Meet Sandra Newman | Owner/Operator @ Soul Of A Lion Studio LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Newman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
OMG…….. RISK….. that has always been like a bad four letter word to me. Taking risk has always scared me and I have let that hold me back over the years. More times than I would like to think of, I would have much rather not even try than take the risk and fail. I have always felt that failure was not an option for me. Now, at 50, I have finally learned that it is ok to fail as long as you learn and progress from it. It is still scary for me but my faith in the Lord is strong and he leads my way so I know it will be ok.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Well, the Shout Out pretty much summed it up for the most part of how I got to where I am at. I am proud that I finally got out of my own way because I have always been my own biggest hurdle to cross. That is not an easy feat to get past. It is doable though, you can get past your own self sabotage. The best advise that I feel I could give someone, especially if they are anything like I have been, is to get out of your head and out of your own way. Do not rely on anyone else for justification on a gut feeling you have. Follow your first instinct. 9 times out of 10, that is going to be the right one. Those are some of the most important lessons that I have learned in this journey. Also, you have to fail to learn/grow and that is ok, just don’t put up a tent and live there. Learn from the failure, make necessary changes and move on. You’ve got this….. 😉

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Me, I love nature, so the Dallas Arboretum is always nice. It would really depend on the friend and their likes as to what I would choose. I might take them some where like this place I have heard of called Niwa Japanese BBQ. I have not been there yet but it looks like it would be a great experience. I would definitely take them somewhere that would be new to all of us because I love sharing first time experiences with people. I would check out the Dallas City Guide for ideas and see what new things and places were happening here in Dallas at time of said visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This could go out to a few people. First and foremost, To God be the Glory. If I had to choose just one though, it would have to be my husband, Anthony Newman. He is my biggest supporter and my biggest fan. We have been together for 9 years and married for 6 and not once has he ever tried to discourage me from doing anything I want to try. We, as God fearing people, know that everything happens in God’s time. We put our faith in God and do what we believe to be our part and he moves mountains. If my husband knows I am uncomfortable about something, he doesn’t push me. When he feels and notices the time is right for something, He brings it to me and I listen, maybe reluctantly sometimes, but I do listen. He told me he had a vision one day. He told me I would be in my own little spot. I was not as sure of it as he was, but his vision came to pass. It was scary jumping out there on my own, basically at the 1 year mark of this pandemic, making this decision and moving forward with it and everything falling into place like it was a long time, well thought out plan. Reality is, We made the decision for me to leave the salon I worked at for 11 1/2 years in the middle of a pandemic, at the age of 50, in a 3 week time period. We did not have a great deal in savings to make this all happen. It felt right, it felt like this was what we were suppose to be doing so we stepped out on faith, we have kept our faith strong and everything has been working out as it is suppose to. I am not going to say it is always easy because it is not, but I will say that it doesn’t ever weigh on my mind or shoulders as to how anything is going to happen because I have faith that God is going to see this through. I do have to give credit where credit is due. I would not be the stylist I am today had I not worked at Artistik Edge for 11 1/2 years. I have worked along side some amazing artists. Some I have learned from, what to do and some I have learned from, what not to do, not saying that in a bad way, that is just saying that someone else’s way might not be the best way for you. So as I said this could go out to several but my #2, because God is always #1, is my husband. Thank you my love, Anthony Newman, for always being my biggest, well, everything.

Website: vagaro.com/soulofalionstudio

Instagram: instagram.com/sandranewmanhair

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandraatSoaL