I really enjoyed growing up there. Our weekends revolved around soccer, cheerleading, and football (for my dad of course). I grew up with an older sister, Leah. She was your typical older sibling who wanted nothing to do with her younger sibling. As adults, now we are the best of friends! My sister and I both now have children of our own and that has given us a lot to bond over. My parents were and still are very hard workers. When I was a kid, I would remember my dad coming home from his day job only to change clothes to leave for his evening job. My parents are small business owners and work 7-days a week while in their 60's. They have taught me that you work hard for your family and for the things in life that are most important to you.

My parents have instilled in me that you can achieve anything in life as long as you work hard and pray about it.

when you were a girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a professional soccer player. I started playing soccer around the age of 3 and it was something I really enjoyed. I loved being part of a team. I also loved spending weekends on the field with my family. I enjoyed building great friendships with my team during soccer camp. As I got older, I started to fall in love with art and fashion. I enjoyed art in school. I would draw pictures of models in fancy dresses and I would save them in a folder in hopes that one day I would make those drawings become real life. My parents drove me to Dallas to tour the Art Institute when I was in high school. Being a small-town girl and seeing a very busy city scared me enough to change my mind. Now as an adult I wish I would have just put my fear aside and given the big city life a try.

Some of my best memories as a child involved traveling to my grandparents’ home. They lived in Selkirk Island on the Colorado River. The 2-hour road trip always felt more like 8 hours. We would spend summers and holidays there. It is where all of the family would come together, and we would spend countless hours boating and tubing.

This is where strawberry milk, iron kid bread, and peanut butter and jelly became my obsession.

My grandparents sold the property as they got older. I often think about what it would be like if we still had that property on the river. Remembering this place now, I cannot wait to start new family traditions with my little ones to give them something special to remember.

Tell us about your passion! What do you do?

I am the founder of Just Add Bronze - Mobile Spray Tanning and Body Contouring. I spray tan clients in the comfort of their own home (or my home). I customize spray tan colors/products based on each client’s skin tone and type. I specialize in body contouring, which is where a special contouring gun and high-pressure compressor is used to highlight and enhance one’s muscle definition.

I take pride in customizing every single tan. My journey began at Aviva Labs where I received my certificate in airbrush tanning followed by receiving my master certification for airbrush tanning by Norvell University. I then went on to train one-on-one with 3-time Victoria Secret Fashion Show Bronzer and Lead Body Makeup Artist, Katie Quinn.

I have since become a member of the Association of Sunless Tanning Pros and have recently interviewed with Dallas TV Host, Brittany Madrid with BZenTV (twice now) to help spread some knowledge on spray tanning. After doing some research and discovering the benefits of spray tanning, my passion grew once I realized I would be able to provide an all-natural, healthy, and safe glow to each and every one of my clients. One of the advantages of Just Add Bronze is getting to practice my passion every day. There is nothing that I love more than seeing my client’s transformations and how quickly they grow more confident after their ‘Just Add Bronze’ experience

Spray tanning is what I love and making muscles pop is my jam!

What are some things that make your brand unique?

I feel my brand is unique due to the overall experience you get when tanning at Just Add Bronze. I am my logo and I pride myself on my clients by providing them with top of the line service and educating them on sunless products. That being said, I like to make sure that my clients know how to properly prep for their spray tan appointments as well as educate them on tips and tricks to extend the life of their tan. First impressions are everything, which is why I make sure that I get to know each of my clients on a more personable level when we meet.

It is my mission to make sure that each and every one of my clients are looking and feeling flawless every single time.

Tell us about your products!

I use top of the line products that are derived from natural-based ingredients sourced from the USA from FDA- approved facilities. All of my products are Gluten-Free, Paraben Free, Sulfate-Free, Phthalate-Free, GMO-Free, Triclosan-Free, Nut Allergen-Free, Cruelty-Free, and 100% Vegan. My products give realistic bronzers to avoid post shower disappointment. I use an odorless formula, which means no stink! All of the solutions that I carry provide longevity and fade that is top rated by beauty pros and ranked higher than other products on the market. Best of all: the spray tan solution is not sticky, applies like a fine mist on the skin (due to the unique formulation), and dries fast so clients can get dressed as soon as possible.

What does it mean for entrepreneurs to find their niche market?

Working within your niche market means you understand your customers, recognize your competition, and identify what people are prepared to pay for your product or service.

Tell us about your speciality within the tanning profession.

I love spray tanning, but my specialty is body contouring for fitness models and bodybuilders. Body contouring is where you use an airbrush gun and a high-pressure compressor to highlight and enhance muscle definition with an airbrush gun. I can even define cheekbones and sculpt out facial features! Body contouring allows me to be creative with my fitness clients. I love being able to help them enhance and show off all of their hard work

I love fitness and I love being creative. Put the two together and bam! When working with fitness models and bodybuilders it's a whole process over 3-4 days and I literally eat up every minute of it. From the first spray tan to the body contouring to the topcoat to the client taking the stage.

I love it all. I love being able to help clients show off all of their hard work.

I feel that it is very important to put yourself out there. You have to take advantage of every opportunity to get your brand in front of as many people as you can. Networking with other women has expanded my customer base from Houston to Dallas to Fort Worth. Networking led me to doing an interview with Dallas Voyage Magazine. It even led me to meeting the founder of Poo-Pourri, Suzy Batiz!

We are living in an era where women are really starting to rally behind one another. What are your plans for empowering the next generation of women in business?

My plan is to help more young women create their own tanning businesses. I enjoy being a sunless educator. I look forward to teaching and training the next generation all about spray tanning and body contouring. I want women to feel confident and be knowledgeable about the sunless industry as they take the next steps towards their sunless career. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been trained under some of the best tanning professionals there are, and I want to empower other women by paying it forward.

On Self-Esteem and Body Image

What I have learned since starting my tanning business is that every woman has insecurities. It blows my mind how many times a client steps into my tent and states a 'bad' body disclaimer. I have heard and seen it all. The reality is that our bodies aren't half as bad as we think. Whoever you are - famous, not famous, a mom, teacher, student, etc. Just own who you are and be comfortable in your skin.

Women today compare themselves to other women on social media and that is not reality. The reality is that we are all perfect in our own unique way.What I love about being a spray tanner is helping my clients gain that confidence that they might be lacking. Giving them self-esteem to remind them that cellulite or no cellulite, they are still beautiful. My job is not to spray on false confidence but to enhance the beauty that clients already have.

How I see spray tanning is - if it makes you feel good, then have at it. Because anyone who loves all things beauty knows that what you apply, wear, or do whatever it is that you want to your appearance, it's a representation of who you are and how you see yourself.

What better way to embrace and love the skin you're in than to care for it and make it look beautiful how you see fit?

What's next for you?

As I touched on before, my end goal is to teach other women the ways of the sunless industry and how to go about starting their own business. If you love spray tanning and have an entrepreneurial spirit, it might be time to start thinking about a spray tan business. A mobile spray tan business allows you the flexibility to see clients wherever and whenever is most convenient for you both. It allows you to avoid commercial real estate costs and avoid sitting in an office space for too long. It also gives you more time for yourself and family.

For more tips and info on how to get started with your own business, reach out to me here. I will get you situated with the best training, products, and equipment. I will do everything in my power to ensure they're on their way to entrepreneurial stardom.