Sweet Success Story | Sweetening the work-life balance with Michelle Brown

Shannon O'Brien  00:01

Welcome to The Sugar Show. I'm Shannon O'Brien, body Sugaring expert and licensed esthetician who's taken my own skincare business from zero to multiple six figures and has helped over 3000 students learn how to do the same. Now, let me tell you it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the time budget and knowledge needed to grow my small business as a body Sugaring Pro. If we were to press rewind, you'd see the many failed attempts and lessons learned that have helped me build the profitable business that I have today. When that runs on its own, it gives me the lifestyle and freedom that I only used to dream of. I created The Sugar Show to hand you my secrets and give you the simple step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. So if you're a cosmetologist or esthetician or wax professional, who's looking to fill your books, make more money in your business and enjoy greater balance between your work and home life. You are in the right place. Let's dive in.

Shannon O'Brien  01:12

Welcome back to this episode of The Sugar Show sweet success story series. You are going to love this interview. I always say that but this one you're going to specially love because it's not only just about money, but it's about life that our next guest is a success story in She is truly a walking miracle. She's an amazing human, a good friend, she's become an amazing student as well, I in this episode, you're gonna meet Michelle Brown, and she was a stay at home mom for a lot of years and decided to go back to esthetics school, she's had some health challenges, and she just has a smile on her face. And she has made it happen. She is so booked, it was actually hard to get this interview with her because she is just booked with clients. And that is the goal for all of us. Right? And not only to be booked, but to have that work life balance and do it just in such a smart way. And I'm really, really honored to call her friend and have her in our sugar tribe. And now introduce her to all of you. So ladies and gentlemen, this episode of The Sugar Show. Oh girl, Michelle Brown. It is it's long overdue that you and I do a sweet success story. Because, girl, we've been talking about your success for a long time. And this is really cool to finally be able to do it. And it's hard when those of you that are super busy in the treatment room. You never have time for me. Yeah. Well, he's in because you're so busy. good problems to have. Right? Right, definitely. So let's get down to it, Michelle, because I have just loved your friendship for the last three years even though we have yet to meet live. Girl COVID Just through wrench and all those plans. But we are going to do that this in 2023. I feel it. But I want you to share really your journey through sugar because sweet success does not happen overnight. And I think it's really important for people to hear different stories like yours, especially because they can resonate with you. And if you don't resonate with Michelle's original story, you will resonate with her success now at the end of this podcast, and where she's brought her business too. So Michelle, do tell us a little bit about your journey to sugar where tell us what did you do before you even started Sugaring?

03:46

So I got married young and was a stay at home mom got my 21 was just a baby myself. Oh, I had two little ones you know fairly back to back so I was a stay at home mom. So they went off to middle school and I had had even before kids I had had a series of health issues I've actually to date had three brain surgeries.

Shannon O'Brien  04:11

We hold the phone.

04:15

What? Yes, I had to before I had kids and then I had one and 2007

Shannon O'Brien  04:24

Okay, for those of you that are listening in my jaws literally on my desk. I did not know this. Yeah, I

04:30

had I had something kind of like a cross between an aneurysm and a tumor that ruptured actually the first time when I was 13. So yeah, I rock a massive scar over here and I was blessed with a ton of hair to cover it. Luckily, I've been really really blessed. I don't really show any signs of the all of this stuff that I've been through. Most people would never like you like your face. Nobody would ever know. I didn't tell him I made

Shannon O'Brien  04:59

him cry. I literally feel like not only is this like a success in sugar but a success in life, right? You're like a walking miracle. Definitely. I got I got chill bumps. Nobody right now I swear to God. So you have three brain surgeries.

05:17

So I had I had this long health history and honestly I didn't know that I'd ever work. I started doing better health wise the kids got off in the middle school and I wanted to just maybe work part time and I've always been like a makeup junkie. So I just got a part time job at Alta refeed my little makeup habit. Really enjoyed that. And then I started thinking like, my childhood dream was to be a makeup artist. It's like, you know, I love makeup. Maybe that's something I could do I could go to school for so I started looking around and our local community college's literally just right up the street from me, and they had an esthetics program where I can do makeup and hair, you know, all the things that we can do with our aesthetic license. And you know, just like okay, get on, I had to get on a waitlist. It was a small program. So I had to waitlist for a year, which I was fine with because, you know, to go to one of the private schools was exponentially more. So just like I continued to work at Olson enjoyed that. Me when I did get into school. That was like the funnest school I ever did. loved doing the makeup, but realize it was a lot harder to put makeup on other people than it is put on myself.

