Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystal Phillips.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Krystal. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Since a young kid, I can remember making frequent visits to the local beauty supply store for all of my hair care products. As I grew older, I began to wonder why the people who owned and worked in these stores never looked like the people that they were selling to. Fast forward a couple decades, 2 college degrees and 11 years in corporate America, I knew that my ultimate goal was to become a full-time entrepreneur. In 2015, I started Xpressions Photo Booths which grew into a fun, lucrative side business. The success of my photo booth company gave me the confidence to create another business on a larger scale.
So I researched the hair care and beauty supply industry as it remained an interest of mine. I also sat down with people who have years of experience in the industry and discussed potentially purchasing an existing business. For a number of reasons, my husband and I felt it would be better to start from nothing and build my vision which is unlike any other store in the area. I continued to research until I was unexpectedly laid off from my career in the insurance industry in July of 2017. I recognized that as a sign that it was time to put my plans into motion. I found the perfect brick and mortar location, supervised the build-out process and on December 22, 2017, we opened the doors to Epitome Beautique.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, I wouldn’t call it smooth. There have been many challenges along the way but that was expected. I ran into several roadblocks when trying to obtain wholesale accounts with the larger hair companies. I’ve had one company rep tell me that I would need to wait approximately 6 months to a year before I can open an account and another told me that my initial order would need to be a minimum of $20,000 which is a very large order for only one brand.
On a more personal note, I am a wife and new mommy so it gets difficult to balance my time some days. There have been several other obstacles but my determination has helped me to navigate around them.
Epitome Beautique – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is named Epitome Beautique. The definition of the word “Epitome” is the perfect example of something. So in terms of beauty, style, and grace, I personally feel that women of color embody this. They are our target market and we strive to cultivate a welcoming and comfortable environment for them to shop and feel as if they are amongst family.
We are one of the very few black-owned beauty supply stores. We offer hundreds of SKUs but we are on the smaller side compared to most other beauty supply stores. This allows us to have an intimate interaction with each customer that enters the store. We focus more on the quality of the products we carry as opposed to the quantity of product lines we offer. Our specialty is natural hair care products. While we do sell merchandise like wigs, weaves and braiding hair for protective styling, our ultimate focus is on the health of the customer’s natural hair. My goal is to continue to bring in the finest, natural products for distinct, ethnic hair and skin care needs.
Our most unique feature is that we have a clothing boutique. We offer casual and trendy styles for women. We have a large selection of fashion accessories and gift ideas. Allowing our customers to pick up their hair and skin care products while finding trendy fashion pieces makes convenience one of our competitive advantages. We have plans to expand and offer full salon services. We currently utilize our free space to host events and photo shoots.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success is simply loving what you do and doing what you love. I feel honored to provide a quality product and service to my community. I truly enjoy helping my customers find the perfect products or fashion items. While I am not a trained cosmetologist, I do have a passion for healthy hair care and style. I gauge my success by my customer’s feedback. I follow up with them to ensure that they are happy with their purchases and their experience in the store. My customer’s satisfaction is the ultimate marker.
Obviously, I do have sales goals as any other business. But I also must account for a customer that stopped in to look around but vocalized that they loved the store and how inviting the environment is, just as I do with clients that spend several hundred dollars. Each interaction has the potential to translate into future sales.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6073 Hwy 6 N, Ste C Houston, TX 77084
- Website: www.epitomebeautique.com
- Phone: 281-345-7516
- Email: info@epitomebeautique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epitomebeautique/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/epitomebeautique/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/epitome-beautique-houston
Image Credit:
Mixed by Mo, Preserve the Present Photography
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