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Welcome to Suite Independence, the podcast designed exclusively for established beauty professionals ready to transform their careers and build the salon business of their dreams. Hosted by industry veteran Kristin Kienzle, founder of Utopia Modern Salon Suites, this show is your essential guide to thriving independently in the beauty world.
Kristin, with over 34 years of experience, understands the unique challenges and incredible opportunities you face. She created Utopia to be a supportive, inspiring community where independent beauty professionals can flourish, and this podcast extends that mission directly to you.
Forget the styling tips; we're diving deep into the business and personal development aspects that truly empower your success. Each episode offers insight, inspiration, and clarity to help you succeed and build your career in a healthy way. Whether you're looking to grow your client base, refine your business strategy, enhance your financial literacy, prioritize your well-being, or ultimately own your own salon, Kristin shares the wisdom and actionable advice you need.
Join a community dedicated to empowering beauty professionals to reach their full potential, ensuring their businesses thrive and afford them the lifestyle they desire. Tune into Suite Independence and start building the vibrant career and fulfilling life you deserve.
Ep03
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[00:00:00]
Kristin Kienzle: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Suite Independence. Today we are in our Cranbrook location on 21st Street in Wichita, Kansas, and we are in Ashleigh Jones' suite. And Ashleigh is a permanent makeup artist who recently began her business here at our Cranbrook location. We are excited to have her.
So welcome Ashleigh. Thank you for being here. And think Ashleigh's story [00:01:00] on how she got started and where she came from is really interesting. So I'm gonna let her share that.
Ashleigh's Early Career Journey
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Ashleigh Jones: Hi everyone. Thank you for having me.
So in the early days I was balancing part-time work with some cosmetic surgeons and then also with renting a little room, doing eyebrow waxing and tinting.
Then I started getting into cosmetic tattooing. And so my main focus was building clientele, literally just doing eyebrows. All I focused on was eyebrows, and then my business just started growing and I had to quit my part-time job and just focus on the business. I, because I was focused on just one thing, I became known in Perth, Western Australia for just eyebrows and creating.
Just natural, natural brows.
Expanding the Business in Australia
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Ashleigh Jones: So I ended up with quite a big waiting list and I just thought, I need a bigger space and I need [00:02:00] employees. That's excellent. So yeah, I ended up moving from my little room to a big space and it was exciting, scary, but it was a really, really good chapter that I, that I experienced.
And then I ended up with like seven employees and it was fun. It was fun.
Kristin Kienzle: Then when did you leave Perth and moved to the United States? How did that all work with, with the business you had built there and relocating?
Relocating to the United States
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Ashleigh Jones: So, I've had the business for 12 years. And I actually moved to the US five years ago, when I started a business, my whole goal was to create a business where I could eventually step back,
Kristin Kienzle: which is exactly what defines the success of a business.
Ashleigh Jones: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: A business that you can step away from. I love that, definitely.
Ashleigh Jones: Mm-hmm. And so that was my, that was my goal. I didn't think I was gonna [00:03:00] step back and move countries, but, yeah, life took me over here, which is very exciting. I moved here in 2020 and January, 2020 still ran my business.
And then March came around March, 2020. COVID hit and our business closed for a little while. But we managed to get through it and yeah, I feel like what helped me be able to step back and step away from the business is the community and the employees that I had. We really, focused on creating a really good culture and the girls that worked for me.
You know, I wanted them to be like family. And so we did create this little family, which was really nice. And we had a lot of trust and loyalty so I think that allowed me to be able [00:04:00] to step back.
Kristin Kienzle: So let's talk about the point in your business where you knew you could step back. What was that like? How did you know you were ready? How did it feel emotionally? Tell us all about that.
Ashleigh Jones: Well, the reason why I moved to the US was because I met my husband in Australia, but he is originally from California and lived in California, and we were doing long distance for five years.
Oh, wow. And he was like, are you ever going to move? And I was like, yeah, yeah. But I just loved. My business. I loved what I did, so I was kind of putting it off for as long as I could. But I did get to a point where I was like, okay, I'm ready. The girls I have working with me are amazing. We, I totally trust them.
They know, they know what I expect from them. So I just knew it was time. I feel like I could have [00:05:00] probably left a year or so before, but it was hard to leave. It's like you're a baby. Yeah. So, yeah, it was emotional, but
Kristin Kienzle: Okay, so jumping ahead a little bit.
Balancing Motherhood and Business
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Kristin Kienzle: I know you had Maddox, your son in 2022. How did that work into everything you had going? You're in the United States, you've got a business in Australia. Tell us about how you fit all that in and, transitions you had to make at that time.
