We recently connected with Brandon Prowell and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I always enjoyed watching other business owners be great, and I knew pretty early on that I wanted to on my own business. I had no idea what that would look like in life lead me to where my business currently looks like with time.

While I do like to plan and calculate, sometimes in life, I have been known to just go! That is exactly how I started. I had a vision board and did not possess the clearest execution strategy, but I just went for it. And hind sight I would encourage any new entrepreneur to save money and do it the correct way. That means consulting with those that are experts in the areas you need assistance like accounting, legal, financial planning, and other subject matter experts, within the industry that you were looking to enter.

So the beginning of my career as a business owner was a lot of trial and error, and just figuring it out. I definitely had some amazing guidance along the way, but I definitely learned a lot as I went along….And wasted a lot of money and time which for a business owner is money also.

Oh, every year I continually challenge myself and my business to not just keep up, but to predict and stay ahead. Are the world changes faster than ever before so it is crucial to become good at preempting challenges, and predicting what the next wave is while staying true to your business is core values and your own.

To move from the initial phases can take courage and, and one of the most important lessons that I have learned is that “you must ask the right questions”…. Kind of like the Matrix [laughs].

A part of me asking the right questions was finding a team of like-minded individuals that are aligned with my goals. Constantly immersing yourself in education so that you can stay current and grow. Finally, professional authenticity in a world with so many pretending will always reward those you service or want to attract and yourself.

Brandon, 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?

I am the owner of The Brandon Experience. On the surface, my brand is beauty related. I own two salon locations, one on the east side of Cleveland in Mayfield Heights and one on the west side in Westlake.

I am also an educator, mentor, pretend therapist, contact, creator, marketer, face of my brand, artist… you see where I’m going. I wear quite a few hats, and I am learning to give attention to the hats that not only generate income, but also drive my passion.

My business prides itself on creating a unique experience. We love people and want our business to feel like that every single day. Our take on the beauty industry is not only focused on the external, but also internally when an individual feels good, their external beauty radiates, in a much different way.

Our current focus is health and wellness associated with beauty, and what that involves is seeking out ways to promote an overall healthier lifestyle, physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. Many seem to be riding the “natural” wave right now, attempting various diets, shifts in eating habits, exercise, minimizing harmful chemicals. Some are even removing plastic surgery or shortening their lash extensions to appear a bit more natural or foregoing having hair extensions. It is important as a business owner for me to adjust as my target audience adjusts as well to support that.

A part of our success has been learning that we are not for every person and every person is not for us. I am very serious about protecting the environment that we have created because it is what makes us different. We actually will speak to you on the phone. We try to reply to all messages. Social media sometimes hides things in new places like every other day it seems but we are doing our best to keep up. I mention that because while we utilize online booking for convenience, we also are here to support and help. I always tell our clients if you look online and don’t see something that works for you. Please reach out to us and we will do the best that we can to help. Sometimes it is not possible, but if it is, we make it work.

My upbringing grounded, me in love and I hope that all of my clients feel that as well. Things do not always work out in business, not all will find your business a good fit. Some do not want to follow established policies which allow your business to operate efficiently, effectively and profitably because it doesn’t work for their lifestyle. I want people to be satisfied and realize it is not personal when this happens. It is exactly what I stated prior…business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I got on social media first for personal usage and then the business side came later. In my mind, I imagined that everything that I presented online need it to reflect perfection in a very manicured and professional way but then I realize later that what attracts clients to me is not perfection but me being myself, it is relatable.

Perfect is boring on social media, authenticity gives people something to connect with. I grew my business without a heavy social media presence, and now I am using social media to take my business to the next level in a different way. I would tell anyone to remember, how you treat people drives your business… all of the likes, and follows in the world, do not necessarily represent income.

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

In 2020 along with so many others, I found myself unemployed for the first time in my entire life. rather than focusing on what was going wrong with the world and my business. At that time it gave me the opportunity to pause and think on what I really wanted my business to look like.

Upon returning to business operation in an in person and physical way, I had a completely different mindset. That mindset at that time is what is shaping the growth and expansion that my business is having today. When obstacles arise in business, which they absolutely will your ability to pivot is what is going to make or break you

Contact Info:

• Website: Thebrandonexperience.com
• Instagram: @thebrandonexperience
• Facebook: Brandon Prowell
• Youtube: @thebrandonexperience
• Other: TikTok: @thebrandonexperience

Image Credits
Photographer: Andrey Boltyansky – Swanky Bolt Studios