Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chloe Kianki, founder of ALKHEMIST, located in Montréal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Alkhemist is a beauty studio based in Montreal, specializing in permanent makeup, specifically microblading for the eyebrows. Most of our clients are women who want low maintenance, easy and long-lasting beauty services. Imagine waking up with perfect brows every day :)
Tell us about yourself
I started from the bottom. I was a college dropout and never could keep a job because I always hated being told what I could and could not do. My parents are immigrants, and I had to watch them do the hard jobs growing up. My father was a truck driver, and my mother was a cleaning lady.
I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I was that kid on the sidewalk selling lemonade. I would steal my parent's junk and host garage sales. When I dropped out of college, I secretly started working at Sephora. I pretended I was going to class when in fact, I was selling makeup. I started out as a cashier but quickly fell in love with helping clients shop for their cosmetics. So I asked my then manager if they would consider moving me to the makeup section. Unfortunately, they did not see my potential and said I was not good enough. So I left Sephora, got my makeup certification, and started freelancing on my own.
I continued to freelance on the weekends while working a corporate job in the tech industry. But again, after almost 2 years working for this company, I was fed up with the corporate environment and was ready to spread my wings. I discovered microblading on one of my makeup contracts and jumped at the opportunity to learn the craft. I asked my mother to loan me $4000 to take the training and never looked back.
One year later, we have a 7 figure business, a beautiful studio downtown, and a dozen employees. My first step was fueled by Sephora telling me "no." Today what motivates me is watching our team grow and inspiring other women to dream. If I can do it, so can you.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Proving that when there's a will, there's a way and being able to give opportunities to other women and share our success. I am proud to say that I trained our artists from scratch and pulled most of them from jobs they hated. If you hang out with me enough, I'll get you to dream again and quit your 9-5, haha!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
People. Managing, hiring, firing. I had no idea what was coming for me as we grew the team so fast. Who you have worked alongside you is so important. Everyone on your team must believe in the vision and be aligned, or else growth will slow down or even stop. I learned I had to make hard decisions fast. Hire fast, fire fast. The company depends on it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take the leap. Just do it. Get out of planning mode and get into action.
- Choose your players wisely. Build a winning team.
- If they aren't where you wanna be, their opinions don't matter.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.alkhemist.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studio.alkhemist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.alkhemist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-kianki-512879160/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
