Give Her The Mic

Pass The Mic - Ellen

• Chloe & Kristen • Season 2 • Episode 16

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Building a Business from Scratch: Ellen Sheffer of Southern Soleil - From Psychology to Spray Tans

In this episode, we sit down with Ellen Sheffer, owner of Southern Soleil, who shares her incredible journey from aspiring psychologist to successful entrepreneur. Originally from Barbecue, North Carolina, Ellen recounts her experiences growing up and transitioning to life in Greenville. She opens up about her career as a counselor, dealing with intense emotional tolls, and what led her to pivot into the beauty industry. Ellen delves into the challenges of starting a mobile spray tanning business, the sacrifices she made, and the determination that helped her secure a coveted brick-and-mortar location in 2019. Ellen also offers insightful advice on mental health, discipline, and the importance of perseverance for aspiring female entrepreneurs. Tune in for an inspiring tale of resilience, adaptation, and ultimate triumph in the face of numerous obstacles.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:37 Ellen's Background and Upbringing
03:26 Career Journey and Challenges
08:35 Transition to Spray Tanning
11:25 Starting Southern Soleil
18:57 Personal Life and Relationships
28:13 Opening the Brick and Mortar
31:29 The Original Business and Overcoming Challenges
32:06 Customer Service and Business Strategies
33:53 Building the Business from Scratch
34:17 Navigating Through 2020 and Construction Challenges
38:01 Expanding Services and Team Growth
42:33 Training and Industry Insights
52:21 Mental Health and Personal Wellbeing
56:40 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
01:02:18 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

chloe:

All right guys, we are back for another week, another queen in the room this week. We have the beautiful, the tan. Very cute. The very well, the very well nourished. Skin. Ellen? Yes. Who is the owner of Southern Soleil, which is an amazing, um, she will explain everything they do, but they do spray tan's, teeth whitening a lot of different things. Mm-hmm. However, um, she's more than that. She's, uh, basically a Greenville native at this point, recently married, um, is in her mid thirties. Like everything that we feel like our viewers need to hear right now. Yeah. Sweet. And so, yeah, do you wanna kind of tell everybody like, about yourself and you know, about what you do, a little bit about who you are and, you know?

Speaker 5:

Okay. Yeah. So, um, my name obviously is Ellen Sheffer, and I'm originally from Barbecue, North Carolina. Barbecue. Oh,

chloe:

barbecue. Where's that? The barbecue. So it's, wait, it's really barbecue. It's barbecue.

Speaker 5:

So it's not even a town, it's a township. It's very small, so like, oh, I love it. Growing up. Like my address is Sanford. Okay. But I'm 45 minutes from Sanford. Mm-hmm.

Ellen:

Okay.

chloe:

I'm, we

Ellen:

definitely, that's her post office was at, literally just came out. Did you hear that? Yeah. Like when she was talking, you're a country accent when you were Yeah, it does come and

Speaker 5:

I heard it. It comes and it goes

chloe:

most things. I feel like you would totally be a city girl. That's the weirdest thing. Mm-hmm. Okay. So, so barbecue.

Speaker 5:

Yep. So, and then growing up right outside of Fayetteville. Okay. That's where like we had to go for everything, you know? Yep. Went out there for cheer and all that stuff. So, um, yeah, I'm, I'm from the country and so Greenville is big, is big to me. That's why she likes it and that's why I like it. Yeah. But I mean, I've gone, you know, big cities Yeah. Charlotte, all that. It, it is not for me. Yeah. I don't particularly, I. Like the city. Yeah. Yeah. It's just too, it's like the hustle and bustle and like, I like to be up at 5 30, 6 o'clock and there's no one on the road. I'm so happy. Yes.

chloe:

Oh, yeah's true. I was driving from Raleigh this morning and it was like, you can, you better have your shit together. You better, you will get in a wreck there Absolutely no looking down at the phone. Yeah. And that's what I, that's how I was

Ellen:

raised. That's what I'm used to. Like, that's literally what I grew up around. Mm-hmm. So I think like for me. I, but as I get older, I definitely like the quiet too. Mm-hmm. But I do miss the ca the chaos is just like, it's like, let's go, let me get in this car. It's with my coffee. Like I, I feel like I, I live that

Speaker 5:

life

Ellen:

in Greenville though.

Speaker 5:

No, you do. You do. That's why I'm like,

chloe:

you the city here. You're very, you do. So, yeah. Tell us a little bit about, okay, so you're from barbecue. Mm-hmm. Do you have siblings? Tell us about your family. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 5:

All of that good stuff. Okay. So my mom is from Korea, so she immigrated here when she was 18. Wow. And then my dad is from Pennsylvania. He's Pennsylvania Dutch. And then he was, he went into the military at 18. So he's retired Special forces now. And then my mom owned different businesses and restaurants got grown up.

chloe:

Oh, she owned businesses. Look, the apple does not fall. The tree does. It all makes sense, doesn't it?

Speaker 5:

I never thought that I would open up my own business, but Okay.

chloe:

I can't and I can't wait for them to mm-hmm. I can't wait for them to hear your story of how this even started.'cause we don't even know how Southern Silly started actually. No.

Ellen:

Why

chloe:

were

Ellen:

you, why, why spray tanning tan? Why you wanna tan people? I mean, I love it. But that was

Speaker 5:

a job. I had to learn that when I was in college, going to school to be a, um, psychologist. So I was What, a psychologist. So my degrees are neuroscience. This is hard to get girls like this on the podcast. Yeah. So it's neuroscience, psychology, and alcohol and drug studies. Oh, cool. She's a smarty. So I was a counselor for a really long time. Um, even like I would volunteer and leading up to graduation. So as I, um, graduated ECUI transitioned over into staff and so I worked at a crisis center. Hmm. So that was a 24 hour like hotline and then like we had in like in studio, um, or whatever you'd call it. The clinic time. I've been, so yeah, I've been away from it for, it seems like almost 15, 20 years at this point. But, um. Yes, so we would, um. Do anything from suicide, domestic violence, rape. So we would have people call in twenty four seven. Loved my job, loved my job. I just knew that, like after I graduated, like my intention was to get my master's and my PhD right

chloe:

as it was at our age back then.'cause you weren't just done when you had your job. We wanted to do more. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Right. Always. So it actually took me six years to graduate because I was on, I was on a three year track Yeah. For my, um, double major. Okay. But then I like lost my mind for a little bit because I was so stressed out with school. Let's talk

kristen:

about that. So, yeah.

Speaker 5:

So. I was going to school for like what I was doing. Like what you mean? Like that's heavy. So I like, I already was like living like, you know what I was going to school for. Mm-hmm. So I felt really connected to people when I was like, on the phone or on the hotline, things like Yeah. That, yeah. Yeah.

chloe:

You were, you mean you were like going through some of that? Like personally? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

So that's why it took me, so I, um. Like I took a year of absence and I came back after a year and then I finished. That was the hardest year ever. Was it more

chloe:

family or relationship wise if, or do you not wanna talk about it? You don't have to, but anything you wanna share would really me, it was just me,

Speaker 5:

which like me, like I was just overwhelmed.

chloe:

It's never just

Ellen:

us

chloe:

though,

Speaker 5:

so. No, it really was because then

Ellen:

hearing those people's stories and them coming to you and putting all that on you too mm-hmm. Was so heavy that like you were probably already overwhelmed and then that,

Speaker 5:

so sometimes yes, like you take it home, but then you learn like not to bring it home. Yeah. So I could disconnect. Yeah. But after a while, the, when I'd been in there, you do become, I mean, I guess somewhat numb to it. Yeah. And I feel bad saying that, that you probably as a nurse to separate Oh yeah, absolutely. When you're in nursing

chloe:

school, you kind of, you kind of become numb to like, like I'm doing CPR and now they're dead. So we understand that. Yeah, for sure. Mm-hmm. Like from a different aspect. I mean, but you

Ellen:

also have to, you have go it not, you'll go out of your mind, you know? So you took a year

chloe:

off just'cause mentally what? You were just like exhausted or you felt double.

Speaker 5:

I was a double major and I was working in a research lab, so I was flying all over presenting research. I did, um, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and so I did like, we used the rodent model. So I would go in there and actually like cut up brains. Like that's what I would do and then I would examine all the brains. You reached

chloe:

capacity?

Speaker 5:

Yeah, I was done. I was done because I was How old

chloe:

were you?

