Everything Starts at the Beginning

I got little sleep last night. I laid awake thinking about the last 5 simple words our CEO, Chris Ruggieri, sent me via email last night:

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I kept thinking about what a simple and yet engaging and exciting idea that is! We are all so excited in life because of what we work so hard to produce as the outcome. We strive to be the best we can because we can't wait for success to turn tables. 


Yet, reality is that it's the beginning and the middle that count the most. Sandra Bullock said it best in Hope Floats, "Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. And you need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning."


Today those 5 simple words are still fresh in my mind, lingering there. But today I'm more excited about the beginning. 


I'm excited about the ideas that are generated in the beginning, followed by the process of implementation in the middle and finally end up in pure success! (And if at first we don't succeed, we just re-invent until we get it right. But we appreciate, learn from and have a ton of fun doing it!)


And here's to great beginnings! CHEERS!

14 Miles and a Pedicure

Yesterday I ran 14 miles!

This is the furthest distance I have ever run (2nd beind the Nike Women's Half Marathon). This was an accomplishment for me.

Sometimes, though, accomplishments go without feeling 100%!

That is what my run looked like. I made great time (probably went too fast for a long run) and stayed fairly consistent (especially during the last half). I have great physical energy when I'm out there running that far. I feel like I could run forever. But my problem is that my legs and my feet get so achy and sore. The second I stop (at a stoplight or to tie my shoe) I feel like I'm going to fall apart.

By the time I was to mile 10 or 11, it took all the mental power I had to keep plugging through it. Part of my problem, too, is that I am in desperate need of new running shoes. I have trained way too long with my Nike+ LunarGlides because I love them. But it's time for a new pair!

In the end, I did it! And that's what I believe is so powerful about long-distance running. We train our minds to accept, to endure and to finish anything!

I am trying to research more and learn as much as I can about what to do "post-long runs." After this run, I drank a ton of water. And I had a cup of cafffeine, as I've read numerous times that caffeine helps with post-recovery. As soon as I got home, I iced my legs and I used the Lacrosse Ball. Later in the day, I went out and got myself a Pedicure at Jellyfish Spa in Danville, CA! It felt so great and refreshing. And my toes look splendid again, don't you think?

Before I went to bed, I iced more, and I did the Lacrosse ball all over my legs and feet. It was painful - very painful! It had to be done.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a little stiff and sore. But feeling this way reminded me that - I did it! I'm still alive and I'm just one step closer to completing my first Marathon. But first things first....mentally preparing for the 16 miles I have this upcoming weekend! Cheers!

Busy March!

It was another great week in the world of Sarah Kay Hoffman. Sometimes I feel like these "happy-go-lucky" blog posts need to STOP! Really, who cares if I'm happy-go-lucky, right? But then again...my goal here is not to boast - my goal is to spread my cheer. It's to spread what I hope will be even one small thing for someone else to say, "Wow, that made me smile."

I digress....

It was a great week for me. I feel so alive, so productive and so useful within Yolo Industries! I have waited a very, very long time to get to this point in my life. Now that I'm here, I'm working so hard to stay here, grow here and get "famously" successful here! The company is growing at a rapid rate, and I feel that the success can be attributed mostly to the fact that everyone who works there is passionate about who we are! And that is something you cannot put a pricetag on!

I welcome each and every one of you to follow The Yolo Life Blog! Today we put up a posting, "Perfect for Your Spring Purse," and we are giving away a few goodies! Follow the blog and check it out!

In other news, I have a few more big things to look forward to this month:

