The Alimond Show

Mary Taylor - Charting a Course in Beauty Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Alimond Studio

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Step inside the vibrant world of beauty entrepreneurship with Mary Elizabeth Taylor, where each snip and swipe of color is a stroke of genius. Mary Elizabeth, the brilliant mind behind Brush Truck Salon and Mira Spahn Salon, takes us on a tour of her groundbreaking journey from beauty school to business mogul. She unveils the rich tapestry of services that have become her signature, from transformative hair treatments to groundbreaking anti-aging therapies. Get ready to unmask the truths behind skincare myths as Mary Elizabeth reveals how early practices, quality products, and the revolutionary Vizia facial scanning technology can preserve your youthful glow.

Hear the hum of ambition and the buzz of clippers as we explore not just beauty, but wellness and business growth through Mary Elizabeth's eyes. She paints a picture of how her passions for gardening and artistry enrich her mastery of hair and color theory, offering a palette of advice for those eager to enhance their natural allure. Through her mentorship, Mary Elizabeth is grooming the next wave of styling virtuosos while navigating the trials of team building in the salon scene. With the wisdom of a seasoned entrepreneur, she provides an empowering beacon for anyone chasing their dreams, reminding us that a helping hand is often closer than we think.

Speaker 1:

My name is Mary Elizabeth Taylor. My businesses are Brush Truck Salon, located in Herndon and Mira Spahn Salon, located in Reston Plaza America.

Speaker 2:

And then, what do you offer your clients through those businesses?

Speaker 1:

We offer at Mira? We offer a wide variety, starting from hair services, nail services, all the types of nail services people are looking for. We offer a lot of anti-aging, which a lot of women of certain ages are looking for, and even younger women are looking for, because you should start younger, not wait until you're in your 40s, 50s and 60s. We offer permanent makeup, from eyebrows to eyeliners, things like that, and she does do some tattooing.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful and now can you tell me a little bit about your journey, about how you got to this point in this industry in your life and running two businesses?

Speaker 1:

Well, I graduated beauty school when I was 19. And I would say when I hit my 40s, I felt there was a little more to life than just and I mean, it's nice like doing hair. I felt like I always loved the spa industry and I was always looking for ways to, you know, self-improve. And I mean this nicely doing hair. I felt like I always loved the spa industry and I was always looking for ways to self-improve. And I think women do look at ways they're looking. Certainly more cosmetic procedures, but the cosmetic industry is coming to a point where we're doing much more non-surgical procedures and I find that fascinating. Even though I cannot do the work. I'm a licensed stylist but not a master esthetician. So back in 2013, with my ex-business partner, lucy Silva, I bought Spanois and then, when that was starting to end the lease, I took over Mira. I wanted to continue the journey because I do love it. I think women and men are always looking for something to help improve. If you improve the outside, you improve the inside.

Speaker 2:

I think that is absolutely true, and can you tell me a little about this infused water that I keep hearing about? Is that what it is? It's vitamin infusion?

Speaker 1:

Vitamin infusion. Thank you, it's not just infused water. Basically, you can have my nurse, my RN. She will put an IV in. She does the different vitamin bags. They have vitamin bags for weight loss. They have vitamin bags for the vitamin B to improve your health, anti-inflammatory there's a wide variety. It would take me an hour and a half just to go through all those things. But we do. And actually even weight loss, which a lot of people are looking at, a semi-glutide, which is something that people are finding great success with in losing weight.

Speaker 2:

That is amazing and that's something that you offer in your med spa. We will be.

Speaker 1:

We will be Leanne, my RN. She's my nurse injector. She has been doing some research so we're hoping within the next month, to be doing that.

Speaker 2:

Nice. That is amazing. What are your future plans to keep adding to your med spa? I know this is one of them.

Speaker 1:

We are going to add on a Vizia. It is a type of equipment that when somebody looks into it it will scan your face. It will tell you the damage that's been done and what you can expect down the road. Kind of scary A little bit, but it's preventative. So if you have your face scanned you can see, maybe even say if you're 25, maybe some of the damage has been done If you haven't done good sunscreen and protective measures and what you can do to prevent down the road the damage that will be done if you do not do certain things. So that will be exciting.

