Hey everyone and welcome back to the Southernly Sweet Nail Blog! Today we have a very special guest! You might know her as pedicure extraordinaire, salon owner, and business owner of Centre of Beauty, but I know her as friend and highly esteemed nail professional to my heart, she’s CJ Murray!!
Good morning hun! Thank you so much for joining me today, how are you?
I am great. So much to be thankful and grateful for. I make it a point to remember this every day.
I love that! I think we all could do a lil more thanking these days for the blessings we do have, instead of what we don’t. You know I have been following you for a while and I love how important you are to the industry. May I ask how did you get started in the Nail Industry?
In short….I was very good friends with the owner of the Salon located next to my Office Supply Business I owned at the time (1987). I started getting my nails done after I attended a family gathering and applied press on nails while I was on the airplane. They lasted for 3 weeks and Lori (from the salon) removed them and put an acrylic overlay over my nails which had grown out. After about a year, I received a call from her asking “if I knew of anyone who might want to buy her Salon”? She had just been diagnosed with malignant melanoma (she’s fine), and her and her husband decided to sell everything and move with their children to MN where she would be closer to the Mayo Clinic. My response to her questions was “make me an offer I can’t refuse”! She did, I bought it, and the rest is history.
Wow! That is amazing, kind of sad too but understandable. But how wonderful for you to catch up on an opportunity! So when did you start the Centre for Beauty?
My salon name when first purchased was “A Polished Look”. We started out as simply nails only and a tanning bed. Within 3-4 (1990-91) years we moved down the road to a larger location and expanded to hair, skin care and massage. In 2000 after I left and divorced my then husband, I wanted to do away with anything he and I were attached to. Therefore, I expanded “again” in 2003 and moved into a building where I built my salon from scratch. I changed the name at that time to “CJ’s Centre for Beauty”. The name was meant to be “all inclusive”. Meaning….I wanted to have the salon, a school and a distributorship all in one location. We offered nail services (including pedicures), hair services, skin care, massage, tanning, electrolysis and permanent makeup. My salon and my amazing team was the exclusive salon to the show host, hand models, fashion models and hand co-ordinators of the Home Shopping Network. (150 who came through my Salon monthly of which I was solely responsible to make their nails and feet, camera ready.) I had a large room in the back where I intended to start my school and get into Distribution.
I have to say you are growing so quick, not only did your business start over, but you’ve already started expanding. Also, to be the exclusive salon for a television network, that must be an amazing feeling! The knowledge you possess is truly astounding, you were clearly made for business. What inspired you to be an Educator?
My Mom says I came out of her “teaching”. I have always loved to learn and share knowledge. I am complete when I can help others find their potential and grow to where they can then pass along their knowledge and help others. Education specifically for this industry came within 2 years of me purchasing my salon. I was approached by one of my reps that a company called Elegant Glass was looking for educators. I knew nothing of what that meant, yet completed the application and here I am….35 years later, still doing what I love. I worked as an educator with them for 14 years while still working in my salon. I worked trade shows, educated sales people at distributors, visited salons, hosted classes and managed their southeast region of the USA.
What sparked your focus on Foot Care?
After Elegant Glass closed due to their divorce, it was around the time I moved my salon, so for 2 years I focused primarily on building my salon. Then one Friday afternoon 2 people whom I never met, came into my salon. In talking with them, they were Katherin Von Gavel and Murray Smith of Footlogix. They had been invited to private label one of their products on the Home Shopping Network. They were looking for a facility to host this event. They knew nothing about me, and I knew nothing about them. However, they liked my facility, we talked and scheduled the event for March 31st, 2008.
We had 35 guest come in and Footlogix shared their brand to the team who would be working on their project. It was a brilliant idea on Katharin’s part. Once the day was over, I was intrigued by them and they intrigued by me. April I accepted my first Footlogix order to become a Distributor of theirs in Florida. I did so well, in July they asked me to join them as their National Sales Director. It was perfect. I still worked in my Salon and they weren’t in a position to pay me for full time.
I built their USA business 57% in the first year doing the same thing I was doing for Elegant Glass. However, I also started their newsletter and email marketing which, they have since perfected 150 million. LOL
My time with them was from 2008 till 2015 when I decided I needed to focus on my own Distribution. I sold my Salon in 2009 and after my departure from FLX, I grew my own Distribution Business.
It was my working with them which made me realize 2 things and become focused on Foot Care
1) Nail Technicians all over the USA were considered the low man on the totem pole. I wanted to change that
2) The Business of feet I could see was up and coming….and boy, did it ever!
