Joi Mebane Speaks On Disrupting The Brow Industry

While in college for nursing, I did everyone’s brows in my dorm room. During my undergrad years, I realized that I was not truly passionate about a nursing career. Seeing doctors come in and see patients for a minute and getting paid the big bucks while nurses did all the work, made me realize the importance of having a specialty or niche. Knowing I was not going to continue school to be in the medical field, I continued with business classes and transitioned into a salon where I specialized in only doing brows and lashes. I loved it! Other stylists thought I was crazy for pretty much only doing brows, but I was able to make more money doing fewer clients than anyone else in the salon. After being at the salon for a few years, I was presented with the opportunity to open my own beauty kiosk inside the mall and I went for it! 

2. Why should someone enroll in your in-person training sessions / online program over another?

When I first started, I didn’t have a mentor to guide me through the in depth process of being an entrepreneur. So when it comes to educating my students I want to be the mentor I never had. I have actually been through every step, from learning a trade, mastering it, opening a business, managing and scaling. I am experienced with each part of the process. I’ve dealt with almost every possible set back and situation and was able to pivot and come up with a solution for it all. Whether it’s learning a skill like microblading, launching a product, opening a brick and mortar or ecommerce business I share my exact steps so you can replicate the process in your own business.3. What type of clients do you like working with most?

They say you attract clients like yourself. Most of my clients are everyday women with goals, responsibilities and are constantly on the go. These women are leaders in their families, circle of friends and in their businesses. Working with these types of women inspires me to not just sell a product, but to educate and empower through makeup, beauty and brows. Women want to be able to keep up with their beauty routine themselves. So I educate my beauty clients on every product I use and how I apply it so they can take the skills back home with them and have that boost of confidence in their everyday lives.4. What’s the average cost to be a part of your programs and events?

Training and classes range from $1,500 – $3,500. In late 2020, I teamed up with two brands, The Perfect Brow Stencil and Artistry Brows, and were able to discount my Microblading to Ombre Shading Tour to only $500. In this class, students learn microblading, micro/ombre shading and review eyebrows 101. Students leave certified in their new service and are able to add it to their business model. The pandemic affected so many people. I wanted to be able to teach people a trade that will always make them money, while keeping in mind the struggles people faced during this tough time. Beauty is a billion dollar industry and even in the middle of a pandemic, recession, race riots people still want to look and feel beautiful. Investing and learning how to get into the beauty industry creates a recession proof business model and allows women and men from all walks of life financial freedom.

5. How do you feel or know that your company has disrupted the beauty / brow industry?

The Look By Joi has disrupted the beauty industry by being one of the leading eyebrow artists in the industry. When initially starting my business my goal was to specialize in brows. People thought I was crazy! But I knew the importance of a niche and how that would position me as an expert. Not only did my niche bring me amazing, loyal clients, brows brought me students that wanted to duplicate my success. After 18 years in business, and over 2,000 students, I am able to continue to disrupt the beauty industry by educating more men and women and adding to the overall economy of the beauty industry. Like I said before, the beauty industry isn’t going anywhere and my goal is to empower more people for success.

6. Has the advice and services you provided to clients helped them to disrupt the marketplace wherever they are as well? 

Like I said before, this skillset is recession and pandemic proof. Microblading, micro/ombre shading and permanent makeup are a high ticket offer in the beauty industry. My students are able to charge a premium price for a premium service. This gives them financial freedom and the ability to become experts in their own right. 

Back in December 2020, I taught a Microblading 101 class in Atlanta. One of my students opened her microblading studio less than 3 months later with a waitlist of clients and was able to stay in business throughout this past year still mid-pandemic.

7. What trends do you see happening in the beauty world as we continue along in 2021?

Over the past 18 years I have been in the beauty industry, it has gone from cosmetics to cosmetic, meaning people are looking for more semi-permanent beauty services. Women, and men, want to “wake up like this.” They don’t want to have to depend on a beauty professional to look good everyday. They want services that last and are more into learning do-it-yourself ways to compliment the professionals’ work. So in the future, people will definitely depend on more semi-permanent beauty services and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of these services develop in the industry.

8. What is your ultimate goal?