Reema Khan, s.h.a.p.e.s’ founder & CEO, owned salons and spas in India before moving to the US in 1996. In 2003 Reema opened her first beauty salon. Inspired by the women who would drive from the suburbs to the North Side of Chicago to have their eyebrows threaded at her salon, Khan, a licensed cosmetologist, said she decided to open her first s.h.a.p.e.s Brow Bar at a local mall.

Check out the interview :

Tention Free : Let’s talk a bit about your work and what is the secret behind your success?
Reema Khan :
I learned the ancient art of threading from the best in India.  I opened a few salons and spas around India that became successful. I, then, came to the US in 1996 with a hope to make a difference and a gift of using the ancient art of threading.  So in 2003, I opened my first salon in the US and then shortly thereafter, started my first s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bar in a mall in Chicago.  Since that time, my Brow Bar concept has transformed the industry and I have over 85 locations across the US.
I found that having a true and honest vision to help women feel and be better has been the secret to my success.  If you try to change someone into something that they are not, you are fighting a losing battle because they are not truly expressing themselves.  If you help a woman enhance and then embrace their beauty, then you truly make a difference and that customer will continue to come to you and tell all of her friends.

Tention Free :  What are you working on now?

Reema Khan :

I am committing my energy to growing my cosmetic line, Reema Beauty, and my new beauty bar concept, RMLA Makeover Bar.  The Reema Beauty line is one where everyone is beYOUtiful.  I believe that every woman wants to be bold, vibrant, sensual, powerful and confident and their makeup should reflect whoever they want to be on any given day.  I started the line with my signature brow powders that complement the work we do at s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bars and now, it is becoming a true professional line with everything from foundation to bold lipsticks.  I love it!
Then, there are my new transformation destinations – RMLA Makeover Bars.  I wanted to create a new retail experience when it comes to buying your beauty products.  I wanted a place where a woman can walk in, get pampered, get a makeover and walk out totally transformed.  I wanted a place where you can experience the products that the professionals believe in and use.  I wanted a store where you’re not experiencing product overload but you can get what you want and need to feel beautiful. That’s RMLA and I believe it’s the next level of beauty to come.
Tention Free : What inspires your creativity ?

Reema Khan :

Honestly, my creativity is a combination of the vibrancy of my past and the interactions I have with others.  I come from India and it’s a land full of vibrant colors.  Whether fabrics, architecture, people or the land itself, India has a beauty and boldness unmatched in the world.  I also live and see color wherever I go.  When I speak to other artists, they give me their best ideas and thoughts when it comes to products and looks.  I love hearing and sharing our creative thoughts and it just pushes me forward to create more.

Tention Free : Who are your inspirations in your field ?

Reema Khan :

I have to say my mother is and will always be my first inspiration.  Then of course, the multitude of women that trained me in the art of threading.  And lastly, the multitude of makeup and brow artists I work and associate with give a boost to my deep-seeded passion for beauty.

Tention Free : What are your plans & hopes for the future ?

Reema Khan :

I plan to create more within Reema Beauty and help give a place for other lines to flourish through RMLA Makeover Bars.  I am also committed to paying it forward through my charity initiatives – Feeding the Beauty Within and Everyone is BeYOUtiful – both of which receive 10% of my net proceeds toward their purposes – fighting global child hunger and women’s empowerment, respectively.  I know I have been fortunate and nothing gives me more pleasure than to help others.
Tention Free : Tell us about your salon ?

Reema Khan :

s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bars are the pioneers of brow threading. Equipped with great brow shaping techniques, an affordable price point, and a growing demand, s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bar set forth the next level of beauty – the beauty bar experience – and turned one woman’s vision into a flourishing business. Now with over 85 s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bar locations nationwide and continual rapid growth, I am unveiling my next innovation – RMLA Makeover Bar, your beauty transformation destination. Out of the need to celebrate the transformative power of the MAKEOVER, RMLA was born.  RMLA is the beauty transformation destination where artists lovingly connect with women, where beauty is deciphered to help women realize their best selves and where the hard sale is tossed to the side for the ultimate makeover experience.  Each RMLA Makeover Bar is a not just a store with products galore….it is a buying journey where creativity thrives and boldness is embraced.
Tention Free : Do you set goals for yourself and how do you do that?

Reema Khan :

Sure, it is important to set goals for yourself.  It is important to have a vision and set the path for that vision to come to fruition.  I do my best to set goals based on a combination of desires and ability to accomplish.  Not that lofty aspirations are not achievable and cannot be envisioned, I just strive for things that I know have a purpose.  I also try to set forth goals that will continue to allow me to give back.  I have been fortunate enough to see my dreams become reality and I love helping others do the same.

Tention Free : What made you decide to become an owner of beauty salon ?

Reema Khan :  

I wanted to work for myself.  I didn’t want to be beholden to a company that can turn around and let you go at anytime.  So I got to a point of where I wanted to strive to be an entrepreneur and have my own.  That drive allowed me to turn a skill I learned long ago into a flourishing business.
Tention Free : What motivates you to do your best work as a CEO?

Reema Khan :  

I am very passionate about every aspect of my business – from training people in the Reema Beauty method to making people look beautiful.  I don’t see it as work.  It’s one thing to love what you do but it’s a passion to do what you love.  I do what I love every day and that helps bring out the best in me.

Tention Free : How can people find you and follow you online?

Reema Khan :

Follow us at #reemabeauty, #shapesbrowbar or #rmlabeauty on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.