Joi Mebane - Microblading Business Mogul - a podcast by Anthony Trucks

In today’s episode, our guest is Joi Mebane, Owner and CEO behind The Look by Joi. She’s one of America’s experts and innovators in microblading. Joi created the 60 second Brow Kit to help those people stuck at home get their brows done professionally. Then she traveled the country to conferences, teaching other men and women how to open successful brow and microblading businesses.   

 

[07:32] why should we listen to you?

You should listen to me because my brows are fantastic. Especially if somebody can see if it's brows, hair lashes or whatever, you're going to look at theirs so you're looking at mine and say, "Her brows are awesome. Maybe I should listen to what she has to say."

 

[08:29] what was the journey into beauty?

In high school, I was always into makeup. I was on routine. And I used to go to one place to get my eyebrows done. One day my mom and I went to a market and she was going to get her necklace fix or something. I was still waiting in line to get my brows done. So it was like an hour late and mom's like, if you're going to stay here and wait, you're going to have to walk home. 

 

[09:29] When I got home, my mom says, you can follow it and learn to be your own brand. I started following it, learned how to cut my own brows, and eventually started doing it for my friends. That was my hustle in college- doing people's eyebrows, which is cool because it is a real niche service.

 

[10:33] In college, I got an opportunity to open up a makeup counter, which is the counter that I have now on sale. And what I brought to the actual cosmetic sales industry was a company doing eyebrows with selling the products because it's a gateway service.

 

[12:59] Is that where you teach them to start at home and actually create these businesses?

You can do brick—and—mortar sales through Instagram and promote different ways to make money in views. I always say beauty isn't going anywhere. It's not going to go anywhere. Even in the global pandemic ratio is in the economic downfall, people still were calling. I always tell people that they can be owner-operators, sell products online, and even develop. I also teach them how to do product development because that was one of the niche things. Throughout my career, I learned how to develop products.

[15:25] Where did the entrepreneurial spirit come from? 

As far as my entrepreneurial spirit, my mom was an entrepreneur. She had an in-home daycare for 12 years. My family has small businesses. I remember selling Girl Scout cookies. A lot of times the entrepreneurial spirit is innate. You can learn some of it. But just that hustling, the drive is beyond I want some money. It's like I'm going to hit this and do some more of it and get some more of it. The money almost becomes intangible.

 

[17:38] What are some of the biggest roadblocks you see to people taking the next step for a goal or dream like this? 

The biggest roadblock people have is themselves. They can tell you all the reasons they can't do something, but none of the reasons why they can. I had to understand because I had concluded that it is not just them learning, me teaching them how to do. It is leading them how to believe in themselves, of what they can do. It almost becomes more of an encouragement than just a lesson.

 

[20:10] What makes people most successful and what it is you do? 

If you want to be successful, just show up. A lot of people, they're just not showing up. They're giving up. They have all these excuses why they can't. 

 

[27:25] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?

He promised everybody joy. And I promise everybody that I meet, I tried to live up to my name to the best of my ability. And I always say when I leave people, “don't let nobody steal your joy.”

 

Key Quotes:

 

[14:34-14:39] “I work closely with the clients in the business, so I actually knew what they needed.”

[17:37-17:48] “The biggest roadblock people have is themselves. They can tell you all the reasons they can't do something, but none of the reasons why they can.”

[22:00-22:05] “I've never in my mind said I can't do something or something's going to be too hard.”

 

Learn more about Joi Mebane on:

 

Website: https://thelookbyjoi.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelookbyjoi/ 

 

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