Shar Weinrauch

by Jane Kendall     
Photography by Jnan Marie Tierney

The year 1977 brought many unexpected changes into the life of Shar Weinrauch, a twenty-something, happily married, up and coming realtor living in Warren, Michigan. When a client offered her condo for a vacation on Hilton Head Island, Shar (pronounced share), and her husband David, jumped at the chance. A few months later, she found herself reluctantly packing up everything and moving to the Island to support David’s dream of living at the ocean and sailing his Hobie Cat. Upon arrival she applied for a job as a real estate agent. She was shocked to learn there were no realtor jobs for women. She was advised to apply for a secretarial position. With limited options at the time, she went to work for a local builder, where she created many connections, which opened doors to future opportunities.

In 1979 there were three television stations on the island and no TV guide. Shar bought a TV news guide franchise and published a weekly magazine entitled “TV News of Hilton Head.” Along with the daily television shows lineups, she interviewed intriguing locals and published their stories. She was astute in identifying what the Island needed that did not yet exist. She launched Paradise Promotions, created the first Hilton Head logo, designed and printed giftware and souvenir items, and set up a show room and marketed to local gift shops.

On a trip to Dallas for an ad specialty event in 1980, Shar turned on the TV in her hotel room. The local channel provided a looping infomercial about interesting attractions, restaurants and shops to consider while visiting the city. Shar took the idea and ran with it. She teamed with Tri-Com Productions and co-created similar content for a TV program called Shorelines, which was broadcast on closed circuit channels in local hotels and resorts. Her enthusiasm and expertise from advertising sales brought in the needed cash to grow this project. Without any formal training, Shar had developed talents in writing, promotions, graphic design, storytelling, advertising and sales.

Shar and David have always been a great team. In the mid ‘80s they decided to merge their talents into one business. Shar received a timely offer to sell her advertising company and began working full time with David in his expanding hair salon business. However, she found the odors of the hair and nail chemicals to be overwhelming and toxic. One day a client came in to get her nail repaired.  She handed Shar a “magic” air purifier and told her to try it for three days. Shar noted that it totally cleared the air of obnoxious smells.  Not only did she buy one, she created a partnership with the inventor and worked with him to design commercial applications for specific odors, then put together a sales team and began to market internationally.

In August 1997 Shar discovered a pea-sized lump in her left breast. Within five days it had enlarged to the size of a quarter. A breast biopsy confirmed breast cancer, even though her mammogram report from April 1997 had been normal. Shar underwent a lumpectomy. She was convinced that many years of toxic chemical exposure was at cause.  Rather than undergo standard follow-up treatments, she found an integrative medicine physician and turned to alternative healing modalities, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dietary modifications and alkaline water.  She purchased an alkalizing machine and an ozone air purifier. She learned that cancer cannot grow in an alkaline body. A thermography breast scan six weeks after the lumpectomy revealed no inflammation in the breast.  Since then, for the past 20 years, Shar has been travelling significant distances for her follow up scans, as thermography has not been available in this region.  Last February, Shar researched and purchased a mobile thermography machine, became a certified thermographer, and recruited a trained physician to interpret the scans. She says the technology is invaluable for detecting inflammation in any body part, often long before symptoms arise, and is especially useful when causes of problems cannot otherwise be identified. Her new business is Coastal Thermal Imaging, providing a roadmap for improving one’s health. Shar’s passion is to continue to live a healthy life and to educate and share alternative methods with others to promote healing and exceptional wellness.

UP CLOSE:

Family:  David, beloved husband of 47 years.  Furry companion—Bailey, a Wheaton terrier.   

Words to live by:  “Never Give Up!”

Greatest Gift: Ongoing encouragement from her Dad, her #1 cheerleader. “Baby you‘ve got what it takes and never forget that!”

Giving Back:  Shar has recently become a SCORE mentor to help other entrepreneurs.

More Information: www.BetterViewofYou.com