Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittney Ogike.
Brittney, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to Los Angeles from the south in 2012 and began grinding my way through the city as a temp, personal assistant, and then an events and fundraising coordinator at a college in Pasadena.
As I was working in Pasadena, my brother’s career in the NBA started taking off so I quit my job and started working for him full time as his manager in 2015. In the process, I got married and had two kids. As if working as a sports manager and being a wife and mom wasn’t enough, this year I decided to take on another project and open a beauty supply store with my husband. BeautyBeez was created to cater to ethnic hair and beauty in Los Angeles, due to the lack of options for women of color in the hair and beauty space. BeautyBeez sets the standard of how we shop for our haircare needs.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Of course, it hasn’t been a smooth road. Lol. There are lots of barriers to entry that I had to overcome. The ethnic beauty industry is dominated by men and a select group of people that make it hard for a black woman to be successful. Opening accounts with some vendors were more difficult than others. They required an insane amount of documentation and requests that I know for a fact we’re not asked of by other retailers.
Building out the store was more stressful than I imagined. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong and it ended up taking us about a year to get the store complete.
All of these obstacles were great teachable moments. I wasn’t expecting this process to be smooth sailing, and now I’m so much more appreciative of the struggle because it’s better preparing me for how to navigate what’s to come.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BeautyBeez story. Tell us more about the business.
BeautyBeez is an all-inclusive beauty supply store that prides itself on being the one-stop-shop for all of your hair and beauty needs. We specialize in ethnic hair and beauty products including natural hair care, professional hair care, wigs, extensions, hair tools and accessories, and makeup. We are committed to providing the best shopping experience with the most sought after brands and products in hair and beauty. Because our customers deserve the very best. Period.
Our in-store features include highly personalized wig consultations in our private luxury suites and the BeautyBeez Bar offering eyebrow threading, waxing, facials, eyelash extensions, and makeup applications.
We also have an online store at www.beautybeez.com.
We set the standard with our unmatched customer service and beautifully designed store. All of our beauties are trained to recommend, educate and serve our customers with any beauty need. You can’t get that at your typical ethnic beauty supply. It’s important that the BeautyBeez customer feels supported and empowered. Our customers can explore, learn and play in a world of beauty.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
When talking about luck, I always like to refer to the Oprah quote, “I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.” All of my 500 jobs and other life experiences prepared me for what I’m doing today–managing an NBA athlete and running a retail store/beauty and lifestyle brand. So, I think preparedness, opportunity and God are the reasons I’m where I’m at today. And because of that, I’m excited for what’s to come.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6522 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91606
- Website: www.beautybeez.com
- Phone: 8188568185
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/beautybeezstore
- Facebook: facebook.com/beautybeezstore
- Twitter: twitter.com/beautybeezstore
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beautybeez-north-hollywood
Image Credit:
Getty Images
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