Today we’d like to introduce you to DeJeauna Pouncy.
Hi DeJeauna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My story truly begins in undergrad. I attended Grambling State University, where I majored in Biology. I entered college with a goal to graduate and continue on my journey to becoming a doctor, a Pediatrician to be exact. However, little did I know at the beginning of that journey, that things would take a drastic turn.
I lost my mother in 2015, she was the victim of hospital negligence. After losing her, I lost myself. I was left with a crushed spirit, unclear path, and shattered dream. Shortly after her passing, I immediately had to assume the responsibility of my two younger siblings, who were thirteen and fifteen years of age at the time of her passing.
As a twenty-one-year-old sophomore at the time, I had no clue how I would do it or where I would even begin. I did know one thing for certain; I knew that my dream of becoming a doctor had perished.
So, I did the very best I could by saving my college refund to purchase my very first car, a 1997 Nissan Maxima (that I adored), getting a full-time job working at a casino to get my first apartment, and traveling to Missouri to get my sisters to bring them to their new home in Louisiana.
This system worked, I found success in figuring out how to navigate life without our Mama while simultaneously losing myself in the process. I would travel two hours every day to school and back. My typical morning consisted of me waking up around 5:30 a.m. to start my morning hygiene routine, shortly after that around 6 a.m., I would wake the girls so they could get up and ready for school. Then I would head out of the door by 6:45 a.m. to get on the road to travel an hour away to make it to my 8 a.m. class. I repeated this process every day of the week, excluding weekends.
This routine became daunting and I slowly started to lose more and more of who I was as a person and began to slip into a very dark depression. Then one day, the straw broke. As I was traveling from school after getting out of my last class, I found myself crying uncontrollably while it was pouring down raining. This is the day that I almost got in an accident and was bombarded off of the highway into the median by a semi-truck. Due to my uncontrollable sobbing, I almost missed the sign that the semi-truck was coming over into my lane without warning, and yet somehow I didn’t miss it. I caught it in time to swerve off the highway into the meridian where I sat, stuck, unmoved wondering; is this how my life will be from now on?
I answered my own question and realized, I had to take my life back and do whatever was necessary to get back to me. So, I decided to move my sisters & I closer to campus where I didn’t have such a major commute and took the pressure off of myself and them.
This chapter of my journey is where my passion was conceived. I found a new passion with makeup that made me feel alive in such an eery time of my life. It was as if the blessings began to flow back into my life and I received favor. I entered my Junior year as a campus Queen, Miss Junior 2016-2017, to be exact. During that reign, I would do my own makeup as well as occasionally help a few of my fellow sister Queens in the Royal Court.
This led to me gaining my first paying client during graduation season and that spread rapidly and expeditiously. Before I knew it, I was doing makeup for women in surrounding areas and cities adjacent to mine, all out of the comfort of my living room area.
This was when I legitimized my business with a name, called DazzledByDhee. This took the strain off of me financially, and I no longer had to work elsewhere, I made enough money with my business and utilizing survivor benefits to pay the bills and take care of my household with my two sisters with the help of my then Boyfriend, now turned Husband.
After finally graduating, that story is a whole other article in itself, I moved to Houston to start my journey of turning my passion into a career and enrolled into Ogle to begin my Esthetics program.
During my journey of becoming an Esthetician, I birthed Pretty Pristine. I knew without a doubt that this was the business I wanted to pursue but couldn’t think of the name until one night, I was on a three-way call with my line sister and boyfriend. We were going over all kinds of names until Pretty Pristine came out, and from there, I knew it was the one.
I legalized my business, gaining an LLC and EIN number and the whole spill, eventually, I found my first suite off of Wilcrest in Houston. I signed the lease and had a grand opening within an 11-day span and the rest was history.
My story has so many dips and curves and contains so much more than I can write in an article but I will leave with this. When you have a passion that surpasses all understanding, you lead with that. Life has a way of knocking you off your path from time to time but you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul. Just get back in the driver seat and keep on driving down the path because eventually, that path will lead y0u to success and your destiny.
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?
The road has not been smooth by any means. Shortly after leasing my first suite, I quickly noticed the obstacles that solo Estheticians and entrepreneurs in general faced. It was extremely difficult gaining constant clientele. Which eventually led to me having to give up my suite after just two short months.
I found it very difficult to maintain the suite after Covid, and due to me being a full-time esthetician with no other job, I had no other choice but to start over after all the money and hard work I had already put in.
That led to a few months of isolation and reconfiguring until I finally landed back on my feet. Did the research, learned marketing and utilized social media to land another suite near the Galleria area.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pretty Pristine?
Pretty Pristine is a facial spa which specialized in Pro Makeup Artistry, custom luxurious facials, and premium waxing. I operate as a solo Esthie with seven years of experience as a Pro makeup artist, with specializations in Bridal and Studio Makeup.
I come with a passion and vision that creating Beauty for others, creates Beauty within yourself. Every single one of my clients are special to me, it is my goal that they leave my salon feeling rejuvenated, appreciated, loved and Beautiful.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of my holistic skincare line that consists of naturally and organically formulated body creams, body oils, lip balms, and hair oils.
This brand is special because it was created in honor of my mother who once battled cancer for several years. I remember sitting with her as she went through chemo sessions and I watched how dry and brittle her skin became. I remember trying all kind of products from the store on her skin to help restore it but nothing truly worked until we bought products from a small business owner who attended our church at the time. Her products worked miracles on her skin and that was the inspiration I used to drive my business for other Beautiful people who are in need such as my mother once was.
How do you think about luck?
I believe luck is just your belief system. If you believe in who you are and what you’re doing, then you will success or experience “luck”, however, if you don’t believe in yourself or what you’re doing, then you’ll experience becoming “unlucky.”
I believe your personal belief system and mindset is the driving force in the direction of obtaining good or bad luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.prettypristine.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistrybyprettypristine/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PrettyPrisineArtistry/?refsrc=deprecated&_rdr
Image Credits
Dalvin Adams
Digi Wits
De’Jeauna Pouncy
La’Terious Pouncy
