meeting,
dreamed of trying.
See demos, see differenttechniques.
There's so many classes andspeakers and anybody you could
possibly want to meet andinteract with.
I mean, they're in one place.
For us, the sugar is because forso many years, you know our
(27:42):
little like niche industry.
We've been I don't want to saythe underdog, but we're just.
We're not represented at thebig skincare shows.
And yet sugaring is skincare,sugaring is skin health.
You can use sugaring to do somuch for the body and I it.
(28:02):
It needs to be represented.
So this is like you know,sugaring has done so much for me
for my life.
I've been able to, you know,support my two daughters and
travel and have such a beautiful, amazing life, be a part of my
community.
This is like my gift to oursugaring community and I'm just
(28:26):
so grateful to be able to do it.
I'm also kind of a crazy personand when I get an idea in my
head, I like can't not do it.
So within months of like kindof getting the ball rolling, I
was like what is what am I doing?
This is a lot, um.
(28:46):
And now I'm so glad, like it'sbeen so fun planning and I can't
wait for everybody to see allof the things that are going to
be happening at literally looklike a blushing bride planning
her wedding.
It's so fun.
Like I, I get I have to likescale back from like posting in
my group all the time about allthe little things that I'm, that
I'm going to be doing there andwhat it's going to look like,
because it's so fun yeah, yeah,yeah um, everyone the details
(29:09):
tell them what to expect.
so it's June 29th and 30th andit is in Cleveland, ohio, which
Cleveland is so beautiful in thesummertime and fingers crossed
we're going to have gorgeous,perfect weather.
Um, but it's from 10 AM to 4 PM.
So it's that Sunday and Monday,june 29th and 30th, in
Cleveland, at a beautiful venuecalled Gordon green, which is
(29:32):
the neighborhood called Gordonsquare in Cleveland, and it's a
very trendy, like, very trendycommunity.
There's like 15, 20 differentbars and restaurants right
across the streets.
There's like a communitytheater center.
There's just so many differentcool things in the area.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
I'm excited.
I've never been to Ohio ever.
I've been to almost all thestates.
For some reason never.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And I actually put like.
So the website issugaringconventioncom and a lot
of people have had troublefinding this little drop down
menu.
But the drop down menu has alogistics page and from there I
put some activities to do aroundthe area because, um, an hour
away from Cleveland there isCedar point, which is like the
greatest theme park in thenation for roller coasters, like
(30:15):
our zoo is nice, like if you'recoming to Ohio, come and like
see some cool things, causemaybe you're never coming back
to Ohio you know, yeah, yeah, um, and then uh, once you arrive
at the convention.
So when you walk in the doorregistration, you're going to
pick up your cute little hotpink or blue lanyard.
You get your little swag bag.
Everybody's getting swag,whether you're a VIP or not, you
(30:37):
still get swag.
I'm giving you a notebook, apen, all kinds of stuff to take
notes with.
There are classes every hour,hour-long classes every hour
with a little bit of breaks inbetween.
At our lower level of theconvention center Also on the
lower level, there are littlethere's a snack lounge which is
(30:58):
sponsored by radic labs.
They are providing all thesnacks and they're going to be
good snacks because, again, thisis what I would want when I go
very particular too.
He would not have bad snacks hewould not have bad snacks, and I
would never have bad snacks.
So they're going to have snacks.
That a girl, yes, and then, um,so there'll be like three
different classrooms downstairsand I think there's 24 classes
(31:21):
total, which is a lot, a lot tochoose from.
The class signups start onMarch 29th, but I will be
starting to send out emailswithin the next week or so with
information about that.
So purchase your tickets sothat you can get start getting
the emails from me.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
And by the time this podcast airs, which will be the
1st of April, it will already beopen, so you better get
yourself to to sign up for thefor the classes.
Because you have to sign up,it's limited seating.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
It is limited seating .
Yes, the on the main level isthe exhibitor hall.
Um, if you arrive and check inright at 10, which I want
everybody to cause, I want allof you to be there there is
going to be a light breakfastand coffee and tea bar and I am
very picky about breakfast food,so it will be a nice little
light breakfast because there'sgoing to be a lot of us, but it
(32:07):
will be a nice breakfast.
And then the exhibitor hall.
We're going to have a mainstage area for speakers upstairs
as well.
There's a beautiful courtyardthat you can hang out in and
chat.
And then, because there's somany, lunch I can't think
options literally across thestreet.
(32:28):
I'm not doing a lunch inside oranything, and I want people to
feel like they can leave thevenue, but it's going to be
amazing.
There's so much.
They're going to be, um, enoughfor everybody to feel like
they've received so mucheducation, and I mean the cost
of your ticket.
The general admission ticket is$115.
(32:48):
And if you were to payindividually for any of this
education, you'd be looking atthousands of dollars.
So it's really incredible.
Um, I, I'm, I'm very excitedabout it.
I'm actually a little bit havea little bit of FOMO because I
won't be able to attendeverybody's classes while I'm,
you know, in charge of thingsAll under one roof.
Yeah, yeah, and there's alsogoing to be contests prizes
(33:11):
throughout the day.
I won't tell you what thecontests are just yet, because
they're going to be like littlethings.
There's an app called Hoovathat everybody will be connected
to once everything goes live onMarch 29th, and so you'll be
able to see who the otherattendees are, who all of the
vendors are.
You'll be able to see some ofthe sponsors and vendors have a
(33:34):
digital booth so you'll be ableto see what their specials are
going to be, what their productsare videos right on there.
You can set up ride sharing inthe app.
You can.
