Today we’d like to introduce you to Dulce Alicia Elorza.
Hi Dulce Alicia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Not too long after graduating from beauty school and obtaining my esthetician license I was let go from my highest paying job in 2018 and decided I wasn’t going to work for anyone anymore, all I had was $300 to my name. Which I blew through within 2 days ordering and purchasing my supplies I needed to start up. Once I got everything in I had actually tweeted about taking clients for facials, which sort of went viral in San Antonio, especially on the south side. I started my business as Glowed by Dulce in the corner of a bedroom that I had shared with my niece. 6 months later I moved into a studio-salon setting for the first time focusing my talent and skills on lash extensions, still fairly new in the industry and making mistakes I went back to being home based in an apartment I got. Which was where Beauty in the Hustle was created. Along that Journey was when I really started tapping into what I wanted my business to be about.
After building my clientele up more I went back into a studio – salon setting for a second time in 2020 and stayed renting a studio until the end of 2021.
The beginning of November 2021, my business partner and I signed the lease to our own shop, Deity’s Place . 6 months prior to that I had told myself that I was done renting studios, I had promised myself whatever needed to get done for me to get my own shop I was going to do in 6 months. It’s crazy to think that I actually did it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. Being an entrepreneur, especially the first in your family comes with a lot of doubt. I struggled a lot with having to prove to my loved ones that my business was my career and that I was going to be successful. There were so many times I was broke, after paying studio rent and restocking my supplies. Literally counting my coins and cashing them in to put gas in my car, as long as Beauty in the Hustle was up and running I didn’t care about not having money for anything else.
I’m a very shy person, being a business owner requires you to step out of your shell to advertise yourself and your work, which was one thing I personally struggled with but I knew I had to do in order to be where I wanted to be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the owner of Beauty in the Hustle. I specialize in and offer lash extensions and brow services. I would like to think I’m known for doing bomb ass lashes, and allowing every client of mine to leave my lash room feeling 10x better than when they walked in. I’m most proud knowing that I worked hard to get to where I’m at today and knowing that I’m still here and my business is still thriving despite so many things that have happened these past years that should’ve made me give up and that I’m making my loved ones and my angels proud.
I would say what sets me apart from others is always being authentic to myself and what my business stands for.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
That you will have to make sacrifices you don’t like in order to get where you want to be. Discipline over motivation.
Pricing:
- Full set of lashes start at $100
- Fill prices start at $50
- Brow services start at $20
- One on one lash training $700
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beautyinthehustle.as.me/
- Instagram: instagram.com/beautyinthehustle_