Speaker 2:

Hopefully by the middle of summer we'll be able to do that Absolutely yeah, I just meant scary, because it's like you're going to go in and you're going to find out, like all this stuff, that you've been doing wrong, but you're going to also find ways to prevent and reverse some of that damage, but it's just scary to know. Like damn, I have been abusing some of this on my face and not putting this on, but it's good, it is very good, that's right.

Speaker 1:

Because, like I said, I mean I started doing skincare. Well, I am a redhead, even though I have to enhance it now I am a redhead, so my mom was always very careful with us, with our skin. I do tan some, but tanning actually isn't very good for your skin either it's sun damage. So I've always done some things and now I'm 68, and I feel like at 68 I don't look too bad.

Speaker 2:

No, you look great. Thank you, you look great.

Speaker 1:

A lot of things to really help, and I think you just have to do that, and it's the products you put on your face.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I agree, you're glowing so you must be doing something right. And now, what are some common misconceptions in your industry when it comes to the med spot that you hear like oh, that's not true, people are saying this that you want like to clear up.

Speaker 1:

Can you reference that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, maybe something. Yes, like, maybe someone is saying like if I'm going in for some Botox or fillers, and people are like, oh, that's not true. Even if they dissolve it, it won't dissolve, just like any misconceptions that you've heard.

Speaker 1:

Okay, Well, fillers do, eventually are absorbed, they do. They usually have a longevity of 12 months, some a teeny bit longer, but eventually the body does dissolve it itself. If you have an injection, that's done. Maybe if you're doing a filler, that's kind of creeping out and makes the lips look more like duck lips, which I know is not a very nice term, but it does look like that they can. I can't think of the name of the product. They could do to inject it and that will dissolve the filler. Your Botox, your Daxify, your Revenous all those things are absorbed. They last maybe three to five months and eventually everything goes back to the way it was. Now the common thought is if you start Botox, say younger, say in your 20s which I feel might be a teeny bit young, 20s and 30s is that you're preventing more damage, more wrinkles down the road because you're kind of stopping it. But that's somebody's personal decision.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I agree with that. And now, how are you balancing running two businesses like that, like, do you have like a schedule where, like this day it's, that, another day it's?

Speaker 1:

this Mondays, monday, wednesdays, fridays and every other Saturday I'm over at the spa, Then I'm off on Sundays, always, then the other two days Tuesday, monday, wednesdays, fridays and every other Saturday I'm over at the spa, then I'm off on Sundays always, then the other two days Tuesday, thursday. Every other Saturday I'm over at Brushstrokes. So I balance my time pretty well. Mondays are always my office day, which is why I was graciously invited to come do this with you, ladies, today. Thank you, I appreciate that.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and then for your business. When you started doing which one was the first one you did? Was it brush?

Speaker 1:

strokes.

Speaker 2:

When you started doing that, did you know that you were going to have another business? Or were you kind of scheming like you know what? I'm going to open this, but let me just make sure I I had no idea.

Speaker 1:

Okay, no idea, and then we'll say back in, like I said, 13, the year before that I was thinking about I really would like to do more. I had tried doing some skincare at Brushstrokes, it just didn't, the space didn't allow me. It's a historic building in Herndon which I own, but it did not allow me to do that. And most people are looking to get things done. They're looking at a medispa, they're looking where they feel it's more sterile. It's you do have to have a doctor. You know we're under a doctor medical director, so I would. It didn't lend itself to what they call a real aesthetic environment, so that's when I felt I needed to do something a little different.

Speaker 2:

Gotcha and then for marketing. It can be for both businesses or at the med spa. What are you doing? Are you on YouTube? Are you on Instagram? How are you getting the word out there about your services?

Speaker 1:

They do a teeny bit of YouTube, but mostly we are Instagram, we do Facebook. I have a web designer, Jenny from Web Substance and Darlene. They are part of my team and they do all the content for us. My front desk, Amity, you know, coordinates with them, so I have a pretty good marketing team.

Speaker 2:

Awesome.