Literally there'll be likelittle group messages you guys
can set up to get to know eachother, like hey, we're coming
from California, we're comingfrom wherever, and you can chat
and talk about interests.
(33:55):
If anybody wants to go for arun in the morning, we can meet
up here.
Blah, blah, blah, like allsorts of things.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I love that.
Okay, it's amazing.
And then the main speakers.
You're going to have a mainstage of speakers.
So if you are not signed up fora particular class, on the top
floor is the main speaker stageright With the exhibitors.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yes, because I've gone to, you know, trade shows
too, where I don't necessarilywant to sit in a classroom,
although I've never been to onefor sugaring.
So that's probably why, yeah,all of these classes I want to
sit in every single one, um.
But if you want to just likemill about with the um exhibitor
area and then listen to thespeakers, there's going to be
seating in a, like I say, stage,but it's not like raised or
(34:34):
anything.
A speaker speaker area, um,right on that same level.
So you can, you know, hang outthere, listen to the speaker.
There'll be that, I think, fourspeakers a day we'll have, and
Shannon's one of our um speakers.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Yes, I love it.
You're having me towards theend of the day, and so everyone,
everybody, back up.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yes, exactly, and so I'll just wake everybody back up
.
Shannon, yes, exactly, yougotta bring the energy.
I have a feeling everyone'sgonna wanna stay all of it.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
You know what I?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
mean Maybe some little breaks in between I tried
to schedule, so there's sometime throughout the day if
people need to like leave orwhatever.
But it's gonna be prettyexciting.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
There's business classes, there's technique
classes.
I love that there's a littlebit of everything for everybody,
because I think that theaudience will be surprised at
what they don't realize, theydon't know.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
A hundred percent.
The branding class, thebranding.
I didn't even realize theimportance of having your own
like, like branding.
I didn't really even know whatthat was until I was seven years
into my business and I did myfirst branding photo shoot.
And now I get to have thosephotos on my website.
And what does it really mean tolike, have your, your brand
(35:46):
values show through for yourbusiness?
I mean I, yeah, all of thosethings are so important.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah.
So you have to be verystrategic and you have to sign
up early so that you can be inone of the classes that is
limited seating.
So, girl, I'm telling you wecould talk for hours and hours
and we will be in Ohio.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you at the VIP
dinner and just spending sometime with the people that are
loving on sugar, like we havebeen pounding the doors to say
(36:14):
please, please, please, put downthat wax stick and start
sugaring.
And it's working, and so we arereally seeing some really great
changes in our industry andit's just it's fun to spend time
with people like you that likewe can have a good time with it.
You know, it's not that thingthat.
You know.
Oh, we trudge going to workevery day.
It's like you know, I get towork on people all day long,
sugaring them, and then I get tospend time with amazing humans
(36:36):
like you that are doing goodwork, and so kudos to you,
sister.
I'm really, I really loveseeing, um, you know, other
women shine and and men, um, wehave so many male sugarists, so
we have yeah, which is awesome.
Our sugar daddy, uh Armando, isuh is on board.
He's going to be doing somemale sugaring classes for us and
(36:58):
I know there's a bunch of othermale sugarists that are, you
know, probably attending yourevent and and there's just it's,
it's neat to see the men kindof getting involved too, and you
know, I just I think it'sreally neat and I just love what
you're doing, I love yourmessage and I think your
employees are very blessed thatthey get to have a leader like
you.
And what I am really lookingforward to is standing next to
(37:21):
you at that thing, because youare a teeny, tiny, little, one
size human, and I am going tomake sure I wear flats.
They don't look like an.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Amazon.
I hate wearing heels too, so II will have to, because
otherwise I'll just.
I look up at everybody all day,but tiny, tiny little fun size
sugar pro person.
I know.
That's why I'm always like whatare you talking about?
This bed is the great height.
All these beds are nice andtall and it brings my back.
I love it.
(37:49):
Like I need a higher bed.
I'm like, oh right, yes, yeah,this one's perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Yeah, sarah, thank you so much for being on the
show show.
I'm glad that I could be herefor your first podcast and
they'll be super fun.
They're easy, huh.
Yeah, there'll be many more tocome, because there's a lot that
we have to say, that you haveto say.
The idea is really to justspread the knowledge and the
passion and, um, we're finallyable to do exactly that in this
(38:14):
industry.
So I think it's going to be afun next few years to see where
we take it.
It's good stuff.
I think it's good too.
Thank you, shannon.
You're welcome friend.
Have a fabulously sweet weekand I'll see you in Ohio.
Bye, Bye.
I hope you enjoyed our timetogether, Sarah and I.
I told you she was an amazinghuman.
If you are interested in comingto SugarCon, I highly encourage
(38:37):
it.
It is the first ever in ourindustry and really going to be
a special time where we can allcome together and rise this not
only your skills, but also thisindustry as well and you can
network and hopefully meet yourSugar SD bestie.
Come meet some of us who'vebeen in this industry for a
really long time, pick ourbrains, learn some new
techniques and that is whatgetting better and working
(39:00):
forward stronger is all about.
So I look forward to seeing youat SugarCon.
I look forward to having youlisten to the next episode of
Sweet Success and I hope youhave a fabulously sweet month.
Hello all and welcome back to this episode of the
Sugar Show.
You know when you meet someoneand you just easily hit it off.
That is this episode of theshow.
This is my time with SarahHerbst.
She is the self-proclaimedmillion-dollar sugarist, and
(00:21):
rightfully so.
She has built a beautifulbusiness in Ohio and she has now
taken that to the next leveland is sharing her expertise
with all of you.