Ashleigh Jones: So that was actually a really, I mean, it was such a blessing having Mad Maddox but it was also a really difficult time for me personally. So I had him in 2022 and I thought, well, my whole goal for building a business was eventually I was gonna, I knew I was gonna have a baby at some point and I wanted to be able to.
Step back, raise my child and have a little bit of involvement in the business, but. Be able to step away, raise him, and still have an income. [00:06:00] And obviously living in the US put a little bit of, you know, it was a bit more challenging than living in the same country as your business.
I can only imagine. Yeah, that was quite difficult. But, so when I had my son, I ended up with postnatal depression, so I couldn't be fully present mm-hmm. Mentally in the business. So that obviously took a little bit of a hit. But in the meantime. A few of my employees were also falling pregnant.
Oh my. And so they were leaving to have babies and so we had to hire new employees. And the reason why I was able to step back in the first place was because we had built this solid foundation of, of our community and our family, as I call it. So. Hiring new employees to take over from the original ones was yeah.
That made a big impact in Yeah. In how challenging it was to. To kind of not be in the same country.
Kristin Kienzle: It's common in this industry. [00:07:00] It's so heavily women. Yeah. And it's so heavily women and childbearing ages that I think this happens a lot. You know, we, there's pros and cons. You have a baby, which is of course wonderful, but it shifts your career.
But the beautiful thing about the beauty industry and our careers is we can manage our schedules to fit our lives I love how you've worked to build your business that way. Even going all the way back to Australia to then, I guess I'm jumping ahead here, but you come here, you're in Wichita.
Starting Fresh in Wichita
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Kristin Kienzle: You decide to open a suite where now you are only managing yourself. And your services that you provide and your clientele, do you wanna talk about how that evolved with having a baby and where you're at with the spa in Australia and what you've done since you've started in a suite here?
Ashleigh Jones: Yeah, so I would travel back to Australia a couple times a year to visit the salon and visit the girls. The last time I went back. I was in the salon [00:08:00] and I was chatting with the girls. And the girls were super excited about new things that they wanted to do in the salon and bring different products in and things like that.
And I, it was just at that point where I was like, I can't help you like I should be able to help you. Mm-hmm. And just not feeling it. Yeah. I wasn't, I didn't feel as connected. Mm-hmm. And these are all new girls. I actually personally didn't employ any of them. Yeah. So the connection, there wasn't a deep connection like there was from the beginning because I mean, some of my employees I've had for, I had for like five, seven years, a couple I've had since the beginning, like 12 years ago.
But then the ones that have the newer ones that have come in, I just didn't feel connected. And so I was sitting there listening to them talk about how excited they were about things and I realized I can't, this isn't fair for them. So I spoke with the manager [00:09:00] and she's been with me for 12 years from the beginning and I just said, do you wanna help me with this?
And I'm gonna, I really wanna focus on the US and I'm gonna create a sister store, sister store here over in the us and you just take on Perth and I just need to step away. And the girls need someone to be present. Mm-hmm. They need you to come in and create the culture. Because
Kristin Kienzle: they need to see the leadership.
Ashleigh Jones: They need to see the leadership. Mm-hmm. And you know, you don't have to come in daily as a owner, but you have to be physically present in, you know, at some point in time. Sure. Absolutely. Um, And invested in the people and I just wasn't there. And so now, and I think having my son really. Was that really kind of played a big role in that?
I think coming into a [00:10:00] suite, I can do the hours I want. Mm-hmm. I can fit in with his school hours and you know, I don't have to miss out on excursions and things like that. And I get to just focus on doing what I love most, which is working with people. Like I love the business aspect of things, but.
Being with people. Mm-hmm. And doing the services I do is just makes me so happy. And so
Services Offered by Ashleigh
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Kristin Kienzle: let's talk about the services you do. What are your favorite things? What do you have to offer and. And what do you enjoy the most? What kind of clientele are you looking to build while you're here, which I hope you're here for a long time.
Ashleigh Jones: Yes. I love Wichita, so good. I'm here. Good. Yes. And I'm not in a hurry to hire any employees anytime soon. I feel like this chapter is about me. Mm-hmm. So I'll definitely be here for a long time. I mainly focus on eyebrow tattooing or there's so many different [00:11:00] methods of eyebrow tattooing.
So you hear the word tattoo and you think, oh my gosh, I do not want a eyebrow tattoo. People think of, the big, bold, black, blue eyebrows that used to see walking around. It's definitely not like that. We actually call it semi-permanent makeup in Australia because it doesn't last forever.
Mm-hmm. But yeah, so eyebrow eyebrow tattooing lip blushing, which is basically lip tattoo as well. Which I
Kristin Kienzle: just got done last week. We'll get to that. Yes.
