Dallas Sloan
Dallas Sloan is the Co-founder of Colair Beauty Lounge & Med Spa, where she has transformed her nearly 15 years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry into a thriving business. Beginning her journey as a Cosmetologist, Dallas later pursued Business Management at MacEwan University in Canada, blending her artistic skills with business acumen. Since its founding in 2016, Colair Beauty Lounge & Med Spa has become a standout in the industry, recognized for its dedication to enhancing natural beauty and creating an exceptional experience for clients.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dallas is deeply committed to community engagement and empowerment. She participates in her church’s youth group and passionately supports a range of charitable and philanthropic organizations. A dedicated advocate for women in business, she has been a member of the Women Empowered Committee since 2020, serving as Chair from 2023 to 2024. Dallas’s leadership and professional excellence was honored with a nomination for Business Woman of the Year 2020. She continues to contribute to her community’s growth and drive positive change by serving on the Board of Directors for the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.
Episode Transcription
This episode is sponsored by Gilbert Independent, Your Valley. net, dedicated to serving readers with good community journalism. The Gilbert Independent is a nonpartisan newspaper, an online site that covers your town's institutions, development, and events. Describe and follow your Valley. net daily to stay up to date with the latest local news. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and Modern Moments wedding and event venue and produced by Sleepy Time Studios. Sarah, is it a hair day? I think it could be a day with this.
Well, this might be a really good day for you. Did you wash your hair for me today? Uh, no. It's not a wash. It's just a day. That's right. All right. This guest is a Canadian farm girl who traded mud boots for heels but never lost her grit and grounded nature. Growing up outside a small city in Alberta, she learned about hard work from her entrepreneurial family where business was a family affair. After moving to Arizona in 2015, she co-founded Collaire Beauty Lounge and Med Spa just a year later, creating a one-stop shop, beauty and wellness destination.
Today, Collaire has grown to over 35 employees, making her early dream of business ownership a remarkable reality. Beyond her professional life, this guest is an active advocate for women in business and has chaired the Women Empowered Committee at the Gilbert Chamber. Her motto, adversity to victory, speaks to her journey and her resilient approach to life. She's deeply committed to her faith, family and community, and she remains proudly connected with her Canadian roots. Please welcome Dallas Sloan. Hey, hey, hey, welcome to the Guiding Growth show. Yeah, she does a good job on those, huh.
Every once in a while she surprises us. We'll go with that. All right, well, let's start with a little rapid. Go for it. OK. Would you rather find your dream job or win the lottery? Oh, I have my dream job, so win the lottery. OK. What is your guilty pleasure? Anything Backstreet Boys. Oh, that's not going to clean my house and I'm a happy girl. Would you rather host a party for all of your friends or enjoy a dinner for two. Have you ever moved across country?
I've moved across the country. Would you ever appear on a reality show? Absolutely not. Oh my gosh, I think it'd be the best reality show. What is your favorite dessert? Creme brulee. If it is on the menu, I am going to try it. What song makes you smile? Anything from the Backstreet Boyfriend. Given, all right, are you more cautious or bold? Cautious, yes. What is your favorite rainy day activity? I love to read a book on my patio swing in the middle of the summer. OK, just checking.
She comes from Alberta. OK. Last question, glass half full or half empty? Houseful. Love it. Everyday, APS, we're here to help you save energy and money. APS solutions for business can help you make energy efficient upgrades more affordable. Find rebates at APS. com/business rebates. Want to start your own podcast? Whether it's a business, personal, internal, or hobby podcast, Sleepy Time Studios can help you with everything you need to get your podcast recorded, edited, hosted, and shared with the world. Get started on the podcast of your dreams at SleepytimeStudios.com.
Mention guiding growth and get 323% off any podcasting package at SleepytimeStudios.com. OK, take us to the beginning of the beginning, I mean, Sarah set me up pretty good. Thank you. That sums it up. I think we only get started there. Yes, yeah, so. Uh, like Sarah said, I grew up in a small, uh, small city, on, on an acreage outside, um, in Southern Alberta, Canada. So picture flat prairies as far as you can see and not a whole lot else. Um, I spent my whole life there, born and raised in the same house, um, and all my family still lives there.