Speaker 1:

Good, you're not alone in there, you've got a little support system there, that's right.

Speaker 2:

And then there was something that you wanted to talk to us a little bit about. I don't know if I remember the name correctly, but maybe you do the Dexify. Yes, that's right.

Speaker 1:

Dexify is like I said I'm not going to remember everything. It doesn't have any of the hormone in I'm not going to say the word right ablumen in it, so it's more vegan. For people that are looking for something that it's still a toxin. It's still a toxin, but it lasts a little bit longer and you don't have some of the side effects you might have with some of the others. I mean you might. Everybody you know reacts a little differently. I've done it myself and I've tried the others in the past and I felt it was very nice because for me, some of us women get the little lines above the eyebrows and they're afraid to do anything there because it'll drop your eyebrow or raise it, and I didn't have any of that effect, so I was very satisfied. But it's new generation. It's new generation Gotcha.

Speaker 2:

And when you say it lasts longer than the others, meaning what are those others?

Speaker 1:

Well, you could have your Botox. You could have some of the other toxins that they do. I'm not going to say remember them all, but Botox is a big one, everybody. When they come and say, do you do Botox, that's a big one. So the other ones they don't necessarily know. So yeah, I would say, but that might some people absorb it right away. They don't even get a couple months out of it. Wow, okay, this one does supposedly last longer.

Speaker 2:

Gotcha. And then, who are you outside of your businesses? What do you like to do? What are you doing in your free time, if you have?

Speaker 1:

any. I'm an avid gardener. I paint, I do oil and watercolors. My children are all grown so I do get to spend time with them. They're adults now so, yeah, that's my workout, do ballet, bar, things like that so I do give them a little bit of self-care there you go.

Speaker 1:

And I go on vacation a couple times a year. Where do you go? We just came back from Sedona. Where's that at? It's in Arizona, gotcha. Okay, very beautiful. I go to Michigan, where I'm from, you know, at least twice a year to see my family, and that's kind of about it. I love to garden, so you usually can find me out there or you can find me painting Gotcha.

Speaker 2:

And now with painting. I know we talked a little bit about your journey, but tell me about that when you were younger, was that something that you wanted to do? I've always liked painting, so it's always been something I've done.

Speaker 1:

I used to play the piano, so I think it's all that artistic thing. But it lends itself very well to my career as a stylist, because I am a colorist.

Speaker 2:

So my client's hair, even their faces are just a canvas, beautiful Literally, a canvas for you, canvas for me. And if you could give anybody some tips because I know you're a stylist on finding the right colors, because again, I talked about how this blue looks amazing on you, like for somebody like me who's like maybe tan, what color would you say? Or like my dark hair, what would you say?

Speaker 1:

I would say stay away from blondes, because blondes are not your friend. Okay. I would say stay with the warm tones. You know, the really beautiful chocolate browns, the really beautiful chestnut browns because if you do something that's too blonde and it's very hard to get it blonde enough without damaging your hair, With your skin tone, it will make you look more sallow or more pale. It's not a flattering look, Okay, Period.

Speaker 2:

Got it Noted, I will put that in my little back pocket and be like do not do it.

Speaker 1:

Yes, it's true. It's true Because if you see people out and about and you look at hair, the ones that we notice the most are the ones that have that beautiful, rich hair. It's beautiful, the colors are beautiful and blondes are lovely too, but you really have to have the right eye color and the right skin tone. Redheads are amazing, but then again you want to have hair that's multi-dimensional, multi-textured. We do a lot of curly girls and even with the curly girls a lot of them, you know there's different techniques to do color highlighting that enhance that. So you see it, you see the highlighting or dimension in the curls.

Speaker 2:

Gotcha, thank you for sharing that Absolutely, and where do you see yourself in the next five years as a person and with your business?

Speaker 1:

With my business. I see it, I would say, really blossoming and blooming. I've joined some women groups like NABO, which is National Association of Women Business Owners Wonderful group. They've been very supportive of me and other people. They're all businesses. They're not the networking type that people think where you have to bring in leads. They support each other and I find that very, very helpful. So I would say, probably stepping back a little bit, say five, six years, doing more mentoring, bringing young stylists up the path that I've done, because at some point let's be real I'm not going to be in my 80s doing hair, that's right. So you want to bring the young men and women up and let them enjoy the success I've enjoyed.

