Today we’d like to introduce you to Nubiah Taylor.
Nubiah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I originally worked at an entry-level order entry position making $25/hour for a really good company with really good benefits. I was 23 then and had been there for 3 years. They had a new manager come in and he changed everything. I didn’t like how things were going so I started job searching. I found the same type of work making the same pay and was scheduled to start in 2 weeks because I’d given notice to my current job.
Fast forward to the Friday before I was to start on Monday, the new job called and said they did not need me to start anymore. I was stunned. I had so many responsibilities at the time and had no idea what I was going to do. That was the moment I realized I did not want to have my future, my livelihood in the hands of someone else. I decided I wanted to become an eyelash tech. In 2017 in order to legally work at an eyelash tech in Minnesota you needed to go to a beauty school. That’s what I did; I signed up for the Empire Beauty School Esthetician program Feb 2017. We learned facials, I loved it! We learned waxing, I loved it! Then we learned eyelash extensions and I hated it so much. The teaching went by so fast so I thought maybe I’ll take a post-secondary class to see if I’ll like it then…no! I still hated doing extensions, but loved doing facials and waxing.
During school, I told my classmates, friends, teachers, anybody who would listen that I wanted to focus on servicing people who look like me. I wanted to open up an esthetician shop in North Minneapolis. I grew up there. I realized there were a lot of nail and hair salons around, but if we wanted to get facial or waxing services done we would need to travel outside of Minneapolis and go towards Maple Grove or the Edina area. I graduated and received my Advanced Practice Esthetician License. I moved directly into a Phenix Salon suite paying almost $1K per month fresh out of school with no clientele. I had to literally start from the ground up with everything. I stayed there for a year and then moved to a two-room suite. That’s when I asked my best friend to join me who does amazing faux locs. It worked so well that I came up with the idea to open my own smaller version of a Phenix salon. At the time the rules were you could not own your own salon until you were licensed in your current field for 2 years. Towards the end of my 2-year waiting period, I picked up a job at Waxing The City. So I was working full time at my personal wax business, part time at WTC and I was going to school full time because I wanted to be a nurse and turn my day spa into a med spa. That lasted for a year.
I went on to get my salon’s manager license in 2019. I saw a For Rent sign at a well-known Northside business that had just closed down. I applied and got the keys in a week. I took over the old AA Tattoo shop that was there for 20+ years. I renovated the entire shop with my own funds and some help from my mom and friends. I had to make sure the shop had all the proper licensing; I wanted everything to be legit. The shop has 5 rooms which I wanted to rent out to 4 different businesses and keep 1 for my personal waxing business. It was tough filling the space so it was just me and my best friend in there for 1 year. I was able to fill the other 3 rooms with some great girls who run great businesses. Since I have checked that off my goals list I have been focusing my attention on my next business goal which is a Post Secondary Waxing Program. I have been waxing since 2017 and I feel I have a lot of knowledge new estheticians can learn from that they don’t teach in school.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth at all. From the very beginning, it was tough. Tough to go to school Monday-Friday 9-5 for free. How can you have a job, but how will you pay bills? When will you see your family if you go to school then work everyday? Tough to build clientele right out of school. Tough to pay suite rent with little to no clients. Tough to get the shop filled. Tough to keep it filled. For me, I didn’t have a mentor or someone to guide me. I learned as I went. I learned my mistakes, a lot of reading and Google was my BFF.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Taylor’d Skin & Co Esthetics Bar?
Taylor’d Skin & Co. Esthetic Bar is a Day Spa who offers multiple beauty services from 5 different black businesses. Taylor’d Skin is my personal waxing business while & Company Esthetic Bar represents the other 4 businesses in the spa. Together we bounce services off each other. No business in the salon offers the same service. This business model made sense to me because it gives each business a chance to gain clients without fighting over them. Or feeling like you have to be in competition with each other for clients. Also, clients don’t have to travel to have more than one beauty service done; many sought-out services are under one roof.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love the most about North Minneapolis is the culture. Minneapolis is filled with talented people, filled with so much potential. Most of us grew up in the city and we all stick together. Northside reminds me of a small town where everyone knows everyone. What I like the least about the city is its inability to see how much potential for growth we have here. Some people are focused on the violence and not where we can help build and bring money into the city. If we put together a plan and fund the potential we have here it could be a great city where businesses can flourish. Different businesses; not just nails and hair salons. Northside deserves variety.
Pricing:
- $70 for Brazilian Wax
- $35 1st Time Special
- $95 Vagacial
Contact Info:
- Email: nubiahtaylor@estheticbar.com
- Website: Estheticbar.com
- Instagram: @ntrodcingnubiah | @estheticbarco
- Facebook: Nubiah Taylor
- Other: Styleseat.com/nubiahtaylor
Image Credits
Akil Photography
