Meet Anette Mangum | Licensed Cosmetologist/Wax Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anette Mangum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anette, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process honestly wasn’t easy. I had been thinking about starting my own business for quite a long time, years to be exact. I actually attempted to start my business back in 2019 when I still lived in Cali. It didn’t go well and was a “wrong timing” type of thing. I was super scared then and was even more scared this time around because I felt like I had failed before I even started the first time. It was a lot of me questioning whether I would be able to handle the stress of it all. It was a lot of “What if?”. On top of all the self doubting questions, I was just very unhappy where I was working for so many reasons and a huge part of that factored into my decision. I honestly didn’t want to be a business owner because I loved being able to just clock-out and go home and not have to worry about the ins and outs of running a business. I just got to a point where I was so miserable with the way things were going that I felt like the stress would be worth it in the end. It helped that I had a lot of encouragement from family, my husband, and friends. Just so many people believed in me and that helped me believe in myself so much more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a Cosmetology license, however, I do not do hair. I do full body waxing and will soon be adding vagacials and brow lamination and tinting to my menu. It’s kind of an over saturated market now but I think what sets me apart from others is that I truly put everything I have into what I do. It’s an experience for my clients. They are basically my friends that I see once a month or so. I remember things about them because I want them to each feel special and not like they are just a dollar sign to me. Some of the services they receive from me are in intimate areas of the body so it is super important that they trust me and are comfortable because it helps them get through the process a bit easier. I really care about them as people and it is important for them to know that. Personalizing their services is super important because this is their skin and everyone isn’t the same.

I am very proud that I broke out of the fear enough to get started. My business is super new. I opened July 5 so I still have a lot of journey ahead of me and I think I am most excited to see where it’s all going to go. I got here with a lot of hard work, learning, and growing. It definitely wasn’t easy and it took me a while to finally decide to get into cosmetology. Initially I only wanted to work with brows and makeup but going through school and then working for a waxing company opened my eyes to so much. Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you and I just stayed focused and had tunnel vision for what I wanted to accomplish. If you know me, you would know, whatever I really want to do, I find a way to get it done. I think just being a strong person in general and having support from family and friends is what helped me get through the challenges. I’ve had to learn that for most of us, the path isn’t going to be easy. You will fall down. I’ve fallen more times than I can count but I always found a way to get up. I’ve learned that you really have to be strong, believe in yourself, and put in the work.

I really want the world to know that my story isn’t a perfect one. I’ve had my struggles, but those struggles are part of what made me the person I am today and what got me to my business and my brand. I feel like things happen for a reason and I’m going to continue turning my obstacles into stepping stools to push me and my business as far as I can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Where do I even begin. It’s so many really great places to eat and lots of things to do. I personally have loved Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Pluckers, Velvet Taco, Maestro’s and Chimys which are both off 7th Street in Downtown FW. I love the fried alligator at Pappadeaux’s and Razzoo’s. Man I can talk about the food here all day. As far as places to hang and visit, the Fort Worth Zoo, Dallas Aquarium, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science are for sure top of the list. You definitely have to have a game plan because it’s literally so much to do that my brain just gets overloaded sometimes lol. I definitely have spent a lot of time on 7th street recently. There’s a really cool bar called The Shot Cellar. They have so many different shots to pick from and the best thing is they have karaoke on Thursdays and Sundays. Bar hopping over there is always super fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my family. My mom has been trying to light the fire under me for so long. She was always trying to convince me to stop letting fear hold me back so I credit her a lot for it. My siblings who have always been so encouraging. My family has really just been super supportive all the way from California. My husband has held my hand through this whole process and has helped in any way he is able. I want to thank my friends, some from Cali and some who are from Texas who have gone through and still are going through the process of owning a small business. They have shared my posts and given me advice. Special shout out to Paige, the owner of Engage Beauty Studios. She’s been like a mentor and continuously gives me advice based on the steps she took to get started. She took a lot of the guess work out of it for me. Last but not least I am thankful for my clients who support me and show me so much love. They truly remind me why I am passionate about what I do. They are always referring people to me and really try to help me build my business up.

Website: glowbynicole.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/glowbynicolellc

Facebook: facebook.com/glowbynicolellc

Other: Email: Glowbynicolellc@Gmail.com