Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Cole.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in school at the Tennessee School of Beauty, we were asked where we saw ourselves after graduating. There was nothing definite in my future that I saw for myself, except that there were two things I did not want to do whatsoever.
Those two things are specializing in brows and owning my own business. After graduating from the Tennessee School of Beauty, I started my first job at Natural Alternatives as a front desk associate and then eventually as an esthetician.
As an esthetician, I mostly performed facials and brow waxing. While working here, I learned to really hone my skills for brow waxing and learned to enjoy it and eventually love it.
I worked at Natural Alternatives for about a year and then I was introduced to an opportunity from a local business owner. This was something that I never expected to happen, especially to me. I was invited to be the newest booth renter at Beauty and the Brows.
I was doing the exact thing I said I never would and I was unbelievably happy. Two years later and I am the small business owner of Monarch Skin Co. with a thriving clientele and a true love for my career.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Knowing what I wanted to do with my life has been one of the hardest struggles. As many people don’t know, I went to school for esthetics twice. After high school, I believed that I wanted to become a makeup artist. I had heard many good things about the Douglas J Aveda Institute, so I enrolled to being straight after graduating high school. Throughout school, I was beginning to find a love for skincare.
In October of that year, I was in a horrific car accident. This caused me to miss quite a bit of school. When I returned, I was slow to finish. I eventually graduated, but never took the licensing exams. I had no motivation and lacked the confidence to take the tests. After Aveda, I started to think that I didn’t want to be an esthetician at all, but maybe go back to school and find something new to love. I chose the graphic design program at Pellissippi State Community College.
The program in itself was definitely a challenge, but deep down I knew that it wasn’t meant to be. I graduated from PSCC and took another year off. During this time of my life, I was having what might have looked like a mid-life crisis at the ripe age of 23. A close friend at the time made me realize that I actually belonged in the beauty industry. I enrolled in the next available Esthetics program at the Tennessee School of Beauty.
It’s been a long road to learning where I truly belong in this world. Many people don’t know that I have a degree in Media Communications concentrated in Graphic Design and went through the Esthetics program twice at two different schools.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Monarch Skin Co.?
Monarch Skin Co. is a locally-owned self-care shop located in Powell, Tennessee. Our services include everything brow-related like waxing, tinting, henna, and laminations.
We also offer full facial and body waxing. I am known to be one of the very few brow bars in Knoxville, TN. My shop is in a busy strip of offices, but my room is a quiet oasis.
I want the Voyager readers to know that my space is a safe place and is somewhere my clients come to escape, relax, and be at ease. I am proud of how far my business has come and I’m very excited to see where it’ll go next.
How do you define success?
I believe success is different for everyone.
I don’t think it looks the same to every person. Success to me is mostly being comfortable in the life you’re living. Being able to have a career that you absolutely love in and of itself alone is a success.
It’s so sad that there are people in this world who can’t say the same. The ability to make money off of something you hold such a passion for is such a joy.
Pricing:
- Brow Wax + Tint $33
- Brow Wax $23
- Lamination Wax + Tint $80
- Henna + Wax $53
Contact Info:
- Email: monarchskinco@gmail.com
- Website: www.monarchskinco.me
- Instagram: @monarchskinco
