Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Doan.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Back in college, I discovered my love for traveling, which started when I studied abroad in Bali. This experience opened my eyes to the vast world waiting to be explored. However, I quickly realized that traveling is expensive, so I needed a way to fund my adventures. That’s when I decided to learn eyelash extensions.
I joined a sorority at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and began marketing my services to my sorority sisters and other students. Word spread quickly, and I soon realized that offering eyelash extensions could provide me with more income, work-life balance, and happiness than any traditional career path I was considering.
With this realization, I decided to leave my bachelor’s program and enroll in esthetician school. There, I learnt so much about beauty industry, expanding my skill set and offering additional services, which attracted even more clients.
I started by renting a small salon suite within a hair salon. My business quickly gained momentum, and I found myself fully booked with a growing list of loyal clients. As my clientele expanded, I realized that the small suite could no longer accommodate the demand for my services. This realization led me to take a bold step: opening my own salon.
I rebranded my business to Rooted Reflections, a name that embodies the core values and vision I have for my brand. The process of opening my salon involved significant planning and effort and has significantly paid off.
Building my own salon allowed me to create a space that truly reflected my passion for beauty and wellness. It also gave me the opportunity to rent my own space to other talented estheticians who share my dedication to excellence. Together, we strive to offer a comprehensive range of services, from lash lifts and brow laminations to skincare treatments, all tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients.
Now that my salon has been established I have been offering mentorships, in-person and online training to estheticians that need help with their business. I am now finding that my passion lies in helping others who want to grow their business just like I have!
Today, Rooted Reflections stands as a testament to my journey and the hard work that went into transforming my passion into a thriving business and now offering education for future estheticians. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished and excited about the future, as we continue to grow and serve our amazing clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, my journey has been quite smooth, but like any business, it has had its challenges. The beauty industry experiences high and low seasons, and there were times when my clientele slowed down, particularly right when I was opening my salon. I panicked, thinking I was losing clients just as I was taking on higher rent with the new space.
Instead of giving in to the panic, I decided to trust the process and focus on building the salon. The slowdown in clientele during the renovation period turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave me ample time to handle all the necessary tasks and errands involved in setting up the new salon.
Once the salon was officially open, the excitement among my clients was palpable. Many were eager to see the new space, and as a result, I ended up attracting even more clients than before. The initial worry about losing clients quickly dissipated, and the new salon thrived.
In retrospect, while the process has had its ups and downs, it has been incredibly rewarding. I started doing lashes in 2015, and each step I took was carefully planned to ensure stability and growth. Whenever I decided to take the next step, I was well-prepared, which minimized the hurdles I faced.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an esthetician specializing in eyelash extensions and microblading, which is a semi-permanent tattoo technique to enhance eyebrows. While these are my specialties, I also offer a wide range of other services, including chemical peels, basic facials, microchanneling, lash lifts, brow laminations, and shapings.
I think what truly sets me apart from other estheticians is my versatility and expertise across multiple services. I’m like a jack of all trades in the beauty industry. Although microblading and eyelash extensions are my favorites, I have mastered all the services I offer and am continuously educating myself to improve and stay ahead in the field.
Clients often refer to me as “the lash girl,” “the facial girl,” or “the brow girl,” depending on what service they’re getting. I take pride in being able to do it all and deliver exceptional results across the board. This comprehensive skill set allows me to provide a one-stop-shop experience for my clients, ensuring they receive top-quality care for all their beauty needs. I am most proud of my ability to adapt, grow, and consistently offer the best to my clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Honestly, I believe luck played a significant role when I was first starting out at UC Irvine. Initially, I built a small clientele from my sorority sisters. However, when I created an Instagram account to showcase my work, I decided to reach out to the Chapman University sorority community by liking a few of their Instagram posts, hoping to spark interest.
One girl in particular decided to give me a chance, and she loved my work so much that she became my main advocate at Chapman. She went out of her way to promote my services to all the sorority girls there, which led to a ripple effect. Word spread quickly to other sororities across Orange County and into South LA, and that’s when my lash extension business truly took off.
Even when COVID hit, many of those sorority girls went back home, which for many of them was San Diego—coincidentally, my hometown. This unexpected turn of events meant that when I decided to move back to San Diego, I already had an established clientele waiting for me. This made the transition smooth and seamless, allowing me to continue growing my business without missing a beat.
Luck, combined with the support of my clients and my proactive efforts, has been instrumental in the growth and success of my business.
Pricing:
- Microblading $650
- Volume Eyelash Extensions Full Set $220
- Hybrid Full Set $200
- Volume Fill $105
- Hybrid Fill $95
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rootedreflectionsstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rooted.reflections
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rooted.reflections
Image Credits
The photographer of these pictures wants to remain anonymous.
