Today we’d like to introduce you to Britteny Wyatt.
Hi Britteny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started working for Cassandra Semic, the old owner of Sunless Revolution, about five years ago. I was considering starting a mobile airbrush tanning business and wanted to see if I would like doing spray tanning first. I worked for her for three years, then April 2019, she said she was selling the business. I ended up buying it from her and getting a crash course on how to do payroll and have employees, etc. Beginning of 2020, things looked so good and I was so excited to have a great first year. Then COVID hit and I had to shut down. I had to move out of our downtown location and put my equipment in storage while finding a new salon, all while being shut down. I was doing mobile tans for any clients who reached out to try and keep my business afloat.
I finally found a new space in Point Loma June of 2020 and was able to get the EIDL loan to fund remodel for the new space. Once the new salon was done we opened in July just to be shut down again a week later. It felt like I was running a black market beauty salon almost all of last year. Finally this year we re-opened and have stayed open and business is finally getting back to where it use to be. It has been extremely busy and just keeps getting busier. Covid hit the beauty industry so hard and I saw a lot of spray tan salons and beauty salons, in general, go out of business. With hard work and some amazing loyal clients, I was able to save my business and I am so thankful for everyone and everything that made that possible. Last year was a crazy first year for owning a business and one I don’t want to re-live, but I am thankful to be where I’m at and learned so much from it. I made it through COVID so I know I can make it through anything.
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?
When I bought the business May of 2019, I was busy but just breaking even from everything. January 2020, things were looking really good and then covid hit in March and I was told to shut down. So March 20th, 2020, was my last day before I had to shut down my salon for the foreseeable future. It was devastating and also scary trying to figure out how I was going to keep my salon along with bills, etc. I started doing mobile tans for any clients who would reach out along with other side work I could do. Because I was a new owner and wasn’t paying myself, they wouldn’t approve me for any unemployment so it was a struggle to say the least.
On top of all of this we had to be out of our downtown location June 2020 so I had to figure out how to move all of my equipment to storage, somehow find a new salon space and somehow pay for it all. I finally got the EIDL loan days before my move and also found an amazing location in Point Loma. A friend of mine who does hair decided to share the space with me so we signed a new lease that month. We remodeled the new spot and opened in July just to be told we had to close down again for the foreseeable future. It was devastating and any work I was getting was barely paying bills. The first year of owning any business is always hard but to add on doing it during a pandemic was something I never thought I would even have to think about. Struggles don’t even come close to describing what I went through but I made it!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in Custom Airbrush spray tanning and currently in school to become a licensed esthetician so I can add sugaring to my services. I have been doing spray tans for five years now. I love it because to me, its art. I am literally painting someone’s body and to see the clients reaction afterwards is really fulfilling. Being tan makes you feel prettier and more confident and just happy. Some of my clients are insecure about their weight or imperfections they have but once they have a nice tan, just to see them so happy and feeling more confident makes me really love what I do even more. I think what sets me apart from others is my drive to never give up. A lot of my clients stuck with me through covid or waited it out and are coming back now. They could go anywhere but they keep coming back to me so for that alone I know I give great tans! I truly love what I do and I love my clients.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I am a hard worker and don’t ever give up no matter how hard things can get. I put 110% into everything I do and I feel like it shows.
Pricing:
- $29 first time client tan.
Contact Info:
- Email: Appointments@sunless-revolution.com
- Website: https://sunless-revolution.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunlessrevolution/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunlessRevolution/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sunless-revolution-san-diego-3