Speaker 5:

Um, so I went, I'm older for like my class. Yeah. So when I came into college I was already 18, but that like November, I'd already turned 19. So 19, not really older, probably 21 was 19 when she

chloe:

started college. 21

Speaker 5:

or 22. And then, um, that's such a

chloe:

hard time too. Being a girl was real. So like

Speaker 5:

typically then, because four years I would've been out at 23. And then I would've went back in and then I was like, no, I cannot do that. I cannot go back to school, because I just wasn't in a place, like, it just didn't make me happy. Like for a while I'd always say, I was like, I'm the best student ever. Like I could be a student for life. Yeah. I was like student for life, but then I was like, no. Like I just. I didn't enjoy it anymore and literally like research, trying to like have a social life. And then also like, I don't know, being in a relationship. I was in a relationship and it wasn't bad. I was actually like, I think during that time I was with the same guy for several years. A relationship

chloe:

gal. Yeah, like

Speaker 5:

a serial monogamous.

chloe:

Yeah. So I'm like, I think it's a problem. I think something's wrong with, not in a bad way, but I think like mentally it's like you think about it and you're like, it's not a bad thing.'cause then you risk getting a lot of diseases and all that. But then it's also like, wow. Like we really just stick with it for a long time. Long. Absolutely. 100%. For long, long. So you were in a good, that's good. You were in a good relationship. Yeah. So it wasn't any that you were just the maybe capacity level too, not happy. Didn't know what the hell you were gonna do. Yeah,

Speaker 5:

it was just like. Finding out who you were in your, like early twenties, you think that you're gonna be a doctor and open up your own clinic, but then that's really not working. So I. Going back to the spray tanning. Yeah. How, how squirrel, how to go

Ellen:

from, I'm so curious, curious. This, this is

Speaker 5:

how it started, because, yeah, no, I wanna know. Yeah. So during undergrad I had, I worked at a spa, so I had to learn how to spray tanning. It was part of my job. Tell us about a spa. What kind of spa was it? Oh, it, I mean, it was Merl Norman here. Oh. Oh. So I used

chloe:

to love Merl Norman. I used to go to college. Yeah. So back in the day, they were

Speaker 5:

legit. So I, um. Well, I started off as a spa attendant, so I just cleaned.'cause I was like, I didn't, I was so nervous to talk to people at the time. Like now. Yeah. Like just, it's so natural to me. That's so awesome. Are you a natural introvert

chloe:

like me? Mm-hmm. Okay. I must, you gotta train yourself. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

You're not an introvert at all. Oh yeah. No, I. It

chloe:

would gimme just to gimme panic attacks. To have to fucking talk to people.

Speaker 5:

Josh is like, he's like, you need to leave the house today. No. And I'm like, me.

chloe:

That's why I'm like, I've gotta keep doing this podcast. I would stay in my town home forever i's like, I'm really

Speaker 5:

content. I'm good. No, we are though. But it's not good. Like, well, you know, you, you got here on Friday. Yeah. It, it's now Monday. Let's, let's get it again. Yeah. No, but I, I really do. I love being by myself. Yeah. And that's a Scorpio part of me. I like being by my Beckett, my

Ellen:

son. Oh gosh, so much. He loves being by himself too. Yeah. I love being, I feel better about that now.'cause sometimes you're like, are you good? I, I literal will just barge in his room. I'm like, hi. Oh yeah, I teenage boys. I'm like, hi. Yeah, no, I spend a lot of time in my room as a kid

Speaker 5:

and I mean, I don't know. I was a writer as a kid. I loved to write. Oh, cool. I would, yeah. I love

Ellen:

to write too. So does he. I love That's funny. Who creative You? You should do eventually some kind of

chloe:

blog or vlog for your tanning Chronicles. Yes, you should. That would be so cool. Anyway, if you deal

Ellen:

with a lot of um, um, what's it called? Sorority girls too.

Speaker 5:

So don't you We are starting to get into that, but we actually don't. A lot of people think we do a lot of students as well, but we actually just do a lot of house. Do a lot of people do a lot people that lift here, you have

chloe:

to get a good spray tan though. This ain't no machine. That part. No machine. She like, Hey, you want apps? Here you go. Literally she gives us abs. No, before my

Ellen:

birthday she gave me more abs. No, you really are the best. You get what you pay for. Yeah, you do. Thank you. Okay, so let's, we are love to score. You were

chloe:

at Merrill Norman. Yeah. And you were just doing like Yeah,

Speaker 5:

so my training, I learned how to spray like this much of a stomach. Okay. And then that was my training.

chloe:

Wow.

Speaker 5:

And then I had to figure it out. Yeah. The rest, figure out the

chloe:

whole rest of the body. Uhhuh.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Okay. I, I don't, I mean, they came back. I, I gained some regulars, but it wasn't something I did every day.

Ellen:

Okay. Mm-hmm. So you got your degree. Mm-hmm. I'm assuming. Yes, I did. And then I, I went back to school. I graduated. We're good. I know, because we're good. We got it. And then what happened? And then what happened? Like how did you go from that to a business and everything else? Yeah. You drink out water, girl, gotta drink it because

chloe:

that is like, it is cool though to see. Yeah. And I hope the viewers can like, understand, you know, things are not always or ever linear. And I feel like, no, at our age, in our thirties, early forties, like. You learn like that is a part of the journey. And I feel like when I was in my twenties, we probably all felt this way. We were like, okay, this is the way it's gonna be. Yes. And then I'm gonna be rich. Yes. And then it's, I'm gonna have kids, uh, it's gonna be great, or I'm gonna be married, or whatever. Mm-hmm. And all these things. And it's like nothing is, nothing is linear. And you also gotta shift. Like

Ellen:

life goes in directions that you have no idea. Like literally. Absolutely. Literally. I mean, look at my life the past couple days. You think it's gonna be one way. Mm-hmm. And then all of a sudden it shifts. Mm-hmm. But you have to, in your body and in every other way, like know how to shift with it. Because if you don't, that's when you get stuck and you're just like. Depressed and everything else because your life isn't what you thought it was gonna be. But it's okay. That's like, that's life.

Speaker 5:

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I've definitely had to learn. Gotta a roll with it, man. Pivot man. You gotta, you gotta pivot Being a business owner, because I used to not be able to pivot at all. Yeah. It would stress me so much. Like, I'm like by the book, like I love my schedule. I'm like, yay. Like I'm on time. Yay. Yay too. I'm like tight

chloe:

45 this time, that time. And then it's like,

Speaker 5:

oh yes. Like wrenching

chloe:

your day. I love when I can spray tan someone and I

Speaker 5:

can be like, okay, I will be done. I'll have you outta here by blah blah time. And after I'm done spraying them and I have to look at the time, I'm like, damn, I'm good. Yeah. I was like, and your rinse off time is so and so. That's fine. Those are satisfying too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Mm-hmm. But, um. Remind me what we were talking about. You

chloe:

graduated. You graduated and what got you, were you ever, you were, when you graduated, were you, you said you were working as your profession for a while.

Speaker 5:

Yes. That's what we were talking about. Okay. I was a counselor, love my job. Did not wanna go back to school. I quit my job. Oh, I just quit. I gave two weeks notice. I did. And I quit. I didn't have a job lined up. Yes. So then I was really, really poor. Yes. Super, super poor. I had like, maybe I met Josh when I worked at a, this is another salon. That's how I met him later on in life. Okay. So anyways, super, super poor. I remember calling my dad. Why did you

kristen:

quit?

Speaker 5:

Oh, um, I just didn't wanna do it anymore. There we

chloe:

go, guys. There it is. She didn't wanna do it. I didn't wanna do it anymore. I just didn't wanna do it anymore. Guys, if you don't wanna do it, just Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, I love it. So I put in my two weeks. I love it. I left.

Ellen:

I didn't want to, so I didn't do it. Yeah. Period.

