Today, we’d like to introduce you to Seung Szczechowski.
Seung, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey in the beauty industry spans the length of over 26 years now, with the last 16 years devoted to excelling in the permanent makeup niche. I began my career working for others at a spa, gaining invaluable experience and honing my skills. However, I always knew I wanted to open my own business and invest in myself and my dreams. So, about fourteen years ago, I took the leap to open my own business, Tashi Brow & Skin Studio, which has given me the freedom to truly express my artistry and connect with clients on a deeper level.
My interest in PMU was sparked by a desire to create a form of art with a lasting impact. Before I learned how to do permanent makeup, I meticulously tweezed and waxed my client’s brows, creating beautiful brows that lasted for a temporary period. I remember many of my clients expressing to me that they loved my art and wished their brows always looked like they did after coming to see me. That’s how the idea of PMU first crossed my mind. From there, I became absolutely obsessed. I remember putting my kids to bed at night and then immersing myself in studying, often reading hundreds of pages on color theory until the light of the early dawn startled me out of my hypnotic state.
This dedication to understanding the intricacies of my craft laid a strong foundation for my expertise; I have had the privilege of studying under some of the most prominent instructors in the PMU sphere, which has significantly shaped my approach and techniques.
Their mentorship and the knowledge I gained from them have been invaluable, and it’s something that I aim to pass on, now that I often teach students of my own as a certified SPCP Trainer. It’s always a humbling, beautiful moment when I think back upon my decades of training, as a new student enters my doors. It’s a symbol of the cyclical nature of life, as well as a reminder of where I’ve started and how far I’ve come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Opening and owning Tashi Brow & Skin Studio has been a journey filled with both rewards and challenges. On the one hand, I am obsessed with permanent makeup, and I have such a passion for this field that I wake up genuinely excited to go to work. My love for what I do and the joy of seeing my clients’ satisfaction keeps me motivated and resilient.
However, the road is not always smooth. The uncertainties of being a small business owner can weigh on you, especially during times when business is slow. During the height of the Covid pandemic, it was especially tough having to close my doors, knowing that, unlike if I were working as an employee for a large business, I wouldn’t be receiving any paychecks during the many months of isolation. (And while Covid exemplified this stress, ensuring steady business always lurks in the back of the mind of most small business owners, even during times of full schedules and prosperity!).
Yet, the much-appreciated loyalty of my clients, combined with my inner faith, keeps a beacon of hope in my heart in the darkest times and reinforces my commitment to offering the best possible service. Knowing that my clients trust me and believe in the value of my work is incredibly uplifting and motivating. And, at the end of the day, I remind myself: each obstacle I face teaches me valuable lessons, and every success reaffirms my belief in perseverance and dedication.
I am deeply thankful for my loyal clients, whose trust and support have been the cornerstone of Tashi Brow & Skin Studio’s success. Their satisfaction and confidence drive me to continue excelling in my craft. Through every high and low, my commitment to learning and my passion for permanent makeup and skincare have remained steadfast, guiding me toward ever greater heights.
As you know, we’re big fans of Tashi Brow & Skin Studio. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
At Tashi Brow & Skin Studio, we specialize in the art of permanent makeup, as well as skincare. When I first opened up Tashi Brow & Skin Studio, we focused almost exclusively on creating amazing permanent brows, and this is what we are most well-known for today.
While some studios may use stencils to shape your brows in a one-size-fits-all format, we take immense pride in our ability to meticulously hand-tailor and hand-draw each brow shape to complement our client’s unique facial features, ensuring a natural and harmonious look — and it’s this next-level attention to detail that sets us apart from many other permanent makeup businesses. I have been crafting permanent brows for over 15 years now, and the knowledge and confidence in my craft I’ve acquired over those years is an invaluable asset to my business. I’ve studied with some of the most renowned experts in the industry and am confident that we offer the most bang for your buck in the brow industry.
