We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Stone . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Elizabeth , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

This topic is so simple, but it triggers an emotional response almost automatically. My hero is exactly why I’m in the position that I’m in today. My mother, is a first generation immigrant. She came to the US from South Korea in 1983. Being from a very poor family, she never got to go to college and had to turn down scholarships that were offered to her because her family needed her at home. She’s by far the smartest woman I know. Growing up, I saw my mom put her family and children first. My Dad worked always multiple jobs at a time, and my mom not only took care of the home but she also did anything she could for extra income. She babysat children at our home, she cleaned houses, she was a seamstress, she waitressed in the evenings. My brother and I would go with her to GED classes and citizen classes. And somehow she always had dinner ready, and clean house. Looking back she really was/is a superhero. She worked hard as hell for so many years. Finally, when I was in high school., she had saved up enough to utilize all the intelligence and talent. There was a small restaurant in our hometown, which was at the time a very remote area. She saw an opportunity there, and as a partner, bought into the business. Oh man did they bump heads! Her partner was also from Korea, and he had a very male superior attitude about things. Although my mom was an equal partner, he thought that she should answer to him and take a backseat because she was a women. Needless to say… she didn’t! And she ended up buying out his portion of the business. I then watched my mom take this small business and expand. It became so busy, people were waiting in line outside. She ended up renting the suite next door and expanding! She opened a bar with live music there, and became the spot for local nightlife. Around this time, I went off to college. But our remote town began to grow. Large franchise restaurants moved in, big corporate companies. And small businesses began to close left and right. The mom and pop couldn’t keep up with the big names and their capital. Oh, but not mom, her wing restaurant and her bar continued to thrive. And I know why…… it’s her. Her secret weapon, the ingredient in the sauce, it’s all her. I could write a book on why and how if we had the time. I could go into detail on how bad a*s she has been and tell all the stories. But at the end of the day. She’s still in business over 20 years later. And that’s a testimony. My entrepreneurial spirit, my resilience, the WAY I run my business and build my team. That’s all learned. I took that information and I modernized it. I adapted it to my industry, I learned from her mistakes and her success. She’s an icon in this community, and it’s all love. She’s never stepped on anyone in her success or treated a single person unkindly. My businesses are both within 3 miles from the family business. I kept it close to home. I still go to her for advice, she is still and will always be the smartest woman I know.

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’m in the business of beauty! The Betty Brand started at just myself, and Betty Brow and Lash Studio. I did permanent makeup and eyelash extensions. That hooked me. I was immediately pulled into the instant gratification of those services. The way people would lay down with a problem, and open their eyes and it would be fixed. It was the first time I had someone cry about their transformation, that I felt important. It was the first job I had that I felt like I was making difference in someone’s life. And not just working to make a dollar. If they needed to come and see me for a small touch up. Or they had a concern during healing… I really built a relationship with them and their story. We are people in a service industry. As servants we hear their stories, they lay down for their treatments and you become a therapist. It can be draining for sure! But it can also be so rewarding. And it’s humbling that they come to you, and trust you.

Now, years later and with a staff of 20, we offer so much more! I still offer services myself, but I spend most of my time training and offering classes to new permanent makeup artists. Our service still include permanent makeup and eyelashes of course. But we also offer face and body waxing, tinting and henna, and other salon services. But most recently and most exciting is the addition of our medspa services. We have a medical director on staff and Registered Nurses. We offer cosmetic injectables, PRP therapy, microneedling, IV and hydration therapy, and so much more! We really stay on the cusp of aesthetic medicine and educate our staff on the latest. Our team of estheticians also offer services that are results based. Do we offer a relaxing facial? Absolutely. But we also offer skin tightening, we address problems in pigmentation, laser hair removal, cellulite therapy, fat burning, all this is for the face and body! Our nurses and estheticians really come together and work out a treatment plan that can tackle anyones skin/body concerns and insecurities. And really take them on a journey to feel more confident and radiant.

I’ll be honest, I think my bailed could have grown bigger, faster. But I was picky. I still am picky. I hire a team based on not only their skill and professionalism but also on their ability to offer to our clients what I spoke about earlier. Treating them like people, being invested in their story and their journey, understanding that being in the service industry is more than just having a revolving door of appointments. And to be honest, more and more this is hard to find. I value my staff, and we spend a lot of time learning about our values and what our mission is. Team building is key over here.

If you read some of our reviews you’ll see that so many people mention the energy and the vibe in the studio. That’s what they are feeling. And it’s special.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

When I first started in this industry I was a little lost. BUT, I was a little ahead of my time. The idea of “influencers” wasn’t a thing. We had social media, but in 2016 it was a totally different social media. However, I saw the potential there. I noticed when scrolling Facebook that some people just had more interaction. Some people were on Facebook to complain or share their trip to the zoo. And OTHERS, they were influential. Without them trying to sell anything, people wanted to know. So I found those people, and I offered them free eyebrows! I picked a diverse group of Facebook friends, some from college, some from my hometown, and all different walks of life. And I explained to them what microblading was (because back then, nobody knew believe it or not) and I offered it to them at no cost. The only stipulation was that they share it to their social media friends. Now that I’m saying it out loud…. I made the influencer before it was a thing lol. They posted, they spread the word, and after that it just grew like wildfire. There is value in offering influential people community a barter. I know that sometimes we want to roll our eyes when people ask for that, but it’s a thing. I’ve spent zero dollars on marketing and ads. It’s all social media and word of mouth.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Ohhh this is my favorite thing to talk about. Because most people disagree with me. I feel very strongly about joy and good energy in the workplace. I feel even stronger about building and maintaining a team. I have advice for my industry specifically and then for managing a team in general.

The service and beauty industry is changing. And it’s because of salon suites and the access to information and opportunity. Everyone can own their own salon. And good for them! As an entrepreneur I applaud it! But there is alot to be said about a healthy salon environment as well. So as a business owner, you have to make that appealing for your artists. You have to offer them better, and explain to them why and how it’s better. I feel like I could teach a whole seminar here with how passionate I am about it. But long story shorter, if you want to retain a staff of artists in the beauty industry they have to see value in it. The value that I offer for them is this: I take all the business owner things out of their role. All scheduling, client contact, deposits, paperwork, ordering, social media, you name it. That is handled by myself and my back office staff. What do they offer? Their artistry, their skill, their customer service, and their professionalism. If they wanted to run a business, they would, and they could! So don’t make them do those things. Ask them to be 100% with the professional skills.

Outside of this industry, my advice is to create joy and a team sense. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean forced cocktail hours after work once a week. But take down the walls, whether that’s physical or metaphorical. Let your staff do their job and take some of the stiffness out of it. Bring music, bring life, bring joy. I like to compare it to my sons teacher this year. She’s amazing. She explained that when they do their work they can sit anywhere. On the floor, at her desk, behind her desk, sprawled on the floor, in groups, it doesn’t matter! They are getting their work done and they aren’t sitting stiff at their desks silently and hating it there.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Xobetty.com
• Instagram: @_elizabethstone_ @_xobetty_ @bettybrowstudio

Image Credits
Genesis Trofort Audrey Harris