Meet Monica Zabala and Maria Eburg of Salon 184 in Pembroke Pines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Zabala and Maria Eburg.

Monica and Maria, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Maria: I was a cosmetologist in Connecticut before I moved to South Florida over 20 years ago and started working in the new, fast growing community in West Pembroke Pines. There were only two hair salons in the area and with new families moving into the area I able to build a solid clientele over the years.

Monica: My husband and I have always been business owners. Back in the day, we were one of the first beeper and cellphone companies in Miami…we were very successful. But that industry ran its course and we started an oil change business. We owned an oil change garage that became the mom & pop shop to go to. As successful as we were and our business kept growing, it took a toll on our family. We worked seven days a week with hardly any time off, so we decided to sell it. And thank god, we did, because six month later the market crashed. Throughout all of this, I loved doing Makeup. If anybody had a party or an event they would call me. After the sale of the business, Maria asked me if I wanted to work at the salon she worked at as a receptionist, she said I would fit right in. It took a little convincing because I live in South Miami so I gave it a try and I loved it. I found my niche and I loved it.

Maria: Yes, I asked Monica, who is my sister-in-law, to come and work with me at the salon. She’s a people person and she fit right in. But in all these years that I was a hairstylist, I felt that all the salons were very impersonal. The clients wouldn’t talk to each other, the employees fighting with each other over silly things and I was tired of working under those conditions. In 2010 the opportunity came to buy the salon where we worked at, but that deal fell through. Unfortunately, the situation at the other salon deteriorated rapidly to the point that I knew it was going to close soon and that’s when Monica and I decided that we should own our own Salon. And that’s when our journey began and the search for a new salon and this proved to be quite a challenge.

Monica: We searched all over the Pembroke Pines and Miramar areas, but nothing was quite up to our standards and price range, the cost of an established hair salon was astronomical. A friend of ours suggested that instead of buying an “hair salon” we should just build our own, and this made perfect sense. It was going to be cheaper and we could design it the way we wanted to. Our last stop that Monday in January 2011, was this new two-story strip mall located in the southwest corner of Pines Boulevard and 184th Avenue. As we were driving to the parking, we looked at each other and we couldn’t help but smile. It was the perfect location. I am a true believer that the Universe guides you, and when something is not meant for you, like the other salon, you will find obstacles in your way. But when it is meant to be for you, all the stars align and everything will go the way it’s supposed to go.

Maria: It was very scary and exciting at the same time. As soon as we signed the lease, we met with the architect, general contractor who was a godsend, and after the city finally approved the plans, we started the construction.

Monica: By this time the other salon had in fact closed and the staff, who wanted to continue working together, went to work temporarily at another hair salon in the area who was kind enough to accept all them. Maria worked very hard to keep everybody together, but specially the clientele. They were excited for us and for our new venture. With the help of my husband and a cousin, I dove right into the construction of Salon 184. We literally worked seven days a week for three months and Maria would join us on her days off too. To say that this was stressful is an understatement, but on September 7 at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the City of Pembroke Pines gave us our certificate of occupancy and on September 8, 2011 we opened Salon 184. We were finally home. Our staff’s patience and support and that of the clients, was the driving force to get to this point.

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 things have been easy for you?
Maria: Well, I don’t think that anything in this world is a smooth road. In our industry, some hairstylists like to move around and some don’t. That’s one of the biggest problems for hair salon owners everywhere. Thank God, our original staff is still here with us, but we’ve had a couple of hairstylists that let us know that their last day is the next day. Aside from that, I think we’ve been doing great.

Monica: One of the things that shook us to the core was when I got sick. In 2012, I started complaining about headaches and towards the end of the year I had them every day and they were massive. I started acting different and I noticed that something was not right with me. I was short tempered, my vision kept getting worse, clients were complaining to Maria that I would hang up on them or just walk away from a conversation we would be having. I never admitted to anyone that I thought I might’ve had a stroke.

Maria: That was one the worse things I was witnessing. I was watching her like a hawk. I would ask our clients to look at her and tell me if they saw what I was seeing. The left side of her mouth was twisted, she had no filter whatsoever and those headaches every day. In January, the family decided that she needed immediate medical care.

Monica: I went to my doctor complaining about the headaches thinking it was my sinuses. Immediately the doctor noticed my face and told me to go to the ER and get a scan. Of course, I didn’t go, so that night my older son calls and tells me that they’re taking me to the ER the next morning. And thank God, they did. They discovered that I had a benign brain tumor the size of an orange on my frontal right lobe, called meningioma, the same one that Maria Menunos had. Everything went so fast after my diagnosis that I didn’t even have a chance to be afraid. Five days after my ER visit I had surgery to remove the tumor and let’s just say that the surgery was a complete success. Turns out that its location was affecting my personality and my vision. Fifteen days later, I went back to work. After the surgery, I realized why I had been the way I was. I would start things and not finish them, I was very disorganized, just like my brain. When I woke up from the anesthesia, and this is the only way I can explain it, I went from a black and white grainy TV to a super high definition one. Everything made perfect sense, my thoughts were crystal clear, I realized how much in a fog I had been. And right there I knew I wanted to go back to school and study Cosmetology. Maria was one of my biggest supporters and she literally taught everything I know.

Maria: We were all happy and relieved that she was going to fine and that her diagnosis was not something worse. I wanted her to stay home longer to recover, but she and her doctor said that she was perfect. I always knew that she had a knack for this profession and when she decided to go back to school, we all knew she was on the right path.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Salon 184 story. Tell us more about the business.
Maria: We are one of a few if not the only, Multi Cultured Full Service salon in the area. We specialize in ALL things hair, from relaxers, color, Ombres, highlights to hair extensions. We also have spa services like manicures, pedicures, facials and makeup.

What sets us apart from other salons, and we strongly believe this first and foremost, is our customer service and the family atmosphere we have here. Unlike many hair salons, our clients talk to and know each other. Almost everybody that sets foot in the salon tells us the same thing…they love the atmosphere and vibe we have. We’ve worked very, very hard for this.

Monica: I think that you can have the prettiest, fanciest most expensive business anywhere, but if lack customer service, your business will fail. We have never advertised because what has helped us is word of mouth by our clients. That’s it. We have fun and we are fun because we all genuinely like each other.

To us, our staff is our family and we mean that from the bottom of our hearts. I think this is what makes us most proud.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Monica: Luck…well, I think that right now, I’m the luckiest woman alive. It could’ve been so much worse. But in our business, I think our hard work is what has set us apart.

Maria: Definitely, I’ve been in this business for almost 30 years, and I knew what I didn’t want in my salon. And I must tell you, we are lucky to have been able to work at something that we absolutely love.

Contact Info:

• Address: 18450 Pines Boulevard,
  Suite 105, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33029
• Website: www.salon184.com
• Phone: (954) 251-2348
• Email: salon184@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salon184/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salon184/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/salon-184-pembroke-pines

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