Shannon O'Brien  06:36

Give a shout out to your school. Where did you go? Oh,

06:39

wait Tech Community College. All right, well give a shout out to I enjoyed doing the facials. But actually, because of like the brain surgery stuff, my left hand gets tired and weak faster than the right hand. So trying to keep that nice, even motion was very difficult. And still like I can barely get through one facial much less time to do two back to back. So that was difficult. But then the waxing part that I just fell in love with that I've always been a hairy person. So I had been doing waxing at home not having a clue what I was actually doing but getting rid of my own hair for quite some time. And just really fell in love with that part of it. I happened to one of my classmates was a one of the owners of the European wax center and she was wanting to have the same knowledge her students or her employees had and you know, we kind of made a connection. And towards the end of the program, I asked her, you know, which I'll maybe have any jobs and she said, Yeah, we're him. We're looking to hire and of course, she couldn't interview me but her dad and another esthetician there interviewed me and I got on there and I loved it. I love hair removal. It was just it's fun, get to meet lots of people and make good connections. And I worked there for about two years. I really liked it but I was getting burnout, just the speed that they turned on the Barnum and I didn't like I didn't like making the people on my table feel rushed and I wanted to go out on my own. And actually one of my clients at the time, told me about a room in a salon where her aunt worked that was empty and just on a whim, went and talked to the owner and she was like sure, so gave my notice. And within a month I opened up shop because I knew you know with the hair removal, there's not a whole lot of overhead. Right I was able to get up and move in and the area that I'm in like when I started there was nobody out here doing body waxing.

Shannon O'Brien  08:48

I'm not sure where you're located. I'm

08:51

in Garner, North Carolina. And kind of like this little Chaya Garner Clayton little bit of Raleigh but yeah, like there's nobody or at the time was nobody else out here doing it. So I within six months had a full clientele like waxing clientele. That was waxing only. And I stumbled across Sugaring online and just because I enjoy hair removal and I was curious about it and kind of played around with it all myself, you know I wanted to learn more and learn how to do it maybe bring that in because I think it was maybe a year or two of being on my own I had competition we have across the like just across the bridge less than a mile from me. And she definitely was charging less than me but she was still you know booking super short appointments tournament Barnum and, you know, I wanted to offer something different. So I did to Pierre is who I first did In my training through and that was good, I appreciate the hands on but I'm willing like I do better watching something over and over again. So the ash sugar Pro that was just amazing for me to be able to go and just keep watching the videos and like figure out what I was doing wrong and adjust, you know myself. And so I had some clients that have been with me for quite some time somebody followed me from European wax center. And I kind of like, Hey, I'm learning this new hair removal method, can I try it on your you willing to kind of like work with me through it? And a lot of them are like, sure, you know, I've been with you long I trust you. And so we transitioned quite a few of my clients early on to sugar, and we started seeing the benefits of like, their hair thinning out, less growing back. And these were clients that had already been waxing for years, right. So they were even impressed to see just how much different the sugar was and how much better their skin. And it was probably I felt like it was between six months to a year before I felt super comfortable. Like just having an anybody walk in the door and book that sugar. As I was just I had my struggles, there's always the areas that I would get stuck on

Shannon O'Brien  11:24

and it just kind of challenge your self esteem a little bit.

11:28

So opposite when you first start everything is pressure, pressure, pressure and live Oh, sorry. Motion sensor light with sugar, you know, it's so light, the light touch is what gets it and so my brain does have the hardest time transitioning from that pressure, pressure pressure to light. Yeah. You know, even still, gosh, I've been Sugaring now. Three, four years. Yeah. And

Shannon O'Brien  11:58

the sugar time for three years. Can

12:00

you leave? This is so crazy. Yeah. So fine. Like as I'm working like little tweaks that I'm like, oh, that that works so much better. I need to do this little maneuver here. And that fits the sugar out perfectly. And it's definitely been a journey, you know, because I felt like I was really really good at waxing from the get go. But I was not really good. Like you I was not really good at centering from the get go. And it's very frustrating.