Um, our life was a lot of time spent outdoors. We have a cabin in the mountains that is my favorite place to be and just makes my heart so happy to be there when I get a chance to go back. Um. Yeah, I taught the value of hard work from a really young age, seeing my family, my brothers, you know, working outside, uh, working with animals, um, just a really, now very grateful for that experience. At the time as a kid, you know, I spent my summer holidays picking raspberries and pulling weeds and it didn't seem so fun.
No, probably not. Um, but now very grateful for all those lessons that of 4, yeah. So there's 8 years between me and my sister, my closest sibling, so I always joke and tease my family that I wasn't wanted, but I just know I wasn't planned. Um and um it was a very Uh, I think it, it shaped me into the person that I am today, having that age gap and spending my time with, um, mostly adults, um, and just observing and learning, and, um, I was fortunate to become an aunt at a very young age, which I absolutely loved, um, and I miss them so much.
They're old now and yeah, it's totally different and sad. Um, but yeah, just absolutely shaped me, um, to have, have different goals and different skills and things that I'm very grateful for now as an adult. What was school like different than we would expect here? Yes, I went to an extremely small school, so our classes were combined multiple grades per class. So it was K through 6 and we had I think Most 100 students in the whole school. So, um, tiny school. My sister went there as well. Um, now I have friends that their children are going there and it's just, it's still combined grades.
Oh yeah, it's tiny, yeah, Sunnyside. Yeah. So, um, took a bus there and um built some really good friendships um within that very community oriented. I think that's where that Um, pull for community started for me, um, having that, yes, like smaller support system, you know, you, in our community, you know everybody, you know all their family, you know that everybody knows everything about you, which can be good or bad, um, but just really that like, yeah, small town feel and that really is why I love Gilbert so much because I do feel that at times, especially within the chamber.
Um, having that similar, yeah, homey feeling. As long as you're not driving around, you can get that feeling. Exactly, yeah, yeah, I do not like the freeways. When you think back to growing up in in that small town, are there any individuals that stand out as being people who helped shape who you are today? Oh gosh, I mean, absolutely, yeah. My, the first person that came to my mind was my 2nd grade elementary school teacher for some reason. Um, we're still friends on Facebook. Um, and yeah, just the lessons and, and I guess the love, like being in a smaller community, you really do get to know people intimately and you're not just a number, and yeah, they see your whole childhood.
Um, I'm still friends with the same people that I grew up with, um, still keep in touch with them, you know, unfortunately, I don't get to see them that often living here. Um, my one of my childhood best friends, she lives in Texas, so I'm fortunate that I get to be a little bit closer to her. Um, but you really just have such a connection with those people and an understanding, um, and we're all kind of in the same, yeah, same boat. But, um, then as a teenager, I did go to a larger high school.
I made that decision, um, just to have a couple different um opportunities. And um that was a larger, yeah, a larger space. Give me some scale here. Oh, I think now, I think Lethbridge has maybe 100,000 people. Yeah, so that was big at the time. So you grew up watching entrepreneurs and businesses. Share a little bit about what that looked like for you. Yeah, so my family history, we've always been. Um, entrepreneurs and very driven, um, as far back as, you know, my grandparents' parents, um, coming over and, and settling in Southern Alberta and just hearing their stories.
My grandma is huge on family history, so I'm very fortunate to have all of those stories passed down and and to have those examples of really strong, especially women, um, which I love to to learn those stories about my ancestors and, and the trials that they overcame and Um, a lot of them did have to do it on their own, um, which now I'm kind of in a similar situation. Um, and my grandfather ran a successful business, um, and my grandma worked side by side with him.
