Facing Rising Costs, Bakersfield Esthetician Takes Her Salon on the Road

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As the cost of doing business continues to rise across California, one Bakersfield entrepreneur is rethinking what a beauty salon can look like and for her, it looks like a truck.

During the pandemic, De’Shanay Wilkerson decided it was time to turn her childhood passion for beauty into a business.

She began teaching herself makeup techniques through YouTube videos, with the encouragement and support of her mother, who invested in her first set of supplies.

What started as a hobby soon became a career.

Wilkerson trained as an esthetician and began working in salons across Bakersfield. But as booth rent and supply costs continued to grow, she knew she needed another plan.

“You have to invest in space, which is a monthly fee. You have to invest in your suppli