We were lucky to catch up with Tracy Thalo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tracy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?
In my early work experience, I believed that to be successful, I needed to uphold rules perfectly and always follow procedures. Before becoming an entrepreneur and creating Routine Beauty, I had just the right mix of autonomy and empowering guidance in my last role. It was there that I learned it’s more valuable to win people over with goodwill, integrity, and most importantly, if you can be the hero- BE THE HERO! Often times that looked like making exceptions to a return policy or going above and beyond to make sure an order could be fulfilled on time. Problem solving and creative collaboration with the people you serve is so powerful.
Lately I’ve seen sentiments in the beauty industry specifically about boundaries and policies, and how “strict” others choose to be- fining or firing clients for any infraction. I definitely believe in taking measures to ensure your business isn’t being taken advantage of and setting clear expectations. Beyond that, I’ve learned being flexible and nimble in how you react to the needs of your fans is the best superpower a small business owner can have. It’s that same autonomy that sets us apart from corporate entities and is likely a big reason why your customer chose you to begin with. Putting a human touch back into your business may have a small upfront cost, but know that it’s an investment in future loyalty to you and your brand.
Tracy, 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?
My journey into the beauty industry began with a hunger for artistry and self-expression, leading me to find a way to help others while immersing myself in creative endeavors. I was raised by a ‘MaryKay Lady’, my mother Rhonda, who sparked my interest in self-care from a young age. Right after high school, I attended and graduated from Palomar Institute of Cosmetology, becoming a CA Licensed Esthetician and simultaneously passing my A.B.O.C. exam to become a Licensed Optician. I’ve always loved everything about eyes and how makeup and glasses were exciting ways to enhance that feature on people’s faces and experiment with self-expression. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, I spent several years as a regional manager for a nationwide chain of art supply retailers. This role sharpened my business acumen and nurtured my love for creativity and customer service.
Routine Beauty was born out of a desire to merge my expertise in skin and eye care with my managerial experience and instincts. I wanted to build a brand that offered more than just beauty products and services—I wanted to create interactions that inspire people to reframe their self-care routines and gain a new understanding of the “why” behind it.
On my journey, I discovered the art of lashes—a new way to enhance the eyes beyond strip lashes and eyeliner. The craft deeply satisfies my love for detailed, meticulous art that requires precision. It’s also an ideal way to connect with individuals who prioritize regular self-care. Over the past five years, I’ve honed my skills as a lash artist, ensuring I provide you with a perfect blend of natural but noticeable results, no matter the service you choose. At the Routine Beauty studio in Mission Hills, you’ll discover a curated selection of products along with my specialization in luxury lash extensions, lifts, and more—all designed to be stunning and comfortable.
My background in retail taught me the importance of understanding customer needs and the power of a personal touch. I love being flexible and responsive to my clients, always striving to exceed their expectations. What sets Routine Beauty apart is my commitment to personalized service and genuine care.
My mission is to deliver products and services that enhance your confidence and seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle. As a neuro-diverse person with ADHD, I know the challenges of habit formation. I see great value in getting down to basics and simplifying routines. That doesn’t necessarily mean I condone a 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash, but I do believe in understanding the scientific function of our products. What is soap doing on a molecular level? What makes it work best? And what’s really required? These are questions I aim to answer with my line of personal care for the anti-consumer who still wants to look and feel good. Soon, I’ll be making custom formulas you’ll love using.
I’m extremely proud of bringing my vision to life and creating a welcoming, comfortable space in San Diego. Everyone tells me it’s gorgeous, and I love sharing it while offering you a period of relaxation and self-care during your lash treatments. Our time together is special, and I love being a part of your routines. Most of all, I am proud of the bonds I have built in my community. Many clients have been with me from the beginning, and their continued trust and support is a testament to the quality of my skills. Seeing my clients leave my studio to tackle their dreams and succeed while feeling confident and beautiful is incredibly rewarding.
To potential clients and followers, Routine Beauty is more than just skincare and beauty services; it’s a place where you are valued and treated with the same care as a beloved neighbor. At Routine Beauty, I celebrate diversity in all its forms, standing firm in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and advocating for the rights and dignity of BIPOC, Indigenous peoples, and all marginalized communities. Routine Beauty also provides free harm reduction supplies and training in partnership with anewpath.org
Have you ever had to pivot?