Speaker 5:

I knew I wasn't gonna climb up that ladder if I didn't go back to school. So, and life

Ellen:

was gonna be okay afterwards. People think that if you just decide to do that, like literally the world is gonna fall apart. Mm-hmm. But guess what? You're gonna figure it out. It,

Speaker 5:

it does for a little bit, but you kind of need it to, it does fall. You might need it too. You absolutely do. Yeah. So I called my dad up and it wasn't like I was still trying to find a job and that's when I was like, I'll go back in the salon and spa industry. But I called him and I was like, dad, I was like, I just don't have any money. And he's like, he said he doesn't remember this, but I remember it clear as day. Mm-hmm. And he said, honey. Do you? Of course. Do I have ramen? Yes. Yes. Dad, I have ramen. He goes, yes, I got the noodles. Do you have honey and crackers? I said, yes. He goes, well, I mean, if you have honey and crackers, you're doing just great. Oh and ever military guy. Oh my dear. Ever since then I was like, honey and crackers. All right. Yeah. And then there was another instance, like I had called my sister crying about something and she was like, you need to pull up your big girl panties and like get it done. I was like, okay. Okay. So after those two instances, I've literally never asked anybody for help ever again.

kristen:

Wow. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Ever.

kristen:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Again. So then, um. This was early, earlier two thousands. You know, when I learned how to spray Tan. But it didn't start trickling over here into East Coast, no. Until later. Yeah. Okay.

chloe:

My first good spray tan was you. Mm-hmm. Before that I was in the machines and I hated it. Me too. So me too. Me too. As I'm

Speaker 5:

sitting at home, you know, all I'm watching is E and I'm like, and that's what they're doing over there. And I'm like, I just wanna live a different life. I was like, I was not, I was not made to live a mediocre life.

chloe:

Yeah. What were you doing? What were you working at the time? You said another spa or? No, I didn't have a

Speaker 5:

job for a long time. Okay. I didn't have a job for a long time and I was like super negative in my account and like it was terrible.

producer:

I can't even imagine. But then

Speaker 5:

I finally, I went back to M Norman. And they didn't offer me a position back because they didn't have anything available at the time. And so I was like, it's okay. So I went over to Panache, which isn't there anymore, but they were, they were a salon and spa, I feel like I remember that name

kristen:

kind of. Yeah. It's uh,

Speaker 5:

where Arlington Hair Company is now. Not the Boulevard rep side. Pure Bar.

kristen:

Oh,

Speaker 5:

okay. Yeah. So I managed, so I started out as receptionist and then I managed, and then, um, while I was working there, I started mobile tanning. Okay. And so tell

chloe:

us how that was born. Oh, well, I mean, did you just go on Amazon? You're like, I'm gonna buy a tent to spray people in. No, I saw, seriously, I was watching

Speaker 5:

Keeping Up With Kardashians. Yes. And I saw Kim get, um, tanned by Fabiola, which now I can say like, I even know Fabiola, because, um, that

chloe:

was some of your training. Right. I remember you telling me that. Which is so dope.

Speaker 5:

Mm-hmm. So I, um. I saw her and I was like, it was a skill I had put back in my head. Yeah. I never thought I was gonna use it. Right. Yeah. But it was a skillset I had and I was like, I can do that. I can make some money, dude. That's so

chloe:

dope. I called my dad,

Speaker 5:

I was like, okay, okay, dad. Yeah. Here's my thing.

chloe:

He's like, you're crazy. My dad always thought I was crazy with my ideas too. Mm-hmm. And so

Speaker 5:

it was, um, what was I gonna say? It was about, I don't know, give or take like 500, 600 bucks to get started. Yeah. Okay. Like this spray and the machine with some solution, like maybe half of this amount of solution. Oh my gosh. And then like, um, my machine and my tent. That was it. Wow. And so when I started, there wasn't training like, and there was only this one blog, it was called Tan Talk, and it was like old like aol.com shit. And like when you got on there, tan Talk and you would type in, it still even had like the old font. Gosh, I remember that phone. So you could ask a question and just pray that someone, someone like Ask Steves like, ask if someone please, please let me know. And they may respond like six months later. It may be accurate,

Ellen:

it may not be. Remember those things completely. I would ask it things too. Wow. So you were just

chloe:

winging

Ellen:

That's crazy. She was winging, she was like, ah. You're like, I'm gonna figure it out

chloe:

though. Well, yeah. Nothing to lose. Were you in a relationship yet, or no? Were you with Josh already? Or you another guy? So

Speaker 5:

during this time, like when I came to college, I like dated my high school sweetheart. Okay. Then we broke up. Then I dated another guy in college for four years. Definitely thought I was gonna marry him. Then after that this, during this time. Oh my God, I forgot about him. Oh, I love it. He talk about was bad. He was bad, but that wasn't in, in college was bad. This guy, I can't say

Ellen:

his

Speaker 5:

name. Oh no, that's fine. I was just like, he show not he knows who he is. He does know who he's Oh, he knows he, yeah. I would Sleeping well, I would have to, I would have to tell him who was sitting like in front of me. Like around a table. Like I couldn't go anywhere. No. Okay. So that was like two years of my life that I was like, oh no, just going to work being dragged ghost, man. So then when I worked at Posh, that's, I met Josh later on, and so that was. Um, 11 years ago. Wow. That's

chloe:

awesome. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 5:

Wow. So that was 11 years ago. So mobile tanning. Mm-hmm. So you buy your

chloe:

things, you're like, dad, I

Speaker 5:

need to do this. Yep. Got that. So, got my equipment and then, you know, I have this whole salon of girls, cosmetologist, esthetician, massage therapist. You start spraying them. No, they wouldn't. Lemme spray them. No. They were like, they were scared because no one around here really tanned aside from Mer Norman. Yeah. Or real tanning or Yep. In the tanning beds. Which know you hate. I do. I do. I do hate that.

chloe:

We try

Speaker 5:

our best not to tan the tan bed's. Why? I'm so pale. We try to good girls. Because I've proud you. I'm proud You're only tan away

chloe:

from being tan, though. This is

Speaker 5:

true. That's right. That's right. And just throw a little bit of blo bronzer on you good? Yes.

chloe:

You good? And the lotion?

Speaker 5:

Yes. Yeah. Oh

chloe:

yeah.

Speaker 5:

Moisturize for sure. That's key. Yeah, we know I'm gonna dump myself in. So who was your first client? Were you like spraying Josh or what No. Would spray I would spray myself. Yes. And so that's when people always ask me like, do you tan yourself? I'm like, yes. I tan myself because nobody else would tan me and people wouldn't let me tan them unless they saw me. And once I didn't look weird advertisement billboard. And I was like, if I don't look weird then I'm not gonna make you look weird. Yes. So like they were like, okay, slowly you're your own best advertisement. I love that. I believe it was April Lynch was probably one of my very first like trial tans.'cause she was a hairstylist at Panache and she actually, that's her building now. Oh wow. Uhhuh the Arlington hair company. That's so cool. Full circle, right? Yes. So she was, um, she was a booth, well she was commissioned then she turned Booth renter and then she left. Did her own thing, came back, and, uh, now that's her place.

chloe:

That's so cool. Mm-hmm. So you sprayed her.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. And then it wasn't, it wasn't bad. And so look at that. It wasn't bad. It wasn't bad. So, um, yeah. And then I just kept practicing and practicing and slowly, man, I wanted to bring my business cards that I had. They were, I, I've kept all my business cards. They so ugly. They were so stalked and they were like, just brown and just ugly, but Yeah. But

chloe:

you had

Speaker 5:

em. But I had them and I put them up in like the front of Panache and when people came in, they would say like, oh, who does spray tanning?'cause again, and that was when I did mobile. Yeah. Because I even asked the owner of the salon at the time, like, do you think that I could do this? And like, no, there's no revenue in it. No, no, no. We're not gonna get enough clientele. Okay. I was like, can I put my business cards up? She's like, sure, why not? Yeah. I was like, okay. And so. As I was a receptionist, then I moved up and my managed and I would work during the day. So afternoon and evening I would tan and I would drive up to like two hours to tan one body. And at that time my tans were like 45, 50, 55, something like that. Gosh,

chloe:

you were breaking even.

Speaker 5:

Maybe

chloe:

not, not I wouldn't make it. Not with supplies, anything. That's what I'm saying. You were just covering gas and supplies nothing.

Speaker 5:

And recently I posted on Instagram, like, um, my video saying like, um, I'll never forget where we started and there were pictures. I remember, like I said, there was like a liter of solution. I had a pres spray and a post spray, and I'm like, Yippy? Yes, because

chloe:

you were just doing it, man.

Speaker 5:

Building the plane man. And Right. And so I literally, I used to spray tan on floral sheets. Do you know how embarrassing, like looking back at that, I'm like.

kristen:

They're probably cheap. Flo

Speaker 5:

Floral sheets. They're cheap. No, they were growing up. I still have the damn floral sheets for my parents. I love it there. It's You

Ellen:

did what you had

Speaker 5:

to do. I did what I had to do. It was free. Yes. And I, I got it. I did what I had to do. And so that was the start of Southern Soleil. Did I ever think that this would continue? No, because I met Josh at Panache.

chloe:

Josh at Panache. At Panache. Josh At Panache.