Ashleigh Jones: And I also do 3D ola tattooing. So for people who have had breast cancer, I help to recreate a realistic, you know, ola for them, which, I absolutely love doing. It's very rewarding for me and it's, so nice I get to be a part of that journey with the clients as well. So I mostly focus on, on those three things. I do eyebrow waxing and tinting and things like that because I think you have to know, you know, you have to some people, it all goes together.
It all goes together. Yeah. And eyebrow tattooing isn't for [00:12:00] everyone. Mm-hmm. But I think what sets. Me apart and the business apart is we focus a lot on the skin's health as well. We're implanting pigment into someone's skin, so the health of their skin is going to basically Whatever result you're gonna get, it's because your skin is, the canvas has to be right. The Yes, thank you. Yes. So a lot of people I've noticed who do cosmetic tattooing, they may not have a background in skin. Mm-hmm. And that's what I did for so long is skin treatments. And I love doing skin treatments, but.
Now focusing on, the cosmetic tattooing side, it's important for me to educate my clients on what the health of their skin is like and how that is gonna affect their results of the cosmetic tattooing. Because my goal is I want all the tattooing to look natural. Mm-hmm. I want it so natural that people don't know you've had it done.
But so you feel good. You wake up in the [00:13:00] morning. If you go to the gym or you go swimming, you just. Feel like you've got something on, but
Kristin Kienzle: it's natural. I'll tell you yours, I've known you now for a few months and I thought to myself. There's, that has to be that you don't have it done. And then I thought, well, you have to have it done because that's what you do.
And I didn't know, I couldn't tell until I asked you. And I was actually surprised when you said yours are done. I thought, I thought you just had naturally perfect eyebrows. So I, I think it's obvious you are very conscientious of your craft and your work stands out, like you were saying, against the. The real black lines and the
Ashleigh Jones: Yes.
The stuff that Yes, that we see sometimes that's what we want to avoid is people to say, oh, have you had your eyebrows tattooed? You just wanna glow. Gonna trick 'em. Yes, yes, yes. So, yeah, having my eyebrows tattooed and my lips tattooed is one of the best things I've done.
Mm-hmm. Especially after having a baby [00:14:00] when. You know, you don't have time to, your makeup on, you don't have time, you don't have time for any of that. So,
Kristin Kienzle: well, I love mine, so I'll share a little bit about what we did last week. So a week ago today you did mine. And the question that I've had, everybody loves 'em.
I'm getting great compliments and I know they're still going to brighten up, but the question that I have gotten every single time is, oh my gosh, did it hurt? And it didn't hurt at all. I was numbed. It was relaxing. I don't wanna say I enjoyed it, but I did. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't uncomfortable at all.
The day after, let's see, that night, I loved my lips because they were angry and swollen and really bright. So they looked really good. It looked like I'd just been to the, the med spa had some filler and had on some great lipstick, so. The first day I loved 'em. The second day they felt irritated. And to say that it hurt would be an exaggeration.
It never hurt. It was uncomfortable. I tried not to laugh [00:15:00] 'cause I felt like they were gonna bust, and I just kept the aquaphor on 'em and. I am just loving that. Whether I've washed my face at night and I'm getting ready for bed and I look in the mirror and there's something there, or when I get all my makeup on in the morning, I don't have to put my lipstick on last and wait for it to fall off when I eat.
So I'm excited as they evolve. We're still early in, but i'm loving it so far and it was a great experience. Oh, good. I, yeah, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will never be without it for the rest of my life. So you've got a lifelong customer. I hope that's Okay. Good.
Ashleigh Jones: I love that. And that's what I love about this industry is I get to make lifelong customers, but lifelong friends.
Yeah. It's awesome building these relationships, but I'm so glad you in, you know, had a good experience. Yeah. And that you're loving them
Kristin Kienzle: and, and I will tell you, I have a very low pain tolerance. Oh, I'm a wimp. And a little bit of a hypochondriac too that goes with Oh, me too. So, [00:16:00] so for me to say It doesn't hurt.
It doesn't hurt it, yeah. I, I think the numbing gel was great. Yeah. It, it didn't hurt. And like I said, it's been. The first few days were uncomfortable, but still worth it. No regrets. I would, like I said, I'll never go without.
Trends and Client Stories
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Kristin Kienzle: Let's talk about trends. I know that the eyebrows have been a thing for several years.
The lip blushing is new. The term is new. It's new around here. Maybe it's been going on in Australia, but I don't know anyone else who's had it done. So it's, it's coming around and, and I'm sure. Between us. We'll try to beef that up a little bit. But I wanna talk about trends. I know you have some funny stories about bad trends.
