We were lucky to catch up with Charli Oquendo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charli, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I almost quit my business this past summer of 2022. I pondered on that thought a lot, “What would it be like to go back to a 9-5?” Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. It takes grit, dedication, and consistency. Motivation isn’t going to help you, because there will be many days you have to show up without an ounce of motivation. The thing that kept me going and brought me back was my why. The reason why I wanted my own business and didn’t want to go back to a regular job. My daughter. Financial freedom. The ability to provide a life for her filled with great school options and opportunities. Freedom to make my own schedule and be present when it’s important. That is what keeps me going.

Charli, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Charli, owner and artist at TaliRose Aesthetics. I got into doing Microblading when my daughter was just a couple months old. I couldn’t fathom the thought of going back to a job where someone else controlled my schedule, so I took a risk. It wasn’t planned or something I had always dreamed of going into, it just happened to be something available so I took a risk and gave it shot. It took me MONTHS to grasp the concept well enough to even begin working on actual faces and eyebrows. I was terrified, the future of peoples faces was literally in my hands. But eventually I become more comfortable, and grasped the technique. Then comes Nano Brows, a more advanced technique that is suitable for far more client than Microblading. I told myself I HAD to learn it. It was extremely challenging to say the least. That is what lead me to almost quitting my business. I was pushed to my limit and was getting so burnt out. After taking way too long of a set back I forced myself to keep going. Discipline is key in making anything work that you set out to do. If you can’t discipline yourself enough to show up, it will never happen. And the chances of it never happening if you consistently show up are slim. I am current the only artist here in Savannah offering the Nano Brow technique to new clients and I believe that really gives me a leg up in the industry. I truly help give women their confidence back, it’s amazing how much eyebrows can really change someone’s appearance. I have the best clients and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve gotten through these past 3 years in business. I truly wouldn’t be here without all of my beautiful clients.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Don’t get too comfortable. As a business owner a paycheck everyday is not guaranteed. There will be good times and there will be many obstacles to overcome. I thought the more successful I got the more I could relax and enjoy it. And while more money gives you the freedoms to do more things, bigger levels of success also brings bigger levels of problems. The important thing is finding balance in enjoying your hard while also continuing to progress forward and continuing to grow and sustain what you have. I got comfortable when I almost quote my business, I had money saved up and I thought I was good. But that dwindles FAST and I left myself in a position I never want to be in again.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Being a single mom there is a lot of pivoting involved. And one thing I am currently working hard on creating is an online academy for other permanent makeup artists in the industry to gain resources and knowledge that I believe is lacking from a lot the training options out there. With how unpredictable life can be sometimes with a toddler, transitioning into the online space for another source of income would be a tremendous step up for me in my career, and provide more security for the days where I am unable to preform physical services.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.taliroseaesthetics.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/talirose.aesthetics