1. Running: And a lot of it! (I am training for the Rock 'n Roll San Diego Marathon!) I will be completing a 14-mile run this upcoming Sunday. This will mark the furthest distance I have ever run! I am nervous and excited, but mostly excited! My long runs are getting up there in mileage. I like that - it's a great mental challenge for me!
2. Running: On Monday, March 22nd I will begin Ms. Ashley Kumlien's journey with her as she begins her 6-month trek across the United States! Ashley is running to raise awareness for MS, which her Mother battles. Ashely is amazing and inspiring. Though I was not able to go on a 2-month "tour" with her, I will see her off on an approximately 15-16 mile run in San Francisco (across the Golden Gate Bridge). IF you are in the Bay Area we would love to have you join us! Please post any comments if you think you might be able to come. I know Ashley would love to see them! In the meantime, you can check her out via: MSRuntheUS Website, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter and Flickr.
3. Social Media: On Monday, March 29th I will be speaking in Portland, OR at the social fresh Social Media Conference. I am absolutely thrilled to be doing this, not only to share my experiences, but also to meet some incredible people! Just to name a few:  @gwenpeake with Ford, @skydiver (Peter Shankman) with HARO, @foomanpdx with Nike, @waynesutton with Twine Interactive, @cspenn with Blue Sky Factory, @mattsingley with M80, @shaunacausey with Comcast, @lorelleonwp with Lorelle on WordPress - and last, but not least - Mr. Social Fresh himself, @jakrose Jason Keath. (Side Note: These are just  A FEW - there are so many I can't wait to meet!)

I'm hoping for a super productive and successful March! And I'm hoping that each and every one of you has the same:) CHEERS!

Yolo Industries

Free. And loving life!


Today closes week one for me with my new company, Yolo Industries. And I have to say, it's been an amazing week! I tend to stay pretty optimistic from week-to-week, but this week has by far "trumped" most weeks! It's Friday today and I find myself saying, "Where the hell did this week go?! I'm just getting started!" And that's the beauty - Just. Getting. Started.


I've had multiple people ask me, "What are you doing? What is YOLO?" So here it is:

1. First off, I have been hired by Yolo Industries as their Social Media Strategist. Prior to me coming, they didn't really have a Social Media presence. They had a company who did it from time-to-time, but nothing full time. I have spent my first week doing "foundational" things. I'm trying to figure out, learn and engage more with the brand as a whole. I feel that all too often in Social Media people just shoot from the hip without knowing who their target market is and/or what they want, where they shop and what they do. I'm still learning this. I will be building everything Social Media-based from the ground up. And that is so exciting to me!
2. So WHAT is YOLO? There was just an article published in the February Issue of ALIVE East Bay Magazine about YOLO Industries. Here is the article: 

Discovering YOLO Industries - You Only Live Once

As I was driving through Downtown Danville the other day, my attention focused on a huge, monster truck advertising YOLO Industries. My curiosity had me hooked and I pulled up their web address: www.yoloindustries.com. To my surprise, YOLO- “You Only Live Once”, was not a website hosting extreme sports or adventure travel, but a host to the beauty industry. YOLO names Glo Tanning, Salon Forty Sixty Two, Dabble Cosmetics, Jellyfish Spa and Route 66 Barbershop as its partners and is offering unlimited memberships for $99 a month! I was completely intrigued and decided to dive in a little further to get in contact with YOLO Founder and CEO, Chris Ruggieri. I wanted to meet with him and hear all about this brand new concept.

We met for coffee at the Blackhawk Plaza, where all of his YOLO businesses are located. I expected to see a high powered executive in a business suit, but what walked in was entirely different. Here came a young, “skater-like” dude, wearing a beanie and a track suit! “What’s goin’ on?”, he said in a disturbingly loud voice, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or be scared of whom I was meeting. But after chatting for a few minutes, I realized not only was he professional, but extremely energetic and passionate for his unique vision of YOLO Industries.

“What is YOLO?” Chris replies. “Yolo is a philosophy, a state of mind, a way of life. It’s about having fun and living life in the present, in the moment. It’s about taking care of yourself and taking chances, taking risks. It’s about asking yourself, when I am at the end of my life, would it have made a difference to have spent that extra buck, to have taken that well needed vacation, or to have taken that risk. How does all this apply to the beauty industry, you might ask. YOLO is about feeling good. When you feel good, you are happy. When you are happy, your heart is open. And when your heart is open, the possibilities are endless!”

It is by this mantra that Jellyfish Spa was created.

“I woke up one night to a light going off in my head. I thought....Unlimited services on a membership basis for $99 a month. BAM! Thus, my concept was born! I wanted to bring a totally new concept to the public, where every person could afford and enjoy getting pampered. At Jellyfish Spa, the members can get their nails done, facials and massages as frequently as they want.”

Could this really be true? I pay $90 for a one- time massage alone, I said.

