When I felt in over my head, I refused to give up. Fighting to prove that I could succeed through whatever life decided to throw at me, I learned a powerful lesson and found a new passion.

As I collapsed onto bed after another long day at the salon, I felt exhausted thinking about doing it all over again in the morning. When I opened my own salon in 2007, it was not what I anticipated.

I spent over two decades in the beauty industry before opening my own place. I had worked as a stylist, teacher, and manager for a large corporation. A salon of my own seemed like the next logical step.

Unfortunately, I opened my business in the middle of a perfect storm. Right around the beginning of the recession, served with a lawsuit from my previous employer, and with two young children at home – it quickly snowballed into more than I had imagined. Those first couple of years were the hardest, but no matter how impossible it felt, something kept me going back day after day.

I have always been stubborn, just like my father. I did things my own way. My bachelor’s degree was earned while working a full-time job and fully paid for by my employer. I became a mother after I finished several items on my bucket list and was “ready” (as if any of us ever are). Then I opened my own business to run my career on my own terms.

Tenacity is part of my DNA and so is helping others. What I never actually said out loud back then was that I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I could do this, even when the cards were stacked against me. At the same time, I did not want to let anyone down. My employees, clients and family were all counting on me. I have to give my husband credit – even when I went nearly an entire year without drawing a paycheck so I could still pay my staff, he was on board with me.

The salon industry is tough, and the profit margins are razor thin. However, I loved what I did, and it was an excuse to constantly learn new things. Through my decades in the industry, I hardly left any stones unturned. When I discovered real estate in 2018, it was like a whole new world opened up. I always had an interest in it but never pursued it or even voiced my interest until after the fact. Once I got started though, it quickly became my passion.

It was not long before I dove headfirst into real estate while still owning my salon. Again, I did not want to let anyone down, so I kept my doors open, allowing my employees to run things themselves. My staff are a phenomenal bunch, and we forged a special connection through our years together. I wanted them to have security and told them I would keep the doors open so they could run it as long as they liked. A couple of years later, they all found somewhere else to move on to, and I closed my doors for good. It makes my heart so happy to see them all still together, and I have so much fun now going to see them and getting my hair done.

I realized somewhere along the way that anything is possible. Through my education (I was the first in my family to graduate college), I gained new confidence and discovered anybody can do anything they put their mind to. No dream is too big because once you break it down, it becomes a plan. The best part of being a REALTOR® is spending time with my clients as I help them reach their wildest dreams.

I am not your average REALTOR®. I am tenacious – if there is a way to accomplish your goal, I will find it. I enjoy solving problems and go over and above to help my clients find the solutions to fit their lifestyles. It is important to me that you have all the tools you need to make the best decision possible, which is why I will educate you throughout the process. I am a stickler for details and make sure that every I is dotted, and each T crossed so that you do not have to worry. Contracts and negotiations are particularly exciting because I get to use what I have learned to help my clients reach new levels of success. Real estate is always changing and there will always be new challenges, which is what I love about it. I never stop learning so that I can help you stay ahead of the game and informed on the current market. Once the transaction is over, we are just getting started, because I’ll be here for life as your REALTOR®.

Sincerely,

Denise Sartor