How hard could it be?

That was the question Crystal Knox asked herself when she made the transition from her decade-long career in construction to the indoor tanning business. As it turned out, it was more complicated than she could have imagined. But with a legacy to preserve, and plenty of determination, she would find an unexpected satisfaction from running Color Me Tan.

The business originally belonged to her significant other, Yancy Flair. Yancy was an entrepreneur with multiple businesses, but Color Me Tan was his passion. He left his cherished business to their son, Ryder Knox, when he was tragically killed in an avalanche in 2009. At the time, Ryder was only two months old, so Crystal did he best to manage their newborn baby, her full-time job and the salon.

Crystal has invested a lot of time and hear into her construction career. Over the course of ten years, she had risen from an entry-level laborer to management. She worked long hours in remote locations with all-male crews, but the hard work had finally led her to the job she wanted. Suddenly, she found herself as a single mother, navigating many important choices. For a while, she tried to do it all, but finally became stretched too thin and had to make a decision.

Two years ago, she started working at Color Me Tan full time. The two locations that Yancy revived were already successful so Crystal vegan the process of learning the business, which was quite a departure from the all-male construction worker environment she knew. She felt like she was dropped into another world at first, but quickly engaged her immense drive to consistent maintain and grow the business. Through consistent education, unique marketing and a focus on diversification, Crystal has already made her mark on the reputable salon.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.