Black Beauty Pros Profile of the Week: Dominique Gonzalez of BrowDom Brows & Beauty
Every February, in honor and recognition of Black History Month, we want to share important, insightful advice, insight, and perspectives from ambitious, talented, and successful Black beauty pros in the industry.
This year, we've chosen four incredible beauty pros who span the beauty industry (all of whom happen to be Elite Beauty Society members, too) to interview, chat with, and learn from. And guess what? We're sharing all the interviews here.
These members of the EBS community have taken their careers and their success to new and incredible levels, and now, they're sharing their insight, passion, and talent with us (and you!)
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Black beauty pro Dom Gonzalez shares her experience on how she's grown her brow and beauty business while offering career-boosting advice for fellow Black beauty professionals.
Meet Dominique (Dom) Gonzalez: Beauty & Brow Boss
Initially, Dom began her beauty pro journey as a makeup artist, doing a little freelance work here and there and offering her services to retailers like Ulta & Saks Fifth Avenue.
From there, Dom met a group of amazing cosmetologists who encouraged her to branch out and become a licensed esthetician. After beauty school, she applied to work for Nordstrom and got her start doing brows for The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Studio in Oak Brook.
Now, she runs BrowDom, an inclusive luxury beauty studio that specializes in all things brows.
Her services include things like waxing, tinting, brow laminations, micro-shading, and more.
She merges science and art with beauty, ensuring every client's brows fit their face, match their aesthetic, and make them feel (and look!) their best.
Readers can check out Dom's business, BrowDom Brows & Beauty, and follow along with her salon on Instagram, too.
Our Exclusive Q&A with Dom Gonzalez
How did you get started in the beauty industry?
I got started in the industry a little over seven years ago. I was just working in beauty and freelance makeup for places like Ulta. I've always had a love for beauty, skincare, makeup, and things of that nature. In my journey, I met people who encouraged me to go to esthetics school. I was lucky–I had the right people in my life at the right time driving me to become a licensed beauty professional. Now, I specialize in all things brows.
What's something you love about being in the esthetics industry?
I think the thing I love most, truly, is meeting people from different walks of life. But also, creating a safe space for people to get their brows done and feel like they're in a mini therapy session. People know they can come here and feel safe and feel beautiful after their appointment.
How do you feel the representation of Black beauty pros in the world today has impacted you?
I feel like the representation of Black beauty pros impacted me a lot. I always felt like there weren't a lot of communities out there where we're the majority. Going from company to company, there were never more than 5 or so of us in the beauty department. Then, going to beauty school, I realized there were (and still are) lots of black & brown people in the industry. I was able to connect with a lot of other Black beauty professionals. So, now, I have a really solid foundation of what I call a tribe of Black beauty professionals. That's helped me decide to speak out more to Black beauty professionals in the industry and create a community of my own.
Where do you personally believe you've seen the most growth and progress in the industry that's directly inspired you?
For Black beauty professionals, I've seen a lot of growth in new techniques, different styles, and new niches–and all of that gives you access to a bigger community to pull from. So, in reality, I feel like it all started with the beauty industry expanding for Black consumers, right? As the industry expanded for Black consumers, it opened up more space for Black beauty professionals.
What do you think are some ways the beauty industry can do better to encourage Black beauty professionals and education?
I feel like I'm seeing our community grow so much, but I think we can do more. I think we could hold panels and open spaces during events like the American Beauty Show to talk about the journeys of being a Black beauty professional, and highlighting more Black estheticians. And having more groups dedicated to hearing the voices of Black beauty pros as well–that would give our community more space to grow.
How are you celebrating and acknowledging Black History Month–personally or within your business?
This is my first Black History Month as a small business owner–I'm coming up of my first complete year. So, it was really important to highlight other beauty professionals in my industry that are local to me or in the Chicago area. I made an Instagram post highlighting some of my favorite black female beauty professionals within the Chicago area. Then, I'm planning to highlight some Black male beauty professionals as well in the middle of the month. I also do Black Esthetician Week as well, so that's another one where I decide to highlight someone I admire within our profession–posting about them and their specialties and hopefully driving more business their way.
What advice would you offer new Black beauty pros?
Wholeheartedly, I advise you to find your tribe–your community. Find people who want to mentor you and just, really, never give up. You've got to believe in yourself. And find your niche, too. I know some people like to be a jack of all trades, but I'm a firm believer if you have your hands in too many pots, you can't focus and really hone in on your skills.
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Meet Hanna Marcus, the Founder and Head Copy Gal behind Boundless Copy, a one-of-a-kind copywriting agency that specializes in big, bold brand voice and industry-disrupting copy that’s all about resonating with the right audience.
Hanna has proudly teamed up with Elite Beauty Society for several years as their go-to copywriter on all things beauty, small biz marketing, and brand voice development. She’s big on feeling-first writing–her personal soapbox is that the best copy starts with telling a story.
When she’s not writing cheeky, converting copy for clients, she’s mentoring other aspiring copywriters and creating digital copywriting products designed for service pros and focused on taking the stress out of DIY copywriting.