We recently connected with Michelle Chappron and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The story behind my mission is to give women, especially mothers, permission to invest in and take care of themselves. As a single mom of two, I spent many years putting my boys first (and I still do)! But oftentimes, I would pay the price. And I know I’m not alone in doing so; this is common among mothers.

The preflight lecture on securing your own oxygen mask before helping others is something I come back to regularly. I’m a firm believer that you must take care of yourself first in order to take care of those who depend on you, and so often mothers fall short in doing so. We are hardwired to nurture and protect our children, which causes us to sacrifice ourselves and our own self-care. I have made it my mission to nurture those who nurture others, and allow mothers to receive the care they need and deserve.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in the beauty business when I was in college, attending the University of Washington (go Huskies)! I started working in retail as a Makeup Artist for Clinique Costmetics and after a year or so, became part of the artistry team at MAC Cosmetics that would put on events at the retailer’s stores. After I graduated, I got my first “real” job as a Project Manager in Aerospace, and quit doing makeup. After a couple of years of the corporate grind, I realized how much I missed being creative in my work, so I started a side hustle as a Makeup Artist and primarily worked in the Bridal Industry, doing both hair and makeup. After the birth of my second son, I no longer had time to work a full time job along with a part time job doing makeup, so I closed my doors. Many years and several career changes later, I found myself knocking on the beauty door and decided, at 42 years old, to go back to school. I enrolled at a local beauty college and completed my Esthetics education, and later went on to become a Master Esthetician.

Today, I own my own little Esthetics Studio in my hometown of Lake Stevens, WA. I specialize in facial treatments and sugaring, and enjoy serving all kinds of clients, but especially mothers. I got into this business to give back to women. In my 40’s I have learned so much about the sacrifices mothers make for others and wanted to devote my time to making them feel great, inside and out.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In my early 40’s, I had been through several career changes and was at a breaking point with burnout. I suffered from extreme anxiety, something I’d never experienced before, and left me unable to work. I was experiencing major physical effects of anxiety like dizziness, nauseousness, and extreme fatigue. I couldn’t focus in meetings and suffered from brain fog. I was in a very demanding position at work and had no other choice but to quit.

In my time off, I was able to overcome my anxiety symptoms and realized I had to pivot. There was no way I was going back to that job. So I spent a while thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life. And all that came up was, I want to help women like me. So I decided to go back to school at 42 years old and pursue Esthetics. I wanted to help women to relax and focus on themselves; to treat themselves to self-care. I realized how important that was in the grand scheme of our lives and wanted to be the one to help women feel their best.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my age is a defining feature of my reputation in the Esthetics market. Most estheticians are very young with very little work or life experience. I have been in the work force for 25+ years; I’ve been to college and have pursued a Master’s Degree. I’ve held many positions and jobs, opened several businesses and have suffered from not taking care of myself in the process. I have been in the position that most women my age are in at one point or another in their lives, and I think that experience is what draws women to my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.afterglow-atelier.com
• Instagram: @afterglow_atelier

Image Credits

Shaylynn Marie Photography