Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lyndsey Brantley, CEO of Camellia Alise, Inc., located in Houston, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

At Camellia Alise, our mission is to breathe life into and empower skincare enthusiasts and aspiring spa owners so that they can achieve their radiant skin and entrepreneurial goals!

Camellia Alise is a woman and minority-owned, specialized skincare and spa company focused on providing comprehensive beauty educational services and effective natural personal care products and services. Our primary services are manufacturing and retailing all-natural skincare products for razor bumps and cellulite, providing spa services to help you be your radiant self, including massages, facials, and body sculpting services, and offering beauty training on contouring and sculpting services.

We have served the Texas community since 2016 and expanded nationally in 2018. Our customers come to Camellia Alise because they want natural and vegan tried and true skincare products and services, and they want educational programs that they can trust; we take pride in our customer excellence initiatives and in the high-quality products and services we offer.

Tell us about yourself

I'm Lyndsey Brantley, a Structural Engineer turned Medical Aesthetics Practitioner who specializes in holistic skin care therapies, chemical peels, and laser skin treatments to alleviate the symptoms of razor bumps, ingrown hairs, stretch marks, and acne. After battling with sensitive skin and ingrown hairs as a symptom of my PCOS and seeing many of my friends and clients do the same, the idea for Camellia Alise was born. Seeking a way to naturally prevent the ingrown hairs and skin irritations I had always dealt with and finding nothing on the market, I used my medical aesthetics knowledge to formulate natural skincare products that met my needs and the needs of those who also struggle with the same conditions. My goal is to help clients achieve radiant skin they can be proud of.

As I continued in my skincare career, I recognized that lack of proper education on proper skincare and wellness techniques was a prevalent problem for my community so I developed the solution "Camellia Alise Academy" and opened the "Camellia Alise Spa & Training Studios" in 2019 to educate further and serve those in my community!

I am a Texas native who has a true passion for educating those around me on proper sculpting techniques and skincare maintenance utilizing natural products and service protocols like the ones we produce at Camellia Alise.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, there have been so many major accomplishments, and it is so hard to narrow them down! I would say there have been two major accomplishments I would highlight:

  1. We were named the 2021 Pinnacle Award Winner via the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC), which is a non-profit organization committed to driving the economic growth of minority-owned businesses. This is a highly coveted award that we were so proud to win as we continue to drive economic growth in our community!
  2. We were highlighted in Yahoo Finance and Black Enterprise last year for building a million-dollar enterprise and teaching other spa entrepreneurs to secure their futures; I take pride in helping other business owners along the way, so these were both big honors to have our business be recognized for! https://www.yahoo.com/now/engineer-builds-million-dollar-beauty-160753165.html https://www.blackenterprise.com/engineer-builds-million-dollar-beauty-empire-and-teaches-women-to-secure-their-futures/

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I always tell up-and-coming business owners that there is no such thing as "Balance," only "Prioritization." Hence, one of the hardest things to do is stay on top of the day-to-day prioritization. I am a wife, mom, boss, sister, etc., so I want to be everywhere all the time, but I just can't be. I had to learn to delegate and prioritize, and any successful business owner will have to do the same.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Learn from your failures; I initially spent a lot of money on marketing and advertising that wasn't targeted properly. I was throwing money down the drain, but once I realized my mistakes, I quickly turned those failures into an opportunity to educate myself on marketing further. I've learned not to take my failures so seriously; you are bound to mess up a few things before you get it right, just like every successful entrepreneur has!
  2. Your only limitations are the ones you set for yourself. I can't tell you how many times people have said I was crazy for getting into such a competitive industry, but my company continues to prosper and grow. Your company will never succeed if you stay in your comfort zone, and you will never know what you are capable of if you don't try to push yourself beyond your limits!
  3. Have Fun. Being an entrepreneur can be a stressful and lonely journey. I have learned to embrace those moments of victory and have fun along the way. I travel at least once a year and do a monthly team-building activity to keep positive vibes going, we work hard, but we should have fun along the way too!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes, we would absolutely love to service those looking for spa services in the Houston area or those who are interested in Body Sculpting Training Nationally, so please feel free to give us a call anytime at (832)384-4608

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.camelliaalise.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CamelliaAlise
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CamelliaAlise/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamelliaAlise
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/camellia-alise-llc/

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.