East Belfast woman follows her dreams after ‘darkest year’ of her life –

A woman from East Belfast pursues her dreams after realizing that life is too short and hopes to inspire others.

Sister Adams, 36, has opened her new business salon in Kings Square and wants others to know that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

The mother of two has been in the beauty business for 11 years and feels like it’s time to do something after a few years of feeling hard on herself.

After her husband had to deal with cancer twice, she realized that “nothing is permanent in life” and how “she gets scared and keeps doing it.”

Debbie told Be how her dream of starting her own business came true.

He said, “It all happened very quickly. I delivered my message and by chance saw that this device was available and was wondering if not now, when? I really jumped on my feet.”

“It was a tough year for everyone, but we had a double defeat. My husband was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2016 and unfortunately got back there in late 2020. Then he started chemotherapy in February 2021. That’s it. The challenge.

“Fortunately he is currently undergoing treatment and we are beginning the process of getting him back to work, which is fantastic.

“I think when you face cancer, not once, but twice, up to the age of 40, it makes you re-evaluate everything differently and understand that nothing is permanent in this world.

“Sometimes you have to get scared and keep doing it.”

The East Belfast mother said her children were another big driving force behind the leap.

“We also have some epilepsy and he has extra needs from it. Perhaps the driving force for me to open a shop is that he is really struggling academically and we are very concerned about his future.

“But getting something now, if he’s out of school and probably doesn’t have the best qualifications, it doesn’t matter, because he can come and work with me. That was probably the main thing that drove me to do it,” Debbie added. .

The 35-year-old hopes young women can follow in her footsteps and explains how important it is to encourage them.

“I just want to inspire the next generation. I am an ABT certified teacher and have a lot of love and respect for the girls I worked with in the previous salon.

“With their support and encouragement over the years, I would not have had the skills, knowledge and diligence to do so. I want to be now in a position to inspire the next generation.”

“A lot of girls go into the fashion industry and don’t know what to expect. They might come from a family life that might not be very stable, or you know, they might not have a lot of disposable income and I really want them to see some hard work and some dedication and a future.”

“They just don’t have to go the traditional way.”

Debbie also explained how working in the beauty industry is a “privilege”.

He said, “People don’t understand, you know, we see people on their best days, we see people on their worst days, and it’s a great honor and privilege to be able to make this our career.

“I am really proud of my little family unit and my kids have adapted so well because all of our attention has been in the store for a while.

“My husband has been here all the time, he has been an amazing support and I have a team like that behind me, my friends and my family. I have a small army behind me which is great.”

The mother and businesswoman said there was a time when she thought it would be impossible.

“There must have been several episodes where I woke up in the night and thought, ‘What am I doing?’ “

“With everything we’ve been through, if it doesn’t work, it won’t. We gave it to us. I think it’s better that you regret what you felt than what you didn’t experience.”

“It’s a huge financial risk and I’ve left a job that I really loved. Sometimes you have to go through this awkward phase for things to grow.

“Of course, this is the darkest year for me this year and I really want people to know that no matter how hard it is, there is always hope.”