We recently connected with Lorena Castaneda-alvarez and have shared our conversation below.
Lorena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
First I’d like to say I’ve always worked retail since I was 16 yrs old, I’ve worked with some tough managers back in my day that gave me the push to become a leader in the industry when it comes to merchandise presentation, customer service and managerial skills. Those are my foundations in creating this business from the ground up. Personally I think without being around people for about 18 yrs in the service industry would be difficult for some becoming a solo esthetician right out of school.
Some estheticians may gain customers service skills by working into a spa, or esthetic business for people skills, and gaining more knowledge into developing their own techniques.
My esthetician schooling experience wasn’t the greatest, I was not prepared to jump into the industry due to family and the wages of what an esthetician would earn in 2015. I chose to stay in retail as a retail manager until 2019.
In 2021 I leased my first brick and mortar beauty bar and 2022 I became myself an esthetician educator for a beauty school in West Covina.
I saw the struggles I went through myself in school that gave me the passion to discuss real life situations in my classroom while teaching esthetician students to get them prepared to become a solo esthetician right out of school.
I loved teaching if I could open up my own school in SoCal. I would. As of today I have a total of about 10 students of mine all solo estheticians out of school in 2022 to 2023.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello my name is Lorena, and I am a solo esthetician and business owner of Wink & Stare Beauty Bar and Spa located in Covina, CA. I have 4 beautiful children and been a licensed esthetician for 9 yrs now, but only used my license as a freelance make-up artist once I graduated beauty school while working as a retail manager at the time. Social media has changed since it first started 9 yrs ago, I really didn’t have the courage then to become solo or work for minimum wage as an esthetician. I was always a retail manager and tried to build my make-up skills on the side hustling gigs after working a 50 hr work week. 2019 I actually got fired from my retail management job, that gave me the courage to go full-time as a make-up artist as Beauty and Glam by Lo, Once my business took off in 2020 covid hit, and the beauty industry got hit hard. Once we reopened in June or July I stared Wink & Stare Beauty Bar, to help women look and feel confident in their own skin by offering skin treatments, waxing services and more. I now offer and array of beauty services such as facials, brow services, make-up for bridal and events, also non-invasive treatments such as no needle lip fillers and body sculpting. I take trainings and classes to freshen up my skills, or learn something new. By learning something new I like to time practicing before advertising that new service, it sometimes takes me over a year to work on several clients to ensure results and to become a pro in that new skill. I’m very proud of where I started and how far I’ve come in this industry, to be able to have a brick and mortar is an accomplishment I always dreamed of.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I use several platforms to gain clientele:
No.1 Instagram, free advertising by having a business profile.
No.2 Facebook reposting from Instagram.
No.3 Offering services on Groupon (reeling in potential new client’s with an offer) if they love the experience and the results they become regulars at full price.
No.4 Referrals, without referrals I wouldn’t have been as successful.
Since I’ve been in retail for over 17 yrs, giving clients the good customer service, the experience, and results has been the key to maintaining clientele and returning clients every month. By giving clients the experience and results they send me referrals by telling their friends and family members about me.
Have you ever had to pivot?
When I became an esthetician in 2015, I knew it would’ve been hard to start off with no clients, to purchase skincare lines to use on clients, and get trainings and certifications such as peels, microdermabrasion, lash extensions and more to grow an beauty empire. Once I got my license in 2015 I remained a retail manager and just became a freelance make-up artist instead to grow my skills as a MUA. By having 2 small boys at the time, quitting a management job to either become an esthetician at minimum wage (2015 was either $8 or $10 an hour) or no income as a solo esthetician which was not an option at the time. My passion was there for beauty but also responsibilities. Not until 2019 of being 5 yrs into a company I stayed with after beauty school I was fired at, but gave me the courage to finally start my beauty business and go full time as a make-up artist. While things were just about taking off covid hit in March 2020. By businesses opening again in June to took the chance by just starting my solo esthetician journey and started my beauty business Wink & Stare Beauty Bar by LO. Which I was able to finally get into esthetics by offering brow services, waxing, lashes, and make-up. Things may never go your way at first, or sometimes doesn’t always work out the way you want it to, but trust the process that it will work out for the better if you have to rework or restructure your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wink-stare-beauty-bar-and-boutique.square.site/
- Instagram: @winknstarebeauty
- Facebook: wink_n_stare
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wink-and-stare-beauty-bar-and-spa-covina
Image Credits
I own the rights to the images belong to lorena castaneda-alvarez