10/02/2026
Eight years ago today, I made one of the most scary decisions of my life:
I signed the papers to buy Totally Tan in Statesville.
It was a business with over 30 years of history downtown, and I had the bright idea to buy it, renovate the building and create a full service salon.
Did I mention that I had absolutely no clue what I was doing ? Or that I was about to get divorced ? (Which I didn’t know at the time) And that I definitely didn’t have enough money to manage what was to come ?
Looking back, there were points in time nearly every month for the first three years where it could have gone off the rails….. actually, that one time, the rails disappeared and I felt like I was just holding on.
I started Zealous with a whole lot of prayer, the wish to create something that didn’t yet exist, and the delusion that I could figure it out. Bc really ? How hard could it be ?
Today, eight years later, aside from a hand full of ceiling tiles and 2 small rooms, every surface of that building has been overhauled…. At least once. We have created jobs for over twenty people. We have seen thousands of clients. We have built relationships that are some of my most precious. And I currently have the best team of my career.
Oh yeah, and in the midst of all of this I decided that going to hair school during the pandemic made perfect sense, and I found my calling.
I didn’t allow myself to celebrate for a few years after opening. I was so afraid it would fail. I was so afraid I would fail. And even now, I don’t post about the wins very often. I kind of hold it all close.
But today, I am here to say, if you have a dream in your heart and it just won’t let you go….
Say yes.
Say yes to the thing you keep thinking “what if” about.
Say yes to that little voice that keeps popping up.
It was one of my top 5 most scary decisions I’ve ever made. It changed my life completely. And I cannot imagine doing anything else.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this sweet small business. YOU are why we have made it. YOU are our success. Thank you.
Happy 8th Anniversary, Zealous Beauty Bar !
Downtown Statesville