We had the good fortune of connecting with Yolanda Correa- De Franco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yolanda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There was a friend who owned a beauty studio back in California that I was fortunate enough to work for. She was a single mom who created this successful business and brand. I really admired her and knew, if she can do it, so can I. That is what got me in the mind set of wanting to own my own business someday.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets me apart from others in my field is this is not just a job to me. Its my passion. I am passionate about helping others not only look beautiful but feel beautiful, inside and out. My main goal is to help people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin also while recognizing their own beauty within themselves.

Starting my own business was not an easy process, by any means. With raising 3 kids and working a full time job, I had no idea how it was going to happen, just that it would someday. I started off working my dream job at Mac Cosmetics. Then I went to beauty school and got my esthetician license. Afterwards, I slowly started building my clientele on the weekends whenever I had extra time. It was a lot of hard work from working a full time job, raising kids, and doing my beauty stuff on the side, eventually everything aligned. My full time job was downsizing the department I was in so it was a matter of time that my job would become obsolete. That’s when I decided to take a leap of faith and go out on my own. To my surprise and the right marketing not to mention support of friends and family, I was able to open my own place and have clients already booked out that whole month of just opening my doors.

Now, 9 years later, my husband Phillip and I have turned Bombshellz Beauty Bar & Ink into your one stop beauty shop by offering a wide range of services from Eyelash Extensions, Permanent Makeup, Facials, Scalp Micropigmentation, tattoos, and more!

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from all is this is, nothing is unattainable. If you have a dream, go for it! Keep working towards that goal and eventually, you’ll end up there. It doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. It doesn’t mean it’ll be quick but with patience and perseverance, it will happen.

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.
When friends come to visit, I am always excited because there is so many fun things to do in town. I usually show them my favorite places like downtown Gilbert where there’s a ton of amazing restaurants to choose from. Not to mention other cool things like ice cream shops, candy stores, and arcade bars. Next up would be site seeing around town showing them our favorite places with beautiful views like Superstition Mountains, the Hole in the rock in Tempe, or South Mountain. From there I would take them to some other cool areas we enjoy from Tempe town lake in the evening and stopping for some wine and bruschetta at Postinos, then downtown Phoenix for 1st Friday to enjoy good music, good eats and good artwork. Then we would head out of town and see beautiful Sedona and my favorite place, Jerome. Its such a cool quirky town, its definitely a must see!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I attribute my success to several individuals in my life who helped lead me, guide me, inspire me, and encourage me.

My old friend, Rebecca Sell, who owns Kiss and Makeup in San Jose, Ca is the 1st person that inspired me. With having a successful business doing what she loved while raising kids was so admirable to me. I’ve always been into all things beauty so the idea of having my very own studio to call mine someday doing what I loved was something I knew I wanted.

Although I did not achieve this dream right away, becoming a mother is something that motivated me to start working on my dream. At that point, I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen but I knew I would do whatever it took to get there.

Last but not least, I have to mention that I would not be here without my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He has paved the way and aligned everything in my path to get where I am today and the success that has come along with it. There were always obstacles in my way but with his help, I was able to overcome them. I didn’t always know this but looking back, it has become obvious that he had a hand in it all.

Website: Bombshellzbeautybar.com

Instagram: @Bombshellzbeautybar

Other: Booking site Vagaro.com/bombshellzbeautybar

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.