ist magazine December 2022

Salon of Distinction The Sol Haven Sister Act Success By Joe Schuster At the recent National Tanning Expo in Nashville, TN I had the opportunity to meet a very

enthusiastic new salon Co-owner, Kelly Weisenborn of Fairmont, WV who took the Sun is Life® Certification class. During our interview for this Salon of Distinction feature, I broached the topic of service diversification. Tanning salons have been open to some unique ways to diversify their offerings. On the day we had our chat, The Sol Haven had partnered for an event with a local company that provides IV infusions – a service that has been around for a bit but is unfamiliar to many. Kelly invited RevIVU Health Spa to “set up shop” at the salon for a day to allow customers to ask questions and experience the program. Based locally in Bridge port, WV RevIVU offers treatments and infusions delivered intravenously that have benefits for immunity, hydration, energy and detox (among others) and one called “Myers Cocktail” which contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – a concoction created to address many ailments. With her nursing background, Kelly sees this health and beauty service as an exciting possibility. Let’s dig in! IST: Kelly, let’s begin with the basics. Many owners get their start in the tan biz by purchasing a facility where they were once a customer. How did you and Jordan get your start? KW: You nailed it! Our entire family tanned in the salon previously known as Lion In The Sun. As the former owners announced their retirement, my sister Jordan saw an opportunity to continue a business that plays a large part in our small community. After our parents passed away, we knew that we wanted to pursue an investment together in some way. After the first conversation with the

Co-owners Jordan Brimacomb & Kelly Weisenborn (top)

previous salon owners, we all agreed that it was meant to be. From a mother-daugh ter duo to a “sister act” – we cannot wait to continue this business’s legacy in our hometown. IST: Your salon is fairly close to Fairmont State and West Virginia University. What is the demographic makeup of your clientele? I’d suspect young college women represent the majority, yes? KW: Surprisingly, that is a smaller percentage of our current clientele. The largest demographic is currently held by our locals – mothers, daughters, fathers and even sons who come to tan with us … hopefully year after year! Our biggest goal in the coming year is to continue to grow with the younger population at our local universities. We would love to create some partnership opportunities in the future.

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istmagazine.com

December 2022