Speaker 5:

That is so funny. Okay. Yeah, so I met Josh at Panache and then he would, he would just get his hair cut there. That's how I met him. And if y'all, if y'all know Josh, he doesn't have a lot of hair, so, so the fact that, you know, he would get his hair cut there, it was like 15 minutes, I, I'd see him. Right. So we'd hang out. We were, we hung out with the same crowd. And then, um, I. We just, he found out that I was single after, um, I broke up with the really bad guy. Yeah. And then Good for you. As soon as I was single, he called me and was like, Hey, do you want to go grab a drink? And I was like, what did I say? I said, I guess so. And, or Sure. Something like that. And then he said, okay, well just, you know, let me know when you're ready. I said, no. I said, you tell me a time. I was like, I'm not like most girls. I love it. So he told me a time and I got there right at that time and I was like, wearing this like Bob Marley shirt and like some jeans like, I love it. Yeah. Some like low-rise jeans. I still have that shirt. Mm-hmm.

Ellen:

So why do you feel like, out of all of the guys that you were dating, because you've dated people for like long periods of time. Mm-hmm. Why do you feel like Josh was it for you? Like, why? Are you two the ones that like, you know, now you're with him for over a decade when mean, obviously I'm curious business. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. He, he's always been like, yeah, he's always there. I

Speaker 5:

love it's like,

kristen:

partner. Partner. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

He's believed in me when nobody else believed in me. It's huge. It's so huge. Yeah. Yeah. So like, he gives me PEPs, pep, you know, pep talks all the time. Woo. All the time. And I just like, like right before we came on, he had text me. He was like, you're great. You're beautiful. You're intelligent, youre smart. Gosh, love that. Like men,

Ellen:

I love that. Yeah. Most I cannot, most men are not that way. That's wonderful. Yeah. So it's

Speaker 5:

huge. He's just a really good support system.

Ellen:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

And we share a lot of laughs. Yeah. I mean, it's really just like, it's me and him like taking on the world, you know? Yeah. You guys seem

Ellen:

like besties for sure. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Mm-hmm. Because we were friends before, like we were Yeah. That's important. We were friends before. Never did I think I was going to date him at all. At all. But like we, you know, we caught feelings. Yeah. Like,

chloe:

like which is important. Yeah. And you know, especially when you started in the friend zone.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. We did not kiss for like months. Oh, wow. I didn't, and like one day we were in our friend's house and like he looked at me, he looked at me and I'll never forget it. He's like. I can't take it anymore.

producer:

Oh, I'm surprising

Speaker 5:

how that long, he was nervous about how you would act and we kissed for like 30, not, no, not even 30 seconds, probably like 15 seconds. And then someone was coming in through the door and we're like, we're like not full ass grown adults.

producer:

My God. And then we're like, I love it.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. So That's so cute. That's like the start and like, oh, okay. Being broke. Being broke. Okay. Yeah. Let's talk

chloe:

about being broke,

Speaker 5:

Josh.

chloe:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

I had$5 in my account and it was my friend's birthday. We were all going to the same birthday party and I was like, I really cannot, let's

chloe:

go to rehab so we can get penny liquor.

Speaker 5:

It was at to Tokyo Express. Okay. Or Tokyo, Japan. Or whatever it, we were getting sushi and I was like, yeah, oh, the one where

chloe:

you can sit down and eat sushi is

Speaker 5:

cheap. I was like, I can do this. So I got a, I had$5 in my account. I can get a Misa Soup and I got a Bud Light and then I was like, I was good. So Bud Light and, and I. I was like, birthday present, spray tan for my friend. Yeah.

chloe:

Services. Yeah. Got her a spray. Tan services, that was it. I was

Speaker 5:

good. And then I was just gonna go home and um, they were all, the buck was doing their soft opening that night. Oh, the buck. Wow. The buck. The buck, the soft opening. That was back in the day, the soft opening. And I remember still to this day, because it was so vivid to me because of the story, the$5, I couldn't afford anything. And Josh was like. You can come. He's like, I'll buy you a drink. I was like, it's okay.

chloe:

And like you said, you didn't wanna ask for help ever again. Yeah. After the, the cracker honey thing.

Speaker 5:

Yep. Yep. So I was like, whatever. And then, um, but I went and had fun and like, I remember the wood, the smell of the wood. It was so fresh.

chloe:

Yeah. Yeah. You never, you never forget, like smells of certain things. Mm-hmm. That's the crazy thing about, yeah. I've been

Ellen:

there a couple times. Memories, not many, but a couple I've, after that you're like, oh,

chloe:

like he, this guy's, he's cool. He know, he knows that I'm broke ski and he's offering to, you know. Yep. Buy my drinks. My, at

Speaker 5:

that time, probably a dollar and a quarter. It was

chloe:

so cheap back night to, and that was like freaking 1275 for damn cocktail. They specials everywhere too. And dollars for a cocktail. I'm like, mm-hmm.

Ellen:

It better get me right. If I'm paying$18, like I better, it better be like a shock. That's say, I know

Speaker 5:

it's crazy when you think about how much drinks it's used to be. It's$20, a whole 20 bucks for a drink now. Yeah. 20. If you tip off of your one cocktail, it's$20. It's, it's not, I

chloe:

love, I love me a good Starlight drink, made drink, native drink, foreign chef, all things. But it, and I mean, it's just cost of living. Mm-hmm. So cost of everything is so expensive. So, okay, so you start mobile tanning in 2011, you start building it, you meet Josh, y'all are a, a whole vibe, whole thing. How do you get this brick and mortar open? Mm-hmm. In 2019? Because I think, especially for the viewers, I love that we're going the entrepreneur route. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. They would love to hear,'cause you know, with smash, when me and Justin opened it, we started with delivery. We didn't start with a brick and mortar'cause we couldn't afford it. Mm-hmm. And so I'm sure you were that same route. Mm-hmm. So how did you,'cause you don't have investors, right? You don't have to say, okay, you don't even have investors. We had to get investors. I'm a bootstrapper. How did you build from. I mean, 2011 to now, because the, I mean, literally you're on our favorite street. Mm-hmm. I love that street. Mm-hmm. I love Dickinson. It's, in my opinion, in the next five years gonna be, it's a beautiful building too. The modern street. Oh, yeah. Of Greenville. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So we just wanna know how you, yeah. How did you plan and how did you get there?

Speaker 5:

It was a, do you remember a

chloe:

yes?

Speaker 5:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Some of, some of it's a little, it's a little like Woo, but I do remember, um, so it would took about a year and a half to get that space. Mm.

producer:

Okay.

Speaker 5:

Um, it was a whole year of negotiations and then about six months of a bidding war, it

chloe:

was all that, because we had gotten into SMASH a couple years before you came in. Mm-hmm. Like 16 or 17, and it was all new. Those were all like new buildings or buildings they were renovating or being redone. So yeah. Tell us about it. Yeah. So

Speaker 5:

when, I remember when I signed, like, so where from Marfa was there, I used to love that. So Nice. After like they, so they had that space and then it was stumps and then Emporium and me. And you know, all of that was boarded up when I signed my lease. Wow. So I signed into, um, so it was my 30th birthday. I made sure I signed on 1120, oh on my 30th birthday. And, um. Schedule. There was no, yeah. Everything was just boarded up with plywood. And so like, I'm standing in front like, yay. And dude,

chloe:

that's so dope. You'll have to send us that picture so we can put it on. Yes. Put it on our channel. So it's just, it's wild

Speaker 5:

to see that looking back, but it's, it's grown a lot. So, going back, so Josh was in real estate. Mm-hmm. So that's like, I skipped over. That's right. I forgot. He

chloe:

was in real estate. So Josh

Speaker 5:

was in real estate, so he knew people. So that's how we were able to get, um, help with, uh, getting our space. I don't know how many times I, I cried to Byron, um, our agent and I was like, you cannot. Let this space go. Yeah. Like, and I was, you knew I was so serious. You knew. I was like, you need to fight for me. I was like, we have been in this together for like, over a year. And I'm like, you see what was

chloe:

going on with it? Why was it so hard to get the space? So, and does this happen a lot when people are trying to get into spaces? Okay. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 5:

Mm-hmm. Especially down there, because you have to have a certain business plan. They're just not gonna let anybody in there. Okay. Because you, if you're not the fit, they're, they're not, they don't want you. Makes

chloe:

sense? Yeah. So my, you just, people don't think about that. They think they can just like, put a business anywhere,

Speaker 5:

but if, if your business, as you can see, there were other businesses there and they are no longer there because they and their clientele unfortunately did not. I am the only original business there, aside from Jack Browns. That's

chloe:

so dope.

