We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Simaria Solis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Simaria below.

Simaria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I think all business owners have the question run through their mind “What am I doing?” In some ways it seems so much easier to just punch in punch out and make a pay check. The problem with most business owners and entrepreneurs is that isn’t fulfilling. We dream of making a difference, we dream of limitless potential, we can’t sit still, and we can’t regurgitate whatever corporate buzzword that’s being thrown around as “this fiscal years vision”

I would say I am happier as a business owner because I’ve had the experience of being a corporate chess piece. I tried to fit myself into the little box and say what I was told to say. I can say with certainty that I enjoy my emails not being ignored. I also enjoy getting out of my lane in fact I’ve learned so much about all the lanes required to make my business succeed. I make sure I’m given all the information not pieces of a puzzle that I have to link up with others to decipher.

I make mistakes but theyre my mistakes and I don’t beat myself up ALL the time. I have wins and I see and enjoy the fruits of my labors. It’s better than a pizza party or a certificate half heartedly written.

I walk in each day and see my vision for my future and my business. I see dreams become a reality and that’s magical.

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

I am a hair stylist, makeup artist and photographer. I started as a makeup artist in 2000 and have morphed into the other arms of my business gradually within this 23 year journey. I opened my studio in Southlake during the pandemic due to a corporate restructure related to Covid and have been open for 2 years. I’ve created an artist space where all 3 have space to grow in each area of my craft. I’ve created a makeup line Lucca Cosmetics which has always been a dream of mine and I offer unique services that support my core offerings such as gown rentals for photo shoots or for events, I keep over a 100 gowns of various sizes and styles so you don’t have to buy a new dress for a shoot or event. I also offer Halo Couture Extension rentals which is great for Cinderella like transformations without the cost commitment. You come in for a custom color match then the Halo is cleansed, sanitized and styled out for your event. We style your hair to blend with the Halo and Voila, you have Goddess hair at a fraction of the cost of purchasing outright. We have over 20 Halo’s set aside for rentals but if you like it we also have retail Halo’s on hand sealed in packaging that have never been opened just waiting to go home with you!

We do cut, color, blonding services, and color corrections as well as formal makeup applications and lessons. We offer photo shoot packages for family portraits, proms, graduations. headshots, corporate, and model portfolios. We have a team of preferred vendors so we always have an expert in the photography style you’re looking for.

Lastly, our focus is always on education teaching you how to recreate the magic at home we do hands on workshops on hair styling, makeup, and our big push this year is workshops for hairstylists and makeup artists that are affordable, and packed with real world knowledge to help our industry grow!

I like to make it easy for anyone no matter your back ground to get comfortable in the world of beauty and help everyone find their place in it. Even if it’s master the art of blow drying your hair I focus on information that will stick and techniques anyone can do. I want to help you specifically with challenges related to your hair type or skin texture not cookie cutter approaches to looks. Real world knowledge in a language you understand.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

This is the question all of us come up with because without funding you don’t have a business. I also think it’s the most taboo topic but is so necessary because not everyone has the ability to get a business loan or can benefit from family resources. So if you’re a bootstrapper like I am this will be interesting. It might not work for any-everyone sometimes I wonder how I managed. Like I mentioned I was in a round of pandemic layoffs but my goal was always to open my own business so I started planting seeds years before I was kicked out the nest. Again I should warn you, this will go against every financial strategist advice and I’m sure Dave Ramsey would choke on his cheerios but remember we’re boot strappers so buckle up.

First I worked on getting my credit rating not just up but I started establishing credit and paying on time for 4 years. I wanted to show that I could be trusted with money because I knew at some point I would need to apply for a small business loan. Now having no financial advisor I chose cards that were or would be useful to me in the future. I had for furniture, beauty products, cash back rewards, stores I frequented at one point I had 25 different cards totaling 80,000 of what I considered leverage if needed. I also contributed the max amount to my 401k for 9 years and the free money from the company match was a boon. I bought a house and started building equity which was great since little did we know the housing market was going to boom. I had the house for 4 years. Then Covid happened and I watched and waited to jump and pivot as things starting happening around me. At work it was getting increasingly miserable so I for the first time took ALL my vacation time, sick time, even found little surgeries so I could get my extended illness bank. I had a feeling our department would be hit when they kept saying how grateful we should be to have a job. Then when my time was up I got a good severance, maxed out my credit cards, cashed out my 401k, sold my house- all in stages to support the new business venture. I use square which does loans based on business transactions and am working to show financial reports that will be evidence of sound business growth so I can finally get a business loan. Like I said this is not a recipe for success its a diary of desperation but it has worked for me. I’ve been able to pay off my credit cards and offer new ways to re-engage with existing customers while keeping flexible for new customers. I also spoil my clients and go above and beyond for them because without a strong book of business I wouldn’t have been able to open a business at all. I try to let them know how much they have created me and how much they mean to me and that of course is critical to success.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I was learning how to manage and grow a business I lived and breathed self help books, talks, videos, cd’s etc. My absolute mentor is Brian Tracy. I absorbed everything he’s ever written or said like it was water. I also did alot of Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Napolean Hill, Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, Jim Rohn, Peter Drucker, John Maxwell, Les Brown, Jack Welch, W. Clement Stone. Colin Powell, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Charles Koch, Jack Ma, and so many more from different backgrounds Military, Political, Sales, Strategists, and Communicators.

I love listening to a talk from the former Ritz Carlton CEO Horst Shulze about exemplary service and focus more on interpersonal skills. Communicating effectively and active listening are important in my field and trying to exceed expectations whether behind the chair, behind the camera, and in my surroundings, I create to bring the client an experience not just a service.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecollective-artistspace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecollectiveartistspace/
• Facebook: https://www.thecollective-artistspace.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simaria-solis-985bbab4

Image Credits
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