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Spa Marketing Made Easy | Spa Business Growth
SMME #435 From Blow Dry Bar to Beauty Empire: Fatima Rosa’s Journey of Grit, Grace, and Growth
00:34:14
From Blow Dry Bar to Beauty Empire: Fatima Rosa’s Journey of Grit, Grace, and Growth
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- [00:00]
Daniela Warner
Welcome to Spa Marketing Made Easy, a podcast for spa owners who want to step up their leadership and business skills and step into the role as spa CEO. I'm your host, Daniela Warner, CEO of Atto Aesthetics and founder of the Growth Factor Framework program, where we teach, coach, and guide spa owners in scaling their spas to the next level of growth and unlocking freedom in their life and their business. I'm so glad you're here. Now. Now let's dive into the show. Hello, and welcome to the Spa Marketing Made Easy podcast. I am Daniela Warner, and my intention for every single episode that we share is to provide inspiration and education for aesthetic professionals. Here at Auto Aesthetics, we believe in lifting women up and helping them gain the confidence to see just how incredible they are. They are. We believe in operating businesses with a family first approach because, yes, we love what we do and we're so blessed to get to do this incredible work, but family always comes first. And that's why I'm so excited to share this episode with you, because the relationship that I have with our guest today, it's actually evolved over the years. So she. She came into our world through Growth Factor. She was a Growth Factor student. I was actually the one who did her sales call, which was not normal. So we had a sales team in place. I'm not actually sure how her call ended up on my calendar. It was kind of one of those serendipitous moments. But anyway, the first thing that I thought and I opened up that zoom call, I saw her pop on and I thought, wow, this woman is so strikingly beautiful. And then after talking to her for a little bit, I was thinking, wow, she is smart and business savvy. She is the whole package and proof that you can be smart and pretty. So take that, anybody who doesn't believe you're smart enough just because you went to beauty school. Okay, I'm digressing. Anyway, Fatima was clearly an action taker inside of our program, and we even got to meet in person at a few different events, and our relationship really evolved into a friendship. So she's someone who I greatly respect for many reasons and. And someone who I'm proud to announce is our newest partner inside of APA with her line 101. So inside of APA we have this black book of discounts from brands that we believe in. And the oils that she's producing are absolutely phenomenal. We talk about this towards the end of the podcast, but the real reason that I wanted to have her on is for her to share her story because I believe it's going to inspire you to know what is possible, possible in this industry. And maybe, just maybe, it's going to make you dream a little bit bigger. Okay, so let me do a quick read of her bio and then we can go ahead and play that interview with. Over 15 years in the beauty industry, Fatima Rosa has been a driving force in Miami's beauty scene. In 2011, she played a pivotal role in launching Florida's first blow dry bar. In 2014, she opened fake Face, Brow and Beauty Bar, growing the brand into a premier beauty destination. Fatima has since exclusively focused on Face Brow and Beauty Bar and its continued expansion. Fatima is also a partner at 101 Cosmetics, a sustainable, water free and clean skincare brand that aligns with her passion for innovation and eco conscious beauty solutions. Okay. This woman is a true powerhouse. She has a heart of gold. She's a mama. She's all the things. So I hope that you enjoy this interview with her and again, I hope that you feel inspired to dream bigger. All right, Fatima, welcome to the Spa Marketing Made Easy podcast. I'm so happy to have you here. I feel like this has been a long time coming. We've been in each other's worlds for a while and I'm so, so excited for you to share your story here on the podcast.
- [04:10]
Fatima Rosa
Thank you. Thanks for having me. I'm really excited. I'm happy to have grown to know you sort of organically through this program and meet amazing people along the way.
- [04:20]
Daniela Warner
So let's talk about your journey in the aesthetics space. And I say aesthetics, I mean, how do we. It is still, you started with a blow dry bar that still is in the beauty space in the spa industry. It's just you've kind of evolved and grown and you take on these huge projects, which I love. Every time I talk to you, you're like, I'm doing another build out. I'm starting a new whatever. It's like there's always something new and exciting. So like the entrepreneurial drive inside of you is so strong and that is so fun and so it's exciting and so inspiring to be around. So tell us how you kind of started, right? And then how it evolved into where you're at now.