Speaker 2:

That's beautiful. Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's the truth. No, absolutely I love that. And I love how you said men and women. Like can't forget the men, because they're also in this industry as well, exactly, I love that.

Speaker 2:

And now tell me a little bit about the type of clients that are coming to you. It's not just one demographic right. It's not just an older generation, it's also young people, middle-aged people, all walks of life, different skin tones. Also young people, middle-aged people, all walks of life, different skin tones. Tell me about what you're seeing right now a lot.

Speaker 1:

What I'm seeing is that, with a lot of the people that come in we would say we range anywhere, really, from 20s up to 60s and 70s, some 80s and I would say they're looking for, you know, like I said, the non-surgical things to improve their skin. They're looking for the good facials we call it, not fluffy facials. They're looking for the fun nails that we do, you know. So I think that makes a big difference. So it's a really diverse group. My staff is all diverse, very, very diverse, and I think that's what the beauty of it all is.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, that's right, because when I go somewhere, I want to also see myself, you want to recognize yourself. Yes, exactly, yes, you do. Or sometimes I get nervous. I'm like, will they be able to handle my thick, crazy hair? Because, you know, it's like super. Sometimes it's like, oh no, we don't know how to do this. So it's nice that you have that diverse. That's true, yes, so I feel more comfortable in that sense.

Speaker 1:

In that sense I think you do. I think, like I said with the curly girls, that Melody Jackson and I do at Brushstrokes and Mira, we're certified in that and so people are looking for that, because when you have really curly hair mine isn't as curly, but it's curly you want to go to someone that is really knowledgeable about your product, Otherwise your hair, I should say, and I would say that that's a big one, because the curly girls are very particular. I mean, if they say I want an inch, you cut half an inch. I love that. You understand that. You have to have, you have to have it to understand it. Not always, and I should qualify that, but I think it is very helpful if you have lived it. Absolutely no, you're right.

Speaker 2:

And now, as far as your businesses, do you offer any workshops or like, when it comes to training, like nurses or even hairstylists, to come work for you or just to learn and help the community?

Speaker 1:

out. No, we have ongoing education. It's mandatory. In my spa and salon I expect people to at least do four a year and most of our vendors will bring in trainers. I do not have to pay for them. They do that so you can represent their product. Well, some of them like the Morpheus 8 that we do, the Dax not the Dax the Dialase and Lumeca. That is through a mode and you have to pay a fee for that, but the training is excellent. That is your high-end medical grade services. That is the things that are going to really make a difference in your skin.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and then have you had any challenges with either of the businesses and how have you overcome them? It can be anything in particular, like maybe starting, like getting more clients in the door, like what has been a challenge. Just for anybody who's listening and wants to hear some tips.

Speaker 1:

Well, I would say some of the challenge has been as a salon and most salon owners can probably relate to this is finding staff. You have a lot of people will go into the suites. Now they want to be independent, which is lovely, but you know it's a lot of work. You're still a business owner. Then you still have to pay all those bills, your insurance and things like that, and you have to get your clientele. I would say that's a challenge. That's a challenge. I've not had such a challenge in getting you know estheticians medical-grade estheticians. That's actually worked very well. But Mira Spa is in a wonderful location, plaza America. It used to be Spa Noir at one time, so people know it. It's been around for at least in space a spa over 20 years, so that has been helpful. So I would say it's maybe more like your massage therapist, things like that and styles. That's my biggest challenge. But we keep trying, that's right. Don't give it up.

Speaker 2:

We keep trying. Love that. And now for my final question is if you could leave our listeners with one message, it could be in regards to anything, anything in your heart, anything on your mind, what would that message be?

Speaker 1:

I would say live your dream, never stop Ask for help when you need it, and I think you'll find that in this world, people are very, very willing to help, especially if you have a good heart.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. Thank you so much for being on the show.

Speaker 1:

You're welcome.