We were lucky to catch up with Anais Santoy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anais, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Jaelynn Rae Studio is the first makeup tutorial studio in San Antonio, Tx. It was created for women of all ages to learn how to do their makeup without judgment, just pure fun! The concept began when I wanted to celebrate my birthday in the company of my closest friends and family, learn something new, and create new memories while enjoying some music and wine! I wanted to attend a place where in-person makeup tutorials were tailored for women wanting to learn different makeup application techniques. My husband wanted to gift me that experience but came up short when he realized nothing like that existed for women in San Antonio. As a matter of fact, nothing like that existed anywhere in Texas! While cosmetology schools offer makeup assistance, they cater primarily to those seeking professional licensing, which demands time and financial commitment. Recognizing this gap, my husband and I soon realized the potential a business model that focused on teaching women the art of doing their own makeup could offer. Thus, Jaelynn Rae was born.

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?

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share a little about myself. My name is Anais Santoy. I have been happily married for 16 years to my high school sweetheart and have two amazing children. Seven years ago, I became a registered nurse and have since helped many people through difficult health situations. I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. I started my business, Jaelynn Rae, approximately two years ago. My business is named after my 4-year-old daughter. It makes me happy to be able to continue to serve people but in a different aspect. I would love to share this special endeavor with you all.

At Jaelynn Rae, we believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and within ourselves. Our mission is to empower women through makeup. We encourage women to feel at ease in their skin, recognizing that makeup merely enhances our innate beauty rather than being necessary. Moreover, we emphasize that anyone can acquire new makeup techniques regardless of age. For this reason, we became the first in-person makeup tutorial studio offering sessions to anyone wanting to learn how to do their makeup.

We offer different makeup look options. The ‘Everyday’ look focuses more on natural makeup selections, and the ‘Night Out’ look incorporates the art of face contouring and emphasizes darker eyeshadows. At the start of each session, we assist women in finding the perfect foundation match and set up their personalized makeup palettes suited to their skin type. A skilled makeup professional then leads the class, guiding participants step-by-step through the makeup application process. Samples of our own products, Jaelynn Rae Cosmetics, are included with each session. Full-size cosmetics are available at the studio and via our website. Our makeup products are high quality and equivalent, if not better, to other high-end makeup products. I invite you to check out our Google reviews to learn what our previous guests have said. Because we understand that everyone’s skin is different, guests are welcome to bring their own products if desired.

Guests can attend open seating, private group sessions, or virtual classes by reserving their seats using our user-friendly website to choose a convenient time and date. Our studio comfortably accommodates 16 guests, making it ideal for all celebrations.

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

My journey as a small business owner has been marked by determination and resilience when facing challenges. As a business owner, I have had moments of uncertainty and self-doubt. Because Jaelynn Rae is a one-of-a-kind business, there have been times when uncertainty creeps in about its potential—self-doubt about my abilities to continue pushing through even on slow days. At the beginning of my journey, the only people walking into my studio were people asking for directions or inquiring about nearby businesses. Now, I take those opportunities to inform them about my business and what we offer. If you are contemplating opening a business or are in the beginning stages, know there will be times when you question whether you are doing the right thing. As long as you stay true to your “why” and reason for starting your business, everything will fall into place. A small business owner’s journey is continuous; every day is a new opportunity to learn something different. I have learned to trust the process and believe that God wouldn’t have given me this opportunity if he knew I could not handle it.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

One of my favorite marketing stories has to be our Valentine’s Day challenge campaign. Because my studio is geared toward women, it is uncommon for men to stop by for a visit. As I was trying to put together a sale for the upcoming Valentine’s Day, my husband and I came up with the idea of inviting men to join one of our sessions with their partners. The concept of the challenge was for men to follow the directions of the makeup professional teaching the class and create the makeup look for their partner. This is how the ‘I Got You Babe’ challenge was created. When I first presented the concept to men to understand their opinions, two reactions were prevalent. The first reaction was laughter because it would be comical for them to try to do their partner’s makeup, stating their partners would never allow it. The second reaction was resistance because they were unwilling to participate in the challenge. Nevertheless, we continued the Valentine’s Day Challenge campaign, where couples would sign up to experience the challenge. The best couple would then win a cash prize after being voted the best by going live on social media. I am happy to say the turnout was impressive! We had so many positive reviews on the challenge, and the men now understood why we women take so long to get ready.! We decided to keep the ‘I Got You Babe’ challenge for couples who want to experience something different together, and it is now available on our website. Keep this challenge in mind for your next date night!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Jaelynnrae.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaelynnraecosmetics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jaelynnraecosmetics/