- [05:10]
Fatima Rosa
Okay. So when I moved to Florida 15 years ago, it definitely started from a place of business, from that entrepreneurial point where I love the business model of a blow dry bar. I wanted to move. This was, this was my move. This is combining something I thought I would enjoy as well as getting to move to Miami and starting this concept. So it was a franchise and it was the first one in Florida. So they didn't know what a blow dry bar was. We had to kind of work with the regulators to, to explain we don't cut, we don't color.
- [05:48]
Daniela Warner
Did you have them in Canada before you moved? Okay, so you were familiar.
- [05:52]
Fatima Rosa
So I was a client and this is how I started looking into oh, they franchise. Okay, this is the model, this is, you know, the details we're getting from the company. And then when I met with them, I looked at Toronto. But then when the move was the possibility and using the business as the, the legal way of moving everything was falling into place. Florida didn't have any. We were working on that with, with regulatory bodies to differentiate that a blow dry bar is not a full salon. And then it was, it was a really cool and journey. In that moment of itself. I was a little scared. I'm in a new city, I have no friends, I have no idea if this is going to work. And we put on the, the covers of the windows and we, you know, started the build out. And then slowly I'd get a few emails like, let me know when you open. Can you put me on your wait list? This and that. And so it was like building that momentum. And when we opened it was, it was a hit. People were craving this, this type of fast casual beauty as I was calling it. And we had like a thriving business district. So everyone, everything was falling into place and it was fun. I really learned a lot through that business about beauty franchises and just, you know, a lot of things that you talk about, like the systems that they have in place, the formulas they use for, for even if it's just payment for different employees, ordering systems. And so learning those types of things that they had in place was probably the best thing for me at that time. I didn't realize. And then people started coming in. Hey, would love if you would add makeup on here. Who does your brows? How can I do this? Like, where's a good place to get a facial? And every now and then I would say, hey, I can do your makeup. I love, I loved doing makeup. I would do makeup for friends and family back home, clean up their brows, do all the things that I liked to do but never thought of as a career. And so a space became available like 2014. And I decided, you know what, everyone keeps asking for these things. There's obviously a need and I really like to do those. I don't really do hair. So I could Be involved in a different way. So fast forward new concept. I tried to model it in a way that looked like a franchise and we started offering all the aesthetic services. So was truly, you know, the brows, makeup, facials, everything non medical.
- [08:34]
Daniela Warner
Did you sell the blow dry bar or did you run two businesses for a while?
- [08:40]
Fatima Rosa
For about four years I had both and it worked really well. The proximity was such that like door to door I could just funnel clients and see other. Hey, we're also doing this. These are the things you're asking for. And 2018 sold the blow dry bar and you know, had a little non compete for a while and now today I get to bring them back which is so nice because with these new build outs I'm incorporating that to complete what I did before. Complete the look and the, the feel of our all encompassing beauty. So that was 2014.
- [09:17]
Daniela Warner
And tell us about the build outs. Tell us about the build outs.
- [09:21]
Fatima Rosa
Oh my God. The amount of I've done this is like my. I'm. We're opening in a couple weeks. This is going to be my fifth wow in Miami. And it's. This build out in particular is different from the other ones because this was a complete brand new space. Like when they say like an empty shell, like we've had what they would call a vanilla shell when they deliver it. You, you may or may not have a bathroom, but you probably have plumbing. You have an, an H vac installed. Like the AC is there where this space we had nothing. So we've had to bring in the plumbing. We've had to bring in. Oh my God. I've never seen like a 10 ton AC unit on the floor like in real life next to me before they like put it up. And it has been. This has been the toughest one. I will say in terms of.
- [10:10]
Daniela Warner
I remember you talking to me and saying that your daughter said that you were like an architect or something or that you're like a builder.
