We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kandi Halley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kandi , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
I was at home just fresh from quitting the everyday hustle and bustle of working in Corporate America while preparing to have my son! This was my second child (my first was 15 years old) and I was determined to stay home and experience motherhood for at least 2 years as I had to work 2 jobs with my first. Now married, my spouse and I agreed. However, soon after I gave birth I no longer wanted to stay home all day. I needed to feel like I was working and contributing. I decided to take a “lash class” and thought I’d do lashes here and there when I felt like it. I took the class, practiced lashing, and loved it! Then I started promoting for clients, having no idea I needed more that the certificate that I got in the class. 1-2 clients of people I knew a week turned into 5-6 a week then boom 5-6 a day of people I only knew from social media as I promoted. All of this lashing is going on from my living room at my house. I called my business “Thee House of Halley”! So boom, in my head I’m doing it up. I need a suite! I go get a suite, still with this certificate and lashing even more. Now I’m a year or more in this “business”. Side line: yes I was negligent and didn’t look up laws about what I really needed to run this business! All I know is I had a certificate, LLC, and a suite! Fast forward to a knock on the door from SC Board of Cosmetology stating I was reported for operating such business without the proper license. My world crumbled, but o couldn’t be but do mad because it was my fault for not looking beyond the “certificate”. I had to shut down immediately or be fined. So shut down it was. The next week took the time to find out what I truly needed and realized this was my passion so I applied to esthetics school. Just knowing I’d get financial aid I’m ready. That was short lived they denied me. They’d already exhausted funds to me when I received my BSHA & MBA. Hurt I went home crying to my spouse. In that same instance my spouse encouraged me to take the funds from our savings and pay for school. So there I was in esthetics school absolutely loved it! While on school I realized Thee HOUSE of Halley was no longer fitting because it was much bigger to me than at home, so that’s when K. Halley Esthetics was born! While I’m school I then worked on changing over my paperwork to have everything business wise legit to reflect Thee House of Halley but DBA K. Halley Esthetics. When I graduated I went directly into my own approx 120 square ft suite that I loveeeeeed for 2 years and on year 3, I jumped out on faith and am now in my own approx 1,200 sq ft salon with 4 treatment rooms (2 that I rent to other businesses), a sitting area, bathroom, and kitchenette area. I know not only provide lash extensions; I offer facials, body waxing, brow tinting, and more! It was a long journey but I’m glad I made it to where I am.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
KHalleyEsthetics offers an array of esthetic services to both men & women that aids in reaching ultimate relaxation and skin care goals through individual skin care regimens, body waxing, facials, and eyelash extensions. I have also just recently completed Methods of Teaching through Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and is now waiting testing to be a Licensed Esthetics Instructor and am looking forward to offering many classes. I take pride in helping her clients normalize where luxury meets necessity as it relates to self care! My goal is to simply provide top tier service, stay knowledgeable, provide value, and build quality professional relationships while making every client feel as beautiful as they can in their own skin!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
My most effective method has been business cards! Yes, I post on social media on my business page and in business groups, but business cards rule in my opinion. I give my cards out everywhere. Every time I’m in a store and pay for something, no matter the store or person as I hand my card/money I hand a card. Even if they put it down, someone else will see it. The goal is to get the card out and have people wondering about how they can get services so they then contact or look up your social media. My card is full color, has pics of my work, and it’s a little bigger than the average business card so the images are well seen. I also have a QR code for scanning to help easily get to my site. I always ask how a new client found me and the 1st answer is always referral & the second is business card! Which is very pleasing to me because I do not want social media to be the driving force behind my clientele.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I don’t think there’s any one book. All answers aren’t in 1 spot. I truly believe as a business owner and adult, we should always read to gain more knowledge. We must read to stay ahead or at least just to stay in “the game”. Reading is most certainly still fundamental, but most importantly it’s necessary.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khalleyesthetics/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1292926248315170&set=a.103279903946483&type=3
- Other: https://linktr.ee/khalleyesthetics