We recently connected with Misty Blú and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Misty thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
In 2010, I was handed a pink slip with my 6-figure corporate project management/ director assistant in IT Business Services with the multi-billion dollar Pharmaceutical Industry. I was so clueless and didn’t have a plan at first. I literally had a dream job. Help oversee a staff. A six-figure salary. Respect within the organization. A nice corporate card + bonus. It was the best setup ever. But GOD had something else for me to do and deep down inside, I knew I had a higher calling. I knew there was something in His plan that had to grow.
Unsure and a bit nervous, I stepped out in Faith anyway, going full-time as a cosmetologist. So, glad I did. I know I am more fulfilled than I would have been had I not taken the opportunity, or risk, moving out of my comfort zone and starting over rebranding and re-building my sole proprietor business as a hairstylist. I have met wonderful people and had amazing experiences. If we take time to be isolated long enough, there’s something we all should be getting a pink slip from.
Take the time during the day while the WORLD is shut down to focus on who YOU should be sending a pink slip to. No matter how petrified or uncertain you are, do it…through the tears. Do it through fear. Do it through the uncertainty. Then, hand it out and walk away. Ten years from now, you’ll be glad you did. From that small start, I was able to support my family for almost 20 years and the company is still doing well today and growing. Taking a risk impacted my life in that something came from nothing, and we are still benefiting from that risk-taking behavior to this day.
On this journey I have met new wonderful people, had great experiences and even scale my independent contract business to opening my first brick and mortar beauty bar in the midst of recession and a pandemic and is becoming a mogul in my own right.
This experience taught me how I can be successful on my own and that I am more resilient than I ever thought I could be. Most importantly I have set an example for my children and also for the women I mentor or lead professionally. Life can be scary but attempting to conquer it with support from the people most important to us makes overcoming the difficult parts easier and celebrating the best parts even more special.
Misty, 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?
The brainchild of Out The Blu Beauty Bar, 20+ year veteran hairstylist Misty, I got started in the beauty industry by accident, I started by braiding family members at 5-6 years of age because I was expected to do so as an older family member you look out for the younger one. Even so, performing hair services on my cousins seems to come naturally for me, so based on my talent and suggestions from others. Instead of pursuing acting, I began doing hair in my home on the side while I worked a full-time job. I thought it would be a good idea to go to cosmetology school to achieve my dream in the beauty industry. Along with I felt the tug to step out so I quit my courthouse job at the time to go to cosmetology school to receive formal education in hair care, training professionally at both a Vo-Tech and House of Heavilyn Beauty College in Missouri.
After graduating, I attempted to become a booth renter right out of school and fear kept me from reaching my potential due to not feeling I had the resources to survive going full-time. Using my garage I went back and forth for at least 10 more years while I kept a day job serving people on the side that desired my beauty services. During that time also I started experimenting with makeup. Even though I had always entertained it most of my teen life but back then it was a stigma for women. So I guess you can say I rediscovered my love for it. Soon after I was inspired to share my skills and develop my talent by starting video tutorials, hauls and reviews as a guru on Youtube.
Finally in 2010, after being pink slipped from my corporate job with a great salary. I decided by the advice of a family member to jump in head first going full-time for the 3rd time as a cosmetologist. I immediately found success where I was able to maintain life while I scaled my business. Also during this time when makeup challenges were thing on Facebook. I soon started growing interest and challenging myself in SFX Makeup. Especially after winning a weekly challenge on Syfy’s Face Off page; February 12, 2012 in which I competed against thousands of others as a prosthetic makeup artist creating prostheses such as those found in science fiction, fantasy, and horror films.
From all the positive feedback I was getting from my peers this inspired me to add makeup services to my brand focusing on fashion and beauty campaigns in 2018 because there is not limit in this industry on being creative; doing business as Misty Blú which launched my freelance makeup artistry. Thereafter, I began exercising my gift by working on fashion shows in Kansas City and New York as a freelancer also focusing on theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions including all aspects of fashion and modeling. Working also on sets alongside some of the most influential industry photographers and fashion brands.
After making the decision to further brand myself, I turned my motto to my parent company name Paint The Town Blu, LLC in 2018. Through Paint The Town Blu we are committed to providing our customers with products and services that give solutions to gain, sustain and maintain healthy hair to improve the overall beauty, personal care and wellness in our community. We take a stand against animal testing and continue our strong commitment to giving back, supporting a wide range of philanthropic causes, both domestically and internationally.
Each of Every product within each of our brands has been developed with the highest graded ingredients and handled with care. With our company PTB LLC, you’ll find everything you need to keep up and style your entire family hair, and more to come. Our wholesome hair treatments are great solutions for all genders, and for all hair types no matter the textures. Our customers’ results are our guarantee to you. PTB,LLC brands serve customers in different ways, but all focus on making their lives amazing in a beautiful way.
The first brand was my debut of my very own natural hair care product for kids, named and inspired after her youngest daughter Miss Kinslee’s Organic Products™. It started as a simple detangler product for her tender headed 4 year old to a natural hair care product solution for kids. “Kid Tested and Mother Approved.” Now has grown to cater to all genders, for all curly hair types no matter the race.
Today I am establishing myself as a successful entrepreneur with a business empire spanning several business entities from a kids clothing boutique, personal care, health and wellness, also has further expanded the brand by opening an upscale salon, Out the Blú Beauty Bar. We are dedicated to consistently providing unmatched customer satisfaction by rendering excellent service, providing the highest quality products, and furnishing an enjoyable atmosphere. The right clients don’t put a number on a great experience. We make sure our guests are getting what they are truly worth.
Founding Out The Blú Beauty Bar has been my favorite adventure so far – I love building strong connections with my clients and helping them express their personalities through their appearance! Opening a salon and creating products is enough evidence of my dedication along with giving customers the tools they need to achieve health, beauty and personal care. Based on customers’ beauty care needs.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Starting a business during a trying time like now; due to recession and surging the pandemic, can make or break you, things go right and a lot more things can go wrong. Especially when you are starting from scratch with a bootstrapping financial method. There is nothing like starting something you cannot finish, but when you step away to regroup for a time. However, It is almost impossible to fail when you are resilient. You have to try hard. Fail. Recharge. Trying again. You will burnout if you don’t recharge that is the beginning what many called hopeless.
Being in business takes resilience and in that you will cultivate the required wisdom and courage, foresight and willpower to do so.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn is thinking you can be ‘self-made’. There was times I didn’t want anyone to assist me because, I didn’t think they would do it like I would. This is still true no matter how many years in the future you are reading this. There are no self-made successful people, there is a time while starting a business you will have to wear many hats, Like Rome was orchestrated by Caesar but not built by Caesar. It was built by his team. Your objective should be get to the place where you can start embracing your strengths and outsourcing your weakness. Also, I also had to unlearn do not expect the people you know to support you. That is not the case. A stranger will be 80-90% of your reason for succeeding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.outtheblubeautybar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/outtheblubeautybar
- Other: Personal Page: instagram.com/blubeautyboudoir facebook.com/blubeautyboudoir YouTube.com/blubeautyboudoir
Image Credits
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