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Ultima Bellezza Salon has a new owner!
Here is Rebekah's story
Glenwood City, Wisconsin-September 2011: While Jesse and I were living in Glenwood City, I was working 2.5 hours away at a salon I loved. The drive from Glenwood City to Moose Lake was getting to be too much every week and I knew I needed to make a change. Jesse and I didn’t want to live in a small town forever and started to have discussions about moving, that lead to me looking for a job closer to the cities. I remember praying for God to lead me to a job I could thrive in!
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I decided to google "salons in Stillwater" as I've always adored the city of Stillwater. Ultima Bellezza Salon was the only 5-star salon in the area that had nothing but rave reviews on YELP. I checked out the salon website and loved their warm and rich vibe. I wanted a salon that fit me, as much as I fit the salon. I noticed online that they had 4 chairs and only 3 stylists at the time. That 4th chair was meant for me, I could feel it! I emailed the owner, Mary Coleman, explaining I was new to the area searching for a salon that valued their clients like family. As fate would have it, Mary was also praying for God to send her a stylist she could grow with in the industry. So I met Mary in person at the salon a couple weeks later and felt right at home. Within minutes, I knew we would be great friends.
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Stillwater-November 3rd, 2011: I was officially an Ultima Bellezza stylist! Jesse and I were still living in Wisconsin, until we found our next house and moved February 2012 to North St Paul, MN. Since I didn’t know many people in the area, I had to work hard to build my clientele. I would walk around Stillwater everyday handing out my business cards and striking up conversations with people. Eventually I had a fast growing clientele and knew the area well.
Over the year’s, friends, family and clients asked if I had ever thought about owning my own salon. The thought never crossed my mind as I was happy where I was. I loved renting a chair and the freedom it gave me. The thought of owning a salon was a large responsibility I wasn't ready for at the time. I was in the middle of raising a toddler and a baby. From those conversations, the thought of owning a salon was always in the back of my mind.
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Ultima Bellezza Salon 2018: Mary approached me to become the social media manager for the salon. As Mary coached me in my new role, I became more passionate about everything she was doing behind the scenes. I was able to learn more about what goes into owning a salon. I volunteered my time, painting, cleaning, decorating and ordering for the salon boutique. I wanted to help Mary as much as I could and I genuinely enjoyed it all! All the training that Mary had poured into me lead to Jesse and I having conversations about owning a salon someday. I remember mentioning to Jesse, that when Mary is ready to retire, we could offer to take it over. I was envisioning 5-10 years down the road.
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February 2020: Jesse and I were flying to Connecticut so I could attend a very intensive, 2-day training for confident business strategies and strategic color placement. I had decided that I was devoting the year to education as I wanted to launch my career even farther. I wanted to start teaching classes at the salon and share what I've learned with other stylists in the area.
A couple days before we left on our trip, Mary took me out to coffee and offered me ownership of her salon. She was ready to slow down life behind the chair and enjoy her family more. She told me to talk to Jesse about it and come back with our thoughts after our trip. Though, I already knew my answer.
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Mary spent 43 years building up this amazing 5 star business. For the 9 years I have known Mary, she has always put others first. She bends over backwards to help any stylist with advice and education. She remodeled areas of the salon to add services, and grow our businesses, came in after hours many times to deep clean and decorate. Mary made sure everyone's stations were immaculate and up to code. She added so much value to our salon while staying current with the best technology for our industry, and keeping things looking fresh for our clients.
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Little did she know, Jesse and I had been discussing salon ownership for the past two years. When she asked me to be the owner, I beamed! I almost cried. God was so evident through this journey all along! As Mary was praying about stepping down, I was praying about stepping up to further my career. I have no doubt God led me to Ultima Bellezza Salon. I believe there's even more God has in store for this cute little salon Mary built up from nothing. Needless to say, I accepted Mary’s offer. I feel so incredibly honored to continue in Mary’s steps! I've got big shoes to fill!! (We wear the same size shoes).
June 1st, 2020: I become the new owner of Ultima Bellezza Salon!
In The News...
Yelp's top picks in Stillwater, Minn.
Reader review site Yelp recently ran a unique query of millions of user-generated records. It was seeking U.S. destinations that travelers may not be familiar with but had the points of interest -- with stellar rankings from readers -- that would appeal to them.
From that list of under-the-radar destinations, USA TODAY asked Yelp to name the highest-rated non-chain local businesses in each category (food, nightlife, shopping, etc.), providing prospective visitors with a handy guide to a great day trip.
First in the series is Stillwater, Minn., a small town on the St. Croix River near St. Paul. Browse the best local venues and businesses from Yelp readers in the slideshow above, and stay tuned for future guides to Yelp's hidden gems in other states.
"I cannot say enough good things about this hair salon. Such a wonderful environment with warm colors on the walls, comfy furniture, decorated so tastefully. Feels more like home than a salon." - Yelper Tina S