But long gone are the days when we only specialize in permanent brows! Over the years, we’ve added a whole array of PMU services to the menu, from beautiful permanent eyeliner options to a personal favorite of mine: permanent lip blushing.
We also provide scalp micropigmentation for those experiencing hair loss – a procedure that replicates the appearance of and stimulates hair follicles, offering a natural-looking solution to thinning hair – and 3D Areola Tattooing for survivors of breast cancer. Additionally, our microneedling and fibroblasting treatments are designed to rejuvenate and revitalize the skin, addressing concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, and overall skin texture, and have been a particular hit with my clients – and, not to brag, but my microneedling skills are so steady that I’ve had doctors ask me to teach them my ways.
I think it’s a combination of the time I’ve spent mastering my craft and the positive impact we have on our clients’ lives that I am most proud of. Whenever I have an insecure client walk into my shop – whether that insecurity stems from sparse brows, prominent scars, or anything in between – I have this inner light that pops on inside me and a driving need to do anything I can to make my client feel happy and confident when they leave my studio.
And it’s always so satisfying to see my client’s smile at the end of a long session!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my journey is the value of perpetual growth and education. I’ve always had an enormous appetite for knowledge – a never-ending quest – and this mindset has been instrumental in shaping my approach to beauty at Tashi Brow & Skin Studio.
Permanent makeup is an ever-evolving field, which means resting on your laurels is not an option. To stay at the forefront of the beauty industry, you must be willing to embrace change and seek out new knowledge relentlessly while always advocating for techniques that lead to better results (rather than techniques that will bring in the most revenue).
Take, for example, microblading. Microblading became wildly popular sometime around 2012, and so I decided to get a better understanding of it and acquire knowledge and training in this specialty. But when I learned that microblading can be harsh and abrasive to the skin, I instantly switched back to nanoblading, which I knew was much safer and would lead to better results – despite the fact that a good majority of prospective clients were looking for microblading, because that was the hot new search term. So, instead of chasing after the newly popular option, I made this conscientious decision to ensure I offered the highest quality option to my clients.
Over time, I built a reputation for never taking shortcuts in my business and always focusing on quality – and that’s led to a unique situation where I often have new clients come to me for correction work. It may seem shocking, but 90 percent of the time, when a client comes to me to have their brows corrected, it’s because of another technician’s mistakes. Sometimes, this is because the technician used a microblading technique that left scars on their client’s skin; other times, it is because the technician did not understand color theory and chose a pigment that didn’t work with the client’s undertone.
Sometimes, brows need correction work because the technician went too deep with a needle or chose the wrong size; other times, clients need correction work because the technician used a stencil to draw their brows, and it didn’t complement their face shape in any way. In other words, there are so many factors that can lead to a poor outcome (an outcome that sometimes only reveals itself after many months) that staying on top of the most current information and continually enhancing your knowledge is absolutely essential.
Personally, I believe every client deserves the respect and the unquestioned commitment of a passionate, skilled, and dedicated provider who has done their research and will enhance, not diminish, their beauty. Trusting a stranger with your face is not a light task, and so to honor that trust, I always do my best to ensure the utmost quality.
I take this approach in all aspects of my business, which has driven me to study under some of the most renowned experts in the permanent makeup industry. Each new skill or technique I undertake – every additional nugget of expertise I pick up on – not only enhances my own capabilities but also elevates the quality of service I can offer to my clients.
Moreover, this dedication to education isn’t only about adding new services to my clients; it’s about mastering every technical detail of my existing treatments and understanding the nuances of client care, the artistry behind creating perfect brows, and the science of skin health. By continually expanding my knowledge, I can provide a personalized and cutting-edge experience for every client.
That said, the journey of becoming a beauty expert is never complete. It’s a path of continuous improvement, where each step forward opens new possibilities for myself and my cherished clients. This relentless pursuit of excellence drives me, and it’s the cornerstone of our ethos at Tashi Brow & Skin Studio.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tashibrowstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tashibrow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tashibrow/
- Other: @tashiseung.as.me
