We recently connected with Charlese Vidal and have shared our conversation below.
Charlese, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I LOVE being a business owner. When I graduated from esthetics school and got my license, I didn’t go out on my own right away. I was working as a freelance consultant for a beauty brand and then transitioned to wax specialist at a popular waxing chain and worked there for about 5 years before going on my own. I have had the “regular job” experience already, and while I learned a lot from those jobs, I wouldn’t want to go back to that. I am so grateful to say I am a business owner. I know that not many people can say they are living their dream and I am every day. While it does have its perks there are also so many challenges that come with it, giving up a 9-5 for a 24/7/365 definitely has me miss being able to clock out and not have to worry about things after work. While I don’t get paid time if I am under the weather, as a business owner I can take the time I need, when needed, to feel better and that is so helpful to prioritize my well-being. I can’t lie that the comfort of also knowing I have paid sick days and PTO is something I miss, but nothing is better than walking into my wax suite and loving where I am and what I do. Owning my own business also allows me to run things my way. I have worked for companies that have values that don’t fully align with mine and I have been able to create a culture for myself and my clients that I can proudly stand behind and that I know is making a positive impact on others. I have had my doubts from time to time, but I get reminded that I am doing what I am meant to with each client who walks in my door for a service and leaves with a smile and confidence that they found an esthetician who cares.
Charlese, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi! My name is Charlese, I’ve been a licensed esthetician since 2018 and worked in the beauty industry for almost 15 years. I own a waxing and skincare business where I provide services to all genders, but my specialty is brazilian waxing. Since I was little I was always fascinated with how self-care services could make people look and feel their best. I remember watching my mom get ready for work, doing her skincare then putting on makeup and how she would just glow with confidence. Both my mom and my dad were hard-working and instilled in me to dream big and if I was willing to do the work I could make it happen. While I didn’t always appreciate it when I was younger, I truly took after both my parents. My personality has become an exact replica in the most extra ways. I have my dad’s charisma and chattiness that helps make clients comfortable and feel welcome and my mom’s crazy Puerto Rican personality that is loud, proud and a little cheeky with the humor that breaks the ice and keeps the awkwardness of services at bay.
When I was in beauty school, I was working as a freelance skincare consultant and I really thought I would end up sticking with facials as my main services but one of my teachers did a demo on speed waxing and I was hooked ever since. In my wax suite however I chose a different approach to my services and while I do wax quickly and efficiently, I offer extra time for my clients so they don’t feel like they are getting rushed in and out. I wanted to focus on giving that extra time and attention to detail to every client and I feel like that helps me stand out in a world and industry where so many things are automated or tech-centric and impersonal. I strive to bring the personal side back to personal care services. Growing up in a family where we do what we can to genuinely care and help anyone we can however we can made such a huge impact on who I grew up to be and as an adult choose to be. I always joke with my clients and say “Whether you’re older than me or not, when you become my client you’re like my baby and my bestie”. The way I strive to make everyone feel at home and listen to their skincare goals and needs, and I also try to make my space welcoming and fun, I try my hardest to make every appointment the best I can.
