BOARDMAN, Ohio – Opening her own spa, Royal Glow Beauty & Esthetics, was a calculated leap for Kim Foerster.
Foerster worked in finance for 20 years, but about two years ago she decided it was time to make a major life change.
“I was in management, and they required you to work 50-plus hours a week, and I missed a lot,” Foerster said of her family life. “I decided it’s time for me to be more present for my kids.”
After graduating from a school to learn the skills needed, she started working in other salons, honing her new craft. She found she needed to grow, and the thought of opening her own spa had always been in the back of her mind.
She also met a skilled manicurist, Jordan Decker, while working at a spa, and they decided to make the leap to open their own space in Boardman, with a little push from Foerster’s husband, Bob, when she hesitated.
“We weren’t really going into it thinking we were ready to move, but you see a space and you just want to check it out,” Decker said, noting they first checked out another space in the building, but it did not fit their needs. “This was perfect, because we could actually have everybody here and make it our own.”
They got the keys to the location at 7087 West Blvd., Suite 7, on June 2 and began transforming the previous office space into a spa atmosphere for their businesses with the help of family and friends. In two short weeks, they were up and running.
“When I came, I knew I didn’t want it to be like a normal salon,” Foerster said. “I’m all about beauty within, being confident in your own skin, and I want it to be more wellness focused than salon focused.”
Foerster said people have become too busy to take care of themselves, and everyone deserves a little pampering.
“I wanted this place to be a place where you could come, feel calm, relax and feel confident when you leave, no matter what service you get.”
Royal Glow offers facials, spray tans and other beauty services. Foerster, who grew up doing pageants, began offering pageant makeup and spray tanning, traveling to shows to help young women look their best. She has a team of people who work together for special occasions, such as wedding parties.
The royal and the crown in her logo all symbolize her beginnings in the pageant business.
One of her popular services is a regenerative nano facial, and spray tans keep her very busy seasonally.
Foerster also offers waxing and is adding body contouring to her repertoire. The additional space at the new location makes body contouring possible.
Foerster also offers some natural, plant-based products she really likes, like a mineral based sunscreen that is paraben free, sulfate free and reef safe.
She plans to continue her training and expand her services.
While welcoming new clients, she also is happy many of their previous clients were willing to make the move to the new location, driving from Warren, New Castle, Hubbard and the surrounding areas.
Decker said many of her clients have been with her since she started three years ago. Her business, Blue J Nails, offers acrylics, gel polish and nail art, and Decker even has her own self-branded polishes and cuticle oils.
“They’re all vegan, and I wanted them to be pretty, natural,” Decker said, adding she started by selling them on Amazon.
Decker never considered herself artsy but found she loved nail art and being creative with designs. She said clients also bring in ideas of what they would like to see, and they go from there.
The 1,300 square feet of space also allowed them to welcome a massage therapist, Sahra Rogers, owner of Bodhi Tree River Massage Therapy, and a lash and brow business, Éire Lash Bombshell. They have their own space and are independent contractors.
They have all decorated their space to elicit a tone they are going for. For instance, Foerster’s Royal Glow space is purple and teal, while Decker’s nail salon has a blue and pink vibe. Rogers’ space is reminiscent of sea glass.
More information about Royal Glow and the other beauty services offered at the location can be found HERE.
Pictured at top: Kim Foerster, owner of Royal Glow Beauty & Esthetics.