Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brittany Ross Ellerbe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brittany, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something crazy or unexpected that’s happened to you or your business?
In February on 2024 I took a risk to scale my business by investing in a commercial property with multiple studios to grow my team. I was able to do two walk-throughs before signing the lease and all looked well to me despite a few red flags. One of the red flags was the attitude of the owner leasing the property, something about her was very nervous and off putting but I didn’t want to make a decision based on my feelings so I ignored that. Second red flag was the owners were 100% unwilling to negotiate lease terms and provided me with zero start up time like a month free for an extended lease which is common when people are furnishing and moving into a new space. Because I had no time in between transitioning locations I lost out on business because I couldn’t take appointments and furnish, it took weeks for Google to update the location and my page was dismantled because they needed a BILL to prove I was indeed at said location which takes a month. In a nutshell, the overflow I normally get from Google visibility was put on hold and my new location started out as just an extra expense and was very stressful. Regardless of the red flags I wanted to move forward because of the location and demand. Not even being in there for a month there was a leak in the ceiling, then my contractor found mold and wood rot, then there were cracks in the front door and to add to the drama I found out that after all the stress and heavy lifting I was pregnant! This seemingly beautiful property had multiple underlying issues and damage that the average small business owner wouldn’t be able to identify but now more than ever I was determined to make it work. I quickly learned I had missed a step which was to get a contractor to assess the property before signing a lease but I was here and this is what it was. The owners of course ignored me when I told them all of the issues I was having with the building and it took me reporting them to DPOR and BBB to get action. By March the skylight was being replaced, they were removing moldy towels from the floor where they’d placed during the first leak, they started patching up the doors and I truly thought we were moving forward. In April I scheduled the grand opening which I had previously postponed and the day after decorating we heard a noise that sounded like rain! That noise was the hot water heater bursting and the bottom floor flooding completely! I couldn’t believe that from day one it was just bad news after bad news and because it was too late to cancel I had to entertain guests with no running water (the toilets couldn’t event flush!). Here we were in the midst of a beautiful disaster, guests complimenting the decor and style while my husband struggled to contain the water until the owners and utilities arrived. After that, I was determined to be let out of this lease and I was but before they let me go they hired 10 men to come unannounced on my most high-traffic day to replace floor boards! I pulled up to location with no parking spaces for myself and wax guest, and there was active construction going on. When I left the place nice and clean instead of giving me my full deposit back they charged me $400 for a mold test. They also got my Google review with images deleted. It was the craziest, most disrespectful business relationship I’d ever encountered and if I could tell anyone anything it would be to hire someone to inspect the property before ever signing a lease.
Brittany, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have over a decade of experience in the beauty and cosmetology industry. Over the last several years I have focused on providing multicultural hair & makeup services to people all over the East Coast.
My work has been published in Hype Hair Magazine, Richmond Bride Magazine, & many others. I’ve also participated in NYFW and many local fashion shows & productions.
In 2017 I retired my original LLC, Blushed by B.Ross and opened BLVCK WAX in 2021 to focus solely on wax & embark on providing exceptional hair removal services specifically with women of color in mind.
My technique, attention to detail, and ambiance is setting the foundation of what I hope will be the blueprint to my first full service spa & cosmetology school, BLVCK WAX Academy.
When I’m not waxing I’m spending time with my family, going on adventures with my husband, giving back with friends, or gigging with various bands. Singing is one of my many artistic talents.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Utilizing Google is how I was able to grow my business rapidly! It’s still the number one search engine and from 2021 to own I have gained over 700 clients and we are about to hit 200 5-star reviews.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think the most resilient I’ve ever been was navigating opening and closing a commercial property within months while maintaining appointments and making each transition smooth for the customer experience. It’s not easy having to pivot but it’s a blessing to not only have the confidence in existing clients but because my reviews are so detailed and pristine new wax guests were so excited to visit me as well. Being a home-based business sometimes can be deemed as “unprofessional” to some but it’s all about execution and presentation. My home and workspace are separated in a way where everyone feels like they’re in a luxury spa.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blvckwax.com
- Instagram: @mrsbrittanyellerbe
Image Credits
Kecia Allen Photography