Episode 5, Season 2: Meraki Beauty Bar Burnaby, BC This Episode Is A Beauty! Al’s next stop in BC takes him to Burnaby and Meraki Beauty Bar, where owner Michelle Tran and her award-winning staff are committed to making you feel and look great! Michelle left a promising career in finance—a tough sell to her Asian immigrant parents—to make a go of it on her own as a business owner. Listen to how she did it, while also navigating the pandemic. You won’t want to miss this one!
You can learn more about Meraki Beauty Bar at merakibeautybar.ca.
Al Grego:
Hello, everyone. I'm Al Grego. And this is the Yes, We Are Open! podcast.
Today, I'm in Burnaby, BC located between Vancouver and Coquitlam. Burnaby is the third largest city in BC behind Vancouver and Surrey with a population of approximately 250,000. It's also one of 21 municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver.
Burnaby is known for its beautiful natural surrounding and diverse culture. Named after Burnaby Lake, it boasts one of the highest open space to resident ratios in North America, with 25% of its land designated to parks and open spaces. And as far as cultural diversity is concerned, roughly 45% of Burnaby residents have a primary language that is neither English or French. This makes Burnaby a sought after place to live, work and play. Burnaby is also home to two of BC's largest post secondary institutions, Simon Fraser University, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. This afternoon, I'm headed southeast on Kingsway, turn south on Burlington Avenue and enter a quaint little treeline courtyard plaza which is the location of today's story: Meraki Beauty Bar.
Michelle Tran:
Hi, Al.
Al Grego:
Hello.
Michelle Tran:
How are you?
Al Grego:
I'm well. How are you guys?
Michelle Tran:
Good.
Al Grego:
As I enter the store, I'm greeted warmly by staff and by Michelle Tran.
Michelle Tran:
Nice to meet you.
Al Grego:
Meraki Beauty Bar features a welcoming two-story open space with lots of windows. Michelle leads me into what looks like a nail salon room to conduct our interview.
Michelle Tran:
Hey. My name is Michelle Tran. I am a permanent makeup artist and owner of merakibeautybar.ca.
Al Grego:
So, Michelle, let's talk about the origin of Meraki Beauty Bar. When did it open?
Michelle Tran:
It opened in 2017, I'd say.
Al Grego:
2017?
Michelle Tran:
Yeah. I started back in 2016 and I did it as a side job.
Al Grego:
Oh, okay.
Michelle Tran:
I was working a entry-level job in a mortgage firm. That was my last job before I did this. And my girlfriend at the time, she got her brows done. And she sat at my cubicle and she's like, "Do you notice anything different?" I was looking. I'm like, "No, I don't know. I'm not sure what's different." And first thing she said was, "I got my brows done." I'm like, "Wow, it looks so natural. I had no idea you got them done." And she's like, "I see so much potential. I think you can definitely do this as a job." I'm like, "What?" I've never thought of eyebrows as making me money as a living.
So what I did was did a little bit of research, but she kept trying to convince me. I'm like, "No, no. I can't do that." A week later, she hadn't convinced me. She's like, "It's just extra money anyways," and I ended up signing up for the course. It took me about a week to finish. I was so scared to tattoo anybody's face.
Al Grego:
I imagine. [crosstalk 00:03:13]
Michelle Tran:
Could you imagine? Your eyebrows are really full.
Al Grego:
Oh, thanks. [crosstalk 00:03:16]
Michelle Tran:
Yeah, I keep looking at them. They look so good.
Al Grego:
I'm Portuguese.
Michelle Tran:
Ah, that's why. That's why.
I borrowed the money from my parents telling them, "Just letting you know, this is a side job. I'm making more money. I'm going to try to make more money from this." My mom's like, "I'm not going to say no to you making more money."
Al Grego:
Right.
Michelle Tran:
But my dad's like, "Are you sure you'll want to do this?" Because traditional Asians, especially immigrant parents, are like, "Finance. Either you're finance, a lawyer, or a doctor, something along those lines to become successful," Beauty? Ah, that's not the way to go. He ended up saying, "Fine since you're doing this on the side anyways."
And when I started, my main motivation was really to pay back my parents.
