Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Cruz Pember.
Hi Alisha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hmm, my story – where should I begin? I’ll get into details in the next section of my interview. But to summarize things briefly, I was a young teen mom trying to figure life out. I busted my ass to build a career for myself in the legal field; it’s been almost 18 years now. In between these 18 years, I got married, had a few more kids, divorced and became a single mom of four children. With very limited and inconsistent financial support after my divorce, I faced financial struggles living in the Bay Area, raising children and putting my eldest through college. I was tired of always stressing out on how to make bills each month. I started thinking about getting a second job, I thought about even changing my career, but then some opportunities began presenting themselves, which led me to the opening of my business, Plush Pout.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My arrival at this point has been far from easy, but every twist and turn allowed me to get to this place, and for that, I’m truly grateful. From being a struggling teen mother, to a divorced single mother of four, one would think I purposely set my path to be difficult. But good intentions don’t always lead you in the direction that you’d hope for.
I lost my marriage to addiction, with my ex-husband no longer being in my or my kids’ lives. So by the age of thirty-three, I was holding down a family of five by myself. Thankfully, I have a stable, great job as a paralegal, but in January 2022, I was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, an overlapping auto-immune disease. So the challenges of making ends meet as a single mother intensified as rising medical bills started to become a part of the equation.
I didn’t have much time to figure out alternative streams of income, but the brainstorming I was doing wasn’t leading to anything that clicked. But through a random conversation with my cousin, I was able to learn about Hyaluronic lip treatments. And through a conversation with my daughter, I was then lead down a path to teeth whitening treatments.
After I received all of my necessary certifications, purchased all my supplies, designed my logo, got all my legal paperwork and insurance policies in place, I was able to open Plush Pout on October 3, 2022. I still work my full-time legal job and take Plush Pout clients in the evenings and weekends. I am proud and blessed to say that I have exceeded my expectations for my business. The support I have gotten from family, friends and referrals has been amazing. Not only has opening my own business been an achievement, it has also given some financial comfort. I am approaching my six months mark of being open and there is always room for improvement as I am learning something new about this industry every day.
But these struggles and working together with my children through all of this has been the most rewarding.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Plush Pout?
My decision to open Plush Pout was initially to make extra money but it has developed to also be about helping people feel confident. I first received certification in hyaluronic lip filler treatments and then I decided to get additional certification in cosmetic teeth whitening. By making this decision, it has allowed me to broaden my clientele to both women and men. Soon after receiving my dual certification, my children urged me to look into tooth gem placement. So I invested my first earnings back into my business and got an additional certification in tooth gem placement. I feel what sets me apart from others is that I am a single mom of four that not only opened a solely woman-owned small business, but also works full-time at a law firm.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up as a young child, I was the first born out of two daughters. I was also pretty athletic, I played basketball and soccer all through my schooling (I actually still play competitive adult soccer to this day). I’ve been told that I am pretty funny as well! I’ve also been told I was also an inquisitive, strong-willed and stubborn child. This proved to be true especially during my high school years. I had a pretty bad rebellious stage in high school. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, made stupid decisions but I was so stubborn that I felt like I was an invincible teenager. My poor parents! The birth of my eldest child literally saved my life and got me on the straight and narrow. If it wasn’t for her, I have no idea where I would be.
Pricing:
- Hyaluronic Lip Filler – 1ML Syringe $140
- Cosmetic Teeth Whitening $100
- Hyaluronic Lip Filler & Cosmetic Teeth Whitening Package $215
- Tooth Gem – One Gem $45
- Each Additional Teeth Gem $20
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @plushpout
Image Credits
My Plush Pout logo was designed by Emily Roberson. Her contact info is (479) 644-8383
