Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Akel.
Hi Courtney, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. Surprise! My name is Courtney from a Tennis Court, so naturally, I grew up playing tennis and played D1 college tennis in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tennis very much shaped who I am today. I am half-Palestinian and half-American; I am the oldest of three sisters and have a wonderful family, including my husband, to whom I have been married for one year. After college, I knew I would always eventually work in the family business, but I wanted to get some experience outside of the family business. So I started a career in Marketing Research (wrote and analyzed survey data), working in Arkansas on the agency side for clients such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Starbucks. After I obtained my MBA, I moved to Atlanta to work for fortune 500 brands in the consumer insights department companies such as Chic-fil-A, Porshe, Carters, Georgia Pacific, and the Pulte Group. I really enjoyed living in Atlanta; we lived all around the city, and commuted to work via train as much as possible!
Getting into the family business was inevitable, and I began helping the family business in 2019 setting up our online presence while working full-time for Georgia Pacific in Atlanta. In 2020 (during COVID-19), my husband and I were laid off, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to transition full-time into the family business. So that’s what I did. We packed our bags, moved to Palm Coast, Florida, and I started to sell and manage flooring installations, which have since evolved into the bathroom, kitchen remodeling, and much more. Living in the Palm Coast/Ormond Beach area has been great for my family. Working in this industry has allowed me to meet amazing customers and other local business owners, including many women I admire, and continue healing from my breast cancer diagnosis five years ago. I truly love this area and look forward to growing my business and relationships for years!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road less traveled has made all the difference and shaped who I am today. The biggest hurdle I have experienced thus far is my stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis at 29 years old. Although it was not an easy year fighting to survive, it changed me in more ways than I can count! I learned the importance of advocating for yourself and your health and doing my best to take life one day at a time. I am five years past my diagnosis, and thanks to breast cancer research and science, all is well. My husband and family supported me during this time, and I am forever grateful! When I felt it in my body it was time to work in the family business full-time, personally experiencing the support I received from my family and husband during my cancer journey made me trust that working in the family business would only strengthen my relationship with my family, and it has indeed.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I work with consumers to transform their homes by updating flooring, cabinets, backsplashes, bathrooms, showers, etc. One of the things I also love is merchandising the store. Mosaics are one of my favorite accessories for the home, and therefore, we have over 1,000 options in our showroom. We are also very particular about what products to put in the showroom. I always tell people; we do not have anything on our showroom floor we would not put in our own home. Therefore, we sell only quality, so you do not have to worry about that when shopping at Carpet One.
But our installation services separate us at Dick Stark and Akel’s Carpet One. What is unique about working with our organization compared to our competitors is that our salespeople manage the installation from A to Z. That means the same person who sells you the job sets up the installation, ensuring your project is set up for success. The customer only has one point of contact; if issues arise, they are resolved a lot quicker this way. We are constantly updating our preferred installer list and only work with the most qualified installers for the job. Our installers are very loyal to us and treat our customers and their homes respectfully. We are only as strong as our installers; therefore, we keep the installers busy in a way that aligns with our business values.
What was you like growing up?
I lived a very sweaty and competitive life on the tennis court! During high school, I trained at a tennis academy in Texas and began my days running a very steep hill or lifting weights at 6 am. Then I would go to a full day of school, come home and play tennis for 4 hours before dinner and bed, and wake up to do it all over again. I was able to travel the United States with my dad, who is a retired professional tennis player, to play in tennis tournaments and spent a lot of time with my dad strategizing how to win my next match. I have always been the one to crack jokes; sometimes, I only make myself laugh, but I overtime, I learned that laughter is life’s best medicine.
Pricing:
- Waterproof flooring starting at $1.99
- Free carpet installation + pad
- Sales Tax Paid
- 0% interest financing available
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dickstarkcarpetone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dscarpetone
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DickStarkC1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyakel/
Image Credits
Images by Alina (survivor photo and photo with husband in blue dress)
Tori Camera (wedding photos and family photo) www.toricamera.com
