Today we’d like to introduce you to Logann Mitchell.
Logann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started this Airbrush sunless Journey in the living room of my one bedroom apartment. I was a single mother to an amazing two years old at the time. I had just finished (by the grace of God) my bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston. Like all eager, naive, fresh college graduates, I assumed I would land a high paying dream job. I was wrong. SO WRONG. I was barely getting by, and the whole time I had a small human looking up to me. I had heard of a friend down at LSU doing mobile (come to your home) spray tans and I thought this is something I could do. On a side note-If you have never had an airbrush tan before I highly recommend it. It is nothing like the Friends episode where Ross turns Orange.
So I invested the rest of my money at the time on operating this very small business. Remember that thing I mentioned above about being a single mom? Yes, well you can not take a baby as part of your spray tan equipment. “Could I say she was an assistant?” Perhaps maybe I could just tell my client I had found her outside and I would drop her off at the station when I finished giving them the spray tan of a LIFE TIME?? All jokes aside I had to find a plan C. However at this point I had got really good at finding back up plans and tweaking things to work in my favor. I decided I would actually set up my business in the middle of my living room. And it worked. Kind of. It worked for my loyal clients who did not mind stepping over Barbies and hearing the soothing sounds of “Mother Goose tunes” playing in the background. I knew I gave a great airbrush tan. I cared about my clients. Them being happy with their service ended up being my number one concern.
I researched a lot about the quality I was putting on their skin. I made sure they were happy and comfortable. I was becoming passionate about this side hustle and I started growing a book of business. I was so grateful for the clients who allowed me to pursue what was becoming a passion while allowing me to be a mother at the same time. I knew I could be successful at this if I just was not so restricted. You can only go so far in a one bedroom apartment. I was doing good but not great and I ended up landing a corporate sales job and I will keep this part of my journey short because it was exactly that. SHORT. I had naturally always done things differently. I was all out of order. Or was I? Maybe I just did the opposite of what was considered “acceptable.” I always had this burning passion in me. It was passion mixed with grit. I had a lot of GRIT but I also had a lot of fear. A fear of failure and a fear of not being able to be the person my daughter needed.
Still, with all of that I quit my corporate job on a whim. Call me a millennial. I can take the heat. I just was not happy. I always had the dream of running Uptown Glow and so that it what I did. Full disclosure because I believe in authenticity. I used my income tax return to take the leap of faith and get Uptown Glow it’s very own Airbrush Tan Studio. It was single-handed the very best decision I had ever made. I had a little and turned it into something. It was a very big deal for me to see the years of Struggle and back up plans come into fruition. We are now thriving in our Airbrush tan studio located in the Sawyer Yards Art District at Sabine Street Studios. We offer one of the best customized airbrush tans in the city. No more barbies on the ground though! And we actually play great music on our vinyl record player!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Well, as you can tell from the last question. LOTS OF STRUGGLES. I have actually been waiting for the day I could get my chance to reach to my young single moms who have a heart of Entrepreneurship but who feel restricted and hopeless. Like their dreams are no longer allowed because they feel impossible to reach. You have everything you need if you’d just look around. I always say “all you have is all you need.” Even if it is just a one bedroom apartment. It’s there and you can use it to be GREAT. I know this path can be scary and lonely but if you want something bad enough you can truly make it happen. It will take you working hard and being patient but most importantly in a society where “single- moms” are stereotypically written as the down and out one. The one who barely is getting by. The one who made bad choices. The one who failed. I hope you know you do not have to play that part. You can rewrite your narrative. You can get the degree! You can practice self-care. You can OPEN THAT BUSINESS! Drown out the noise of who society tells you to be and rewrite your own story!
What should we know about Uptown Glow? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Uptown Glow is a customized Airbrush Tanning (spray tan) company. We have a studio location at 1907 Sabine Street Houston, Texas 77007 Studio 130. As well as offer mobile services… We use only organic top quality solution that is airbrushed by hand directly on to the skin. Every skin type is different and we are not a one size fits all type of company. We offer a quick consultation and evaluate your skin type and then apply what we think is best for your skin. What sets us apart from other company’s is the one on one time we spend with our clients. You will have to wear this tan for at least seven days so we want to make sure we offer you the perfect color. The color Orange is not in our vocabulary. We are most proud about is our customer service and the relationships we build with them. They’ve become like family. Taking care of them and making sure they are happy is priority number one!
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Most cities have women’s networking groups and events all over. Houston is constantly having meetups and networking events. I strongly encourage getting involved with those. Something that has really worked well for me is making genuine connections with like-minded women in your area and sticking together whenever you have time! Most women who are entrepreneurs love to help other women. I can not tell you how many women in Houston have helped me open doors!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1907 Sabine Street
- Phone: 7134712123
- Email: uptownglow@gmail.com
- Instagram: Uptownglowhtx
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