We are very traditional, um, but the women in our family do work, work hard, um, and then my father ran a a business also, a contracting business, and so I watched him work hard every day and My mom worked a job, um, at the hospital, but then she would come home and do all his books and and invoicing and everything for him. So I remember as a kid just spending really my whole childhood with them because there was such an age gap between me and my siblings.
I was in this unique situation where I was almost an only child. So as the youngest, they call me the princess, of course, which I disagree. I think my sister is the favorite, but they'll all say I'm the favorite. Um, but I had, I was very close with, I spent a lot of time with my parents, um, and watching them work, and, uh, that's definitely where the or or the the. I think I just always knew that I was going to run a business, whether I planned that initially or not.
Um, you know, most kids are playing, or girls are playing house or dress up, and I forced my friends to play business. I had a company. My one of my friends still gives me a hard time and you were the boss. Absolutely. Oh yeah, it's called Number it. I think my mom probably still has all my stuff too because that's how we are. Um, but just, you know, pretend phone calls and invoices. Excel is, I told you this when I walked in, Excel is like my favorite thing on Earth.
Um, and so that was just always part of my life and, and it's just interesting to see where I am now coming from that. Well, and I think it's, it's, you saw the opportunity that maybe some kids don't get to see because you get to live it with your parents and see what they were doing. So yeah, and I mean, definitely it's hard work and You know, I think now with, uh, cause I, I did go, I'm sure we'll get to this, but I did go to college and learn um business and so there's a lot of things that now I wish I could have helped them do a little differently in hindsight.
My dad just worked so hard, um, especially being a contractor, and he loves it and he like he is that. That traditional craftsman who just has such a pride in what he does. And I think that's a lost art now, which is really sad, but, um, yeah, in, in hindsight, you know, there's there's things that they probably wish they, they would have done a little bit differently too. I know, um, you know, work smarter, not harder. My dad definitely works harder. Um, and so grateful for that, but also, um, wanting to learn from that and do things a little bit differently.
Did you growing up think you wanted to stay, or did you always know that you would go somewhere else? I think, um, I wasn't aware that I was going to go somewhere else. It wasn't, I didn't have that pull, definitely. I, I pictured myself always staying there and that's kind of what you do. Um, I have many friends. I mean, all my family is still there. Um, extended family also. Um, there's very few of us that have left our community. Um, my siblings all live very close together and, um, so I feel a little, um, left out at times because of that, but I, I do think that I was always meant to leave and and do something else, but I never planned on it.
I'm picturing the whole town stopping when they hear Dallas coming home. Yeah, I envisioned this Folgers commercial that she walks in and they're like, you're home. Like a Hallmark movie. Well, yeah, I mean when I do, I, I only get to go home a couple times a year and when I do, I run into everybody that I know, yeah, which I love. I love that, but, um, I, I, at the time that I left or decided to move from there, um, it was kind of an escape at that time, um, growing up in a smaller community, like I mentioned, everybody knows everything and everything about you and And the gossip community and all of that.
And I did at the time, it, it was, um, best for me to leave and have a little bit of a fresh start and discover myself, um, become independent because I was the youngest. I remember I moved to college and I think I was like 2 months in and I had never done a lot of laundry. Um, my mom is type A like myself. She's gonna listen to this. Like, why are you talking about me like, you know, a little bit of of control over that. Yeah, I'd never done laundry.
Um, and so it was very good for me to move out and become more independent in that sense and um have a little bit of of space from that small town. So when you, when you went off to college, um, How just talk a little bit about what you were going through during that time and that like new experience of being somewhere other than home. where was? Edmonton, Alberta. Yeah, yeah, so, um, about 6 hours north of where I grew up. Um, big town or big city at the time it was over a million people.
I'm not sure what it is now, but, um, my first time ever driving on a freeway was when I moved up there. Yes, I was in my little, I think it was a little Honda, little red Honda, and, um, driving up and I was just terrified, just white knuckling on I can't really imagine. I know though what what you were listening to while you were driving, so that's good. Backstreet Boys, of course. Um, yeah, very, uh, scary, very intimidating, but also really exciting and probably the best thing for me. Yeah.
