Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilse Gonzalez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Celene & Co Allure started in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, I started at twenty years old. I decided to do lash extensions specifically because of my love for them, I would always get them done every 2 weeks and was definitely a lash addict. I took the course and became certified and as I kept practicing I fell in love with everything.
The process of investing everything into starting your business is a beautiful process. It taught me to be mentally & financially disciplined. Just like everything in life, you will have hurdles and I had a couple of hurdles in my life personally.
Late April in 2021, I experienced a near-death experience car accident. I ended up hospitalized for a week and had an emergency femur reconstruction and I had a hip hairline tear. I unfortunately was starting to finally get booked more when it happened and everything had to be put on hold. I couldn’t walk for a month, I had to learn to start walking all over again and doing everything from scratch. It mentally took a toll on me. I had to stop lashing for five months.
During those difficult months, I continued practicing and trying to better myself as a lash artist and as an entrepreneur overall. I’ve now consistently been a lash artist with no breaks other than in February 2022, I had a screw removal due to a broken screw in my femur, and due to my recovery, I decided to take a month off.
Fast forward to 2023, I got my suite and decided to leave my home base and take a chance on my own suite and provide a better quality for my clients. I’m located in downtown Hollywood right by Young Circle in Broward County. Thankfully I’m now on year two as a suite owner. I’ve been grateful that due to my quality as a lash artist, my customer service and entrepreneurial mindset have really played a very important role in where I am with my business today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Besides my car accident losing everything and having to bring myself up again, inflation did affect my business. It becomes harder for a sole proprietor who invested everything into their business to have to now budget differently because everything went up from materials, rent, and overall everything.
I had to raise my prices to make sure I’m still profiting and also it’s a job just like any other. I’m grateful for the hurdles because without them I wouldn’t have the knowledge I have and experiences I get to carry with me for the future.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am very proud that I’ve now been in officially four interviews with Voyage. I’m honored that my business has gotten so much exposure from my word of mouth and also from the quality I bring to the table. I’m very proud of owning my own suite and still growing every year with more clients and higher revenue. Celene & Co Allure is a beauty salon. I provide lash extensions and body sculpting services.
What really sets Celene & Co Allure apart from other lash artists is my customer service. I take a lot of pride in providing the best experience for my clients and future ones. I also make sure my clients leave with a smile and get the desired look and experience with me as a service provider. Celene & Co Allure also has really great retention when it comes to lash extensions and I’m grateful that all my clients are extremely loyal.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Downtown Hollywood because you really have a little bit of everything. You can enjoy restaurants of different cultures and even go to a bar or club. Downtown Hollywood has created a very great atmosphere for small businesses to grow and allows a lot of foot traffic for many tourists and locals to see your business.
You really get the best of both worlds. The only con is parking, parking can be very crucial when it comes to the weekend due to the volume of foot traffic but I’m grateful for it as well.
Pricing:
- Classic Set $100.00
- Hybrid Set $110.00
- Volume/ Wispy Set $125.00
- Freestyle Set $135.00
- Body Sculpting $80.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://celenecoallure.as.me
- Instagram: @celenecollc
