Recently, Brow Fox Beauty founder Emily interviewed with Voyage LA and we thought you'd appreciate hearing what she had to say!
Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Stites.
Voyage LA: Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Emily: I am a licensed esthetician since 2015, specializing in eyebrow shaping in San Luis Obispo, CA. I actually used to be a teacher but decided to go all in as an esthetician. I actually went to beauty school when I was pregnant for the first time!
I am a Brow Expert and trainer for the company Brow Down Professional.
I recently opened a Brow Bar inside of The Suite Spot, offering brow services such as Brow Lamination, Brow Shaping, Brow Tinting, and Waxing. I’m lucky to have a team of talented Brow babes ready to serve clients!
The Suite Spot is also a Salon Suites. My salon suites is filled with wonderful small beauty businesses.
Brow Fox Beauty is my product line that I’ve built for professional estheticians to use on their clients and retail in their treatment rooms. It’s all made in the USA & Canada, and made sustainably, which is very important to me.
Brow Fox Beauty also offers tons of education for pros, which helps professional estheticians cover all bases when it comes to their businesses.
I’m proud that I pursued my vision of having a quality line of products and created a place where women can work together and feel inspired and supported. My clients have taught me so much, and I love spoiling them and am excited to be back in the suite after taking some time off my feet during my last pregnancy and maternity leave.
Most of all, I love that I have the flexibility to make my schedule the way I want so that I can still be a present mom and wife. That’s why I created my course on salon suites, and I can’t wait to help others find their own freedom of flexibility.
Voyage LA: I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Emily: When my first child was born eight years ago, I had to make a significant change. I obtained my beauty license to work at a spa within the resort where I was employed. Initially, I expected my benefits and hourly pay to remain consistent, but to my surprise, my first paycheck consisted solely of commissions. This arrangement wouldn’t suffice for providing for my child, prompting the need for a more secure and flexible solution.
I decided to pivot and explore other opportunities, eventually renting a room to practice as a new esthetician. While this move involved a considerable risk, I managed to make it work. I delved into learning how to create a website, securing insurance, and acquiring all the necessary supplies. Fortunately, the setup allowed me to walk home between clients, enabling me to attend to my baby’s needs. It demanded hard work, but the experience taught me that I could be present for my daughter while successfully running my own business. This shift turned out to be the best decision for us, shaping me into the business owner I am today.
I also struggled finding my way through manufacturing my products and had to learn some hard lessons in creating something I believed in with companies that align with my goals. However, I didn’t give up and found a great company to partner with that and it’s been working for me since.
Voyage LA: As you know, we’re big fans of Brow Fox Beauty. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Emily: Of course, I love perfecting full 'n fluffy brows for my clients – but I knew I could make a big impact amongst other brow and beauty professionals by sharing my products I created from working with my own clients.
I manufacture my Brow Fox Beauty products to clients and professionals to use in their backbar or wholesale to add more cash flow into their businesses. I believe in sustainable products made here in the USA so all of my products are things you can feel good about applying to your own body as well as your clients.
I also help other beauty professionals create their own salon suites businesses with my course along with many downloadable educational materials so they can run their businesses more smoothly and cut out the hard lessons that I had to learn as I started my own salon suites.
I mentor women in person and online and have found so much joy in meeting other creative beauty professionals.
If you’re local to SLO, I provide brow services which include: microblading, lamination, tinting, waxing and shaping all while keeping your own brows full 'n fluffy.
Voyage LA: Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Emily: Seek coaching or mentorship! It would have saved me a lot of headaches in the beginning by having someone who had gone first to help me navigate the ins and outs of owning my own business and with my product line. It ensured I was held accountable, and it grew my business tenfold once I started investing in myself with a coach/mentor.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.browfoxbeauty.com
- Instagram: @thebrowfox, @browfoxbeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bythebrowfox
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-brow-fox-san-luis-obispo