“I call it the three “Ps” because it is critical to anybody succeeding with any kind of business: 1) Align with your Purpose. 2) Provide it with the Passion it needs to move forward – so always motivate yourself first, and then those around you. 3) And be Persistent…” Sharon Morgan Tahaney, Owner, Spa on Main.
Sharon Morgan Tahaney, Owner of Spa on Main was gracious enough to sit down and talk about translating her decades of senior executive experience into being a successful small business owner.
You’ve had a storied career in skin care and wellness, helping other brands grow and flourish. What was it about Spa on Main that prompted you to buy it?
A lot of things! It’s a beautiful place to be. I like that aspect of a business where people walk in the door and anticipate enjoying themselves and becoming their best selves by being here. That’s a good place to connect. It felt especially good in that regard, since I’d been a client before becoming the owner. In my own personal life, I’d retired from corporate America and decided to come back to my hometown. I wanted to take a nice deep breath, relax and de-stress, but still have a purpose. I was wanting to share what I’d learned over the past 40 years with a small business in our community, and this spa allowed me to do that.
Is this the first business you’ve owned?
Yes, though I have built the business for those large organizations where I’ve worked. There is a big difference between working with a large company vs a small business. It’s been quite a learning curve.
What were the surprising things you learned along the way?
As an owner of a business, you have a whole new level of gratitude that comes over you. When working for someone else’s company, there is a commitment and passion around what you are doing. But when you own your own business, it is heightened to a whole new level. Your gratitude for your clients is beyond measure. And the people around you become even more important – they become family. It was a big surprise!
Your spa looks beautiful – and the services sublime! Can you tell us about Spa on Main and what were your inspirations? Where did you get your ideas for your spa and services?
We have a mission here and we all share in that: Help our clients who walk in our door to relax, renew and live their best lives. There are lots of arms and legs to that. When they walk into the spa, they are greeted with gratitude and a welcoming attitude. When they go into a facial room, they receive the highest quality of products and services. Every moment of their experience here is one that is lifting them up. Our mission is a big part of who we are here at the Spa on Main. It means – and actually our service providers have done this – when someone comes in feeling down, the service provider may give them an extra service – example massaging their hands and arms, talking to them about how valuable they are as a human being and how appreciated they are as a friend. Those kinds of things are priceless. And I hear those stories from our clients “so and so just made me feel so good about myself just by talking to me”. I think that is an important aspect about who we are at Spa on Main.
Our service menu is varied but we try to include things such as massages that help people de-stress. We all know stress is a contributor to disease, so when we can de-stress, we are helping ourselves to be healthier. We have a big wellness commitment to that. In addition to massages and facials, we have a wide variety of offerings such as lashes, body and facial waxing, hair services, reflexology, spray tans – and more. It’s about feeling as good as they look – and they look pretty darn good when they walk out of here! It’s both an internal and external feeling.
