Lindsey and Blake Walters are not afraid to take risks, and each has pursued their own dream while building thriving businesses on their own terms. They are acutely aware of how blessed they are, but it's clear that their mutual support, combined with a shared vision of what matters to them, is the key to their success. 

Salon Coral, on South Section Street in Fairhope, is Lindsey’s Hair salon that she has dreamt of and pursued since she was a 10-year-old girl. A native Texan, she grew up “all over”, she said, as her Father was a pastor, but she spent most of her growing up years in Nashville.

At 16, she went to work at an Aveda Salon and knew right away that this was where she was meant to be. The owner of the Salon was Marabeth Hough, the celebrity Julianne Hough's sister. “ I did Derek Hough’s hair before he went on the Oprah Winfrey show and got to do other celebrities too.” That was a really good start! 

After cosmetology school, 20 years working as a stylist, and an associate's degree in business, she opened her own salon 4 years ago in Fairhope. Coryl was Blake's grandmother's name and was the name chosen for their future daughter, but she ended up with two boys. It was only fitting that she named her Salon, her ‘Baby’, she laughingly says, Salon Coral, altering the spelling for a coastal vibe.

Lindsey tells me that she is extremely grateful for the loyal clients who believed in her and followed her to her new salon. “I want everyone who comes through the door to have a high-end experience. We pamper by using hot towels and do hand, neck, and head massages as part of the shampoo process. I take pride in pampering my guests and giving them a relaxing experience as they are being transformed.” She has 4 stylists working with her in the salon who are available for new clients. Blake has played a huge part in the success of the business, as she explains that he is the handyman, the IT guy, the accountant, and the web designer. “ I am fully involved,” he said. But Blake has a dream business of his own as well; he is the Fairhope Fly Guy.

Growing up in Mobile County in the Grand Bay area, he met Lindsey in Nashville when they attended Trevecca Nazarene University. Starting as a music business major, one day, the Dean of Students saw him walking on campus with a fishing rod and asked him to help start a bass fishing team. He turned pro, and he kayak fished in tournaments for Old Town Canoe and Ocean Kayaks. 

His upbringing enabled this occupation. His father liked to spearfish, he said, and he was often left on the boat, where his love of fishing began. “I fished in farm ponds, creeks, and Bayous all over the place.” Now his favorite pastime has become his occupation. 

Blake, The Fairhope Fly Guy is a USCG-licensed captain who focuses on sight fishing for redfish, black drum, jack cravalle, and sometimes tarpon in shallow salt water flats around the Scenic 98 Coastal area. Most of his clientele are vacationers staying in Orange Beach, and he loves that fly fishermen like the challenge of the skilled sport instead of just wanting to take home a cooler full of fish.

He uses a 16-foot poling skiff and is strictly catch-and-release. I asked him about the geography of his best fishing spots, and he said he couldn't tell me. “When I first started fishing these shallows, some other fishermen were very territorial and didn't want me there. I had some haters show up on my social media. Presently, there are only 3 salt water fly fishing guides in the area, and we all get along and send each other the overflow. 

Community Fly Supply in Gulf Shores has been instrumental in helping build my business, too.” Blake's guiding is very busy in the summer months, but he says he likes winter fishing best because the water is clear, temperatures are milder, and there are fewer thunderstorms. After corporate jobs that required him to travel extensively and be away from home, he is so happy to be doing what he loves. Lindsey is thrilled to have him closer to home and is proud to say that her business’s success was the catalyst for Blake's being able to change to a career that has fulfilled his boyhood dream. 

Their next goal is to finish the house they are building (Blake is the contractor), which will have guest lodging for fishing clients to stay. They also hope to purchase a commercial building to house both Salon Coral and the Fairhope Fly Guy so that they can continue to be the DREAM TEAM! They prove that “if you do what you love, the money will follow.”