Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakila Matthews.
Shakila, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my business back in 2019, and never looked back. I worked full time in a plant and was over the long hours and 6-7 days. I never got to spend time with my son and everyday it broke me down. I was very grateful for my job because I lost his father while I was pregnant and had to take care of him 100% on my own. I made a plan to graduate college before he started kindergarten so I could get a normal job with less hours. I graduated a semester early but soon realized, I would be taking a pay cut if I got another job. So I stayed and brainstormed. I started doing lashes as a hobby when I wasn’t at work. I wasn’t making any real money but I was interested in the beauty business. My wax lady told me I should go to school to be an esthetician and I did researched on everything they do and fell in love. I enrolled the next month and started taking other classes for other things such as body sculpting and ombre brows. I took a leap of faith and rented a suite while still working my job and going to school! It was a lot but I was determined to get out. After finishing school, I still continued to work because I wasn’t booked a lot yet. Summer of 2020, it went up from there! I was so booked up I couldn’t make it into work and had to call off A LOT. I made a decision to let my job go in August and it was the best decision ever. I got married and had another baby in 2021. 2 years later, I’ve made more money than my previous job and I spend more than enough time with my son! I’m well invested into his future so I had to create a lifestyle for me so I would be able to do that.
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?
It has not been a smooth road! A ton of bumps along the way but I’m grateful for everything the way it turned out. One major struggle was staying booked. I realized the more you put into your business the more it gives you! If I didn’t post… I didn’t get booked. When I posted on my social media, I had a lot of interactions and people booked! Another struggle was me becoming pregnant in the middle of my expansion of my business. My baby was not planned but she was a blessing because she taught me I can get past even my worst fears! I thought being pregnant and going on maternity leave would for sure have my business in the negative. But my clients were so loyal, at least 60% of them are still booking. And I’ve met even more new people, some of them were waiting on me to come back from maternity leave to support my business. My clients are everything!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a licensed esthetician and permanent makeup artist. I offer a long range of services because I can not just focus on one thing. I do facials, waxing, lashes, brows, body sculpting, v steams and foot detox. My main services is body sculpting and ombre brows. I also train and sell feminine care products and weight management products. I’d like to think I’m exceptional in everything I do. I’m definitely known for doing ombre brows! I’m proud of the growth of my business. I literally went from a small 10×10 room to a 1000sq suite with multiple treatment rooms and my goal is to get a storefront sooner than later! I’m definitely one of kind because I’ve always done my own thing. I never followed other ppl and mimicked them. I truly love what I do because I created my own lane to be in. I don’t know anyone that’s doing what I’m doing and how I’m doing it and I love that about me.
How do you think about happiness?
Making other people happy, makes me happy. I love seeing the joy on other people’s face when they’re in my presence. I also love to cook and be around family and friends. Traveling is one of my main happy places but since I’ve had my baby I’m home.
Contact Info:
- Email: majorkibeauty@yahoo.com
- Website: www.majorkibeauty.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/majorkibeauty
- Facebook: Facebook.com/makorkibeauty
- Other: www.majorkibeauty.as.me