We talk about that, we talkabout how she started in this
business, we talk about justwhat she is all about, and I
learned some pretty cool stuffabout little Miss Sarah, and I
(00:43):
say little miss because she's atiny little human In addition to
being a great human.
Um, I'm tall and she's a tinylittle thing, so I cannot wait
to wrap my arms around her liveat sugar con and I hope to wrap
my arms around many of you aswell Um, and really just spend
some time taking our businessesto the next level and taking our
(01:06):
relationships to the next level, and that's really what our
friendship is, and I am lookingforward to you getting to
experience that.
So, ladies and gentlemen, sarahHurst, I've got her here.
Folks, it's Ms.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Sarah Hurst.
Hello everyone, I waved, eventhough no one can see me.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Oh, they'll be able to see you.
Oh, they will.
Okay, we'll put it on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I've never been on a podcast before.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Really yes, well, I'm so glad I could be here for
your first time.
This is my first time, I knowI'm so excited.
I love this.
It's just two chicks hangingout talking about sugar, oh
great.
Yes, I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, welcome to the show, Thank you, thanks for
having me.
I'm I'm very excited about thisand I just saw we were saying
we can talk about sugaring fordays.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So, yeah, before we uh, before we hit the record
button, I mean we reallyprobably could have kept going,
but I said we got to get startedhere, so let's do it.
These folks are in theirtreatment rooms cleaning up, or
maybe they're walking the dog,or maybe they're on a long road
trip and they've chosen thisepisode to hear all about you.
And I want to make sure thatwhat we do with this show is
(02:15):
talk about sweet success inaddition to business and
technique and theory and all ofthat.
But really the important pieceis lifting each other up and and
hearing what other people'sstories are, so that hopefully
it'll resonate with someone inthe audience that is similar to
you or, you know, just wondershow you got to where you got to,
(02:36):
and so thank you for sharingyour sweet success, Cause I know
the roads aren't necessarilypaved in.
You know candy and andsweetness the whole time.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Sunshine and rainbows and all of that.
You know, it's so interestingbecause when I look back at um,
my sugaring journey, and I thinkabout where I started and how I
got started, um, it's, it'samazing to think about Um.
I was just talking with myoldest daughter the other day
about when she was a baby, likewhen she was first born, and I
(03:10):
was reminding her that I did noteven have a job when she was a
tiny, tiny baby, when she wasfirst born, and I lived with my
mom and had nothing to my name.
You know this little tiny baby,and within a few months, you
know, I started working at a spa, this second spa that I had
(03:33):
worked at, and I watched my bosssugar and I thought it was the
most beautiful, elegant thingthat I had ever seen in the
entire world.
And this woman that I workedfor was extremely successful and
busy and she had showed me likea little bit of what to do with
the sugar paste and I took somehome and I was like off and
(03:58):
running, practicing with itconstantly.
I literally thought it was themost amazing thing in the world
and it was.
It was the most amazing thingin the world.
It eliminated the eczema that Ihad all over my legs, which
made me fall in love with it.
And from there I kind ofrealized I'm pretty good at this
and I can use this tool to makepeople feel really good about
(04:22):
themselves.
And then something specialhappened when I was doing the
Brazilians because that was abig service for us I realized
that women wanted to beconnected with like on a
different level.
In those in those services itwas very different and special
(04:42):
compared to like when you'redoing a facial.
Even I felt like when someoneand you've probably noticed this
too, just from years of likebeing a service provider when
someone walks in the room to geta Brazilian with you, it's
almost like they tell you thingsthat they've told no one else.
Like you, within minutes, bondwith this person in such a
special way.
And, um, being so young, I hadnever like experienced that with
(05:05):
experienced that before withpeople of all ages and different
backgrounds, and I loved it somuch.
So when I left that place thatI was working at, I had a huge
clientele that I had built up.
I knew that I wanted tocontinue on with how I was
treating my clients.
I went to work for anotherwoman who was absolutely
(05:25):
wonderful and amazing, but shehad different ideas about how
her business should be run, andI didn't agree with it or like
it.
I wanted to be able to continuenurturing my clients the way
that I had you know, taking themup to the front desk, making
sure their experience wasabsolutely perfect and
phenomenal.
So then I knew I was going tohave my own business someday.
I didn't start out thinking Iwas going to be a business owner
(05:45):
.
I felt like that was a lot.
I didn't know if I was cut outfor it, if I was that type of
person that could do thosethings and be in charge of that
much, and so it kind of justlike fell into my lap and came
naturally.
And I really always say thatthat I was in the right place at
the right time to see sugaring,to fall in love with it at the
(06:07):
right time, to see sugaring, tofall in love with it, to bond
with people, to know that I wasgood at doing that.
And from there I just became abusiness owner.
So Sugar Bar was born and Ireally had the benefit of
watching my business grow andbringing on my first employee
within that first year.
Um, and then every year afterthat I brought on another
(06:28):
employee.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
How many do you have now?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Now I have um 13, which is wild, and two locations
, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Which is crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I'm going to stop you for a moment and I want to
bring you way back to that daybefore you were, when you just
started starting sugaring.
You're a new esthetician,you're a new mom.
I want to bring you back tothat place for just a moment and
we're going to bring youforward again.
What do you remember feelinglike?
Because there's a lot of peoplethat are listening to this
(07:02):
right now and they're like ohwait, she's like me.
I feel like that right now.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
How many years ago was that?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Oh my God.
So my oldest daughter is almost14.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay.
So, 14 years ago, right yeah.
