Just the mention of Memphis, TN invokes the magic of classic American music. Thanks to Four Seasons Sales & Service, three lucky salon pros experienced the grandeur of this majestic city … and so much more!
At the 2013 FS Expo in St. Louis, salon owner Carolyn Baures was the lucky winner of a trip to Memphis and Paris, TN. On June 11 of this year, Baures – owner of Friendz Salon & Tanning in Sleepy Eye, MN – redeemed her prize, taking staff members Heidi Braulick and Alexa Krzmarzick with her. Together, they were “walkin’ in Memphis,” experiencing the sights, sounds and tastes of the city known as both the “Home of the Blues” and the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll.” The ladies also had the pleasure of spending time with members of Team Four Seasons and were treated to a tour of the distribution giant’s Paris, TN facility. Now back home in Sleepy Eye, Carolyn says her experiences continue to leave her spellbound.
After touching down in Memphis, FS representatives drove Carolyn, Heidi and Alexa to the Peabody Hotel, a historic, luxury landmark in downtown Memphis. Later that evening, the three were treated to the “Peabody Ducks March,” a tradition in which a group of ducks are escorted from the roof to the hotel’s fountain. The day ended with dinner and an Elvis impersonator at Blues City Café on the corner of Beale and Second Streets. “This was my first time in Memphis,” Carolyn said, “and Alexa and Heidi hadn’t been there since they were kids. Everything was just so amazing!”
Elvis Presley was one of the greatest sensations in American pop culture, and no visit to Memphis would be complete without a tour of his Graceland mansion. On the second day of Carolyn’s trip, she and her staff took a tour of the iconic landmark and were quite taken with its beauty and grandeur. As Carolyn said, “It was unreal! I expected it to be big, but I wasn’t prepared for just how massive it really is.” She further explained that the mansion’s interior was impressive as well, making it a fitting tribute to the man who’ll forever be known as the “King of Rock ‘n Roll.”
Paris, TN was the highlight of the trip’s second half, when the three ladies took a tour of the city and its landmarks. From there, they headed straight to Four Seasons’ headquarters, where the staff was waiting to give them a grand tour. Carolyn said this proved to be an awe-inspiring event, adding, “We all gasped as the warehouse doors opened up in front of us; I guess we didn’t expect such a massive inventory of supplies!” The company has been Carolyn’s distribution partner during all her years in the tan biz, and she says every member of the FS team is just like family.
For everyone at Four Seasons, Carloyn and company’s visit was a great way to spend some quality time with their salon customers. Said Jerry Deveney, FS Vice President of Business Development, “With everything we had planned, it was easy to see that they had a great time. While we all had fun socializing with each other, the topic of conversation eventually came around to business.” Deveney added that he and other Four Seasons staffers were happy to use this opportunity to help Carolyn and her staff increase sales at Friendz. He gave Carolyn some samples of new Slim-U-Lux weight loss products to sample at her salon, and he and the rest of the FS staff shared many sales and marketing tips.
The fun-filled trip Carolyn enjoyed was a prize package she won at last year’s FS Expo in St. Louis. She’s happy to report that she’ll be attending the FS Expo this fall, and looks forward to a tanning event filled with new products, dynamic presentations and plenty of education and fun. ■
