We recently connected with Thandiwe Gibson-Hunter and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Thandiwe, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

At the beginning of each year, I choose one word to guide me. For the past six years, that word was Grace. I wanted to learn how to let go of shame. I wanted to forgive myself for the mistakes I had made in both my business and personal life. I wanted to soothe emotional and psychological wounds and find peace in who I am. During those years of embracing grace, however, I also became increasingly cautious and afraid of life. So, for 2026, I chose a new word: Audacity. I want to take risks and get messy, just like Ms. Frizzle says. I want to bet on myself. I want to stretch my capacity to live life fully and challenge myself to build the foundation of my dream business, WeRest Bathhouse.

In April 2026, I attended my first esthetician conference as a licensed esthetician. I spent the day exploring products, speaking with brand representatives, and absorbing information from seminars. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I enjoyed every second of it. When I returned home, I was determined to bring the WeRest brand back to life by starting small and opening a facial & brow studio. I understood that every dream needs a strong foundation.

On June 5, I opened the WeRest Treatment Room. In the weeks following the conference, I painted, spackled, sanded, and transformed my childhood bedroom into a serene facial studio. I sourced everything from shelving to décor through Facebook Marketplace and bootstrapped an ordinary room in my parents’ home into a calming sanctuary where clients could relax and be cared for.

I love giving facials because they create a unique experience. In as little as 30 minutes, an esthetician can help a client feel both relaxed and empowered. We often associate empowerment with hard work, perseverance, and achieving goals. Rarely do we think of a service as something that can inspire confidence while encouraging self-love and self-care. Through my work, I create a safe and restorative space where clients can rest, reconnect with themselves, and feel inspired to care for both their bodies and their hearts.

As a woman, I see how often women give endlessly to others until self-care begins to feel like a luxury. In reality, self-care is essential for longevity and well-being. Sometimes it includes skincare, but it also means setting boundaries, regulating your nervous system, and consistently showing up for yourself. In a society that often expects women to express love through self-sacrifice, I want to be a resource that encourages self-love and self-care instead. This year, I bet on myself in one of the biggest ways possible. I opened a facial and brow studio, hosted an open house, and secured three facial bookings within a day of opening. But the growth did not stop there.

In May, I launched K.N.O.T. Mag on Substack as a passion project. I had grown tired of seeing discussions about the “male loneliness epidemic” dominate social media without offering meaningful solutions. Through my research, I learned that loneliness affects people across America, yet the responsibility for solving it is often placed on women. I struggled to understand how anyone’s loneliness could be attributed to an entire gender. Rather than assigning blame, I wanted to create a space that encourages growth, connection, and accountability for everyone. K.N.O.T. Mag is my attempt to provide a resource for people who feel alone and are seeking community.

This year has also taught me the importance of building community around myself. Recently, I began developing an organization for estheticians of color in the beauty industry. I have become frustrated by the lack of educational resources focused on melanin-rich skin and by the limited opportunities available to professionals seeking advanced training in treating diverse skin tones. Friends and colleagues in the beauty industry regularly express these same concerns. I believe an organization dedicated to supporting estheticians, dermatologists, and cosmetic chemists of color is essential to creating safer, more inclusive experiences for clients of all backgrounds. Whether through skincare services, writing, or professional advocacy, I am using my skills and passions to create safe, freeing spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and empowered.

The word Audacity challenged me to stop waiting and start building. This year, I have learned that betting on myself is not just about pursuing my own dreams—it is about creating spaces where others can heal, connect, and thrive alongside me. Every risk I have taken, from opening the WeRest Treatment Room to launching K.N.O.T. Mag and developing an organization for estheticians of color, has been rooted in a desire to serve something larger than myself. Audacity taught me that courage is not the absence of fear; it is the willingness to move forward despite uncertainty. It is choosing to create when resources are limited, to lead when no clear roadmap exists, and to trust that even small actions can have a meaningful impact. As I continue building these ventures, I hope to cultivate communities where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to care for themselves and one another. The greatest lesson I have learned this year is that when we boldly invest in our gifts and passions, we create opportunities for others to do the same.

Thandiwe, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Thandiwe Gibson-Hunter, and I am the Esthetics Wellness Director of WeRest, a wellness brand rooted in the belief that rest, self-care, and community are essential—not luxuries. I am a licensed esthetician, magazine editor, and entrepreneur passionate about creating safe, freeing spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and feel cared for.

My journey into the beauty and wellness industry began with my own experiences of stress and burnout, and with the realization that many people, especially women, are taught to prioritize everyone else’s needs before their own. I became fascinated by how skincare and wellness services could be more than cosmetic treatments; they could be opportunities for people to slow down, breathe, and practice self-care in meaningful ways. That realization led me to pursue esthetics and, eventually, to build WeRest with my sister, Anoa Gibson-Hunter.

