About Me

I am Maria Rumpke Owner of Sulit Salon and Wig Loft. I have been Empowering people through - beauty for 30 years. I have been in the beauty industry working, teaching and innovating most of my life. I have owned my own Salon for most of those years. I have a passion for helping people create their Own version of beauty. I have trained and educated myself all over the world. I have been fortunate to work in many exciting cities such as Chicago, New York. Now, with my extensive knowledge and love of the beauty industry and the technology powered by Follea, I am partnering with a company based out of Newport Beach, California. I am so excited to create and innovate with you on your journey to beautiful hair and wig needs.

I live in Cincinnati Ohio and when I am not working …I am bustling around with my Husband and children helping them live their best life. I am most happy hanging with my lively and vivacious family and friends. Traveling to different places is the love of my life. It energizes and relaxes me.

MY passion and vision- Empowering through beauty. Taking my passion and extensive knowledge of the beauty industry and infusing my desire to help anybody and everybody that wants or needs to enhance their hair or heal with a Sulit wig (powered by Follea technology.) Whether you just love fashion and want to try new styles, transitioning, religious beliefs or if you are having current or lifelong health challenges like I have had. I want to be your fashionista - Friend, light in the dark, your beacon to help you through your journey. Hopefully have some much - needed fun along the way……

My story- My passion to create Sulit started well, it feels like it has always been brewing in the background of my life somehow. Ok…… When I was pregnant with my daughter 11 years ago which in itself was no easy undertaking for me, they highly encouraged me to get the H1N1 shot …what happened next would change the course of my life and flip it upside down forever. And eventually lead me here.

I was getting ready for my baby shower with two little boys running around. I went to ask my husband if “wearing chandelier earrings were too much” (uhh no never lol) and I couldn’t talk for a second. I was thinking that’s odd. Then at my baby shower I kept slurring my words and obviously was not drinking! Although at this point in time I could have used one lol.

They gave me steroids and assured me I would be ok… nothing to worry about. Which for about a week was true until……...my eyes started drooping and I was rushed to the hospital…..A doctor came in and told me I was having a myasthenia gravis crisis ( look it up very scary ) they said we have to send you to another hospital where they can watch you and the baby!! This was only the beginning (my daughter, Gabriella is fine thank God) …the next 10 years was hospital visits, multiple surgeries going to every specialist that would try to help. I was doing plasma pheresis, IVIG, kept operating. nothing would work. I was going through this while trying to keep my own business afloat and raising three kids, I would get up and take about a handful of meds, go to the hospital at 5:30 am to get treatment. Dialysis or ivig. (My amazing family helped with kids) then go work for 8-10 hours trying to hold my business together that I had worked so hard to create. Most important trying to be to be a great mom. It was a beautiful disaster!!! This was my life until finally I got into Cleveland Clinic which would be my second home. I was constantly going back and forth. They did an explorative surgery and while I was under, they came out and told my husband. “She has cancer” that they didn’t get or see in her last surgery…I didn’t even know I had it. Sidenote my mom had pancreatic cancer at the same time of my surgery and was dying at home in Cincinnati. I had to get back to her fast. I woke up and my husband told me. “You have cancer”. I was like yes…..hell yeah. YOU KNOW YOU ARE SICK WHEN YOU ARE EXCITED TO HAVE CANCER..... Finally, an answer. Let’s do this. They said no chemo just radiation phewwwww

I came back from my recovery a week early to be with my mom. My dad said don’t expect your mother to say anything she has been non - responsive for four days. I slowly entered my Moms room. My Dad said, “Maria is here”. She sat up opened her eyes and said, “she loved me and that she had been waiting”. My dad almost fell over in amazement as did I! I laid with her and just held her … saying “I love you. You are the most amazing mom”. Over and over. My mom died that night she waited for me… (hardest time in my life)