And you're a new mama andyou're thinking, oh my gosh, how
am I going to, how am I goingto make this?
I don't have a job.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Go back to that moment, Cause I want to honor
you in that way and and saycongratulations, girl, you did
it.
Because I think sometimes weforget where we came from and we
forget those moments where welooked up at the ceiling and
said how am I going to survive?
I have this baby and I had twolittle boys.
Like, how am I going to feedthem?
(07:50):
How, how, how, what does thislook like?
Right, you're kind of likelooking up to the heavens, like
for answers, and feeling at themoment you know, as you're
laying in bed at two o'clock inthe morning, how am I going to
do this?
And and so, first of all, youmade it congratulations Cause we
forget those days they feellike so long.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Right, a hundred percent.
And it's literally how thatconversation even started with
my daughter is because she wewere talking about something
that her dad was buying versus Iwas buying, and she was like I
don't want my dad to have to buythat for me, and I was like
there was once a time where Ialso couldn't buy things, you
know, or something like that.
Yeah, just kind of, you know,humbling ourselves for a minute
(08:31):
and I that's kind of how itstarted and I was like I even
forget sometimes that, you know,this was all from nothing and
we have to remember those things, right.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But yeah, when I was new and doing that, it was sort
of like I don't know how toexplain it.
I just felt like I knew when Ipicked up that sugar that I,
this was something that I reallywanted to be good at.
And it's important to know forall the people out there
listening who are brand new orwho are feeling like I don't
know how I'm going to do this.
You guys, I was not good at itright away.
(09:07):
I cried first few days I waslearning it.
I put sugar on my arm.
It got stuck.
It was terrible.
I was bad at it.
That same boss I was talkingabout that.
I, you know, watched her sugarand she was.
I thought it was so beautiful.
She I don't think she let mesee sugaring clients for months
because she thought I was bad atit.
Like it wasn't, like Iinstantly became this like
(09:30):
master sugarist.
Yeah, I couldn't afford to go toan in-person class.
I had to pay for it myself.
So I saved up money and it'sfunny because now I know it
costs like I think it was like$500 to go to a class.
That was like down the streetfor me, but I still couldn't
afford it at that time, you know, Um, and then when I finally
(09:51):
did, I'd already been sugaringfor a little while, so, and then
, maybe a year and a half afterthat I think, I took an
Alexandria class, Um, so anyway.
So I was kind of like trying tofind a lot of educators back
then.
No, there were not.
Um, it was not a thing.
And so when we did thatAlexandria class at the spa I
(10:13):
was working at, I'm pretty surepeople came from other spots to
train with us because it waslike so few and far between that
somebody would come to train.
Like that wasn't a thing backthen.
Yeah, um, so a lot of thethings I do today, like with
education, with sugaring, arebecause I had no choice and I
was then booked with like 20clients a day.
So I had to figure out okay, Ihave to get every little hair
(10:36):
out or else it's not coming back.
How am I going to do this?
And, yeah, it just it was.
It was pretty amazing.
I remember very clearly those,those first few months of
sugaring and all the clientscoming in and, um, we were also
very blessed that because thesugaring was not well known in
(10:57):
Ohio at that time, I think wewere one of maybe two spas that
offered it.
Um, we ran a group on sale andwe sold like 800 Brazilians in
three days or something insane.
Yeah, so it was pretty, it wasa, it was a pretty awesome time.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, and then you had to figure out how you
sugared all those Cause.
With Groupon you made like halfof the half, oh, like a dollar.
Yeah, you're basically sugaringfor free.
It covered your expenses.
That was pretty much it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
But you know, everybody came back, and so
that's why, even today with mybusiness, a lot of people say
don't do Groupon.
I'm like listen, pretend likeyou're doing it for free and any
money you do get is just bonus,and the goal is to get that
client to come back to you forthe rest of their lives, because
that's what you really want todo.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And we know that once you put sugar on their body,
they're coming back.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Oh, they love the sugar, but they have to love you
because lots of people sugarnow.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
And that's something that's very interesting.
Like now with my salons.
I think there's at least six orseven sugaring places within 15
minutes and that's pretty wild,how much sugaring there within
15 minutes.
Um, and that's that's prettywild, how much they're sugaring.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
there was in Ohio Cause it's a lot and I love that
.
You know, now it's becoming likewe're shifting the tide right.
We're now shifting from, youknow, nobody even heard of
sugaring, to now there's moreand more people doing it,
branching out.
You know, people are reallysugaring, which means you need
to take your skills to the next,next level, because at the
(12:30):
beginning it was kind of like,oh, you know, you were the only
sugar you could kind of get awaywith, maybe not being the best,
but you were the only one, yes.
Now it's like oh, no, no, no,no, they're starting to learn in
school, they're learning, youknow, in your space they're
learning and they're branchingout, and now there's more people
.
So we have to really step upour game, which is why it's so
critical to learn these advancedskills.
(12:51):
And yeah, and so I want to keepon your success story really
quick, because then we're goingto talk about how you can
improve your advanced skills ifyou're in the audience.
So your sweet success.
So you now have two locations,which is not for the faint of
heart, my friend.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
It is not.
And I started doing that inCOVID during like COVID times,
after we were shut down for alittle bit and then reopened, I
noticed how truly valuable wewere to our clients.
We had a lot of clients thatwere not going anywhere else
because they were afraid ofCOVID.
They were afraid of, you know,getting their families sick but
(13:32):
they were choosing to come andvisit us and I was so honored by
that and we did so well in likepost-COVID times and it just I
really wanted to see can I takemy business model and put it
anywhere and see how it does?