Shannon O'Brien  12:27

Because we're smart women, this ball of ambered beautifulness should not beat us.

12:34

It's not going to beat me. So, but at this point, I would say a solid 75 80% of my business's sugar. I'm still working on transitioning those few holdouts because I have some clients that they just really prefer the hard wax they like the works of it they like the speed of it so I'm just slowly but surely transitioning them to sugar and trying to get for my business as 100% Sugar Yeah. In still like where I'm at. There's nobody within 20 plus miles that sugars that I'm aware of.

Shannon O'Brien  13:13

That's amazing. And even if there is to be honest, you have so many people that are there to be triggered by you. Yeah, yeah good even if somebody came in and to be honest, I think it might be okay if somebody came in Oh, because if something were to happen and you you could you know kind of cross promote each other that is you know, he or she is an amazing sugar pro by the time you know that happens but I think sometimes having someone else that does sugar you can say oh my gosh, I have to go out of town would you mind recovering for me or vice versa? I mean, who knows right where this ends so let's back up for just a minute because right now as we're recording this you're sitting inside a Salon Suite you're no longer in a spa So talk about that transition went European wax center to your own solo practice inside a salon. Is that how you think you initially built the volume?

14:07

No, I because I originally wanted to be in like a solo sweet Thai place but it didn't exist out here yet. Okay, like this building actually was just built like I moved in January of this year. And in the salon I was at I mean I got some clients from you know being there. But some you know a lot just from advertising the fact of word of mouth and everybody else was having a job and you're 2030 minutes to the nearest place that did them or you know just had never done the service before. So I feel like the right place the right time.

Shannon O'Brien  14:49

Yeah, so when when they did open this the weeds you knew okay when they're open I'm for sure moving you want like when

14:57

I started putting signs up and I I had actually reached out to the building owner and came and talked with him. And he wants me around. And he got to show me. Actually, no, the first time I talked to him, I was just seeing like four plants, like the bill had been broken ground. And I was not wanting to be able to visualize what something was going to be. It was actually me moving here, kind of happened on a whim. Honestly, I had back just before Christmas, I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment that got canceled last minute, because the provider was sick. Anyways, I had like an hour and a half gap, let me run some errands. And where I'm at right now is literally right across the road from where I used to be. And so I kind of sit down here just to see what it was looking like. And you there's a building there, and there's a door open. So I came in and walked around and talked to the owner and all of the suites are set up for hairstylist. So the room that I'm in right now had a shampoo bowl and sell chair and there was one room that was set up for like a massage therapist or esthetician and it was taken I was like, Well, you know, thank you for your time. If she happens to back out you let me know. So he ended up reaching out to me that night was like, you know, I think he'd be a really good fit, you know, in the building. And if you're really interested in coming, we can pull out the shampoo bowl, we can pull out the style chair. I mean, these are like brand new just been installed. And so I came back over the next morning, and he showed me the rooms that were available. And I picked this one.

Shannon O'Brien  16:35

And the rest is history.

16:39

The rest is history. And that was just before Christmas and New Year's Eve in New Year's Day. Oh room it into this one.

Shannon O'Brien  16:47

So let's talk about that about the pros and cons of having us individual suite. Like you're in there by yourself. What would you say kind of the pros and cons are of a suite situation like you're in? Um, because I think there's people that are kind of wondering if they want to leave their salon. And yeah, this A can

17:11

be a little more isolating, especially if you're new and don't have a full clientele to wear. Like you've got time years consequently, on your thumbs. I don't really because you know, if everybody's in their own room doing their own thing, you don't really want to go like interrupt people necessarily. But again, like, I don't know, I think it depends on people's personality. You know, some people might be way more extroverted, just walk around, like, hey, introduce yourself and not bust up in people's room. But you know, just Yeah, we have to be a bigger presence, I guess. So I can you know, I can say that for some people kind of being a hindrance somewhere maybe being in a more open salon might be easier to start but like where I was I have a private room kind of in the back. And I had gotten to the point before I moved here like I haven't been taking new clients for nationally a year and a half now. And so I was in my room most of the time anyways, didn't really get to see or talk to the other stylists except for an occasional running out to the bathroom or running to the kitchen. So

