We were lucky to catch up with Mikelle Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikelle, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I think something that is super apparent in the beauty industry is everyone wants what someone else has. You want curly hair if you hair is straight, you want her glowing skin or amazing lashes. We are all hardwired to want what we don’t have but also the media throws the “perfect” life in your face everywhere you turn.

At Mikelle Brown Beauty, we want to empower our customers to be confident in their own skin and bring out the natural beauty that is within each customer. Enhancing their natural features and putting a focus on what they have vs what they “should” or “would like to” have.

Lashes make everyone feel more put together, but we can do them to each customers individual needs.

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.

Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to do. I loved organization, playing pretend + dress up and being sporty + active. I struggled with anxiety growing up which made me think I wanted to go to school for Psychology as I wanted to help young girls like me who were also struggling. However, I quickly realized that was not for me and switched my major to business.

After starting + stopping college more times that I could count, my dad told me that I could either go back to school or go to the school of hard knocks and get a full time job/move out. I ended up getting a job in retail + quickly moved from seasonal associate to more of a management position. I wanted a career and felt like as much as I loved my job, there was something else I was meant to do that would allow me to build something I was excited about each day.

I kept seeing Aveda pop up everywhere and when my friends mom showed me her world of being an esthetician, I decided to go back to school. I went to the Aveda Institute of Minneapolis for Esthiology (skincare) and quickly fell in love with every aspect of the beauty world. Right out of Aveda, I worked at a medical spa + continued my love for education by getting certified in lashes + makeup through many different training programs in the Twin Cities.

My best friend was starting as a manager of a new concept that was more of a modern take on skincare + the owners of that brand were both inspiring entrepreneurs that I was dying to learn from. So once they announced a second location opening, I applied + got the job as a manager + lash trainer of their second spa location. Throughout my time there I was able to be in many different roles that included management, HR, training/education, franchise/business manager, and so many more. Traveling the country and meeting so many inspiring business owners, vendors and staff. In my position as the Director of Education + Experience, I was in charge of overseeing our entire training/education department, client + staff experience providing tools/resources to all who came into the space to have the best possible experience.

The amount I learned in almost 5 years with that company taught me more about business, skincare + life than any other schooling I had ever been a part of. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to learn + grow as I would have never dreamed of being the person I am today without the support from that brand.

Mikelle Brown Beauty is a brand I started when I was 22 but decided to relaunch full time with a whole new vision. Specializing in lash extensions + bridal makeup, Mikelle Brown Beauty is your one stop shop to look + feel your best! I want clients to feel comfortable in my space, confident in themselves, and confident in myself as their service provider to be giving them a service that will do all that and them some.

I have a lot of big things planned for the next few years and I am so excited to share it with my clients!

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

My goal as a service provider/business owner is to be my most authentic self as I will create an environment that my clients will feel safe + comfortable in. I think the biggest thing I have learned in the beauty industry is that clients gravitate towards people they feel comfortable with. That means being their biggest cheerleader in the biggest moments of their life, confidant in the hard times + someone to laugh with always.

We are in such close quarters doing lashes so having fun + making people feel good is top priority!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I have been doing lash extensions + makeup for 7 years now and it has always been my side hustle. I have a passion for it but never thought I could do it full time but it was also my fun escape from my daily 9-5 job. It got me client facing + having fun all while making people feel confident in themselves on some of the most special times of their lives.

I have been in the corporate world for almost 5 years of my journey and I decided I wanted to create my own empire. I have dreamed of being an entrepreneur for so long but I was in my early 20’s, scared and had no idea how to do it.

One day I decided that this is the perfect time in my life to make a huge life change. I have a friend in the industry that offered me a space to use for my business, another that does branding + social media and another that did photos for me. Finding people in this industry who are pushing for you to succeed + offering their help around any corner is something I will forever be grateful for.

It has been the scariest but most exciting decision I have ever made. Mikelle Brown Beauty launches February 1st, 2024 and we cannot wait to see what this next year will bring!

Contact Info:

• Website: mikellebrownbeauty.com
• Instagram: @mikellebrownbeauty
• Linkedin: Mikelle Brown

Image Credits
Hayley Huotari Photography