Tera Sercovich 

Doing What Makes Her Happy

By Meilissa Newman

For Tera Sercovich, her philosophy on life has always been simple:
Do what makes you happy. At age 33 and owner of one of Mandeville’s premier destinations for hair, nails, color and make-up—Element A Redken Salon—it is easy to see that she loves what she does.

Now a self-professed workaholic, Tera spent most of her childhood in Empire, a small fishing community in Plaquemines Parish. As a little girl, she enjoyed dancing and as her father proudly recalls “dressing up like a princess.” A definite girly-girl, it wasn’t unusual for Tera to have at least one doll in her hand at all times, many with ponytails she created. Laughing she admitted, “Maybe that’s how I got into hair.” Her father traveled a lot and would bring her back dolls from all over the world, a collection she still has today.
From an early age, Tera seemed destined to be in the beauty industry.

Her mother was a professional hairdresser and busy salon owner. “I loved watching my mom work,” said Tera. “When things got hectic, I would shampoo her clients’ hair. That was fun.”

At 13, Tera convinced her mother to let her model and actually took a trip to New York with a family friend to take classes. “It was a great experience. It was my first trip to New York, which I loved and is still my favorite place to visit. I also learned a lot about make-up and hair,” she added. Skills her teenaged friends happily benefited from. While attending Buras High School, Tera recounts, “I remember that everyone would meet at my house before a big dance. It was just like a salon. I would do make-up for one friend and hair for another. It was crazy.”