The Hustle Behind the Beauty: Starry Gladue’s Entrepreneurial Rise

By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – Starry Gladue is building more than a beauty studio – she is building a career defined by resilience, creativity, and Indigenous female entrepreneurship.

Gladue, from Beaver First Nation in Treaty 8 territory and now based in Edmonton, Treaty 6 territory, is the owner of Beauty on the Block, a cosmetic tattoo and beauty studio known for makeup artistry and powder ombré brows. With 17 years of experience in the beauty industry, she has grown from working for other companies to establishing her own space as a business owner, educator, and mentor.

“My brand represents my personal brand and everything I love,” Gladue said. “I wanted to make a studio that was girly and pink, but also represents my love of hip-hop and 90s culture. It has an urban influence with an urban edge and a girly influence to it.”

At the heart of her work is a focus on creating a welcoming, judgment-free space for women.

“I wanted to create a space where women can come and feel comfortable and get services done to help them feel beautiful,” she said. “My little slogan is ‘feeling most beautiful on the block or on the rez.’ I wanted to create a safe space that’s judgment-free where women can come and feel beautiful.”

Building Through Barriers

Like many entrepreneurs, Gladue’s journey was shaped by financial and personal barriers. In the early stages of building her business, access to funding was a major challenge.

“I think a lot of women may face financial barriers,” she said. “In the beginning, I didn’t have a lot of finances to get started, so I had to have funding support from the Alberta Indigenous Investment Corporation. They helped me get everything started with startup capital for inventory, furniture, studio space, and all of that.”

Alongside financial challenges, she also faced internal struggles that many entrepreneurs experience.

“Mental barriers like self-doubt and imposter syndrome were something I didn’t fully tackle at first,” Gladue said. “But I got over it and my confidence took over.”

Gladue’s entrepreneurial path is rooted in years of hard work in the beauty industry – and a drive she says was shaped early in life. “I’ve always had that hustler spirit, and it’s stemmed from my mom,” she said. “I saw her get her degree when I was five years old and hustle every day – go to university, work hard, come home, cook dinner, and take care of everything. There were never excuses.”

That example carried into her own life, beginning when she left her home community at 18 to pursue education in Vancouver. “I’ve just been on the grind ever since,” she said. “I don’t even know how to slow down.”

Now, that hustle is translating into business growth. Gladue is preparing to hire her first employee this summer and is already thinking ahead to expansion.

“I’m on track to hire my first employee this summer,” she said. “Then maybe I’ll grow, get a bigger space, hire more staff, and potentially open a couple locations. The possibilities are endless.”

For Gladue, beauty is not just cosmetic – it is confidence-building. “It’s empowering to help women with their confidence,” she said. “When you have beautiful brows or beautiful makeup, it really uplifts you. When you look good, you feel good.”

Her signature service, powder ombré brows, reflects her philosophy of enhancement over transformation.

“It’s empowering to have strong eyebrows because that’s the first thing people see,” she said. “But I don’t want to create brows that take away from your features. I want your eyes to be the focus, and your brows to beautifully frame your face.”

Mentorship and Representation

Gladue also plays a growing role as an educator, training new artists in the beauty industry – particularly Indigenous entrepreneurs entering the field.

“I also teach powder ombré brow training, so I’m able to help Indigenous artists get into the industry,” she said.

When she first began, representation was limited. “When I started out in 2009, I didn’t know of any other Indigenous makeup artists,” she said. “Even when brows started becoming popular in 2016, I didn’t see many Indigenous brow artists. Now to see more Indigenous artists in the industry is amazing. I’m grateful I can be part of that and help as a trainer and mentor.”

For Gladue, entrepreneurship is about more than business success – it is about creating space, opportunity, and legacy. “There’s so much opportunity to be a businesswoman right now,” she said. “The possibilities are endless.”

Beauty on the Block (Edmonton, Alberta) services and bookings are available through social media and can be made at:
Instagram: @beautyontheblock and Facebook: Beauty on the Block