OK, so what did you study in college? I studied business management. Um, that was never my intention actually. I, when I was in high school, I planned on doing psychology, um, and then I had some life experiences in high school where I wasn't ready to make that decision. Um, had some, yeah, um. Distractions, I guess. And um so I moved just to get a job. I had a friend that was going to college up there and so we thought it would be fun to go for a couple of years and I did not take it seriously.
I'm like, yeah, we'll go, you know, we'll meet friends and and have fun and just get out for a little bit. Um, and I got a job at a hair salon. Um, that was very successful, and I had a mentor there who really gave me that inspiration and showed me that there are greater things beyond what I, I thought, um, when I initially decided to go to cosmetology school right out of high school, um, I was 523 when I started there and my plan was, you know, coming from a conservative community, um, I was gonna do that.
I was going to get married, have babies, do hair at home, and that was. right? Like just a very simple life. Um, and I moved to Edmonton and had this mentor and met really great friends at the hair salon that I was working at. And I was like, wow, there's a totally different world outside of what I know, that simplicity of being in a smaller community, and it really excited me. Yeah, I think I've always, well, I know I have always had a taste for the finer things, even though I come from, yeah, more, more humble.
Um, beginnings, um, and I was just like, wow, I have this opportunity, and I had validation in the skills that I had through others, you know, they saw that potential, um, in me, and so, um, just spending time at that salon and and learning from the manager and the owner, um, I really loved the business side of it and I loved, um, managing the people. So I had an opportunity to Um, manage a smaller salon there with him, um, and that really just peaked, yeah, piqued my love and interest, um, for that.
So then I went to college in Edmonton for business management. Yeah, yeah. What is it about, um, the management of people or the business that you, if you drill in just a little bit, what is it that you really enjoy about that? I think just at least in the like owning Colla now, um, knowing that I'm making a difference in people's lives has really given me way more fulfillment than I ever thought possible. Um, at the time, it was, I mean, I love doing hair and I loved that relationship with the clients, and that was my initial motivating factor to get into the business side, like, how can I make this great for clients.
But now, um, having Collare and being blessed with um the growth that we've had and growing to over 35 employees at one time. Um, my passion is taking care of them. Obviously the clients too, but if our belief is that if we treat our team right, they're going to treat the clients right. Um, and so just seeing the impact that that's made on families. we have um we have quite a few single moms, um, you know, different family dynamics, and just seeing that change in their life over the time that we've been able to work together, we're so, so lucky to have a lot of um Um, long term, um, employees that have been with us since we opened.
We have a handful of them. And just knowing that I've given people, that we have given people an opportunity to feel safe and feel taken care of, um, and giving them that chance to thrive and work on their craft and what they're passionate about, that's like way more valuable to me than anything I could have imagined. OK, so you're in this college town. How long do you stay? I end up staying so my plan, like I said, was like 1 or 2 years. I'll give it a year max, then I'm moving back home, you know, I'm gonna get married and have babies and live on the same property as my family, you know.
Um, I ended up staying for, I think 210 years and I met A man in a whirlwind romance. I was young, you know, I felt 215 years old. I thought I was so mature and I'm like, this is it. This is it. Yeah. Um, and at the time it was for sure. I, I definitely felt like that was the right decision for me. Um, I mean, it was scary. He's um from Mesa, so that is how I ended up here. Um, so, but met him in Edmonton, um, and it was just kind of like A no brainer.
I don't know. I've, I've always had this. I like to think it's a gift um of following my intuition. Um, my gut, even now in business, I use that a lot and it does not prove me wrong. Even with hiring, like I go off of those feelings. Um, and so, yeah, so I, I wouldn't say that that was the wrong decision. Um, it brought me here. And so it was for a reason, yeah, yeah, so, so 217, so to answer your question, yeah, about 215 years, I think I stayed there and then we moved here in uh the very end of 235.
