We recently connected with Tierra Ravenell and have shared our conversation below.
Tierra, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I find that all my life, most of the time I entered a room i’m the only one in the room that looks like ME. From going to schools or working in jobs being a minority. It took some time to learn how to be effective/successful in these settings. I would say the first thing I had to learn to do was to be confident in myself. I make sure that no matter the situation rather it be professional or my personal life I always walk in the room with confidence. Because I have learned that people will pick up on it if you’re unconfident and sometimes they take that to their advantage. So sometimes you may have to look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself a pep talk before you walk in a room with people. Or you may have to do some breathing exercises to help relax and calm yourself. But do whatever works for you. I also found that just authentically being me helps me be successful in situations like that. Not pretending to be someone i’m not. I’m naturally a people person and i’m very outgoing so I take that to my advantage.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a Licensed Esthetician and I specialize in full body waxing. My favorite part of my job is making my clients confidence boost once they leave. I love making people look and feel better everyday. I feel like this is such a rewarding job it’s so much more than just skincare. I’m always learning new things, it’s always something new and it definitely doesn’t get boring. The bonds that I have with my clients are unbreakable, my clients are so loyal to me and i’m very grateful for that and them.
Aside from providing waxing services, I also sell an assortment of accessories. From mink lashes, sunglasses, swimwear, phone cases, etc. It’s a nice addition to add on to my waxing services, I started with just selling my items online but now i’ve expanded and added them in my suite. My clients enjoy shopping with me after their waxing services especially if they have a special event, holiday, or even vacation coming up.
I’m excited to announce that I will be adding brow enhancement services this month! The brow enhancement services I will be adding are brow laminations, brow tinting, and hybrid brow stains. I will be launching the brow laminations first.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Networking – This is impactful because building relationships can help grow your business in multiple ways. From having a mentor or just having the right connections can be helpful. Your business will grow from word of mouth so you want to make sure you’re making positive impacts on everyone you meet. Also don’t be afraid to promote yourself/ your business to everyone you meet. You never know who may be in need of your services or they may know someone who does. Make sure you have some kind of business cards on you at all times.
Management (Time/ Stress) – You always need time management in LIFE, so it’s really important when running a business. I think it’s important to have time set aside where you just focus on doing business/work related tasks that doesn’t require you to spend a whole day dedicated to that and no time to yourself. Also when working on business related things you want to be sure to categorize tasks by importance to make sure you’re completing the essential jobs. This is very important so you aren’t falling behind on certain deadlines. Stress management is a big one. Running a business can be very overwhelming and if you are it can reflect poorly in your business. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid stress but you can try doing self-care things for yourself sometimes to help decompress.
Marketing – This is the way you are going to attract and keep clients. You are going to have to have the ability to make yourself stand out from others so clients will want to use your services over competitors. Do your research on your competitors as well, that’s the best way to educate yourself.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I would say the number one obstacle i’m currently facing is pushing my business to its full potential. What I mean by that is offering all the services i’ve had planned to have since opening my business. I always second guest myself or i’m in my own head self sabotaging the idea telling myself it won’t be successful. However I know that in a business you take many risks, if you’re scared you probably will never succeed. If I was still scared to even start my business I wouldn’t be where I am today. So i’ve been trying to resolve this by just launching new changes in increments where I won’t be overwhelmed. Like I previously stated I’m finally adding brow enhancement services to my menu. It’s baby steps, but I will eventually get everything together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thewaxwhisper.as.me
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thewaxwhisper
- Facebook: fb.me/lavishbeautyqueen