Al Grego:
Right.
Michelle Tran:
So I was like, I need to get good. I need to get really good at this so that I can pay them back. I ended up getting booked up three months in advance.
Al Grego:
Wow.
Michelle Tran:
And that's when I felt comfortable and secure enough to not have that passive income coming in all the time. So I told my dad, I think I'm going to quit. Yeah. I'm going to quit my job. And he's like, "You have such a good... You have good benefits there. Why are you doing this?" I'm like, I have a good relationship with him. I'm pretty sure this will be okay. If it goes wrong, I'll come back.
Al Grego:
Yeah.
Michelle Tran:
I'll come back. And as soon as I quit, I told myself, "I'm not coming back. I can't, my pride is just too high."
I rented a room just as big as this one, it was a spa and I was doing that for about a year and a half. And one thing I noticed with my clients is they were always asking if I knew a good lash extension artist. And I'm like, "Huh, there might be a good market for that." So I ended up convincing my sister to do it and I ended up convincing her to quit her job.
Al Grego:
Oh.
Michelle Tran:
And-
Al Grego:
Your parents must have loved that.
Michelle Tran:
They hated me at that time. Thankfully, I proved them wrong. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this with right now.
Jenny Tran:
My name is Jenny Tran. I do eyelash extensions here and I'm a educator as well.
Al Grego:
And you're Michelle's sister.
Jenny Tran:
And I'm Michelle's sister.
Michelle Tran:
She was working at BMW.
Al Grego:
Wow.
Michelle Tran:
It was a pretty good job. And she ended up quitting her job. The room next to me became vacant because the other person renting left. So her and her friend decided to split the rent and do lashes there. So we were kind of tag teaming. My client would get their brows done, go next door and get their lashes done and then good to go.
So we were doing that for about six months. I'm like, "Okay, this is getting ridiculous because we were actually getting busier than the spa itself." That's when I decided that maybe we should expand and open up our own shop.
The shop that we opened up was 800 square feet. It was five minutes away from here. Three people turned to 11.
Al Grego:
Wow.
Michelle Tran:
And then I was like, "Okay, it's getting really packed in here." We were doing lashes most of the time. It was a main breadwinner. I was doing brows by myself and it was still a small room inside the shop.
Al Grego:
Okay.
Michelle Tran:
And then I decided it was getting too crowded. So the space that we originally took over is about 1700 square feet. There's two floors. What really attracted me most about this place was how high the ceilings were.
Al Grego:
Okay.
Michelle Tran:
It's a very big, open space. Originally when we did take over the space, there was many rooms. I took them all out.
Al Grego:
Right.
Michelle Tran:
I really wanted that big open, welcoming... I really like it that people can see the services that are happening.
Al Grego:
Okay. How big was the team when you first started?
Michelle Tran:
When I first started and I opened the first shop, it was three people. And then it turned to 11 and at one point we were at 21.
Al Grego:
Wow. Did you go back to mom and dad and say, "Hey look, I've got 21 employees."
Michelle Tran:
I have never said it. I don't need to. But you know, Asian parents, they don't really say, "I'm proud of you." You can tell because they don't say anything.
Al Grego:
Right.
Michelle Tran:
Or they're here to support you. So when I first opened this place, traditional Chinese parents, they have this big roasted pork in the front, they did the incense, and they had-
Al Grego:
Oh for your grand opening?
Michelle Tran:
[crosstalk 00:07:43] Yeah. They did the red envelopes in every corner and this place has a lot of corners.
Al Grego:
Wow.
Michelle Tran:
So yeah-
Al Grego:
That's amazing.
Michelle Tran:
It was really fun.
Felicia:
My name is Felicia Casanova and I am the store manager as well as a lash technician here. I joined in 2017 and I actually started with them just from day one. They were both, Jenny and Michelle, working at Float Sense at the time and I was a client of both of theirs. And I just kind of realized I needed something different in my life and Jenny offered to teach me and she was holding classes at the time and that was it really. I started and they said, "Hey, you know, we'd love for you to work with us. You've got a decent personality sometimes." And I've been with them since 2017. So five, almost five years.
