Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1498691
N ot a m e m b e r ? J o i n at a s so c iate d h a i rp rofe s sio n a ls .c o m 47 being on my own, I made $40,000. In 2019, I chose to raise my prices and specialize in extensions and color—I finally made it to the $100K club." Beauty's come a long way. As a business owner who specializes in luxury extensions and color, she's earned a sense of confidence that's admirable and enviable. This confidence follows her outside the salon. During our Indie Stylist of the Year photo shoot, we asked her which of her outfit options she felt most confident in. To our excitement, she responded, "All of them." We sat down with Beauty to learn more about her story and what advice she has for other hair professionals. Indie Stylist: When you first moved to Florida, you said you were only making enough for your rent and gas. What was going through your head at that point in your career? Beauty Smith: It was definitely a low point. When I moved to Florida, I knew I would have to start over, and instead of working for other companies, I thought to myself, "You know what, I've been doing this for seven years now, so why don't I just give myself a shot?" I held on to that idea—just give myself one year and see what happens. I felt like it had to work. There was no other plan. So that's what I planned on doing. [To get there, I was] working two jobs, which is totally not allowed in this industry. Thank goodness I was cool with my manager at the time, and I could be honest with her. At the same time, I was still doing my friends' and family's hair in my free time. I put my head down and did whatever I had to do to make it work. I was in full-on hustle mode, tunnel vision, laser-focused. I didn't really make too much profit. When I say I was making enough for rent and gas, that's all I had when my husband and I first moved to Florida. I had to make it work. I had to really sit with myself and realize this wasn't a money problem; it was a creative problem. I kept repeating that in my head. I still do today. I broke down my income into weekly rent, and then into days, and then into services. I told myself, "OK, I just have to do one sew- in or five blowouts a week to make this happen." That's sometimes how you have to break things down to make them work. IS: How did you keep yourself going when you were feeling overwhelmed or approaching burnout? BS: Age was on my side at the time. I was still in my mid 20s. Also, I want to be as transparent as possible: Everyone in my family went to college. My grandfather helped [the rest of my family] with tuition money. For me, he said, "I'm not helping you." I was the only grandchild who did not receive support because my career path was not approved of. So, for me, [what kept me going was the idea that] I'm going to prove them wrong. Failure was not an option. IS: Now that you've found success, has your family's opinion changed? BS: One thousand percent yes. I will never forget when my grandfather called me during maybe my fourth year in business. He said, "Granddaughter, I'm so proud of you." His tone changed—from feeling like he was saying, "You're on your own" to "If you ever need anything, let me know." IS: Once you finally had your suite, how did you build your business? BS: Just giving myself a shot. At the time, Facebook was still popular, so I made some sponsored ads. I would spend about $20 a week on ads. But the issue I was running into with my Facebook page was that people were asking for pictures. I was taking pictures and sending them via chat messages. So then when Instagram came around, I signed up. I showed up and posted every single day. Honestly, photo by jen anderson