I know you have strong opinions about trends and how you work with them considering what you do as permanent. So I'd love, I'd just love
Ashleigh Jones: for you to speak to that. So we, I'm a big believer that you should not follow trends if something is going to be semi-permanent or you know, permanent. I think you.
[00:17:00] I just strongly believe that you should just do, you should follow your own natural, your natural line, your natural hair growth. You just wanna accentuate what you've already got. Okay? And we're not creating a whole different picture. We don't wanna change what you look like. We just wanna enhance your natural beauty basically.
when people come in, and especially when eyebrows, I was only, I don't know, 2020. And just before that, everyone wanted these big, bold eyebrows. Yes. And so people would come in and they'd ask me to tattoo these big, bold eyebrows on their face, and I'm like, no, you're gonna hate it. I'm like, you know, yes, it's gonna fade, but you could still be left with a little bit of pigment.
I. You know, on your eyebrows for a really long time. Mm-hmm. And I don't want you to wake up in the morning or, go swimming and feel like, oh my gosh, what did I do? Why did, when all the [00:18:00] rest of your makeup decisions off, but you got big, bold eyebrows. Yes. Yes. You don't want your eyebrows to be the first thing people look at.
Yes. They want, you know, you want 'em to look at they, you want them to look at your eyes and just Sure. You know, talk and talk to you and not be staring at your eyebrows going, oh my gosh, what have you done? Yes. That's not what you want. So when people come to me and they want a particular style or trend that is not gonna suit them, it's not.
Gonna look natural on them. I will say no, I believe. How does that work? When you say no, do you get pushback or do they appreciate your input? A lot of them appreciate it. Okay. So, and you know, I think it's important to understand that not everyone who walks through your door is going to be the right fit for you.
Mm-hmm. And that is totally okay. You can, you can say no. But basically how I would do it is I would. Say to them, let's start with just an eyebrow tint, put a bit of color on. And then let's kind of work [00:19:00] our way up to doing the tattoo. I want you to get used to a different style. Mm-hmm. And like a more of a natural style.
And then cosmetic tattooing requires two visits. So I kind of describe it like nail polish. The first visit is your first cred of nail polish. It looks nice. Mm-hmm. But the second coat is, you know, finishing it off. You know, the color deepens, the definition deepens and things like that. So I'll do the first visit for the client and then I'll say to them, now, get used to that.
See what you think. If you wanna add a little bit more, we can do that On your second visit, if you wanna go darker, a little bit thicker, things like that, we can do that. But by the time they come back for their second visit. They're like, oh, wow, I'm so glad you didn't go thicker. I think it's my job to educate clients and help them understand that this is not makeup you can wash off, right?
So you want it to look beautiful and natural, and you can play around with makeup if you [00:20:00] wanna night out. You can, you know, make your eyebrows bolder. Or if you want a different color on your lip, you can, do a bright red. did get asked a lot
Kristin Kienzle: this week too, how you chose the color.
If I chose it. If you chose it, that was a big question. And I'll let you tell how you go about that. I thought it was brilliant. I just, I trusted you and I liked the methods you used to pick what would be a good color.
Ashleigh Jones: So with the lip blushing, basically I always ask the client, is there a particular color that you wear all the time?
Mm-hmm. Because usually people are drawn to one color over the other. It's one that they've worn for years and it. Typically a tone that suits them. That's why they're drawn to it. So that plays a little bit of a factor in how we choose it. But also I have to look at the undertone of your lips.
Okay? Some people have naturally, like pink lips. Some people have. A blue undertone. So we have to do a little bit of color theory where if your lips [00:21:00] are a little bit on the blue, the cooler undertones then we need to neutralize with more of an orange color. 'cause otherwise your lips could turn like purple.
Oh
Kristin Kienzle: boy.
Ashleigh Jones: So there's a little bit of color theory that goes into it. So that plays a little bit of a role. But the really nice thing about lip blushing and or any, cosmetic tattooing, is that the second visit, you can always say to me, I love the way it's healed, but I think I want a bit more pink.
Or, I think I want a little bit more of a. Nude color or a coral color. So you can always kind of like add and then say every few years you'll just come back and see me and get a little bit of a touch up on your lips. And then again, you can be like, oh, maybe a little bit of this, or a little bit of this, or maybe a little bit brighter.
Kristin Kienzle: Do you have the same thing happen with eyebrows where someone says, I've always worn bright red lipstick. It's what I've done every day of my life. Put me in bright red lipstick.
Ashleigh Jones: Yes. [00:22:00] Yes. I have had How do you handle that? I have had clients who want bright red.