So small town girl ends up in Mesa. What are you thinking when you get here? Well, I It was funny. I had clients that are like, really, you're moving to Mesa? Are you sure you're not gonna go to Scottsdale? Because, you know, because I, and at the time I'm, yeah, living, yeah, big city. I, I love to get dressed up and go out to the fancy dinners and all of that and, and, uh, yeah, so when I moved here I was like, oh this is different than I thought parts of it, right?
Um, but yeah, again, just, just that feeling, it was right for me. Yeah, there was no, it, it just, I mean it was scary. It was. Devastating to leave my family. Oh sorry, it's still like 232 years later, um, but yeah, you know, you leave everything that you've ever known, um, and it was very it was very difficult for me for a long time. Well, I will say like I think it's a very brave thing to do. I think a lot of people are stifled by fear of a big move or a change like that.
Yeah, so many people would not act on it. Well, you're like that's that's a lot of. Disconnect issues there, right? Yeah, I moved to Austin for 43 months and moved back because I miss my mom too much. So, well, with immigration, if I had the chance to go back sooner, I probably would have, to be honest, um, but with, um, yeah, with waiting for different things, I wasn't able to travel for a little while. Um, and so that was really difficult. Yeah, I felt very um. Isolated for quite a while making that decision, but I still knew that it was right and I was still happy to be here.
Um, my ex had a great, um, family, a great support system, and everybody welcomed me. And so it was easy to still feel um included, but I still have that like yearning for, for home and I don't think that ever goes away. Even now, 24 years later, I or 224 years later, this is like Gilbert is absolutely home for me. Um, but I think you always have like that's part of, yeah, it's always part of me, especially around Easter. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, anytime. I love, I love and it'll always be home, but this is this is where I'm at.
Yeah, absolutely. OK, so, so how do you plant roots here in Arizona once you get here? Yeah, so that's interesting. I said, um, or I mentioned that uh. I felt, I, I felt, I want to say probably trapped for a little while because I didn't have that chance. And I felt like that choice wasn't mine. That was because immigration mostly because of immigration, yeah, yeah. So I did it. The visa that I had, I wasn't able to go back into the country until certain paperwork was filed and and all of that.
So I want a period of time without being able to see my family and without being able to go home, and they couldn't come here. They could, yeah, but that's not home. At the same time, yeah, it's not the same. Yeah, I love going home, yeah, and, and I'm grateful that this is a great place for people to come and visit, um. But um it, it ended up, so what happened was I had this um this feeling for for quite a while, um, and it really wasn't until I started Collare, and my initial intention with Colla, and I think what separates us and makes us so special from other businesses similar to ours is that we really have that focus on Creating a family environment, um, whether that's with our team and with our clients.
And that was my whole vision initially when I um came to, so actually this is an important part. My Um, business partner, Rich, which he's been on this podcast before, um, he's actually my ex father-in-law. And so that's how we were partnered together to begin with. When I moved here, um, I wasn't able to get funding through the bank because I wasn't a citizen. I didn't have at the time I didn't have a social. And so, um, so I came to him with this idea, and we have very similar philosophies around people.
His background is, you know, is in the medical industry, my background being in in beauty and wellness, um, but our philosophy on treating people right is the same. And so, um, I came to him with this idea and we, yeah, started Collai and Here we are so much later. Um, but I, I felt like I didn't have my own identity and my own sense of community because I moved here, um, knowing those same people that my that my at the time husband uh knew. So Collai was a really great opportunity for me to create that sense of community for myself, um, and to have my individual identity.
Um, and then when we, um, split up, it was, I think it was like 27 or 3, I think it was about 2 years into Claire, um, opening. I was faced with this decision, then I had the opportunity, right? It's like, OK, well, you're not tied here because of family. Now you can go back to Canada. And that really was the moment that I needed, I think, to make that decision for myself and have that confidence that, you know, 1000% is my decision. And I had worked so hard for the salon, um, and gone through all of that and I was like, there is no way I'm giving this up.
