We recently connected with Kandace Tiara and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kandace, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I have to be transparent on this. I have honestly been overwhelmed for some time when it came to choosing the right name for my business! A few times, I have named my business just to realize it’s just not it! Would you believe me if I told you that I changed my mind several times before choosing the perfect name for my business? I really honestly had to dig deep and pray on it! I just really wanted it to be very personal to me and also as a representation of growth within myself and as a entrepreneur. A lot of people know me and know that Esthetics is not the only thing I can offer. Everyone literally call me a “Jill of All Trades” because I love crafting and creating. I design apparel, make candles & so much more so I needed a name to highlight everything when it comes to who Kandace Tiara really is! I am free-spirit who has experienced many highs and lows in my life but I never let anything just take my spirit and the ability to be who I am without judgement! This is where God presented to me Freedom x Kandace Tiara. Freedom to be Kandace Tiara unapologetically, while serving the community around me and teaching others how to truly thrive in being who you are mentally and physically while finding your passion.

Kandace, 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?

I am a Licensed Esthetician and I specialize in wax and body treatments. I graduated in 2019 and jumped right into business practicing under my temporary license. I officially tested out in 2020 after Covid gradually lifted various halts. I then, officially obtained an official license. Upon graduating you had an option working for an already established spa and work as a commission-based employee or go independent. I already mentally prepared myself that I wanted nothing to do with commission-based at all. My mentality was if I’m going to do it, I’m going in..sink or swim. My very first location was offered to me in August 2019, though it was a literal storage room lol…and please understand, I am literally laughing because I often think about that space and how it was barely big enough for me and somehow I serviced clients in there. #humbletimes

However, it was the most affordable and the start I needed. I started out offering only skincare and facial treatments. I had no desire to do anything else because waxing honestly terrified me! While in school, we barely learned waxing techniques or even performed as many wax services so I said to myself in school, that waxing is definitely not for me! When I did wax, my hands would shake so bad out of nervousness. Precision was not right and I was never satisfied with the outcome so yeah there goes my confidence.

Brazilian Waxing which is the most popular waxing service, was never taught in school. While servicing clients, they would always ask do you offer Brazilian waxing? I would quickly say no. Then one day, my cousin, begged me to give a Brazilian wax. I told her I don’t do Brazilian waxes and let alone, don’t know how. She kept begging and said to me “Kandace it’s okay, just get this hair off of me.” I remember telling her okay let me think about it and give me a day to do some research. She gave me 2 days and came to my shop without an appointment and laid right on my table ready for a wax lol. So I waxed her and it was an experience but in that moment, I wanted to do more. So I set out to ask for Brazilian wax models for 30 days and from there for free and it was HISTORY after that!

I am considered a self-taught, wax specialist. Having waxed 1000 Brazilians since 2019, it is what I do best and efficiently! My clientele base is literally 90% waxing! In school we were taught to find your niche and capitalize on it. Yes I was great in facials etc but I chose waxing over it all. I haven’t offered facials since 2022. However, I have recently invested in PMU brows education and becoming a Licensed Esthetics Instructor.

My 6-12 month goal is to introduce Ombré Brows in edition to my current list of brow services: Henna Brow and Brow Lamination. Also, I would like to extend my own personal 1:1 and group training seminars to help others currently in Esthetics School or have recently graduated, to wax like a Pro.

Beginning July 2023, I will also offer natural glam makeup services for any occasion including weddings.

Besides receiving a beauty service, you can expect to shop for pleasant scent candles and room sprays, Freedom x Kandace Tiara Apparel & Merchandise, and wholesale wax supplies in the upcoming months.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Everyone has a different mindset when it comes to funding their business. For me, I simply wanted to avoid using any credit while trying to jumpstart a business. I went to school for Business & Accounting for undergrad so I know that there can be some challenges. I wanted to avoid challenges while my planning was just beginning. Besides, trying to perfect the plan before actually diving in, just delays so many processes. The main obstacle, is actually becoming a successful business even when it’s not 100% perfect! I decided to keep a W2, 9-5 job to fund my business. I have a flexible full-time (Thankful), that allows me to do the things I also enjoy. It’s literally balance for me. Also, my full time job also guarantees my home front is taken care of while solidifying a business and also my health care is solid. This is what works for me and I’m not in debt right now, so it’s a WIN!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped me build my strong reputation hasbeen the infamous social media. I know everyone has their opinions about social media but social media doesn’t have to always be negative. It’s literally what you make it. What started out to be a means for personal use, I decided to pivot how I reach my audience. I decided I would post everything positive I could whether it was words of affirmation, motivation, sharing everyone else’s business, posting something funny (because hey everyone needs a laugh), posting all of my creatives, & so much more. I learned that making yourself relevant on social media in a positive way actually worked. I would post literally every hour or two of the day. That keeps your name in rotation on news feeds. What I took from all of this, they will either forget or remember my name.

A a mass clean up of your friends list never hurts. Every now and again, I go on a deleting spree, eliminating people I simply do not speak to or have not talked in so long to make room to add people who I think would be a target for my business success. It works! I have reached people I never have met and probably will never but these same people will share my posts and it gets me more engagement. It’s like a chain reaction.

If you are not a social media person, but want to advance your business and reach the community, it is key to have. Simply use it as a business gain and not think of it as a personal thing because it’s not. This is your avenue to building a healthy business reputation so you can’t make it about you, it’s business at the end of the day. My motto is, if we have time to post on social media, make it worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: freedombykandacetiara.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/freedombykandacetiara
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074074816041&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Photos taken by self.