Why I Started Sage Salon Studios | Meet the Owner

There were several times in my teens and twenties when I almost enrolled in beauty school. Life turned out differently for me during those years. I was married at 19 and had our first baby before I turned 21. Three more children followed, each about two years apart.

We had lived in CA for a time. My husband built his career while I stayed home raising our children. We loved beach days, Disneyland, and exploring Southern California together. Despite all of the adventures, I was incredibly lonely. Eventually, my mental health reached a point where we knew it was time to move home and start over.

The years that passed were full of fresh starts for us all. But I still craved community. I had almost opened a coffee shop. I volunteered my time at a shelter and at my kids’ school. We took in a homeless pregnant teen. We adopted embryos. The pandemic hit. I had our 5th baby in the midst of it. My husband lost his job. It was all a whirlwind that forced me out of the house and out of my comfort zone once the pandemic was “over”. I had to create some kind of community for myself in our small town.

I found the most perfect building for rent. I originally wanted to put a nail salon in it but felt like the start-up costs would be more than I could handle at the time. I decided on a vintage clothing store and The Funky Pumpkin was born. It was a joy to put together and style. I soon learned though, it didn’t really need me there to keep it going. I could hire my daughter to run it day-to-day. I craved more.

My parents were impressed with what I had accomplished with that store and, at the time, they were looking to invest into more business ideas. They wanted to partner with me on my next idea. Of course I had dozens of ideas but I settled on a nail salon. I had no professional training and rarely got my nails done but I knew that I never really enjoyed the experience and I was determined to do it better.

They funded the location, renovations, education, licensing, and I started on my merry little way to become the best nail tech and business owner I could be.

The journey has been anything but linear. It’s been exciting, terrifying, exhausting, rewarding, and one giant roller coaster.

First of all, the nail school I attended was severely lacking in education, experience, product information, protocols, basic knowledge, etc. I was so disappointed. It was a means to a transcript and a license but it wasn’t what I had expected in the slightest. Unfortunately this is most everyone’s experience in any beauty profession.

Armed with very little confidence, I was set to open the salon soon. I hired a lovely nail tech (Andrea from ANailz) to come and help train my small team and I before we opened. She taught us how to use an e-file. How to shape. And how she would perform our pedicures in jet-less tubs. I’m forever thankful for her. She helped encourage me to continue with opening when I felt utterly ill-equipped.

We officially opened Sage on May 6, 2022, and I’ve been learning ever since not only about nail chemistry, product safety, and proper curing, but also about leadership, hiring, difficult conversations, and what it truly means to run a business. I’ve invested thousands of dollars in advanced education, higher-quality products, and better equipment because I believe our clients deserve the very best.

Every difficult lesson has shaped who we are today. It’s why I obsess over product ingredients, continue investing in advanced education, offer services like waterless pedicures and hard gel nails, and refuse to cut corners simply because it’s easier.

Sage exists because I believe beauty services should leave you feeling healthier, more confident, and more relaxed than when you walked in.

I thought I was opening a nail salon.

What I was really building was a community.

A place where people can slow down.

A place where beauty professionals never stop learning.

A place where clients know they’re getting safe, thoughtful, detail-oriented care.

A place where someone might walk in for a manicure but leave feeling lighter than when they arrived.

Looking back, I realize that’s what I had been searching for all along.

Welcome to Sage.