Currently, I operate the WeRest Treatment Room, where I provide facial and brow services designed to help clients feel both relaxed and empowered. While healthy skin is certainly a goal, my work extends beyond skincare. I strive to create an experience that allows clients to pause from the demands of daily life, regulate their nervous systems, and leave feeling refreshed, confident, and supported. Every treatment is intentionally designed to be a moment of rest in a culture that often glorifies constant productivity.

What sets my work apart is that I view skincare holistically. I believe self-care includes facials and skincare routines, but it also includes boundaries, rest, emotional well-being, and community. My clients are not just receiving a service—they are entering a space where they are encouraged to prioritize themselves without guilt.

My commitment to wellness extends beyond the treatment room and into the community. Through my partnership with the Fairfax County Police Department Crime Prevention Unit, I teach Skincare Fundamentals classes at local community centers, providing accessible education that empowers individuals to better understand and care for their skin. I have also volunteered with the Fairfax County Police Department Domestic Violence Unit, where I curated personalized skincare routines and provided skincare samples to survivors. These experiences reinforced my belief that skincare can be a powerful tool for restoring confidence, dignity, and self-worth during challenging times. Whether I am working with a client, teaching a class, or serving my community, my goal remains the same: to help people feel seen, cared for, and empowered.
Beyond the treatment room, I am passionate about addressing gaps I see in my industry. I am currently developing an organization for estheticians of color that will provide education, support, and professional development opportunities focused on melanin-rich skin. I believe beauty professionals deserve access to resources that help them better serve diverse communities, and I want to help create a more inclusive industry.

I am also the Editor of K.N.O.T. Mag, a publication focused on connection, community, and navigating loneliness in modern society. Through writing and research, I hope to encourage conversations that help people feel less isolated and more connected to themselves and others.

Everything I create is centered around care. Whether someone visits me for a facial, attends one of my educational workshops, reads K.N.O.T. Mag, or participates in one of my community initiatives, my mission is the same: to create spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to prioritize their well-being. I believe self-care is not selfish—it is a necessary practice that allows us to show up more fully for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner at birth. Anoa Gibson-Hunter, the founder of WeRest, is my sister, best friend, and one of the people I admire most. Throughout my life, I have watched her carry the responsibilities that often come with being the eldest daughter. She has always been the person who gives, supports, and encourages everyone around her.

I witnessed her extraordinary work ethic firsthand during one of the busiest seasons of her life. While attending Physician Assistant school, Anoa was also a newlywed and a new mother. I remember watching her breastfeed while studying pharmacology late into the night. Her determination, resilience, and commitment to her goals left a lasting impression on me. She is my role model for many reasons, but the quality I admire most is her courage. No matter the challenge, she never gives up. She approaches every obstacle with intention and does her best to execute whatever is in front of her.

During those years, I often bought her gift cards for manicures and pedicures. Even then, I understood that self-care was more than a luxury—it was a necessary act of self-love. Years later, that belief became the foundation of our business. We created WeRest to help women let go of the burden of always having to be flawless. Through intentional self-care practices, we want to encourage women to choose themselves, nurture themselves, and show themselves compassion one ritual at a time.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My own relationship with self-care was born from a very different journey. In the summer of 2013, shortly after graduating from Spelman College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Although I had struggled with depression for years, receiving that diagnosis marked the beginning of a long and often painful journey toward understanding my mental health.

For nearly a decade, I cycled through periods of depression and mania, spending time in and out of psychiatric hospitals. There were years when I genuinely hated myself. Looking at my reflection in the mirror felt impossible. My skin suffered alongside my mental health, often reflecting the turmoil I was experiencing internally. During my darkest moments, I wanted to give up on myself. Yet one phrase carried me through every setback, hospitalization, and painful season: This is only temporary.

Those words became an anchor. They reminded me that no feeling, no circumstance, and no struggle would last forever. I survived every trauma, every episode, every moment of guilt and shame that told me I was unworthy of love or healing.

Today, I stand tall as a survivor. I survived my mind. More importantly, I learned how to extend grace and compassion to myself. That journey transformed the way I think about wellness, beauty, and self-care. To me, self-care is not about perfection—it is about choosing yourself over and over again, especially on the days when it feels hardest.

That belief is at the heart of everything we do at WeRest. We are not simply creating services or experiences; we are creating reminders that people deserve rest, care, and kindness. My story is proof that healing is possible, and I hope that by sharing it, others will feel less alone in their own journeys.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,werestdc.com
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