Aiko:
My name is Aiko [Mallard 00:08:34] and I'm a powder ombre tattoo artist. And I also do the marketing, like the Instagram, for Meraki. I started in late 2019. I took the course here originally. And then Michelle asked if I wanted to work here.
Al Grego:
So you're a former client-
Aiko:
Yes.
Al Grego:
Who then took the course here and you're not working here. That's-
Aiko:
Exactly.
Al Grego:
That's amazing.
Aiko:
Yeah. I love it. It doesn't feel like work and the girls here are amazing. It's like coming home to family, we all get along and we all support each other.
Al Grego:
I sense of pattern here of people who are clients and become employees.
Aiko:
Yeah. They trapped us. They caught us.
Al Grego:
Yeah.
Aiko:
They reeled us in. Almost all the girls that work here, they were actually our clients before. I'm so proud of saying that, is because we find that we get along with them really well and they wanted a change and we were able to support them on that. Which is why I found that, my sister and I, when we transitioned to becoming educators, it was really easy because we were giving that support to the girls that work here as well.
Al Grego:
Where does the name come from? Meraki?
Michelle Tran:
So Meraki, if you hear it, it definitely sounds Japanese. I thought it was Japanese. It's actually Greek.
Al Grego:
Oh, okay.
Michelle Tran:
And if you look, there's actually the same... Can you see it over there?
Al Grego:
Yeah.
Michelle Tran:
So it says, Meraki really means to do something with soul, creativity, or love and to put something of yourself into your work.
Al Grego:
Very nice.
Michelle Tran:
How did I find that would say? I just went on Google and I wrote "pretty words". I'm not even joking. I'm so realistic and I was like, "Oh my gosh, this word is really nice." It has the word M. My name is Michelle.
Al Grego:
Sure.
Michelle Tran:
But it's what it really means. That's what really spoke to me. And-
Al Grego:
You know what? It's a beautiful name. So no one needs know, although you put it in big letters on the wall anyways.
Michelle Tran:
Exactly.
Al Grego:
Up next. After a series of shrewd decisions and moves, Michelle Tran took her interest in eyebrow shaping and tattoo from idea to supplemental income, to a full blown successful business. And she took her sister, Jenny with her, much to her parents' concern, but they were about to face their biggest challenge that would force them to close their doors for months. How did they fare? Stay tuned to find out.
You're listening to, Yes, We Are Open! Michelle Tran and her sister, Jenny, built a thriving business around offering beauty treatments, such as eyebrow shaping and tattoos, lash extensions, nails, lip blush, and body tattoo. Business was growing, as was their team. It seemed there was no end to the possibilities for Meraki Beauty Bar. But then... Well, you know.
If I were to ask you of a moment or an event that happened that maybe put your business in jeopardy or that made you think, "Oh my goodness, we may have to close the doors." What would that be?
Michelle Tran:
It's so funny because I did speak to you over the phone about this topic. And I was like, "Oh, everyone's going to talk about COVID. I don't want to be that person." But you know what, COVID was really the only thing that almost shut us down. Luckily for us, especially in Vancouver, the lockdown only happened once.
Al Grego:
Yeah. You got lucky because-
Michelle Tran:
We were so lucky.
Al Grego:
Other places, there was multiple-
Michelle Tran:
Multiple times.
I'm a workaholic. I work all the time and that's the only thing I know to do. When they shut us down, I was like, "Oh, it's probably going to be for a week. Probably going to be for two weeks". The second month came by and I was like, "Am I ever going to go back to work?" I'm not sure. After the third month, and I could see the light to the end of that tunnel, I was like, "If this was going to happen again, I think I'm probably going to close the shop."
Al Grego:
Right.
Michelle Tran:
And it wasn't financially draining, it was emotionally draining for me as well. I just didn't know what was going to happen. I wasn't sure. Should I sell everything? Should I close? Some people were asking us to pay us double, triple the price to come to their house to get it done during the lockdown.
Al Grego:
Did you do any of that?
Michelle Tran:
No. No, we can't.
Al Grego:
Oh, okay. I was-
Michelle Tran:
For the safety of the staff we were like, "No, that's not going to happen." What if you had something? So that's why we didn't do it. But, trust me, I really wanted to. We had products that we were selling and that was the one thing that was kind of keeping us afloat for a little bit.
