Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Sagisi.
Hi Melissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Working in beauty has always been a goal of mine. I wanted to attend cosmetology school right out of high school, but my parents weren’t fully onboard. I instead went the traditional route and found myself in the digital marketing space. I specialized in influencer marketing at several different companies from the tech space to digital marketing agencies and even dabbled in the esports industry. Around this time, I was feeling burnt out from all the traveling and time away from home. I ended up reaching my breaking point and quit my job with no backup plan. During that time, my husband and I were planning for a wedding and I dedicated my time to that. Throughout all this, I was consistently getting my lashes done and the lash artist I was going to had just started teaching lash extension courses. After my husband and I got married in September 2018, I decided to take my lash artist’s lash course with the intention of making it a side hustle. After taking the course, I did lashes in my living room for my friends and family – free of charge – to get the hang of it. I eventually found my rhythm, began charging for my services and grew a consistent clientele. When I first started, I called my business “Lashes by Misa.” My side hustle eventually became a business I wanted to continue growing. When I made the decision to get serious about starting my lash business, I enrolled into Paul Mitchell Costa Mesa’s esthetician program.
After completing the program, I obtained my esthetician license and it was a full force from there. I rented my own studio space in Irvine, re-branded my business to Blink and Bloom and began promoting my business on social media. This was during the time when Instagram was pushing out their Reels feature. I took advantage by staying on top of my content and found creative ways to take trending sounds and relate them back to my business. In between trending posts, I always made it a point to also post content of my lash work. This is how I was able to grow the majority of my following. Since then, I’ve been keeping the momentum and also started working on new projects to grow my business. Today, I’m based in Placentia. I actually just moved over the weekend to a space that will allow me to bring my new projects to fruition. I’m hoping to be able to make the official announcement of what’s next for Blink and Bloom this April 2023. While the transition from Digital Marketing to the beauty industry seems completely out of left field, I have no regrets. I believe I was always meant to be a business owner and have the freedom to create my own schedule. The best part is that I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my family and be fully present with my kids.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. When I enrolled into esthetician school, I wasn’t originally going to attend Paul Mitchell. I found a small school that was partnered with a local community college. My original start date was going to be March 2020, but as we all know and lived through, the pandemic caused all start dates to be canceled. Several schools offered online programs, but the programs seemed very disorganized – which understandably so. Beauty school was never meant to be an online program. Through much research, I learned that Paul Mitchell has been optimizing their online program for years at this point and it was the pandemic closures that pushed them to get the programs launched sooner than expected. This is ultimately what put Paul Mitchell at the top for me. We did all the theory portions online, and once it came to the hands-on portions, restrictions began to lift and I was able to attend in person.
Another struggle along the way is figuring out work-life balance. When I lashed from home, it was so easy to take clients during any little bit of free time I had. I was always so afraid to lose a client, that I would adjust my whole schedule to fill them in. I began overworking myself, spending less time with my husband and kids, and I was never really mentally present when I was physically present with my loved ones. I eventually began to set boundaries for myself, my clients, my business, and everything – and I stuck to it. Setting boundaries and strict policies really helped me attract the kind of clientele that was suitable for me and my business.
As you know, we’re big fans of Blink and Bloom. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Blink & Bloom is a boutique lash studio for individuals who value beauty, self-care, and time. My goal is to help clients feel and look their best by enhancing the natural beauty with lash extensions. Lashes are not a “one-size-fits-all”. I offer many different styles and variations to provide my clients with the confidence to be the best version of themselves. My most popular styles are B&B Signature Wispy and Mega Volume. Aside from lash extensions, I believe your vibe truly attracts your tribe, or in this case, your clients. I’ve grown close with many of my clients and we’ve helped each other through various stages of life. My loyal clients come in every 2-3 weeks, so we’re constantly catching up and talking during their appointments while also leaving enough room for a cute little power nap.
My Blink and Bloom promise is to create quality lashes in a safe environment where clients can relax and leave feeling beautiful and empowered. In regards to what I’m most proud of, I’m most proud of the fact that I’m able to maintain professionalism while also creating a safe space where clients are able to open up about all the ups and downs of life. It always warms my heart when clients tell me that talking to me during their appointments has helped them see new perspectives in life or whatever situation they’re going through. I once even had a client tell me that her husband was half joking and said, “you should probably just go to your lash appointments more frequently than therapy. Seems like your lash artist is doing a better job than your therapist.” It’s our running joke, but lowkey, it makes me feel good knowing that I’m able to help my clients beyond just lashes.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is spending a lot of time at the mall with my family. My parents were business owners and had stores at different malls. They were certified dealers for AT&T (Cingular at the time), T-Mobile, and Nextel. They also sold pagers, 2-ways and phone accessories and gadgets (remember flashing antennas!? haha). I specifically spent a lot of time in Cerritos mall. I always used to go with my mom whenever she worked and I’d help her keep the kiosk clean. I also watched her and my dad install phone covers, so I eventually started doing it for customers too. My mom would always give me $10 per day and buy me whatever mall food I wanted. I would always save up my $10 and buy myself “cool shoes” aka Phat Farm shoes 😂. As I’m typing this, I’m beginning to realize that this was the first memory that I thought of when reading the question, but it also correlates to a lot of who I am today and how I operate my business.
Pricing:
- Lash Extension Full Sets range from $180-230
- Lash Extension Fills range from $90-115
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blinkandbloom.co
- Instagram: blinkandbloom.co
- Facebook: blinkandbloom.co
Image Credits
Headshot photo by Jane Tsui @janetsuiphotos/ @janethechemist Logos designed by Maryam Siahatgar @siabrands Clients pictured in photos: Jena Taruc, Iana Guino, Julienne Buendia, Lydia Montez
