Meet a Mom Mondays make Mondays a weekly favorite! This week GLAMoms is featuring Lorin Cumberbatch. Lorin is mom to a charming – and adorable – 3 year old son and owns Skin Studio 211. But she doesn’t stop there – she offers up her knowledge and know-how as a Lansing area consultant – Lorin Cumberbatch, Business Consultant.
She is a hard worker, community maker and introduced a sleep training technique her son continues to have great success. Learn more about Lorin, how she did all of this mid-pandemic and continues to grow while promoting others!
Welcome to GLAMoms Lorin 🙂
Please introduce yourself, where are you from, where do you reside now?
My name is Lorin Cumberbatch and I am from Queens, NY. My 3 year old son and I reside in Lansing, MI.
What do you think is one of the best parts about being a mom?
The best part of being a mom is hearing my son say new things that I didn’t teach him like him telling me to cover my mouth when I cough or him saying “oh dear” after he dropped something.
What piece of advice for new moms you wish you would have known when your kids were younger?
I would tell new moms to please take all the help you can get when they offer and don’t feel pressured or shamed by other moms to do things such as breastfeeding when it doesn’t work for you, your family, and your lifestyle.
Tell us about Lorin Cumberbatch, the business consultant!
Man, Lorin Cumberbatch the business consultant just happened honestly. I’ve always been great at understanding business and always had people look up to me about it. It wasn’t until I started growing Skin Studio 211 that people fully wanted my business advice.
I grew Skin Studio 211 in a year’s time from a contact list of 0 to over 1K, doesn’t seem like a lot but I went from working for myself in one room to a team of 6 and 15 rooms. Once others saw what I had done, they wanted a piece of me to help them with their business. I love to do that!
One thing I can say is my brain fully understands marketing. I will come up with the most amazing marketing ideas for any business that will make you stand out for sure.
How do you balance being both an area small business owner and being a mom?
Being a business owner and a mom is very hard. I constantly tell myself that all my hard work will be worth it in the end. I always make sacrifices today for my son to have a better tomorrow.
Tell us about Skin Studio 211!
Okay this will be a long story yet Skin Studio 211 just happened. Back in February of 2020, my son had heart surgery. However, prior to that, I had found out that I needed back surgery because I had extreme back pain that affected my walking, standing, and in 2020 living.
The plan was for my son to have heart surgery and a few weeks later for me to have back surgery. My limitations were supposed to be no lifting and that included my son. So I planned for my son to be watched by my mom, his dad, and his dad’s family that lived in Michigan.
When we got to Michigan I was to stay in Lansing for a couple weeks then go back by myself to have surgery then about a month or so later my mom would bring my son to me in New York. Then Covid happened. States were locked down. Then they canceled my surgery because they considered my surgery elective and I could wait until they could figure out the whole hospital overcrowding situation.
That didn’t work for me because I was in so much pain at this point, to me, surgery was needed. So my health insurance stated that they covered all states as long as they were in network and Sparrow was in network. So as I waited to see if Michigan or New York would open up as far as lock down, I realized living in Lansing there were more opportunities for my son than in New York.
He has a huge backyard, school, community, things of that sort. So I started to apply to jobs in Lansing to see if I could get a job, however, no one would hire me. I had applied to well over 30 jobs and had at least 10 interviews but no job offers.
I already had my esthetician license. When I would visit Michigan I would do some of my facials in my mom’s house and do it for past friends or coworkers when I lived in Lansing. So I thought, hey, let me try and find a room to rent to do esthetician work to make money until I can find a job.
I could not find a room for rent. I was only offered salon suites that had 4+ rooms and I didn’t think it was for me. However, I knew I could afford the rent but I didn’t know what to do with the extra suites. My friends told me I could rent it out to others but I honestly didn’t believe in myself to do that. 
My friends talked me into getting my suite. During quarantine I spent my nights building Skin Studio 211. Setting up the website, trying to find the right booking site (appointments), logo, etc – everything business. I set up my room and then the lobby and posted on Facebook I had rooms for rent.
In about a month or so, all my rooms were filled and I was fully booked as an esthetician working 7 days a week. I then decided to get an additional suite and move my spa business to the new suite and hire my first employee. Business just kept growing and growing causing me to add an additional suite resulting in about 15 rooms and adding more employees so now I have 6 employees!
Skin Studio 211 has been featured in many many news outlets and all over social media and I’m forever grateful.
Congratulations on opening mid-pandemic and on your 1 year anniversary in July! What would you like to share with a mom reading this who may be considering pursuing their small business dream?
Just do it. Believe in yourself and build a team that will support you in this even if it’s not family. I have major support from my friends that pushed me to live out my dream and who help me when I need support with my son.
There is a Studio 211 – what is Studio 226?
Skin Studio 226 was my first spa I opened up when I lived in New York. Basically, when I went to be an esthetician I met my business partner, and we connected instantly and she became family after having to be in school for a year and sitting at the same table as her. After graduating we stayed in contact and she mentioned to me how she had got a great offer (as far as New York goes) on a room. I went and checked it out and we went for it. We have been open now for over two years. It’s not as huge as my spa in lansing but it’s surviving and growing.
How did you name Skin Studio 211?
Honestly, Skin Studio 211 came from Skin Studio 226. My business partner and I were trying to think of a name. We definitely wanted our name to say what we do so Skin Studio and 226 was the building number of our New York location.
Upon opening the Lansing location during the pandemic I thought further. I wanted to keep Skin Studio as part of its name and added 211. February 11 was my grandmother’s birthday. My grandmother raised me and I wanted to represent her and Skin Studio 211 was named in honor of her.
What is something you are looking forward to as 2021 is nearing its end and 2022 is right around the corner?
I’m honestly looking forward to seeing how my business grows. It’s been crazy to know I’ve been out of work for over a year now!
Here are a couple questions to get to know you better 🙂
Oddest thing in the trunk of your car at this moment?
I just got my car cleaned out so I’m lucky lol but I always keep a stroller in my trunk.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a doctor – lol
Can’t live without skincare or makeup products?
SKINCAREEEEE
If you watch television, what is your most recent binge show?
I barely do but I love watching reruns.
What does Lorin-me-time look like?
Laying in bed doing absolutely nothing or nails done!
Favorite fall treat?
Candy corn
Mind sharing a mom trick another mom will be happy to learn?
Not sure if my son was a great baby or what but I tried to sleep train my son from the moment he was born. So if it was daytime I would make sure the lights were always on and let him have short naps.
When 7p hit, I would let him sleep as long as possible and always kept the lights off and noise low so he knew the difference between night and day. As he got older, I would let him cry at night time and not rush to him. Sounds terrible and it was at first but now he’s 3, he goes to bed at 730p and sleeps until I decide to go get him.
That means he will not make a noise from 730p to about 9p. He may be up and awake at around 7a but he’s patient and knows that he can come out when I let him out.
How readers connect with you if they would like more information?
Connect with me personally by following everywhere Lorin Cumberbatch
Facebook: Lorin Cumberbatch
Instagram: lorincumberbatch
Website: lorincumberbatch.com
Connect with Skin Studio 211 everywhere by following
Facebook: Skin Studio 211
Instagram: skinstudio211
Website: skinstudio211.com
GLAMoms – Contact Lorin for an assortment of services and use code “GLAM10” for 15% off any service.
Photo credit: Lorin Cumberbatch
Would you like to nominate someone for GLAMom’s Monday Meet a Mom feature? Please email [email protected] and we will take it from there!