I remember Rich called me and he's like, OK, so. What are we going to do, right? And there's, there's that fear, I, I think, um, on both ends, like how is this going to work, but um we just focused on the business. It's it was very easy for us to put our personal feelings aside and just focus on what we had built and the people that we had there. And um I'm very grateful to him for that and just making sure that we could still have a professional relationship, um, no matter what.
And yeah, that was, I think. What I needed to feel confident being here. I think that speaks volumes about both of you, that you found you navigated through some really, uh, uncharted waters to figure that out. I also think it's really bold because you started Collare when you're 24. I mean, that's at 24 years old, first of all, to have this concept and to have that drive, but also to have, um, the ability to go to somebody and say, like, take a chance on me. And help me get this started.
Um, I think that's just a really bold move. 24. Uh, it seems so young now. Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah, I didn't have the time, but I'm like, wow, right? Well, I think sometimes it's uh it's. A blessing at 32 that you don't know what you don't know because you'd question yourself now to do the same thing. Yeah, yeah. And then I was like, oh, maybe I'm in a little bit over my head. In those early years, what are some lessons that you that you learned about yourself or about business and operating a business?
Wow, I mean, Yeah, like I said, I, I was, I didn't realize I was in over my head. A big part of that is because I had, I think I had small dreams then. So I think that I You know, being a younger entrepreneur and a and a woman. I did feel like I had a lot to prove, so very early on, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself um to be to, yeah, to to prove myself, yeah, to everyone and, and especially having moved here and done it.
I was like, there's no way I'm giving up, right? I'm not quitting. I'm not. But it really was mostly the team. I didn't want to go to the team and be like, you know what, I'm getting divorced and I'm sorry, I'm out. Like you're on your own, right? It's like I could not do that. Like you held yourself accountable to them. Totally. Yeah, I made this decision just because my circumstances are changing and it's not what I expected doesn't mean that I'm going to let go of my dream and let down these people that are depending on me.
So, um, so that was a really big lesson, um, when I was faced with that decision and then, um, very similar feelings during 2020 too. Um, that was scary as a business owner and being I was single at that time. And so, um, I was like, wow, what, what do we do here? What are my other options? But my loyalty is to was to our team. I needed to make sure that we could do whatever we could to ensure that they could still provide for their families, um, and that was really scary at the time, um, but it gave me that drive.
Um, I've never been the type to do something halfway or or quit. Like once I make a decision, that's it. Um, because, again, because I follow my intuition, like I know, I know what's right and, and what's not, and I go with that, um, so I love that. Yeah, I'm curious, when you started the, the med spa, how difficult was it to get it accepted in the Gilbert community, or did it just like talked about that. We were very fortunate. So we, when we opened in 2017, and it's funny, it was actually kind of it was definitely, I don't want to call it an accident that we got into the medical, but it was an afterthought.
That was not my experience, um, and The laws are very different in Canada, so it wasn't, it wasn't even an idea in my mind at all. Um, we were almost opening, um, I remember sitting at the, on the patio and got a Facebook message from our lead nurse. She still is, is with us today, um, asking if we had ever thought about offering Botox. And I was like, No, I haven't, but um looked into it a little bit and with Rich having his background in the medical industry, he had a lot of connections and just doing more research, we're like, oh yeah, this is, this is definitely a need in the Gilbert community, um, and so it was perfect timing.
Um, it really, it was kind of the start of that whole um industry, um, growing or, or becoming more popular, and so we're very fortunate that we got in, uh, when we did and that we had that opportunity to combine. My whole vision was about encompassing um all sorts of different, well, all beauty um services under one roof. I just didn't know at the time that that was. An option that would roll in. Um, we actually at the time we offered nails and massage, which we don't know, you know that?
Yeah, um, and so we just kind of grow, grew over time and adapted to that and, and found that there was this very large um Opportunity to offer the medical services. Um, and it's been so fun. And I, I've always loved learning and being challenged and so to have something um that we are so involved with that I didn't know about to begin with was Really exciting. Um, and it was exciting for Rich too because he did know more about it and and knew, knew the industry a little bit better.
