Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaelyn Brooks.
Hi Kaelyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the owner of The Brat Life Beauty Bar. I provide custom cosmetic and personal care items such as lip glosses, lip oils, lip scrubs, body scrubs, body butters and more. I am 26 years old and I currently live in Dallas, Tx. My business started off as only makeup my freshman year of high school;I wanted to look the part of getting older and growing up. Makeup turned into a main focus after getting so many compliments on the makeup I did on myself and some of the other students but looking back on those pictures now I laugh because the makeup was terrible. Makeup was a big stepping stone for me.After going a few different directions with my brand, I tried to include acrylic nail and nail art but realized that it was more of a fun hobby of mine. Now, after many attempts it is clear that skin care and beauty is something I have been into since starting off with makeup and it became something that drives me everyday. If you ask my daughter’s father he could go on and on about how long I take in the bathroom doing self care but that’s what got me into this business in the 1st place. I am a full time mom to an amazingly hilarious little girl named Lani Kae, work a full time job and help manage Synclair Lashes in Arlington, Tx.all while perfecting my products and brand. Something people don’t know is all of the trial and errors it took for me to get here.I’ve been through about 3-4 names for my business. There were so many different services that I wanted to provide and offer but I was ALWAYS too afraid to really start a business. Anyone who has been here with me from the start of it all will tell you how much I doubted myself, even with all the talent I have, it terrified me to start a business and not succeed . Growing up my mom prided herself on making sure that if I was going to do something, I did it to the best of my ability, the presentation was as perfect as possible and that it reflected what I was trying to accomplish.
With that mindset instilled in me, if my business was not where I imagined it to be, I would just quit or “put it on hold” because it wasn’t the picture perfect idea I had in my head. My dad and brother always made sure I knew that there was no such thing as NOT making something happen.-if I wanted something bad enough,I would find a way to make it happen! If the timing wasn’t right, I didn’t have the money, or if I wasn’t in a good position in life then I felt it was not the best idea to start my business. I have always been hard on myself and still till this day I have my moments where I beat myself up for not being further along in my journey as an entrepreneur but then I have to think “look at where I am now compared to all the other times I tried to start a business.”
It may not look like it now but if I keep taking these leaps of faith like I did with Brat Life Beauty Bar the possibilities are endless, you just have to start somewhere. Being transparent, no one would ever know until now that I did not take my brand as seriously as I should have. After preparing for my 1st pop up shop it brought perspective on how much work, effort, sleepless nights, tears, care, and love really go into a business. I literally was like “what did I get myself into”. I was all over the place and I felt so unprepared but no one have ever known that. I met my goal that day and it only pushed me to go harder for success. I haven’t taken a day off from my brand even if I don’t post as often as I should. I am constantly researching quality ingredients, better packaging, watching videos or reading articles on new products that are coming out.
This is by far the most eye opening journey that I have been on, it has taught me so many things and has helped shape me to be better in all areas of my life as well. The Brat life beauty Bar is just the beginning.I plan to come out with a kids line. I even have a men’s body butter that is a big hit right now.
ALL of my products now can be used for any skin type. I want my brand to be all inclusive. Without God and my support system none of what I am trying to build would be possible. I thank you all for the love and support. The Brat life Beauty Bar will be a common household name. Kae Brooks- The Owner of The Brat Life Beauty Bar.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success is NEVER easy. I’ve always been very hard on myself when it came to starting or taking my business seriously. I’ve always had it in my head that any work I did or business I tried had to be perfect and meet my standard, but that’s never the case. You just have to start somewhere. When I decided to finally take myself and my talent seriously, life hit me hard. My whole personal life was crashing down around me all while I was preparing for a soft release. I think that’s the part that business owners should talk about a lot more. You have to deal with your personal problems all while you press through all your business endeavors. The week leading up to my soft release I paid someone to do my website, she scammed me out of $1,000 dollars. My lip gloss tubes were supposed to be delivered a week before the soft release and they came 2 weeks later, the containers I ordered for the body butter were way smaller than what I thought they would be. I was trying to hold myself together. At that moment I felt like it was a sign that this wasn’t for me. I was going to just cancel everything but my sister in law Megan called and checked on me everyday. She kept telling me “Kae you’ve got to keep going, it’s ok to cry but you have to keep going. You have worked too hard and put too much into this to stop now.” I felt like I owed myself at least that, just get through this soft release and see how it goes. Once the orders started rolling in. I didn’t want to quit anymore. Now my business is doing great, My website is being made as we speak, so if you wanna place any orders before it’s up, you can use my social media. I have revamped my logo to look more mature and appealing. I was given this amazing opportunity. Everything sent to destroy me this year didn’t work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the owner of The Brat Life Beauty Bar. I make and sell cosmetic and personal care products such as lip gloss, lip oils, lip scrubs, body scrubs, body butters and more. Everything is handmade, and personally packaged. I do everything from start to finish. I make the labels, business cards, thank you stickers, everything that has my brand on it I make(except my shirts and mask. My sister in law Megan makes those.) Personally I’ve always known for my personality or hair. I love standing out from the crowd, but professionally I am known for my products. They suit all skin types. You have sensitive skin?I have something for it. Do you have rough skin? The Brat Life Beauty Bar has something for it. Do you need something custom made? I can do that too. I am most proud of how far I have come. The growth that I see in myself as a small business owner, as far as what sets me apart? My care. I care about people. I care that other people are truly happy. My intentions will always be genuine, personal and business wise. I make sure I research everything I use. I test it on myself or close friends and family. Having just a little time to pamper yourself does so much for a person, and if my brand and amazing products can help with that, then I am satisfied.
What makes you happy?
My daughter makes me the happiest. That’s who inspires me to do my best, even when I don’t have it in me. She has seen me break down a few times, and every time she has. Aylani was right there wiping my tears saying ” Mommy kaaayy (mommy are you ok?) then she gave me a head nod and a kiss and I kept going. It’s nothing like having the love of your child on the worst days. Dealing with personal issues while dealing with business issues is a whole other level of stress, but it’s worth it when I see her smile at me.
She cheers me on when I’m working and just in life. Lani will walk around our house putting on my lip gloss and popping her lips then lick it off or if she see’s I’m putting on body butter she’ll stick her fingers in it and rub it on her legs too and that just makes my heart melt. She is just the happiest toddler with a soul of Gold. She has the smile of a thousand suns so it’s hard to NOT be happy around her. She hates to see people down. The second thing would be my support system. They have seen me at my lowest especially this year and it’s rare to have people around you with genuine intentions but I am grateful for them.
Pricing:
- $15.00 for lip gloss/lip oil/lip scrub
- $25.00 for body bars
- $30.00 for an 8oz body butter
- $20.00 for headbands
- $30.00 for body scrubs
- $25.00 for body oil
Contact Info:
- Email: Thebratlife.beautybar@thebratlife.co
- Website: www.TheBratLife.co
- Instagram: TheBratLife.BeautyBar
- Facebook: The Brat Life Beauty Bar
