We were lucky to catch up with Rosa Castillo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rosa, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
My heritage plays a huge part in how I connect with people, especially within my family, social connections, and my community. Immigrants from a small town in El Salvador who traversed through the civil war, all of them children of a baker who taught them skills like farming, selling bread, as well as caring for their younger siblings. Though they were not well-off, they showed their love with acts of service to others and their communities, a tradition that continues with me to this day. My family home in Harvard Heights is still the hub for many of our traditions in supporting the family, friends and community that supports us. From cooking meals, sewing together quinceañera dresses, creating furniture with scraps of wood/metal, haircuts, manicures, and now, beauty regimens from an esthetician, we keep our traditions alive! I pride myself in establishing clients with a foundation to their skin health goals, and though profit benefits any business, the real currency is seeing my investment turn aspirations into reality. Providing this service is a form of generosity that is in my blood!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Rosa Castillo, owner of The Bare Minimum Facial Bar, a new skincare oriented business in Koreatown. We specialize in 30 minute customizable facials, with emphasis on educating customers on what they can do to improve skin health. Providing maximum results with just the bare minimum is our goal, but we also provide full hour facials and add-ons so that you can customize your facial to target more challenging concerns like acne or hyperpigmentation. Estheticians are only 20% of a proper skincare routine and the other 80% should be as efficient and beneficial as possible. Many of our clients have been actively spreading the word of our services, so in the near future, we are planning on implementing referral discounts on top of our general discounts throughout the year for events and holidays. Our discounts are often paired with some helpful tips and services targeted to the change in seasons, where skin health can become challenging.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Letting go of the fear of the unknown, having solid determination, and balancing the reality that life happens outside of the business. The journey of opening your own establishment is frightening, it’s still one of the scariest things I have done in my entire life. “Will anyone show up?…How can I afford this?…What if I fail?”– all questions that continuously pop into my head since before day 1. Living in the now, taking action, and learning from failures are all important steps of the process in my opinion. Although those fears are all valid we have to understand it’s because we care deeply about our goals and aspirations. Use that fear to create actions that bring you closer to your dream. Whether it is writing a list, creating that business plan, sketching out a logo, or something bigger, as long as you continue to move forward, every victory, no matter how small, will bring you closer to your goals. This should also be taken with consideration of our mental and physical health, as there can be a very fine line between pushing harder to achieve that task and completely burning yourself out. Listen to your body, pay attention to how you feel, and be mindful of when you need a break. Our health and wellbeing is a privilege that we shouldn’t be taking for granted.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Our favorite types of clientele are those who are starting their skincare journeys! To provide a safe space with basic skincare education to ensure their success is so rewarding! But her reality is everyone is an ideal client. I wanted skincare to be more accessible in general for those who never considered it affordable or within their lifestyle. The average facial can cost around $150 and most folks can’t afford that, let alone to create a routine of returning every 4-6 weeks. We wanted to offer a basic but balanced facial that could target skin concerns or even help with maintenance. Ideal for in between other more expensive treatments that may be offered at other establishments, or just as an alternative before investing in costly procedures overall. We simplify the traditional facial without compromising the quality of service that is sought after and often expected. We want to bring the luxury of skincare into a cost effective and creative experience that can help us all glow together!
Contact Info:
- Website: thebareminimumfacialbar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebareminimumfacialbar/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebareminimumfacialbar
Image Credits
@ivky.shots