Shannon O'Brien  18:20

okay, so I want to stop you right here because you literally just said I haven't been taking new clients for a year and a half now. And I want to honor that because that's a huge statement. So if you're someone that's listening to this, and you're like wondering if sugar is the right choice, first of all, listen to someone who started as a stay at home mom, and now does not have room on her books to take anyone else that's new. Isn't that like totally normal yet? Totally crazy to come out of your mouth and really think about that. Like let's honor that for a moment because the play in this career. We're constantly thinking about how do I fill my books? How do I fill my books? How do I fill my books and then at one point you look down at your books and say oh they're full yeah Yay. Oh my god like all at the same time right like because it's a lot

19:22

Yeah, well I've already I've raised my prices since I started I've raised my prices twice and honestly had it not been for COVID and all that craziness you know potential recession whatever is going on like I would have done it sooner like raise them again and even still, you and I've talked about this I don't know how many times I'm constantly on the fence like I know I need to raise my prices but you know, I just I have I have such an awesome connection with so many my clients just hold them near and dear to my heart. It's almost like you know having a friend come in on a client and and I know for a lot of them I'm already kind of at the top of their, you know, their budget, I don't want to lose them. But at the same time and everything you ever learned when your books are full, you raise your prices, you read some out and bring new and then make more money for the same time. I was like in my head. I know all this in my heart I struggle with because there's just those people I don't want to lose.

Shannon O'Brien  20:20

Yeah. Well, two things. A I'm i We did talk about raising your prices. But we also talked about you selling more retail? Yes. Yeah. Good and maximizing, yes. The clients that you do have, you don't necessarily need to raise raise prices on them. But you do need to add things. Yes. So how's that been going? That's good.

20:43

Actually, I had a client today, we always do a Brazilian and a hydrogel a mask and she asked me as we were rebooking her appointment, do you two eyebrows? And I had to do it because I totally thought of you like, Yes, I do everything. Why have I not mentioned? Like, yes, yeah. Because a lot of times when we do that, yeah, I'll do they're resilient, but the mask on and then do whatever other service, because normally, I'm just sitting here like twiddling my thumbs talking to her and was like, Yeah, well, that's the setting under your brows, or whatever else you want to do while that mask is set up?

Shannon O'Brien  21:14

Yep. And you've given yourself? Yep, you've given yourself a raise in that half hour? Sure. And to be honest, she probably needs a brow pencil, or she probably needs some hydration for her face, or whatever it is.

21:26

Yeah, have to make sure. She buys products. So

Shannon O'Brien  21:29

yeah, you got it. You have it.

21:32

Keep good notes on who buys product, who doesn't. And I'm really trying to work on those ones that don't,

Shannon O'Brien  21:37

yeah, because you can you can keep the same 100 people and double your money. Yeah, if you're smart with those 100 people, we talked about that in the tribe all the time. And you're always the person that I point to when we have our live trainings, because I'll say okay, like, for example, Michelle, she's already booked. And everybody that isn't already booked is very jealous of you, Michelle. But it there will come a time sugar pros when you your books are full. And you have to be mindful of how you're going to grow your business. And it doesn't necessarily mean you and I've talked about this a lot. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to now get three more estheticians sugar with you. Right? It just mean you work smarter in your business. So yeah, at what point at one point you were thinking about bringing on more people? How are you feeling about that? Now?

