Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Marie.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been in the beauty and hospitality industry my entire life. Growing up, I was the little girl in the hair salon playing hairdresser, aspiring to be like my mother, who is an elite nail technician. Between my mother, and Grandma Becky, or as I called her “Becky Mom” who was a hairdresser, I dreamt of someday living their lives that I so steadily studied.
In 2008, I started my cosmetology career at The Paul Mitchel School in San Diego. I was voted “ The One” in my core class, which in The Paul Mitchell world equates to a class president. It was there that I found my nitch in hair styling and went on to do wedding and event hair for the next eight years.
In 2016, I started my Esthetician journey. The intimacy of skincare sparked my interest, & the classroom immediately fueled a fire inside of me that was new. Two weeks after being licensed, I became employed at Palmer Skin. A medical spa in the heart of Hillcrest, where the owner Timothy Palmer gave me the tools to become the esthetician that I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road? The bridal hair and my client’s skin are probably the only smooth part of my journey until recently. I was 20 when I became a professional, and now approaching 32 have I honestly started to grasp the whole branding and specialty of my craft.
A few months into Paul Mitchel, I lost my father to Cancer. He was the first person in my life that I had lost, and being away from family threw a wrench in my motivation to finish the curriculum. Once I graduated, I learned that the months I stepped away from school to mourn my father, cost me my financial aid. So, there I was, with every boxed checked for my completion of hours, except the “paid in full box.” I was 21, owed thousands of dollars, and I couldn’t get to work until school was paid off. Oh, the things I wish I could have told my 21-year-old self!
Advice for anyone young and starting?
To anyone getting started in the beauty industry. Approach whatever it is that speaks to you with an understanding that you are about to brand yourself. Follow your passions, do what feels right, and trust that there is only one of you. Your philosophy will bring you your tribe. Don’t get lost in comparing yourself to others, because your brand is a reflection of you. That is how you stand out. Trust the timing of your journey.
Money is energy & it will flow if you are vibrating at your highest self.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m an esthetician. My philosophy embodies skin & self-love.
“It’s not just a facial; It’s a heart to heart — a time where we can talk as much or as little as you want. My time is yours.”
What sets me apart?
My brother was diagnosed with cancer a year into my practice. It was then that I started researching how to help combat the side effects of treatment, and how to approach oncology clients altogether.
Today, I am an oncology-trained esthetician. Consider me a trailblazer because there aren’t a lot of us out there. These teaching have changed my life, and I believe every spa and salon professional should become oncology trained.
My heart beats for the person who gains a little more self-love from their time with me.
What am I most proud of?
I am most proud of the fact that I am a forever student. I am always evolving. Last weekend, I spent four days training with Yakov Gershkovich, an author, creator, and master trainer of holistic sculptural face lifting and contouring.
This training now allows me to offer 90 minutes of facial massage that enhances the beauty of the face while healing the face and body on a cellular level. Imagine a facial massage that targets all of your facial muscles with intention. One that lifts and releases emotion, tension, stress, and trauma. All of which we store in the face.
Migraines? TMJ? Do you grind your teeth?
This technique is for you.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
This year, I started practicing meditation. The headspace app was the vehicle I used to check in with myself and open my mind to the many different types of meditation.
High Vibrational Beauty by Kerrilynn Pamer and Cindy Diprima Morisse is a must! There you will find recipes and rituals for radical self-care.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle transformed my way of thinking. If you get lost in your mind and have issues with overthinking, this book will enlighten you.
Recently, Gary Vaynerchuk was brought to my attention. He is the author of Crush It! As an entrepreneur, this book is helping me with my vision and drive.
Contact Info:
- Address: Palmer Skin
3900 Fifth avenue, suite 140
San Diego, California 92103 - Website: www.palmerskin.com
- Phone: 6197878523
- Email: allthingsvmariie@gmail.com
- Instagram: vmariie
- Facebook: facebook.com/allthethingsvmariie
Image Credit:
Arlene Ibarra
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