Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelli Steveson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kelli, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

One of the biggest ways we diverge from the industry standard here at Bare Wax Co is that the experience of both the client and the employee are our top priorities.

Having worked in nearly every avenue of this industry, I noticed a gap for both clients and service providers. I wanted to close the gap between large corporate waxing chains and lavish spas.

In many waxing chains, the goal is speed and volume — specialists often turn over clients every 15 minutes, leaving little room for connection or comfort. On the other hand, many spas focus on relaxing ambiance and higher price tags but often lack the waxing expertise as it’s not the majority of services that they do.

At Bare Wax Co, we aim for speed, skill, and efficiency without rushing, in an environment that feels warm and welcoming.

On the team side, we’re committed to treating our staff like humans. High turnover is common in this industry due to employee dissatisfaction, and I wanted to change that. Here, I strive to provide a positive workplace where employees earn well, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and experience a positive company culture that isn’t just preferred — it’s actively cultivated and expected. I respect my team, treat them well, and in turn, they treat our clients like gold.

We do things differently — and I truly believe that difference shines through in our client loyalty, our team’s energy, and the welcoming vibe the moment you walk in the door.

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 became an esthetician after a life long passion for beauty and years of working front desk in a hair salon. After I became licensed, I got a job in a waxing chain and quickly feel in love with helping my clients feel confident in their skin. I then became a regional trainer for this waxing chain and quickly fell in love with teaching other licensed professionals how to wax. After a few years I started working for a large spa in the area where dreams of creating my own business and merging all of these experiences started to brew. During the pandemic, I started brainstorming all of my ideas and Bare wax Co was born later that year.

Here at Bare Wax Co, we offer full body waxing services where we use high quality, hypoallergenic, hard wax that has no dyes or additives and is suited for even the most sensitive skin. We also offer a full spectrum of brow services including waxing, tinting and lamination as well as lash tinting and lifting services.

Waxing is helpful to thin out unwanted hair, to make hair removal more low maintenance and to help your skin stay softer and smoother for longer. You wax once for a month of smooth skin, fine hair when it grows back and eliminating the need to shave every few days.

Bare Wax Co aims to make the discussion around hair removal and hair removal itself, more comfortable for endless confidence in your own skin. Our team is experienced in every avenue of the beauty industry and we bring all of our experiences together to bring you the best waxing experience you could imagine.

Bare Wax Co has grown from a concept in a notebook to a full store front with a full staff that is fully booked by extremely satisfied customers in just under 5 years and I couldn’t be more proud.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I was looking to expand from a 198 sq/ft space sublet from someone else to a store front location no one took me seriously. I was 23 at the time and a lot of commercial realtors looked at me and my business as a joke. I knew that I didn’t know much about the industry but i was determined to learn everything I could.

I started listening to podcasts, reading books, and talking to small business owners I knew in many different fields about their experiences acquiring spaces. From there, I gathered information and started pursuing commercial realtors and commercial landlords. They would talk to me briefly, some would even line up days and times to view spaces and then would not show up or never call me back.

Due to the nature of my business, I knew I had to be incredibly prepared if any one in this industry was going to take me seriously. I then set up introductory meetings with every commercial realtor I could find in the area. I started asking each one questions until they too deemed my situation not worth it. I then started using their answers to ask the next commercial realtors questions that seemed more specific or more relevant. As this process went on, it seemed I knew more and more about what I was talking about to each new realtor.

Eventually, a commercial realtor felt I was asking the right questions, took me seriously and helped me get a 1300 sq/ft store front space in a prime location that has grown my business 250% since moving in.

Persistence will always be key. Take rejection as redirection and use it to fuel your passion further.

Always aim to learn and know more.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I have funded this business completely on my own. I saved 40% of my income since starting in this industry, put it in a high yield savings account and never touched it. This money grew over time and funded my initial opening as well as every phase of growth along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barewaxmd.com
• Instagram: @bare.wax.co