Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Delcina Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Delcina, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Being a business owner has its ups and downs, but I absolutely love it and wouldn’t want to do anything else! I have worked for other businesses in the past and I can tell you that the owner/manager can make or break things for the employees. Micromanaging is the worst. Who wants to feel like someone is constantly watching them and breathing down their neck? When I started this company, that was one thing I wanted to do differently. I wanted my independent contractors to have freedom to do things (as they should as independent contractors) and show them kindness and respect. I am happy to say that this approach has worked and the majority of my team has been with me 3 + years (out of the 5 years my business has been open). I’m ecstatic to finally have a great team that really, truly likes each other and loves what they do.

Delcina, 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 got into makeup with my first job working at the Chanel counter at Marshall Field’s in City Center around 1999. I realized that I was actually pretty good at it, but didn’t think too much about making a career out of it. From there, I moved on to Bobbi Brown at Nordstrom, did some freelancing with Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier, then settled at Henri Bendel, where I had the chance to work with many different brands such as Trish McEvoy, NARS and Scott Barnes. Around this time, I graduated from college and needed a full time job with benefits, as Henri Bendel was only part time. I was working one night when a man came in and asked me if I was looking for a job, he was the CEO of SEE Eyewear. I interviewed the next day, got the job and started my next chapter as an optician. I learned on the job and got licensed, but it was never anything I actually enjoyed. I dreaded going to work. I thought I would just stay there until I found something better, but I got complacent and stayed in the optical field for 14 years. I would do makeup on the side for friend’s weddings, but never to the extent that I was before. One day, I was in my living room and the idea literally popped into my head that I needed to start doing makeup again. The impression was so strong, that I took it and ran with it. I created 614 Beauty from nothing and have built it to what it is today by believing that customer service is still king. In a day where you can go to any store and find about a dozen employees on their phone and never once acknowledge you, I knew that we needed to be different.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I started this company with my own money. It started slowly, as I bought things with the extra income I had and as I started getting more business I was able to invest a little more. I have never taken out a loan or borrowed money to fund 614 Beauty.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

While I was building 614 Beauty, I was still working as a full time optician. I wasn’t making enough money to completely walk away from it yet. I continued to work full time for two years and by year three, I was able to go down to part time. I am happy to say that I was able to walk away from my other job last August and am completely full time with my business now. I never would have imagined that I could start a business that I actually LOVE and have it be profitable!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.614beauty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/614.beauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/614beauty

Image Credits
Aseel Brodd Photography