Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Leota.
Hi Morgan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My work history is laughable. I got fired from Mcdonald’s at the age of 16 for constantly dropping drinks out of the drive-through window, I then moved to a job at bajio (a local Mexican restaurant) where I ultimately got fired for closing the store early to host candle light dinners for my friends, and throwing all the burnt chicken in the decorative ceiling pots. After that, I got a job at olive garden and got fired there for stealing drinks from the bar and giving excess amounts of breadsticks to homeless people. I had other jobs I spent a day or so at here and there but making money was not enough for me- I had to like what I was doing and I spent YEARS trying to figure out how to not be that way. At age 19 I got a job everyone was shocked I was able to land and I was constantly told by the people around me how proud they all were. So I dressed in a 1 inch heel, and a skirt every day and tried to be as proud of me as everyone around me was. I told myself.. “$18 an hour- health insurance- Medical coding job- free school- You are amazing” when really I was itching to dye my hair pink, get a neck tattoo and never use a copy machine again. Shortly after getting this job, I found out I was pregnant with my now 7 year old daughter. My whole pregnancy I told myself I needed to get over it and do what responsible adults do- which consisted of going to work (throwing up the entire way there) then being monitored on how much time I took to eat my lunch, how many times a day I peed, and how many calls I answered, then heading home to sleep for a few hours and do it again. And if I was really good at my job? I would get free backpack with the company name embroidered into it and a potluck party with a bunch of people 3x my age.
I by some miracle was able to do this for my entire pregnancy and then I had my daughter and took 6 weeks off work. I gave birth with $5 in my account because my husband and i’s paychecks combined couldn’t begin to afford our car payment, our rent, medical bills from the pregnancy, and food.
My husband was required to go back to work after TWO DAYS of being home with me and our brand new baby and I struggled with severe postpartum depression and anxiety. I would cry for him to stay but him staying meant him losing his job- therefore everything we had (which wasn’t much). So he would go to work and I found ways to keep myself busy at home and id paint me and my daughters nails, show her the Tyra banks show, and clean the house while crying for about 6 of the 8 hours he was gone because my depression was so bad.
Fast forward 6 weeks when it was time for me to go back to work- I couldn’t do it. I would have panic attacks on the way into the office and when I conditioned myself to get used to that I would wake up, get ready for the day, spend 8 hours at a job I hated, two more hours getting home and then would walk in to a sleeping baby, just as I left her. I got approximately zero hours with her.
I thought every single day- this can’t be life? People don’t wake up, spend all day at a job they hate, to not even make enough money to survive. my bank account was always -700, I had no hobbies, no time with my child, and no sense of purpose AT ALL. I felt replaceable. And I thought- I will absolutely not ever allow my daughter to feel this way.
So the next day I left work early and toured a beauty school. I enrolled, and quit my job the next day. Everybody around me told me how selfish that was. I had a baby at home to take care of, it was unfair to put so much responsibility on my husband and that a job in the beauty industry isn’t a real job. My mom, my best friend, everyone. Everyone but my husband, Gabe.
I had no idea how it would work out, all I knew was that my fear of being unhappy far surpassed my fear of losing my townhome, my car etc. So, we let go of that false sense of security we had and I started school.
The next few months were hard, but surprisingly not as hard as what we were doing before.
We lost our townhome, we got both of our cars repossessed, and we moved all of our stuff into a studio apartment. We ate ramen every day and couldn’t afford milk for our baby so I would walk to the nearby Starbucks and they’d give me cups of milk every morning. I made friends with the employees there and they’d sit and play with my daughter while I sat at a cafe table and did my homework. After homework, I’d take Millie for walks around the apartment and play at the park, swim at the pool. I actually LOVED my life. I was happy.
At night id go to school and my daughter would go to my mother in laws, where my husband would pick her up and we would meet back home when I was out of school at about 10pm. He was exhausted. He would come home and fall asleep in his work clothes, to wake up and go back- him making this sacrifice is something that today- is often overlooked by people who follow us.
As I worked through school, Gabe pulled out the small 401k he had saved up to pay for me to take a lash class. I loved it. I remember doing my first model and it taking me 5 hours, she looked the same, and then she tipped me $20. I remember that being the day everything changed. I made money I didn’t have to SUFFER for, and I got addicted to that feeling. I started to day dream about enrolling Millie in dance class, taking her to Disneyland, and creating a schedule that revolved around us.
I saved up the tips id get and I went to target and bought children’s furniture to make a little lash room in our studio apartment kitchen. I started practicing on my friends and family during the day while Gabe worked, and Millie would crawl around on the floor with me and my clients. I was starting to make a little bit of money while Gabe was at work and things were starting to look up.