Speaker 5:

Yeah.

chloe:

That

Speaker 5:

is so cool. I'm, IM proud of myself for that. You should be and I am the You're unbelievable. For the longest time I was so low.

Ellen:

Yeah. Bless.

Speaker 5:

Tell me why you can't hustle that

Ellen:

part. Yeah, tell me why you can't hustle the

Speaker 5:

mic for that. I'm so serious. Like, so when people are like, I'm diverting because this is diver, this is a hot spot for me. This is a hot spot for me. When people say, has the construction affected your business?

chloe:

Oh, I've heard. I've watched

Speaker 5:

you post about this too. No, it hasn't. Mm-hmm. Because people want to come to my business.

chloe:

Yeah. That part, and that gave me chills. I

Speaker 5:

People wanna come to your business. I make it easy. I have paid for parking. So when you come, you will have a space. If you, you have an appointment, you have a parking space. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I'm sorry that if other businesses, you don't think of that. Yeah. But I did because I was down in Roku's Hair Studios on Evan Street years before this, and I had to turn clients away all the time because when it would pour down rain. It was just like I knowing like they were gonna mess up their tail and we never had

chloe:

that issue. You're like, park in the back. Walk in the back. Instructions. Instructions done. She did you text the next day? Text three days? Yeah. Customer service is superior and I think that's. So important for people to hear because they think they can just do shit and people will come and know. Mm-hmm. You have to be that person that they want to choose. Mm-hmm. They, they can go to suntan city mm-hmm. And get a mediocre 10 for 50 bucks. Or come to you for 20 what, 20 bucks more, 30 bucks more. Depends what they want. Yeah. And get the best. And I love that you said that'cause Yeah, it, it really did get an, it's not, I'm not gonna say annoying, but like, people being like, oh, nobody wants to go downtown, da da dah. It's like,

Speaker 5:

okay. Um, I don't like big cities, but every time I go into a big city, isn't their construction Everywhere you go, everywhere you go figure it out. New York City, hello. Big billboards or covered up all the time. People are still going. People are still going. Yeah. You, you have to bring the need and the want and the drive to your business. And when people come in. You're going to get an amazing service every time. Mm-hmm.

chloe:

You and that's so true with you. Mm-hmm. That's just, that's, that's what it is. Mm-hmm. Gosh. That's so good. Be like, I'm just, I know. It does. It makes me so angry. Well, yeah. Well, because, and also you came from, you know, this amazing career you thought you would have, you leave it all behind, all that, all the schooling money mm-hmm. That was paid for that. Mm-hmm. All of that. Absolutely. To build literally from spray tanning your friend mm-hmm. At that salon who now owns that salon. Mm-hmm. Because nobody would take, nobody would let you spray them to spraying yourself to now getting this brick and mortar. Mm-hmm. And so how did you, let's go into 2020, how did, because you opened in 2019. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

So

chloe:

what in the hell

Speaker 5:

happened? So we signed November, 2018 and I remember

chloe:

you sprayed me in that building right when you opened.'cause I was pregnant with Cece. Mm-hmm. So I, you sprayed me right before Y all shut down. I still

Speaker 5:

have the Himalayan salt Sensei pot. Yep. Oh wow. Mm-hmm. I remember

chloe:

always representing.

Speaker 5:

So, um, signed in 18 construction couldn't start until March. No, no, no. We started probably like in February, slowly but like hitting it really heavy in March. Oh, I know you were

chloe:

struggling'cause November to March you were like, come on, let's go. Mm-hmm. And

Speaker 5:

so. Mm-hmm. But Josh and I, we did like, we bought all of our materials. I remember y'all

chloe:

were in there doing things. Mm-hmm. And this was

Speaker 5:

Ronnie at the time. Oh, I remember Ronnie Uhhuh. Um, um, he didn't have his, um, precision renovations then. He didn't have precision renovations and so he did a lot of the work in there, majority of the work. And, um, it was. We bought our supplies, they'd put it up, we'd buy our next set of supplies and they'd put it up. Wow. Total teamwork collab. Yeah.

chloe:

It was, there was no, here's what I need go do. It was like, Hey, I'm buying these supplies today, this week. Can we do this part? You were probably really having to be on it.

Speaker 5:

And I told Josh, I will never pick up sheet Rock ever again.

chloe:

Oh, I bet. I can't imagine enough.

Speaker 5:

That sounds horrible enough. It sounds a, it's full, it's, it's so heavy. Yeah, it is so heavy. Yeah. And we had to do sheet rock like one by one because we didn't have like a Yeah, a, yeah, a lift or anything, so we had to bring it into the salon. So every piece of wood, every piece of sheet rock, every piece of paint. Us. So boss,

chloe:

that's so baller. You're like, this is opening.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. One way

chloe:

or another. This is happening. I'll spray you here, I'll spray you

Speaker 5:

on my grandma sheets. Yes. I will spray you on my grandma sheets. Yes. Really? And so I did. And so people see it now and they're like, wow. Like. I wish I could have that. It was so easy. Like let, let's look back. Let's look back. Do y'all remember when there was nothing? I had like two. Two antique, like yellow chairs. Mm-hmm. I remember that. I had one couch that I still have, but I took it outta the couch. Yes. I took it out because it was just getting ruined, but it was, I had it since like me and my dad, I was, had it since I was 14. Okay. I've had that couch since I was 14. Yeah. Everything in the salon is like antique and so it has a meaning to it and a lot of it either, well, the name is

chloe:

French, as you said, so it all makes sense. Southern

Speaker 5:

Soleil means southern sun. A lot of people don't know that. So Southern Soleil,

chloe:

Southern Sun.

Speaker 5:

Mm-hmm. Yep. You love

Ellen:

your job, you would say? Mm-hmm. I feel like she absolutely loves what she does. Well, and you help, so you help women feel

chloe:

so confident. Yes. I remember when you sprayed me. Mm-hmm. Like in the, in the beginning of you opening, you know, you know how overweight I was and you know, me walking in there, I was so not confident. Mm-hmm. All the time. I was like, I mean, I was also super depressed during that time as well. Mm-hmm. And so just the way I would feel when I came out of there. Mm-hmm. When you're tanned, you feel better. I mean, this is all facts and it makes your

Ellen:

skin so much more moisturized. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But absolutely. And she can give you abs, you know, we contour for free. Yes.

Speaker 5:

Literally, it's included in your service mentor by me. It shouldn't be added.

Ellen:

So what do you do during your off time? Like, do you work, are you at that salon like seven days a week? Like how does it, how does it work for you? I

Speaker 5:

used to be there seven days a week, Uhhuh, but now I'm there. Monday through Friday. Now I'm there on Saturdays and Sundays, but that's like bringing in laundry or like cleaning up some things or restocking, things like that. Getting ready for the next week. And so right now we're like in our like growing phase, like Yeah.

chloe:

Tell us the services you offer. Oh yes. So

Speaker 5:

we do obviously sunless, tanning. Okay. So teeth whitening and those are our main services as at Southern Soleil. Yeah, so spray tanning was our first thing, but I, I was asking like our clients, what other services like would you like, have you been interested in? This was one that like I could bring in, so that's why we have it. That's literally the only reason that we have it. Yeah. Sometimes I go back and forth of like, do I wanna continue doing it? But then people are so happy with it. I'm like, okay. Yeah. Teeth

chloe:

whi is one of those things. And you one too. You get that instant gratification after a couple times that it's like everybody loves their teeth white. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 5:

And then we also have an in-house makeup artist. And then, oh, I did not know that.

chloe:

That's

Speaker 5:

good to know. So, um, Mary Beth Gentry. So Makeup by Gentry, she, she's our makeup artist and she's actually coming back to Okay. I've seen her. She my first intern. Yep.

chloe:

