Built from the ground up and 100% mine.
My name is Felicia Tayeh, I’m 34, and I was born and raised in northern California. I am the founder and owner of Loray’e Lavish Beauty.
Raised by a single mother of 3 on section-8, food stamps, and hopes and dreams. I yearned for success and to have more in life. As a child, I raked lawns and did paper routes and as an early teen, I worked fast food joints. As soon as I turned 18 I got a decent job at kaiser Permanente and a year into working realized I wanted to start my own business and work for myself, but couldn’t decide on exactly doing what. A year later I got pregnant so my dreams were put on hold.
Fast forward in 2016 I made the decision to go to Beauty School and become a Cosmetologist. While going to school and working I took outside color classes, got certified in eyelash extensions and in microblading. I believe that whatever business someone pursues, they need to become the best they can at that.
“There are so many people doing what you’re doing, good isn’t good enough anymore.”-
The first month in school I manifested that I was going to own my own salon. I told a few people that I would open up my own place sooner or later. Once I graduated and became a certified cosmetologist, I Opened a one-chair studio for a year. Then worked at a high-end salon for the next two years.
I loved the opportunities, experiences and knowledge I was getting in the beauty industry. I got to be on a team and work at beautiful weddings and do big events around the Sacramento Area. It is such a rewarding feeling making people feel beautiful inside and out. But somehow I didn’t feel fulfilled on my journey. I wanted my own high end salon, one that I would own and run.
I picked up two jobs…bartending and driving Uber and Lyft while still working at the salon. And I stacked my money. Some nights I would drive by salons after work on the way home and look inside, thinking… “what if I could really own my own place.” A feeling of hope and dreams, because even though that’s what I was working so hard for, you never really know until the time comes.
People doubted me and told me it wasn’t a good idea but in the summer of 2019, I signed my first lease and got the keys to what would be Loray’e Lavish Beauty. The first three months I was there there was no overhead so it gave me time to network and get things going and on June 1st 2019 I opened my doors.
I opened my doors to ALL WOMEN AND ALL RACES. I know it’s not something we all like to get into but most salons are more white… and some are black salons. I can manage and style all textures. I believe if a woman sees a salon and wants to go in and get her hair done she shouldn’t have to worry about if her hair is too straight or too thick. As stylists, we should learn to style hair not one type of hair, Period.
I opened my doors to a full salon with zero loans and zero co-owners. This was MY salon and I would build it from the ground up because I was now a real BOSS! I kept a night job to add services, upgrades and put in a full boutique even though I was getting busy with more clients. I was making more money in the salon so I made a decision to do my first hire in April 2020. Then BOOM! Worldwide pandemic, covid-19.
My side job for upgrades became income to keep my business open. Our California government told me that I had to pay 3k a month for a building that I could not use. So I worked, and I cried. I asked God why me and when is it going to be my turn. Why do I feel like I am working so hard and not getting the reward that I feel I deserve and wished for….success.
Finally, in the month of January 2021 almost a year later, I was able to open my doors back up. And with this said I felt different like this is my year. It’s a feeling inside of me that I can’t ignore. I have two employees starting to work for me in the next couple of weeks and my boutique Loray’e Lavish Boutique is officially launching on April 1st 2021
I hope that this reaches women out there that feel like giving up and gives you the strength to keep going. We have to be strong and keep going because life is hard… it’s hard being broke and it is hard being successful so like they say choose your hard.
This is my year… I attract it, I manifest it, I claim it. This is the year my business will take off and become successful.
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