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

Joselyn, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

The birth of Dollhaus came from a dream that I found the confidence to bring to real life. Before I saw myself as a business owner, I had a dream of helping people change their skin and find confidence within themselves, because that was once my story. When you have a dream that you want to make a reality, it can be challenging to figure out where to start first because of all the ideas running through your head, but like many I first went to google and started researching everything I needed to know to start a business.

The kind of inspiration I woke up with the next day led me to spending hours upon hours researching all the things I first needed to secure to build and solidify Dollhaus such as a DBA, a EIN number, and a LLC just to list a few. There were technical plans first before the fun plans. I started with one notebook that I dedicated to as my business book and soon filled it up with 2 weeks of organized notes, random thoughts and future ideas for my business. After researching the specifics I needed to start a business, I then needed to plan the services I wanted to provide, along with the equipment and tools I would need to provide my services, the cost of all the services and how much inventory would cost me, all of this went into bringing Dollhaus to what it is today.

So aside from my process of building Dollhaus, I was also working a 9-5 at a salon at the same time so I would work all day and build my business all night. I have so many memories of late nights filled with endless planning that involved numerous pinterest boards, a lot of notebook pages on my desk from random thoughts that came to mind and I even made a vision board of all the things I wanted for the future of Dollhaus. This first process of planning and researching took me 3 months before I finally went out to look at studios and buildings I wanted to do my business out of. I had many factors that went into what I was looking for and location because that is just as important. That was when I found Sola Salon in Uptown Minneapolis, and then decided this was where I wanted to do business out of.

All of this first started with a dream I had a year prior to actually executing my plans and after 6 long months of planning and researching, I brought my dream to life on December 8th 2020.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi there!

My name is Joselyn, I am a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Dollhaus Skinbar. I have always been into the world of beauty and skincare since I was a little girl. I first started my educational journey by going to college to become a dermatologist, it was then during my schooling years that I discovered the world of Estheticians and felt a calling to redirect my journey! After that I knew I had a passion to become a skincare specialist, so I enrolled myself into Empire Beauty School. There was where I really fell in love and saw a glimpse of my future, little did I know that road would lead me to being a business owner of my own spa just a few years later. I provide services from results driven facial treatments, beauty services such as lash extensions and brow services such as brow waxing, tinting and brow lamination.

I love to solve skincare concerns for my clients such as acne, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, prevention of aging and more! I also love to cater to my clients who are looking to do the bare minimum when it comes to getting ready for their day, and lash extensions take so much hassle out of that process. My clients love waking up and being able to get ready seamlessly without struggling to put lash strips on, it really makes getting ready more fufilling!

I believe what sets me apart from others is my personal brand. I have always been told I have a certain energy that people feel drawn to and a taste for great aesthetics. Personally I just feel that I have finally found where I’m meant to be and my genuine happiness in helping my clients feel like their best self is just a bonus into this beautiful career. I’m most proud of how being a business owner has taught me growth. Growth teaches us to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones while trusting that the risks and decisions we have made will be worth while in the end. Launching my business in the midst of a pandemic back in 2020 was probably the biggest and scariest risk I have ever taken and to still find the drive I do everyday 2 years later, makes me feel proud that I am on the right path.

I believe your face is everything! Being that your face is your first impression and the eyes are the window of the soul, I aim to highlight your natural beauty, rejuvenate your skin’s natural glow, and restore your confidence. At Dollhaus I want everyone who walks through my doors to feel welcomed and in a safe space to unwind and escape from their own reality while being pampered and catered to.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I grew my audience on social media by being myself and staying consistent! There are many different platforms of social media and I believe finding what works for you, that doesn’t feel overwhelming or that you have to show up differently than who you really are is key. I also love to have personal goals of how much I wanted to see the growth of my social media, because I feel that if you don’t have goals to grow, you’ll always stay complacent.

Advice that I would give to those who are just starting to build their social media is to keep a tunnel vision, focus on you and how you want to build your audience presence. Stay true to who you are but most of all, be consistent, the more people see you on social media, the more connected they start to feel towards you and want to see more of what you’re doing!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I love to read books that have a significant effect in my life! There are two books that have significantly impacted my entrepreneurial thinking, the first is ‘Profit first’ by Mike Michalowicz. It was an enlightening book that taught me first how to change my mindset when it came to money and gave numerous tools how to turn your business from breaking even to making a profit. As an entrepreneur I think its so important to be smart and wise about your business finances as well as your personal.

The second book that had a significant impact to my entrepreneurial thinking is ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle. I feel that as an entrepreneur/business owner it’s tactful to always stimulate the mind with knowledge and consistently reflecting on yourself with every step of the your journey. ‘ The Power of Now’ focus on that on a deep level, giving tips that lead to a spiritual enlightenment and learning to live in the moment of life. Sometimes we get so caught up in the fast moving parts of life, we forget to live in the “now”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dollhausskinbar.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dollhaus.skinbar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dollhaus.Skinbar/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joselyn-duwana-57ba2b175/

Image Credits
Single Portraits of me by Shelby Matson ( photographer ) client shots by me