Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Richie.
Hi Brooke, 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?
The beauty industry has had my interest since I was very young. I have always been a girly girl and loved everything fashion and beauty. I remember falling in love with YouTube makeup tutorials and learning different ways to naturally enhance your features, while also figuring out how to do a smoky cat eye or cut crease at probably way too young of an age. Being a competitive dancer also opened my eyes to the world of makeup because I would do my own makeup for competitions and shows. As I got older, I was always the first person to volunteer to help with makeup for school events like homecoming and prom. Eventually, that turned into doing makeup for friends before college formals and nights out.
Even though beauty was always something I loved, I did not immediately realize it could become a career. While attending college and earning my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, I had an internship with BVTLive!. Through that experience, I was introduced to so many talented vendors in the beauty and wedding industries. It opened my eyes to how creative, exciting, and lucrative the beauty industry could be. I have always been a very artistic person, so while I felt some pressure making the decision to step away from a more traditional career path, I was only 22 and still felt like I had so much time to figure things out. I also knew that I would be able to utilize my marketing degree within my own business, so I saw it as something that would only add to my experience and portfolio.
Shortly after graduating college, I moved to Tampa, Florida. I decided to go back to school for esthetics because I originally wanted to perform makeup on clients in a more professional setting. What I did not expect was to fall in love with so many other areas of the beauty industry, especially skincare. After graduating and continuing my education through additional courses and training, my family took a leap of faith on me and supported me in starting my business from home.
Starting Brooke Olivia Beauty from home was one of the most exciting times of my life. Because I was creating my business from the ground up, I was able to use my marketing degree and have complete creative control over my brand. The name Brooke Olivia Beauty came from when I was a little girl, I always loved my middle name, Olivia, so much that I would tell people my name was “Brooke Olivia.” When it came time to name my business, I wanted something simple because I was specializing in multiple areas of the beauty industry, and Brooke Olivia Beauty just felt right.
I will never forget opening my booking website while we were setting up my room and seeing my very first client book an appointment with me. I immediately started crying. My dad and boyfriend were there with me, and it honestly felt unreal. I was so excited that someone had chosen to book with me and trust me with their beauty and skincare needs. I had so much support from my family and was fortunate to have a small amount of rent while starting my business, so I was not necessarily scared to take the leap. Of course, there was always a part of me wondering what would happen if it did not work out.
Just eight months after starting my business from home, I moved into a room within a medical spa environment. That was another big leap for me. I had created such a relaxing and personal experience in my home-based spa, and I worried about whether my clients would follow me into a more medical environment. I was also taking on significantly more rent for a small room and adjusting to working alongside new people in a completely different space. It was intimidating, but it was another step that allowed my business to grow.
I spent the next two years building Brooke Olivia Beauty in Florida and creating relationships with some truly amazing clients. I was so proud of what I had built, and in 2025, I was honored to win Best of Florida in the Esthetician category. It was such a meaningful accomplishment because I had started with one room in my home and watched my business grow into something I had once only dreamed about.
Then came one of the biggest and most emotional decisions of my life. After nearly four years of living and growing in Florida, I made the decision to move my business back home to the suburbs of Philadelphia. The move was a long and difficult process that took months to plan. There were so many logistics involved in moving a business from one state to another, but the emotional side was honestly even harder.
I was leaving behind an established, successful, award-winning business and clients who had supported me throughout so much of my journey. I was also leaving the state where I had spent four years growing into myself as both a person and a business owner. Florida had become home to me, and leaving everything I had built there, including family, was extremely difficult emotionally. It was ultimately a compromise and a decision we made because we wanted to get ahead with my business before growing our family, but that did not make leaving any easier.
Moving to Pennsylvania meant I was essentially starting over. I had an established clientele in Florida, but now I was entering a new area where most people did not know my business. It was scary to leave behind something successful and trust myself enough to rebuild it somewhere new. Thankfully, because of everything I had learned during my first few years in business, I was able to become almost fully booked in my new location within just three months.
