We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Simone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think life is all about taking risks. If a person doesn’t take risks, how will they know whether or not they’ve lived life? For me the first risk I took, was leaving Portland to move to California at 20 years old. I decided to move to California because I was a teen mom and after graduating high school, I wanted a better life for my son. (it was just us two at the time). I knew that California would be a place for more opportunities than staying behind in Portland.

Now looking back to 12 years ago, my drive and ambition has played a big roll into taking those risks and becoming a successful business owner. I was once a Behavioral Therapist and I loved my job, but I felt as if I was missing something. I had a vision of becoming a successful lash artist and I created a plan to execute it and by doing that, I’ve not only shown myself, but my children that it’s okay to go against what others think and to follow your dreams. Dreams do come true and success can happen, if you’re willing to put the hard work behind it.

It took me 3 years of hard work and dedication to open my business after writing my business plan down in a journal and taking that leap of faith and leaving my job as a Behavioral Therapist.

I always knew I had success in me because I came from a family on my mother’s side where my great grandfather was the first African American mortician and our family was the first African American successful funeral home in Portland in 1947. Not only that, he and my great grandmother had the first African American publishing company where they created a popular newspaper along the northwest. If they were able to take those risk in a crucial time of segregation, how come I cant take risk and go after my own dreams?

Don’t get me wrong, I have faced many challenges while chasing my dreams, and ever had issues with my children saying that I’m always working and don’t spend enough time with them, but I’ve had to explain to them, I’m only planting the seeds for you two to become successful in life. It’s time that I be the one to break the cycle of “generational curses” and set my children up for success and by doing so I have to continue taking risks.

I became a Licensed Esthetician 3 years ago and today I am a successful salon owner and a educator at the beauty college I graduated from. I took the risk of leaving my career and finding my purpose and now I am able to teach others and share my story on how I got to this point in my life. it’s so rewarding and I thank God each and everyday for this.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am the owner of Beauté by J. Simone. I am a full serviced beauty bar. I specialize in Eyelash Extensions, Facials, Full body waxing and Makeup services. I am most proud about being known for my work.

I got here business-wise through trial and error. I started off with a Salon suite and I failed at that attempt because I gave up. Money wasn’t flowing in like it should have and I quit. I took some time off and came up with other strategies including working for someone else. By working for someone else, it gave me more insight on how to effectively run a business, I learned that being a business owner is not always the greatest at all times. In fact there are times business is slow and you’re not bringing in the numbers that you once were, but it’s up to you to find other ways to make up for the money loss. Whether it’s more marketing, finding a product to upsell with your services or even running specials that’ll attract new/old clients to come back, or going as extreme to finding a new niche.

I’ve learned that slow and steady always wins the race. Success doesn’t happen over night and I stopped comparing myself to other similar businesses and what I should look like compared to those on social media. Social media doesn’t always focus on the bad, it’s always the good and I wanted to be different and show others that being a business owner, there comes the bad.

I want the world to know, that my brand is behind a lot of risk taking and not giving up when obstacles have come my way. It’s so vital to continue to grow as an individual and learn from whatever mistakes you make when striving to be the successful business owner. Millionaires aren’t made overnight, they work harder than the average and that Is something to remember.

Also, it’s okay to work a regular job while you save money to fund your business. Once you start to generate enough income off of your business that’s going to cover your necessities like rent, food, etc, then you’ll it’s time to let your job go and give 100 percent to your business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I really enjoy good food and drink, so the first place that I would take my best friend is to Moonshadows for dinner. They have really good seafood and drinks. The ambience is really nice because the restaurant sits on the water. Afterwards, she would probably want to go out, so I would take her to a hookah lounge that I often go to with my friends in Anaheim. I enjoy outdoor activities so the following days, we would hit the beach and ride bikes, we would go hiking at Etiwanda falls. I would also plan a day to go atv riding in Palm Springs. The 5th day we could probably go to an amusement park, day 6 sky diving in San Diego, and day 7 brunch at the Red O in Newport. They have really good Mexican food and unlimited drinks.

I believe some of the most exciting people and places to go in California are the beaches. There are so many different surrounding restaurants and things to do that most people that live in other states cannot experience. I love being spontaneous so planning an itinerary is not always my go to when i’m home in California.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Most importantly my children, my family, my close friends, and my clients all deserve a shoutout! They have been my cheerleaders and support system from day one and honestly, without them being there for me days I’ve called crying to give up, and days I needed them to be my models when trying a new facial or products, I wouldn’t know what to do. My mom has been my biggest supporter! I thank Kimberly for being by my side. Even when I became a teen mom, she never turned her back on me. Over the years, she’s shown me tough love, but she’s always believed in me.

Also, I would like to thank Gloria Juarez. She allowed me to work at her shop when no one else gave me a chance. I’ve learned a lot about esthetics from her and I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

My friends and my clients have always encouraged me and helped push me to continue to strive. The random messages from people that I get all of the time on how proud they are of me, and how I continue to persevere amazes me. I never knew how much of an impact and inspiration I’ve had on others until now. If I can continue helping others get through whatever it is that they’re going through by sharing my story and experiences; that’ll keep letting me know that God has given me my purpose and that’s to inspire.

Website: www.beautebyjsimone.com

Instagram: beautebyjsimone

Twitter: twitter.com/beautebyjsimone

Facebook: Facebook.com/beautebyjsimone

Yelp: yelp.com/beautebyjsimone

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.