Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins

How Expert Brow Care Boosts Confidence For Everyone

• Nick George • Season 1 • Episode 130

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Great eyebrows don’t shout; they frame, lift, and quietly change how you carry yourself. That’s the craft Zenobia Rivera has honed as The Eyebrow Lady, a Denver specialist who’s turned precise shaping and thoughtful maintenance into a confidence-building ritual for people of every age and gender.

We explore how a front-desk job at a five-star spa sparked a career, why New York taught the standards but Denver became home, and how a hard early partnership lesson shaped her business philosophy: scary isn’t bad, scary is just scary. Zenobia breaks down the myths—brows are not a frivolous luxury—and shares realistic maintenance cadences: about four to five weeks for full, fast-growing brows, six to eight weeks for slower growth. She explains how to avoid the long shadow of 90s over-tweezing, when to add tinting, and how subtle, expert changes can make your eyes brighter and your morning routine easier.

We also talk inclusivity and real-world results. From teens learning to avoid heavy-handed tweezers to men opting for clean, natural edges, the salon’s approach is custom and judgment-free. With Instagram before-and-afters, clear pricing, and online booking, quality is transparent and accessible. Located in Denver’s Capitol Hill near the Bluebird and Fillmore, The Eyebrow Lady makes it simple to see the work and schedule your visit.

If you’ve wondered whether professional brow care is worth it, this conversation offers proof, perspective, and practical next steps. Subscribe for more neighbor stories, share with someone growing out their brows, and leave a review to help others find the show.

SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Oh, we didn't go live yet. Dang it. Try that again.

SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of the perfect eyebrows? Well, one place might be closer than you think. Today I have the great pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Zenobia Rivera. The eyebrow lady. Zenobia, how's it going today?

SPEAKER_00:

I'm good, Nick. How are you?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm excellent. Um, tell us all about the eyebrow lady and uh what you guys do there.

SPEAKER_00:

So the eyebrow lady is essentially a salon for eyebrows and eyelashes. Um, we were established back in 2011 after dabbling in another partnership and working for somebody else. I realized I know exactly how I want to do things. I know the quality I want to produce. And people couldn't remember my name called, you know, Zenobia. And so they started shouting the eyebrow lady when they would see me in public. And so I was like, let's go with the obvious, the eyebrow lady.

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome. So, how did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, God, after high school, I realized college and art school was not the path for me. I thought that's what I would inevitably do, but I did not want to do that. So I moved to New York City, got a job at like a high-end celebrity five-star spa, and started just dabbling in. I was just receptioning there. But after so much education, just working in that place, I was like, I actually really, really love this. And so I also then realized New York is not for me, moved back to Denver and went back to beauty school and got my license, worked for other people a few years, but I've been doing this for myself for 15 plus years now.

SPEAKER_02:

For those of you that don't have the ability to see the video and you're just getting this through MP3 on uh through BuzzSprout or one of the other 16 platforms, uh, Zenobia has gorgeous eyebrows. You should go to our YouTube live um and see them. Anyway, um, Zenobia, tell us some myths or misconceptions about taking care of your eyebrows for those that have never done it or that have.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, I think there's two answers to that. One is people kind of see it as like just a luxury, whereas going to the barber, going to the salon, getting your hair cut is kind of a necessity. I think we learned that after COVID lockdown. Everybody was like, I need my freaking haircut, I need my roots touch up. But um, also the other side is people have learned doing it at home doesn't always turn out the way you think it's going to. We have the term 90s brows for a reason because everybody tweezed the heck out of their eyebrows. And, you know, a decade later, they're still hoping for more. So those are two really solid ways. Do you like this is why maybe you need to see us?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, so for people that don't use Google Maps, where are you located?

SPEAKER_00:

So I am in the heart of Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood. I'm kind of between the like the bluebird and the film or theater is good landmarks.

SPEAKER_02:

What's how often should people come visit you to maintain perfect eyebrows?

SPEAKER_00:

For somebody who has ample growth, full eyebrows, you're coming in about once a month. So that to some people imagine is just a little bit sooner than a haircut, but way less than getting a manicure. And for other people, we see them about every eight weeks. So every month to two months would be ideal.

SPEAKER_02:

How do you market yourself now digitally? And who's your target market? It's it's probably not construction workers.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, you would be surprised. We have a very wide range of people who come to see us, which is fantastic because we get to meet new people in different backgrounds every day. Um, but I have clients as young as 12 years old, all the way up to about 75, I'd say. If you have hair, you can come see us essentially. Um, marketing, I really let my name do the talking for me with a name like the eyebrow lady. People can kind of conclude exactly what it is we do. And what I love about social media is, or even like Google, you can't hide the quality of work that you're producing anymore. And people hold you to that. So when they're paying any money for it, really they do expect an amazing quality, and it's nice to be able to showcase that. And so we do a lot of like before and afters on Instagram.

SPEAKER_02:

Nice. Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_00:

No, I think I'm a little too scattered to add that into my my routine.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's every business owner. Um so what do you do for fun when you're not taking care of people this way?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, my partner and I have like a little mini farm at our house. We have just a dog and a cat, but we do a lot of like sitting for people, like friends, animals, and so we have birds in our house sometimes. So love animals. Um, I am actually a huge podcast and audiobook listener. Um, love scary movies, so this is like my favorite time of year.

SPEAKER_02:

Nice. Yeah. Um, you know, you don't have to answer this, but if if you if you want to, that's fine. Uh I've asked this to about half the business owners that I've interviewed. Um, is there something that um in your life that uh maybe wasn't a perfect event that that that or tragedy that made you stronger and the person that the resilient person that you are today um that you'd like to share with us?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I've always been a very trusting person, and that's just always been my nature. And so when I was 23, 24, I'd been an aesthetician for just a couple of years, and I tried to venture out in a partnership with my coworker who became a good friend. And she was about six, seven years older than me. So I thought, I can trust her. This is fantastic. Let's just let her lead. And the partnership definitely erupted and just did not end well. Um, unfortunately lost a friend, but then realized like it's scary doing it on your own, but that doesn't deter me from doing things anymore. Scary doesn't mean bad. Scary is just scary.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Yeah. It's good to it's good to be on your own for a while and and and prove that you can do it. Glad you did. Yeah. Um, so what are all the ways that people can find you again online? Well, no, before you tell me that, yeah, what is the big takeaway that you would like for listeners and viewers to take away from this podcast?

SPEAKER_00:

Is this kind of service is really for everybody, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, profession, is everybody wants to look good, everybody wants to feel good about themselves, look groomed, and something as tiny as eyebrows can really make a huge impact on how somebody presents themselves to the world. And I realize I have this pink tapestry behind me, but we are not this girly place, you know, it's we're the little artsy weird kids that just happen to be aestheticians now.

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, what are all the ways that people can find you online? And is there an old is there a phone number?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you can reach us at 303-960-5752 2025. Obviously, we're doing everything online. So we have a website, eyebrowladydenver.com. You can book online with us, see everything we do, prices, descriptions. And then if you want to see some before and afters, you can reach us at eyebrowlady of Denver at Instagram.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. Well, Zenobia, we really appreciate you being on the show, and we wish you and the Eyebrow Lady the very best moving forward.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you, Nick. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpfortcollins.com. That's gmpfortcollins.com or call nine seven zero four three eight zero eight two five.