We were lucky to catch up with Haylie Sigler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Haylie, 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?

Naming a business can be a daunting task, but I was fortunate to have my mom’s creative input in coming up with the perfect name for my sugaring hair removal business. She had the brilliant idea to incorporate my initials into the name, which ultimately became Hay Suga.

The name Hay Suga uses the same initials as my first and last name, Haylie Sigler, which makes it a personal and creative concept. I loved how the name reflected who I am and what I do, while also being catchy and memorable.

In addition to being a personal touch, the name also perfectly describes the services I offer, which is the sugaring hair removal method. It’s a sweet and gentle alternative to traditional waxing, and the name Hay Suga captures the essence of this method perfectly.

The name Hay Suga also creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere for my clients. It’s almost like a friendly greeting, and the use of “Hay” instead of “Hey” makes it unique and reflective of my name.

Overall, the name Hay Suga is a perfect representation of my business, and I’m grateful to my mom for her creativity and input. It’s a name that’s personal, catchy, and perfectly describes the services I offer. Plus, it’s a memorable name that leaves a lasting impression on clients.

Haylie, 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?

My journey to starting Hay Suga was not a straightforward one. I always knew that I wanted to work in an industry that helped people, but I never imagined that it would be through hair removal and skincare. After dropping out of community college, I found myself feeling lost and unsure about my future. However, it was during this time that I discovered my passion for the beauty of skin and hair removal.

I took a leap of faith and applied to Esthetician school, not fully knowing what I was getting myself into. But those eight months in school were some of the best of my life, and I immediately knew that I wanted to specialize in hair removal. My passion grew even stronger when I took an after-school program class in sugaring, a form of hair removal that uses all-natural ingredients and causes less irritation.

After passing my State Board exam and becoming licensed, I landed my first job in the sugaring industry. The feeling of making someone feel beautiful and empowered after a hair removal session was unmatched, and I knew that this was my calling. I was starting to become an important part of people’s lives, and they trusted me with their bodies and their personal everyday lives. These sugaring sessions quickly became our little “therapy sessions”.

November of 2020, I eventually took a chance and ventured off on my own, and that’s when Hay Suga was born. I rented my own room at a local salon, starting from the bottom with no experience in running a business and building my clientele from scratch. But with the support of my family and friends and my unwavering passion for helping people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin, I was able to grow my business. Who knew this would happen so soon in my career? But it just felt right.

Hay Suga is more than just a hair removal business. It’s a place where people can feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin, where they can trust me with their bodies and leave feeling unstoppable. And over the past three years, I’ve been proud to see how far I’ve come and how much happiness my business brings me. It’s a privilege to be able to change the way people feel about their skin and to share my passion for sugaring with my clients.

Starting a business during that first year of the Covid-19 pandemic was challenging, but it’s only made me more grateful for the support of my community and the success of Hay Suga. I offer a variety of services, including full body sugaring, Brazilian sugaring, facial sugaring, a new skin brightening service, and more soon-to-come skincare services. I hope that Hay Suga can continue to make people feel happier and more empowered in their everyday lives.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started my own business, I was excited and eager to jump in headfirst. However, I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn. I had no prior experience in managing a business, and it was a huge learning curve for me. I struggled with things like booking clients, problem-solving, and understanding the inner workings of the industry. But with every challenge came a valuable lesson.

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that my business had to consume my entire life. I was so passionate about what I was doing that I found myself working around the clock, never really able to disconnect from work. It wasn’t until I started feeling burnt out and overwhelmed that I realized I needed to set healthy boundaries.

Learning to balance my time between work and personal life was a difficult lesson to learn. It took me a while to accept that I couldn’t be available 24/7 for my business, and that having a personal life was not only healthy but necessary. I had to learn to set clear boundaries and prioritize my time, both for my own well-being and for the success of my business.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but I learned that my business will always be a part of me, but it doesn’t have to consume me. With healthy boundaries, I can keep my business running and still have a fulfilling personal life. I’m grateful for the challenges I faced because they taught me invaluable lessons and made me a better business owner and a better person overall.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When I first started my sugaring hair removal business in my small hometown, I knew that it was a service that very few people were familiar with. However, I was so passionate about sugaring that I wanted to introduce it to as many people as possible. Starting my business in a small town actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I was able to build my reputation from the ground up with strong support of my family, friends, and early clients.

My clients have been a huge part of building my reputation in the market. They trust me to provide them with the best service possible and are always willing to refer me to their friends and family. I am grateful for their continuous support and it is because of them that my business has grown so much. It is important to me that every client leaves my suite feeling satisfied and happy with their experience, and I believe this dedication to customer service has also helped to build my reputation.

Another factor that has been instrumental in building my reputation is social media. As a small business owner, social media has been a game-changer for me. It has allowed me to connect with my clients and followers in a meaningful way, share sugaring content, and schedule appointments. Through social media, I have been able to showcase my passion for both sugaring and skincare and connect with like-minded individuals. It has truly been a powerful tool in building my business and reputation within my market.

Overall, I believe that building a strong reputation takes hard work, dedication, and a commitment to providing the best possible service to your clients. I am grateful for all of the support I have received along the way and I look forward to continuing to build my reputation within my market.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_haysuga
• Other: Tik Tok: @haysuga

Image Credits
Monique Perez