Today we’d like to introduce you to Shantel Manzano.
Shantel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I wish I could say I have always been into beauty, but the reality is I was the complete opposite. As a child, I loved to play and watch basketball, always kept an eye out for the latest sneaker trends, and despised wearing makeup and dressing up. At the age of 12, my mom decided to enroll me into a modeling & acting academy at John Robert Powers in Boston which also taught students etiquette in addition to the ins and outs of makeup. When I finished this program and started modeling, I really began to notice the little things, like my hair being done, my eyebrows, and how I dressed. But it wasn’t until I was about 23 that I had had a horrible eyebrow experience and I just knew something had to change. I wanted fuller and symmetrical brows so I decided moving forward that I was going to learn how to thread my own eyebrows, which by the way, is not as easy as I imagined it to be. After months of training and practicing threading on friends and family, it was something I really started to love. By the time I knew it, one person told another person and the referrals began to roll in. It was something I never expected because I already had my career in real estate but figured why not turn something I love into an extra source of income? So that’s exactly what I did and today I am balancing brows and real estate with hopes to expand my eyebrow business very soon!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It certainly hasn’t been easy. When I first began my threading class, I just couldn’t get it right. Learning how to hold the thread, getting the range of motion down, all while making sure a good eyebrow shape was being created, seemed impossible! It took months of hard, consistent work for me to finally get it. Since then, there’s been days where I question my work and compare it to others, but I always remind myself everyone is different. Don’t get me wrong, being inspired by someone else’s work is always great because it can serve as motivation but trying to be like someone else is only going to take away from who you are and what makes your work unique.
Now that I’m looking to expand and open my own place, I am facing even more challenges than ever and even doubt from some. I have had people ask me if I really think starting an eyebrow business will be profitable, if I have the clientele, and if I have enough experience. In situations like this, believing in yourself, in your work, and what you do is so important! If I were to base my decisions on the thoughts of others, I would have probably never started this journey to begin with. What I have learned is to not be afraid to ask questions, write out a plan, and execute it. If the plan doesn’t work, don’t change your dream, change the plan.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Shantel’s Brow Beautique – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Shantel’s Brow Beautique specializes in eyebrow shaping making it ‘what we do best’. Whether you prefer them to be threaded, waxed, just trimmed, or tweezed you’re in good hands! At the moment, it is solely run by me. I am the only brow artist but with the expansion I am hoping to add a few more to my team who have an eye for brows. Microblading is also a new service we are working on adding to the menu very soon. For those who may not be familiar, this is a semi-permanent tattoo creating hair-like strokes in the skin with a hand tool and ink. This is great for clients who want fuller brows but with a very natural look.
What really sets Shantel’s Brow Beautique apart from competition is our ability to restore eyebrows. Regardless of your situation, there’s a solution. When meeting with new clients, I always hear the same story “my eyebrows were butchered; help me grow them back out”, so my first step is to always get the background story on my client’s eyebrows. Were they thick before, how long ago, have you tried vitamins/oils that help with hair growth? If a client once had thick eyebrows and the hair follicles aren’t damaged, I am able to shape the eyebrows leaving hair for growth with each visit and recommend an at home care routine. If it’s a client who has always struggled with thin eyebrows and it’s a matter of genetics, then I always recommend my favorite eyebrow products (Kelley Baker Pencils, Powders, and Highlighters) and teach them how to apply it properly. For those who prefer a more permanent solution, microblading would be my recommendation. It provides a much fuller and natural look, without the hassle of having to fill them in on daily basis, lasting anywhere from 9-12 months for normal skin.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the near future are to expand my eyebrow business while continuing to grow in Real Estate. It has truly always been a lifelong goal to own my own business, so that in itself is going to be a dream come true. Starting my own business will definitely be a major change but I am looking forward to all the future endeavors that come along with it!
Pricing:
- Eyebrow Threading $15
- Eyebrow Tinting $15
- Microblading $400
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shantelsbrowbeautique.com
- Phone: 781-428-1173
- Email: shantel07.sm@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smbrowbeautique/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/smbrowstudio/
Image Credit:
Jono DeSilva
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