22:27

I don't know. It's one of those I've learned because I never thought when I went to work for European wax center, I had no intentions of working myself, I just wanted to go go to work, do my job, do something I love and go home. And that, you know, that was definitely one of the benefits of working for someone else. And then you start working for yourself. And you're like I am the entire team. I have to do literally. Yes. So I like where I am. You know, and I don't plan on retiring anytime soon. And just kind of the life changes. My daughter just got married last month. And you know, she and her now husband wants to start a family as soon as they get blessed with a kid and are looking forward to having grandbabies. And I want them. I know crazy. I'm just about to be 45 next month, up and think I'll be a group will be super exciting. But I want to. I've been working really hard on that work life balance. And so kind of spending time with the family but also working. I want to give

Shannon O'Brien  23:37

you a shout out. I want to give you a shout out as well. There's been a lot of shout outs in this but I want to take another moment to honor your work life balance because I've been very impressed with how you're a good student and you listen but you really have said it's important to my husband and I that we camp. Yes, it's important to my husband and I that I'm home at night. It's important to my family that I'm present and you have probably all of my students you stand out to me as one of the most balanced esthetician I've probably ever met. Oh, thank you. Yeah, because you really do turn off the lights and go live your life and struggle. Yeah, it really it really is because we want to be all things to all people we want to sugar everyone make sure everyone's happy and and you know it can't be at our expense and you really have done a good job saying you know what, I don't need to have a big spa. I don't need to have all that headache. I don't need to have all those things. What's important is you know soon to be a grandma and you know, God willing. And nature is important. Your dogs you have beautiful dog you know like your that's important to you and your Clients can be equally as important to the time when you have the pie of your life, right? Like each slice. And you really are pouring into your clients while you're there, maximizing your revenue potential while you're there, and then you turn your lights off. And you're Michelle. And that is a, that is sweet success in itself, really, truly beyond the monetary stuff, is that balance of life and being able to really shut it off and you, my friend have done. Probably the best job I've seen in a while of anyone I know.

25:33

It's taken a while in the beginning, I can remember my husband getting really frustrated while I was trying to build my books and get my own thing up and running. Yeah, I'd be at work, come home. And I was doing this responding to clients trying to book appointments, and he would get really frustrated one day, he finally was like, Look, we need to talk. You're here, but you're not here. It's like, as soon as you walk in the door, you're still working, you're responding to people, you know, you've got to be able to stop and don't feel like you'd have to respond to somebody as soon as they text you though live. And it's been a struggle. It's you know, I'd say it probably took me I hate to say like in six months, I'm humble. I'm dude, put the phone down. Stop. You're not working. You're all Behold, be present. Yeah, really get it. And you know, sometimes I still we were on vacation last week and enjoying the mountains of North Carolina. And it was gorgeous. And you know, people would text me or you try to call on him like, Oh, you're on vacation.

Shannon O'Brien  26:45

Just real quick, just one real quick. But it really is an honor to say in your life. I'm financially good. I spending time with my family that in itself is its own sweet success. I'm learning. I'm making relationships with clients and friends. Like that's, that's success in life. You know, it's not just how much is in your bank account. And but that's probably not hurt neither. Because sugar does provide a nice living for us. It really does. It really does. Girl. Kudos to you, I I'm just continuing to just be so grateful that you're a part of our sugar tribe, and you have such great advice. And I love when you and I first met and we first talked and you're like, Oh girl, I gotta get the sugar thing, right? If it kills me, I gotta get it right. And it's just really fun to watch you grow in this business. And I mean, girl, you're being interviewed on a podcast right now like this is pretty bad. It really is. And it's a pleasure to spend time with people that are doing it. Right. And that is definitely you

27:57

definitely appreciate all the help and advice you have given me over the years and it's been very, very, very helpful. I'm sorry.

Shannon O'Brien  28:06

For those of you that can't see that, that she's sitting so still doing this, like her motion like keeps going. It's fine. It's kind of mood lighting. I love it. I love it. Thank you so much for being here. Michelle, I cannot wait to give you a hug for real in the next year. And now that you know lockdowns are done and we can start getting out and teaching again. And who knows, maybe you'll be educating someday.

28:28

I'm starting to ponder that.

Shannon O'Brien  28:29

I'm just saying all right, sugar tribe. It is, as usual, an absolute pleasure to bring you the other sweet successes in our industry and Michelle is definitely one of them. So if you see her inside the love to sugar community definitely say hey, and she is always happy to answer questions about her journey as well. So blessings friend. Thank you

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

sugar, clients, people, books, michelle, sugaring, esthetician, brain surgeries, salon, hair removal, european wax center, room, appointment, talked, enjoyed, shampoo bowl, literally, business, waxing, life