I thought to myself well this has to be the end of my health journey they found it … NOPE not even close… mourning my mom now more determined than ever to beat this I Would pull through somehow. Not knowing that the hardest fight was yet to come. It wasn’t done with me. Yet This leads me to a year and a half ago. Still working to hold onto my business and Momming the best I could. I would Wake up and take a first a fist full of medications, Self - talk, you got this keep going, keep going. I was not feeling great at work one day and all of the sudden my vision got blurry ohhh noooooo. My autoimmune had flared up why why why. I need my ivig (that was a treatment that had helped before.) Guess what there is a shortage. You can’t have it…. wait what. a shortage… how could this be. .no answer why either. Scared and getting sicker I was calling everywhere to find treatment. This was unthinkable to me, but I am strong. I will get it… keep going I was at my son’s birthday party and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. This isn’t good!!!! Back into the Hospital I go…this was the scariest of all the times not breathing great and no treatment. Now with me on a ventilator and getting worse they had to pull resources and find medication. It was scarce so if you got some well it was because it didn’t look good for you!!! They did scans and came back and said there is something in the lining of your lung we need to biopsy it. “It could be scar tissue from your three previous surgeries.” They said I don’t have the luxury of thinking “it’s probably nothing” I let people say this to me to make THEM feel better…I knew…I knew the cancer was back and this time it wasn’t going to be as easy. I thought to myself it has taken ten years of my life. I have one great battle left in me. I would reflect on every movie, poem, saying, book, thought and sensation to get through. I would call on every family member, friend, religious figure, to pray for me. God, budah, ala.. ..lol lol whoever wants to come to this party, bring it. My family that passed, my Mom. I need everyone and I don’t like always asking for help but…..I knew I needed it this time.

As the nurse came in and said what I already knew. “You have a mass in the lining of your lung” we have to do chemotherapy and a lot of it!!! You will also need a Laprotomy to remove whatever is left of the tumor. Here we go…. The next thoughts and questions led me here to what I feel is somehow my Destiny….. Not to be dramatic but considering what I have been through. I think I deserve it. lol Lol clearly my first thought was I am a warrior lets fight but…..very close second was…. WHAT ABOUT MY HAIR…. let me say it again WHAT ABOUT MY HAIR!! Lol

They had nurses and social workers in there to help. They looked at me with a puzzled look and said “don’t worry about your hair you should just worry about surviving” Yes, they said this to me. wait what…. I thought I am not allowed to do both. I can’t want to survive while simultaneously wanting to look like myself, you want me to not want to feel beautiful and secure, to have my kids not recognize me, have my clients know or NOT know if I don’t want them to. GO to every football and soccer game bald. You don’t need to worry about it echoed in my head like a loud drum. They said it a few times which tremendously pissed me off- and fired me up. I wondered how many other women were told this very same thing and I had a sudden quiet moment where I felt for every women/person that had ever been in this situation. They handed me a flimsy brochure with very little information. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE…. I thought. This is when my passion started to ignite. This is not going to work for me or any other woman/person in this situation. I couldn’t believe it!! So, know I have to start chemotherapy and radiation and will lose my hair in three weeks and counting. I have absolutely no idea on where to get a good WIG!! This ignited my passion even further. I started vigorously looking online. I was looking for anything and everything. I was confused, scared and pissed lol. “I am in this industry” I thought how can this be so hard. I made a appointment with the one place in my area that catered to wigs that didn’t look like a costume store lol. Online was just so confusing the wigs looked ok but then I read the reviews.. “so expensive and fell apart in a week”. “Looked great but then completely tangled and I didn’t know what to do with it”. Over and over. Omg how am I ever going to know what to get and how? With my knowledge of the beauty industry, why can’t I find a wig that I trust? I emailed and called dozens of companies, but nothing made me feel remotely comfortable. The thought of putting my health and hard-earned money to them was just terrifying. I thought I am going to be bald!! Lots of tears and frustration. I went to my appointment at a very reputable company. I went with my dad and best friend. (Side-note: I have the upmost respect for this company it didn’t work for me. They help many women

We are in the waiting room. Maria come on back… I looked up and what I saw shook me. The women who came out to help me with my “perfect wig” was …. Wearing a horrible wig and I gasped and looked at my best friend who is also an amazing stylist. As the women turned around, I whispered omg I can tell she is wearing a wig

Nooooooo this isn’t good lol. I teared up a bit on the way in already a bit defeated. The next hour I tried on the most horrible wigs with thick scalps, wrong colors, texture not even close to mine. Again, not the companies’ fault at all. They are awesome there is just so little out there that is ‘WORTH IT’ Laughing and crying my dad and best friend watched me struggle to make a decision.

