Community Highlights: Meet Michelle Ornelas of I’d Wax That Bar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Ornelas.

Hi Michelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
As a first-generation Mexican-American, it’s a lot of pressure to make your parents proud because they did so much for us to make sure we had a good future here in America. As any senior in high school, the most popular question is “What are your plans after high school?”

A question that often lingered in my head and I sadly didn’t really have an answer to. The pressure of hearing my friends talk about their choice of college and me not really knowing yet was getting to me. I was never a big “school person”, but I did not want to disappoint my parents so I decided to attend college the following fall and quickly came to the realization that it was not my thing. The disappointment was an understatement, but I had to do what was right and what was best for me so I decided to drop out. That’s when I really started to think “What do I like to do?” And that’s when it all clicked.

I loved skincare, I loved lash extensions, I love brows, and I loved everything that had to do in the beauty industry. I had suffered from acne and that’s what really gained my interest in the skincare world. As I got deeper into it, I fell in love with it. It all started to feel right. I had no question in mind that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted people to feel what I feel. To fall in love with themselves and feel great about themselves. Insecurities can sometimes make or break you, especially as a woman. I immediately started to look into beauty schools and toured schools. I worked and saved up for a year and I finally attended Paul Mitchell in Murfreesboro in October of 2020. I went when it was during covid so my experience was quite different of course but I still had an amazing experience there! I loved every second of it. I always knew I wanted to go solo.

That was always my plan. Throughout school, I would buy stuff for my business. I took lash courses. I practiced on whoever I could. I posted any work I did in school. I knew what I wanted since the beginning and I just knew I was going to get where I’m at now one way or another. And I’m still not finished. I still have so many goals to achieve and I can’t wait to see it unfold in front of me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth ride. Starting from the ground up with 0 clients can sometimes be discouraging, In the beginning, I would sometimes go days without clients. But, I never gave up. I continued posting my work and made sure to always take pictures of my work!

Even if you think no one is watching, people are always watching and they will book! I was finally able to leave my part-time job as a waitress about 8-9 months into my going as a solo esthetician and that was an amazing feeling. It showed me that all the hard work was paying off and it still is! It’s only going to get better day by day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a first-generation Mexican-American business owner. I’m an esthetician and I specialize in lash extensions and full-body waxing. What sets me apart as a lash tech is that I really work with my client’s eyes and what would be most fitting for them as individuals.

I enjoy watching their faces glow up when they see the big reveal at the end. I’m proud to say my clients become long-time friends, and it’s truly a pleasure helping them feel their best selves!

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People in my community can help me grow and expand by spreading the word and sharing my work with others.

Pricing:

• Classic sets are $130, fills are $80
• Hybrid sets $140, fills $85
• Wet set/mascara set $140, $fills $85
• Volume set $150, fills $90
• Anime lash set $145, fills $85

Contact Info:

• Website: https://id-wax-that-bar.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idwaxthatbar/