- [10:17]
Fatima Rosa
I don't. She's got, she's got a lot of jobs for me. It's really funny, you know, it's just Mother's Day and you get the school thing built up. What, what? My mommy does this. My mommy like this. So it's like my mommy's job is. And she was. She does eyebrows and paints nails and it was like. Yeah. But she tells her dad different stories about what I might be doing when I'm not here. She's been coming kind of with me every now and then. So she's getting to experience. She's like, how can I work here? I'm like, you can fold towels. But she's always like, why are you building these things where, like, why are you doing construction? And so she sees that side too. She's been to the spaces when they're in the process of being built out. Which is kind of cool as a mom, being able to share that experience with her. And she's very proud of me. She'll tell people like, whoever we're FaceTiming, wherever we're talking to do you know my mommy has all these salons now and, you know, it's like, very cute how proud she is. But, but the process, it's, it's been, been, it's been intense in terms of. I learned that you need to install low voltage because how are they going to bring in, like, cameras, POS systems, All of the things you take for granted when you just lease a space. Already done. So this is the most intense. But I will say every time you, you're told that you get X amount of time for permits, and then this is how long the build out will take. And then this is how long inspections will take double. It had like 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10 months like this one too, because we started from, from such a raw space, has been a year in the making and really ready for it to be open. But that's a whole nother project now. But I have had some, some heartache through the permit process. I've had some tough times, but it's.
- [12:12]
Daniela Warner
What do you think has been your biggest lesson? Because it's also like going through any build out, operating any business. You've done this through Covid, you've done this through whatever is going on right now. And it's. I love seeing. You know, I was just at the Derma Concepts event and I was around so many women spa owners that were knocking it out of the park. They're bursting at the seams. And I feel like that's really important to continue to share. And you are doing really great, you know, thriving in business. I want to share those stories because for a lot of people, they're in a shaky space, right? And they're like, what's happening right now? Things are uncertain. And there are business owners out there that are knocking it out of the park. So I want everybody to know that and to know that it's possible. And just because of the political or economic climate or whatever it may be, that doesn't mean that that squishes your dreams, you know? Is it. Can it be hard? Yeah. Of course. But that's kind of what we signed up for when we said we're going to be crazy entrepreneurs.
- [13:29]
Fatima Rosa
Yes, that. You know, I. I recently read something where I can't complain when my plate is full because I asked to eat. So something along those lines. And it just hit me. I'm like, yes, that is so true. Because this is what I wanted, whether. Whether I knew what I was signing up for. But the. The opposite is what, like, having none of these things, right? Having none of that to look forward to. And I think that for me, you know, you have your moments, your ups and downs, your, like, fears, and is this gonna work and am I doing the right thing? Is this the right location? All. All of that I've. I feel like I've been through so many times. And it doesn't change necessarily. Like, maybe that roller coaster you go through or those inner talk tracks, but you can manage them better. I think that sort of, if you had this idea in the first place and you believed in it, like, there's a lot of things that can kind of push you back and try to throw you off. I have to remind myself, like, I've done it before, so I will do it again. And I keep reminding that part of myself. And, you know, as the landscape changes in terms of how we are finding clients, how we're reaching people, it's. It's not that it's easier, but there's so many people that you can bring in to help you with these things. So, like, you don't have to be the one worrying about it. Like, you know, you can start to delegate those things. That has been a game changer in itself. It's just letting people do those things. I am not the social media manager. I'm not the PR agent. I'm technically definitely not an architect. But relying on these good people, having that good network of sort of, you're the visionary.
- [15:11]
Daniela Warner
You're the visionary. You're the CEO of this is what I want to create.
- [15:15]
Fatima Rosa
How much too, I think, is when you keep telling yourself, right, I'm not an esthetician trying to build a business.
- [15:24]
Daniela Warner
Yeah, that's such a huge identity piece. To look at yourself as an entrepreneur and not, yeah, I'm an esthetician, but I'm an. I'm an entrepreneur. You know, that's like this other secondary piece, right? How much of. How much grit and mindset do you think contributes to your success versus strategy?
- [15:49]
Fatima Rosa
Is it 99 to 1? I think some. Some days it feels like that. I actually always Think of that. It's like the, the grit and the grace and how you're carrying yourself through the day. Like, I don't need necessarily to show, like, look how much I'm hustling or I'm doing this, but I need to lead with that grace because my staff are watching me. My, my family is watching me. And you know, they, they know the grind that happens, especially in these moments leading up to the build out. But kind of keeping that, that focus as, as we just said, I am the CEO. You know, I'm building something. I'm building an empire, possible legacy, you know, wherever that takes me. But this is, this is me being in control of that. I have a good team, I have the right people in place. And if I see a gap, like, I know that that person can be found. That, that whole even gratitude. And we talk about some things, like when you're believing those things, changing your mindset. Sometimes I have to say, I get to do this, and then it just.