Aiko:
I was like, "Oh, we just got started." And I was pretty new here and clients were starting to get to know me, the girls were starting to get to know me. But it's okay. We came back strong.
Felicia:
It was really hard. Initially it started with, "Hey, we're going to close for a week or two." And I thought, "Okay, sure, no problem." It's nice to have a little break because I was working full time since I was 16. Classic story.
Al Grego:
Yeah.
Felicia:
I actually really enjoyed it. And as it started to extend and turned into two months, I started going a little crazy because for someone who has worked or been in school for so long, it's weird not to do anything.
Michelle Tran:
To be quite honest with you, I felt kind of relieved.
Al Grego:
Yeah.
Jenny Tran:
I think during that time we spent a couple of years trying to build a brand and everything. Lots of pressure, lots of... I was starting to feel a little burnt out with everything. So I felt like the pandemic did give me a sense of relief in a sense where it gave me a little bit of a break, but it also did... It gave me a lot of pressure because I felt during that time it was definitely struggling for the business. We didn't know where it was headed, how long it was going to be closed for, what we were doing to stay afloat, and just the little things like that. And focusing a lot on mental health. And, obviously, this was something that was built from the ground up. And if the doors were closed for long periods of time, it might not have made it through the pandemic. But super grateful that through everything, our clients came and supported us the minute the doors open, but definitely it was a bit of a struggle for two months, but I think it was a good reset for everyone.
Al Grego:
Sure.
So let's talk about that time that you were shut down. What were you doing with your time?
Michelle Tran:
So we were selling product, but that was maybe the second month in, because I wasn't sure at that point so I really wasn't doing anything. I was going through all the trends that was happening: making banana bread. Do you know what I mean?
Al Grego:
Yeah. Yeah.
Michelle Tran:
At one point, I had so much anxiety and so much pent up energy, I lived on the 52nd floor, I was running up and down the fire exit stairs for exercise. Because I was like, "I don't know what to do." Reading books, I did everything. I played Animal Crossing.
Jenny Tran:
That was a huge thing. I cooked a lot. I learned a lot, how to cook. I walked a lot. At that time I was living downtown. So I walked everywhere. Cooked, went to Michelle's house. We played Animal Crossing. Me and Michelle played a lot of Animal Crossing.
Michelle Tran:
She mentioned that. Yeah.
Jenny Tran:
Yeah.
Aiko:
I actually worked another job. So I worked at a clinic, a pediatric clinic and I worked as an MOA there.
Al Grego:
Okay, so you kept busy.
Aiko:
Yeah. Definitely.
Felicia:
I drank a lot of scotch. A lot. I'm not joking. I love scotch and whiskeys and stuff like that. So a lot. It was maybe, a mild problem, but I-
Al Grego:
I don't mean to laugh. I just, I love how freely you came out with that.
Felicia:
Oh, well I mean, what else could... In two months of isolation and I couldn't do anything.
Al Grego:
As the lockdown is about to lift, what kind of measures were you taking here on your premises to make sure you are ready? I mean, I'm sitting here right now. There's a piece of plastic separating you and me in this room. So I'm guessing this wasn't here before the pandemic.
Michelle Tran:
No, no it wasn't. We were really doing every single thing that CDC was requiring us to do. Health regulations required us to get the client to wash our hands and all that. We were definitely going through PPE a lot.
Al Grego:
Sure.
Michelle Tran:
The first two, three weeks, we weren't sure what was happening and the lockdown was happening. I actually donated most of my stuff to the hospital. Because we had a lot of the stuff because, prior to COVID, we were using it to sanitize our stuff and that was hospital grade. So we donated everything. And by the time we came back from that the prices of PPE were triple.
Al Grego:
Oh wow.
Michelle Tran:
Something like CaviCide, it's to sanitize furniture and tables and stuff. That was $20. By the time we came out of lockdown and we were purchasing it was $80 for one piece. And I was like, "Oh my goodness, what am I going to do?" But you got to do what you got to do. The priority of all of this is the clients and our staff.
