We were lucky to catch up with Jhanea Epps recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jhanea, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

In June of 2020 I finally decided to take a chance and love myself, I was done with my own excuses. I thought I wasn’t worthy of self love which sounds crazy right? but on my journey I began to learn that so many other people struggled with this very same thing. The more I worked on myself, loving who I WAS completely the way I was created inside and out gave me so much purpose to become a vessel for others but through the art of beauty. Ive always loved beauty doing hair, makeup, nails anything in the world of beauty I’ve tried at one point in my life lol but nothing compared to the feeling of purpose I received by being able to own my very own business focusing on enhancing someones natural beauty. My goal is to help women and men build up self love and confidence by enhancing and helping them recognize the beauty that already lies within them. We hide our natural selves to fit societies “beauty standards” but I want to create a new one, one that says its ok to be natural and still love yourself. I focus on beauty because a persons outward appearance can help them to formulate an identity, such as how brows help to shape the face, and can transform a person with a simple arch. Or, how lashes can draw you to a persons eyes, which can be filled with passion and love, and how the perfect lips can simply give you the confidence to speak up for yourself. Our faces are what identifies us, and by loving what you see in the mirror back at you is what creates confidence. Self love is how we take our power back ♡

Jhanea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jhanea ( Ja-nay) but many people call me Nea (nay). I started in the beauty industry at 18 years old as a freelance makeup artist because I had a desire to make women feel and look beautiful, which is when NeaMUA was born. In 2016, I was enrolled in my freshman year of college but quickly decided that was not the route I wanted to take, nor was it the future I envisioned for myself. I later enrolled in a facial specialist/ makeup artistry program to become a licensed esthetician because it was better aligned with the dreams I saw for myself and the plans I wanted for my life. Durning my time in school I was employed as a freelance makeup artist for MAC cosmetics. Durning this time I was able to hone in and perfect my skills all while building up a clientele. While in school I was also introduced to a variety of different beauty techniques and services, including waxing and brow shaping; and this is where my love for the art was born. After my graduation in 2017 I got a job as a waxing specialist at a well known facility in order to further enhance my skills. During this time I continued working as a freelance artist at MAC Cosmetics, in addition to providing services for weddings, special events and parties. I maintained these 3 jobs for about 2 years before deciding to focus solely on waxing and bridal parties .

Fast forward to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic where I was furloughed from my job at the waxing studio and left without pay or a second thought. That experience really opened my eyes to a reality that I never imagined would happen to me, or was even possible. It made me realize that sometimes in business, it’s never meant to be personal, however, for the one being affected, it’s always personal. You start to realize just how much you can matter in the grand scheme of things in a large corporation, when profit or finances come into play. This made me realize just how much I wanted to be my own boss because if I couldn’t depend on anyone else, I could always depend on myself. Honestly, the pandemic was actually the best thing that could’ve happened for me. While everyone was upset to be stuck in the house I was over the moon excited because this meant no distractions, no excuses, no deterants. During these 2 months without pay it allowed me time to really think and get myself together; to finally take care of ME and to come up with a plan that I could put into action to follow my dreams.

That May when my job opened back up, I returned due to being under contract. However, I was BEYOND miserable, and I wanted my freedom back! So, on July 1st, 2020 I took the biggest leap of faith in my life.. I quit my job and created my own business and brand…NeaMUA Beauty, LLC. I was terrified! I knew absolutely nothing about running a business full time. All I knew is that I didn’t want to fail. I COULD’NT FAIL! Despite the fear, I was excited and felt free again. I felt free because I was in control of my own future, and no one could just suddenly decide to snatch it away.

Over time and while on my own self love journey, my brand and business continued to progress and transform, all while transforming the lives and appearances of my clients as well. Now in 2022 my brand is slowly but perfectly coming together the way I envisioned it to be, I am crafting her to be something so much more in this community. I currently focus on deluxe natural brow, wax and lash lift services, as well as Brazilian waxing, however, would love to incorporate hydrating lips services, as well as natural permanent makeup styles in the near future.

Durning this entire entrepreneurial journey, I have found self love and confidence within myself and I want to be a vessel to share that with as many souls as this universe will allow me to touch. I help women and men find confidence by enhancing their natural beauty and encouraging self love ♡

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Being my authentic self, people admire real. While on this journey Ive made it my mission to show up as me everyday unapologetically, spreading love and light throughout my business. I do this by having conversations and connecting with my clients, which can be so beautiful because you began to learn why your paths have crossed.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

YES, three of my favorite books are Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. These books have completely changed my life, teaching me so much not only about business and money but simply about life and choices. I highly recommend reading all three!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vagaro.com/neamuabeauty
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/neamuabeauty?utm_medium=copy_link