So when we do lip blushing, when it heals, it really isn't bold. Like a lipstick. It's more like a tint. I really loved, actually, how you said the other day, lip tinting. I was like, Ooh, I should call it lip tinting. Oh, did I say that? Yes. I don't remember. I was like, Ooh, I like that. Okay. Because that's what it is really.
Yeah. It's like a lip tint. Mm-hmm. So even if someone was to say, I really want this really dark red. When it heals, it's still gonna be a really soft tint. Mm-hmm. So, It's not like a matte lipstick, so it is a little bit different. But if I do think that is gonna be the complete wrong color for someone we will definitely tone it down, make it a little bit more neutral.
And then again, the second visit I will chat to my clients, see what she, you know, what she likes about it. Does she wanna go a little bit more red and, and then kind of adjust from there, but ease [00:23:00] in.
Kristin Kienzle: Yes. Well, so I'm sure you've had some really crazy. Requests and questions. I, I can see you smiling. What are some stories that would make everybody laugh and, and hopefully not make us think, oh no, that was me.
Ashleigh Jones: I actually had a girl come in with a fake id. Oh. And she said, she showed me the ID and she said, can you tattoo my eyebrows like this picture, because I wanna get into the nightclubs. How old was she? I don't, well, in Australia you can go out when you're 18, so she must have been, so she wanted to be matched to her fake id, matched to her fake id, which I won't tattoo any, anyone under 18 anyway.
Right. Not even if their parent is right. Consent, unless there's a medical condition that, you know, alopecia or something like that. But. I could not believe it. I was like, [00:24:00] absolutely not. I mean, I was very nice about it, but Sure. I mean, oh, that's funny. That was crazy. we have had a client come in and she wanted to be Kim Kardashian.
Unusual Client Requests
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Ashleigh Jones: Oh. And so she was like, can you tattoo my eyebrows, my lips? I wanna look like Kim Kardashian. That was never gonna happen. So. We definitely get some strange requests. There was one client who she drew her eyebrows on, that she drew the ends of her eyebrows all the way to her ears. Oh. And she wanted them tattooed like that.
Oh no. And I was like, no. We cannot do that. No. I said I can do, I'll measure them and do you know the right shape? Then
Kristin Kienzle: you can finish '
Ashleigh Jones: em up and you can just put makeup on the ends every day if you want. Oh my gosh. But I'm like, I cannot do that. So, but she actually was one who I did them, like did them the way I [00:25:00] would do them and then she came back for a second visit and she said, thank you so much for not.
Tattooing them down to my ears.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh
Ashleigh Jones: yeah, that's great. But you know, you do deal with different wants, but also people look in the mirror and say different things. Mm-hmm. So, and we're also
Kristin Kienzle: self critical. We
Ashleigh Jones: are.
Kristin Kienzle: I know You're really good at dealing with that. You make people feel like they look good no matter what.
Oh, thank you. So you're very easy to be around. Oh, thank you.
Dealing with Misconceptions
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Kristin Kienzle: Tell me, do you have any misconceptions that people have that are. That you've found to be entertaining over the years? They, what they think about the process or,
Ashleigh Jones: I get asked a lot more than what I thought. I get asked if I shave, like if I shave the eyebrows off before I start tattooing them.
And I just was shocked when I first heard that question. I was like, why would I do that? My whole goal is to, you know, work with. [00:26:00] Even if you've got a little tiny bit of eyebrow hair is to work with your eyebrow hair to make realistic hair strokes and things like that. So I was like, oh my gosh, no. And then after I got asked that question once, I just, I don't know, I got asked, kept coming.
It kept coming, and I was like, oh my gosh, I did not believe that. This was a thing.
Kristin Kienzle: I can't imagine if I'm laying there and you're about to, you're putting some cream on. You're gonna shave my eyebrows off. I'm gonna jump off the chair table and run. Oh, these people were very
Ashleigh Jones: calm about it, just laying down on the bed, just so, oh, are you about to shave my eyebrows off now?
And I'm like. Pardon? I'm like, no. Oh, that's funny. I wouldn't have even walked in the door if I was a client thinking, yeah, my eyebrows are gonna get shaved off.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah, exactly. I wouldn't be here.
Building a Business in Wichita
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Kristin Kienzle: Well, so tell me about the business that you hope to build here in Wichita, in your suite. What do you, who do you hope to attract?
What is your ideal? What will give you the [00:27:00] feeling of success? Here in Wichita,
Ashleigh Jones: I find I, I find that I'm always attracting women that are probably, I typically don't attract really young people. Mm-hmm. Like not really people in their twenties. I always attract, maybe
Kristin Kienzle: the tract, maybe that's because as we age, our lips lose color and our eyebrows.
