We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bri Asarie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Bri, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
The name of my business, Asarie Artistry, comes from my middle name, Asarie, which is very unique, and me being an artist since I was very young (drawing, painting, makeup etc). So I put the two together because I feel like my middle name sets me apart and Artistry defines who I am as a creative.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hey beautiful! I’m Bri Asarie, owner of Asarie Beauty. I’m a licensed cosmetologist that specializes in brows and makeup artistry, and I am also an upcoming influencer. I’ve been in the beauty industry for almost 8 years now, but my passion for beauty developed at a very young age, starting at 10 years old when my mom gave me my first makeup kit. I graduated from the cosmetology program at FSCJ in 2016 and have been beating faces ever since! As of right now I only offer makeup and brow services, but I am planning on adding more in the near future, such as classes, tutorials, and products that can help them stay beautiful outside of receiving my services. My goal as a beauty professional is to help all of my clients unleash their inner beauty, boost their confidence and enhance their self love. When you look good, you feel good!
I am most proud of my growth and determination as a MUA, I started taking clients on my moms front porch and traveled to them when necessary, and now I have my own private shop in the San Jose area. I am also proud of my professionalism, customer service, and overall vibe/atmosphere I provide for my clients. My clients feel safe and secure with me, they send all of their friends, family and coworkers my way, and they remain loyal customers even during my slow periods. This journey has not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it!
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
Before I became a full time MUA, I bounced around at a few different jobs before I got my first real job using my license and my makeup skills, at Ulta Beauty. I started out as a Beauty Advisor, and within three months I was promoted to Arch Expert at the Benefit Brow Bar. I worked at Ulta Beauty for about a year or so, and within that time I saved all the tip money I made from clients. By the time I left, I had saved almost $5,000, and I used that to invest in a makeup suite + first three months rent for the suite. I’m so thankful for my time at Ulta, because without that initial capital I wouldn’t have been able to follow my dreams!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I started my journey as a full time MUA, I had about 100 followers on Instagram. I wasn’t getting many clients, so I decided to take 1-2 practice models every week, not only to work on my skills but also for content. I posted 2-3 times a week, sometimes every single day. The more model content I posted, more people started to like, comment and share. Once I started doing tutorials, I began to go viral and get reposted on bigger pages, which increased my followers rapidly. I also cross promoted my content on Tik Tok to reach a bigger audience. I’m planning to launch my YouTube channel this year to reach an even bigger audience.
My advice to anyone just starting to build their social media presence: be consistent! Post high quality, engaging content. Actually talk to your followers, ask them questions and focus on building a genuine community. Don’t hesitate to ask people to like, comment and share your posts! And be patient! The social media algorithms are constantly changing but remain consistent no matter what. Also, be authentic! Your vibe will attract your tribe!
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