Rising Stars: Meet Julia Rankin Long of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Rankin Long.

Hi Julia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Julia Rankin Long and I’m 33 years old. That will matter or not by the end of this. I’m a licensed esthetician in Northern Kentucky. Graduating college in 2015 with a bachelors in music and a minor in psychology. I had one job for 7 years after, and that was teaching preschool.

I decided to go to esthetician school at 29, after already living thru so many different chapters and passions; found myself and lost myself a thousand times. Struggling with mental illness as the years went on and just ignored it. I went thru the loss of my father, my father in law, and an amazing coworker\friend all in one year. Had me thinking about how short life was and what i wanted to do with it. I didn’t want my story to end here. It couldn’t be too late to start, I’m not too old to learn new things, and live completely different than I was in my preschool teaching job, full of toxic management and consumed by grief.

I had no interest in skincare. I grew up in the time of tanning beds, baking in oil outside, and no one cared much about skincare, but you had to cover any imperfection up. I was big into makeup in its peak era of 2016-2022. Among my friends, I was known for how I penciled in my eyebrows. Either they loved them or made fun of them. My blonde nonexistent brows. The block brow era and on. And they never were drawn on the same, but it changed my whole face.

It was a whole event to go get my brows waxed at the Ulta benefit brow bar. I loved the girls and the whole process of how they mapped out my brows, the wax was gentle, and they could tint brows, so you could actually see mine.

Eventually during covid, everything was shut down and I had to get creative. My coworker brought in her wax pot one day so I could try to do it myself. And from the rip of the first strip i went “I could do this”.

I only knew I didn’t want to cut hair or do nails. Then I found esthetics—looked into it a whole year before I finally jumped. It quite literally felt like falling. The same day my resignation was written, I enrolled into Cincinnati Institute of Esthetics and Nails.

The school experience was unlike most—I loved school. The drive was 45min-1hr away and I never minded it, because I knew where i was going and who was going to be there. In a group of girls who were the kindest, most fun and supportive group I’ve ever been a part of. While I was up to 10 years older than half of them. We all were going after the same dream. And my age was almost constantly forgotten until I talked about something that happened in the 90’s. They threw me a surprise 30th birthday party. I never stop thinking about it, it was so cute. I was excited to turn 30, to finally get out of my 20’s where i suffered so much grief, wishing my girls better through theirs. And then you turn 30, the age I’ve seen people lose sleep over. Pass their prime or whatever. It was one day that blended into the next, and my prime just got here.

That was the beginning of my story. I’d like to take the next part to explain the depth of my business and how every single thing I’ve said so far has inspired it.

I opened The Youth Archives Esthetics Studio in August 2024 in Independence KY. Where I didn’t just want a business, it had to be a brand. Something that would stand out. It took months—took my grief, crazy imagination, my family’s story, and she was born. Heavily based off of 90’s homevideos, I have a bunch of vintage tv’s and photos all around my studio.

I keep talking about how I’m older in some aspects, but when it came to my family—I was born a little late. They were an established family. With older parents and grandparents, aunt and uncles. Which also means I didn’t get to keep them nearly as long and how do I cope with that. My grandparents (mom) owned the Goetz Greenhouse and Nursery in Edgewood KY. Where my mom Jan (dad john), and her brothers, Ronnie (Gwen) and Stan (Sharron) all worked in the greenhouse that was a local staple. It opened in 1961 when my grandfather, Joe Goetz quit his full time job to officially open his business, along with my Grandma, Elenor Goetz. It closed in 1989, 3 years after my sister was born, and I wouldn’t get there until 1993. I always say I grew up in a Greenhouse I never stepped foot in. It was so engrained, almost like my DNA, that was my family story and it was a part of me. My grandparents sold their farm, and gifted each of their children an acre of land side by side to build. And that’s how we grew up. My grandpa was my hero. He’s been dead for over 20 years, and his legacy is still remembered now through my own business.

That’s kind of the archive of it all. My grandfather didn’t ever imagine that his picture would be all over a “salon”. But he is, and his story continues with mine, they’ll always be a part of my business even though I never got to be a part of theirs.

I took every chapter of life and said—this is why I’m able to be here and I’m done running away from uncomfortable times in my life. Yes I started later than others, and it was scary and all the things. But if there is a calling, it’s going to keep on calling. If it’s done in your 20s, 30’s, even 50’s.
I wanted to prove to everyone that youth is deeper than skin goes. We are made up of every version of ourselves, all our experiences, our family, everyone we ever loved. By remembering all these things, we’re archiving them and carrying them with us long after they’re gone. Every wrinkle, scar, sunspots are proof that we lived and we have a story to tell. we are evolving vs. getting old. we’re taking care of our skin out of love instead of shame.

The beauty industry is progressing into the direction of self acceptance and focusing on the health of your skin, but it’s been heavily built on women’s insecurities, especially aging. I have many clients who come to me and they had past experiences with professionals where they left feeling bad about themselves. There are people who don’t believe they fit into this community. And that’s where I come in—a little neurodivergent awkward weird girl who cares a little too much.

Skincare, education and beauty services should be accessible to everyone.

