Today we’d like to introduce you to Naomi Jones.
Hi Naomi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in the beauty industry started much more humbly than where I am today. I began doing lashes from home, literally in my kitchen area. At the time, I was a new mom, so there were days when I would be breastfeeding and doing lashes, or rocking my daughter in her car seat with my foot while working on a client. It wasn’t glamorous, but I was determined, and I knew I had found something I genuinely loved.
Eventually, a local barbershop owner gave me an opportunity to work out of the back of his shop. I was still very early in my journey and honestly figuring things out as I went. One day, a client asked me if I offered another beauty service. I had to tell her no because I didn’t have the education or licensing to perform it. I’ve always been the type of person who sees an opportunity and immediately starts thinking about how I can grow into it, so instead of continuing to turn away opportunities, I enrolled in esthetician school that same week.
That decision changed the trajectory of my life.
I became a licensed esthetician and continued investing heavily in my education, earning multiple certifications and expanding my expertise in lashes, permanent makeup, brows, and other areas of the beauty industry. Over the years, I’ve had different spaces, experienced different seasons of business, made mistakes, learned what worked and what didn’t, and continued evolving both as an artist and as a business woman.
What started as simply wanting to provide beauty services eventually became much bigger for me. I realized I wasn’t only passionate about the actual service, I loved creating the entire experience.
Today, after almost a decade in the beauty industry, I’m building from a completely different perspective. Wake Up Beauty represents the foundation of my journey and the artistry that helped build my career, while The Echelon Reserve represents the evolution of that vision creating an elevated, intentional beauty experience that feels exclusive from the moment a client walks through the door.
One of the most beautiful parts of my journey is realizing that I never had everything figured out. I simply kept moving. Every stage taught me something that prepared me for the next one.
When I look back at the woman working from her kitchen while rocking her baby with her foot, I don’t see a small beginning anymore. I see the foundation. She was learning how to create something out of whatever she had available to her.
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?
Man oh man smooth? It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I honestly don’t think I would have the perspective or resilience I have today if it had been.
One of my biggest struggles was learning how to transition from being talented at my craft to actually becoming a businesswoman. Those are two completely different skill sets. I had to learn pricing, marketing, branding, client retention, finances, boundaries, and how to make decisions based on the future of my business instead of just what felt good in the moment.
There were also seasons where I had to rebuild, pivot, and reinvent myself. The beauty industry changes constantly, and what worked five or ten years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. I’ve had to continue educating myself, adding new skills, understanding new platforms, and figuring out how to remain authentic while still evolving.
Another challenge has been balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood and my personal life. When you own a business, there isn’t always a clear line between work and home. There have been times when I’ve been completely locked into a vision and had to learn that success isn’t only about how hard I can work it’s also about creating a life and business that are sustainable.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a licensed esthetician and beauty entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the industry. My foundation is in lashes, brows, and permanent makeup. But today, I would say what I really specialize in is creating an experience around beauty.
Wake Up Beauty is the brand that grew with me throughout my career and represents my artistry and expertise in the beauty industry. The Echelon Reserve is an extension of that journey and represents where my creativity has taken me today. With Echelon, I’m creating an environment where beauty, art, luxury, and hospitality all meet. I want people to walk into the space and immediately feel like they’ve entered something different.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that true growth in this industry doesn’t come from mastering services alone, but from learning how to create feeling and intention behind everything you do. Early on, I focused on technique and skill, but over time I realized that what people remember most is how they felt in your space. That shift changed everything for me and taught me to build experiences, not just offer services. That perspective is what led me to expand Wake Up Beauty into Echelon Reserve and continue evolving my work in a more creative direction.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wakeupbeautyllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wakeupbeautyllc
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/theechelonreserve
