Meet Erica Manning

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Manning a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

This is a very long story. I was always looked down upon. I was the weird home school kid that wasn’t cool enough. I was the one who would watch in despair as other girl’s; not so discreetly, whispered in each other’s ears while pointing & laughing. For as long as I can remember someone had something critical to say. “Why do you dress like that?’ “Why are you so quiet?” “You have an okay body.”
I could go on & on. This made me very distrustful. I even had friends, some of whom were the best friends I could ever ask for, instantly make cut downs when I started to excel or take pride in myself for an accomplishment. This part hurt me the most. One friend of mine managed to become financially well off & suddenly everything changed. The passive aggressive comments, the cutdowns, downplaying my accomplishments & uplifting her own. Suddenly, everything felt like a competition & I didn’t like it. We live in a very competitive society. If I didn’t have the husband, the car, the house, children, a thriving career all by age 25, I was failing or somehow behind in life. Those were the beliefs that were carved into my mind. And you know what? Screw those beliefs!
Because to be honest, some; not all, of those things didn’t even appeal to me. If anything, it felt like just a list of things I had to accomplish to impress other people, or just to brag & say I did it.
Shouldn’t life be much more than that? I wanted & still want so much more for myself than to build up a status quo. I want MEANING. I want purpose. I want fulfillment. The comments from nay sayers would get to me so deeply, because part of me believed the lies to be true. I would get angry thinking about the things that were said, I would tell myself; “Oh my God! I need to get it together! I don’t want to be behind in life! I’ll show them & they’ll regret the day they underestimated me!”
But who wants to think like that? First of all, if that’s what’s driving me to reach my goals or pursue anything in life, simply for the sole reason of proving myself to someone else, then who am I living for? Aren’t I just buying into this societal norm, this “standard” way of living that puts you in a box, that makes you feel as though you must check off each box from the to do list, a list that doesn’t spark passion or joy in you? I had to get honest with myself about what I really wanted. I had to tell myself, so what if people thought I was somehow “behind”? The only opinion that mattered was my own. I had to realize it doesn’t matter what anyone says or thinks, at the end of the day, I’m the person living this life & I have to do what makes ME happy. How sad would it be to spend decades accomplishing goals that did not spark joy or passion in my life, simply to appease others? Sure, maybe I’d get respect & admiration, but what good is that if I don’t feel admiration & respect for myself? I wanted an unconventional life. When I think of whatever the nay sayers had to say, I just remind myself they’re most likely bitter & unhappy, & hopefully they find the strength to find true happiness. In the end, no one full of joy, passion, meaning, or purpose needs to put anyone else down. I remind myself that I’m not going to make those mistakes.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am an Esthetician! I have always loved everything beauty related. I was a teenager when beauty gurus were just starting out on YouTube. My younger sister & I would practice all these makeup looks, watch tons of makeup tutorials, & yes, we even attempted to cut our own hair! I remember buying Bobbi Brown books. I was obsessed with makeup & wanted to be a Makeup Artist when I grew up. However, the key factor in accomplishing any of my goals was belief in myself, which I did not. I was scared. I thought there’s absolutely no way I can do this! But I loved the beauty industry. It was fun! It was about feeling your best & making others feel beautiful in their own skin. And then skincare was becoming more & more of a trend. I suffered from my own skincare problems, so understanding skincare & how it works made me want to help others like me. My mom said, “You know you should consider becoming an Esthetician.”
A light bulb went up! I thought, “Oh my God! This is perfect for me! I love skincare anyway, so why not?”
I really have to give my mom credit. She knew how much I wanted this, yet, how hesitant I was because of fear of failure. One day, she came to my room & said, “That’s it, I’m taking you this week to Duvall’s School of Cosmetology School & we’re going to sign you up for Esthetics, don’t argue with me, you’re going.”
I remember nodding, my eyes widened, I was excited and afraid. But I couldn’t be more thankful 5 years later! It was the push I needed; my mom helped me tremendously. I’ve learned so much from this industry. It has truly pushed me out of my comfort zone. I failed, I made mistakes, but that has helped me to succeed in the end! I made it on the other side doing what I love. I currently work as a Professional Waxer at The Bush Waxing Boutique in Fort Worth, TX off Magnolia Avenue in the downtown area! It’s amazing! I’m surrounded by amazing women every day, an amazing team, an amazing mentor, and I am so thankful! It’s my goal to someday own my own business. As of now, I am taking the steps needed to make that a reality. I also just started my own podcast called The Quirky Esty! (Streaming on Spotify) I talk about mindset, my own personal journey, and the things I have learned in & out of the treatment room. The most exciting thing about what I do is that I get to make people feel good about themselves, I get to encourage women & boost their confidence.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would have to say your mind is the most powerful tool that can get you closer or further away from your goals. Mindset is everything, and if you don’t master your mind, you will see it create chaos in all aspects of your life. You have to believe in yourself, and I know we all normally roll our eyes when we hear that, but it’s true! You have to! Beliefs are everything. Creating a positive mindset will create a positive reality. I also tell many new Estheticians to stay humble. No one is all knowing or infallible. People make mistakes & you will too. Learn to take constructive criticism, because that’s what will help you be the very best at whatever it is you want to pursue. And last but not least, understand that you will fail, but failure is part of success. Being afraid of failure is pointless, because we all fail in one way or another and that’s how we learn. The most successful people in the world have had their share of setbacks.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

This is a good one! This is something I definitely struggle with! When I start to feel overwhelmed I either take a break, or I make a list of all the tasks I need to get done & work on those tasks a little at a time. I have been working on this with my mentor. She taught me that I don’t have to be hyper productive 24/7. I can break these tasks down into manageable sizes so I’m not burning myself out. I tend to get overwhelmed & then stay stuck in freeze mode, where I do nothing because the tasks are just that overwhelming. So realizing I just have to make the list & prioritize what’s most important, has shown me it’s not so overwhelming as long as there’s a strategy. Also taking breaks ensures that you give your very best to the project!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bushwaxing.com/
• Instagram: @thebush.erica
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086576116805
• Other: TikTok @thebush.erica

Image Credits

Jackie Marie Photography