We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cassandra Vargas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassandra, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

When it comes to taking risks, I think to myself “the greater the risk, the greater the reward”. I knew this would be true of embarking on my journey to not only become a licensed esthetician and start my career in the beauty industry, but to then create my own brand and run a business that was solely mine. At 19 years old, I stopped to think about what made me happy in life. I knew that makeup artistry was my passion, but was I ready to ditch my stable 9-5 to pursue that dream? In the height of a global pandemic, was this realistic of me to consider? I decided that it was worth a try! In June of 2020, I reached out to a local makeup artist, Kristina Stuller, and became her apprentice. She laid the stepping stones for me to gain skills and knowledge that will last me a lifetime. I began my esthetics course at the Toledo Academy of Beauty in September of 2020, and I immediately fell in love with the world of skincare and waxing. At the end of the day, I realized that what really brought me peace was creating a safe and empowering space for people to receive a luxury service, and leave with their confidence level at a 10. After graduating esthetics school in June of 2021, I continued my journey in uptown Maumee within the Spoil Me Royal salon. Working on a team of like minded, driven women was a blessing that gave me the strength to start my own business a year and a half later. In November of 2022, I took the leap, and I brought Vogue Esthetics into fruition. I am grateful everyday that I took this risk. The reward was worth the risk a thousand times over.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a little girl, I was enthralled by makeup and at home spa nights. I spent many evenings hiding away at my mother’s vanity, getting into all of her lipsticks, eyeshadows, and face creams. Who knew that, 20 years later, I would be making that into my career? My go to look was mimicking the iconic red lips, black eyeliner, wispy lashes, and signature beauty mark of Marilyn Monroe and Madonna. In January of 2020, I decided to make this a serious venture. I took online classes with Nathan Johnson at QC Makeup Academy to improve my craft and learn the tricks of the trade. All of this led me to becoming an esthetician, and has come back full circle with creating Vogue Esthetics LLC. At Vogue Esthetics, I offer a variety of beauty services including full body waxing and skincare, luxe facials, lash lift and tints, brow laminations, and makeup applications. My top priority is always to help people feel beautiful in their skin. Whether that means helping you achieve glowing skin or making your eyes just a little bit more flirty, I am here for it all! When we look good, we feel good, and when we feel good, we look good. Often times, a 15 minute brow appointment does more than take away stray hairs. The words and vibes exchanged in those 15 minutes can boost your whole day. When I see the glowing aura of my clients after their appointment, I know I did my job.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

While I was in esthetics school, I was working full time as an insurance agent. After completing school, I planned to keep my full time job at the office, and pursue my esthetics career on the side during evenings and weekends. Gradually, I cut back my hours at the office, while I grew my clientele in the salon. After a few months, I knew that the salon was where I needed to be full time. This was the first big risk I took. I committed myself to being an esthetician full time and put all of my energy into making my career into what it is today. Gaining my first repeating client was a huge milestone for me. It made me feel like I was starting to make it in this industry. Between taking educational courses online and traveling across the country for conventions, I strive to improve my craft everyday. The progression is real when I look back at old photos from when I first started. I am so proud of how far I have come as an esthetician, and I am looking forward to all of the achievements Vogue Esthetics will make in the years to come.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The number one requisite for building my reputation is staying true to myself. People gravitate to businesses that they align with, those that they see a piece of themselves in. The world is not short of estheticians, but what draws people to me is their expectation of me and my services. No one can keep up with a facade for too long. Always remember that when you are building your reputation, you are building your reputation, not anyone else’s. With this quality, marketing and networking comes more naturally. This gives people trust in you, and that will grow your success.

Contact Info:

• Website: vogueestheticsllc.square.site
• Instagram: @vogueestheticsllc
• Facebook: Vogue Esthetics LLC

Image Credits
First (not including headshot) and fourth pictures captured by Vanity Studios.