(printed with excerpts, with permission, from The Hartwell Sun)
Entrepreneur Sharon Swint saw a need this lake community had, dove in head first, and now her service business is on fire with repeat customers and a steady stream of referrals.
Her business, Lake Life Concierge, fills the gap that most rural communities have with no Uber drivers, taxis, business couriers or reliable delivery services. She does all that and more…picking up (or dropping off) clients from the Atlanta, Greenville and Ashville airports; delivering them to doctor’s appointments; taking them grocery shopping; doing deck/dock/patio prep for part time residents; providing elderly care, and much more.
Given that this is a high energy, hustle and bustle business, it’s not surprising that Swint thoroughly enjoys caretaking. She truly has a servant’s heart, and a genuine love for this community.
“If I had to choose one aspect of my job, elderly care would be my first choice,” she said. “Not
having aging parents of my own, God has filled that void with each elderly client I have served. Second choice would be the airport pick-ups/drop-offs. I get to meet people who have never been to my hometown and to share what Hartwell has to offer never gets old.”
Swint said the main mission of Lake Life Concierge is to handle the needs of clients in a timely and professional manner, and to offer services that some people are accustomed to in larger cities.
The first semblance of her business took shape about 12 years ago when she drove a private limo for a man who owned a lake home here. "From time to time he would contact me to meet a contractor or have me run an errand,” she said. “When finding myself unemployed after several jobs I decided to turn that concept into a full-time business. God has blessed me by taking all of my strengths in previous jobs and created a business just for me.”
The result: Swint is now a successful self-employed entrepreneur and she said she has God to thank “first and foremost.”
“My faith is very important to me,” she said. “And when you give of yourself to help people, you are the one who is blessed. Am I exhausted by the end of a 12- or 14-hour day? Yes, absolutely. Several people have asked, ‘Where do you get your energy from?’
“I tell them, ‘From the fountain of life’ - Proverbs 16:22."
Family is very important to Swint, who is the proud mother of Stewart Habel and Abby Habel, both
Hart County High School graduates. She’s married to David Swint and has two wonderful step children along with their wives, Sam and Courtney Swint and Joe and Clara Swint. Husband David recently left his place of employment to join Sharon and give her growing business the support it needs.
As you can imagine, Sharon has endless stories about what happens “at work” that could easily top the funniest, most interesting or most bizarre office scenarios:
The American Legion once asked me to take 10 girls to Valdosta State this past summer. Only two had heard of or ever been to a Buc-ee's. When stopping in Macon, I had the girls set their alarm on their phone for one hour. It was nice sharing that experience with them. Once I had clients ask to stop at a liquor store. When pulling up, there was a lawnmower pulled right up to the door. Someone walked out with a brown paper bag in hand, sat down on the mower, and drove away. Not every day you see that.
I was driving ladies to a few wineries in the Northeast Georgia Mountains. By the second one, they were so tipsy, there was no way they could have made it to the final destination on their list.
I had a client give me the address to her doctor. Once we arrived for her appointment, she learned that she was at the wrong doctor that day!
Had the pleasure of taking four exchange students from Servia, Greece to the Atlanta Airport. They attended Tallulah Falls School. They were quiet until I asked them to choose the music we listen to. I offered that they put on music in their language. It definitely allowed them to open up after that.
I've had gentlemen want to stop on the side of I-85 to urinate after drinking all night. Easy for them so I've pulled over numerous times. Once there was a guy that went right in front of the headlights and did his business for all to see.
The craziest thing I was asked to do was come in with the couples to a strip club. They dared me to place a dollar in the strippers strap of which I took them up on the dare.
The closest celebrity I've had the opportunity to pick up is a well-known dress designer for Jovani. Her name is Julie DuRocher. Google her. She visits Dressing Dreams in Hartwell a few times a year, creating custom dresses for their customers.
Swint has already made inroads with several regional companies in the area, establishing Lake Life Concierge as a “go to” service.
I’ve had the opportunity to work for companies like Fun Spot, Purina, Alberici, Symmetry Financial Group, and ASI Southwest …bringing in or taking back their executives to the surrounding airports,” she adds. “Often times these clients are from larger cities in other countries. They are not used to our slower pace of life here. So I get to help properly adjust their expectations of life in the south, on the lake,” she adds with a smile.
It's obvious Sharon enjoys her work, and even more obvious she’s very good at what she does.
Services at Lake Life Concierge include:
Airport shuttling to ATL, GSP and Ashville
Dock/outdoor furniture prep
Grocery shopping
Doctor appointment rides Sunset Boat tours / cruises
On-site maintenance supervision
Designated driving by boat/car
Event planning
For more information contact Swint at 770.530.0051 or email her at lakelifeconcierge@gmail.com
