Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Scharff.
Hi Sara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
If you had asked me ten years ago if I would own a flooring store, I probably would have laughed.
The funny thing is, though, flooring has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My dad has spent his entire career in the flooring industry. He started with Karastan before I was born, spent years with Glen Eden, later co-founded Hibernia Woolen Mills, helped develop brands like Katha Living, and today represents Provenza Floors across Michigan and Ohio. Around the industry, it’s a running joke that he’s the “landman” of flooring—he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. Watching the relationships he’s built over decades taught me that this business has never really been about products; it’s about people.
Some of my earliest memories are riding to Glen Eden with him in his big old Cadillac that always smelled like wool carpet in the summer. I’d spend the day wandering the warehouse, socializing with everyone in the office, taking naps on my favorite carpet samples, and watching the pass machines run. Looking back, I realize how incredibly lucky I was. People spend entire careers hoping to get the kind of behind-the-scenes experience I got before I was old enough to understand how special it was.
During COVID, I even got to watch my parents develop new collections together, sitting around the kitchen table choosing colors, yarns, and product designs. I didn’t know it then, but I was being immersed in this industry long before I ever chose it.
Ironically, I tried pretty hard to avoid flooring.
After graduating college in 2020, I moved to Chicago and worked in boutique fitness, convinced that was my future. It wasn’t. Eventually I realized I knew far more about flooring than I had ever given myself credit for, so I accepted a position with Carpet Impressions in McLean, Virginia. The owners. Phillip and Hope really took a chance on a young woman with more enthusiasm than experience, and they taught me an incredible amount in a short period of time.
When my mom’s health began to decline, I moved home to be with my family and eventually took over my dad’s rep territory in the Southeast. After my mom passed away in 2024, I joined STARK in Atlanta. I truly believed I had found the place where I’d spend my career. I loved my coworkers, worked directly with leadership on showroom systems and process improvement, and had a clear path for growth.
Then my dad called me one afternoon from Petoskey.
He said, “Guess who’s selling their store?”
Inspired Surfaces.
At first we laughed about the idea of me buying it. Then I started talking to people I trusted—lawyers, accountants, business owners, mentors, family—and every single one of them told me the same thing: “You’d be crazy not to do this.”
Looking back, it feels like every experience I had—from growing up in the industry, to working retail, to traveling as a rep, to learning luxury design at STARK—was preparing me for this opportunity.
So I took the leap.
I moved to Northern Michigan, invested my savings into buying the business, and started building the company I’d always dreamed of creating.
Today, Inspired Surfaces isn’t just where I work. It’s home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not—and honestly, I wouldn’t want it to have been.
The biggest challenge hasn’t been learning how to run a business. It’s been learning who I am while running one.
Losing my mom at twenty-four completely changed my perspective on life. Watching someone you love battle cancer for twenty-one months changes your definition of what “hard” means. Starting a business is scary, but it isn’t watching the strongest person you’ve ever known slowly disappear. Once you’ve survived something like that, you realize you’re capable of surviving a lot more than you ever imagined.
I also think there’s a unique loneliness that comes with starting a business in your twenties. A lot of my friends are getting married, traveling Europe, or starting families, while I’m thinking about cash flow, inventory, and vendor accounts. Thankfully, I have an incredible support system that reminds me why I started this journey.
There were definitely moments during those first few weeks where I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But they never lasted very long. I let myself feel overwhelmed for a few minutes, then I remind myself why I’m here and get back to work.
I’ve learned that we are all far stronger than we think we are. Sometimes the only thing left to do is keep showing up and see what happens if you don’t quit.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Inspired Surfaces is a full-service flooring and tile showroom serving both residential and commercial projects throughout Northern Michigan. We specialize in hardwood, luxury vinyl, carpet, custom rugs, tile, and everything in between.
While we absolutely welcome homeowners, our biggest focus is working alongside interior designers and builders. We truly see ourselves as a design resource rather than simply a flooring retailer.
One thing that makes us different is that we don’t believe in selling products—we believe in helping people create homes they genuinely love.
People often walk in and ask, “What’s trending?”
I always tell them, “You are.”
The best homes aren’t the ones chasing trends. They’re the ones that reflect the people who live in them.
When someone tells me they have no idea where to start, I don’t immediately start showing products. I ask about their family, their lifestyle, their pets, the feeling they want when they walk through the front door. As they react to different materials and colors, I’m building a design profile in my head. Once you truly know your products and genuinely love people, helping someone find the right fit becomes incredibly natural.
Our tagline is “Curated for Northern Michigan,” and that’s intentional. What works in Atlanta, New York, or Los Angeles isn’t necessarily what works here. Northern Michigan has its own lifestyle, architecture, climate, and personality, and our showroom reflects that.
One of the things that sold me on Inspired Surfaces was actually the building itself. My office upstairs feels like a treehouse overlooking the property. The building has history, character, and a story of its own—and I think that’s exactly what makes it feel so special.
Most importantly, I hope every customer walks away feeling like they didn’t just visit a showroom—they spent an afternoon with a friend.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Build genuine relationships, not transactions.
Some of the greatest opportunities in my life have come because someone believed in me long before they had a reason to.
I’d also tell people to be themselves and, honestly, to be a little delusional.
Dream bigger than feels comfortable. Ask for the opportunity that seems impossible. If no one in your life thinks your dreams are a little crazy, you probably aren’t aiming high enough.
But dreaming big only works if you’re willing to work just as hard.
The difficult seasons are often preparing you for something much bigger than you can see at the time. Keep learning, keep showing up, and trust that the work you’re putting in today will eventually make sense.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inspiredsurfaces.net
