Meet Christine Kemmer

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christine Kemmer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christine below.

Christine, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

I believe that a strong support system behind me certainly helps, but I think not taking anything THAT seriously is the key. Trusting your research, your gut and your abilities comes first and then knowing that whatever the results are, you will figure it out. Knowing these things helps you take the risk and know that if it fails, it’s not THAT serious.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I took the leap into being an entrepreneur early- right out of college at 22. I had worked as a receptionist at a salon during college and wanted to take that knowledge and make it my own. I was able to find a location to operate out of (we’re still there 16 years later!) and a small staff. The wonderful thing about waxing, is that it has a very low overhead cost. We don’t have to hold onto a large inventory or use expensive equipment. I opened the full body waxing salon in December of 2007 and havent looked back! I feel like the journey has been really exciting and also really difficult as any small business owner would understand. We’ve navigated the difficult economy in 2008, and the pandemic in 2020 along with many other events both personal and professional.

I think the key to business is to really niche down. Our specialty is full body waxing. We don’t offer sugaring, eye lash extensions, micro blading, lamination, or tinting. I’ve often heard the phrase “when you try to reach everyone, you reach no one.” This couldn’t be more true in our business. Niching down and making it as convenient for our clients as possible has set us up for success. Our all walk in policy is the best way we can help make waxing a positive and convenient experience for them & it sets us apart from other options they may have.

After years of owning the one location, I opened a second location and it quickly failed. We had not scouted the correct location and we closed after one year. While taking a year break from trying to expand, we found what could work as our second location. The second try at a second location worked and I am thrilled to say it is growing each year.

The last bit of growth and pivoting we have done recently was in 2021. After being forced to close for 1 1/2 months over the pandemic, we realized we wanted to diversify and have something to offer online that didn’t require a one on one service. We have always had a small retail area in our salons, but it was never more than an area to display lotions etc. We decided to double down on that space and make it a small women’s boutique. It houses a handful of clothing pieces and accessories that match our salon’s fun vibe. We have since taken Pepper & Pearl Boutique online and have seen growth each year since.

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?

-Finances and basic accounting
-Consistency
-Being a direct communicator
-God

All of these things have been extremely important in my business journey. You don’t have to be an expert in any of these categories or qualities but you need to constantly seek to improve in these areas if you want to succeed.

The key isn’t to be an expert in business, but it is to find what you’re good at and then find a way to hire experts in the other areas.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to believe in me & encourage me to have a relationship with God. They believed I could do it when things were going well and when things were extremely tough. They helped me know that there are a million ways to succeed and a rough patch doesn’t define me. They are extremely supportive and also realistic. They knew things wouldn’t always be rainbows and sunshine as a small business owner. They also knew that the freedom it could provide me and my family would be worth it. They taught me that believing in something bigger than yourself is important and my relationship with God is just that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.doyouwaxit.com www.pepperandpearlboutique.com
• Instagram: Waxitsalon, Pepperandpearlboutique
• Facebook: facebook.com/waxitsalon facebook.com/pepperandpearlboutique
• Linkedin: n/a
• Twitter: n/a

Image Credits

Stephanie Wagner & Leah Werner