We had the good fortune of connecting with Shauntavia Ward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shauntavia, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Clarity! The single, most important factor behind my success, is clarity. Clarity didn’t come natural to me. It wasn’t a quality I possessed in the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. In fact, I learned through the experience of worry and indecisiveness, how powerful clarity actually is. Clarity can make the difference between failure and success. Approaching tasks with a focused mind and getting clear on my goals, gave me deeper appreciation for the process of both, life and business. I’ve learned that clarity is a connectedness that increases trust and ultimately builds relationships. Clarity reveals purpose, which for me, is the foundation of success. Because I believe success is an attainable alignment facilitated by clarity. Honing clarity means having peace. Displaying clarity means exuding confidence. Knowing clarity means knowing your worth. The single, most important factor behind my success and development as a woman and entrepreneur, is clarity!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
eleMINT is a modern facial studio that creates destination for beauty and wellness to coexist. We offer bespoke botanical facials and clean beauty products that highlight overall wellbeing and make skincare more inclusive, accessible and affordable. When I’m not living out my wildest dreams inspiring people through skincare, I’m saving lives as a Nurse Practitioner (NP). Through my prior career experience as an NP in medical aesthetics, cosmetic and plastic surgery, I realized that we were contributing to broken societal beauty norms and encouraging people to “fix” what they (or social pressures) perceived as “wrong” with their skin. A message that negatively impacts emotional wellbeing and mental health. So, I created eleMINT to change that narrative. To celebrate the uniqueness of skin, to inspire confidence in one’s own natural beauty, and to elevate personal wellbeing through a community of skin positivity. Reaching this dream was no easy feat. I had to step down from my full time medical practice, complete a licensed esthetician program, borrow from my savings to open our studio/store front and navigate learning business on my own. While challenging, there were many lessons learned that built character and resilience. A challenging feat that I am proud to say has made us the preferred destination for clean beauty, custom facials and wild inspiration in East Austin, TX and beyond.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Eat at Sassy’s Vegetarian Soul Food. Drink at Juiceland for superfood smoothies, and add a collagen shot! Visit eleMINT for skincare products and a facial. Hangout at Origin, a new coffee lounge concept that centers culture, soon to come. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dante Clemmons, a creative cultural innovator. https://www.kickinthadoor.com/about

Website: https://elemintskin.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemintskin/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauntavia-ward-msn-fnp-bc-464171153/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elemintskin/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elemint-skin-health-and-wellness-studio-austin

Image Credits
Riley Blanks Reed

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.