We were lucky to catch up with Kaleia Hardeman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kaleia , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Hello, I’m Kaleia a native of Atlanta…Grady Baby! I’m the 4th generation of women on my mother’s side raised in the great city of Atlanta. I got my start in the beauty industry in late 2011 by getting lash extensions (Sept/2011). From there, a spark was ignited. I google lash extensions and saw that it was a billion-dollar industry! I was blown away! I then prayed about it… “asking God if this was the path for me and if so to please let his will be done!” I found a local lash trainer and took a two days class in November 2011. In December 2011 I was enrolled in esthetics school. I attended esthetics school in the evening while having a full-time job (I was a Treatment Coordinator at Crawford Orthodontic Care). I started my lash extensions business out of my Atlanta loft. Eye Magic International was born in November 2011! I was a busy bee. Working a full-time job, making A’s in esthetic school, and building a thriving lash business out of my home! After I graduated from esthetics school in November I pushed the gas…Once I was a licensed esthetician, I opened the first lash salon in Houston county, Warner Robins, Georgia! It was exciting and middle Georgia welcome Eye Magic International with open arms. Robbins Air Force base played a huge part in our success because I got to service clients from all over the globe! I was still seeing my Atlanta clients Monday-Thursdays and my middle Georgia clients Friday-Saturday.
Feb. 2014, I resigned from the Otho job and it was up from there lol. In November 2014, I finally moved my Atlanta business out of my home to make room for the arrival of my Royal Twins(Khloe’ & Robert). Our new location was on Cheshire Bridge Road. Shortly after giving birth to my babies, I knew that traveling back in forth wasn’t going to work so I said my goodbyes to all my amazing clients in Middle Georgia to focused on motherhood and Atlanta full-time! In November 2017 we relocated just up the street to our current location 1790 Cheshire Bridge Road #107 Atlanta, Georgia. Now, I won’t lie and say that things have been a cakewalk because it hasn’t however, I lean not to my understanding…I’ve stayed down, praying and simply trusting the process! I’ve had my share of trials and tribulations but it’s all been worth it. I continue to learn, investing in myself and my business with continued education. Every year I take a new class(es) and attend beauty shows/conferences (NYC, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angles, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, London, Colombia, and Mexico just to name a few). I never want to get left behind in this ever-changing fast-moving beauty business therefore I’m always a student. I’m always learning! I have trained over 300 lash stylists from all over the USA, about five countries, and three US territories. My goal for all my students is to supersede me in business and I couldn’t be more proud of some of my lash students who are doing big and great things in the beauty industry.
Kaleia , 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?
I started my business Pure Magic Aesthetics (formerly Eye Magic International) out of my home in 2011 specializing in eyelash extensions now 11 years later, we are a full Aesthetics beauty & wellness spa, Pure Magic Aesthetics specializes in Advanced Skincare, Non-Invasive Body Sculpting, Pre & Post-op care, Vaginal rejuvenation, and Skin tag/mole removal plus more. I’m also known as The Post-Op Queen. I have a new book “The Ultimate Cosmetic Surgery Planner!” that is available for purchase at www.PureMagicAesthetics.com. Our Youtube Chanel Pure Magic Aesthetics provides informative information about all things beauty, luxury and wellness. One of the things that set Pure Magic Aesthetics apart is our customer service and attention to detail with every guest that walks through our doors. Growing up, my Dad worked at the Ritz Carlton and as a kid, I saw and heard wonderful stories about The Who’s who of the entertainment world I saw the level of professionalism and customer service that each team member gave to every guest that enter those doors so once I started my business I wanted to give my clients that same 5 stars Ritz Carlton experience! Another thing that sets us apart is the amount of education that we give our clients. I truly believe that if we educate our clients about the treatments that they are receiving, and how and why it works, they will be better clients also what’s said at Pure Magic Aesthetics stays there! Our clients come and have good ole fashion “therapy” sessions and they know that WHATEVER is said stays right there! We have a pretty cool, dope, who’s of Atlanta clientele of professionals, entertainers, socialites & trailblazers! Some like to keep their identities secret and we don’t have a problem with that at all. It’s one of our missions that our clients feel 100% comfortable coming to us knowing that their business won’t be blasted all over the blogs!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I do consider myself a risk-taker! Getting into the beauty industry was a big risk. No one in my immediate family was in the beauty industry nor at the time running their own business some taking that leap of faith (risk) was big! When I told my family that I was going to take a lash class (I had to borrow some of the money from my Grandma Minnie which I paid her back in full) and eventually would quit my job, some of them laughed, said I was crazy but that didn’t deter me. It was my vision, not theirs so I didn’t expect them to understand! I was thankful to my Mom who was by my side and encouraged me from day one! I feel that taking risks is all a part of life and growth. Yes, being a risk-taker is risky but it has paid off for me majorly, especially in business! I made sure to surround myself with wise mentors along the way. One of my best mentors then as well as now is Joan Bell Carol! She’s a giant in the beauty industry. She opened the first Brow salon (Browz) in Dekalb county. Joan helped me and countless others navigate through this ever-changing beauty industry! If you don’t take risks, I don’t know how far you’ll go in life, especially in business! We take the risk every day leaving our homes not knowing if that’ll be the last time we’ll see our loved ones. So, we all take risks some bigger than others. I risked leaving my comfortable, decent-paying job with benefits to work for myself and if I had to do it all over again, I would JUMP at the opportunity!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building our reputation in the beauty industry has definitely been based on professionalism and superior customer service. Professionalism in our market involves communicating effectively and appropriately and finding ways to be productive at all times. Finally, providing excellent customer service is based on building meaningful relationships with your customers. By showing gratitude, ensuring that your customers feel valued, and promoting a friendly, helpful, and positive environment, you will ensure a lasting impression. In addition to returning to your business, happy customers will refer their family and friends, which is a very effective way to market and build your reputation within your industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PureMagicAesthetics.com
- Instagram: @PureMagicAesthetics
- Facebook: Pure Magic Aesthetics
- Linkedin: Kaleia Hardeman
- Youtube: Pure Magic Aesthetics
Image Credits
Giles Williams @gwcreatives Greg Thomas @Nya.tko