Hey Y’all! Thanks for poppin' by!
Who I am...
A Little Bit Hippie, A Little Bit Punk Rock, A Lot Nerdy
I’m a rebel with a hippie heart, it’s in my spirit. I love animals, herbs, flowers, gardens, nature, the sound of the ocean, alternative healing/medicine, am environmentally conscious, and all the hippie dippie stuff, but also tattoos (have several and always want more), punk rock, dive bars, motorcycles, and tequila. Then throw in a real nerdy appreciation infatuation of Star Wars, Marvel, fantasy sci-fi, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. I could probably be an astrophysicist if I didn’t have decades of (useless) information on the afore mentioned subjects littering my brain. Oh, and I’ve loved Hello Kitty since I was 7 years old and am not ashamed of it one bit. You should see my home office – it’s nothing but Star Wars and Hello Kitty collectibles and artwork. I decided a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, that I don’t wanna to grow up, so I’m not gonna. And you can’t make me, so there. :)
Where I’m From…
“No I cannot forget where it is that I come from” (Small Town by John Mellencamp)
I was born in a small town in Indiana where we lived until we moved to Michigan when I was 8, and my sister was 5. I spent my formative years in the capitol city of Lansing, MI. It was a great place to grow up, I’m very proud of where I’m from, and I do miss it every now and again. It gave me my “Midwest sensibility”, and also my bland palate (if you’re from the Midwest you know what I’m talking about). I made lifelong friends there who are more sister than friend after 30+ years. From MI I moved to Tempe, AZ to finish my last couple of years of college at Arizona State University. I fell in love the Southwest. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I loved it so much that I lived all over the Phoenix area for 16 years, until my husband and I moved to Charleston in 2014. We were ready to be closer to family, closer to the ocean, and in a smaller city with some of the friendliest people we’ve ever met. It goes to show that when you live in an awesome place such as Charleston, SC, you’re pretty happy most of the time and it shows. We will celebrate 8 years in Charleston and 10 years married in 2022, and we welcomed the birth of our son, Cash, in September 2021!
Why Esthetics?
Follow your calling…
So, why esthetics? Well for one, I love every aspect of skincare. And for two, I love products! I’m a product junkie through and through. You should see my bathroom vanity – it’s beyond ridiculous. I’ve struggled with skin issues (eczema) for most of my life, and have always had sensitive skin so I was always searching for something clean, natural, and effective to help with my issues. Surprise surprise, not many worked. Back to the drawing board I would go, always frustrated. Lather, rinse, repeat over and over, it was a vicious cycle. Through these struggles I realized I wanted to really dive deep and learn about the skin, and how to take care of it, yet how to go about it eluded me. It wasn’t until I woke up one morning in 2008 dreading my dead-end corporate job and had an epiphany. It was as clear as day, I knew what I wanted to do, and it scared the crap out of me. I told my husband, “I want to be an esthetician.” So, I made a plan to save up as much as I could for school and planned on getting a student loan to cover the rest. Unfortunately, life had other plans for me and big things kept getting in the way of me being able to save up. It took almost 3 years for me to finally be able to enroll, 100% due to my amazing grandma gifting me some money from a college fund she started years ago, that I didn’t even know existed. I believe I cried when she told me. I still got that student loan (almost done paying it off – woohoo!), and by August of 2010 I was enrolled to start in February of 2011. I went to school at night, worked the crappy corporate job all day, and planned my out of state wedding as I had gotten engaged in Dec. 2010. It was hell sometimes, not going to lie. But it was so very worth it, because I am here now, exactly where I’m supposed to be. I never gave up on my dream, even when it seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel was a train bearing down on me full speed. I graduated top of my class, passed my state board exams (my test taking anxiety struggle was REAL), and got my first job in a lovely day spa in Gilbert, AZ. I spent two years there paying my dues and learning everything I could about what being an esthetician entails from some very talented women. School doesn’t prepare you for that at all, just as college doesn’t prepare you for the real world once you’re in it. My ultimate goal was always to own my own business, be my own boss, and build long lasting relationships with my clients. In January of 2017, the opportunity to start my own side-hustle esthetics business presented itself to me, and I grabbed it. It’s taken me almost 4 years to make my part-time dream a full-time reality. I was presented with yet another opportunity to move my business to Charleston Wellness Studios in the Avondale district, inside The Schoolhouse West Ashley. I’ve known about this location for a couple of years and am beyond thrilled and grateful to be in such an amazing location, with amazing practitioners, all geared towards overall health and wellness.
My Ethos
Knowledge + Skills + Professionalism + Education
What you can expect from me is that I am extremely knowledgeable in my craft and I will share that knowledge with you to help you in your journey. I am passionate about what I do, and always strive to better my skills. I take continuing education classes (above what is required for licensing), watch tutorials and videos, and do a lot of what I like to call “research and development” behind the scenes to hone my skills and test new products and treatments. I am always caring, compassionate, and above and beyond anything else, professional. But, also, I love being silly – so don’t think for one second that we’re not gonna giggle and have fun!
Being an esthetician is so much more than just giving a client a facial and sending them on their way. It requires research, continual training, dedication to the craft, and most importantly, connecting with the client and building a relationship with them. To me, that is the true recipe for helping my clients achieve their skincare goals.
“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”
– Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
