Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aundrea Lofton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Aundrea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Being a business owner has honestly been the highlight of my life. Don’t get me wrong, it is HARD, but it is extremely rewarding. SinceI was in my twenties, I knew that I was meant to be an entrepreneur. The freedom of being an entrepreneur is what I love the most. When you work a regular 9-5, you have certain rules that you have to abide by and ask permission to be off work to take care of things. I don’t like that at all. I want to be able to get business taken care of without having to be told who, what, when, where, why, and how. I like to live life without limits. I follow the rules when applicable, but if I have the option of making the rules, that’s the route I’m going to take. I’m not going to pretend that being a business owner is this glamorous lifestyle all the time, because it is not. The only thing that I liked about having a regular job was the steady paycheck. I knew every two weeks that money would be deposited into my bank account. Working for myself, I really have to put in the work and the time and that does not always mean money in my pocket everyday. Business owner sounds nice and looks great on paper, but it also means that sometimes you don’t make a dime.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I accidentally started Boujie Body in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. While attending esthetics school in 2018, one of my classmates had a body care line and I would buy body butter from her. Unfortunately, she passed away about a month after we started school. One day, I was sitting at home thinking of ways to supplement my income and making body butter ran across my mind. I instantly ordered one bottle of fragrance oil and some shea butter. I did some research and found a whipped body butter recipe that I thought I would be able recreate. The result was a small jar of whipped body butter. I was so proud of myself and like most people, I ran to post it on my Facebook page and the rest is history. Since then, I have added whipped body scrub, shower gel, and men’s beard care, just to name a few. Aside from making some of the best products on the market, I am also a licensed esthetician located in Memphis, TN. I have my own suite inside of a full service hair salon. I specialize in full body waxing, facials, and lash and brow enhancements. It gives me great joy for a woman to leave my suite relaxed and feeling beautiful I wholeheartedly believe, when you look good, you feel good.
I am most proud of the fact that I allowed my faith to bring me to this point in my life. I resigned from my job Spring 2021 and it was the scariest thing I’d ever done, but I knew it was the next step on this journey. Since then, I have met some of the most amazing women. My clients are the absolute best. We laugh, joke, cry, and have therapy sessions, sometimes all in one visit lol. I want potential clients to know that they are safe with me. I pride myself on being a woman of good character and integrity. Whatever we discuss in my suite does not go beyond those walls and I’m here to help in any way that I can.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Like I previously stated, entrepreneurship is not for the weak. It is hard work. Summer 2022 was a very difficult time for me, financially and I wanted to close down my business and start back working a regular job. My clientele scaled back drastically and I was struggling to keep my head above water. I had booth rent due regardless if clients were coming in or not and I honestly did not know how I was going to pay my bills outside of that. I’ve never been one to give up easily, but I felt defeated and I didn’t know what to do and at the time, I really didn’t care. I just wanted to be done and get back to making a steady paycheck every two weeks. Thankfully, I have an amazing support system that won’t allow me to give up on myself that easily and they encouraged me to keep pushing.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my social media following by consistently posting content that people want to see. For example, people love extractions and as an esthetician, that is mostly what I come across with my clients. I ask my clients’ permission to record and once I have their consent, I upload it to social media. It takes some time, but with consistency comes the coins. Social media platforms will reach out to you to monetize your account. So, to anyone that is interested in building their social media audience…CONSISTENCY IS KEY! Find your target audience and post everyday around the same time. The best day to post on Facebook and Instagram is Tuesday around 11a-1p. This will help you get into the platform’s algorithm and more people will start to notice your content. TikTok is more about repetition, so try to post the exact same type of content (ie, extractions, nails, hair, etc.) and people that like those types of things will start flocking to your account. It doesn’t matter what day or time you post on TikTok.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/boujiebody
- Instagram: boujiebody901
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boujiebody901
Image Credits
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