Working Women Wednesday
It’s 2021 and we are still celebrating awesome women through our Working Women Wednesday blog series. For 2021, we will feature one woman a month. If you didn’t get to check out the previous women please take time to read the blogs for Dr. Almaz Getachew, Taj Sudderth, DJ Williams, Tamera Gethers, and Cristen Jones. This week we will highlight Ms. LaKeisha (Kei) Ross Founder and CEO of Ultra Bliss Beauty Bar.
Highlights
Industry: Skincare as Owner & Healthcare (Financial)
Favorite Quote: “All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today”
Instagram Handle: ultra_bliss_beauty
TikTok - UltraBlissBeauty
Website: www.ultrablissbeautybar.com
Email: information@ultrablissbeautybar.com
Phone Number: 336-962- 0892
Community Service: Every month Ultra Bliss Beauty Bar provides a free service to two breast cancer survivors or those currently battling. If you want to identify someone please reach out to Kei.
Let’s Learn a Little About LaKeisha (Kei)...
Kei mover and shaker from Martinsville, VA. She is the mother of two amazing young ladies, a leader in a major healthcare company in the corporate division, and the Founder and CEO of Ultra Bliss Beauty Bar located in Greensboro, NC. She is a breast cancer survivor that has made most of her situation and still thrived. During her treatments and surgery, she continued her journey towards her hopes and dreams. When asked what woman inspires her she stated she is inspired by Karen Civil because she has ventured out on her own and created her own success. Karen works hard to encourage other women to reach their dreams and to create a tribe of women they can lean on.
Anyone with girls knows what a Saturday morning could look like and how much relaxing you may or may not be able to do especially when you have girls that are involved. Right now her relaxation is a distant memory because she is balancing her full-time job, mommy life, and her new spa, so finding time to relax can be a little difficult. Right now she is working her 9- 5 then working her spa in the evenings and the weekends but also finding time to ensure her youngest daughter can participate in cheerleading. (Women Rock!). Work-Life Balance has been a little struggle for Kei but we had a side chat about the importance of finding some balance.
Kei the Leader...
Kei is a leader in two industries. She is a leader at her 9 - 5 where she is a supervisor in her division and she is a business owner which brings about a different kind of leadership when you are a CEO. I asked Kei a few questions as it relates to leadership, here are her responses.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership? - Trying to prove yourself to your counterparts that you can think as analytical as a man; you can make the same decisions as your male counterparts; not being seen as being soft; have respect from your employees; sometimes employees may try to handle a woman differently in a leadership role than a man because women tend to be more empathetic and caring
What are the issues you think women face in leadership roles? - Finding balance in being empathetic and understanding but not being a pushover. As a woman and a mother, I can normally always relate to employees. You also have to remember we have a business to run so sometimes how you feel has to be pushed to the side.
Do you think these issues are different for women of color? - Yes because you are constantly proving yourself; well-spoken can speak just as well; knowledgeable and professional; You have a work ethic comparable to your counterparts.
What do you think are the top 3 challenges women of color face in the healthcare industry? Educating others is a big challenge because this generation lives off conspiracy theories and not facts. Finding our platform in a male-dominated industry. Finding your voice. Number three being confident in your knowledge pushing forward with career advancement.
Kei the Entrepreneur…
A recent statistic stated that 64% of new businesses started in 2020 were founded by women of color.
Now the part I want to jump into is, Kei the Entrepreneur. As long as I have known Kei she has had a business in addition to her 9 - 5 job, which I think is awesome. She has hosted multiple successful events, she has a beauty line, and now she has her spa. I spent a lot of this interview asking Kei questions about being an entrepreneur because I think a lot of people are going his route and any information we can share as entrepreneurs is important. Kei decided to open her spa instead of working with a franchise after school because she didn’t want to dedicate all her time and hard work to some else’s dream. She took a step out on faith and right out of esthetician school opened her spa. During her time in school she was allowed to get significant hands-on experience, she was able to build her clientele, and build her brand. She has a two-year plan to be in her business full-time and to open a luxury spa where she will have other estheticians and massage therapists. Check out a little more about Kei’s business and thoughts on being a business owner.
What are the challenges you face as a business owner? You don’t know everything that comes with being a business owner. When you see others opening a business it may be perceived that it is easy but it is not. Just learning business processes has been a big thing for me. I have used a lot of the classes offered by the community college system to learn about how to grow my business. It is not as easy as it looks.
Tell me about your business. How did you get your idea or concept for the business? What was your mission at the outset? What made you decide on this type of business? - Skincare is something I have been into for a long time whether it was making scrubs lipgloss etc I have been in this business for a long time. I was doing chemo and another woman said my skin was so pretty and that she wished she looked like me and that broke my heart. As women, we deal with so many things but that isn’t something I feel like we should worry about. I believe that all women should look beautiful no matter their health or what they are going through. It allows me to not only take care of their skincare issues but also allows me to listen to the women It is like you are an esthetician at one moment and another moment you are the counselor, a friend, or just a listening ear. Women of color tend to take care of everyone else instead of themselves. I want to provide the opportunity for women to relax for that hour and forget about everything going on outside those walls.
So you have more than one business, can you talk about that? I also have a cosmetic line. I have lipgloss, mascara, concealer, everything. All of this ties into the same thing. Making women feel beautiful. When you look good you feel good When you are happy with how you look it impacts your overall mental health. I have a skincare line but have strayed away from that because I made all-natural products. I do still have the items available in the suite for purchase.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer/manufacture? - Facials (All types); whether you want a basic facial, microdermabrasion; high-frequency facials for those who have acne or dark spots issues; chemical peels; waxing; brow tints. I am looking to add services shortly such as HydroFacial. My hope soon is to open Blissfully EverAfter pampering your little princess where you can do spa day customized little girls.
How do you advertise your business? How important is social media to your business? - At this age I feel like social media is a must for marketing your business. I use Instagram and get a lot of traffic. I don’t get a lot from Facebook. I found most of my marketing is successful from Instagram. I recently started TikTok. I am getting 600 - 800 hits per day. I feel like social media is important it is just finding your target audience and using whichever platform to get the audience. I also have flyers. I am centered in downtown Greensboro and I am in a really good location so I can catch foot traffic. I am near clubs and have built relationships and they post flyers etc in their clubs
Kei’s Closing Advice...
What would you tell a younger you trying to get to where you are today? - I would tell the younger me to believe in myself. Set goals and stick to them because the younger me was all over the place. If I had set goals and stuck to those goals I would be so much further right now. Finally, stay focused on the goal.
What advice would you give women trying to get into your field? - It is not easy but it is worth it. It is so worth it. You will feel like it is a lot and when it is over you will feel like it so much you don’t know. Stay the course and don’t give up. Also, keep learning.
I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Ms. LaKeisha Ross. Our next blog will be posted on March 17 and we will be highlighting Mindfulness Movement NC Founder and CEO Raven Gibbs. Please share with a friend or if you are interested in being featured please contact us.
XOXO,
Keisha J. ~ Boss Lady
