We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tambra Schilber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tambra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

It’s no surprise that beauty is a billion dollar industry. Vogue Business states Globally, it’s expected to reach $450–$600 billion in 2025, with more than $77 billion spent in the U.S. alone on salons and skincare services.

With numbers that large, you’d think Corporate America would have the industry figured out, but in many ways, they miss the mark, especially compared to independent professionals and smaller beauty businesses.

I’ve been a licensed for more than 25 years, and I’ve worked on both sides. Early in my career, I was part of the corporate salon world. Later, I built my own business, sometimes even leaning back on corporate work during tough times. That contrast gave me a unique perspective on what corporate culture gets wrong,
and what truly matters in this industry.

Most people in the beauty industry start out in a corporate environment, and while it can be a stepping stone, it also reveals the difference between over commercialization and real artistry. Corporate culture tends to push trendy product lines and a one size fits all system. In reality, the heart of this industry is personalization, artistry, and making clients feel unique, things that can’t be mass produced. Too often, beauty is marketed as consumption, “buy more, use more”, rather than focusing on the client experience.

Corporate structures also distance clients from what really matters, the providers themselves. Cosmetologists, estheticians, wax specialists, and nail techs are the pillars of this industry. We create comfort, trust, and confidence. Clients return not because of a product on the shelf, but because of relationships and results.

Another misstep is how corporate messaging frames beauty. Too often, it’s marketed as vanity, fueling insecurity and convincing people they have flaws to “fix.” But beauty services, at their core, are about confidence, self-care, and feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Behind the scenes, corporate chains also tend to prioritize profit over people. Think 15 minute haircuts or 10 minute Brazilian waxes. Professionals are often underpaid and overworked, despite the industry being both physically demanding and emotionally draining. Many clients see us as more than providers, we’re confidants, therapists, and even a source of stability for some. That can’t be rushed.

I’ve seen the contrast firsthand. At one corporate waxing chain, part of advancing meant performing several services in unrealistically short timeframes. I felt like I was on an assembly line. Later, when I opened my own suite, a client told me she had never had a good experience at a chain. She thanked me for treating her like a person, not a transaction. That moment confirmed what I already knew, in beauty, the real value isn’t speed or sales, it’s trust, care, and connection.

There’s also what I call “client hoarding”. Corporate chains focus on gate keeping clients, and tying them only to their brand. They might rotate staff, treat providers as interchangeable, preventing clients from building lasting bonds. But the truth is, relationships are everything in beauty. I believe if a client connects better with another provider, that’s okay. At T2B Wax Room, the priority is always the client’s comfort, trust, and confidence, not control.. The goal should always be the best experience possible, not trapping people in a system.

At the end of the day, Corporate America may sell beauty, but independent professionals create it. What keeps this industry alive isn’t the profit margins, it’s people, connection, and the human experience that can never be mass produced.

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.

About Me & My Work My name is Tambra, and I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist since February 2000. I graduated from California Beauty College in Modesto, CA, originally planning to build a career that would give me flexibility to care for my son, who ended up having 60 brain surgeries between birth and age 21. At first, I didn’t think much about artistry, I just wanted stability. But over time, I found that beauty work came naturally to me, hair, manicures, pedicures, facials, and waxing. Acrylics, however, were never my thing!

In September 2000, I moved to Chandler, AZ, where I managed a small chain salon for 1.5 years before transitioning to a mall-based independent salon. That experience gave me insight into both corporate and non corporate operations. By 2004, I became a booth renter, gaining the independence to build my own schedule and business, something that worked better for my family.

In 2014, I shifted my focus to body waxing. I worked at a corporate waxing chain for 3.5 years, including 1.5 years as a trainer. While I gained valuable experience, I also saw firsthand how corporate systems often conflicted with real client care. This was when I discovered my true passion for waxing.

In 2017, I launched Top To Bottom Hair and Body Boutique LLC, offering hair and body waxing services. Over time, I have phased out hair services, maintaining only a few longtime clients, and recently rebranded as T2B Wax Room. I kept Top To Bottom, but shortened it to T2B. Today, my Phoenix location is thriving, and I am in the process of building my Sacramento location from scratch. An exciting challenge that’s pushed me into learning everything from SEO(that did not go well) to content creation. I most definitely never planned on becoming a content creator, but here I am trying.

