Today we’d like to introduce you to LaTonda Eastman.
Hi LaTonda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up in a two-parent household with five sisters definitely had its high and low moments; one of the hardest things is living up to the expectations that your working-class parents have set up for you while also trying to subconsciously keep up with your sisters, who all have their own thing going on and, for the most part, are already set with their career goals. Personally, I never really knew exactly I wanted to be or do for the rest of my life. I went to community college, so I was always changing my major and switching my interests, which is what you’re supposed to do when you’re in your early twenties.
It wasn’t until I was about 20-21 years old I started working at the Spectrum cable company and met a coworker there. Her and I became extremely close, and one day, we were having lunch and discussing our plans for the future. I didn’t have much to say at all because I was still figuring it out, but she had this whole elaborate plan of becoming a teeth whitening technician while going to school for dental hygiene, and something just CLICKED for me when she said that. Growing up as a little girl, I have always been complimented on my smile and told that I have nice teeth. Although I never thought anything of it, my oral hygiene has always been up-to-par, and when she pitched that idea to me, it made me realize how much I actually enjoy taking care of my teeth. After lunch that day, I went home and immediately started researching teeth whitening, what is was, how it was done, small teeth whitening businesses, training courses, etc.
That following school year, I had already enrolled myself back into school to complete my general education courses and apply for the dental hygiene program at Southwestern College. I had found an affordable teeth whitening and tooth gem training course by a young woman located in Atlanta. I was impressed with her work and results so much that I paid for a 3-day, round trip ticket to Atlanta, Georgia and back. The training was all three days, and I had to fly back through the airport with my whole starter kit, so my whitening lamp, all my gels, bibs, gloves, masks, tools. I was supplied with enough product to service my first 10 clients, so when I got back to San Diego, I immediately started practicing whitenings on my friends and family. My mom bought me a massage table that I still have to this day, and since I did not have my own place or a studio to service my clients, I was strictly traveling only. I spent approximately $2,000 in start-up costs for my business, and in my first year, I made approximately $4,200 back to reinvest into my business.
Fast forward to today, I have solid clientele base with consistent and returning clients, my business’ Instagram page is close to 500 followers, I have a self-designed website, smilebydon.com, and I am constantly receiving messages from people interested in becoming new clients. I am still nowhere near where I want to be with my company, there is always room to improve, and you should always be constantly evolving, but each day I complete at least one tasks that gets me closer to where I want to be. There is nothing easy about running and maintaining a business, but as long as you’re passionate about what you’re doing, that stress and anxiety should easily be turning into excitement and enthusiasm when you accomplish a goal.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like stated before, there is absolutely nothing easy about running a business. For me, the most challenging part is the backend and administrative part. They don’t teach us in school how to file for an LLC or a C-Corp. They don’t tell us about EIN, DUNS, business credit, and etc. Those are all things that an entrepreneur has to learn on their own. You have to be willing to find time out of your day to learn about small business loans, find studio spaces, learn how to design a website; you need a business address and a business phone number to register with Google, that is different from your personal information. You have to be willing and have the determination to teach yourself these things. Nowadays, people will even charge you for that type of information by selling it in the form of “E-books” or “Masterclasses,” but in reality, if you take the initiative, you can learn all that stuff for free.
As you know, we’re big fans of SMILE! By Don LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the owner and operator of SMILE! By Don LLC, a teeth whitening and tooth gem company based in San Diego, California. I am currently in school for Dental Hygiene, which helps improve the techniques that I use in my business. There are some services that I offer for those who have braces, but every service that I provide, I am certified to do. One thing I like to remind my new clients when getting a whitening is that all results differ per person. The results of your whitening depend the most on the current shade of your teeth, someone whose teeth may be yellowed more than the next patient is going to need more sessions or longer sessions.
What sets SMILE! By Don LLC, apart from other teeth whitening companies, I believe is most definitely the products that we use. Each of our gels are concentrated differently with either Carbamide or Hydrogen Peroxides. At each appointment, we update dental history, so depending on what the patient’s current history is, determines which gel at which concentration we use. I’ve often been told that we provide a relaxing environment that makes our patients feel comfortable, paired with excellent customer service.
I am most proud about how far my company has come. During this last year, I was blessed with the opportunity to be put in a position that allowed me to meet a whole new genre of people, which also helped me get inspired. Just two years ago, I was hauling my business in the back of my car, traveling to each client, and now clients come visit me at my private location. My website is reaching 3,000 views a month which are directly turning into booked appointments and revenue. With that, what I want my customers to know is, I am more than passionate about oral health and teeth whitening. This is what I have dedicated my life to, and I thank each and every person, from my first client to my last one, for supporting my business. Thank you to everyone who posts my flyers and recommend me to their friends. All of the support definitely does not go unnoticed on my end.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Working and traveling during COVID-19 definitely reinforced sanitation and sterilization for me. I had to adjust in the way that I had to send each client “pre-screening” questions to be sure they were not experiencing any symptoms. Even still, when coming to people’s homes, I had to be sure to change gloves consistently, always keep my mask on, and work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: smilebydon.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/smilebydon
- Facebook: Facebook.com/smilebydon