So there was a, you know,another location I had always
kind of thought of for a secondbusiness and it's a little town
(13:56):
called Medina, it's about 40minutes from my first location
and it's a very different smalltown, vibe from my first
location, and I kind of was justlike let's do it and I put
another location there and itwas hard and I was like, oh, I'm
used to things just working out, you know, and it was a very
slow start.
(14:16):
I don't.
I wanted to see the same modelthat I'd done with my first,
which was a lot of word of mouth, advertising minus the Groupon
could work in that secondlocation and it made it a very
slow start for that secondbusiness.
It was.
I would say it took about sixmonths until we had a more
(14:37):
steady clientele, which, inretrospect, looking back, I see
how spoiled I was with my firstbusiness because, like, listen
to what I just said out loud ittook six months for us to have a
steady clientele.
Like that's, that's amazing.
That's incredible.
Um, and today the business isdoing very well and it's three
years in and I cannot believethat um, it's there and that I
(15:01):
have.
I'm a multi salon owner.
It's like the one thing I oftendo is I will sit in um either
of the businesses and just lookaround and you know um a
spiritual person and I'll justlike, thank God in the universe
that I have any of this, thatthis is really a reality for me
that this happened because Iknow how um truly blessed I am
(15:27):
that these things have workedout Um, but the biggest part of
it is the way that we treatpeople and the way that I teach
my staff to treat people andtheir clients.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You know I I don't want it to go unnoticed, though
that it is it comes with hardwork.
Yeah, it comes with youeducating yourself to be a
business owner, which is verydifferent than being a good
sugar pro.
You can have all the greatskills you like, but you can't
educate.
You can have all the greatskills you like, but you don't
have those business marketing,networking type skills.
(15:57):
You might be an amazing ownerand not have very great sugar
skills.
That's what you have staff for.
I think that some people feellike, oh, I'm just going to go
solo and then I'm going to.
You know that'll solve all myproblems.
I don't like this boss, so I'mgoing to solve all my problems
by going solo.
That you know.
That's not just it might beGod's plan, but a whole lot of
(16:18):
work on your part went into it.
You know.
I think some people feel likewe make it look easy.
Right, it's faith and a wholelot of sweat.
You know, because you, yougotta be the first one that
shows up in, the last one toleave for a long time.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I am and um a huge part of it is the way that I
treat my employees.
They are very important to me.
Their happiness is like on mostdays.
Their happiness is my numberone priority, even on days where
I'm frustrated with them.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I think that a lot of owners overlook that fact that
if you have happy employees, youhave a good business.
And I've been very, very luckythat I have an amazing staff and
they are very self-sufficient,self-motivated, but I put so
much effort and energy intomaking them feel appreciated and
(17:16):
comfortable and like lovingtheir work environment and
that's been a big part of it,because I always used to say I'm
not going into owning abusiness to make a million
dollars, I just want to be happyand I want to love what I do.
And then then I happened tomake a million dollars, which
was really awesome and like yay.
But my main goal in thebeginning was I want to enjoy my
(17:39):
life and do something that Ireally love doing and then help
other women do what I love doingA lot of what I've learned too.
So I'm very big into like therecovery community and helping.
You know women go through thatprocess and stay sober.
And when I first opened andhelping you know women go
through that process and staysober and when I first opened my
business, I only hired womenthat were single moms or in the
(18:00):
recovery community that neededthat kind of support and so that
I could help them.
You know, care for theirfamilies, build up the life that
I've built for myself, and overthe years I've gotten away from
that and had to get away fromlike specifically hiring those
people, but it always turns outthat they will find me anyways.
(18:20):
And so a lot of my staff aregoing through those journeys and
we're kind of doing it togetherand it's been a beautiful
process.
And so there is that secondarygoal for me with my business is
to help as many people aspossible, and people don't know
that, so it's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
That's incredible.
I love that.
I love that you're doing that.
Yeah, For so many reasons.
You know, um, this, this lifeis hard and if we can't lift
each other up and we can't takeeach other under each other's
wings, you know, and see thegood in people, but also the
people that work for you, forthem to recognize the good work
(19:00):
that you're doing and to workhard.
You know, this isn't given tothe owner, whether it's you, me
or someone else.
This was hard work by you andyou know.
I think some people ask me.
They're like, you know, shouldI be an employer and a solo?
And I and I say to them ifyou're going to be an employee
or a solo, doesn't matter, treatas an employee, treat it like
(19:21):
it's your own business, and askyourself am I the best employee
I possibly can be?
Am I showing up early?
Am I, you know, picking up thelittle?
You know dust bunnies on thecorner, or am I just leaving
that for someone else to do,Cause that's not my job, Right?
Am I loving on that client butbeing professional and setting
(19:43):
boundaries?
Am I, um, you know, am I, am Igiving 110%?
Or am I showing up andcollecting my hourly Right,
Because if your boss is pouringinto you, you need to pour into
them as well.
Now, there's plenty of bosseswho are not super great, and you
recognize that there was onethat was amazing and one that
was not perfect, which was alearning experience for you as
(20:05):
well.
Right, Like I'm always gratefulfor those experiences that
weren't good, because I can sayyou know, that's not how I want
to run my business experiencesthat weren't good, because I can
say you know, that's not how Iwant to run my business.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Oh, a hundred percent .
I learned so much about what Ididn't want to do in my business
and how I didn't want to treatpeople, and those things I carry
with me even today.
Sometimes I hear a little voicein the back of my head that was
my first boss.
This is what she would besaying right now.