Between 2019 and 2022, I also worked at a casino, starting as a breakfast/lunch server and moving up to the steakhouse. That job gave me stability during the COVID-19 lockdowns and reminded me of how much I enjoy connecting with people in high-pressure environments.

Today, with the support of my fiancé and my experience helping run his construction companies Capital Bay Construction Inc., in Sacramento, CA, and Capital Bay Construction in Maricopa, AZ. I’m proud to manage both my studios while continuing to grow T2B Wax Room into exactly what I envision, a place where waxing is professional, detail-oriented, and deeply personal.

What Sets Me Apart
What sets me apart is my commitment to putting people before profit. I don’t believe in rushing services, cutting corners, or client hoarding, the corporate practice of tying clients to a brand instead of the professional. At T2B Wax Room, every client is seen as an individual, not a transaction.

I take time to explain the process, listen to concerns, and make sure each service feels comfortable, safe, and empowering. Many of my clients come to me after negative chain experiences, where they felt rushed or invisible. Here, they know they’ll be cared for, not pushed through on an assembly line.

I also believe in freedom of choice. If a client connects better with another provider, I support that, or I am happy to refer clients out if that is what they need. That honesty builds trust, and that trust is why clients stay with me for years.

Ultimately, what sets me apart is that my work goes beyond waxing. It’s about confidence, connection, and care. Clients leave not just smoother, but stronger, more comfortable in their own skin, and truly valued.

What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m most proud of building and running my Phoenix location successfully while simultaneously launching Sacramento from scratch. Having worked in Corporate America, I know the pressure to rush through services and prioritize profits. Running my own business allowed me to do the opposite, put clients first, which keeps them coming back year after year.

Beauty, for me, is not about vanity, it’s about confidence, self-care, and comfort in your own skin. At T2B Wax Room, your secrets are safe, your experiences valued, we’ll laugh, cry, and celebrate your milestones together. I’ve had the honor of serving clients through life. Watching them grow from young children, to graduating, building careers, getting married, and giving birth. For a few I even prepared them for their final goodbyes. It’s this human connection that makes my work so meaningful.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots I’ve made was stepping away from hair, which I truly believed would be my lifelong path in the beauty industry. For years, hair was my identity, I was good at it, and I loved the creativity. But over time, the industry shifted. Social media created unrealistic client expectations, and instead of feeling inspired, I started to feel drained. That was a hard realization, because it meant letting go of something I thought would always be part of me.

Rather than leave beauty altogether, I chose to redirect. I leaned into body waxing, a service I never expected to love. At first, it was simply another way to use my license, but it quickly grew into a passion. I love the precision, the trust my clients place in me, and the confidence they carry out the door after each appointment.

From a business perspective, waxing was also a smart pivot. It allowed me to specialize in a niche with strong demand and build a loyal, repeat clientele. That shift ultimately led to the creation of T2B Wax Room, where I get to focus on work that excites me and sustains my business.

Pivoting taught me that change isn’t failure…….it’s growth. Sometimes you have to let go of what no longer serves you in order to make space for something even better.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I don’t have a massive following, but I’ve learned that it’s not about numbers, it’s about connection. I show up, share what I know, and let people see the real side of what I do. That’s what builds trust. Even with a smaller audience, consistency and authenticity go a long way.

As a GenX’er, I never imagined I’d be selling myself in 15-second TikTok videos to complete strangers. For years, I resisted the idea. But recently, I’ve leaned in and realized people don’t want perfection, they just want to see who you are and what you’re about.

My advice for anyone starting out…. don’t stress about going viral. Focus on content that’s helpful, genuine, or relatable. A small, engaged audience is far more valuable than a big, disconnected one. Show up, be yourself, and remember, it’s better to be trusted than to be trendy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.t2bwaxroom.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t2bwaxroom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T2BWaxRoom
• Other: Any of my socials are just T2B Wax Room.

Image Credits
Jenny Bogios Elopements by Jenny Arden Arcade, CA