- [17:01]
Daniela Warner
Wakes up my language piece.
- [17:03]
Fatima Rosa
Yeah, do this. Like, I get to do hard things. I am so lucky to be in a place where, yes, some things are going to cost financially and time and a little bit of hardship along the way. But it's such a, I don't know, that amazing feeling, like the last salon opening and walking in there and going like, wow, like, I did this. I did this. I had the people who I need to think that put me here along the way, but I, I did this. I've built this. I've given more people jobs. I have given, you know, clients a new place to come to. We're building a beautiful space where people feel good, they relax, they enjoy themselves, they leave confident. I mean, even I tell my staff fairly often, whenever we meet, whenever we need that whole mindset together is like, we get to do this. And we're in such a place where sometimes I think about this, actually think about the nails we're painting today. Might be. Might be getting proposed to tonight or tomorrow. You know, that glowy facial. She is getting ready for like a big moment in her life. Those brows are winning her next interview. She landed the job. Like, I, I think some of those pieces, in the moments that clients will show, interconnected.
- [18:25]
Daniela Warner
Yeah. And really thinking about it on a deeper level. Yeah.
- [18:28]
Fatima Rosa
Because I know how I feel when I have a fresh blowout. I know how I feel when my skin looks good. I know how I feel when I, When I'm put together and whether it had an impact or not. Right. I think like, oh, I'M going to perform better, I'm going to feel better, I'm going to behave better because I feel good. So we don't see that other side sometimes, but we know that they're going through it. They came to us for a reason. And so for me, like I think about the weddings we've got to, you know, be a part of, whether it's engagement shoots, wedding days, the pre wedding facials, those moments before, oh, it's my baby shower, hey, guess what, like they whisper like I'm pregnant or I'm, I'm, you know, I think he's going to propose today. And you just like, wow, like they trust me with this information. They're opening up, they're vulnerable because they've built that connection over just making them feel good.
- [19:27]
Daniela Warner
And that's such a special thing about our industry that we get to experience.
- [19:31]
Fatima Rosa
Yes, love that.
- [19:33]
Daniela Warner
So, okay, franchise to doing your own thing. Now you are moving into product line owner and tell me, I want to hear this story and I, I love this story when you shared it on the call the other day because it's so like I'm so focused on relationships. I believe in that so deeply and especially in the way that the world is evolving.
- [20:07]
Fatima Rosa
Right.
- [20:07]
Daniela Warner
AI is a thing. It's not going away. It is, you know, greatly going to impact. Already is greatly impacting the way that we do business, the way that we live our lives. And I think that that human to human connection, those real relationships are just even more instrumental than they have been. But if you think of like what's the guy, do you call him Carnegie or Carnegie? What is.
- [20:36]
Fatima Rosa
Oh, Carnegie, I call him Carnegie but Carnegie.
- [20:40]
Daniela Warner
Okay. So Warren Buffett always talks about him and how he went to like the Carnegie school of whatever and it was all relationships, it was all about connecting, building relationships, all of those types of things. They open doors. You were sharing. I know you're very connected in your community and this new opportunity that you're clearly passionate about. I'm talking to you all the time. Every time I talk to you, we're talking about 101. And this came about, well, you tell the story how it came about through this relationship.
- [21:18]
Fatima Rosa
So through meeting Gamal, through you, I met a lot of founders through his program that have product based businesses. And it was something where I thought like, I like clean products. We use a lot of organic products in our salon and facials and like spa. So that would be a great next step for me. I started ordering and playing around with products, formulas, thinking maybe I can like Private label something. And that had been some journey, I think, for over a year, year and a half, two years almost. And then, you know, we're getting DMS in our business account. I think one may have been forwarded to me. And it was someone reaching out, hey, I'd love for you to try my products. And I think that that happened a few times. And then finally someone had dropped off products that I didn't even touch them. It was this persistent, persistent thing. So this founder, Layla, had kept reaching out to me and saying, like, I'd love for you to try them. I'd love to schedule a call, get some feedback, follow up. And at some point I was in Canada and I thought, let me, let me take her call. So we got on the phone, I told her we can, we can chat for a few minutes. We ended up talking for an hour. Never met her. She just told me, like, about her, her background, how she got into this. She's a chemist, and she's been trying to formul products that are clean, waterless, organic. I'm saying all the things and I'm like, tell me more. She's like, well, I've left you a bunch of samples to try.
