We recently connected with Joey Mancuso-Ellis and have shared our conversation below.
Joey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
If I could go back in time the only thing I would change about the timing of my business opening is not to do it the same month I was getting married and buying a house! To say I was completely stressed out would be an understatement! Not to mention I also am the mother of 2 small children so it was a lot! With that being said though I am grateful I didn’t try to open my own business right after graduating school and being so young. Working in this industry I think it is wise to work for others so you can build up a clientele, have loads of training, make mistakes, figure out what you love and really find your niche before branching out on your own.
Joey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As cliche as this is to say I feel I was born to do my job. Ever since I was a little girl I always loved makeup and everything skin related. I was the kid in elementary school making fake bruises on my friends with eyeshadow just because I thought it was fun. In high-school I was busy doing my friends makeup for prom and barely having enough time for my own. There wasn’t anything else, career wise that I even considered. I graduated beauty school and then went back to get my teaching degree and taught cosmetology for years. Although I loved teaching, I genuinely missed working with clients so I eventually went back to working in the esthetics field. I think what sets me apart is that I eat, sleep and breathe this stuff. I am constantly taking classes to be up to date on new techniques for bridal makeup, all things facial and skin care related, hottest trends for lashes and brows etc. i stay up to date not only because I want to offer my clients the very best but also because I just love this information and it is a part of who I am. There is no greater feeling in the World than being a part of someone’s transformation and watching their eyes light up when they see themselves for the first time after a service you’ve performed. I have been there on my clients best and worst days. Whether I’m perfecting their lip stick right before they walk down the aisle and giving them that final boost of confidence or I’m helping them get their eyebrows back after losing them to chemotherapy, my clients mean everything to me and I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without them. Owning my own space gives me the opportunity to invite all walks of life, without judgment, and not only provide them with the very best in skincare, esthetic and beauty services but also a safe space to vent about life’s woes or simply just relax and unwind after a stressful week. There’s an old saying “I don’t need a therapist, I have an esthetician” and to that I’d say, I couldn’t agree more!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Honestly, word of mouth is the greatest advertisement ever. I tell every single client that if there’s anything I’ve done service wise that makes them unhappy they will not hurt my feelings by being honest and telling me and giving me the chance to fix it. I always say the only thing that would upset me would be if they pretended to be happy and then told other people they weren’t. Every time I am doing a consult with a new client I ask how they found me and 9/10 times it’s from a referral.
How’d you meet your business partner?
My business partners name is Kayla Drabina and we have been friends for almost 20 years! She is one of the most talented, kind hearted individuals I know and she is like a sister to me. Our business name is Sterling Rivers Spa because her son is named Sterling and my daughter is named River. Kayla and I have worked really well together at several different establishments before deciding to take the plunge and go out on our own and everyday I am more than grateful that we did.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sterlingriversspa@glossgenius.com
- Instagram: @SterlingRiversSpa
- Facebook: Sterling Rivers Spa