Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Leon.
Hi Allison, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi! I was born and raised In Miami, FL I come from super hard working Cuban immigrant parents, they taught me and my brothers how to be loyal, honest and hardworking; they build a solid foundation of that and that’s what I grew up seeing. I got my first job at a water park in Hialeah when I was 15 making $7.25 an hour, I remember the overwhelming feeling of happiness being able to buy things I wanted, and at the time it was looking fly with new Jordan sneakers, I would blow my entire payment on clothe lol, Quickly I realized I needed to make more money so when I turned 17 my brother and I started a gig as an all age club promoter, and this is where I learned that your network was everything the more people I met and brought to the club, the more money I made, It was easy and fun but not something I loved! By the time I was 18 I had a couple of office jobs I just couldn’t keep, being behind a desk was not it for me, So I started cocktail waitressing this is where I worked for 9 long years on south beach, downtown and brickell, It was crazy fast money but it became something I was tired of doing after so many years. One of my co workers was this russian girl who always had the prettiest lashes and she claimed they were extensions, I had never heard of them and decided to give it A try with her tech, after my first set I was HOOKED! I was seeing this girl bi weekly and paying her top dollar to do my lashes and bringing her all my friends, that’s when it hit me I CAN DO THIS! One day I got home and hopped on youtube and ordered my first kit and began watching videos and after that the rest was history, I self taught myself and I practiced day in and day out on friends and family until i felt comfortable enough to take clients! In January 2015 I opened my llc “SoVainBeautyBar”
I grew such a big clientele in such a short period of time, because NOBODY was doing eyelashes, except russians; I was literally one of the first ones, and honestly I was just so good at it !
I put myself through beauty school that same year, because I knew I needed a state license to be professional, and build an in-house studio in my parents home with it’s own independent entrance I think I spend over $5000 building it, it was so cute ! I was there for the next two years, constantly growing and adding more services such as powder brows, teeth whitening, facials, brow waxing etc! And after two years, I realized that I was never going to grow if i didn’t get out of my comfort zone..
During COVID everything was closed but I was as busy as ever ! The busiest I had ever been actually and that’s when I decided It was time to open a real location I signed my lease for my 1600 square-foot storefront in Hialeah during the lock down; EVERYONE said I was crazy because I had got pregnant during this time, I knew it was too much to take on at the same time but I also knew I needed to provide for my daughter; I was super determined to do this and do it right; I gutted my entire located and did everything brand new I wanted to provide a space like no other; I was to my last dollar when I opened my doors in October, but I had so much faith in myself and my brand, I never gave up and kept pushing; Today Ive grown to a full service med spa with a medical director and spa services Crazy what determination can do!
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?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road, it took a couple of years and A LOT of hours, I would do 7-8 girls back to back, sometimes I wouldn’t even eat, some days were better than others, being an entrepreneur is hard you don’t just depend on a paycheck, you have to go get it! lashes became super popular and overly saturated quick! everywhere you turned someone was doing cheap lashes for $50, I found myself getting more and more booked to fix botched jobs; Something that once costed $150-$200 was now losing its value and available everywhere ! that was really hard but that’s what being a hustler is you have to shift with the times, this is when I began doing packages and providing trainings to teach other girls! that quickly took me from worker to trainer, and I was working less hours and making more money by teaching this fast paced industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My business is a one stop shop, I would like to say we are a boutique style med spa with salon services, For example most salons are loud and very fast paced and will have multiple stylists for the same service, like you never know who your going to get at one of those places; thats not the vibe I have created at so vain, our space is relaxing and super zen; we are a smaller staff and focus on creating a vibe and relationship with our clients we want you to see the same faces when you come to so vain! and feel comfortable; my entire staff has been with me for the last two years since i opened my doors and our clients are family; we offer quality and an intimate space for our clients. Our medspa is carried by professionals only, We provide top quality injectables and medspa services backed up by a licensed medical director and highly trained APRN; you don’t walk in and see an aesthetician doing lip fillers; We just don’t work like that all of our staff is professional licensed and insured and only do what they are qualified to do, We all work together to deliver the best experience, so if you’re looking to get your hair done and some botox or fillers you can do that on the same day, or you can lay down and relax for some lashes while getting an IV or your nails done. We are setting the bar high as a new age medspa.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m always looking for women to collaborate with, I think women work much better together than working against each other, it’s Okay to not be the best at everything or do everything sometimes it’s ok to collab and let someone else do what they do! and work together; I would love to collaborate with other beauty bars. And have pop-ups at their shop and offer their clients a med spa service such as Botox, fillers, or IV drips; without them having to invest into the expensive side of owning a med spa, I would love to meet other boss babes
I believe at the best way to support us is to come and get a service done and come see what so vain is all about 🙂
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sovainbeautyaesthetics
Image Credits
LUXBRANDINGCO
