We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Diaz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Throughout my 20’s I continuously questioned my decisions. Should I take this job? Should I rent that apartment? I’m a perfectionist, and as someone who never wants to fail, I was always scared to make the wrong move. I worked odd end jobs, convincing myself I had it all figured out until it dawned on me, I wanted to travel! I applied to a travel agency in Orange County, CA and got the job straight away. I worked there a solid 2 years and traveled all over the South Pacific, until it was time to realize my worth. I was one of the top sales people on the team (selling travel packages to honeymooners and anniversary go-ers), so naturally, I asked for a raise. Long story short, they turned me down. I was a bit taken aback. I thought to myself, if I can sell travel packages upward of 20 thousand dollars, I can surely sell higher ticket items. I quit and decided to pursue a real estate license. Soon after, COVID hit. I was so green, it was difficult for anyone to trust me to sell their home during the most uncertain of times (economic change, presidential election on the horizon, a pandemic)! I was feeling discouraged and needless to say, my real estate venture was short lived. Fast forward to November 2020, I was perusing YouTube, watching endless makeup and Special FX tutorial videos (I always loved makeup and beauty) when I stumbled upon a video for permanent makeup. What the hell is ‘permanent’ makeup I thought? I had truely never heard of the term. I was down the rabbit hole for hours, watching video after video, learning as much as I could. I instantly fell in love with the concept. I searched my local area far and wide for a trainer who could teach me. Luckily, a permanent makeup certification requires no schooling, only a 3-day course in the state of CA. I was quickly certified in December of 2020 and was off to the races! I was so eager to find a studio space of my own and get started. There was a small gym/DOJO across the street from my house in Dana Point that had an empty room upstairs. It was occupied by a masseuse prior to COVID, but layed empty as a storage space. The owner of the gym and I were friendly, as I myself was a member. Mind you, this gym stayed open the entirety of the pandemic so patreons still came and went as they pleased. He agreed to rent me the room for $500/month to start. My boyfriend (now husband, Matt) helped me completely refurbish the small, 200sqft room to make it my own. I rented that space 2 weeks after my certification, and opened my doors to clients, January of 2021. Of course, the only clients I could get at the start were close friends and family; thank God for them. I ran Facebook ads to attracted more customers with promotion deals and saught out other local beauty business’ in hopes of setting up a referral system. Slowly but surely, my business began to grow.
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.
There are so many permanent makeup artists out there. Some of us focus on one service and some offer many. I started my business solely offering ‘powder brows.’ That is the technique I was trained in. Because permanent makeup (PMU) is not typically a repeat service like hair, nails or eyelashes, I would not of been able to keep my doors open unless I offered more. A year into the industry, I got certified in ‘lip blushing.’ This is a tattoo meant to provide color and definition to the lips. This way, I was able to offer lip blush to all my past clients, or upsell new ones. As I said before, I’m a perfectionist so when I learn a new craft, I put my heart and soul into it. I can honestly say, I’m obsessed with permanent makeup! Although in a service-based industry, you do not have much overheard, permanent makeup requires so much money, practice and mental preparation. It is no easy task to tattoo someone’s face! I used to come home crying if I wasn’t happy with the way my work looked. If I had any indication my client wasn’t happy, it would keep me up at night with anxiety. It took me almost 2 years to finally feel confident in my work. Mind you, a single 3-day certification course these days is anywhere between $3500-5000! You better love what you’re doing if you intend to spend thousands of dollars each time you want to learn a new technique, or better one you already know. I have spent over $50K in trainings over the span of 4 years and I intend to keep evolving. I love learning from the best educators and perfecting my craft, and that’s what sets me apart from the rest. I strive to only offer my clients the best.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Spring of 2022, my husband got a job opportunity that moved us from Southern CA to Southern FL. I uprooted my business 1.5 years in and started over in Miami. However, I wasn’t upset. I knew I could rebuild a clientele in time, and that Miami was beauty obsessed. Of course, it’s never easy feeling like you have to start from scratch, but it’s a great learning curve. I gained better marketing/advertising skills and I was forced to network, something I actually like doing! Networking for my business led to meeting friends and exploring a new city. We later settled in Fort Lauderdale where I was no longer renting a room from a medspa, but decided to lease a space of my own in February of 2024. I can honestly say, business has never been better!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
As a permanent makeup artist, I am required to recruit a new client each time I perform a service. My client’s do not come back for weekly or monthly maintenance! I provide them their initial service and suggest they come back 6-12 weeks later for a ‘perfecting session’ before I let them go for the long haul. From that point, I tend to see them annually or biannually for a touchup to boost color and solidify shape. It’s incredibly important that I nuture a relationship with my clients. Not only do I want to provide a stellar customer experience, I want them to refer their friends and family. Referrals are HUGE in my industry! I also offer a referral program: ‘Refer a friend and receive $25 off your touchup.’ OR ‘Write a review on Yelp or Google and receive $25 off your touchup.’ Reviews play a big role for potential clients deciding between the hundreds of permanent makeup artists in my area! I need to stand out, and reviews help with that. Lastly, and most obviously, I market on Instagram (and TikTok, sigh). I’m constantly posting and pushing reels as well as IG ads. I also hired a gal in Brazil whome I’ve only met over WhatsApp, to message 100 local girls a day with a brief message, in hopes to capture their interest. I often look for influencers with larger followings (10-100K) to provide them a complimentary service in exchange for content. Never underestimate the power of an influencer! All strategies are implemented simultaneously and continuously.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.modestpmu.com
- Instagram: @modestpmu
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/Z5tTAbK_7a
Image Credits
@selftheagency