Starting my business wasn’t always my dream until my dad helped me open my eyes to the possibilities that lay ahead. My husband has also been my number one cheerleader and continues to remind me how my compassion and focus I put into every detail of my business from mentoring and inspiring the next generation of estheticians to the way I show up every day as my authentic self make a difference even if it seems to me just a little ripple it’s still a lot. I am so glad I listened to all the ways he said I could make an impact on clients and the industry. When the time came to start (now that I knew what I needed to do) it was a bit tricky to find a name that fit, but being the Disney princess I am (and also a little star nerd) it clicked Evening Star Aesthetics. Not too girly and nothing that pigeonholed me into offering specific services so I can be as inclusive and approachable for everyone. Inside it definitely gives millennial “live, love, laugh” with a classy Y2K boutique twist. I wanted my room to represent me, to feel like you just walked into your friends room where you make yourself at home and have a familiarity with it. I am not your typical esthetician, like I said I take after my crazy Puerto Rican mom so you should expect to be treated like family from the start and I am full of personality. I am Client focused from service, to skin care recommendations and education, down to the mini therapy session that seems to come with each appointment and I love it that way. I think there is now more than ever a need for people to prioritize their well-being from the inside out. A group of people who crave real authenticity and connection; and I bring that to the table. I care, and my clients are cared for. That’s what I hope each new client and returning client sees and comes back for.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I always joke “Who told me I’m old enough to run a business?!” and I used to mean it. My prior employer for the wax chain would always say it was too hard to run a business. After a few years of hearing it, I began to believe him, and after owning a business and watching it grow over the last 3 years, he is almost right. It’s not that it’s too hard, but it does require so much of you and a certain level of discipline and maturity. I had a vision of how I wanted my business to be but I was not as well equipped or in some ways have the maturity I thought I did until I put it to the test starting my business. When I left the wax chain I was overworked, overstimulated, had carpal tunnel and left jaded about how the industry could have companies that run you down be the norm. So when I started Evening Star Aesthetics I wanted to make sure I did the EXACT opposite. I fought hard to make sure I was the antithesis of what that company was. I went from speed waxing to extra time, scrubs uniforms to regular clothes, plain walls to walls with bright colors and tons of artwork. All the time I spent being the opposite, my business just wasn’t running right and the energy wasn’t gelling. After finishing up for the day and cleaning my room I kept thinking how I could improve my space and how I could figure out and fix what was somehow not right. Never in a million years did I think I would have the epiphany I did, or show the maturity I reached when I realized I was being childish. I had approached my business fundamentals and procedures if you will with the same contempt I had for my former job and used Evening Star Aesthetics as a way to rebel like a teenager says “When I grow up, I’ll never be like my parents”. The second I made that connection, I was able to move out of a place of, honestly, hurt, self-doubt and a need to prove something, to a place of healing and desire to be better, not bitter. My new mindset changed everything. I was able to see and think more clearly, utilize the positive things I learned along the way from every job I’ve worked and create a place I’m proud to run and own. I know I made the right decision because I have attracted the right clients for me and they have continued to share my info and send referrals my way to help my little dream grow and thrive into the blessing of a business it has become today.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Getting clients is hard, keeping them is the easier part for me although still a daunting task. One thing about me is I have matured so much being a business owner. With that maturity and the maturity of just being older and wiser, you also find that you don’t have the energy for the dramatics, theatrics or complications that life tries to throw your way. I have found the best way to keep in touch is a bit more traditional but very me. I show up as my authentic self, and I put in the hard work myself. I don’t use any automated services to contact my clients aside from the confirmation/reminder texts that go through my booking site. If I need to reach a client I call them and I still book clients myself if that’s how they prefer to schedule. If I run any promotion for the holidays, do any policy updates or anything like that I reach out to each client individually every time. I show value in my business through loyalty programs, providing a well-rounded positive experience, and routinely checking in with clients for feedback on what they would like to see be offered for service menu updates or new product brands I consider bringing. I take the time to vet my brands and try my best to support other small businesses, and I am constantly on the hunt to ensure I am using nothing but the best waxes for my clients to ensure inclusivity in all aspects. I know that people with sensitive skin can feel limited on what they can enjoy if things are too heavily fragranced, not thoughtfully made or if they have reactive skin to things like temperature. It’s quality over quantity for me, and my clients know it. Whether I’m on social media doing fun reels or making educational posts, what you see is what you get. I’m not a regular waxer, I’m a cool waxer, I’m full of personality and getting service by me is an experience. I have built a connection that way when you book with me because you found me online you’ve seen my face, heard my humor and are comfortable once you step through the doors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.EveningStarAesthetics.com
- Instagram: @EveningStarAesthetics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EveningStarAesthetics
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/evening-star-aesthetics-san-diego