Looking back, that feels incredibly full circle to me. I still remember crying when I received my very first booking while setting up my home-based business, and now I have had the opportunity to build my business in two different states and create something that I am truly proud of.
Today, Brooke Olivia Beauty offers customized facials focused on helping clients work toward their individual skin goals, along with multiple brow enhancement services, including my popular brow wax and tint. I have also introduced lash lifts and tints and continue to offer makeup services for special events, which brings me back to where my love for beauty first began.
As much as I love the creative and corrective side of what I do, the best part of my job is connecting with women every day. I love being my own boss, having my own suite, creating an environment that feels welcoming and relaxing, and making sure every client feels safe, heard, and cared for during their appointment. Brooke Olivia Beauty has become so much more than just a business to me. It represents every risk, every leap of faith, every move, and every person who believed in me along the way.
I am incredibly grateful for how far I have come, and I am even more excited for what is still ahead.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not always been a smooth road. I think when people see a successful business, they often do not see everything that happened behind the scenes to get there.
One of my biggest challenges from the beginning was simply building a clientele. Starting from scratch is not easy, especially when you are constantly trying to introduce yourself and convince people to trust you with their skin and beauty needs. Since I started Brooke Olivia Beauty from my parents’ home, I also had to be careful about how I marketed myself because I did not want to publicly share their address. Even with a marketing degree, I had to get creative. I made door hangers, handed out flyers throughout the community, joined local Facebook groups, and consistently posted about my business every week. There was a lot of putting myself out there and finding creative ways to get my name in front of people.
Money was also a major challenge in the beginning. As a new business owner, there were months where I was simply focused on making enough to cover my rent while continuing to invest back into my business. There are so many expenses that come with owning your own business that people do not always think about, especially when you are just getting started. From rent and supplies to products, equipment, education, and marketing, it can feel overwhelming when you are trying to grow at the same time.
Another challenge was figuring out exactly what direction I wanted to take as an esthetician. There is so much education available and so many different professional skincare lines to choose from. I wanted to make sure I was continuing my education in the right way and choosing products and treatments that I truly believed in. Building my knowledge and finding the right products for my clients took time, research, hands-on experience, and a lot of continued education. I learned early on that being licensed is only the beginning and that continuing to learn is such an important part of being a good esthetician.
The move from my home-based business into a medical spa environment also came with challenges. I went from paying a small amount of rent at home to taking on significantly higher overhead. I worried about whether my clients would follow me into a completely different environment and whether I could financially support the next step I was taking. Looking back, that transition taught me a lot about taking calculated risks and trusting myself.
Of course, one of my biggest obstacles has been moving my business from Florida back to Pennsylvania. I had spent years building my clientele and growing an established business in Florida, so moving meant leaving behind something I had worked incredibly hard for and essentially starting over. The process itself took months of planning and came with plenty of logistical challenges, but emotionally, it was just as difficult. I had to trust that everything I learned while building my business in Florida could help me do it again somewhere new.
I think every stage of my business has come with a different obstacle. There have been financial pressures, moments of uncertainty, risks that felt scary at the time, and plenty of moments where I had to figure things out as I went. But every challenge has taught me something and helped me become more confident in myself as both an esthetician and business owner. Looking back, I think those challenges are a big part of why I appreciate where Brooke Olivia Beauty is today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Brooke Olivia Beauty is, at its core, a form of self-love. I wanted to create a place where women could come in, take a breath, have a drink, get comfortable under a cozy blanket, and truly feel taken care of. My goal is for every client to leave feeling relaxed, beautiful, and confident that they were heard and cared for throughout their appointment.
While relaxation is a huge part of the experience, I also wanted my business to have a strong focus on results. I specialize in customized skincare, where every facial is tailored to the individual client and their skin goals. I use a variety of modalities, including LED therapy, dermaplaning, microneedling, microchanneling, high frequency, and Hydrafacial, depending on what is appropriate for their skin. I also offer brow services, including brow waxing, brow wax and tint, and brow lamination, along with lash lifts and tints and makeup for individual special events.