And so it combined the two of us, um, it, it, I think that's really, I believe that's really why we were able to grow so quickly and, and succeed and And grow into the team that we are now. I find it, so I find you to be so like wise and full of grace when we interact, and yet there's just something about like, you are fueled by curiosity and you are so bold, and, but, but you don't, um, flaunt that for lack of a better word, like you just, you are so graceful in in how you Uh, deliver yourself, I guess.
So thank you, but I, I love, I love the boldness of you too. I mean, truly, you've taken so many risks and you've all these opportunities that came your way, you don't seem to have been intimidated by them. You just chased them down. Yeah, that's interesting. Um, I, yeah, I would not say that I'm a bold person by nature. I'm definitely an introvert. I like being comfortable and, and, yeah, that's why it's funny looking back on my life, like all these things that have happened. I'm like, well, yeah, that is not my doesn't think it's my nature, or I don't think it's my nature, but, um, again, I just I follow, I follow my heart, and my intuition, and if it feels right, then I'm going to go with it.
And so it doesn't intimidate me. Yeah. I love that. Yeah, that's awesome. Um, other than Rich, because I know he's been a huge influence, are there other people over the course of the last decade that have really stood out as people that have have guided you or supported you along the way? Definitely my dad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, my dad and I have a really special relationship. Um, and I just think he's the greatest person ever. He's always been my biggest supporter, and, um, it's funny, I called him, um, about these questions because I was struggling with a couple of questions like, I don't know, there's nothing interesting about myself.
And he, you know, just, yeah, him sharing his thoughts. We're, you know, we are a very close family, but we're also guarded with our emotions. Um, and so just hearing him share things, like, oh yeah, you're right. Like I've had a pretty awesome life, and I'm so grateful for having all of those experiences, and not, not even necessarily like the past, you know, 10 years, but Um, just growing up that way. I'm so grateful for that, and I have such a respect for people who do come from that type of of life or or people that have overcome, yeah, adversity and things, and I've never been one to fit the mold per se.
I've always felt a little bit of a black sheep and not in a bad, a bad way. Um, I've always been told. That I'm an old soul, whatever that means to people. Um, and so, yeah, I do, I do do things a little bit differently, um, and so I'm grateful to my dad for, for showing me that and for recognizing that. And even though my life didn't end up the way that they would have maybe hoped, because I know it's difficult for them to have me away from home.
Um, they're so proud of me and, and see that. It's your life is probably something they just couldn't even have imagined. I mean. You've accomplished some incredible things and build a life for yourself and a legacy that maybe they didn't even know was possible. Have they been here to see? Oh yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, they love to spend the Canadian winters down here. Yeah, it's miserable. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, they do, and I, I know they're very proud, but um like I said earlier, it's, there's always that little piece that yearns for home.
So I'm grateful for the opportunity that I do get to go back there and And, and feel grounded. I really feel grounded there. You know, at the beginning you were talking about my gumboots and the mud and all that, and yeah, that's right. I think a lot of people would be interested to know that about me too, because you wouldn't think that looking at me. My mom shares this video on Uh, or this picture on Facebook every year at my birthday, and it's me wearing camo on a quad and gumboots and she's like, the girls at the salon would never believe that this is the same Dallas, you know, I'm wearing Louboutins to work and then at home I'm wearing gumboots and um I think it's important to have that balance no matter where we are, you know, maybe it's not the same situation, but we, uh, it's important to have that tie to Home and who we are.
And, um, I don't know, the reminder that there's things far greater than just the day to day, and there's so much more. Like, I'm, I'm grateful, you know, for our success, but at the end of the day, what really makes you happy or makes you feel fulfilled, right? So, well, I think that's something that I've admired about you is how you lead with, uh, almost a quiet. confidence, but I think it comes from you knowing who you are at the core and what your values are. And I, I can see that you can lean into that very naturally.