Al Grego:
Did you have to lay anybody off?
Michelle Tran:
No, thankfully I didn't. Because we kind of were all going through it together. Thankfully we had the government giving us assistance. But yeah, when they all came back, there were some people that decided that maybe this isn't really what I want to do, which was totally okay.
Honestly, COVID was kind of a blessing in disguise because it really opened up to what they want in their future. And also at the same time, my work life balance. So I find that I was actually high function in anxiety person where I'd be like working all the time. Now I find that I'm more balanced. I take a week off every month just to make sure that mentally I'm okay.
Al Grego:
Good. You're paying more attention to yourself.
Michelle Tran:
Definitely.
Al Grego:
That's good. As a payment processor, was there anything that Moneris did to help you through this.
Michelle Tran:
There isn't during the lockdown, but afterwards it was a lifesaver. Carmen, I want to mention her name, she was amazing. She was a rep for us and everything I needed, she was there. She even told us, "Your machine could be upgraded. Let me do that for you." I didn't even have to ask her. That's the best part about Moneris. I find that it's easy. I've never had any issues with them. I had a previous payment system before and I had so many issues with that. And I find that this is so easy. The best part about Moneris is that I don't have to deal with it. I think that's the best part because there's so many other things that we have to deal with as an owner.
Al Grego:
Coming up after the break, we find out what the future holds for Meraki Beauty Bar.
Mat Belanger:
This podcast is brought to you by Moneris. Today has shown us tomorrow has changed; changed how we'll live, work and do business because now we're more open to what's possible. Open to contactless payments, online bookings, curbside pickups, and more. Open your business to more opportunity with solutions to help you succeed online in store or on the go. To talk to one of our business advisors, call 1-866-MONERIS, or visit moneris.com today.
Al Grego:
Welcome back to Yes, We Are Open! With the worst of the pandemic behind them, Michelle Tran and her team at Meraki Beauty Bar have adapted brilliantly to their new normal and have a renewed energy. They seem poised to return their sites to growth and the future of the business. So what does that future look like for Meraki Beauty Bar? We'll find out next.
You were lucky that you only had to endure one lockdown, but things are starting to lift here. Restrictions are starting to lift all across the country. Sounds like business is doing well. What does the future look like for Meraki Beauty Bar?
Michelle Tran:
So for the future of Meraki Beauty Bar can go in many different ways. Obviously we are looking to expand, that's one of them. Whether it be in Vancouver or internationally. I do have some investors that are interested, actually, in expanding in Asia.
Al Grego:
Oh, nice.
Michelle Tran:
That was the plan before COVID
Right before COVID, I was actually in Indonesia doing work and seeing how the clients were accepting the way we do permanent makeup because Asia and the way Asia, the way Europe, the way North America does style is different. And it worked really well because, even to this day, they're asking, "When is Michelle coming back?" So I'm really looking forward to expanding to Asia if we could.
But, in the future, we are looking to expanding our education. Actually, Aiko and Felicia, they are both moving towards education as well.
Al Grego:
Okay.
Michelle Tran:
So they will become teachers for their niche.
Jenny Tran:
I see more stores, Meraki, in Vancouver, in all the Tri-Cities and everything, more services, growing our family more, growing the business with more like-minded women that are here to support each other. And I know Michelle sees it going overseas and everything. So yeah, there's definitely big plans in the works for Meraki. And hopefully we can get there.
Michelle Tran:
I want to be able to have the girls at the shop become educators if they wish to and provide the support as much as I did for them as well. So that these people who are interested, they can potentially quit their job and do something that they love like I did.
Al Grego:
Everyone's back. They want it to be back. Right?
Michelle Tran:
Yep.
Al Grego:
And businesses is booming. And you're thinking about growth. You're thinking about expansion to Asia, which is amazing. That sounds cool.
Michelle Tran:
Yeah. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but I'll let you know when I figure that out. Yeah.
Al Grego:
But for now, you're more immediate goals or vision for Meraki Beauty Bar, what does it look like?
