We recently connected with Juda Mclaren and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Juda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today

This is a great question – I would have done more research on Business Grants, Microloans and understand the TRUE meaning of OPM *Other people money*. Before I left corporate world, i would have saved at least 6 months of my income to cover unexpected expenses. I would have started to look for mentor to help expand my development skills and business knowledge.

Juda, 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?

So much can happen in 3 years span……I recently shared with another source my experience, and recently shared with my followers on Instagram, how I started. But my recent experience has changed a different outcome.

In the black community it not to really talk or acknowledge what mental illness looks like or feel like. Depression is real in Women of color, along with Low self-esteem or low self -love, or how to measure what our value is. What we lack in as well. J

I used to continually down on myself: I would say things like “I am not pretty enough”, “my body is not sexy enough”, or “my hair is not long enough”, my complexion is not soft enough. The self- sabotage was real.

Gladly I had a support system; One of my greatest friends, Yolanda. She would take walks with me around our job site and encourage me over and over. She advises I should have a self-care day, to see if that would help boost my appearance, and it did!

I felt like a new woman and enjoy the feeling that I had. So, I begin to research the trade as an esthetician and understand the medical and non-medical contradiction to be able to get the complete understanding of what different things could happen with the skin and body. Body Contour actually a good way to understand the functionality of the body.

I was fascinated by the finding and reached out to several other women who offer the training and services. I started my journey of entrepreneurship; I trained and study for a year before I touch a single body. June 2019, during the pandemic I step out on faith and made a post on Facebook to offer the treatment and a traveling nurse from North Carolina became my very first client and from there word of mouth spread quickly.

September 18, 2019, I decide to go Full Time in Beauty Hidden Gems. Since then, I have served over 800 women in a 200 sqft suite to now an 1800 sqft storefront in the Downtown Orlando Area. I will soon be teaching other women what I do and how to be just as successful as I am and collaborate with other women to create a solid Beauty Industry connection.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Transparency – I do not sugar coat anything about myself, and I do not give you false hope. There are so many men and woman who hear lies day in and out, so why would i be the one to continue the trend.

I believe in being a team and working together to maintain and reach realistic results. If my service or after care does not fit your lifestyle, I wish individuals well, and refer out to someone that maybe more suitable.

I never been the one to chase money, I allow it to flow to me easily, so I never worry about the disappointment of business and potential clients.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I communicate with my new and existing clients with several different type of communication. I use text message and email marketing, for my mature crowd, we have several individuals that like reading their emails early in the morning or during their lunch break.

Text Message – We all have our phones within our hands and check it periodically while we are sitting at a red light, while we are eating lunch, or even dinner. Text message is the quickest way to get to me.

We also have our social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now TikTok. Even though I am not the one to dance to every trend, but I will be able to connect with my audience in another way.

Groupon has been a success for new customers as well. I only use Groupon if I have a new service that is coming. For Beauty Hidden Gems, we have a 5-star rating and holding it for the last 2 years in counting.

My next point of communication will be with Direct Mailers, bringing awareness to the neighborhood that I am not in daily, but very familiar with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beautyhiddengems.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/beautyhiddengems
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/beautyhiddengems
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/beautyhiddengems
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/beautyhiddengem