My two most popular services are customized facials and brow wax and tints, but what I love most is that no two appointments are exactly the same. I personally know what it feels like to struggle with your skin, so I genuinely love seeing a client go through a skin transformation and start feeling more confident in themselves.
I think what sets Brooke Olivia Beauty apart is the level of personalization and attention to detail I put into every appointment. I really listen to my clients and take detailed notes so that I can understand their history, their concerns, and what they are hoping to achieve. Even with brows, I map them based on the individual client rather than simply creating the shape that I think looks best. I want my clients to be involved in the process and feel comfortable telling me if something needs to be adjusted. It is their face, and I want them to feel confident in the result.
Education is also a huge part of my approach. I never want a client to leave wondering what we did or what they should be doing at home. I take the time to explain their skin, educate them on what I am doing, and provide personalized product recommendations when needed. I even send detailed follow-up emails because I want my clients to feel supported outside of the treatment room, too.
The experience itself is a combination of corrective skincare and relaxation. I have clients choose from essential oils, incorporate facial, neck, and head massages into treatments, and create a cozy environment with plants, warm earthy tones, candles, dim lighting, and plenty of blankets. I have even had clients tell me that my space smells amazing, which always makes me laugh because I want the experience to engage all of the senses. I want coming to Brooke Olivia Beauty to feel less like running an errand and more like catching up with your best friend, except you are also getting professional skincare and beauty treatments along the way.
From a branding perspective, I am incredibly proud that I have built Brooke Olivia Beauty myself. I was able to use my marketing background to create the brand from the ground up and have complete creative control over how I wanted it to look and feel. Winning Best of Florida 2025 in the Esthetician category was an incredible accomplishment and something I will always be proud of, especially knowing how far I had come from starting in my parents’ home. More recently, I am incredibly proud of rebuilding the brand after moving from Florida to Pennsylvania. Starting over in a new area and seeing Brooke Olivia Beauty grow again has been one of my biggest accomplishments.
More than anything, I want people to know that Brooke Olivia Beauty is not just about the service they are booking. It is about how they feel when they are here. I want every woman who walks through my door to feel safe, seen, heard, and beautiful while also knowing that we are working together toward real goals. I am so proud to have created a space where women can take care of themselves, invest in their skin and confidence, and leave feeling like the best version of themselves.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about this area is the sense of community. There is something really special about being back in the Northeast and being surrounded by people who genuinely show up for one another. And, of course, being back in Eagles country is a pretty big bonus. Go Birds!
I have been blown away by how supportive the community has been of my business. From other local business owners to the clients who have trusted me with their skin and beauty needs, I have felt so welcomed since moving back. There are so many amazing small businesses in the area, and I really love being part of a community where people support one another and want to see each other succeed.
Being close to Philadelphia is another huge plus. I grew up in this area, so being back has brought back so much nostalgia. I love the city, the energy, the restaurants, the small businesses, and having so much to do right outside my door. There is also something really special about experiencing all four seasons again after living in Florida for four years.
I also want to say that I don’t think I could fairly compare the community here to Florida. Florida gave me an incredible community and some of the most amazing people and clients I could have asked for, and I will always be grateful for that chapter of my life. Coming back to Pennsylvania just feels different because it is home. The people, the seasons, the familiarity, and, of course, the Eagles all make this area feel like me again.
As for what I like least, I am still figuring that one out! After four years in Florida, I will say that I am definitely not looking forward to those Pennsylvania winters. I think my biggest adjustment has been going from year-round sunshine to actually having to remember what a real winter feels like. But even that is part of coming home, and I think I will take the cold winters for the people, community, and sense of home that I have here. If I had to pick something I like least, I would probably say the traffic. But honestly, I think that comes with living in an area with so many people, businesses, and things happening, so it is hard to complain too much about it. I would much rather have a little traffic than live somewhere without the sense of community and energy that this area has.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brookeoliviabeauty.com
- Instagram: www.instgram.com/brookeoliviabeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Brooke-Olivia-Beauty-LLC-100095042767194/
