We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Marie Kist. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa Marie below.
Lisa Marie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?
The best thing that I can do for a customer is to make them believe in themselves, to make them see their natural beauty inside and out. I love doing makeovers on clients and teaching them how to put on the makeup, how to style their hair, and give them confidence. Being a stylist and a beauty coach allows me to help my client in several different areas. Making them feel great and making them see that for themselves is an indescribable feeling for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into the beauty industry back in 1997 when I was in high school. I loved beauty and fashion, I loved make-up , doing funky things with my hair and dressing up every single day, then my friends would always ask me to do their makeup and get them styled before a fun night out. I realize besides that I also love helping people. I decided to get my license in cosmetology. I chose a cosmetology license because it allows you to do several different things in the beauty industry. After I got my cosmetology license I wanted to go one step further where I then went ahead and got my massage license. I worked in several different spas and hair salons over time to learn as much as I could. One thing I can say is that you definitely work your way from the bottom up. it takes a lot of patience but I did it!! Today I see several different types of people. I have massage clients which I really enjoy working on because a lot of times they come to relax because they have stressful jobs, they are ridden with anxiety, they have sleep issues and these days the list goes on and on. they’re in a lot of pain so I enjoy helping them with different body techniques, and relaxation, trigger point therapy or deep tissue. All my services always include hot stones and hot towel treatment as well and depending on the client aromatherapy oils. I also do makeup and hair for special occasions, and all the in between. We have got your bridal covered from A to Z, We even offer bridal skin care packages months before the wedding to make sure your skin is glowing for your special day. I offer several different types of skin care such as microdermabrasion and microneedling. I wanted to take my clients to a whole new level and really help my clients in all areas of life from the inside out! So during the pandemic I decided since we were on lockdown to get certified as a health coach. This was important to me for my own personal journey as well as for my clients. I also specialize in coaching Separated and divorced women. For so many years I saw so many beautiful women have lack of confidence With the stories that they would tell me sitting in my chair how their boyfriends or husbands were horrible to them, how they hated their jobs, How they were depressed, they didn’t look beautiful they felt horrible, How they were in sexless marriages and they didn’t know why, how they were so depressed going through divorce and other stressful situations where their confidence was out the window they put on weight and they didn’t see themselves in the same way. Now being in my 40s besides listening I was able to understand what some of these stories meant since I had my own personal experiences that I suffered through. When you’re younger listening to these stories you don’t know how to give the right advice. I knew I was a good listener and now I was able to really help, besides giving them a confident boost and making them look good. now when a client sits in my chair or lies on my table talking to me and confiding in me, I am able to coach them not only in beauty but in the aspects of their personal life. So being a cosmetologist with the background that I have and now a health coach takes my clients to a whole new level. When they leave a session with me, or get out of the chair not only do they look beautiful they feel beautiful and they believe it. They feel relaxed and confident, they leave with advice that really works. And now clients are lining up outside the door, The phone is ringing like never before and word of mouth from these women is everything. My clients are everything to me. I am now even taking clients virtually to do beauty coaching. With a session that is virtual you can discuss personal topics with me We do a makeup session/ Class together, and talk. I guess you can say that I have become everyone’s best friend and I absolutely love it! And to tell the truth they have become mine. They say if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life, that is so true! Many women also are very interested in chemical-free living. For those that are interested I do educate them on chemical-free living. That was a big deal to me since I have a daughter now who’s getting into makeup and different products, And want our home environment cleaner. So this topic was very important to me. I will say she definitely understands it better than my husband and son lol so I do share my knowledge in this area as well for people who are interested.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Divorce and then later on the pandemic caused a big pivot in my personal life and career.
Through my divorce which was a very stressful time in my personal life caused me to feel very stressed out, exhausted, And that all led to weight gain. Once you gain weight you definitely feel depressed.
I felt stuck for a long time. But my beautiful children and reconnecting with my high school sweetheart helped me to keep my feet on the ground and keep making the next right step for them and for myself and my business.
The other pivot was when the pandemic hit. After getting life back in order after a divorce now we were in a pandemic. The lockdown was scary and stressful worrying about my business, my family, everyones health, about money. The list goes on with this.
I tried to turn a bad situation into something good which is exactly what I did. I got married to my high school sweetheart who I hadn’t seen in 20 years, decided to Go to school to become a health coach, and launched my own organic, paraben free, vegan skin care line called KIST KOSMETICS. I enjoyed the time with my children where I got to be their teacher, their best friend, their personal chef, And they’re maud lol 24 hours a day for A little over a year and a half. I look at it if it weren’t for the pandemic and the pivot that I was forced into I would have not had this amazing time with them, And I would not have had the time to go back to school or to launch the skin care line.
With a pivot a lot of good came out of it. And it was perfect because the beauty industry really had a tough time coming back and I hear a lot of stories where people are still really struggling.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Walking this journey of life that illustrates my resilience is that my divorce and the pandemic and different things that have happened has taught me life lessons. I’ve learned that when you fall down you get back up and when you get back up it’s Your chance to start over, and to shine! When you get back up you’re on a new road, a new path one that’s greater than the one you were on before. You can make changes anytime you want every time you wake up in the morning it’s a start of a new day. You have to stay positive and surround yourself with like-minded people. You have to focus and if the people surrounding you can’t help you stay focused and uplifting you have to cut ties. Make sure to set goals as well, And when you dream , dream big!
Contact Info:
- Website: Now booking at https://believeinbeauty.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: @Believeinyouwellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/believeinwellnessnewjersey?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Image Credits
Lisa Kist