- [23:01]
Daniela Warner
Like, oh, sorry about that.
- [23:03]
Fatima Rosa
I'm like, I promise as soon as I get back, I'm going to find them, I'm going to try them and give you feedback. And what those products were at the time I tried the oils is what I fell in love with. I mean, that was the hero product. This is everything that can be used in so many different ways. Treatments. And I love multitasking products generally, and, and the way it was formulated, I'm like, how are you? How are you getting it to this place? And she's like, well, I'm a chemist. My mom's a pharmacist. We source everything in Morocco. And she's been trying to figure out this product line for, for years. So we talked about it. She. She wanted me to retail them in the salon. And I said, let me think on this. And, and I think that's when it just sat with me. I, I don't want to just retail these products. And there was a few tweaks that needed to be made. There were a few products then that, you know, are completely different now. And kind of showing her, like, here's what we've noticed has sold well. Here's what we know that clients really like, and how can we make cleaner, nicer versions of these things and, and how we do that is by me coming on board and you know, she's like, this is my baby. This. I'm like, but we haven't done anything with it. Like, let me show you that we can elevate the brand. We can kind of work together, take it to another place and have that opportunity for her work, to have that recognition for us to fine tune the formulas and, and really get the best products that are sort of the most impactful for clients. And through all the years that we've seen so many different faces and so through a lot of that back and forth, we, we met a few times, we talked it through. We came to this place where what, what I could do for the brand and how she can back to herself, focus on actually formulating these, these products and working on ingredients, whereas she was trying to get the word out there, trying to market, trying to, to see what would happen. And we kind of agreed that that was something that I could take over so that she could do what she does best and then, you know, kind of from there. But I would say like the amount of times she reached out and stood, stayed persistent, it, it's not that I felt bad, but I thought like there's, you know, she really wants to connect and couldn't believe that. We spoke for an hour and I almost felt like I knew something about her already and we, we just connected so well. I, we have to meet when I get back. And even that I felt like already connected to her. So it was, it was a good.
- [25:53]
Daniela Warner
It was a good meeting. Such an important lesson though, because so often you'll reach out to someone one time and you don't get a response or, and we immediately, we take that personally. We think there's something wrong with us. We think that. And in reality, I mean, you had no idea she even dropped off the samples because you're doing so many build outs. Right.
- [26:14]
Fatima Rosa
So, you know, I mean, it's not something that someone would have alerted me to either. Yeah, you know, so there's something.
- [26:24]
Daniela Warner
But it's one of those things that her persistence in something that she believed in deeply, ultimately led to a beautiful relationship, a beautiful partnership, something that's going to serve people on a bigger level. Something that can generate revenue for both of you, something that can create jobs in your community. I mean, there's so many wins that, that come out of clear conversation, relationship and genuine, genuine connection. I think because you can't just do this with someone that's a transactional relationship. It's got to be a genuine connection there. But I love the products. Is there a story behind the name.
- [27:13]
Fatima Rosa
I was going to share that you were saying that we're helping so many people just with this partnership with bringing this brand to life. Of course there's this local and then spread out impact. But so 101, specifically the name is the, the vision for the amount of ingredients that will span across the line of clean, natural ingredients. You know, everything is waterless, fragrance free. But having that, that vision for the future of the line because eventually we'd like to bring that same philosophy to hair care and other facial and body products. So that's the name, the logo is of a woman of the Amazak tribe in Morocco.
- [28:02]
Daniela Warner
Okay.
- [28:02]
Fatima Rosa
So a unique situation for Leila, my partner, is that she is, her family is like a descendant of this tribe. So they have a connection. And all of our products are sourced through them. Where these women are the, the, they're the controllers of the economy. Like they are responsible for, for that in their tribe. And when we are buying these ingredients directly from them, you know, this group in the Atlas Mountains, we're getting everything from the source and bringing those ingredients back in that like pure, raw sense. So we get to support this group of women. We being, you know, a women owned company and then getting to help so many other women and men as we go through it really feels like the story in itself is full circle for me because the trickleback effect is so nice.
