Kristen Miller opened My Cosmetique Pro in February 2021, following her mission to “make life easier” for her clients.
THE BUSINESS
Her small business located in Kenosha, WI is a cosmetic beauty boutique. She focused on a lean start at My Cosmetique Pro when she first opened, offering just two services: lash extensions and permanent makeup. In a couple short years, she has added collagen induction therapy, hydrafacials, microchanneling and more.
“The treatments I offer help people with things like minimizing acne scars, balancing skin pigmentation and assisting with anti-aging. My new scalp treatment is probably my best secret. It truly helps clients to regrow hair,” Kristen said.
THE ACCOLADES
The news of Kristen’s wonderful shop is indeed spreading. In 2021, the shop won a Best in Kenosha award for Best Permanent Makeup. Her popular treatments include powder brows, eyeliner and blossom lips. In 2022, she won again. This time for both Best Microblading and Permanent Makeup as well as Best Aesthetician.
THE CHALLENGES
One of the biggest challenges Kristen met along her entrepreneurship journey was simply having to wear so many hats. “I needed to learn about marketing, and I knew I had to have a website; however, my website design was taking a long time and I ran into difficulty optimizing the site for mobile use. As a solution, I outsourced the website to a professional and it was complete in two weeks.”
Accomplishments with UW-Parkside SBDC
- Business plan
- Educational series
- Capital infusion guidance
THE RESOURCES
Other assistance for Kristen came at the UW-Parkside Small Business Development Center (SBDC). She completed the Business Plan Writing Series courses led by Mary Fischer-Tracy and Barb Fischer-Galley at the SBDC. “Mary’s background in banking and business loans was super helpful. Her insights on what a bank wants to see before offering funding were so valuable,” Kristen said.
“A great learning experience came from listening to guest presenters during the series of courses. The information they shared about their own start up experiences and building strategies was so beneficial,” she said.
THE REWARD
When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Kristen said, “Seeing clients smile is the best. Knowing they feel more comfortable in their own skin, and less insecure, is really rewarding. Some of my older clients choose the permanent makeup because they can’t see well enough to apply it themselves anymore, and having the makeup tattooed on makes them feel more confident.”
THE FUTURE
Kristen is excited to continue growing her skills and business. “It is so important to keep up with ongoing training as the industry changes. For example, I am currently taking a nano brow course because this technique is starting to replace the microblading method,” Kristen shared. As she is outgrowing her current space, she hopes to find a bigger facility or maybe even expand to another location. Best of luck with your continued success, Kristen!