I don't know where they go. Yeah. And I think things just change. Yeah. But when you're young, you, you don't need as much. Yeah, that's true. And you get older and you see it all slipping away. Yes. And so you find someone who can dial it back.
Ashleigh Jones: Yes. And I think the younger people do want, they ask, you know, that they do want trends and things like that.
Where I think as we get older, we understand that we have a busy lifestyle. We do. Want to put makeup on, we just sometimes do not have the time because our life is so busy and I think life is busy now. Whether [00:28:00] you have kids or animals look after or work, it's we have a life now that we are all busy.
And so I think it definitely is becoming a lot more popular. The cosmetic tattoo treatments because no one has time to put Mm. Makeup on and, and I find
Kristin Kienzle: here there's not very many people who do it. You know, when you're looking for someone to do it there, there's a gal here in town who has a great reputation, and I know she's busy, but it can take a year to get into her.
Yeah. And then I know there are a few outliers. There are other people who do it, but if you're looking for that, it is hard to find someone who you can trust and who you can even get a referral for.
Ashleigh Jones: Yes. It's something that you do. You do wanna get to meet the person mm-hmm. And get to know them.
The Importance of Trust and Relationships
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Ashleigh Jones: And that's also why, you know, I offer free consults.
'cause I think it's important to come in and get an idea of what the process is or [00:29:00] how does it work for, for me and is even suitable for me. So I think that's super important. But I think it's, yeah, building that trust and just knowing. Not, not everyone is gonna suit the eyebrow tattooing or, you know, I do three different methods of eyebrow tattooing.
So, and that will depend on which one we choose. Depends on the conversations I have with the client. Mm-hmm. What skin health they have, what their eyebrow hair is like, and also what their lifestyle is. And do they wear makeup all the time or just minimal things like that. So there's a lot that, a lot more that goes into it.
So it is definitely about building trust. And building a good relationship with people.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, we're excited that you're here. I love having your services in our salon network. We have a lot of hairstylists. We have estheticians, waxers, nurse injectors, but you bring something different that we can [00:30:00] really.
Use to our advantage as a company for having you in here, and hopefully we can support your business as well with referrals and sharing with our clients what you do with the existing clients.
Ashleigh Jones: Thank you. Yes. I'm super excited to really get going in here. I love that we can refer clients to each other because everything goes hand in hand.
Kristin Kienzle: And the trust is already built.
You know, the people who are seeing the other people in the building, the trust is built. So when they say. When they recommend you, there's a little more weight with that. Yes. Or like me actually having it done carries some weight. I can tell someone a hundred percent my experience. So there's already a little bit of trust built.
So yes, definitely. We hope we can help you grow significantly. Yes. And provide great services so that everybody's walking around Wichita looking good and not looking crazy. Yes.
Ashleigh Jones: That's what we want. Yes. No, I'm super excited. Yes.
Finding Your Niche
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Kristin Kienzle: So Ashleigh, very [00:31:00] few people do this as we've just said. How did you figure out that this was where you wanted Denise down? How did this become your thing and something you've really invested in and gotten extremely talented at?
Ashleigh Jones: So I started just doing, you know, beauty all round skincare.
Waxing body treatments, things like that. And then I love all aspects of it, but I started working at a salon that only did eyebrow waxing and tinting. That was all they did. And so I just loved that clients would come in every. Two to three weeks. Mm-hmm. Get their eyebrows waxed. Get them tinted, and just how it made them feel mm-hmm.
Was really awesome. But also to see the difference that I could see a client for six months and we'd be working on growing out their eyebrows or something like that. And it was so awesome to see the transformation over that time. And then, but there was some [00:32:00] clients who, you know, their eyebrows are never gonna grow back.
Mm-hmm. You know, they're always gonna have patches missing and things like that. And I wanted something more for them. I had thick eyebrows growing up and then my mum would take me to the beautician and they would wax them off. 'cause thin eyebrows were a thing. And so I had eyebrows that were super thin and didn't grow back and I'm actually allergic to tinting and hair dye.
So I could never tint my eyebrows, so they never looked full. I always had to draw them on. So I also was like, what can I do to. Help my clients, but also help me. So I got into cosmetic tattooing and I was actually one of the first people in Western Australia who was doing microblading. We call eyebrow feathering, but microblading the same thing.
So it really just became the thing I did. [00:33:00] It was like my niche. It was mm-hmm. Literally eyebrows. And so I literally built. I like just me solo, a six fig figure business just doing eyebrows. Wow. And then when I built the, the big business and had employees, I did want to offer other treatments such as like skin treatments because that goes hand in hand with.