Yeah, yeah, I do. I think that I've had many trials throughout my life, um, where I have had to Have that confidence in myself and not worry about what other people think or, or, um, yeah, what it looks like from the outside. Like, I, I know who I like you're saying, I know who I am and where I come from, and that's really all I need at the end of the day. When outside of Collare, when you look at the last maybe 10 or 15 years, what do you, um, consider to be some of your, your proudest moments or or proudest, um, achievements?
This is something. That most people here wouldn't know about me, um, and not because I'm not very proud of it, um, but because it's something that's very special to me and it's not, um, so yeah, something that I just walk around sharing, but, um, it is probably the most important thing to me and what has really made me become the person that I am today and, and has guided my whole direction since that point. Um, even the reason that I, you know, decided to move, uh, to Edmonton to begin with, but, um, I became a birth mom at 17, so I have a beautiful, um, birth son named Cash.
Um, he's going to be 15 next year, which is so crazy, but Um, I, uh, that was, I, I think that was the really pivotal point in my life where I gained that confidence that you mentioned because I would, yeah, I wouldn't say that I was a confident person at all, um. I wouldn't say I'm confident now, but definitely not then, you know, as a teenager, we're all just trying to figure things out, but, um, I was faced with that decision. And again, I just knew that I had one option, and that was adoption, and I made that decision and it was very difficult for myself, for people that cared about me.
And, um, yeah, it just really shaped me into who I am and that it put a whole different perspective on life for me and the type of woman and hopefully mother one day, um, that I, that I want to be and showed me that, yeah, there's, you know, there's so many blessings that we can bring to Other people, um, throughout our decision. Well, yeah, through adversity, I mean, through adversity, I think, uh, well, thank you for sharing that. I think that actually um Helps me to even see who you are in a in a very, now what I see makes total sense.
You have overcome a lot and your leadership through grace is coming from a source that I can now understand. Thank you. You guys are rapping really good here. I'm just gonna stay on the side for a crying. I love it though. Let's, let's talk now. Future. What do you see coming around the horizon for you? Let's just look maybe 35 years out. What does it look like? Oh my gosh, I think that, I mean, I have plans for you, but you go ahead and say those plans scare me a little bit, Sarah.
No, I think that. It's endless. I don't know. I, I don't know, and it's exciting because I've had a lot of really incredible opportunities and experiences in my life. I'm 32, I feel 52. But, um, yeah, I'm just excited and I, I look at the future with so much like hope and potential. I have no idea. And I don't want, I've never really been one for plans either because I've learned that whenever I have planned, it never happens. Like my life is nowhere near what I ever would have thought for myself, and I think that's what's so beautiful about it.
So, I don't know. I would hope, you know, I'm gonna still be here. I know that for sure. Um, um, and with yeah, with Collare just continuing to see the potential of our team and watching them thrive and and succeed, that's what gets me excited. um. You know, I don't have any plans right now for expansion, but who knows? Um, and in my personal life, I would love to, yeah, be married and have a family of my own and be able to show them where I grew up and have those same values and Um, just the time outside, even, you know, um, teaches you so much.
I have such a love for horses. I grew up, um, doing horse 4H and I just, I know there's so much value to having those experiences and working outside and working with animals and um. You know, I love all the things that my dad taught me and showed me that I can be completely independent and self-sustaining and, um, I want to teach my own children that one day and just carry on that legacy from him and my grandfather and yeah. Well, I can tell you that I'm honored to be witness to your journey, and I, um, I'm rooting for all of that for you.
Thank you so much. Plus one on that for sure. Yeah. Well, thank you for joining us today. This has been an interesting and very, very fun to be admit I'm on the outside. You almost had like this romance and that's OK. I forgot you were here. I was listening. Yes, thanks for being here. And I know you all enjoyed this one. This was a really special one today. So if you want to get these in your inbox, subscribe to our tribe and we'll send them right your way once we launch them.
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