This blog post (Finally, I know) brings about so much emotion… Good and Sad! After 6 and a half years at our current location we are moving…around the corner! LOL.  Yes,  I get emotionally attached to my clients, my employees, my vendor friends and yes my places!  This emotional attachment went a bit too far, as we probably grew out of our existing location more than 2 years ago.

The original layout of MMF at 102 Milton Avenue

Our product lines grew, our staff grew, our services grew!  But we managed to cram it all into our little space in Ballston Spa.  It’s not that I didn’t look for new spaces over the years.  Deep down, I don’t think I really wanted to move.

So many memories, so many mistakes, so many triumphs, so many new friends.   I even remember the years when I would work till late into the evening and fall asleep in our waxing room because it was too late, or I was too tired or it was too cold to go home.

I realize too that finally I have to say goodbye to Nancy. Some of you may or may not remember my original partner in MMF.  Actually MMF was her’s first.  It was then named “Fabulous Faces.’  Nancy Closson and Sherry Leung started Fabulous Faces and asked me to come aboard many years ago, but they really started the company.  Soon after, we changed the name to Make Me Fabulous.  Somehow from that point on we knew that we would touch much more than faces, we would touch lives! 

Well, long story short, the first year on board, I did 3 weddings, the next year 6, the following year 14.  After that I lost count!  I took on the risk of opening the shop in 1995.  Nancy was now an employee, but always a partner.  Sherry went on to do great things at Clinique as a Northeast Regional Training Director ! 

Suzan Truax, who is our senior makeup artist, came on board soon after we opened the shop in Ballston in 1995.  Actually she came on board when we had our first location. I called it… the closet… which was located in Malta Commons.  Actually,  I really opened the space on Milton Avenue for Suzan!  She didn’t want to work in a closet anymore.  Ha, ha! 

After Nancy’s death in January 1997, after many years of battling cancer,  Suzan came back for good.  Suzan and I have now been working together for over 15.   Yet, even though Suzan was back,  from that point on,  MMF’s success or failure was solely on me!  My mom kept telling me “slow growth is better than uncontrolled growth,”  and unlike my usually soft nature.  She kept telling me “don’t worry business will  make you tough.”  Hopefully, now I am just a nice balance of both.

 My beautiful husband, David, was there to pick up the slack at home and then left his job of 16 years to be the main parental unit at home with our 3 children. He was always there by my side, helping, whether he wanted to and definitely sometimes when he did not!  I had employees making over $1000 per week at times and I was making nothing.  Those years were the worst!  But I somehow remained passionate about the clients, the beauty, and the business.

David now runs a successful personal training business and has a location in the Chocolate Factory that is bigger than our current location!! Progressive Fitness Training

By the end of 2011, we had nearly a half million dollars in sales and services in that little 600 square foot space.   We were also named one of the Hot 100 Salons in America , several months over by Beauty Entertaiment Magazine.  I knew I had to make the move I had put off for years.  I started aggressively looking for a new space late in 2011. Ultimately, I had only to look in my backyard.  Our current landlord had another building around the corner.  The current tenant, Elliott Property Services was willing to give up half of it and our landlord and Elliott  would take care of all the renovations!  It was a match made in heaven and I didn’t have to go far!  It was time and all felt right!!  Besides we would be near some of our favorite places to order lunch:  The Whistling Kettle, The Sunset Cafe, and Front Street Deli.  Although we may finally cut back on our coffee consumption, we promise to continue to visit Coffee Planet often 

So on March 5th, myself, my amazing staff and hopefully… our husbands and boyfriends… are moving 6.5 years of memories and milestones!  Tripling our size and relocationg to  32 Front Street, Ballston Spa.  

32 Front Street In Progress

 check out more about MMF and our expansion at:

 http://www.theballstonjournal.com/2012/02/something-old-something-new-for-make-me-fabulous/