I've seen her a lot on your page. Now it makes sense. She was

Speaker 5:

intern at 18 and no one. No one believed in her. They wouldn't even pay her 20 bucks to do her eye makeup. And I said, sit down. You're like, come

chloe:

with me. I, I know your type. Come with

Speaker 5:

me. Oh my goodness. And I couldn't do my makeup. And I said, yes, those people aren't your friends. I said, they're not your friends. So then she went on, she like, girl, um, she's a cosmetologist in Wilmington now. I love it. That's cool. And so, but she's coming back to Southern Soleil and she's gonna learn to spray. She already knows how to spray, but she has to learn like our way. Yes. And then she has already done her makeup. Oh, I love it. Mm-hmm. And now we have, we more good makeup artists around here, honestly. I love that. And Laura Moore from me and Beauty, she's our injector. So Botox lasers. Oh, I dunno if you did

Ellen:

all that. Didn't after this, after this baby. We gotta, girl, my forehead be bot bad right now. I'm not getting Botox.'cause Chloe's pregnant. I refuse. I was like, oh, you guys are doing it together. I said she, I said, you cannot get Botox. So I have this baby period. She is, I have extremely dry skin. Mm-hmm. Especially on my forehead. So when I'm not hydrated, like literally my wrinkles coffee get. Girl, I live off the cabinet. I know, I know. It's so bad. But I know I have to hydrate everybody. Make sure you hydrate because if not, your wrinkles get much deeper. Deeper.

chloe:

Yeah. But after

Ellen:

the baby we're definitely, we're gonna

chloe:

a hundred percent gimme like

Ellen:

70 units. I don't even know where to put'em. I love it though. Maybe in my neck too. I don't care. I love that y'all offer that though. You literally

chloe:

can walk in, you can get sprayed, get your teeth white and get some Botox makeup. But like this whole come out feel like a damn queen Selfcare studio. It's like the self-care studio. Yes. And I love the way it looks. I love how it's very, it's like Victorian modern in there. It's are super

Ellen:

hot. Gorgeous. It's beautiful. Thank you. And you just feel like, like you said earlier, the customer service is like literally top. Not, not, it's not. I've never had anybody else, when, you know, when you go in there, I know I do like, I'm. And just in underwear, like mm-hmm. Pretty much naked. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And when I tell you like, I've always felt so com, I mean, I feel pretty much comfortable, whatever, but like I know that you make women feel like, you know, completely comfortable, especially being, most women are not comfortable like that at all in their own skin. And showing everything is you just

chloe:

the best. Probably. Probably why spray tanning took so long to take off here. True. Because true. It's just different down here. It, as opposed to big cities where we are like, yeah, I don't wanna take off my clothes and have somebody spray me. Like, weird. But it's like, no, that is, it's totally a different experience. And stepping in a machine because I'm so glad you say that. It's hard to explain because girl.

Speaker 5:

So as literally the, like the pioneer around this area, spray tanning. I had to break that stigma. Yeah. Yeah. And so I wanted to make people feel so comfortable. Yeah. Yeah.

chloe:

That makes sense. We're we're buddies. As soon as we leave, even when we go together, you're like, y'all can stay in the room together. Like, you're like super chill. We're friends. We're very much

Ellen:

like that, you know? Yeah. But I think her and I were both raised around moms that were very much like that. I know My mom was always half, you know. Yeah, yeah. So like for me, but I know. That's amazing. Yeah. Most

chloe:

people here were probably super uncomfortable at first. Like, this girl's gonna spray us. I'm May, I'm happy. You know, she's super fun and like asking us all these, so it's like, but yeah, as soon as you come in, you ask all the questions, we fill out the stuff. Mm-hmm. And even when, like, I came back, I remember it had been like a year or two and you're like, Hey, I need to re-ask these questions. Mm-hmm. So you're very, there's thorough, there's something with me. What I love, I don't just love entrepreneurs that are good at what they do. Mm-hmm. I love entrepreneurs that are intelligent. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I need both. I need you to be good at what you do. Mm-hmm. But you can be good all day long, but not be knowledgeable, compassionate, like all those things. And that's so important. People, people. So I wanna go back really quick though, to some of your training. Mm-hmm. So you've had some really cool people train you. Mm-hmm. Tell us about it.

Speaker 5:

So, yeah. So, um, fa Fabiola Truo, she's outta Miami, so taking her course, done all that and

chloe:

she sprays Kardashians or has sprayed the Kardashians. She

Speaker 5:

and J-Lo. Um. Um, mark Walberg, hence the

chloe:

contouring and the,

Speaker 5:

yeah. Yeah. So that's

chloe:

like, how did that happen? Were you just like, Hey,

Speaker 5:

she Okay. You know, back to like the tan, seriously though, the Tan Talk thing, you know. Oh, was

chloe:

she on Tan Talk?

Speaker 5:

Yes, she was on Tan Talk. Look at

chloe:

that. She was on Tan Talk, but

Speaker 5:

no, it was like, she had like this, um, a workbook and then like later on, like had training. But this workbook was very basic as like Norvell even had, like, that's what I trained on. They had a very basic, when I say basic, the, the basic of the basic training, like, yeah, like do that, you know, like seriously, like there's no training on like blending or like pH or like what is DHA? Yeah. Like how does it react to the skin? Yeah. All of that. There was no training on that, so. A lot of my training came later in my career as that blossomed more. Okay. So I went on, there's like,

chloe:

I love that. You don't have to know it all though, to start. There's that too. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

There wasn't, and so you need

chloe:

to start

Speaker 5:

at the beginning, people were like, how, you know, how'd you learn? I, I just told you I sprayed myself. Mm-hmm. Like, because seriously.'cause nobody would let me tan them because it wasn't here on the East coast yet. So again, it was just something that like I saw coming and I was like, it's going to come, it always starts on the West coast and then it moves to the east coast. And I was like, I can do this. Mm-hmm. And that's literally how we went on. But, um,

kristen:

went to Miami.

Speaker 5:

Yep. Miami trained. Did all that. Um. There's been some in, like, I've gone to LA Spray team class puts a big one on, um, that's from Kelly Callahan, who else does a lot of big trainings now. I mean, Insta Glow, that's just Insta Glow. I like that name. Yes. Yeah. So it's, it's just, they're, they're different trainers in the industry that also have been in the industry just as long or in a shorter amount of time that I have. They just like to train and put workshops together, hold to make money that way. I, I'm not fulfilled like that. Yeah. At all. Yeah. I've noticed

chloe:

there's two types of people, but especially in any kind of small service indu in industry or like hair industry. Mm-hmm. It's like you're either doing the service or people are making money off doing the classes. Yeah. But most of my friends, they're not doing both. It's one or the other. Yeah. Like Katie, our hair girl, I've asked her like, why don't you do hair classes? She's like, girl, I'm good. I make enough here. Uhhuh. Yeah. I don't wanna do all that too much. And so.

Speaker 5:

I used to, like, I used to, um, teach at Alexander Paul and I taught the aesthetic student child to spray. It was a one day class, but like I said, it just didn't fulfill me. Yeah. But it does fulfill some other people. Right. But to like other trainings, every type of solution before we started doing our own solution mixes. Yeah. Like the solution companies have their own training program. Mm. So you have to learn that. So every literally, unless it's come on the market within the last year. I have sprayed with every single solution. I love that though. You know, I know. Like I, which is why

chloe:

you can do your own blends. She's naked. Which your blends are the best. Yes. I

Speaker 5:

can point. Thank you so much. They are, I can point it out like I know exactly what people use. Um, like if it's in person, what does Donald Trump use?

chloe:

What is that?

Speaker 5:

That that's makeup. Can we, that is full. It's, that is full on makeup. Someone's full on makeup telling, telling really somebody's, someone's makeup on his face. There could be tanning bed usage, but it, it is makeup. It's just really bad makeup. Mm-hmm. It's just really bad makeup. I've always wondered if he got the spray tan belu I had, because you can see exactly like where stop. Yes. There's a yes. Mm-hmm. There's

Ellen:

a line. Yeah. It might be a tandem bed with them. Goggles. Yeah, it's strange that his skin turns that color. I'm sorry, though. I've always wondered. Continue. I'm so sorry. Oh no. If I, I choke. Yeah. So

chloe:

classes, so basically,

Speaker 5:

not basically, but self-taught. Self-taught, and then later educated God. Yeah. But I can say like, for real, like if someone asks me about a solution line, I can tell you the percentage, what they use, like if they're AOE based, alcohol based, like I can tell you like everything about the solution. Yeah. What

Ellen:

do you think the best, like the base that you use now, what is that? Oh, it's, is it like aloe? It's aloe based, yes. I love that. That's why so smooth. So it's more

Speaker 5:

hydrating, but what we use in North Carolina. Is not gonna be what someone needs to use in California.

chloe:

Different air. Different air dry out out there. Okay. It's dry out there. It's more, uh, so you have to have more, more,

Ellen:

they have to have more, more moisture

chloe:

talking. I'm sure they eat a more moisturizer. My mouth is like, really? They're probably whipping through spray tans faster too over there. I bet. So you're they're really getting a better service here with you.'cause people are like, ah, it needs to last a long time. It's like, dude, yeah. As long as I'm good for like, three days on my trip. Three days max. Yes. I don't even, you know what I mean? Like, and it doesn't

Ellen:

fade weird

chloe:

before. No. Like when we went on your birthday, we looked crazy good for her birthday in March. Like I. The girls we were with, they were like, we were too. Remember our friends that we were scared. They were like, we were too scared when we were like, we told y'all to go to Ellen.

