CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) -- You could say being in the beauty business ran in Chelsea Adair's DNA.
"In 1929, my great grandma started a beauty school in southern California," Adair said.
And while the purpose of the business was to make everyone look pretty, Adair learned at a young age that the business side wasn't always as glamorous.
"Her school burned down. She did a fundraiser with the fire department, they came out, and she held a boot in mid of street and had people come donate to rebuild the school," Adair described.
Then later, her grandma and mom would take it over with battles of their own while running the business, "Grandma fought cancer through working, and mom took it over, fought cancer through working."
So when Chelsea opened up Salon Adair in Carlsbad, and COVID-19 came around.
"There's no giving up here. I come from a long history of powerful independent women who are incredibly stubborn," refusing to let her small business that sits off Embarcadaro shut down. "As a small business owner, you miss your kids events like their recital or first day of school because you have to run out the door and open. All of those sacrifices, I couldn't see this place go under."
She wasted no time and pivoted, recreating her website, adding virtual tours, and clothing and beauty lines to make profits while the salon was closed. During the holidays she even used her boyfriend as a prop to help sell shampoo, "My boyfriend dressed up as Santa Clause and waved in the street to sell shampoo. It was literally whatever it took."
Looking back at all of is she said nothing was off the table, and she thought of the women in her family the entire way. "It was hard for all of them. This is very familiar wutg that same concept of her struggle to keep it open."
Although she hopes 2021 brings a fresh new look, "We hope for best prepare for worst."