I'm glad I'm not like that, youknow.
And then also I remember how Iwas as an employee and it also
reminds me that there's a reasonthat I'm the boss and that
someone else isn't.
When I want to get frustratedwith somebody, that helps me be
(20:40):
a better boss and I just have toremind myself there's a reason
I'm here and that they're thereand employees are such valuable,
amazing, important people and Ifeel like there's nothing wrong
with wanting to be an employee.
And everybody kind of gets intothis industry and thinks that
they want to just be their ownboss or be solo.
(21:01):
And a lot of my employees havesaid, like I'm so content
working here, I'll try to givethem more responsibility, or,
you know, I want you to do thisor that, and they're like I'm
good, like I'm really happy.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Well, think about it you buy all the supplies.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
You're worrying about whether the lights are on.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I know, right, you're the one that makes sure that
the cotton rounds are supplied,and you know, and all of that.
You're the one that's doing allthe marketing and this and that
.
Honestly, like, at the end ofthe day, if you run your own
business, by the time you net itout, you're probably making
less than if you were anemployee.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
A hundred percent.
I know my first job.
I made way more money therethan I did in my first few years
of business, for sure yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah, so if you are listening to this and you are an
employee, you are valued, youare so important, and if you are
not valued, then definitely gosomewhere else to be a different
person Find somewhere where youare, yes, yes, and you can, you
know, hit those levels.
They're just, you know, nettedout instead of you know they're
(22:03):
taking the taxes out for you andyou don't have to do it
yourself you know that too, andthat's what I want people that
are employees to really you know, employees and solos to really
understand is it's about whatyou're putting into it and about
the care and the love thatyou're putting into your clients
and your technique, because ifyou're hurting people, go get
some education, please, or God,go get some extra education.
I learn, you learn, you know.
(22:26):
I go to classes and I'm like,well, that's pretty good
technique.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Never thought I'd do it that way, right?
Oh, a hundred percent.
I've learned much from othereducators, oh for sure.
Even in the past few years ofseeing the way other people do
things, my clients laugh becausethey'll, I'll do something and
they'll be like you learned thatfrom so-and-so and I'm like I
know I did I love.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
when I see people running around with carrots the
carrot analogy I'm like okay, Igot, you got a carrot analogy.
So let's let's shift for aminute because I think that one
of the most exciting things I'vebeen doing this a really long
time, you've been doing this areally long time we were there
when nobody else was sugaringand you know we were trying to
really spread the word and youknow you go to a trade show and
(23:07):
there's no sugar booths.
You know you would go to, Iwould speak somewhere and I'm
like, right, raise your hands ifyou've been sugared crickets,
you know now it's.
The tables have turned and thereare multiple people in your
town that are sugaring andlearning and students are
learning, and it's just thismovement that we prayed about 14
years ago, right, and it is anabsolute joy.
(23:32):
And I am so impressed that youare starting the sugaring
convention, the sugar con,because, um, yeah, yeah, it's,
thank you for doing that,because it really is.
We are not in competition witheach other.
Our skills are in competitionwith other hair removal and it's
(23:54):
not even competition, right,it's just a different modality.
We go to a trade show andthere's four sugar booths.
Hallelujah, number one, numbertwo, guess what?
There's 200 skincare booths.
Yes, maybe in my lifetime Iwill see you know 10 or 12 sugar
companies you know at a booth Idon't know if there'll be 200,
(24:16):
but, um, but really, truly,there's enough hoo-hahs for
everyone.
There is enough, you knowStates and cities for us to be
in.
We should, together be liftingeach other up as sugar pros and
saying you know what you sugar.
Good on you, let me help you.
Good on you, what?
How can I be of service?
Because we are in competitionwith lasers and razors and
(24:40):
tweezing and you know threadingand nair and and bad.
You know, experiences likethat's what we are working so
hard to to lift the educationabout.
And so things like the, theinternational sugaring
conventioncom, um, are reallysaying, okay, you know what?
(25:03):
Now there's this base of humansthat are getting it and like we
don't need to tell you it's allnatural anymore, cause all know
that right, sugar and water, weall know that right it's.
But now how can we take thoseskills to the next level and
that's what you're doing.
So talk about how you got the umthe nudge to do sugar con and,
(25:23):
uh, how you decided to finallygo ahead and pull the trigger
and make that happen so I thinkwhat's so?
Speaker 2 (25:28):
what I want people to know about sugar con, first of,
is that it's sort of like it'snot like it's my idea, which you
touched on, and I it's like allof our idea, right?
Anyone who's been sugaring fordecades and been in the industry
and has ever, like, touched aball of sugar and fallen in love
with it and then gone to atrade show and you're right,
(25:50):
like had no representation ofsugaring or it's like all of our
idea collectively.
And I feel like it's just thatall that energy come together.
And I was talking with JamieRenee Nelms and Brooke Kennedy
and Ashley Davis and some othereducators when we were at an
(26:11):
event last March and someonecame up in the conversation.
They were like oh Sarah, didn'tyou want to do a thing?
And I was like I don't knowwhen I said that out loud, but
they think that I want to do athing and I do want to do a
thing and I must have said it inlike a comment somewhere, right
, just kind of hit me that likeall of us are sort of
collectively waiting forsomebody to like, take that leap
(26:33):
and put on the show party yes.
Someone has to get the partystarted.
And you know, just like you,like I've been going to the
trade show since very early onin my career.
I remember my first boss beinglike we're going to go here and
do this and I would just likeget a credit card and every last
penny went towards the Miamishow and the New York show and I
(26:55):
absolutely loved it and it wasamazing.