The Role of Skin Health in Cosmetic Tattooing
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Ashleigh Jones: You know, we, we talk about the canvas of the skin. You know, the skin is, sorry, the canvas for my, for my tattooing work. So I want it to be healthy. And as, 'cause I've been doing this for, I think, eyebrow tattooing for like 10 years, well, 12 years actually. So as my clients would come back every year or two for touchups.
You know, you learn how the pigment heals. Mm-hmm. And you learn how it heals in different skin types. So that's when we started going, okay, we need to focus on people's skin as well. Mm-hmm. So we added that in. I don't
Kristin Kienzle: think anybody else does that,
Ashleigh Jones: do they? I, [00:34:00] no. No. Not a. Do. But also,
Kristin Kienzle: and I don't know that I haven't done my research, but Yeah.
But no, not
Ashleigh Jones: a lot do. I've never heard of someone
Kristin Kienzle: considering Yeah. The, the skin itself.
Ashleigh Jones: Yeah. And that's super important, but a lot of you don't, I've trained all over the world in cosmetic tatting, but I've also got a background in and skin and so I think yeah, that's super important. And a lot of people don't have that.
Mm-hmm. But we never really advertise skin ever because we were known for brows. Yeah. So we would have people come to us they would travel hours to get to us. Wow. And we always had a wait list. It was just. Awesome. But when our clients would come in, we would educate them on skin then and make a treatment plan.
Kristin Kienzle: So does that help the longevity? Yes.
Ashleigh Jones: Color and all the things? Yes. Okay. So for example, we had a client who, she had really oily skin, and so we would do [00:35:00] her cosmetic tattooing on her eyebrows, and it would only last six to nine months and then it would start fading. And so we started doing skin needling or microneedling on her skin, and we did about six sessions.
And then we did her touch up on her eyebrow tatting, and it lasted like two years. Wow. And it, and It looked good. The pigment heals really well. It lasts longer, so it's different for each skin type. Like someone who has pigmented skin. I'm prone to pigment, so I'm prone to my eyebrows turning a little bit ashy in color.
So when I look after my skin. I prevent the pigment from turning ashy, so it's different. Yeah. So there's so much that goes into it that is, you know, you don't even think about, but, going back to just having a niche, I think, I think it's super important to have a niche.
Specialization and Business Growth
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Ashleigh Jones: I feel like [00:36:00] you wanna go to a specialist in.
A certain area, you know, what they specialize in is, you know, that's what they do all day every day. Oh yeah. They're good at it.
Kristin Kienzle: And the experience you've built from trial and error Exactly. All the years. Yeah. Yes.
Ashleigh Jones: I think if I was doing, you know, multiple different things mm-hmm. I wouldn't be able to just focus on one thing and do it really, really well.
Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: I've noticed that in this industry, the people who I see do the best business have niched down. Yes. I mean, even hairstylists who pick something they're excellent at and run with it. And it's hard because you love to do it all. You're built to to do it all. You're trained to do it all.
Yeah. And your demand is there. But it's hard because sometimes you have to push away some of the demand for things that don't suit you. So you can make space to do what you're really good at. Definitely.
Ashleigh Jones: And then you can also increase your prices. Oh yeah. Because if you specialize in one thing or you're known for that thing, that's awesome.
Builds the value Totally, significantly. Yes. And it doesn't mean you don't have to, you can't do [00:37:00] other things, but to be known for that is, mm-hmm. what has helped me build my business from just me to having employees and having a wait list. So yeah, it's definitely worked well for me and I think it's important to not oversaturate yourself and offer too many things.
Kristin Kienzle: So for the beauty professionals who are listening, and I'm gonna say most of them will be hairstylists and aestheticians.
They are possibly getting curious about how they can niche down. How would you tell them to sort that out if they're thinking, you know, I love doing it all. I'm really good at most things. I'm extra good at five things. But you know, if they're inspired by, maybe I should niche down and really double down on one thing that I'm good at, and really, really build my income on that.
How would you. Tell them to sort that out, what would you say?
Ashleigh Jones: That's a good question. One hairdresser really stands out to me in Perth because [00:38:00] she specializes in blondes. And all she does is blondes and that's all she's known for. And it's crazy 'cause people think, oh, if I stick to just one thing, am I gonna get busy?
Do I have enough people? I should offer all these other things because. Yeah, I'm won't get, because not everybody has blonde hair. Yeah. So they think that, but there's people, they think they're limiting their, they're, yes. But they're actually targeting a big audience of who they wanna attract.
But that was just one, one hairdresser that stood out to me because I'd never really seen that before. And I thought that's really cool. 'cause like she can educate a lot of women about blonde hair. So, yeah, I don't know. I thought that was really cool. But I think figuring out what your niche could be you could also, well, what you wanna do, something you love.
