We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate DeCristo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kate, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience… I’m not exactly sure where it came from. But I do know what comes from it is a sense of pride in myself. I have always been a fan of success stories, specifically in entrepreneurship and I noticed early on from other’s stories that resilience is key. To me, the number of setbacks or hurdles in my story is not relevant, what matters most is the rate at which you come back from these hurdles and pivot around them. When these setbacks occur, it’s hard in the moment, sometimes to the point of tears or thoughts of quitting, but when you get past that point and put the focus on what’s next is when the magic happens, the road continues, and the feeling of pride takes over.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a mobile spray tan artist and I, alone, own and operate LUXE SPRAY TAN. I provide an elevated spray tan experience to my clients in the comfort of their own home, resort room, etc, throughout Central Florida. A healthy, bronze glow is a safe and instant way to a boost of confidence, perfect for any vacation, event, or on a regular basis to maintain year long. I use only the highest quality solutions, always a rapid developing, no up-charging options, and NEVER ORANGE GUARANTEED.
With a real estate background and event management degree, I never expected to be a spray tan artist but after relocating to FL from RI, I decided to create a business from a passion. My service is more rewarding than I ever expected, the most special being the moment my treatment is complete and clients take a look in the mirror. The absolute shock and confidence they have from this immediately gratifying experience is so fulfilling. I am also so honored and flattered by the amount of return business I have maintained. While I receive a steady amount of tourists by the proximity to Disney World, the return business of locals has my heart.
Some elements about LUXE that really sets my business apart from other providers is that I am the only artist, therefore the service is 100% consistent everytime. Also, I do not offer any up-selling options, I simply provide my signature service with elevated add-ons already included so that every client receives a premium experience every time. Lastly, my service includes a sel- booking link for immediate scheduling with options for evening hours which is the most convenient for many busy women.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Personally, I believe consistency is the most important quality for any business owner and their journey to success. While I am still growing and have not achieved my desired definition of success, I know that nothing short of consistent will get me to that point. I believe that is part of “hard work” as it is easy to judge a business’ potential on its early life.
A skill that is absolutely necessary in any service business is customer service. While I am providing a treatment with results, customer service is such a major factor and their overall experience is paramount. Little things like punctuality, communication, and empathy are just a few key parts that I am proud to extend to my clients every day.
Some knowledge which I did not have when beginning LUXE but had to slowly learn was the technology aspect of owning a small business. I learned how to build a website, connect with my community on social media, offer easy self booking, online billing, and more, all which contributes to the way my business runs seamlessly with very little maintenance.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I would love to continue to collaborate for social media exposure which only continues to thrive and perform beyond any other medium. I am a huge Disney World girlie myself so I am always looking to collaborate with Disney influencers to reach the tourist market. Also the wedding industry is a major industry that I have yet to tap into but would love to dive into.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luxespraytanfl.com
- Instagram: @luxespraytanfl
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/luxespraytanfl
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
