January 8, 2017

Meet Sara Lamond of Fig & Flower Natural Beauty in Poncey-Highland

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Lamond.

Sara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I suppose like most journeys, mine was not a straight path.

I’ve always loved the creativity and art of applying makeup, but growing up I considered makeup a hobby and not a serious career path. I’m the youngest of three girls, and my sisters both pursued professional degrees. I followed suit and after 2 years of working in advertising, I started law school.

Around the same time, I got really into running, which ignited in me a deep appreciation for healthy living. I found that a holistic approach to wellness – through a clean diet, consistent exercise, and mindfulness practices – greatly improved my overall well-being. In true law student fashion, I started researching all I could about healthy living. I learned all sorts of information, from reading labels at the grocery store to using baking soda for shampoo.

I graduated law school at the top of my class, so you can imagine my surprise when I started practicing and felt completely unfulfilled. I had always planned on being an attorney. I’d essentially spent my whole life working towards that goal, and I felt lost when it didn’t feel like a fit. But I was so unhappy, I knew I had to rethink my plans. With my husband’s support, I started envisioning a different plan for myself – one that blended my professional life with my personal passions.

I knew I wanted to have a positive impact on people’s lives. I wanted to be a force for good. I think that’s where my desire to be an attorney stemmed from. I decided what I really wanted was a career where I could contribute to health and wellness of others. I toyed with the idea of opening a natural food market – but stores like that already exist in Atlanta. And food is just the first step. After a person cleans up their diet, they usually start paying attention to ingredients in their other products, like soap, detergent, and moisturizer. But there’s a lot of information out there and it can feel overwhelming. So, that’s where the idea for Fig & Flower came from. I wanted to create a place where people can shop confidently for natural, wholesome beauty products.

Fig & Flower melds my love of makeup and wellness and allows me to educate and empower consumers.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say it’s been a smooth road?
My initial reaction to this question was to laugh out loud. “Of course it hasn’t been a smooth road!” But then again, any growing small business that still exists after nearly 3 years is probably doing better than its owner thinks it is. I’d have to say that all things relative, I’ve probably been very lucky.

I’ve had some bumps along the journey. I started Fig & Flower with a friend, Blair, who left the business to pursue other opportunities. Losing a business partner early on in the process was definitely a bump in the road. The learning curves are constantly changing, too. As soon as I have a handle on one thing, I realize there are 5 other things I need to be doing… and then I have to learn how to do those things on my own.

But, like I said, aside from the chaos that ensues from a gal with no real retail experience opening a boutique, I’d say my journey has probably been a lot smoother than it feels to me. Fig & Flower is growing and, dare I say it, thriving. Many small businesses can’t say that, and for that, I am very grateful and proud.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fig & Flower Natural Beauty story. Tell us more about the business.
Fig & Flower Natural Beauty is Atlanta’s largest green beauty boutique. We carry organic makeup and skincare products. Our strict ingredient requirements are what sets us apart from other makeup stores – even other natural beauty stores. I research each product and each ingredient that I allow into the store. I stay up to date on the research in the field so that if an ingredient’s safety changes, I can respond accordingly. I take pride in carrying the best natural beauty products, based on both purity of ingredients and quality of performance. I won’t carry a product if the ingredients don’t justify the price. I don’t want to sell someone something they don’t need or want. Basically, I conduct my store with a high degree of integrity. That’s what I’m most proud of. My team and I genuinely want to help people find healthy, effective products that work for them – that make them feel and look great. We also want to empower our customers to embrace their natural beauty. Too often the beauty industry plays on insecurities. That’s not what Fig & Flower is about. You don’t need anything to be beautiful – you already are! But if a great red lipstick makes you feel confident, you can find one with us that’s nontoxic and cruelty-free.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There’s that saying about luck being when preparation meets opportunity. I feel like I’ve been very lucky, but I’ve also worked hard and stayed open and receptive to new opportunities. I’d be doing myself a disservice if I attributed all my successes to luck. But it would also be foolish to think that I alone am responsible for each success, or failure for that matter. Instead of focusing too much on luck, I prefer to just be grateful and stay humble.

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