Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Audrey De Vallois. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Audrey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

Last month, we participated in an event hosted by The Mom Economy in Dadeland Mall. The event was a holiday market and featured 18 mom-owned businesses. It was a wonderful way to meet other “mompreneurs” and was a great cause in which we all donated 20% of our proceeds from the event. The Mom Economy is an organization that raises funds for mom-owned business in order to provide maternity leaves for mothers. Unfortunately, the US economy does not help support mother-owned businesses by providing any sort of leave so I really loved this idea and was honored to be able to participate in event with such a great group of women!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi! I’m Audrey and I like to make people feel pretty! Everyone is beautiful and unique and I love to make people feel their absolute best with my services. I take great pride in providing very personalized service and my staff and I really get to know all of our clients. Whether it is eliminating embarrassing facial hair, shaping brows to their fullest potential or helping someone’s skin radiate, we really do everything we can to have our clients be happy with what they see in the mirror. There is nothing more beautiful than a happy person! I have been working in this industry for over 15 years. I began as an aesthetician in a hair salon and, after receiving my license for providing laser hair removal, moved to a more medical setting in a doctor’s office. I opened The Parlour in June of 2013 as a one-woman show and am now lucky enough to have a small group of amazing ladies working with me. We work so hard while enjoying each other’s company and nothing could be more amazing. This past year alone, they have helped me grow our YouTube channel (Auds_Beauty_Adventures) which showcases a lot of our treatments and some behind-the-scenes fun as well as start our very own medical grade skin care line, L’Élix. (www.lelixbeauteroyale.com)
The beauty of this industry (pun intended!) is that it is constantly changing and evolving. Because of that, there is always something new to learn and to provide for our clients.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The greatest need for change that I’ve encountered was becoming a mother. I quickly realized that working the late nights multiple times a week just wasn’t something I wanted anymore. Part of why I started my own business when I did (at 27, before I was married), was because I planned on having the flexibility to do what I wanted when this time came. The health of my business is of course a constant priority in my life and, because of that, I showed up 3 weeks post-partum to laser clients who had recently started packages so that I felt they were still getting the best service. But, babies come first and that means that I’m now strict with myself about only working late 1 day a week. While I did start working part-time pretty early after having both of my kids, owning my business allows me to navigate working and mothering pretty well. I am able to spend more time with my kids than a lot of other jobs would allow while still allowing me to do what I love. Like any business, things are constantly changing but I now always adapt to that change with my family as my #1 priority and I love that this business allows for that.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I really feel that owning any business at all shows resilience because no one is handing you anything. Even if people have helped you start what you have, you’re the one working the hardest to make sure it survives. And, if it thrives, you’re the one who feels the greatest sense of accomplishment from it. Of course, like with anything, you always hit a roadblock here and there but entrepreneurship means never letting these things tear you down. I’ve had a few nights where I wanted to give in and just go work for someone else but I never quit. The joy I get from growing my business is unparalleled to anything I could accomplish working for someone else. My parents have owned their business for 41 years and I grew up thinking all adults owned businesses so failure just isn’t an option. If you adapt and continue working hard, your business will survive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theparlourmiami.com / www.lelixbeauteroyale.com
• Instagram: @theparlourmiami / @lelix.beauteroyale
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9hxWYVJA890G4fWf9DqnA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-parlour-miami