- [28:59]
Daniela Warner
That's beautiful. So you guys kind of the hero line are the oils that you're starting with. I did not know the 101 products. That's, that's a big vision. But you have the oils. Right now you have a cleanser and an essence. Correct?
- [29:18]
Fatima Rosa
Correct. Okay, next up will be the exfoliator. So it'll be similar to the herbal oil because we have the herbal and the flower. So right now we have the rose cream cleanser, the rose essence that follow along that flower scent and essential oils. The herbal will have an exfoliator and then the next after that will be a Moroccan clay mask.
- [29:41]
Daniela Warner
Very cool. Very cool. Well, I am so excited to announce that we just partnered with your company 101 to be a new partner inside of APA. One of the great things inside of APA is having this big black book of discounts. So we do a lot of research with different companies that we believe in that align with core values that impact women in communities in ways that we believe in. Just like this brand. That's such an important thing. And so for our APA members, head in there, go to the partner section, scroll through there. We've got a new special discount for anybody that wants to get their hands on these oils. I've been using them for six or seven months now. I oil plane at home. I use them on my cuticles, I use them on my heels. So different. Different areas, but it's on a. Probably five times a week I am doing it, so. And it's lovely. Love the products. Love that they don't get goopy. For anybody that has bought a facial oil or a body oil or anything like that. And you realize after opening it and closing it so many times or however you're using it, it just gets thicker and more goopy and not as elegant. This is just like the day that I first got it seven months later. So. Love that.
- [31:15]
Fatima Rosa
Yeah, it's a pure Argan base, so that will help it. And like you said, it's the very stable. We found a couple of other ways that people are using it too. Beyond like you can use it in your hair. Since it's a dry oil, it feels really good without giving it weight. Couple of our husbands have stolen them and they're using it as beard oil.
- [31:36]
Daniela Warner
Very good. I can see, especially with the herbal one, right?
- [31:39]
Fatima Rosa
Yeah. More, more, I guess masculine scent. A couple of people have said that they want to use in the body, so they've been doing a few drops into their moisturizer for legs, arms. So there's. There's so many ways because it's dry even on the feet. Right. It doesn't, it doesn't give you slip so you can walk around without fear.
- [31:59]
Daniela Warner
Yeah, yeah. No, it's great. It's great. Well, where can our listeners, if they want to get in touch with you? I know you've got like three different Instagrams. What are your Instagrams?
- [32:11]
Fatima Rosa
Sure. Well, for. To follow 101 and. Excuse me. Learn a little bit more about the product line and the journey and the, the ingredients behind it. It's at 101 Cosmetics on Instagram and then for the salon spas at Face Beauty Bar. And then if you want to follow me. And all the chaos behind all the brand at Fatima Rosa Beauty. Fatima Rosa Beauty.
- [32:38]
Daniela Warner
I think it's such an important thing to know. Well, I love knowing the woman behind the brand.
- [32:44]
Fatima Rosa
Right.
- [32:44]
Daniela Warner
Because it's. We're all out here building our businesses and seeing, you know, the story of like, what does it take? Who is the person? What is the drive? What is the grit? What is the. All of that stuff that goes into it that is so motivating for me and so inspiring and I just love being around community of entrepreneurs in that way. So thank you for sharing your life, thank you for sharing your story and thank you for partnering with us with for these incredible products.
- [33:19]
Fatima Rosa
My, my pleasure and an honor to partner. I've met so many amazing people through APA and now Inner Circle building these, these deeper connections and even through the in person I feel like I've connected with so many women and as you said, being around these entrepreneurs, we're like minded in that way. We understand each other. Most of us have families and kids and other things we're juggling too. So it's not just something we get to full, you know, full on focus. So, so I will say I have found mentorship in this group. I have found inspiration. So it's, it's a nice full circle for me to be able to partner and get to surprise and delight a few of our members along the way.
- [34:06]
Daniela Warner
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much and, and I will catch you guys on the next episode.