Eight Years, Eight Lessons
It’s the 8 years of blood, sweat, and tears for me! Last month, I celebrated my 8th LUXE Anniversary!
Who knew that this little shy girl from Queens would drop out of college and stumble upon a little side hustle that would give her the courage to chase her dreams? I started LUXE out of the trunk of my car with a lash bed and a little kit. Now I’m EIGHT years in with plenty of wins and losses behind me, but it’s only up from here!
EIGHT years. Eight incredible years with a community that has supported me beyond my wildest dreams. It feels so good to be able to give back and follow my dreams with a tribe who supports and trusts my vision every step of the way. Running a company is tough, but when you run it with love, nothing compares!
In honor of our eighth birthday, here are eight big things I’ve learned in business so far:
1. Be yourself! There’s a lot of competition out there, no matter what industry you’re in. Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re being outright copied! But as long as you stay true to who YOU are, you’ll have no competition.
2. Family and friends won’t always be your biggest supporters. They may actually be the people who doubt you the most. Whether that’s out of love, jealousy, concern, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. Find the people who believe in you and trust THEM with the behind the scenes of your rise.
3. Trust the process. Growth in business can be painful, and change is HARD but it’s GOOD! Trust that when things are feeling the most difficult, something great is just around the corner.
4. Don’t take ANYTHING personally! That whole “It’s not personal, it’s business” thing is a cliché for a reason! Remember that everyone is going through something, so if you keep it kind and positive, you might make a huge difference in someone’s life.
5. Image is everything! In the beauty industry especially, how we look and how we present ourselves to clients is so, so important. Plus, when you’re leading a team and running a business, you need to look the part and demand respect right from the start!
6. You’re only as strong as your team. Beauties, let me be the one to tell you . . . no one does it alone. Until you take the time to build a great team and pour into them, you will not grow.
7. You can’t (and won’t) please everyone. And that is OKAY! I spent many, many years trying to please everyone in my life from family and friends to clients and employees. It took a lot of tears and frustration before I realized that as a business owner, you have to make thoughtful, tough decisions and stick to them. You have to do what’s best for YOU and the business, and sometimes that simply cannot be what’s best for everyone else.
8. Self care is no longer an option — it’s a priority! I can tell you from firsthand experience that burnout is real, and it is DANGEROUS. It’s dangerous to your physical health, your emotional wellbeing, AND your business. Schedule your self care time like you would schedule any other meeting or appointment! It’s a non-negotiable if you want to succeed for the longterm.
So, what’s next for LUXE? I’ll give you a little hint: this fourth quarter is LITERALLY all gas, no brakes! I can’t wait to connect with more of you in the studio and bring you along for the LUXE journey!
Here’s to the next eight years and more!
Arielle