Speaker 5:

Help you. Yeah. I don't know who took a picture with who on, I remember someone posting a picture and I was like, whoa, that girl should have got a spray. Tan Uhhuh. It's our friend, it's

chloe:

our

Ellen:

good friend Kathy.

chloe:

And

Ellen:

we told her she her, but she's like, she's like, it doesn't work with my skin. I'm like, that's not true. That's not true because they've been in the box. I think she trying to, to ginger a little, just going too dark

Speaker 5:

like I. I wore my rapid for two hours.'cause I don't, I didn't wanna be super dark. Yeah. And I like to have it fade even. Gosh, I wore the rapid. That's my favorite. We gonna make

Ellen:

her get one from my bachelorette party. Oh for sure. Whenever I get married someday, that's when we're gonna make her. I'm gonna be like, you don't have a choice. It's my choice here. And you're gonna spray her. She looks so hot. Especially too,

chloe:

like for pregnancy. Like I can't wait to get sprayed by you before I do maternity photos because they just make you look so beautiful. They do and And I wish more women would like understand like, yeah, get sprayed for your maternity shoot spray get sprayed, like mm-hmm. For special occasions. Like it's just like getting your nails done. Like Yeah. Anytime you, do you do

Ellen:

like a monthly kind of like you used to? To I remember that. Used to. We used

Speaker 5:

to, but it just, it just. Does not work. Pivot. Pivot. I bet it truly does not work for us. Be our spray tan. Better make more

chloe:

money on demand. Yes. So

Speaker 5:

our spray tans last seven to 10 days. Our turnover rate is about 12 to 14. Mm-hmm. So I really don't wanna spray you on top of your old tan. And most people come in and they still have old tan. So when we were doing the membership, I felt like I was doing a disservice to people because they wanted to come in and get their tans so they get, you know, worth their membership. But the other one

chloe:

wasn't all the way off yet, was it? And

Speaker 5:

then, then your tans aren't good and it's, it's just fading bad. So like. I felt bad. And then also that's my work. Like I don't want people to see that who's not a regular and be like, I don't wanna look like that.

Ellen:

Yeah. I love to go the day before my event. Mm-hmm. Like literally the day or the day. Right. Literally the day before actually. Mm-hmm. Is usually the best one.

Speaker 5:

So we recommend two days before. Yeah. But it's preference two days. Some people like to get sprayed three days before their event. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And some people like to get one day before,'cause they like that next day bronzer look. Yeah. Dark. Yes. But that second day. It helps like let it tone down all the bronzers and then it evens out more. Yes. But it's preference one to three days. I feel like I'm usually flying the next day anyways.

Ellen:

Yeah, you have literally, like I've gone to weddings, I've gone to, I went to this thing, um. Remember in DC mm-hmm. It was like six years ago when I was dating this guy and you're like, I know you're gonna be around a bunch of like wealthy people and all this stuff. Mm-hmm. And you're like, I'm about to make you look so Right. And you did. I literally felt that's what you gave as felt skin expensive like it was Well, and that's the thing, dress so, man. Yes. I

chloe:

love that too about you. Like, I really love being friends and connected with entrepreneurs that understand what luxury is too. Yeah. Like you give luxury to your service and that's important.

Speaker 5:

It really is. So I try to think about like how I would like to be treated. So yes, I was on Instagram this morning and Dorothy Wang, like crazy Rich Asians basically, you know, so, um. She said, she goes, one of my luxury pet peeves is when you go to get your robe and the belt falls down. And I was like, yeah, A belt has never fallen in Southern. So we always loop it. We always loop it because those are the matter. Those are the little things. Those are the little things. Like why, why would you have to bend down naked to pick up a piece of cloth to put it around you? Yeah. It should already be belted and ready to go. It's

chloe:

gonna, it's gonna trigger at home. When you're at home doing it and it falls down. You're like, oh my god. Yes.

Speaker 5:

So those are the little things like getting our clothes warmers, having like warm c clo lavender cloths to walk down, um, wipe down on. So it's, we've built this. Yeah. We did not start. Well, nobody does in,

chloe:

in true fashion unless you come from wealth money. Yes. If you, you have to build it money. Yeah. And I love that. So, because we're kind of running a little low

producer:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

chloe:

We would love to hear, go two things. Mm-hmm. The first thing is how do you manage your mental health and your wellbeing mm-hmm. With being a business owner. Mm-hmm. And the second thing is, what advice do you give to women that want to open a business? So we can start kind of with the mental health. Like how do you, how do you make sure you're well with being so busy and being newly married since, what was it, may this year? Mm-hmm. May 25th. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Congratulations. You look beautiful. Thank you. Look very intimate. Very beautiful. Mm-hmm. Very calm in. Yes. But yeah. What, what do you do to take care of Ellen and also to take care of your relationships? Yes.

Speaker 5:

Relationships. Mm-hmm. So it's been a, um, work in progress. I've gotten to the point where I'm back like, and I feel I. Like I have my schedule down to a T. It has not always been like that.'cause there's been times in my life where like I couldn't have a schedule, like my work, it just, I couldn't have a schedule, which is chaotic. Mm. So having a schedule and being disciplined to stick to it and like getting up like you're tired, but get up. Like I got up this morning at five 30. I went to bar, did my workout, came here. You know, like all that, you know, try to eat right. Yeah. Eating like, I like we don't think about this, but it is true. Like you should hydrate and nourish your body and do all these things and you really don't think about that in your twenties. But as you cross over to your thirties, yes. You're like crap. Like you feel it. I really need to start taking care of myself more. So, I don't know if y'all noticed, I have just like started getting back on social media within the last probably. I would say eight to 12 months. Yeah, because before I was, you were

chloe:

gone for a while.'cause you disappeared. Off my algorithm. Yep. I

Speaker 5:

was gone. And that's,

chloe:

you

Speaker 5:

said you have to take a little break. I disappeared because I had to refocus and when I, like I didn't have to. Put that out for the world that I wasn't Well, yeah. It wasn't that I wasn't, well, I wasn't well with myself. Yeah. And so the, it's

chloe:

important to not share that out with the world though. Mm-hmm. I, I went through that myself mm-hmm. When I was going through a lot of my mental health stuff and I was like, no, I'm not gonna put that out there. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

So I just was like, no, I'm not gonna do it. So I just pulled back and then when I came back and ready, I knew I was gonna come back hard. I love it. I love it. So, here we are. Thank you for having me. Yes.

chloe:

Okay.

