We were lucky to catch up with Erica Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica , thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is subjective and not necessarily linear. Most people associate success with wealth and while wealth is an important aspect of success it is not the end all be all. I believe success starts with knowing, understanding, and embracing your God-given purpose. Being on your purpose path even though it may not equate to riches, leads to soul fulfillment and with fulfillment comes provision where your needs will be provided for. The reason why we hear so many stories of those who have attained financial success but in the end say they always feel like something is “missing” in their lives is because they may not be truly aligned with what they were put on this earth to do.

Erica , 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 majored in Communications at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. I was living in New York working in magazine publishing in 2012, after being laid off and giving birth to my daughter I decided to move back home to Maryland. That is when I decided to return to school to get my esthetics license so I enrolled at Aveda Institute in Washington D.C.. I always had an interest in the beauty industry and skincare in particular. I had zero experience in the beauty industry so once I graduated from Aveda I began working at Ulta Beauty as a Beauty Advisor . Once I obtained my esthetics license I moved into the position as Arch Expert at the Benefit Cosmetics Brow Bar within Ulta. This is where I cultivated my skills as a brow artist. I remained consistent, built my clientele and in summer of 2019 launched my brand Fancy Faces Studio where I provide waxing, lash, and spray tanning services. One of my most proud moments is having the courage to branch out and start my own business. It brings me joy knowing that I make a contribution to helping people feel like the best version of themselves through personal care services. My attention to detail and the ability to connect with my clients is what inspires them to return.

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

I would like to preface this by saying I would never advise someone first starting a business to to do this as their first option because there are tax penalties however, I cashed out my 401K to start my business. I did not want to take out a loan at that time because I had just purchased a new car and I felt it was the right move for me personally. As a new business it is challenging to obtain business credit without providing a personal guarantee which means your personal credit must be in order. To obtain a business loan or a business credit card you must be in business for a certain amount of time and bringing in a certain amount of revenue. That can be difficult for a business just starting out. If your personal credit is not that great a good way to to start building business credit is to start with a secured business card where you will have to pay a deposit and work your way up to an unsecured card by keeping your credit utilization low and making on time payments for a couple years.

=

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy I would have to say is word of mouth from my current clients and also having an online presence in the form of a website and social media so people are able to see my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ericalopez.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/fancyfacesstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fancyfacesstudio