Michelle Tran:
Focusing on the people that are here. A lot of owners, I find, they're always trying to have more and more and more. I find that I need to make sure I'm focusing on the girls that are here because I need to appreciate the ones that stuck by me. And I want to make sure that they're taken care of. As humans, we want to grow all the time and I want to make sure that I'm there to support them. As an owner, I want to make sure that I'm there to support every single person that works under the brand. And if they're not growing, then I'm not really growing. So yes, I want more, but I need to take a step back and look at all the girls at the shop and make sure that they're taking care of making sure that they are okay.
Aiko:
I would like to stay here as long as I could. I love the girls here. I love what I do. All the people that come in. So I really don't see myself leaving anytime soon. I know that Meraki, we want to expand. That would be really awesome to be part of that growth. And I'd love to start teaching soon as well.
Felicia:
I have so much faith in this business and I would love to see it expand the fact that we've been this successful within the first five years of being open while a pandemic happened, it's so amazing. And so I just know that it has such potential.
Al Grego:
If I were to ask your parents, would they rather see you go back to the automotive industry or do they think you're accomplished now? What do you think they would say?
Jenny Tran:
I think they would've thought that quitting our nine to five was the stupidest idea ever. But I think that, over the years, we've really proven to them that nine to five doesn't mean everything. They've never even said to me once like, "Oh, you should get another job," because they can see how much this industry is growing and how much potential there is in it for women to make money and work and do the things they love and still be working full time. So I think my parents would definitely not tell me to go to nine to five. I think they would just tell me that, "This is it and you should be grinding. And as long as you're doing what you love, it's even better."
Al Grego:
Do you think your parents would want you to go back to financial services?
Michelle Tran:
I should ask them, see what they'll say. It's so funny. I always ask them, I ask my, my dad like, "Oh, so aren't you happy that I decided to do this?" And he just doesn't say anything. But my mom, she's definitely a very quiet person and for once she did say that she was very proud of me. And I was really emotional because I've never heard her say that.
Al Grego:
It's a big deal.
Michelle Tran:
It's a huge deal. I'd trade that for anything, honestly. Yeah.
Al Grego:
Amazing. Thank you so much, Michelle.
Michelle Tran:
Thank you so much, Al, it was such a pleasure.
Al Grego:
So, Michelle, tell me, are you open for business?
Michelle Tran:
Hell yeah, we're open.
Al Grego:
Excellent.
That's the story of Meraki Beauty Bar. Being opportunistic is a term with generally negative connotation and as a result, you don't normally see it listed as a character trait of an entrepreneur. Instead you see words like discipline, creativity, resourcefulness, self motivation, et cetera. Every single one of those is true when it comes to Michelle Tran but I feel like a big part of Michelle's story has to do with opportunism, but not in a negative way.
When Michelle's friend went to her with the idea that she could make some extra money tattooing eyebrows, she sees that opportunity. When she found herself making more and more money doing eyebrows, she quit her job in finance and began doing it full time. When she saw the increasing need for eyelash extensions, she convinced her sister, Jenny, to quit her job and join her. When they outgrew their spaces at each turn, they continue to seize every opportunity to grow and adapt. That's being opportunistic at its core.
What keeps it from going wrong is Michelle and her commitment to the values, no doubt instilled in her by her parents, but also her insistence to share the opportunities with her sister and the other members of her staff who have stuck with them from the beginning. That's what makes Michelle A good entrepreneur, a good leader and, of course, a good daughter her parents could be proud of. I have no doubt that with Michelle at the helm, Meraki Beauty Bar will continue seizing every opportunity presented to them.
Yes, We Are Open! is a Moneris podcast production. I'd like to thank Aiko, Felicia, Jenny, and Michelle for taking the time to share their story. You can learn more about Meraki Beauty Bar at miraibeautybar.ca. Follow them on Facebook, where they're @MerakiBeautyBar. And on Instagram, they're @merakibeautybar.ca. For more information about this podcast, visit our site yesweareopen.com. If you'd like to support us, rate us on Apple podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're a Canadian business owner or know of one with an interesting story of perseverance to tell, I'd love to help tell it. You can contact me at podcastatmoneris.com. Tune in next week for another story of small business struggle and survival on the Yes, We Are Open! podcast. I'm Al Grego. Thank you for listen.