We recently connected with Stephanie Davis and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. 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 have said quite a few times on this journey that I miss having a steady paycheck. I usually laugh right after I say it, but its a brutal reality when you own a business. I am very happy as a business owner because I am in complete control and whatever happens is solely because of me. However, I do miss the normalcy of a traditional job, with coworkers and lunch breaks and paid time off. Even though I don’t have those perks as a small business owner, I am absolutely more fulfilled working for myself versus working for an employer.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Licensed Esthetician here in Jacksonville. I got into the skincare industry later in life after my divorce. At first I was a bit nervous because most of my classmates were so much younger than me, but I fell in love with Esthetics. There was a wealth of knowledge and I was ready to learn. I was in such a happy place because I was able to live my life on my terms. After I finished Esthetics school, I landed a job at a waxing studio and fell in love once again. Waxing was something I knew absolutely nothing about so it was exciting to learn something brand new. I was trained on full body waxing with emphasis on Brazilian and Eyebrows. I’d like to think I solve a huge problem. To all my ladies out there…guess what? I haven’t owned a razor in 7 years. Think about how much time we save if we don’t have to shave. Don’t forget about the money, razors are pricey!! So the fact that I can give my clients beautifully smooth skin is something that I pride myself on very much.
I think what sets me a part is my top notch customer service and my ability to make women comfortable. Lucky for me I grew up with 2 parents who were business owners, so customer service has always been drilled in me since I was a little girl. I am so proud of the fact that right after being fired from a job I was able to start my business and here we are 4 years later. In life I think there will always be things that happen that we don’t understand, in those moments, tell yourself out loud, “it won’t always be like this, and things will get better”. I find myself often saying those things out loud on the days when I’m not feeling my best or my books aren’t so full. Being a business owner is hard work, but I will always show up with a smile on my face, ready to make another woman feel better.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In the beginning when I was just starting, I barely knew anything about social media and how to market there. Also, I’d like to think I am somewhat old-school. I am a huge fan of handing out business cards everywhere I do. Also anytime I am around another woman, I ask her if she needs a wax. This strategy is so great because it opens up the door for any questions and often times cool conversations. I have realized that a lot of women are so afraid of waxing. I think it’s because they need a little educating on the topic and someone who can make them feel comfortable. In about year 2, I did my first Google Ads campaign and that was extremely helpful in bringing in new clients. The cool thing about Google Ads is you get to set your budget as well as create a super cool ad with whatever info you want. This action brought in a ton of new clients for me.
The biggest and most beneficial strategy is client referrals. As women, we will tell our friends if we like someone and we also ask around for service providers. I have a referral program where my client will receive 10% off their next service for referring a friend.
I have grown my instagram but I don’t have a huge following, I am learning to be consistent and post every single day. Thanks to apps like Canva, I’m able to schedule my social media posts, which is so very helpful because it frees up so much time to do other things.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started out, I was in my home. I had a beautiful space on the side of my house where my clients could come and get serviced. In 2020, my partner decided he wanted to sell our home, which meant I would have to find a new studio space. We put the house on the market, very passively, not really expecting much since this was during COVID. In 3 weeks the house was under contract and the house sold in about a month. This meant I had to hurry and find a place for my studio because I had clients on my books. I searched the internet for places and luckily I decided to check craigslist. I found a space in my price range and went that day and viewed the space and put down a deposit. The crazy part, the room size was perfect but there was this very ugly yellow color on the wall. Who else loves painting? I know I don’t. In a weekend I had to transform this space into something beautiful because I already had clients to see. I had no time to take off, I had to move everything out of my home into my new space, paint, decorate, and get it all set up for upcoming clients. I was super stressed that weekend but I made it happen and my clients still love my space. I have since added on another room. I feel like pivot is the best word for business owners to know because there will always be a reason to shift.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.glamtyme.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/glamtymeonthego
• Other: www.vagaro.com/glamtymeonthego