Today we’d like to introduce you to Janeen Simon.
Hi Janeen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to entrepreneurship has not been an easy one. I’ve had a few “failed” businesses and one that I completely gave up on. Unlike some, I didn’t grow up wanting to own my own business. I completed college (undergrad and graduate) and entered into the work field in search of a company that I could eventually retire from. I thought I would work my way up the corporate ladder and earn a high-paying salary with benefits. Little did I know, the corporate world was not for me. After about 4 years at a few different companies; one, in particular, was a government agency; I decided that the traditional; work world wasn’t for me. My husband (boyfriend at the time) had owned his own business since the day I met him. I was secretly envious of his ability to control his own time, salary, and career goals. After months of discussions, debates, and tons of contemplation, I finally decided to leave my full-time job and help him grow his company. I stayed there for about 5 years and one day I looked up and realized that the business was functioning amazingly from all the systems we had put in place. It was time for me to step back and allow what we created to work. This left me with an unimaginable amount of free time which I used to create (along with friends) a business plan for “Selfish Beauty”. I have my hands in many different fields and own several businesses however Selfish Beauty is my baby that I started from scratch.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The beauty industry is a field in which none of us had experience. Of course, as women, we spent all of our lives getting specific services done, but we had never owned a beauty business. We did tons of research and asked a lot of questions. Our first month open was a total whirlwind. My business partners and I are pretty good at marketing and were able to drum up quite a bit of excitement about our salon before it even opened. This led to having way more clients than we were able to handle. Although scary, this was a great problem to have. We were feeling pretty optimistic about things until 3 months in COVID-19 hit. We were forced to close for 4 months. As you can imagine this too created problems for us. The silver lining, however, was that we were able to use those 4 months to revamp a few things. We re-wrote policies, implemented new guidelines, and did an overall revamp of our business.
We’ve been impressed with Selfish Beauty, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Located in Pikesville MD, Self.ish provides the finest in luxury beauty spa experiences, creating the ultimate get-a-way to be selfishly you.
A beauty spa, unlike any other, Self.ish, boasts a fun yet relaxing environment, that does not lose its chic and classic aesthetic. We believe the overall experience is just as important as the quality of service that you receive. Self.ish will always aim to provide you with the best in beauty and modern lifestyle services.
Offering a variety of self-care options, Self.ish will send you back into society looking and feeling a million times better.
Self.ish was founded by three women desiring to change the game of self-care. To develop our unique concept, we traveled the world visiting dozens of beauty spas documenting all of our experiences. Each service provider has been thoroughly trained and hand-picked to provide clientele with only the best in personal care.
What were you like growing up?
I was your pretty average kid. Full of energy, talkative, and competitive. My parents enrolled me in a number of sports and after-school activities. Soccer and cheerleading were the 2 that stuck. In high school, I cheered for all 4 years and competed in championships around the state of Maryland. I was a pretty focused student who took school very seriously. By sophomore year I knew exactly what college I wanted to attend and what I wanted to be my major. During my senior year of high school, I took a few classes at the local community college so that I could have a jump start on my college education. This allowed me to have enough credits to graduate in 3 years instead of the traditional 4 years that it takes to finish college.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.imsoselfishbeauty.com
- Instagram: @self.ishbeauty
