We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chrissy Lewis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chrissy , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I believe self esteem is a form of self care. It is something that needs to practiced often to feel more confident. Unfortunately I didnt always think this way. Years ago when I lived in Las Vegas, I was burned out.. I was working in a bar at night, as a personal assistant part time and being an esthetician in a hotel spa part time. . Basically I was running myself into the ground with no balance at all. Most importantly, even though I was making a great living all I was doing was stressing from one job to another.
One day I decided to treat myself to a day at the spa and it changed everything. I felt like my soul was getting recharged in a way and I was here for it. I started to make monthly appointments trying different services and soon felt more balanced, and with that, more confident. My skin was looking good, I was working out and started to really pay attention to what foods I ate. All of these things are self care, and with self care comes the confidence knowing that I am taking care of my soul and body in a way that aligned with the life I wanted to create.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have been a facialist for over 20 years working in some of the most luxurious spa’s in CA, Las Vegas and Manhattan, NYC. I have taken all the details that I loved over the years and blended them with my own style. I am a big believer in all the tiny details.. Its what I remember the most out of any service I have received or even what hotel I am staying at. For example, I sync up my music in my my facials and facial massages to create a better experience for my clients. I dont just want to give a facial, I want to give THE FACIAL.
This also includes what products I choose to carry and use in my studio. r. I currently use Environ Skin which is a vitamin A based line that works beautifully and very effectively with pigmentation, fine lines, collagen production to name a few. Also can be used on all skin tones and types. I also carry Furtuna Skin which is a beautifully curated line out of Sicily.
I love the balance of the clinical results driven Environ with the wildly potent Furtuna. It creates the most beautiful balance within the skin.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The top skills and area of knowledge I would recommend if you want to get into the esthetician business and has helped me to grow over the years would be ongoing education. As often as you can! So many free classes at the esthetic shows and online. I even re-take the same classes because you always learn something new ad connect with other esthie’s!
Pick one or two skills and master that. Meaning, if you love doing facials, then put it all into that. I think a common mistake is trying to offer every service you can on your menu. If you put your focus into what you really want to do, that will be your bread and butter. You can certainly add other services as an”add on’s’ but the ‘add on’s’ are your crumbs… not the whole loaf of bread.
The last and maybe most important is to have grace with yourself. Life is a beautifully challenging journey but it is your own journey. No one else’s.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I absolutely feel overwhelmed from time to time. Some of the things I do to bring me back to myself is working out. You can never go wrong with a long walk in nature. Or gardening! I love to garden and highly recommend it! I’ve gotten my best ideas this way!
Going back to self care, this is a big one. You just feel good about yourself…even if its just for few moments at first but it gets better. I don’t know why we may all feel guilty at times when we treat ourselves but that soon passes and you start to see that your are worth it. You are worth all of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: sdfacialist.com
- Instagram: @thesdfacialist
- Facebook: sdfacialist@gmail.com
- Yelp: sdfacialist@gmail.com
Image Credits
Andrea Liaga