Okay. So for me, I never did nails or acrylic nails or eyelash extensions or anything like that when I was doing training. It just wasn't my [00:39:00] thing. I didn't enjoy doing any of that, so I knew that was not gonna be part of my world. And there are some amazing specialists out there that focus on that, and that's.
Awesome. Mm-hmm. And they're good at it. That's what they do do. And they get fast. And they get fast. Yeah. So once you find what you really love, it's do that. 'cause that's what's gonna make you wake up in the morning and be excited to go to work.
Kristin Kienzle: I think you really hit on it when you said there's a fear of, of there not being enough of a pool of clientele.
You know, not everybody's blonde, but there are plenty of blondes to fill your books. Oh yes.
Ashleigh Jones: now that I'm starting to get gray hair, I am going blonde because I'm not allergic to blonde. Mm-hmm. It's only browns that I'm allergic to with hair dye. Now that I'm going blonde, I would want to go to someone who specializes in blonde.
Yes. That is who I'd want to go to, because I don't want orange. I don't want. I don't, you don't want your hair don Gray. I don't want orange. Yeah. I don't want my hair fried. I want it to maintain its [00:40:00] health and things like that. So I would search for that. I feel like I don't know, like when a lot of dentists now are doing injecting.
Mm-hmm. But to me mm-hmm. I'm, do you want an injector, or excuse me, a dentist injecting your Botox? I wanna go to the dentist. For my teeth. 'cause that's what they do. Yes. And I wanna go to an injector who does injecting and not teeth. So.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah, that just makes sense. I agree. I talked to a gal yesterday, she's one of our tenants in one of our other salons, and she is a gray coverage specialist.
Ashleigh Jones: Oh, amazing.
Kristin Kienzle: And you know, that's another one that I'm telling you, and that that group of people that require gray coverage are such a lovely demographic. They're usually a little bit older. They maintain their appointments, they can afford it. And they care and they're lovely and she enjoys talking to older people.
She's young. It was interesting because as we were talking about that she's, she's young. [00:41:00] I'm, guessing 30, give or take. And she looks young. Yep. But she has a very old soul. Yes. And so she relates to them. Yeah. And so as we were talking, we were talking a little bit of business building and, just about how she fears that people aren't attracted to her because she's young, looks young, she doesn't have one gray hair. Yep. And she doesn't look like she's ever gonna get any in the near future. So it's hard for those people to relate to her. But I was talking to her about, you know, really sell yourself on, on your old soul.
You're very relatable to them. And. Although you don't have gray hair, you know how, and just like you're saying with blondes, grace can go bad. Yeah. It can go the wrong color. It can fade off. And so anyway, I was excited to have a conversation with someone who's really nicheing down in something that I don't see anybody else doing.
Yeah.
Ashleigh Jones: I love that. Mm-hmm. That is awesome. Mm-hmm. And it makes you, you become the expert Yes. In that field. Yes. Is it gives you authority. Yes. Yeah, totally. And that's what's gonna bring in clients. that [00:42:00] just builds trust. You know, I'm gonna trust you because you specialize in gray.
Covering gray is awesome. I know you're gonna do a good job. Like it's, the specialties just says it all. And I think even so, even when I was in my twenties doing, doing this, my clients were still a bit older. Mm-hmm. And. It is like the connection with the old soul. I love that. Mm-hmm.
I think it doesn't, I feel like we probably get a little bit self-conscious thinking, oh, I'm young, or I look young, or they're not gonna come to me, and things like that. But you'll be so surprised at how they connect with you and they don't even think anything different. It's that thing about being self-critical again. Mm-hmm. Like we are critical and overthink, but. In this industry you do just connect with people. It's why we're in the industry.
Kristin Kienzle: The connections are Yeah.
And trust and, and then it turns into friendship. Yes.
Concluding Thoughts and Contact Information
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Kristin Kienzle: Ashleigh, thank you so much for your time today.
It's been so fun to talk to you. It's been fun for [00:43:00] me to learn about your whole journey from Australia to the United States. I'm sure everyone enjoyed listening as well. You offered a lot of insight about what you do, and I feel like we all know more about the services you provide and what that looks like.
I hope we've incited some curiosity and I have to say, we all love listening to you talk about anything because your accent is just beautiful. So thank you. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to do this in your beautiful suite here at Utopia. It's been fun to see it come together and I look forward to finding out that you have a long wait list.
Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me. You're welcome. thank you for listening. We will include Ashleigh's contact information in the show notes if you'd like to reach out to her and learn more about the services she provides or how she niched down in the industry.
If you're an industry professional that wants to talk to her about those things. If you've enjoyed our show, please [00:44:00] subscribe and share it with a friend. Thank you.