But I struggled. I dropped out of beauty school twice and got expelled another two times. I would leave school early to get drunk with my friends and I was bullied by my teachers. I can only imagine the way this was starting to look to all the people who thought it was a bad idea. But Gabe never doubted me. So after almost 3 years of beauty school that should have taken me 18 months, I graduated.
6 months after graduating Gabe was able to quit his job. I made more money doing lashes than we made combined at our corporate jobs and I needed help with Millie during the day. So, he stayed home with her. I was busy with clients all day and they would play in the bedroom. This quickly became difficult and we upgraded to a 3 bedroom apartment where I had a private room to do lashes. I loved it. In that 3 bedroom apartment we grew exponentially. I was able to afford a computer, I launched some little t shirts with my logo on them, and got a few backdrops hung for client photos. I thought I reached my max potential at that point.
Then, about a year later we outgrew that situation and decided to rent a second apartment in the same complex that I turned into a little salon. I had a few other girls working with me and we did lashes and spray tans from an apartment on the other side of the complex. My business continued to grow and out of pure survival mode, I had no idea how to say no. So I worked from 7am-11pm every day. Id fall asleep on the couch in the salon apartment and never make it home- I was so burnt out, but felt so lucky.
So about a year after that, I raised my prices, cut down my clientele, and we looked for a different situation where we could all be home together again. We found a townhome in Farmington with a downstairs area perfect for a salon and it was just separated enough that my daughter could still run around and play without it interfering with our business. So, we prayed that we would get approved to rent it. (our credit was so bad out of beauty school that we couldn’t even get bank accounts)
WE GOT APPROVED!
We moved in and we could not believe that we lived in such a beautiful place. My business was booming, we were discussing starting a training program and our own product line, my daughter was enrolled in dance class, and I was in a constant state of “pinch me, this can’t be real”.
I spent the next year formulating and designing our own glue line. We dumped our entire savings into this, and taking leaps of faith wasn’t new to us so we were feeling great.
Then, covid happened.
Covid was terrifying- and being closed for a month and not knowing if we would ever re open our business we gave up everything for made me sick to my stomach.
But I learned that I can adapt to anything- and that rolling with the punches wasn’t optional. And a month later, were opened.
Shortly after re opening, customs started to slowly allow international packages through and our glue came. We had a huge launch party that hundreds of people showed up to- and before I knew it, we were selling our products in all 50 states. We set a goal to sell 100 bottles in 6 months. We sold 100 bottles our first week. We couldn’t believe it.
I was doing training classes every weekend and my husband was constantly fulfilling orders, and we outgrew our little home salon once again. So, we moved to an office suite in Farmington station which was right by our house- it was perfect!
They had beautiful conference rooms I was able to train in, and receptionist that helped with our pickup orders! 2 months after moving in- they sold the building and we were forced to move again.
We found another office suite above station park for 3 times the rent and none of the amenities but we took it. While there we launched multiple other products, continued our trainings and while it was less than ideal- were thankful for that.
Because once that lease ended, we bought a storefront.
We opened on October 1st.
MORG the studio is now producing 50k a month, we have 15 employees, a full product line, and a salon in one of the busiest malls in Utah.
This last year my husband and I have built a home, bought our dream cars, opened our salon, been to Disneyland twice, our daughter has been in dance classes for 5 years, and we have a baby boy.
We work together running the business, and have employed multiple of our friends and family members.
And? Were happy. That’s the real flex.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No way, lots of obstacles along the way including being evicted, getting two cars repossessed, getting kicked out of beauty school (twice), a global pandemic, criticism from all of my loved ones and multiple location changes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started out doing lash extensions, which then turned into me creating my own product line, educating other artists and doing business classes. I now own a salon and manage multiple employees and our website. I’m known for doing things differently- I am very self-aware of my style and am able to design my products and my salon in a way that screams I did it. I have been able to build my brand by being authentically myself- weather that’s wearing a bikini and a blazer to a huge business meeting or admitting that sometimes I smoke weed and watch animal planet on Instagram. I think me being 100% me all the time- has drawn in a very loyal client and customer base, and I’m able to give them an experience they couldn’t get anywhere else, and I hope to empower not only women, but everybody- that authenticity sells, and you don’t have to conform to any sort of stereotype or mold to be taken seriously.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Happiness. Waking up every day and being excited to be alive.
Pricing:
- Full Set: $200
- Fill: $90
- Education: $500-$1500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopmorg.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganleota/
Image Credits
PC: Gabe Leota