My space is a little unconventional spa, I call it my fun house. Full of vintage and antiques, down to the sheets. I wanted everyone who walked in have a sense of nostalgia, but in a good way. Sometimes we get too nostalgic that it can make us sad cuz we can never get it back. But I wanted to celebrate it, evoke a feeling of joy it once made us feel. And give the girlies who think they don’t have a place in this industry a space to feel safe and be exactly who they are without judgement.

The Youth Archives has also given me a space to be myself and only myself and by being myself I learned that attracts your people. The connections I’ve made with my clients is most rewarding by far. Also with other beauty providers in the area.

So I came into this industry looking to do brows full time—something simple and different—I’m most known for my facial services and massage. I find that incredibly special to help others relax, decompress, and just forget the world for a couple hours. And of course, I do plenty of brows.

The NKY/independence community has responded so well to this business, I started in a smaller room, moved into a bigger one and the same building last September. Most of my clients come from tiktok, so I’m always inspired to create and get to know them.

Idk how long I’m going to keep this going. I’m now 33, I don’t want to think about what my body and muscles are gonna feel like 10 years from now. I hope to teach esthetics in the future. This is the most wild ride of my life. My business is deeply personal and that’s so scary, but it’s authenticity has found exactly the audience who needs it. It’s been a dream and I’ve never felt more youthful in my life.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Finances were such a big stressor through school and the beginning of my business. I’m so lucky that my husband was able to put me through school and support me to where I am now. But I really did trade comfortability for a dream and that was a risk. While all this was happening, we were full time care givers to our epileptic Australian shepherd, Miles, which also had us struggling financially. But there was nothing we wouldn’t do to give him a good quality of life. And when my business was taking off last summer, getting the visibility I worked so hard to get—Miles passed very soon after, unexpectedly. (We had two Australian Shepherds, Indy and miles and they’re everything to us). Right where I was supposed to be celebrating, I was the most empty as a person. But I’m in costumer service, and where I built my clientele and environment based on authenticity, I had to be performative/masking.

I was a stranger in my life, and my wonderful clients give me a space to talk about both my boys and grief and empathize and share their own.

Everyone always finds there way back to something. Miles’ death is still traumatic to me, we worked so hard to manage his epilepsy, and at the beginning of his passing, it kinda felt like “what did we do this all for”. But we know why, and it was worth it. I use my “platform” to share his story and awareness to canine epilepsy.

A year later, I feel more grounded in everything. And we’re just living life, chasing the big adventures in his honor and making our Indy’s last half of life the best. Indy is like The Youth Archives little mascot, loved by all.

Mental health also has been a struggle and journey that hit its peak right after I graduated esthetician school. Unprocessed trauma, grief, crazy emotional regulation, no coping skills, along side our financial stress and sick dog was a mix for disaster. And I was so scared it would affect my business and I’d burn it all to the ground. I’m proud I’ve been in therapy for 3 years, work with a psychiatrist and take the right medication, and I’m not shy about it. Being open about these things also make people comfortable to come to me, knowing someone can understand them or at the very least, not judge them.
It continues to be a never ending journey, I’ve healed and been knocked down again. But these struggles have played a part in my business, adds another layer to the story. And the purpose to The Youth Archives is always there to guide me back.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So I offer Skin Treatments and Brow Services. Where I told you my story, I went into how I wanted to be an esthetician because I wanted to be a brow artist. I wasn’t interested in facial services as much. Felt too intimate and never thought I’d be good at it. Fast forward to now—I’m most know for my 20 minute facial massage that is apart of 2 of my facials.

Definitely had to learn massage outside of school. I was doing the bare minimum of massage when I left school. It wasn’t bad but also not impressive. It takes a long time and practice and being uncomfortable in your hands before you know what you’re doing. I trained in lymphatic massage, tried many different massage sequences, and now I have a routine massage I can’t get under 20 minutes and that’s the experience. People get to turn their brains off or take a nap, and I’m so happy to do that for them. At the end of the service, they never want to leave they’re so relaxed. That’s when I know I did my job right. My nervous system has been unregulated majority of my life. Never have I ever thought I’d be able to offer this to my clients. But giving this to others has grounded me, slows me down to where I can meet my clients in that in between space of calm and nothing. It’s been very therapeutic. There is no machine that can top the power of massage.

When it comes to the actual treatment of things—I look at skin health above everything. I have something for everyone, even for the most sensitive skin. What I love most is teaching about home care and how to continue their treatment with consistency and taking care of themselves after the facial is over.

What matters most to you?
Just people. My clientele and community. Being a part of their lives . I wanna do right by them and that they always have someone in their corner. I wouldn’t even be here without them giving me a chance. I want to give them a moment to focus on themselves, and reset or whatever they need to do. I like taking care of them.

Pricing:

• Brow Wax and Tint $35
• Brow Lamination $85
• Essential Facial $75
• Full Face Facial $110
• Full Feat. Facial Treatment 90 min. $130

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theyoutharchives.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyoutharchivesstudio?igsh=MWhsbXB4OGp4YXJkZQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theyoutharchives?_r=1&_t=ZP-98VFJUyUChq