Speaker 5:

So basically in a nutshell, scheduling and being disciplined. Yeah. Literally like that's.

chloe:

Knowing what to cut off. Mm-hmm. And

Speaker 5:

also though, treat yourself like you treat your friends, your family, and your clients, and your clients and your customers. Absolutely. You have to treat yourself like that. That is so true. I know everyone says boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. But it is boundaries. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I've cut so many people, I'm like, I don't, it's a

chloe:

capacity thing. That's one thing my therapist taught me, like it's a capacity thing and mm-hmm. You've gotta nourish yourself. Mm-hmm. Your re. Mm-hmm. And your most important coveted relationships around you first, before everything else. And as a business owner, you have clients that you have to be on for, you have to show up for if they come in and they vent to you, obviously, unless it's like somebody like us or somebody that you have a good relationship with. If they're like, how's your day? And your day's shitty, you're not gonna tell them that. You're be like, you know, it is going great. Mm-hmm. I have worked out, like, you've got to maintain a level of professionalism. Mm-hmm. And you can't do that unless you're nourishing yourself. Mm-hmm. Sure. So I love that you said you had to take a step back. Mm-hmm. So from social specifically,'cause that can be a monster. Mm-hmm. Reevaluate, get yourself Well, positive affirmations, positive self-talk. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, because we've all been there where it's like, we've looked in the, I remember looking in the mirror and being like, you are so ugly. You look disgusting. Oh,

Speaker 5:

I would

chloe:

say things about loud, say myself, I was about like, and men don't get it right because they're like, don't say that you shouldn't. And it's like. You don't understand. Like I know that I shouldn't be here, but it's like you can't, when you're in that trap mm-hmm. You can't like get out of it. It's really hard to get out of that. I'm really proud of you for being able to escape it.'cause that's some shit that nobody can mm-hmm. Can in the dungeons explain unless they've been through it For sure. So I love that. So yeah, let's finish up with what advice. Okay. You know,'cause I really love that we took this like entrepreneur, like girl power, hustle route. Yes. What advice do you give women that are wanting to build something, but right now they have nothing. They have nothing but the dream. Yeah. And they do have a little bit of a skillset. What would you, what advice do you wish you told yourself

Speaker 5:

back then? So. The one thing about me is, um, I'm gonna do it. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna do it. Um, there were so many nos and doors slammed in my face and recently I was literally able to look one of the men in the face that told me that my business would never survive on Dickinson. He ate his fucking words. Oh, I love it

chloe:

so much. My, I love it. I love that so much. Did you call him to his face or on the phone? We need to know this. I love that

Speaker 5:

so much. I was, I was right in front of his face. Oh, this is great.

chloe:

I love, and the only reason he face two face is my favorite. Me

Speaker 5:

too. The only reason he wanted to talk to me and he acted like he didn't know me was because I was right beside a big celebrity. And they were like, this is my friend Ellen. He's like, hi, my name's. I'm like, I know who you are. That's gross. That's so gross. That's so gross. I know who you are. Gross. Let, let's, let's like recoup. Yeah. Let's come back. So, mm-hmm. So many doors have been slammed in my face. And I just think that if someone wants to start a business, just do it. Like please just do it. Like I get so frustrated with people talking. Yeah. I told you guys, like, I literally started a business, I didn't know what I was doing. Mm-hmm. But I had to provide for myself. Mm-hmm. At the end of the day, make it. That's what you're doing. Yeah. Who cares? So like, one of the things, like, I don't, I get nervous a lot. I don't get embarrassed. Like, I don't get embarrassed about, like, I love that where I came from. Yeah. Or like the glow up that I had. Like, you need that hustle. You shouldn't

chloe:

be, that's the realness and that's the reality. Mm-hmm. That's how people actually build something

Speaker 5:

really. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. So Nike, just do it. Yeah. I'm so serious. And I, I hate to say it like that, but like No, it's true. You are stopping yourself from growth. Yeah. Like why? Are you serious? You are. Um, are you so serious that like you're afraid of the 10, the 10 people that watch your stories right now? Mm-hmm. The 10 people that watch your stories? Because I didn't have, when I started my business, I had never had social media, even though we grew up with MySpace and Facebook.

chloe:

Yeah. I never had any of that. I was gonna say that in the beginning, but I just forgot. But I remember you did not, I never

Speaker 5:

had any social media until I had my business, so I had to learn all of that. Yeah. So if you've been in that space. You've already, I mean, you don't even have to grow like you, you know? You know it. Yeah. So just seriously, just do it. Stop talking about it. Seriously, stop talking about it, because it's so, it's so annoying. Yeah. Like, just do it. Really. Yeah. Really. Yeah.

chloe:

And even with the podcast, there's been so many people I, who have reached out to us and they're like, we don't know what to do. We don't know how to start it. We don't. And it's, and it's like, if you wanna do a podcast or do any of that, just find somebody that can film you or get the shit off Amazon and do it in your living room and film like you'd, I I love that you said that, because that is also one of my pet peeves is people are like, oh, she just got so lucky. Or, oh, she just had it. And it's like, y'all have no, nobody, we're not coming from wealth. I mean, my dad was in fucking foster care. Mm-hmm. Like she lived in a hotel. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Were eating honey and crack, like

Ellen:

literally in a motel. You know, even with this podcast, it was like. We literally one day looked at each other and we're like, we're gonna do a podcast. So that's exactly, we melted all on a day. That's exactly what we did. Yeah. Right. You know what I mean? So many people are like, just like you said, the talk, I wanna do this, I wanna do this. Woe is me. Wo is me. I just can't. I can't do it. No. That's I those people negativity. Y'all are out. Well, because they suck you in. It's a virus that's It is a virus. That is, yeah. If you surround yourself with people like that, or even have them speak anything into you mm-hmm. Like. A lot. Yeah. It's about, I don't even, I don't even even know, entertain it. Don. Actually, I

chloe:

had somebody text me the other day. It was about like some business stuff with Sy and she was so negative and I literally said, listen, I said, number one, I'm moving into a house. I don't have time for this. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, if you haven't figured it out in a week. Get back to me. Yeah. Because I'm just not in the space where it's like, look, if you're struggling, you have a a time to text me a paragraph about what is harm in your life. You tore like GB T We didn't have Google growing up, asked everything. We have it now. Like, just move. Move your body. Move your mind. Figure it out as you go. You don't have to know it all, but you do need the right people in your corner Yes. To do things. You had, well, number one, you're an independent boss. Mm-hmm. Which I think that intuition. Yeah. Which I really wanna leave with the viewers. That's super important. You have to have that internal intuition of, you know, it sounds like the nos motivated you. And I remember me hearing a lot of nos. You've heard a lot of nos. And building our business way. We heard people say, you're crazy, you're this, you're that. I'm so glad we kept going because we actually built direct sales when it fucking mattered and when you could do it. We've got social

Ellen:

media either before, no social media now. Now it's a different game. Direct sales is

chloe:

going out, affiliates are going in. We built it when everybody was like, oh, you know, you know, we were like, no, we're gonna do it together. And so same thing thing with Spray Tan and built it when

Speaker 5:

everyone's. Said, huh. Yeah. That's never going to fly. Nobody's going. And literally in

chloe:

Raleigh, you don't really see tandem beds. It's all spray salons. Yeah. In Raleigh, literally, there's one of my complex right now. So there's, it's you being intuitive, a visionary. Mm-hmm. Being just headstrong going, I'm gonna make this happen. Mm-hmm. No matter what. And that's something that can't be taught. It's something from within. It's innate a hundred percent that. But I do believe if there are women out there that are hearing this, they need to see what you've done. And obviously, so what are your socials? It is, uh, southern. So Instagram and, mm-hmm. So just southern. So Lake is your business one. So y'all find her on Instagram. Go get a spray

Ellen:

tan man.

chloe:

Go get a spray Tan spray tan a spray tan. Travel to her. She's in Greenville, North Carolina. I'm telling you like. It's bring your girls two hours is nothing No. To drive for this woman. Even more than that, um, salon's beautiful. It's, it's an experience. It's, it really is. And that's, thank you. Yeah. That's what they're gonna get from you. And like, we're just so glad that. You took the time to be here with us today. Really? Yes. It means a lot. And yeah, you're kicking ass. I appreciate And you're also like

Ellen:

through what? For what you've been through and everything else. Like every interaction I've ever had with you has been wonderful. Positive. Positive and positive. And like every time I see you, you know, you come up to me and smile and give me a hug. Like no matter if you're with 20 people or one and who knows

chloe:

what you were going through internally at that time, because you seem like that kind of person. You're just

Ellen:

such a light and I love it. Thank you. And the world needs that. I'm thankful you're here in Greenville. For sure. Yeah. I

chloe:

mean, and that's, that's what Greenville needs is and there's a lot of people like you actually here. Women, they're hidden gems. Yes. It's a hidden For sure. A hundred percent. Women that are like, oh, you're freaking awesome. Which is why all the women, the girls we've been

Ellen:

having on this podcast, they're all hidden gems here. For sure. So, okay.

chloe:

Well I think that that was, we are gonna wrap this up. You guys, you can find Southern Soleil on socials, on Instagram, on Facebook. You can book with her. Um, you know, most importantly too, we hope that you guys just got some just do it energy today. Yes. And you can see like, showing up is glowing up and mm-hmm. You can be up, down, and all around with whatever it is with your business idea or whatever, but the crazier the better in our opinion. Yeah. If you have a crazy idea or if you feel like there's something that the world needs, that's kind of why we were created was for different purposes. And so go out and do it. All right guys.

Ellen:

See you guys next time. Bye.