Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kara Ballard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
My son passed away April 27, 2021. This is when I “woke up”. I realized life is short. If you are not happy with where you are in life, change it. Stop talking about how you wish you could do this or that. Just do it. We are not promised tomorrow so don’t wait to see what life would be like if you make that big, scary change for the sake of happiness. Do it now.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was in corporate America for years. I loved it but really felt like I needed to HELP people. Serve a purpose. I was a personal assistant for someone in the music business and she would go get facial treatments to relax and feel better about herself. After a facial, her whole demeanor was changed and she looked beautiful. The high stress job was washed away for just a moment and she simply “glowed”, inside and out. I wanted to do this for people! I became pregnant with my 3rd son in 2009 and decided I needed a change. When he was 7 months old, I decided to attend a holistic esthetics school in the Seattle area. While in school I started working at an Ayurveda Clinic where I learned even more holistic treatments. I had found my passion! I started to grow in my learning. I learned how to do lash extensions and realized it really fulfilled my artistic side. Eventually, I started working for medpsa’s, plastic surgeon’s and dermatologists. The whole world of skin was fascinating to me.
While working at a dermatologist’s office, several of my clients were over 40 and were complaining about not only how much their skin was changing but how frustrating it was to be losing their brows as their hormones changed. As I sat and looked at their brows while doing other services I thought… I could totally make these look better! That’s when I discovered Microblading. Talk about fulfilling my artistic side! This was on a whole new level! I loved having women’s confidence go up just by having brows. It totally changed their entire face.
While I love permanent makeup, I still love working on skin as well. As I get older, I notice all of the skin irregularities that are popping up. I would say 85% of my clients also have the same things happening. Sebaceous Hyperplasia’s, Keratosis “Barnacles”, broken capillaries, brown spots, etc. So, I have recently purchased a machine, Skin Classic, that uses high frequency to treat these signs of aging. Again, what a difference it makes in your confidence as we age.
At the end of the day, we all just want to feel good about ourselves. What I want everyone to know is that there are things you can do to give yourself that boost of confidence. We are all aging. If we can do what we can without having to go under the knife, let’s do it! We all deserve to feel confident and love the skin we are in.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Again, when my son, Alec, passed away in 2021. I thought, “There is no way I will be able to go back to work and talk to people without crying. Listen to music in my spa without getting emotional. Have sympathy for people who complain about their kids when one of mine were gone. Seeing clients for the first time and having to see them cry for me. Maybe I should just go back into an office job where I don’t “connect” with people on on emotional level throughout the day.” Turns out.. going back into the spa is exactly what I needed! I went back to work 3 weeks after my son passed. Why? Because I needed people. I needed to be busy. I needed to be distracted. I didn’t want to sit around being sad all day and my son certainly wouldn’t have wanted that. So I threw on my labcoat and jumped back in. Not only that, I decided to go out on my own as an esthetician so that I could manage how I spend my time working, being with my family, going for a walk, taking care of myself, etc. Life changing.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I connect with my clients. I truly care about my clients and want them to feel better not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Some people will come in and want total silence and just relax. Others come in and need a sounding board and unload all of their troubles and secrets. I allow a space for both. I build trust with my clients and provide them a safe place to open up and relax. When I touch someone’s face, it is with intention. I want them to know I truly care and want the best outcome for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackbirdharmonyspa.com/
- Instagram: @karabskin
- Facebook: @karabskin