Early on, I wasn’t following a road map or guide when forming Routine Beauty, but I was confident in my instincts and intentions. Without a mentor or an in-depth business plan, I made many missteps and discovered areas where I was certainly naive. As soon as the business name popped into my head (big thanks to my loving spouse for inspiring it), I purchased routinebeauty.com with the intention of turning it into an e-commerce slow/indie beauty site. This site would eventually fund a brick-and-mortar store where I could pursue my passion for consultative customer service, offering education in a way I hadn’t seen in the niche before. I love the idea of helping local customers as much as reaching new digital connections through the website
After contacting multiple brands for wholesale partnerships I was hit with rejection after rejection. I had been operating on the assumption that because I saw these labels in other small boutiques that such relationships would be easy to establish – I can’t say for sure but I do attribute the advent of Shopify as a big factor in why most companies I contacted were choosing to leverage their direct to consumer sales online over adding more middle people to the chain who didn’t have physical storefronts.
Now what? An e-comm with no products? Time to pivot – I pulled my Esthetics License out of the file cabinet and got to work creating what would become my first treatment room providing lash services. In my time as a service provider I’ve been able to nurture a deeper relationship with the people I serve than transactional retail had ever provided me. Often you see your lash artist more frequently than your close friends! I enjoy this work so much it has *almost* back-burnered the initial dream, but not entirely… Through the lash industry specifically I’ve identified many obstacles in the process that I know my creative approach can overcome and that’s part of the ongoing project at the moment. I work to find purpose and usefulness, if I can enhance or add value to a corner of my world I’m eager to do so.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I’m known to keep my heart on my sleeve so I’m going to get very personal- I was riding the high of celebrating my first year in business with a successful Routine Beauty Birthday party on March 3, 2020. A couple of weeks later, I headed to Scottsdale, AZ, to continue my training in new techniques. I returned to San Diego even more inspired and ready to take my business to the next level, and that was the same day the world stopped for everyone, Covid 19 pandemic was here. Many businesses were asked to close temporarily to protect people from the coronavirus. I took these measures very seriously as I firmly strive to do no harm and take responsibility for keeping my clients and community safe. Naturally, I am very optimistic, so I hoped for the best and expected people to comply so that things would be back to normal in a few weeks. I was naive again.
I know everyone was experiencing extremely different realities during this time, so drastic that it feels like a fever dream to recall. My personal reality was that my beloved mother, who was suffering from several chronic illnesses, needed much of my care and attention. I went from girl boss to semi-unemployed-personal-grocery-shopper- caregiver-health-advocate. While many people in my industry looked for loopholes or outright disobeyed mandates, I desperately hoped for people to stay home and mask up as much as possible so my mom could get to her many doctors’ appointments and procedures safely. What I thought would be a few weeks- maybe a couple of months of this abrupt routine change became 15+ months. Those months were filled with so many highs and lows. I lost my first booth rental studio location, and without being able to take clients, I had no idea what would be next for Routine Beauty. I learned to roller-skate since the gyms were closed, and I still love skating to this day. Despite almost ghosting my business entirely while my mom needed 5+ trips to the ER during the peaks of the viral outbreak, I was not giving up. I took a huge leap of faith and leased a new studio location with no signs of business being legal to open soon. I volunteered at a vaccine center with the semi-selfish motivation of cutting the line to get myself and most of my family members vaccinated ASAP. My mom’s safety still my top priority. I did my best and was successful in preventing any known Covid-19 infections for my parents, my spouse, and myself.
I personally designed and built out my new space to be a magical retreat for me and, hopefully soon, my sweet clients. After my booster, I was ready to get back to work, feeling confident I could take enough precautions to keep myself and my clients safe. I proudly welcomed most of my regulars to see the fruits of my labor. Reuniting with them was healing after experiencing so much hopelessness and confusion. I’ll be forever grateful for their flexibility and understanding while I had to shift schedules to continue my mom’s care. Things were moving along, and the new location was a dream come true. The rhythm was beginning to return to my daily life, skate/lash/take mom to the doctor/sleep/repeat.
Rhonda Michelle Oxford passed away on July 8, 2021, in my childhood home, surrounded by family. If anyone has lost a similar monument of love in their life, you understand the vacuum that is created by their absence. It was an honor to steward her care, and I’m fortunate I could be so close to her in the end. As the weight of my grief becomes lighter I hope to make her proud by modeling the same values she instilled in me of dedication, helpfulness, and generosity. She is eternally intertwined as my source of inspiration not only for this business but how I want to show up in all my relationships. Even though it has been immensely challenging to overcome this loss, I am dedicated to nurturing this business and excited for its full potential to be realized.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://routinebeauty.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/routinebeautysd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routinebeautysd
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/routine-beauty-san-diego
Image Credits
Alexis Munoa Dyer