We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Levinsky . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.
Hi Rachel , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
When I graduated from college in 2008 the job market was bleak to say the least. At the time I got a job in sales and absolutely hated it, I had always had a love for skin and brows and so at the time it just felt right to go back to school for those things. Fast forward I graduated worked in many spas (good and bad) and gained so much knowledge. I was offered a more business inclined position which was perfect for me at the time due to certain life changes and I took a job running skin care product and inventory for a big chain company of 189 locations. I loved this job for years until the leadership changed and the job changed. At that time I had somehow come across a video of Microblading and with my love for brows I had to know how to do it. I’ll never forget I was on vacation with my family and I told my mom I was going to train for Microblading and she said “but you have such a great job”. I still did it and fell in love with the art of permanent makeup. That was 6 1/2 years ago. Since then my business has evolved, my skills have evolved and the industry as a whole has evolved in the most wonderful way! I am able to bring on apprentices and help others discover a job they love while making my clients feel amazing and confident in themselves through my “brow art”.
Rachel , 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 got into the beauty industry in 2009 and then started my permanent makeup journey in 2016. My love and passion for the beauty industry is like none other. I think the thing that sets me apart is my desire to make my clients happy and my appreciation for the art itself. To me it’s not about the money it’s about doing something you love while making a difference in others lives, whether it’s my clients feeling more beautiful, or the girls I work with being able to learn and grow. It brings me so much joy to see them flourish.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
After opening two successful storefronts in palm harbor and Dunedin I decided to expand and branch out to st Pete. With more locations comes more girls and I hired. Well, I ran into some terrible building issues, slumlords and just not good circumstances. Along with this I found that growing the team came with its problems too. I cut my losses and closed st Pete just 4 months after being open as we couldn’t operate in the condition the building was and I came to a life changing realization. I thought I wanted to expand and grow but indeed I wanted to downsize and focus on just my art and just a few good people. Having the right team of people with you is so important. I have realigned what I want to do and that is to focus on my art, my core team and having better work life balance.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think the thing that most helped me build my reputation was my customer service and attention to giving me clients the very best results because I truly love and care about my clients and how they feel about themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: ArchandLine.com
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Facebook: Facebook.com/archandline