It Girl | SOMMER ZHURKO
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By: Danae Edmonds Sommer is one of those people who makes you wonder HOW DOES SHE DO IT? Mother, wife, and owner of TWO businesses, she is seriously incredible. In this interview she shares her passion for her family and how she started her businesses.
Name: Sommer Zhurko Age: 31 Job Title/Company: Chanette's Beauty Vanity Boutique (Co-owner) with my husband Oleg Zhurko & Chanette's Beauty Bath Bombs (owner) Education Background: Cordova High School class of 2003
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Tell us a little about who you are and about your businesses.Hi. I'm Sommer. Born is a small country town called Quincy, CA.However I was raised & lived in Sacramento,CA my whole life besides the two years my husband and I moved to Vancouver, WA with our two kids at that time. My husband and I are high school sweet hearts who have been together for 16years & married for 11years. Now we live in Sacramento, CA with our three kids. Makyila our first daughter that is 12, our only son Malachi that is 9 and our sweet baby girl Malania that is 4. I am definitely ALL about my family. I love to cook and spend time with my family and just enjoy life.
What sparked your interest in starting each one?I wanted to start our first company Chanette's Beauty Vanity Boutique (home improvement) because my husband had worked in that field for over 18 years for other companies so why not start our own company and work for ourselves. :) I also love the fact of helping the vision of a clients dream become a reality. I actually started Chanette's Beauty Bath Bombs because I simply just wanted to have my own bath bombs. LOL & to be honest a lot of the name brand stores that make bath bombs are just pretty to look at. They don't give your skin the soft moisturize feel nor do they heal the body.
Who are you most influenced by?Hands down I'm mostly influenced by my mother. She is the strongest, bravest, kind hearted, loving & most loyal woman I know who raised my two brothers & I all on her own.
What was your first job and how long did you hold that position?My first job was good ole McDonald's lol I actually loved that job in high school. I heard that position for about a year before I went to my second job which was called City Wear (clothing store) I was a stylist & customer service rep.
Can you share a career defining moment with us?A career defining moment for me was the first time my husband & I were able to pay ALL our bills with the income from our OWN business. Like wow... we are doing it. We both had quit are jobs and our only source of income was from our new business.
What were your initial goals with your work? How have they evolved?My initial goals was to get our work into five salons, get five apartments renovation contracts, open up a wearhouse/office & buy a new car. Within 3 years they have all been met & exceeded. God is good.
What do you think is the most important life skill you learned from being an entrepreneur?Most important life skill would be how to hustle. Without the hustle & drive we wouldn't have a business.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years?In 5 years I hope my family is all healthy and happy along with our business being more established having 2/3 workers working for us and possibly an actual cabinet storefront store.
What is a typical day like for you? A typical day for me is waking my three kids up in the morning getting them ready for school and dropping them off there. l usually go to the office to do some work or a meeting with clients...ANY & EVERYTHING I can do for both businesses within a few hours. Then I pick my kids all up from school, get them home to do homework all while fixing dinner before football and soccer practice starts. Did I mention we have two dogs to take care of and I still have to be a wife lol... this is all on a slow day.
What was the biggest obstacle you’ve faced so far in the process of pursuing your dreams?Biggest obstacle?!! The door being slammed a few times when it comes to our business. You'll definitely hear 'no' more then you like being an entrepreneur. However you have to keep going
What is the best piece of advice you have received? Best piece of advice I've received is that customer service & honesty is what makes your business.
When do you get your best ideas?Not really a specific time when I get my best ideas. They just come to me.
How do you unwind?I like to unwind with going out on a family date day to eat a really great, yummy meal (since I don't drink champagne, wine or liquor) I treat myself to a nice cold beer sometimes. After we eat we usually enjoy the rest of the day something fun outside of the house.
What would you tell someone else who wants to start their own business? What I would tell someone who wants to start their business is to definitely go for it. But to also write down their goals and their plans with a timeline and make sure that they stick to it and once each goal is met is to give yourself even more higher goals and work on those. Never give up.
What do you hope people take away from your story?I hope people take away a little more sense of who I am as a person and not just who I am through my business. That I am a loving, genuine, loyal, faithful wife, mother, daughter, sister, auntie, cousin & friend to the people I love the most. I'm all about my family, faith in God & counting my blessings each and every day.
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