We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Venaé Owens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Venaé, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I was born a creative. As a kid, I embraced my freedom of creativity through the arts. My mother and father played a huge role in my life and they always encouraged me to be myself. They embraced my passion for the arts and encouraged me to express myself freely. I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. However, my mother served as a director for many years in Mary Kay. As I watched her, subconsciously I memorized all her business tactics without realizing. She became one of my greatest business inspirations.

In my teenage years, I struggled with self-confidence. At least it seemed that way when I listened to other’s negative opinions about my looks. It wasn’t until I discovered the new world of makeup on YouTube and I was fascinated by the transformations I saw and I wanted to try it for myself. I started doing my own makeup in high school and got really good at it! I eventually became a makeup artist for some of the high school plays that I was in but I didn’t expect to actually make a career out of it.

It wasn’t until I was faced with the harsh reality of my life. Everyone grows up but I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to be committed to yet. The transition from high school to college affected how I viewed my passion. Fast forward to my first college homecoming at Lincoln University. I started to see college students promoting their businesses. I had just started my makeup collection but I realized that I ultimately had everything I needed. I made the decision that not only was I going to take the opportunity, but I was going to capitalize on the demand of homecoming.

At 17 years old, I took my first official client in my freshman college dorm room. To kick off my business launch, I charged only $10 per person. Although this price was low, I knew if I started out this low and proved to everyone that my work was worth more, the reward would be greater than the loss. A unique approach I used was building genuine and authentic relationships and professionalism. My business evolved from there.

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

The success I imagined with my goals and visions became a reality. After a year at Lincoln, I transferred to Towson University to study Business Administration. However, I was previously a nursing major and this was a huge academic decision. Considering I was a transfer, the process for me to be admitted into my major, was extremely hard. However, even with my new academic challenges I found motivation in the single fact that I still managed to gain a steady clientele within weeks of my transfer. Alongside makeup, I realized that in order to create a sustainable business for myself I needed to continue to adapt to current beauty industry demands.

As my business demand grew, I trained myself in various beauty skills to create different avenues to reach potential clientele. As my demand grew, so did my expectations of myself. I trained harder, I worked harder but I also began to think smarter.

I began to learn the art of self-discipline and to constantly push myself to grow. Although my skill set may have not been the best when I began, my consistency and discipline propelled me forward. As what people saw comfortable, I saw uncomfortable. I never settled in my abilities and that is what allowed me to become better.

What sets me apart from others in the beauty industry is being able to specialize in various beauty services but I am also very knowledgable about business, marketing and graphic design. I learned how to bridge my own business gaps.

I also became very coachable and acquired many business mentors a long the way on my journey. I am proud of my past and most recent accomplishments. I graduated from Towson University but also obtained my esthetician’s license not even a year after. I am proud that all my work is paying off. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy but it is by far the most rewarding gift I’ve received in my life. I am so excited to begin the journey of impact within my industry and to inspire and encourage others to do the same.

Last month I officially launched my Beauty Boss Coaching program. The Beauty Boss League is a business empowerment organization dedicated to providing professional development resources to women entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.

My goal is to ensure all members are equipped, prepared and inspired on their journey of entrepreneurship. To impact others and to ensure women entrepreneurs in the beauty industry feel seen and heard. This community was designed to meet each member where they are. With access to the Beauty Boss Membership League, you also have access to a variety of private, live and group trainings. Live in-person trainings for lash extensions, makeup, brows and skin care will be available starting January 2023. For more information about how to join my Beauty Boss League for FREE send us an email at [email protected] or visit www.naefaces.com/coaching to learn more about our upcoming events.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My advice for those who are just starting to build their presence online is to just be your authentic self. However, make sure that you establish your brand identity so that your audience recognizes who you are. Take the time to research the differences between marketing and branding. You’ll find that creating content will become easier that way. Also, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to try something new. In the Beauty Boss League, we cover topics like this to ensure entrepreneurs are equipped in this area.

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

Networking is a skill that comes over time. I constantly developed my skills in networking by making sure I speak to everyone in the room. You never know where that introduction can take you. One of the most effective strategies a business owner can use is to create a loyalty program where the customer is rewarded for their loyalty to your business. With all the businesses in the world, you have to find a way to make your customers feel special.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.naefaces.com
• Instagram: @naefaces
• Facebook: @naefaces
• Twitter: @naefaces
• Youtube: @naefaces
• Other: https://linktr.ee/naefaces

Image Credits
@ap.creativeservices @mesus.studios @naefaces