Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Popik.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s amazing to think where I am today. The friends I have made, the challenges I have overcome, it’s all been an amazing journey. It started when I was kicked out of my parent’s house at 18 with my senior year of high school still ahead of me. After struggling through poverty, school and simply figuring out who I was and where was going with my life, I realized everyone around me thought I was going to fail, or they just didn’t care about what happened to me. Something inside me said, ” I am a fighter, I can do it all by myself”.
Not long after dealing with some significant health issues, I decided to go to cosmetology school just 3 weeks after a major surgery. Following a long physical recovery and the challenge of school, I was ready to be an adult. My first job as a stylist was one of my most memorable. I struggled at first with clients, co-workers, and realizing, I don’t know anything! I worked with such amazing people that taught me that, I am going to mess up, you’re not always going to know how to fix it, but get back behind the chair and try again. The staff at that salon taught me to be positive, have fun and the fundament tools I needed to grow as a stylist. At that time I did mostly nails and wanted to focus on my hairdressing skills and realized that I needed to go and follow my own path.
The atmosphere at my second salon job was very different. I wasn’t sure about it at first eventually became more comfortable. There was a woman there named Judy who became my mentor. The best thing she ever did was not to help me. She knew I could do it, but I didn’t see it that way yet. I struggled with color theory and some of the finer points of the industry. There were times I failed but realized my education was progressing.
After 5 years or so doing nails at first to a rapidly growing hair clientele, I started to crave my very own salon. One day there was a building for rent that I always thought would be a great location. I talked to the owner and gave me 3 days to decide if I wanted to lease the space. My husband and I jumped right in with excitement and nerves. About 5 days later we found out I was pregnant, I took this as a challenge. We built out the salon in 3 months, lost our dog and then we had a stillbirth at 9 months. I felt like the world was against me.
After a bit of self-pity, I rose up and worked. After a lot of ups and downs, 2 kids later we just celebrated 11 years in business. I have some of my original clients from 16 years ago. WOW! We just recently bought our own building and with a 10 month build out, we moved Vichy Salon to its new home. I have found through the years I couldn’t do it by myself. I did it with all the people who supported me, especially my husband who sacrificed so much, to make my dreams come true. With his love and devotion he helped me become the best wife, mother, business owner, and hair stylist I could be.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always obstacles in every business, if I said it was a bed of roses every day, I would be lying. The biggest struggle is keeping myself inspired with new ideas, it’s easy to fall into a routine. I keep reminding myself how I can improve, where I am lacking and how I can enrich the “guest experience” in my salon. Keeping up your business along with having a life at home is very challenging. The days are long and laundry doesn’t do itself. There have been many times I feel like a big chicken with baby birds pecking at me all day. It took a while but soon realized this was an honor, people trusted me and that feels amazing. I also have to mention the financial headaches. There were many times I felt like giving up, this is costing too much, I have nothing left. With all these challenges, there are still way more rewards. Personally, I would never change the choices I have made, except to say thank you more often to the talented and hard-working staff and caring helpful people that contributed to making Vichy Salon a success.
Vichy Salon – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Vichy Salon is located in the downtown strip of Fox Lake, IL. We are an elegant, modern neighborhood salon with a warm and friendly atmosphere. We custom tailor all our services to each individual. Our salon has been in business for 11 years. We recently relocated to our new beautiful building. We specialize in creative, on-trend hair coloring techniques, custom haircutting, and classic, natural nail services. We are known for our awesome Gourmet pedicures that change monthly. With each gourmet, pedicure comes with our homemade salt scrub, lotion and a cocktail that matches the flavor of the month. We strive on continuing education to keep us up to date with all the latest trends. We custom craft every client’s look to ensure that their vision is realized beautifully. In 2018 we are excited to be adding facials, body waxing, and aromatherapy pedicures as well as other specialty spa services to our growing menu. We are so proud of how we have grown over time within our community, Vichy Salon is an enthusiastic supporter of local charities and fundraisers, we feel giving back is essential for the relationship we have with our friends and neighbors.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
As I mentioned before, purchasing and building our new space has filled me with a great sense of accomplishment and I’m very proud of what we’ve done here. It was so exciting to finally do this. Creating a space that reflects who I am, a place guests will feel welcomed and comfortable. We have put in so much hard work in designing, creating and building Vichy Salon and I couldn’t be prouder of the results. My husband worked every day at his day job and every night /weekend in the new space. It took 10 long months. I am so proud of him for his dedication to his family and my dream. Vichy Salon would not exist without the dedication, vision, and teamwork that goes into what we do each and every day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 17 E Grand Ave
Fox Lake, IL 60020 - Website: vichysalon.com
- Phone: 847-587-2007
- Email: vichysalon@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VichySalon17/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vichy-Salon-164243242684
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