I have always been ambitious and wanted to work for myself. My first “business” was a dog walking business when I was in fourth grade. I had just one client, a German Shepherd. My goal then was to earn enough money to pay for my mom, sister and I to go to Disneyland. Back in the early 1990s a ticket was about $50 each, so this was very achievable. I earned $100 and quit the next day. I had no idea how a real business ran; I just knew I achieved my goal (or close to it).
After this, I went back to being a regular kid until my skincare struggles started in 6th grade. Unfortunately, I inherited my grandfather’s cystic acne, and I was bullied every day for it in school. We tried everything the local CVS had at the time including, Stridex pads, pills I don’t remember the name of that could be found over the counter and of course popping the zits.
Our last resort was the Dermatologist where I was put on Accutane twice. Once the treatments were done, I was told that my scars would not be able to be fixed until my acne was gone. There were so many, and I was devastated. My self-esteem suffered for a long time after that, but I managed somehow.
During high school I helped my mom with her small business grooming dogs. She worked out of a grooming trailer and would go to client’s houses on a regular scheduled time. I learned many dos and don’ts from her mistakes, and I am grateful for that. I took those lessons with me when I had my own pet sitting business and after Esthetician school, my own facial business.
I worked at Ulta to get my feet wet and earn money to buy supplies for my business, which took about a year to do. During that time, I also became a Dermalogica Expert. This means that you have taken lessons through Dermalogica, passed and also passed the physical test in front of an instructor.
When I finally had my business, Natural Glow Aesthetics, ready and open to take clients and the pandemic hit Orange County the very next week. I can’t tell you how stressful, painful, expensive and heartbreaking it was to slowly see my business die. I felt like a failure. After many breakdowns, I pulled myself together and researched how I could make this situation a positive one. I reached out to brands I was already working with and acquired affiliate links and promo codes. I also looked into Facebook groups to see if there were any tips I could take from other professionals. This is where I got lucky.
Many Orange County spa owners who were still afloat, very successful and had access to PPP loans suggested that for our websites, we add a blog to them. They said it helped with SEO and customers finding you on Google. I ran with it! I had a lot of time on my hands, so I started to write. I could keep in touch with my customers who wanted to support me and gain new ones through this blog. After trying to keep my business afloat by downsizing space and relocating four times, I finally gave up. The industry was just not in my favor at the time. However, my blog was getting attention.
One day I got a LinkedIn notification that was from Christopher Struckoff from the Orange County Business Success Podcast. He wanted to interview me about my small business in Orange County and how I was overcoming my struggles during the pandemic. If you had told me something like that would happen to me during my lowest point during the Pandemic, I would have never believed you.
You can listen to the episode “Taking Advantage of Opportunities & Giving Yourself Grace with Laurel Enright” and see my other features in the press by clicking here.
Now, my blog is growing and more successful than ever and I am so grateful. I have many stories to share with you about skincare, interesting customers, and the beauty industry as a whole. I hope you stick around and find out! This blog is a safe space for beauty professionals and enthusiasts, and I hope you enjoy your time here in the Bae Leaf Beauty Blog Community.
Love and light,
Laurel Enright