“Yes”, Chris replies, “and now there’s no excuse for taking care of yourself. We are providing luxury on a beer budget for anyone who wants to make a change in their lives. For $99 a month, clients can come utilize Jellyfish Spa, they can get make overs and discounts at Dabble, they can get discounts at Salon Forty Sixty Two, and coming soon, exclusively for men, Route 66 Barbershop memberships for unlimited haircuts and spa treatments! I was tired of the typical spa experience and frankly, bored”, Chris said. “My vision was to energize and excite the client.”

And boy am I excited! The moment you step foot in Jellyfish Spa, you realize you have entered something entirely new. Embellished with all modern elements and architecture and a 600 gallon jellyfish tank, you will be refreshingly amazed. “People always ask me why I would name a spa after a deadly creature”, Chris said. “My response is simple; jellyfish are the only species that metamorphosis from an adult state back to that of an infant, thus making them immortal. And, who doesn’t want to reverse time!?”

By this time, I was completely engrossed by this man and he proceeded to tell me how he got this concept started.

“I started out in the gym industry, managing clubs and getting them off the ground, moving from location to location. Ending up in New York City for a brief time, I fell in love with the modern architecture and one day while tanning, I came up with the concept of Glo Tanning and opened our first location in Walnut Creek.”

Six locations later, Chris received his General Contractor’s License and started Ruggieri Construction, focusing on various modern projects throughout the Bay Area. Soon after, while having many family members and friends in the hair industry, he opened Salon Forty Sixty Two.

“The Salon was a huge challenge for me. Not being a hairstylist myself, I was always intimidated to walk into an upscale salon. They always seemed cold and uninviting. I had a tough audience. Not only the clients, but the team of stylists who had high expectations and a need for constant inspiration.”

And boy, did he inspire. The moment you walk into Salon Forty Sixty Two, you are consumed by its beauty and design, not to mention its bright pink wallpaper! It’s hard to imagine not being inspired.

“Our stylists are like mad scientists”, Chris said, “mixing up their potions to change the way the client perceives themselves. They are expected to know all the latest gossip, trends, give advice on relationships, kids, life and all the while looking dynamic themselves. All that and a great cut! I wanted to create a forum for them to inspire and be inspired and that is how I came up with the idea of having round tables as work stations. Most salons have you cramped in a little cubicle, hiding behind a wall of mirrors. We pride ourselves with having the ‘creme de la creme’ of the industry, and I wanted them to be able to share their wonderful creations with not only fellow stylists, but the other clients as well. Who doesn’t want to show off their happy and proud clients?”

“The owners of the Blackhawk Plaza had been so impressed with the success of Salon Forty Sixty Two, they asked if I would be interested in opening another beauty outlet. Ready to take on any challenge, I agreed, thus Dabble Cosmetics was born. I saw a niche and went for it. With Dabble, again, I wanted to create a space that was exciting, inspiring and beautiful. The idea behind Dabble was what every girl dreams of...One big, luxurious closet! You can’t resist the oozing sex appeal and charm of the space. The hot pink and black damask wallpaper and crystal chandeliers scream glamour! We spent countless nights searching for those hard- to- find product lines that are hip, trendy and mainstream.”

You’ll think you’ve died and gone to boutique heaven walking into Dabble!

“2010 is not going to be any slower of a pace. In fact, hold on to your pants.....Here comes YOLO and watch out, we’re ready to take on the world, city by city. We are launching YOLO Foundation, YOLO Energy Drink, YOLO Reality Show and my man cave project, Route 66 Barbershop”.

To learn more about YOLO Industries memberships and upcoming events, visit:www.yoloindustries.com.

“Oh yeah, one last thing.....You Only Live Once, so do it right and have fun! Let’s do this!!! “ -Yolo Industries

And there you have it....that is what YOLO Industries is/will be, what I am now a part of and what I am so excited and passionate about! I can't wait to watch the company grow and to help make that happen! My initial plans are to revisit the Website that was previously done, incorporate a Blog and all Social Media. From there, I'll strategize content, promotions, giveaways, marketing, interaction and engagement! 

It's going to be exciting! I would love to have you follow the progress! And here you can get started (much more to come):

• Friend us on Facebook - Yolo Danville 
• Fan us on Facebook - Yolo Industries
• Follow us on Twitter - @YOLOindustries

If you have any ideas/suggestions of things you'd like to see us do, please send me an email HERE!

Cheers!