Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristyn Myland.
Hi Cristyn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I first want to say I genuinely believe that God has a plan for everybody and although we may not know His plan right away… with time He reveals it to us.
I grew up in a Caribbean household which meant going to school was a must. I had straight A’s in elementary, middle school, and high school with 4.0+ GPAs. During my senior year of high school, I applied and was accepted into the University of Florida. I decided to major in Biology because I wanted to be an OBGYN [obstetrician/gynecologist]. However, my desire to be a doctor changed at the end of my Junior year and I felt completely lost. I graduated college in Fall of 2019, which was a year earlier than planned. So I decided to move back to Miami to allocate my “senior year” to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
I utilized my biology degree and worked multiple STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-based jobs to have a stable income since I was fresh out of college. During the summer time, a friend of mine pitched the idea of becoming a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist). I didn’t jump for joy about the idea, mainly because I yearned for a career in business. However, the “senior year” I gave myself to figure out my life was coming to an end and I refused to let my biology degree go to waste. So I decided to dive headfirst into nursing school, which meant I had to take 6-7 prerequisite classes + labs in the summer (which I highly do not recommend). I was able to apply to FIU’s Accelerated Nursing Program by the end of summer and was quickly greeted with a congratulating email noting my acceptance into the program. I was actually pretty excited since this was a new chapter in my life. I started classes on October 2020, but after 2 long semesters that same feeling of “blah” and “why am I doing this” came back to me. I remember feeling really unhappy and miserable. So after fighting with myself and talking to friends and family, I made the controversial decision to drop out. Mostly everyone supported me, but my mom wasn’t happy. Honestly, I didn’t care because I felt free! Don’t get me wrong, I was super nervous to drop out because never in my life did I think I’d be the person to drop out of school. But honestly, I knew God was with me and I had faith that He would guide me on my new career path.
The decision to drop out was a tad bit easier for me because I was already thinking about starting a PMU (permanent makeup) career. This idea came about when I got my brows microbladed in December 2020. I was so intrigued in the art thatI took my first PMU training course the following month. Now that nursing was off the table, I was able to focus on PMU and pursue a career in cosmetology. Fast-forward to present day, my father and I built my studio and I am officially taking clients! Being an entrepreneur means working 24/7, but at the end of the day I am in charge of my time and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so happy and at peace that I listened to my gut and trusted in God.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My PMU career has not been a smooth process, but I wouldn’t say it’s been completely rocky either. It’s been a struggle to gain clients, but I remind myself that growth doesn’t happen overnight. As for advertising, it is not as easy as it may look *nervous chuckle*. Thank the Lord for YouTube because I had to teach myself how to run ads (Facebook/IG, Yelp, Google, Microsoft, etc.) in the smartest way to minimize my losses. I’m glad that I am text savvy because overcoming technology would’ve been a major setback for me as a present-day entrepreneur. Honestly, I’d say that my biggest challenge is overworking myself and not taking the time to enjoy the process. Another challenge I have is fighting the natural urge to compare myself to other PMU artists in the industry and reminding myself that everyone starts out somewhere and their journey is usually different from yours. Lastly, I am a perfectionist so I have to remind myself that everything will not be perfect starting out and it takes time to perfect your craft.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a new business owner and a semi-permanent makeup artist. I specialize in nano, combo and ombré brows. Nano brows is a technique used to create realistic eyebrow hairs using a PMU tattoo machine to draw in hair strokes. Most people who are familiar with microblading can think of nano brows as that; however, instead of using an actual blade, this technique uses a very small tattoo needle. In addition, nano brows cause less trauma to the skin and lasts longer than regular microblading. It is also a great way to create the illusion of eyebrow hairs for those who want to fill in some missing brow hairs or those who have little to no brow hairs but desire a full natural look. On the other hand, ombre brows is more of a makeup look which can have either a bold or soft finish depending on the client’s preference. For this technique, I will lightly shade the front of the brow, instead of drawing hairstrokes, to create an ombre gradient from light to dark shading as I go towards the end of the brow. Lastly, combo brows is the combination of hairstrokes in the front of the brow and shading in the end of the brow. This look is very popular as many clients like the option to choose half nano brows and half ombre brows.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future include increasing my clientele, offering training courses for upcoming PMU artists, branding and selling the tools and supplies that I use, and expanding my business to a bigger location to build and grow my staff family. Aside from PMU, I also have plans to start multiple passive-incomes ranging from Air BnB’s e-commerce, and other side hustles. Overall, I look forward to what the future holds for The Labrowatory Miami as well as my other business endeavors.
Pricing:
- Currently on SALE: Nano Brows = $220
- Currently on SALE: Combination Brows = $250
- Currently on SALE: Ombré Brows = $275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelabrowatorymiami.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelabrowatory_miami/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/The-Labrowatory-Miami-100380742312457
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-labrowatory-miami-miami-gardens
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelabrowatory_miami
