We were lucky to catch up with Brooke Kennedy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brooke, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I worked in project Management in the Electrical Industry and our largest account was Boeing. I had a good salary, great benefits, weekends and holidays off, only a 40-hr work week and I was finished at 3pm each day. I was good at my job but I wasn’t fulfilled. I had to do some soul searching to figure out what I wanted to do for years to come. I was a server at a high end restaurant through college and enjoyed taking care of guests. I created an experience for them and anticipated their needs. I loved seeing regulars and building relationships. During that time, I also saw an esthetician every 5-weeks for services. I was the inquisitive client always asking questions. I was intrigued by the esthetics industry. I studied molecular cell biology in college so trichology was of interest to me. As well as how ingredients affect our cells, cosmetic chemistry, root causes of skin conditions, helping people feel confident in their skin and more. Going to esthetics school seemed like a great path for me BUT I would be leaving a career with job security and a great salary plus benefits. Questions arose like “Would my family be disappointed with me going to a trade school?” “Where would I work after I graduated esthetics school?” “Would I like the industry as much as I hoped?” “Will I be able to pay my bills upon graduating? The school was full time and only 6-months. Upon graduating, you take your state boards to become licensed in WA state. I went back to the Food & Beverage industry so I could go to Esthetics school during the day and work at the restaurant in the evenings. 6-months went by very quickly and I was fortunate to graduate in 2012 at the top of my class. There wasn’t a spa in Issaquah (where I live) that I wanted to work at. And I didn’t want to commute because I already did that when I was going to the various Boeing campuses. So I decided I was going to open my own business as a solo practitioner in a made over storage closet in a hair salon. The space was 7 1/2’ x 8 1/2’ and the rent was inexpensive. The owner of the hair salon was kind and supportive. Everyone who worked there, however, were Cosmetologists not Estheticians so I was on my own. I was starting with zero clientele, had recently moved to a new city because I got married after I graduated, I was a new business owner, I didn’t have a business plan and I had never worked in a spa. I didn’t have a mentor either as skin and hair are very different. To drum up clients, I mingled with the salon clients, I joined a local networking group, I had my Yelp page set up and I offered sugaring services which weren’t super available in my area. I worked six days per week and 12-hour shifts. I built a lovely reputation and a full book of clientele. I knew it was time to expand. So in 2016 I leased a new space that is 1300 square feet and did a complete design-build. Suite B Hair & Skin Lounge was born. Permits took a very long time, our case work was delivered damaged and not “custom” as promised, furniture didn’t fit, dimensions were off, the next door business caught on fire twice and has a major water leak. It was rough. But we opened our doors to guests in February 2018 and now have 12 team members. Owning a business hasn’t been easy. I’m the CEO, the CFO, the COO, the manager and HR individual in addition to seeing clients 72-hours/week. I worked 90-100 hours/week until just recently. I’m ready to work “on” the business verses “in” it like I have. Still so much to do but we have created something very special. And we’ve won the Best of Issaquah for Spa and Hair services as well as Customer Service the last two years. I’m also a multi award winning esthetician in The Skin Games for the Acne, Holistic, Open and Open Medical categories. I get to the join the expert panel of Skin Games judges next year. This has been a rewarding journey. I absolutely LOVE what I do and I have the most amazing clients. I’m constantly learning and constantly challenging myself.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I gave my back story in the previous question. But to add, I’m a Master Esthetician and Spa Owner. We offer full hair services (color and cuts), waxing and sugaring hair removal, facials and advanced skincare treatments, skin revision treatments, lash & brow tinting, lash extensions, lash lifts, spray tanning and body treatments. Our team is oncology trained which means we have the products, knowledge and techniques to help those undergoing cancer treatments. We care about personal health and the earth and partner with companies who share the same mission. We use sugar which is all natural, biodegradable gloves, partner with companies like Luna k’ai lash who work to reduce single plastic use and truly care about Mother Earth We love being a part of our community and support local businesses.

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

I shared in the very first question I answered how I’ve shown resilience. Our design/build had many challenges. Permits took an extremely long time, case work arrived broken and had to be pieced together. Measurements in the space were incorrect and therefore we lost profit centers. Also, when we were building out the spa and experiencing those challenges, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. And we opened our doors in February 2018 but had to close for 83 days in March 2020 due to Covid. This was challenging for all businesses and individuals as we know. Plus we needed to implement new ways of doing things when we reopened.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Google, Yelp and referrals/word of mouth have been HUGE for us. Also, we were one of the very few businesses to offer sugaring hair removal in our area. It’s all natural, more gentle on the skin and yields excellent results. Clients seek it out. We are also a team of passionate individuals and we want all of our guests to feel valued. We enjoy building relationships with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.suitebhairandskin.com
• Instagram: @suitebhairandskin
• Facebook: Suite B Hair & Skin Lounge
• Yelp: Suite B Hair & Skin Lounge