Businesswoman Tricia Lee Talks Bouncing Back From Failure

New and seasoned entrepreneurs will disclose that building a business from the ground up isn’t for the faint of heart.

Following the logistics and planning in building your business, you’re then left with the often deal-breaking task of ensuring that business is successful. For many aspiring entrepreneurs, this is the hard part–the wait for success.

But what happens when you take the time to build the business and even realize growing success on your business venture, but the walls then start to crumble around you? Former successful business owner of the popular, uber chic nail salons, Brooklyn’s The Polish Bar (turned Licensed Real Estate Salesperson) Tricia

Lee, has her first-hand take. “If you’re not careful you can find yourself riding so high off of accomplishments and accolades, and riding depressingly low off of struggle and strife,” states Lee.

“I went from running one salon to two and managing the day-to-day operations of both locations, the managers and 16 employees. Years into the business, I became overwhelmed with the . . . running a brick and mortar, and completely exhausted by the daily chaotic challenge.”

Lee realized entrepreneurial success early in her career, as for the first 5 years of business Lee’s Polish Bars grossed upwards of $700,000, while in the last 5 years sales saw a slump of about 20-23%.

“I (honestly) didn’t feel like I was growing after the first 5 years,” says Lee. “Business started to slow and so did my passion.”

As Lee’s interest, thus progress, begin to wain in her nail salon, it picked up in real estate. Having purchased her first home in New York at an early age, along with the opening of commercial spaces for her stores, Lee grew more knowledgeable on the city’s real estate and in 2015 she went on to pursue her license.

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I started with the number one firm in Brooklyn, Corcoran. I went to the firm’s school and while I was in classes I started to get clients,” says Lee. “Two months out of school I began to pursue real estate full-time and found myself addicted.”

Lee has experienced ‘bounce back’ like never before. She is currently earning her yearly real estate sales goal in the first quarter of this year.

“I’ve been in real estate since November and by the end of February I earned enough money to sit still for the rest of the year,” she says. “I anticipate quadrupling my salary this year. The thing is, I still create a customer experience, just on a larger scale. There is a sense of pride in doing that and walking [away] from the table with an $80,000 check.”

Even with her renewed career success, when it comes to technically ‘bouncing back,’ Lee still is hesitant to claim the phrase. “I’m still figuring out bouncing back,” says Lee. “Every bit of hard work, sweat and labor became the very foundation I am building this new career on. You can’t discount that work. I’ve been grinding for the last decade. Nothing falls in my lap. The bouncing back for me is building a whole new business with excitement and improved quality of life.”

For more on Tricia Lee’s business developments follow @lovetricialee.