Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Joe Uribe .
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been self employed since 2019. I started out in the beauty industry performing Body Cavitation/Body Sculpting. My business grew in the tiny room I was in at a local salon, I then upsized to a bigger room at a bigger location and even that was not enough. I started searching for a building in the area and everything was either out of range or needed to much work, I finally found a location I couldn’t resist. I prayed on it really hard and a week later I got the call that I was approved for that location. I was ecstatic and immediately called my husband!
We got started on the building right away but with covid on the rise we were very delayed. While working on the store we realized we had so much open space. So I decided to turn the extra space into a boutique! I started online with the delay on the store and immediately started bringing in customers. It was all so new to me but I was catching on so quick! I absolutely loved it. I now own my very first brick and mortar location Fota Beauty Boutique. We are a local boutique salon that offer small services and a wide range of retail!
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?
I don’t think any business owner had it easy and most definitely has gone through it along the way! I know I did! I cried everyday haha! Covid really put a strain on opening and delayed us so much! It was very stressful waiting on approval from the city on every little thing. I also had a newborn whom I breast fed 24/7 and my daughter who was out of school at the time due to the pandemic. So I had family pressure on top of trying to open a whole store! I look back now and honestly I can’t even tell you how I made it though haha. But thank God!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Fota stands for “Fairest of Them All” I chose this name because I want everyone to feel their best. Whether that be them getting a service done or picking out an outfit I want them to see themselves and leave truly feeling that they are worthy. I perform Body Sculpting in our salon part. I absolutely love what I do. I love making people feel amazing. If anything I am known for specializing in Body Cavitation. I have been in the beauty industry for over 9 years. I freelanced and specialized in wedding makeup for some years.
Even though that is a really good question, I wish I had an answer for it! I honestly don’t know what sets me apart from others haha! I just try my best in what I do and try not to compare myself to others. I am most proud of our brand showing women that we are worthy, that as women we can make it. A lot of people don’t know that we cater to women’s and children’s shelters. We also are donating half of our sales for October to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Our store is very active with the community and as a Latina owner, we are members of the Hispanic Chamber in Fort Worth.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m not big on books but I am big on blogs! I look at business blogs almost everyday! It’s great to learn new information and know that I’m not the only business owner who struggles from time to time! I also like that the blogs always have new business ideas! Those are my favorite!
Contact Info:
- Email: fotabeautyboutique@
gmail.com - Instagram: @fotabeautyboutique
- Facebook: Fota Beauty Bar
