I met Celina Hanna almost a decade ago when I joined the marketing department of a company based in Woodland Hills. My first impression was that she is hard-working, passionate, and has a sarcastic sense of humor. After I left the company, we remained in touch.
About two years ago, I learned that Celina had followed her passion and opened a beauty studio. I immediately booked an appointment for a facial at Heavenly Beauty Room! Once inside her peaceful studio, I instantly saw how she took that same focus and work ethic from her previous marketing job and carried it into her new role as a business owner.
Please meet Celina Hanna, licensed esthetician and owner of Heavenly Beauty Room!
How/why did you begin your business?
Celina: It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I worked at corporate jobs for several years. The company I was working for at the time was going through a merger. That process was brutal. I realized during that time that I was not happy at my job anymore and had to figure something out. I have always had a love for beauty and skincare, so I decided to go to beauty school and become a licensed esthetician. I began working as an assistant to a permanent makeup artist and she helped me get my business started. When I was in beauty school, I thought I would work at a spa or doctor’s office but I’m glad that things turned out the way they did and now I have my own beauty studio and love doing what I do.
What is one tip or piece of advice that you would give to other female entrepreneurs?
Celina: Give yourself grace. You aren’t going to have everything figured out. You are going to make mistakes, and it’s okay. I would recommend finding someone to mentor you. Someone who has experience in the same industry and will help you when you need it. Keep learning! There is so much valuable information out there, books, articles, YouTube, Facebook groups, etc. I’m always taking online trainings and watching videos to keep myself up-to-date in the beauty industry.
What do you like best about having a business in the San Fernando Valley?
Celina: I like that there is a sense of community here. There are many small businesses helping each other out. Even though the Valley is quite large, there are smaller neighborhoods, and small businesses become part of those neighborhoods. There is also a lot of diversity, so it gives a lot of opportunities to learn and grow.
If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
Celina: That there is a lot of work that goes into having a business. You will be doing a lot of work that you were not anticipating (accounting, insurance, real estate, law, web design, marketing, sales, etc.). If you have the means to outsource these things, do it. As of right now, I do all these things along with providing services to my clients. I remind myself that I am doing what I love to do, make people feel good about themselves. This is part of being a business owner and one day I will have the means to outsource more of the administrative duties.
That’s the thing about being a good business owner – the willingness to improve and grow. Some estheticians might stick to the same beauty products, but Celina does her research and is continuously learning about products that are not only on-trend but good for your skin. Case in point, I wouldn’t have thought about using a CBD product on my face but I’ve seen the benefits from Heavenly Beauty Room’s LUX CBD facials.
I also want to give a quick shout out to all the small business owners out there, especially during this challenging time. The pandemic has affected so many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are in the beauty industry. These businesses may be closed or only open for business outdoors, depending on what state, city or county that you live in. If you have the means to do so, I’d recommend purchasing a gift certificate now from your favorite beauty studio, hair and/or nail salon and then saving it for when you can safely take part in those services in the future.
Thanks Celina for sharing your story with my readers! I’ll see you for my next facial when you reopen. 🙂
For more information, visit the Heavenly Beauty Room website here & follow the studio’s Instagram account so that you can get the latest updates & special deals!
Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. The image shown in this post is used with permission. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.
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