ist magazine July 2022

Salon of Distinction

CHRISTINE WALZ & SNOOP HARRIS

Desert Tan Having Fun Selling Sun! By Joe Schuster

TEAM DESERT TAN INCLUDES (L-R) BROOKE, JERZIE, CHRISTINE, MADIE, JORDANNE, KELSEY

O ur Salon of Distinction subjects are selected from a mix of salons with staff who have passed the Sun is Life® Training & Certification program either online, or the classroom version at an industry event. It’s always enjoyable for me to interview folks I have trained in the face-to-face format. Since joining the tanning industry as salon operators just a couple of years ago, Snoop Harris and Christine Walz have attended several industry events. I got to meet them in Missouri when they took advantage of the classroom session offered earlier this year at a Heartland Tanning expo. They have a hearty appetite for training and knowl edge about the business they love. Here’s the “scoop” from Snoop (and Christine!)

IST: How did you get started in the tan biz?

IST: Has your salon sanitizing protocol changed? If so, how?

SH: We were tanners at the salon and Christine always told Tammy (the previ ous owner) that if she was ever ready to sell the business, we would buy it. Well, she did and in February 2020, WE DID! IST: The COVID pandemic certainly impacted many small businesses. How did you survive that challenge? SH: Having just purchased the salon when COVID hit, we really just barely survived it. However, our local Chamber of Commerce helped us out a ton and then, we pushed back against the new health department COVID regulations to be able to be open for business.

SH: Really, it didn’t change too much as we were already doing a high level of sanitizing to our beds, the rooms and the entire salon. IST: Snoop, you and Christine complet ed the classroom version of our Sun is Life Training & Certification program. What insights did you gain? How important is it to have your staff fully trained with Sun is Life? SH: Joe, the Sun Is Life course was amazing and very much needed for Christine and me. We have learned so much about the business – from daily operations to tanning

Flash concept / stock.adobe.com

20

istmagazine.com

July 2022