But you're right, I never sawsugaring at those shows and back
then I doubt anybody was eventhere that I would have known
besides Alexandria.
Um, and so it's just.
This is my dream convention,this is all of our dream
convention.
Um, I want every sugarist towalk in the door, see every
(27:22):
sugaring brand that they've everheard of or dreamed of meeting,
dreamed of trying.
See demos, see differenttechniques.
There's so many classes andspeakers and anybody you could
possibly want to meet andinteract with.
I mean, they're in one place.
For us, the sugar is because forso many years, you know our
(27:42):
little like niche industry.
We've been I don't want to saythe underdog, but we're just.
We're not represented at thebig skincare shows.
And yet sugaring is skincare,sugaring is skin health.
You can use sugaring to do somuch for the body and I it.
(28:02):
It needs to be represented.
So this is like you know,sugaring has done so much for me
for my life.
I've been able to, you know,support my two daughters and
travel and have such a beautiful, amazing life, be a part of my
community.
This is like my gift to oursugaring community and I'm just
(28:26):
so grateful to be able to do it.
I'm also kind of a crazy personand when I get an idea in my
head, I like can't not do it.
So within months of like kindof getting the ball rolling, I
was like what is what am I doing?
This is a lot, um.
(28:46):
And now I'm so glad, like it'sbeen so fun planning and I can't
wait for everybody to see allof the things that are going to
be happening at literally looklike a blushing bride planning
her wedding.
It's so fun.
Like I, I get I have to likescale back from like posting in
my group all the time about allthe little things that I'm, that
I'm going to be doing there andwhat it's going to look like,
because it's so fun yeah, yeah,yeah um, everyone the details
(29:09):
tell them what to expect.
so it's June 29th and 30th andit is in Cleveland, ohio, which
Cleveland is so beautiful in thesummertime and fingers crossed
we're going to have gorgeous,perfect weather.
Um, but it's from 10 AM to 4 PM.
So it's that Sunday and Monday,june 29th and 30th, in
Cleveland, at a beautiful venuecalled Gordon green, which is
(29:32):
the neighborhood called Gordonsquare in Cleveland, and it's a
very trendy, like, very trendycommunity.
There's like 15, 20 differentbars and restaurants right
across the streets.
There's like a communitytheater center.
There's just so many differentcool things in the area.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
I'm excited.
I've never been to Ohio ever.
I've been to almost all thestates.
For some reason never.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And I actually put like.
So the website issugaringconventioncom and a lot
of people have had troublefinding this little drop down
menu.
But the drop down menu has alogistics page and from there I
put some activities to do aroundthe area because, um, an hour
away from Cleveland there isCedar point, which is like the
greatest theme park in thenation for roller coasters, like
(30:15):
our zoo is nice, like if you'recoming to Ohio, come and like
see some cool things, causemaybe you're never coming back
to Ohio you know, yeah, yeah, um, and then uh, once you arrive
at the convention.
So when you walk in the doorregistration, you're going to
pick up your cute little hotpink or blue lanyard.
You get your little swag bag.
Everybody's getting swag,whether you're a VIP or not, you
(30:37):
still get swag.
I'm giving you a notebook, apen, all kinds of stuff to take
notes with.
There are classes every hour,hour-long classes every hour
with a little bit of breaks inbetween.
At our lower level of theconvention center Also on the
lower level, there are littlethere's a snack lounge which is
(30:58):
sponsored by radic labs.
They are providing all thesnacks and they're going to be
good snacks because, again, thisis what I would want when I go
very particular too.
He would not have bad snacks hewould not have bad snacks, and I
would never have bad snacks.
So they're going to have snacks.
That a girl, yes, and then, um,so there'll be like three
different classrooms downstairsand I think there's 24 classes
(31:21):
total, which is a lot, a lot tochoose from.
The class signups start onMarch 29th, but I will be
starting to send out emailswithin the next week or so with
information about that.
So purchase your tickets sothat you can get start getting
the emails from me.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
And by the time this podcast airs, which will be the
1st of April, it will already beopen, so you better get
yourself to to sign up for thefor the classes.
Because you have to sign up,it's limited seating.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
It is limited seating .
Yes, the on the main level isthe exhibitor hall.
Um, if you arrive and check inright at 10, which I want
everybody to cause, I want allof you to be there there is
going to be a light breakfastand coffee and tea bar and I am
very picky about breakfast food,so it will be a nice little
light breakfast because there'sgoing to be a lot of us, but it
(32:07):
will be a nice breakfast.
And then the exhibitor hall.
We're going to have a mainstage area for speakers upstairs
as well.
There's a beautiful courtyardthat you can hang out in and
chat.
And then, because there's somany, lunch I can't think
options literally across thestreet.
(32:28):
I'm not doing a lunch inside oranything, and I want people to
feel like they can leave thevenue, but it's going to be
amazing.
There's so much.
They're going to be, um, enoughfor everybody to feel like
they've received so mucheducation, and I mean the cost
of your ticket.
The general admission ticket is$115.
(32:48):
And if you were to payindividually for any of this
education, you'd be looking atthousands of dollars.
So it's really incredible.
Um, I, I'm, I'm very excitedabout it.
I'm actually a little bit havea little bit of FOMO because I
won't be able to attendeverybody's classes while I'm,
you know, in charge of thingsAll under one roof.
Yeah, yeah, and there's alsogoing to be contests prizes
(33:11):
throughout the day.
I won't tell you what thecontests are just yet, because
they're going to be like littlethings.
