Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Loi.
Theresa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My career as a Beauty Specialist started five years ago. All my life, I’ve worked in different places, in different fields such as; restaurants, Farmers Insurance, personal injury law firms and Expedia, Inc. I pretty much did everything! Working inside an office got so boring to me and I wanted a change. When I was younger, I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer and/or beauty specialist but of course, going into fashion school Is so expensive and I didn’t like to be in school, I just want something quick and easy! LOL! I love makeup and love shopping!! So I decided to apply for jobs inside the mall. Yeah, I got a couple interviews but I had no luck. So then, I landed a position at Beauty Brands as a shift manager, which I was shocked because I had no retail and/or management experience. I was so excited, I took the offer.
After three months with the company, I have to say I really enjoyed working there! It was different from my previous jobs but yet it was also a learning experience. Beauty Brand has changed my career path. Soon enough, I’ve decided to seek into cosmetology school and decided to get my certification as an eyelash artist. After, obtaining my certification in eyelash extensions, I was working from home doing my friends and family’s lashes just to get the experience. Eventually, that turned into a part-time job for me working from home. I did work at a lash studio in Sugarland but eventually part my ways with them because I wanted to pursue my own business. After Working from home, going mobile, working for others and having two kids, I decided I needed a stable location for my small business. My girlfriend, Jenny at JL’Art Salon who is also my hairstylist found a location in KATY a little over a year ago. With the huge amount of space at the salon, we came to conclude that it’s best to turn this into a one-stop shop beauty salon. I decided, to build a room inside the salon for my eyelashes, make-up and spray tanning services.
December 2017, I established Dolled Up Studio inside of JL’Art Salon in KATY, TX. I sometimes sit here and tell myself, I’ve come along way and I’m so glad, I’ve made the change. Who would have thought I would go this route but I’m glad, I did because today, I love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every new business has its struggles, especially the first year. The biggest struggle that Dolled Up Studio faced was an advertisement. How are we going get our name out there and how will people know it’s us since we are located inside of another salon. So, I’ve decided to sign up for some online accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Google, Groupon and of course creating my own business page. I also put a business decal on the back of my truck to catch peoples attention when I’m driving around town, that alone has been working really well. As much as I don’t want to be on Groupon but I have to say, Groupon has brought us a good amount of customers, some has been a permanent customer and we hope to see more.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Dolled Up Studio – what should we know?
At Dolled Up Studio, we not only do eyelash extensions but we also provide waxing services, makeup applications, spray tanning and Microblading. As a company, I have to say we are proud of our customer service skills and knowledge in what we carry and provide to our clients and our potential clients. We take pride in our work by educating each and every client. There are so many competitors out there and I’ve heard horror stories about clients’ experience so as an owner and stylist myself I want to educate them by explaining the whole process and of course, I want them to get the best service they’ve ever had.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least about our city?
I was raised in Alief, TX all my life. So, moving to the United States at the age of 5yrs old, growing up in Houston I’ve seen some bad but yet some good things that our Houstonians are doing but the one thing I’ve seen best so far from Our people was during Hurricane Harvey. People risking lives to help other people. I was lucky that I moved out of Richmond, TX two months before Harvey hit and we’re fortunate that our new neighborhood wasn’t affected. As for our friends that were in Richmond that got hit severely, we were saddened to see this had happened to them. So, my husband and I decided to go out there and help them by bringing them whatever they needed. She had a daughter that’s about two years old that needed milk, we were fortunate to find one last gallon from a nearby tapioca store to bring It to her. We would do it for anyone not just for our friends and family. Growing up, my parents taught us, if we can help others with what we can, help them because God has eyes, he can see everything and will bless us and I sure do believe that! He gave us the opportunity to come to the United States and to become a citizen, so now, here I am, over 20 years of being in Houston. I am proud to say, I LOVE my city! I am Alief Proud!
Contact Info:
- Address: 23233 Kingsland Blvd, Suite C, Katy, TX 77494
- Website: www.dolledupstudio.net
- Phone: 281-507-5126
- Email: info@dolledupstudio.net
- Instagram: @dolledupstudio_katytx
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theresatloi
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/dolled-up-studio-katy
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