Published: Friday, July 6, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

By M.L. Dehm,Herald Business Journal

The risk paid off. Since the first location opened six years ago, Elle Marie has not only expanded, it has also won multiple awards from different trade publications. The company took top honors with Salon Today 200 magazine three years in a row.

"We were a top five finalist for 'Evening Magazine's' Best of Western Washington for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011," Buck said.

In 2009, Elle Marie was runner up for 425 Magazine's Best of 425 and in 2008 it won a Business Excellence award from the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce. Buck was runner-up for this year's Herald Business Journal's Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

But how did this Seattle native go from 30 years in the corporate world to running a hair salon? It wasn't through job dissatisfaction. Buck loved her previous career. She started as a banker with KeyBank and later left the world of finance for the high-tech industry.

It was when she was an administrator with McCaw Cellular that Buck felt she made the most growth, both in herself and in her understanding of how to run a successful business.

When McCaw Cellular was unexpectedly sold it left Buck wondering what to do.

By now, she was well experienced with starting up new offices for McCaw. Could she start a business for herself and be successful? Buck decided to start two businesses instead of one.

She went to school and received life-coaching certification. Meanwhile, her daughter, Lorry Green, who was a hairdresser, suggested that they open a hair salon. Initially, Buck envisioned a business run out of her garage. Instead, an opportunity arose to purchase an existing salon south of Mill Creek that she believed had solid demographics.

Read more here:
Lessons of corporate career helped Mill Creek salon owner to success