Salon Spotlight: Hush Tanning

  Hush Heated Airbrush Tan was established in 2013 by Andrea Liaga.

Hush is located in Carlsbad, California and is an airbrush only salon.

Andrea has been airbrush tan certified since 2009, and exclusively using Evolv for the past 6 years.

At Hush you’re guaranteed a customized tan by Andrea herself each time, as she wears many hats.

Andrea is an owner, airbrush technician, receptionist, and her favorite part as creative on all marketing and web design. 

 

Work

Describe what you do in less than 150 characters. Go.

I help others achieve a healthy-looking glow, while preserving the natural beauty of their skin.

What was the inspiration for your career route?

My start in the tanning industry began in 2009. I was 19 years old, waiting tables and looking for something more challenging, as well as something I was actually interested in. An opportunity to join the team at tanning salon became available, and this was such a great fit for me. I quickly discovered my love for airbrush tanning! In 2013 I was ready to begin a new chapter in life by taking my passion for helping others “boost their confidence” and doing what I love to a whole new level.

 

What is the most memorable milestone in your airbrush business so far?

 

I recently received 100 five-star reviews on yelp. This was one of the very first goals I set when I started Hush. I put a stipulation on this goal, I never wanted to trade discounts or free services for a review. It has always been important to me that all my reviews are based on my clients experience and not a future discount. It took me a little while, but I finally met that milestone! When I saw that 100th review I knew that I made the right choice back in 2013!

“Had many, many professional airbrush tans– Found the Evolv Heated airbrush system in Miami, South Beach. Determined to find this heated airbrush system close to home, I went through good old YELP. This led me to Andrea from Hush. So very happy I found her because it is not just the tanning system a professional airbrush artist uses, it is very much WHO is airbrushing you!  Andrea is the artist with the best brushes (per se) and paint. ” – Steffanie F. Yelp.com

Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?

 Since being in business for 4 years I have realized that a lot can change in a short period of time. I do see myself expanding into a bigger space with a few employees. Ultimately my goal is to open a salon offering all my favorite beauty services under one roof.

Do you have any advice for other professionals considering getting started in the airbrush industry?

I get this question a lot and always tell people the same thing. If you are looking to get started in the airbrush tanning industry, make sure you are passionate about it and please have patience. If you love this industry, you will go far in it, I believe your passion needs to be the number one reason you are here.

Patience is a major key! Plan on it taking some time to figure out what works for you. I could go on and on about my trials and tribulations! Also, in today’s world there are so many amazing people that are business owners, find someone you look up to and see if you can pick their brain! That’s what I did! I love having fellow business owners in my studio to chat with them about their experiences.

What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?

The first year I was in business, I exclusively did in-home tanning. However, I was looking for a home base. A Sola Salon Studios opened up in my neighborhood, and after A LOT of thought and support from my family, I took a huge leap of faith and signed the lease! Remember earlier when I was talking about patience… well this transition really tested mine. I had just finally gotten some momentum, then put myself right back to square one. In the same process I built my in-home clientele, I started once again to build my in-studio clientele.

 

PLAY

What is your favorite social media platform?

Hands down, Instagram is my favorite social media platform. I could spend all day scrolling through my feed. One of the many features I love is direct messaging. I love seeing that little red dot in the top red corner! Most of my messages are catching up with clients I haven’t seen lately or sending red heart emojis because someone just tagged me in their story or post!

 Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?

 @betches

Here’s the thing, my days are long and full of juggling a million different tasks, so it is nice to take a minute or so and laugh at funny memes. If you’re not already following a few silly accounts, I urge you to! Depending on your type of humor, I have a few other accounts I can recommend to you 😉

What gives you the greatest FOMO?

I am always hearing about all these amazing trips my clients are going on or coming back from. My FOMO is too real when it comes to traveling! My husband and I promised each other to go on at least one big vacation a year. Since I am a one woman show it’s a lot harder to sneak away for anything more than a weekend here and there, but we make it happen.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Anything and everything Boston Terriers. We have a 4-year-old Boston Terrier, Penny and she is sweetest little thing ever! You name it, I have it… slippers, phone cases, bathroom mats, t-shirts, make up bags, anything with a little Boston Terrier face on it I probably own it! Most gifts I receive have some sort of Boston Terrier flair!

And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…

I think work and play success go hand in hand. I look forward to seeing each one of my clients, and that happiness trickles over to my personal life. I am very lucky to have my days filled with lots of laughing and lots of tanning!