Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessi Penner, Founder, and CEO of Fixe Beauty, located in Regina, SK, Canada.

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

Fixe Beauty is an Online Lash Academy and Business school that has certified over 40,000 students and operates in 3 different countries. At Fixe, we have a passion for helping women, single moms, and local community members to build the tools they need to step forward in their lives.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Jessi, and I am the founder and CEO of Fixe Beauty. Furthermore, I am a single mom to two of the sweetest little boys; I am a passionate believer in the power of sisterhood, a fitness junkie, and a yoga fanatic.

I once was an overworked, over-stressed mom stuck in a hopeless amount of debt, a job I hated, and a life that didn't feel like it was mine... Waking up every day to a job I didn't love, leaving my son in a daycare I couldn't really afford, and feeling like there had to be more to this life I was living. I felt like I was doing all the right things, but nothing felt right. I knew there had to be more, but I had no idea what I could do or how I could make a change. I wanted to be able to be home with my son when I needed it, I craved a job I was excited to wake up and go to, and truthfully I was sick and tired of barely making enough money to make ends meet. Then I finally found my purpose, and it was in the last place I thought I would find it.

In a moment of desperation, I signed up for a lash course. I had no background in the beauty industry and had gone to school to go into business. But I had gone to get my lashes done one day, and my lash artist told me how much money she was making, how much fun she had in a meeting with her clients, and how it had helped her to pay off her debt. I thought, well, maybe I could do this too. The first, second, and third courses I took were not great. I left the classes feeling scared and not ready but determined to make it work because I had already invested so much money (that I didn't have) into this. I practiced like crazy, and slowly my confidence grew. I took clients in the evening after I came home from work and put my son in bed. And as my skill grew, my confidence grew.

I started to realize that little lash biz might have been the very thing I had been looking for my whole life. And the rest was history. After building my own lash business to a place where my family was thriving, I realized that there was a huge lack in the industry for high-quality training, with ongoing support, and also the vital business skills and blueprints it takes to be successful. So I started Fixe Beauty, and here we are.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is helping over 40,000 women build their empires as lash artists, find their confidence, step into their power and create the life for themselves that they were always destined for!

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

One of the hardest things as a business owner can be the uncertainty that comes with running a business. Will they like this new product? Am I connecting enough with my Fixe Fam? What could I have done to improve our latest course? The questions and thoughts are endless, but that is also the most thrilling and fulfilling part. Yes, you will have doubts and questions, but what makes a great business owner is taking those questions and doubts, jumping into action, and turning them into answers and certainty.

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

  1. There is never going to be a perfect time to start. If you wait for the "perfect time," you'll never begin. Start today! Do it now!
  2. Never get too comfortable. As a business owner, there are always steps you can take to improve and better your business. If you feel like things are going too well, it's probably time to start thinking of your next idea and how you are going to achieve it!
  3. Don't be afraid to ask for help! There is power in numbers. At Fixe Beauty, we are a community of 40,000+ powerful, driven, ambitious women, but we all support each other daily. We all need a little help in this life, and it's important to lean into the people who just want to see you win.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://fixebeauty.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fixebeauty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fixebeauty/ 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3W1mDoD

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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