We were lucky to catch up with Lori Fudens recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lori , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Risk I Took: Rebuilding White Sand Salon After the Hurricane
One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was rebuilding my business after a devastating hurricane forced me to make a fast, uncertain decision about the future of my salon.
Our former location, Sharmaine’s Salon on Clearwater Beach, had been heavily impacted, and I knew waiting wasn’t an option. Within days, I signed a lease for a new space and began construction immediately, rebuilding what would become White Sand Salon. This was in a post-hurricane environment where contractors were overwhelmed, materials were delayed, and timelines felt unpredictable. I had less than five months to build a brand-new salon from the ground up.
I poured all my resources into the move—financially, emotionally, and mentally—without knowing if my full team would be able to come with me or if the investment would succeed. The timing was incredibly risky because the new salon had to be completed before closing the beach location so no one would be left without work. It felt like carrying the responsibility of everyone’s livelihood while building something entirely new.
During this transition, something deeply meaningful happened. My sister joined the business as a leader and front desk support, becoming a shareholder alongside me. Her presence strengthened our guest experience, supported the team, and brought a sense of stability and family right when it mattered most.
What followed was an outpouring of support I’ll never forget. The team—many of whom had been with me from Sharmaine’s Salon—believed in the vision and stood together through the transition. Our clients remained loyal and encouraging, our software partner helped us relaunch smoothly, and our contractor worked tirelessly to get the doors open.
What began as a frightening risk after a natural disaster became a story of resilience and growth. White Sand Salon reopened successfully, and we continued serving our community’s beauty needs without missing a beat. That experience taught me that the biggest risks aren’t about having certainty—they’re about having the courage to move forward and trusting that the right people will rise with you.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a salon owner, hairstylist, national educator for Redken, and an industry leader with over 30 years in the beauty profession. I began my career in England before building my business in the United States.
Today, I own White Sand Salon in Clearwater, Florida, where I work both behind the chair and alongside my team to deliver elevated hair color, extensions, smoothing services, and luxury scalp experiences. Our focus is creating a calm, high-level guest experience.
As a National Educator for Redken, I travel and teach, helping stylists strengthen their skills, grow their confidence, and build more successful, sustainable careers behind the chair. My leadership style is rooted in real-world experience—from rebuilding my salon after major challenges to mentoring professionals through growth.
Our team is a skilled and caring group who have been through ups and downs together and genuinely care about every guest who walks through our doors. We are all aligned with our core values and committed to delivering an exceptional experience.
At the heart of everything I do is the belief that beauty is about more than hair—it’s about confidence, relationships, and creating environments where people can truly thrive while serving others.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the first hurdles in opening the new location was securing funding. While FEMA played a role in helping the SBA provide recovery loans, there was still a significant financial gap I needed to cover. At the same time, I had to keep costs as controlled as possible during a post-hurricane construction surge.
The biggest risk I took was using part of my retirement savings and investing it back into myself and my business. I believed in what I was capable of, but I also knew I needed to grow as a leader in order to elevate the people around me.
I didn’t just invest in the physical space—I invested in becoming a stronger, more effective leader for my team.
The city was incredibly supportive in helping us get up and running quickly, and I truly couldn’t have done it without the many people who rallied around this vision.
Now, just seven months into our new location, we are receiving consistent five-star reviews on Google and are proud to be serving our community again. Even more meaningful is seeing our stylists and staff achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals.
That’s where I find my greatest purpose.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Promoting the new salon came with its own challenges, especially since we had to start over with a new name and a new website. While we kept the same phone number, we essentially had to rebuild our digital presence from the ground up.
What I didn’t initially realize was how platforms like ChatGPT pull from online sources to recommend businesses to potential clients. That made having a strong and consistent digital presence even more important.
By building a well-designed website, maintaining an active Google Business profile, and establishing visibility on platforms like Nextdoor, Yelp, and Instagram, we created what I would call a powerful digital trifecta.
While we consistently deliver high-quality beauty services, it’s this combination of strong digital marketing and authentic client reviews that has driven real growth. We actively manage our Google Business profile, engage on social platforms, and ensure our online presence reflects the quality of our work.
As a result, we are now seeing over 70 new clients per month either calling or walking into the salon. Just recently, we had multiple clients say they found us through ChatGPT and Grok, which was incredibly eye-opening.
At the core of it all, it comes back to having a strong web presence and genuine reviews that reflect your team’s work. For anyone starting a business—especially in the service industry—it’s essential to understand how visibility across platforms, including emerging technologies, plays a role in growth.
I’m incredibly grateful to Donovan & Associates Marketing for their support in building our website and digital strategy, and to our resilient team who continue to bring this vision to life every day.