The woman said.” I have a wig on.” I couldn’t contain myself. “I KNOW!” I BLURTED out She left the room, and I was laughing crying, my dad and best friend doing the same. We all looked at each other like wow ... this is what is out there. I knew then that I had a new PURPOSE AND PASSION. A different lady walked in and said “I am the manager” and We have one more to show you!! They gave me a disheveled looking wig that had the worst haircut…but….the scalp looked at least real. A glimpse of hope came across my face and a breath of relief from my father and best friend.

I looked at them and said “ I think I can work with this ?” I quickly looked at who made the wig and left. Excited but nervous I called the company. The phone rang and they answered …I tearfully told her MY STORY and my journey to find a beautiful wig and how there is nothing out there. Not even close to the technology of the Follea wig. We talked for hours over the next few days. She assured me that this was one of the most life like and handcrafted wigs on the market. My husband and my rock would come down and look at me in relief as I had found a new sense of hope. Hope that I can now face this head on with my WIG HELD HIGH lol.

WE decided at that moment I had to be a part of the vision and innovation to help everyone that needed a wig. To make sure no one had to go through the emotional journey that I endured!! This is when I decided I would incorporate wigs into my life passion. It turns out that COVID would fast forward this as I could not go back to my business between cancer and covid I could no longer be in the Salon. Which gave me the time and energy to create my newfound vision to help.

One day while trying to motivate myself for the fight I had up ahead. Something I love do is look up words from different languages. I love beautiful words and their meanings. It is an inspirational resource. As I know people and women all over the world are struggling in one way or another. Looking at these words in different languages somehow makes me feel part of something bigger. That we all over the world are living, struggling and loving together.

One day I came across the word SULIT and its Meaning and it shook me to my core. (ADJ) ‘something that is worth it’ and I thought back to being in the hospital bed and being told don’t worry about your hair. You should worry about other things. The drum beat in my head started again. And… something that is worth it came out. I AM WORTH IT, YOU ARE WORTH IT, THE WIG IS WORTH IT, MY SENSE OF PEACE IS WORTH IT, MY CHILDRENS SENSE OF PEACE IS WORTH IT , ME JUST WANTING TO FEEL PRETTY IN A CANCER BATTLE IS WORTH IT, NOT TELLING OR TELLING PEOPLE IS WORTH IT. LIFE IS WORTH IT. I BOUGHT MY WIG AND IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE for my calm and my mental strength through this…..

I BEAT MY 10 YEAR BATTLE with CANCER AND I AM IN REMISSION- I couldn’t have done it without the love, patience and laughter of family and friends. The doctors who helped me fight…...MY BEAUTIFUL WIG--it gave me mental strength and confidence

I HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS JOURNEY SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO. I HAVE ENDURED, CRIED, AND FOUGHT BACK TO HEAL AND FIND THE PERFECT WIG. I CAN HELP YOU THROUGH This JOURNEY FROM BEGINNING TO END WHATEVER YOUR NEEDS ARE. Best of all I can take this off your plate. We can talk our way through. Whether you need me once for your hair and wig needs or have lifelong wig needs. “I am your person” Don’t you love when you find your stylist “person” and now Wig Specialist. I can be a lifelong advocate or a brief light of hope in your wig journey!

VIRTUALLY – online
I will help you find which one is best suited for you
I will walk you through fitting it to your head
I will walk you through combs, brushes, pins that you will need
I will custom color to make it look exactly how you envision – purchase color packages I can refresh, style, and help your styling needs
I can cut the lace in the front of the wig if you wish.
I can possibly help you get your money back. (Look into the Women’s Health Care ACT) I DID!! I can be a friend……….
LET’S BUY A WIG………

Love and light,
Maria Rumpke
SULIT SALON AND WIG LOFT
We are: (ADJ) something that is worth it!!