It was 2015 when I was introduced to LCN and I worked with them to introduce LCN foot care into the USA from 2015-2017. My Business continues to grow and expand.
I wouldn’t say lucky, but how about blessed, because what an amazing opportunity for these opportunities to keep mysteriously showing up at your door, and then you just rocking it! But it’s your drive and ability to stay motivated and succeed is what I admire. Being an industry icon, do you ever find yourself amazed by new trends?
Firstly, thank you. I don’t ever think of myself as an Industry Icon. There are some very talented and well respected people in this Industry I can’t even come close too.
I am always amazed by new trends…yes. Yet, it’s not the new trends which concern me though. I think it’s crazy amazing how people keep trying to re-invent the wheel, especially when a pedicure, that is a pedicure, is a pedicure. We wash, manicure, exfoliate, massage. It’s our technicians pushing the boundaries of those trends which concern me more.
I do agree, no matter how much gold flakes, fruit, or sea salt you put in that water, it’s still a pedicure, you’re just charging more for slicing kiwi. Now I see you have your own product these days, what inspired you to create sa’SHá?
Well, in all honesty I realized how much money I had made for other people and wanted to do something for my husband and I for our retirement years. However, when I thought about what I wanted to introduce I had a specific checklist. I wanted a callus softening product which was on steroids compared to the other great brands I carry, because every technician needs it.
1) For the Salon Professional only – I do not want it sold on Amazon for the general public
2) Safe for the Oncology care client – I’m happy to say we have (2) independent testings which are dermatology tested and approved
3) Cost effective – Salon cost is .24 cents per pedicure
4) Easy to use, safe for the environment , safe for the Technician
5) Ease of use for dry pedicures
sa’SHá is a callus softening product which is 3 in 1. It can be brushed on and filed for mild to dry skin of the feet. It can be used as a remedy service for more intense calluses, fissures etc. And It can be used as a cuticle softener as well. Also, it works amazing for the thick build up which we find quite often on damaged toenails and our geriatric client.
I think it is an amazing product, and when you say on steroids I believe you. I used it on my sidewalk crack looking feet and they went from alligator purse to smooth car leather. I was amazed! Btw I need some more. How has the industry changed since sa’SHá?
sa’SHá was introduced in 2022 right after months and months of the pandemic. I wouldn’t say the industry changed because of sa’SHá however, I would like to think sa’SHá has played a part in making our technicians jobs easier. The industry has changed because of social media, YouTube, etc. And, it will continue to change. What I see is a lot more DIYer’s. I see a lot more manufacturing going to the DIYers and I think that’s because our tech’s don’t support our own. Contrary to what many people think, our tech’s shopping on Amazon is ruining the quality/image of our Industry. Like us, our manufacturers have to be creative to survive….hence, going to the end market. Sadly!
I also see more technicians working outside the limits of their license and not being punished for it. Anyone and everyone is teaching now and not all of them are qualified. I see major changes happening down the road which will not be for the good of our industry.
Ahhh I completely understand you there. Youtube University is definitely killing the industry with any one capable of putting acrylic on a nail being seen as the goto person for all knowledge. I even stepped back teaching as I wanted to give myself more of a higher quality education versus just running whats on my mind. I believe there is a difference. May I ask, where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
Retired LOL spending time with my grandchild (if God willing :))……I absolutely love what I do and again, I feel so blessed and grateful. This beauty business has afforded me to meet so many wonderful people and see so many parts of our beautiful country. However, my true passion is education. I honestly can not envision myself completely retired. I would be bored to death. However, I do see myself just educating. I love the Oncology course I teach and would love to see that expand into other countries. I love teaching anything from head to toe including Business. I love mentoring. If for whatever reason I were to sell my Business, I would definitely make myself available for education.
I love that, I would be bored also, once you have moved around so much, its hard to just lay and watch wheel of fortune, it is not for everyone. Some people just like moving. I must say I have enjoyed you tremendously today! Thank you so much for taking this time in your busy schedule. For all the lovely techs out there, where can you be reached on social media, and also visit your store?
We continue to have human contact. Therefore I can be reached @
Office 727-249-3917 ext 1001
Cell 727-256-4462
Website www.cjscentreforbeauty.com passcode protected. License verification required.
App Centre for Beauty Salon Supply
Hey everyone, before we go, CJ Murray was so kind to give us a discount code on her website to get 10% off your order! Just type in “MAD2024” at your checkout! Thanks for tuning in and I’ll see you soon sweets!
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