We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Karlin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

I got my first job in the salon and spa Industry in January 2005. I was previously working in corporate America in a position that was sucking my soul drive. I was a client at a salon and fascinated by the industry. My hairstylist was the owner of the salon and I was in love with the energy and vibe I felt when I was in the space. In July 2004 she approached me about buying the salon. I successfully acquired the business in January 2005. It changed my life. Since that moment I feel as if I’m living my purpose, doing what I was meant to do my whole life and experiencing more fulfillment that I ever have before.

As my aunt told me when I called to tell her I was going to buy a salon, “you have been preparing for this job since you were two.“ The ability to apply all of my business knowledge in a creative world is the perfect match for me. At the time, feeling stuck, lost and hopeless in my career I wasn’t sure what was next for me. I was spending hours meditating, praying and thinking about what else I could do to get myself out of what I knew was going to leave me miserable. The moment that my hairstylist asked me if I was interested in buying I did not hesitate for a moment and took a giant leap of faith into the unknown. That leap has allowed me to experience life in a career that has nothing but potential. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My goal with Ola is to create a space and environment unlike any other salon spa wellness place around. I want to be the opposite of cookie cutter and Natalie express my creative spirit through the space but allow others to do their best work and discover their full potential within that space. I want to provide an experience unlike any other for the artist and clients that she has to do business with us.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Surviving for 17 years in this industry shows my resilience. The ups and downs and constant need to evolve Is tough. You have to be extremely resilient and flexible in order to survive as a small creative business owner. You have to be changing inside your business as rapidly as things are changing outside your business or you will not survive.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

I bought a Ola from the former owner. The acquisition process was grueling at the time for me as I had no experience in that industry and getting financing was nearly impossible. But I was not willing to give up. I had to write a business plan based on a business I knew nothing about, be able to illustrate profitability and why I felt like I could run a business coming from a completely opposite world. I cannot tell you how many banks, lenders, etc. I spoke with. I finally found a bank that would finance me through SBA. And addition to getting money from as many other sources as I could. But I was not willing to go back. I knew I needed to make this dream a reality.

Contact Info:

• Website: Olasalon.com
• Instagram: Olasalon
• Facebook: Ola salon
• Linkedin: Rachel karlin
• Twitter: Olasalon
• Youtube: Ola salon
• Yelp: Ola salon

Image Credits
Rachel karlin