“To be honest, when we came up with five-year plans, this definitely wasn’t on mine,” says Robin Poole, owner of PooleSide Tan.

For 23 years, Robin was a diligent worker in the banking industry. Her five-year plans gave her momentum to become a rising star. STarting as a teller she rose through the tanks to become a manager – all on schedule. But before she could realize her ultimate goal of becoming a regional manager, a golden opportunity appeared.

As avid travelers, Robin and her husband Tracey often frequented their local tanning salon to prepare for vacation. The atmosphere, the welcoming staff and the happy glow of a tan kept them coming back over the years. When the salon closed, it pulled at the couple’s heartstrings; they knew they had to open it back up.

Nine months of negotiation with the bank lead up to the opening of PooleSide Tan, a name fashioned after the owners’ appropriately summery last name. Instead of merely taking over, Robin and Tracey found a new location, but kept the clients, equipment and managers. And after a year of juggling her work at the bank with the salon, she decided to give her new venture the full time and attention that it deserved.

“It was very stressful,” says Robin. “My heart was pulled in two different directions. I opened the salon and that was like my new baby. I needed to help it learn how to walk, and it was hard to do that while splitting my time as a mom, wife, and manager. When business started booming in the spring, I just knew I needed to focus my hear and energy on the salon.”

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