Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Foster.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I knew I wanted to be a hairstylist early on. When I was 13, I talked my mom into letting me color my hair with temporary box color from the grocery store, and from there it just escalated. A couple of years later I was experimenting with cutting and coloring mine and my friend’s hair. I became a receptionist at a salon when I was 16, went to cosmetology school at 18, and became a full-time hair stylist at 20.
Shortly after that, I started casually attending college classes at Lone Star Community College, and a few years later I decided to get serious about it. Once I had taken as many classes as I could at Lone Star, I transferred to Sam Houston State University and commuted. It took about ten years of going to college part-time while working full-time, but I finally graduated just as I turned 31. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BBA in International Business from SHSU.
During that decade, I purchased my first home at 22, then several years later purchased my second home at 28, and began renting out my first house. That same year, I left the salon I had worked at for eight years, and started my own business, renting a suite within a larger salon.
Nearly three years ago I started making cold process soap and other DIY bath and body products. I loved the quality of the products, the control I had of the ingredients, and the creativity. This quickly turned into a side business, known as Foster Gardens Bath Co. I started selling these products in my salon suite, and later started an Etsy shop and online store.
This year I have another big business adventure in progress. I am currently working on opening a salon- The Beauty Garden. It will be a booth rental salon with other independent stylists. It will also have a unique retail area featuring handmade local items such as handmade jewelry and decor, and Foster Gardens Bath Co. handmade soap of course! It will open August 2020, and is located in “new” Magnolia, where the edges of The Woodlands, Conroe, and Magnolia all meet.
Has it been a smooth road?
Many of the struggles along the way were financial. I always worked a lot. When I was 16, I worked two jobs all summer to save for my first car. By the end of the summer I bought an ’87 Toyota Corolla for $1500. Unfortunately, it was totaled in a wreck six months later. When I was in cosmetology school I worked to pay for the tuition and my personal needs. Then later when I started taking college courses, I paid for each semester as I went.
There were plenty of emotional obstacles as well. Despite the accomplishments in my 20s, I made many poor decisions also. Sometimes I was my own biggest obstacle to moving forward. There was a lot of fear and doubt circulating in my head when I started my first little salon, and it showed up again with my plans of expansion. Maintaining faith in myself and pushing through the fear is challenging at times. Despite the challenges, there were also friends and people that helped along the way. In my 30’s, my personal life took an important turn. I reconnected with an old crush from a decade prior. We picked up right where we left off; started a family and got married. He’s a caring and helpful husband, and an involved Dad. It’s a whole different set of challenges now with balancing work and family, but having a supportive partner has been critical to everything working well. He’s always cheering me on and there to help things run smoothly.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I have two businesses that have coalesced, The Beauty Garden Salon and Foster Gardens Bath Co. As a hair stylist, my specialty is hair color. I am known for creating beautifully blended, natural looking color. Whether it’s balayage, gray coverage, gray blending, or natural highlighting- mastery of all hair color techniques has always been of the highest priority to me.
When I became a soap maker, it was initially just another creative outlet. I dove into information about the safety of ingredients and beneficial attributes. I would look up every ingredient in a recipe to find out why it was there. I was quickly into formulating my own recipes and concoctions. I make a variety of products including soap, lotion, scrubs, body oil, bath soaks, lip balms, and bath bombs, but my favorite is making soap. Formulating all of my products is fun, but I most enjoy the visually creative process of soapmaking; mixing the colors in different bowls and creating a design with the soap batter.
As a company, I am most proud that I have built both of my businesses from scratch. As a hairstylist, I worked very hard to build my skillset, build my clientele, and then start my own business as an independent stylist. Now I am taking the next step in expanding to a larger salon, where I can create a comfortable, professional, and encouraging salon culture. As a soap maker, I am self-taught. I immersed myself in information and education on the topic, and am always working to continually improve. I developed my brand, I do the packaging, and I design and print the labels.
What sets me apart from others is that I am a combination of creative, business oriented, and committed. I have business education and experience, as well as creativity. I have a strong work ethic and I don’t do things half-way. I always give it my best. When I set my mind to something, I am committed. I follow through with my plans and intentions.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I like that the Houston area is so diverse and has so much to offer. As a hair stylist, I’ve met a lot of people from different states, countries, and backgrounds. I have lived in the area my entire life, so I’ve enjoyed meeting people with various perspectives and personalities, shaped by where they are from and the experiences they’ve had. It’s a melting pot and I appreciate that. With it being such a large, sprawling city, the suburbs have become their own defined areas with unique characteristics. I live in a quiet neighborhood with deer in my front yard every day, but in 45 minutes I can be at a museum downtown. What’s most challenging for me about Houston is the very fast and aggressive driving. I wish we had more options for public transit from the suburbs into the city.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5428 FM 1488, Bldg B
Magnolia, TX 77354 - Website: www.thebeautygardentx.com and fostergardensbathco.etsy.com
- Phone: 713-444-2549
- Email: amyzilla81@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fostergardensbathco/ , https://www.instagram.com/amyfosterhair/ , https://www.instagram.com/thebeautygardentx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyfosterhair/ , https://www.facebook.com/fostergardensbathco/ , https://www.facebook.com/thebeautygardentx/
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