Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Collins.
Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015, I was nearing burnout running my own small visual marketing company doing graphic design and photography, but I hadn’t really thought I’d ever find myself doing anything other than that. My mother was a graphic designer, I had gotten my degree in design, and I had been a designer and photographer for over 10 years so I figured my future was set in stone. But one magical day at a belly dancing show I stood in line with a gaggle of 8-year-olds to get sparkles from a fairy-woman, and the next day returned to my hometown where a teacher-friend looked with awe at my hair and asked me if I would be willing to sparkle the kiddos in her classroom. “I’m no more qualified than you to do that for your kids!” I said. But I ended up honing the art of sparkling anyhow. From that day forward I continued getting asked to put sparkles in people’s hair, so I decided to design a fancy business card which I strategically figured would be a great networking tool for me to gain more design clients. I had no intention of letting go of my design career. But the business of “sparkling” was pulling me further in and pushing my design career further out. Having folks ask me to put sparkles in their hair evolved to folks asking me to teach them how to put sparkles in people’s hair…to which my answer was “of course! But let me also teach you how to run a proper business”. This is where the heart of Lucky Locks — The Partner Program — began to take form. Being self-employed has been the single most growth-inducing experience of my life, and I wanted to provide others the opportunity with a way to experience this also. The Partner Program is a way for me to empower women to enter the world of business ownership in a fun, lighthearted way that took the scaries out of starting a business without support. And…before you ask “is Lucky Locks an MLM or a franchise?” I will tell you that it is neither. It is a licensing arrangement where women receive a business in a box with a load of personalized support. Each individual who buys in can work as a part of our team and brand, working with our product, getting trained in our method, and gaining access to our marketing assets to run their own Lucky Locks in their own assigned region.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would definitely not describe business ownership as ever being “smooth”. There are always rough patches, potholes, speed bumps, and steep hills. Sometimes you get rolling so fast and your brakes go out. Sometimes you run out of gas. Sometimes you take a turn down the wrong road and drive miles in the wrong direction. Analogies aside and to get into specifics — the struggles include things such as wearing all the hats and spreading yourself and your skills thin as you’re starting out. Learning what you’re not so good at and what you would be better off outsourcing. Dealing with difficult personalities and making sure you’re diplomatic wherever you can be while still maintaining your own professional and personal boundaries. Speaking of personal boundaries — when you own your own business, it is very hard to carve out time for yourself, learn to say no to some things, and to take a well-deserved vacation even though you get no paid time off. You have to establish healthy patterns when you work for yourself, which oftentimes is a grand journey.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lucky Locks is a magical business that offers hair adornment services (silk hair sparkles & natural hair feathers) at large corporate events (we’ve worked with Google, Squarespace, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and more), to personal gatherings (weddings, parties, wine nights, etc.), to private appointments.
We collaborate with local businesses by bringing a fun activation to brick and mortars and helping bolster awareness of their businesses and brands.
We provide an empowering self-employment opportunity for women to run their own Lucky Locks in their communities.
We also provide stylists with training and access to our product in order to serve their clientele. This addition to their menu serves as an income boosting add-on to their menus.
Something that sets us apart is that we utilize the best of the best — our product is fun yet classy, long-lasting, heat and chemical resistant — “tiny but mighty” we say. With our installation method, our silk-based sparkles can last 4x longer than plastic-based hair tinsel.
We are proud of the trust and community that this business has helped each of the Lucky Locks owners to build.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
When I first started my own business, I wish I had more fully understood that what you put in is what you get out. I think I figured success would magically just come to me (and I suppose at some points, the right things *have* gravitated my way) but you have to put the energy in for the universe to know you are ready for the next big thing, the next big step, the next big reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.luckylocks.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/luckylocks.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luckylocks.co/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuSa5yFDN4E
- Other: https://url.bio/luckylocks
Image Credits
Sarah Collins of Neon Grounds
Darcy Hunter of Seed Photography
Sierra Selene
