Life & Work with Areen Khoury

Today we’d like to introduce you to Areen Khoury.

Hi Areen, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to the United States back in 2016 with my husband to Sebewaing, Michigan. When I moved here, I worked as a substitute teacher as a start, I wasn’t able to have a teaching job since I had to go through schooling to obtain the Michigan teaching certificate which could take 2 years. it wasn’t enough money to make a good living so my husband came up with the idea of me taking a class to do a permanent makeup. We signed up for my first class back in 2018 in Troy, Michigan and I started working in the downtown area in Bay City Michigan doing Microblading and small services like makeup, dermaplaning and brow shaping. It was hard at the beginning because I was trying to build up my business, my clientele and because I was coming from a different country I did not have any friends or family around to promote my business. A lot of times permanent makeup artists get most of their first clients from their friends and family, but I did not have that here. I had to look for ways to promote my business via social media and offer my services for low prices to actually being free. From there, I kept building my business by going to different events in the city and handing out my business cards.  Also  just being available to potential clients via Messages phone calls, etc. I started getting more exposure in 2019 buy targeting more influential people in the area where they could promote my business and post on their social media. That’s when I reached over 400 clients that year. In 2020 unfortunately I had to shut my business down due to COVID-19. Instead of waiting to open back up I had to close down my business and forfeit my rental space. In September 2020, my family and I moved to Midland Michigan. I started looking for different areas where I can open my business up back again, but then came up with the idea of actually doing my business in my own home. I had a guest room where I was not using at the time, and invited the health department inspector over to see what I need to do in order for me to have a business in my own home. One of the requirements was I needed to have a separate entrance for my clients to enter so I extended my porch and built a door instead of the window that was in the guest room. I also installed new floors and created an environment that I will be comfortable and my clients would absolutely love. Midland is such a busy place and that’s when my business took off to a horizon I had never imagined. I am so blessed to be able to be in this position where I am booking 2 to 3 months in advance without spending money on marketing. My clients are my walking advertisements. My work is my advertisement. I have clients who promote me to their moms, their sisters, their friends, their daughters, and it’s becoming a huge trend of mine to be able to serve a whole family for Lips and Brow’s.

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road for me, I had my ups and downs. Specifically, with someone who moved to a new country, culture, environment, climate, and not having friends and family around me. I have two little ones now. My oldest is five, and my youngest is three years old. I wanted to keep up doing what I’m doing because people were demanding my services and wanted to get their eyebrows and lips done, but I’m not having anyone helping me with the kids other than my husband I had to work two days a week full-time where I start at 9 AM till 9 PM or 10 PM doing 5 or 6 client a day. I also used to do late appointments Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays where I start at 5 PM and get done by 9 PM. Weekends as well, Saturdays and Sundays were also busy because my husband was off and he used to take care of the kids. It was very busy for me. I wanted to take care of my kids, be around them all at the same time and I couldn’t stop doing what I’m doing because people wanted my services. They wanted to get in  as soon as they could and without my husband, I wouldn’t get to where I am today. Now my kids go to school and daycare full-time, and I’m working Monday through Friday so I can get as many clients as I can. I am the only one who’s working here, I do not have any other people helping me because clients book the appointment for my services. I just can’t hand my clients to someone else to get the services done for them but today I could say that I made it safely and successfully where I can proudly say that I have a very, very successful business. It was hard and I made it step by step never taking anything for granted. This isn’t the end, I have things in store for the future.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in permanent makeup and my top-selling service is Microblading. However, it seems like my lip-blushing tattoo service has been picking up tremendously because of the results that I’ve been getting lately. A lot of clients are loving the new look. I am so proud of myself for being able to overcome all the obstacles I had along the way. Sometimes I wanted to give up, but I always looked ahead of what this could be. I had faith in myself to become successful, someone my kids would look up to and be proud. What sets me apart from others is I’m always reachable to my clients. I absolutely care about the work I provide and will never take being in this position for granted

Pricing:

• 500 for Microblading
• 500 for Ombré/Powder Brows
• 600 for Combo Brows
• 600 for Lip Blushing
• 125 for Lash Lift & Tint

Contact Info:

• Website: www.akmicrobladingllc.com
• Instagram: akmicroblading
• Facebook: akmicroblading