There's an app called Hoovathat everybody will be connected
to once everything goes live onMarch 29th, and so you'll be
able to see who the otherattendees are, who all of the
vendors are.
You'll be able to see some ofthe sponsors and vendors have a
(33:34):
digital booth so you'll be ableto see what their specials are
going to be, what their productsare videos right on there.
You can set up ride sharing inthe app.
You can.
Literally there'll be likelittle group messages you guys
can set up to get to know eachother, like hey, we're coming
from California, we're comingfrom wherever, and you can chat
and talk about interests.
(33:55):
If anybody wants to go for arun in the morning, we can meet
up here.
Blah, blah, blah, like allsorts of things.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I love that.
Okay, it's amazing.
And then the main speakers.
You're going to have a mainstage of speakers.
So if you are not signed up fora particular class, on the top
floor is the main speaker stageright With the exhibitors.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yes, because I've gone to, you know, trade shows
too, where I don't necessarilywant to sit in a classroom,
although I've never been to onefor sugaring.
So that's probably why, yeah,all of these classes I want to
sit in every single one, um.
But if you want to just likemill about with the um exhibitor
area and then listen to thespeakers, there's going to be
seating in a, like I say, stage,but it's not like raised or
(34:34):
anything.
A speaker speaker area, um,right on that same level.
So you can, you know, hang outthere, listen to the speaker.
There'll be that, I think, fourspeakers a day we'll have, and
Shannon's one of our um speakers.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Yes, I love it.
You're having me towards theend of the day, and so everyone,
everybody, back up.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yes, exactly, and so I'll just wake everybody back up
.
Shannon, yes, exactly, yougotta bring the energy.
I have a feeling everyone'sgonna wanna stay all of it.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
You know what I?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
mean Maybe some little breaks in between I tried
to schedule, so there's sometime throughout the day if
people need to like leave orwhatever.
But it's gonna be prettyexciting.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
There's business classes, there's technique
classes.
I love that there's a littlebit of everything for everybody,
because I think that theaudience will be surprised at
what they don't realize, theydon't know.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
A hundred percent.
The branding class, thebranding.
I didn't even realize theimportance of having your own
like, like branding.
I didn't really even know whatthat was until I was seven years
into my business and I did myfirst branding photo shoot.
And now I get to have thosephotos on my website.
And what does it really mean tolike, have your, your brand
(35:46):
values show through for yourbusiness?
I mean I, yeah, all of thosethings are so important.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah.
So you have to be verystrategic and you have to sign
up early so that you can be inone of the classes that is
limited seating.
So, girl, I'm telling you wecould talk for hours and hours
and we will be in Ohio.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you at the VIP
dinner and just spending sometime with the people that are
loving on sugar, like we havebeen pounding the doors to say
(36:14):
please, please, please, put downthat wax stick and start
sugaring.
And it's working, and so we arereally seeing some really great
changes in our industry andit's just it's fun to spend time
with people like you that likewe can have a good time with it.
You know, it's not that thingthat.
You know.
Oh, we trudge going to workevery day.
It's like you know, I get towork on people all day long,
sugaring them, and then I get tospend time with amazing humans
(36:36):
like you that are doing goodwork, and so kudos to you,
sister.
I'm really, I really loveseeing, um, you know, other
women shine and and men, um, wehave so many male sugarists, so
we have yeah, which is awesome.
Our sugar daddy, uh Armando, isuh is on board.
He's going to be doing somemale sugaring classes for us and
(36:58):
I know there's a bunch of othermale sugarists that are, you
know, probably attending yourevent and and there's just it's,
it's neat to see the men kindof getting involved too, and you
know, I just I think it'sreally neat and I just love what
you're doing, I love yourmessage and I think your
employees are very blessed thatthey get to have a leader like
you.
And what I am really lookingforward to is standing next to
(37:21):
you at that thing, because youare a teeny, tiny, little, one
size human, and I am going tomake sure I wear flats.
They don't look like an.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Amazon.
I hate wearing heels too, so II will have to, because
otherwise I'll just.
I look up at everybody all day,but tiny, tiny little fun size
sugar pro person.
I know.
That's why I'm always like whatare you talking about?
This bed is the great height.
All these beds are nice andtall and it brings my back.
I love it.
(37:49):
Like I need a higher bed.
I'm like, oh right, yes, yeah,this one's perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Yeah, sarah, thank you so much for being on the
show show.
I'm glad that I could be herefor your first podcast and
they'll be super fun.
They're easy, huh.
Yeah, there'll be many more tocome, because there's a lot that
we have to say, that you haveto say.
The idea is really to justspread the knowledge and the
passion and, um, we're finallyable to do exactly that in this
(38:14):
industry.
So I think it's going to be afun next few years to see where
we take it.
It's good stuff.
I think it's good too.
Thank you, shannon.
You're welcome friend.
Have a fabulously sweet weekand I'll see you in Ohio.
Bye, Bye.
I hope you enjoyed our timetogether, Sarah and I.
I told you she was an amazinghuman.
If you are interested in comingto SugarCon, I highly encourage
(38:37):
it.
It is the first ever in ourindustry and really going to be
a special time where we can allcome together and rise this not
only your skills, but also thisindustry as well and you can
network and hopefully meet yourSugar SD bestie.
Come meet some of us who'vebeen in this industry for a
really long time, pick ourbrains, learn some new
techniques and that is whatgetting better and working
(39:00):
forward stronger is all about.
So I look forward to seeing youat SugarCon.
I look forward to having youlisten to the next episode of
Sweet Success and I hope youhave a fabulously sweet month.
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