Following her passion proves worthwhile for Somerset County beauty expert

Emillee Swank turned her hobby into a thriving career. Photo: Provided.

Hair, nails, self-care and the latest beauty trends have always piqued Emillee Swank’s interest. From the time she was a little girl, beauty magazines and Sephora enamored her. When considering her future, she was torn between her passion for the beauty industry and pursuing a college education.

After high school, Swank started college at Penn State but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. “After three semesters, I dropped out and had my twin boys. I decided at that moment to pursue a career in the beauty industry and began taking a course in Washington, D.C. on microblading. After that, I found my true passion—skin. I enrolled in an esthetics program at Altoona Beauty School and obtained my esthetics license,” she said.

“SWANKY Skin + Lash is a great example of how Startup Alleghenies can walk alongside an entrepreneur allowing them to focus on customers while we assist with the business.”

After esthetics school Swank said she just decided to go for it. Now she’s the owner of SWANKY Skin + Lash Studio. “Everything just lined up. I was put in touch with JARI and my Startup Alleghenies coach Blake Fleegle. He showed me that my idea was not only possible, but could also be successful,” she said.

Today, business is booming. The studio is growing and she’s hired other employees. “Emillee continues to impress with both her entrepreneurial skill sets — continuously growing her business —as well as her ability to connect with clients and provide a great experience,” Fleegle said. “SWANKY Skin + Lash is a great example of how Startup Alleghenies can walk alongside an entrepreneur allowing them to focus on customers while we assist with the business.”

Photo: Provided.

Swank said that the key to a profitable business is balance. “My true passion is being with my clients. By nature, I am a helper — I will do whatever is within my power to help my clients achieve their goals. I also know that the business side of things needs to be done to congruently grow my business to the success level I want to achieve,” she said. “This November will be my three-year anniversary. In these three years I have survived and thrived through a pandemic, upgraded my space from 350 square feet to 1,500, went from a team of just myself to a team of five, serving more than  800 individual guests.”

Bringing services typically only offered in bigger cities, SWANKY Studio is changing lives. “Whether it is giving our guests the confidence to not wear makeup any longer because they’ve finally achieved healthy skin or just giving them a safe space to relax and treat themselves, my team really is changing the lives of so many,” Swank said.

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.