We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Hopkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.
Andrea, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Any space that I have been in, I earned my place there. I always make it a point to make sure that my talents, qualifications and overall confidence speak before I ever do. A lot of the times when entering new spaces some people get intimidated by who or what could be waiting for them, for me, I take it as a chance to show my strengths, improve on my opportunities and learn from those around me.
I’ve worked on teams where higher ups believed I was not coachable or difficult to work with because I spoke up and advocated for myself and teammates, and that was fine by me because one thing that could not deny or dispute was my qualifications and ability to do my job. I was the top performer, I was nominated for several awards and even got requests from upper management to become a company trainer.
Being the “only one in the room” can have its pros and cons, on one hand you can face times where you feel misunderstood and unheard and on the other you shine and outgrow that space BECAUSE you’re the “only one in the room” with a different outlook and perspective. Whichever side of the hand I have, I always make sure to stand firm on who I am and why I was chosen to also be in that space.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
If you were to ask me professionally who Andrea Hopkins is, I would tell you:
I am a highly skilled licensed esthetician and owner of Wanderluxe Skin Co. located in Tampa, Fl with a passion for corrective skincare and body waxing. Since I have been service providing, I have earned a stellar reputation with my clients for my exceptional expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to providing personalized and effective skincare solutions.
My main goal is to help my clients achieve their desired skincare goals and improve their self-confidence. I aim to not only provide my clients with individualized services geared to their specific skincare goals, I also aim to equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to maintain a healthy skincare life outside of the treatment room.
As a licensed professional, it is my duty to ensure that I am constantly evolving and changing as the industry changes. Outside of service providing I am constantly training and taking classes to ensure that I have the knowledge and skills needed to continue to give my clients the level of service they have now come to know and love.
Wanderluxe Skin Co. is forever growing and expanding. I’m proud to of the strides that I have taken as a business owner and service provider. I am now officially a Dermalogica retailer, I will be launching my new website in these next coming months and I have so many new services that I will be introducing to my clients in the near future!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back on the beginning of this journey, the most impactful things were probably the some of the hardest lessons I had to learn. One of the biggest blessings and curses I have is I am a perfectionist to the core. I always feel like it has to be “right and tight” before I do or release anything. Wanderluxe was very stagnant in growth in the beginning because of this. I wouldn’t release content because it wasn’t perfect or I wouldn’t offer certain services because I’ve “only done it a few times”, and this really hurt me as both a service provider and business owner. It wasn’t until I released that fear and loosened the perfectionist mindset that Wanderluxe began to flourish and I began to become a stronger esthetician.
Sometimes you have to be your own biggest cheerleader. Not everyone is going to see your vision or share the same views as you and possessing the ability to not let that stop your progress is going to be key to your success. I remember quite a few times me sharing my ideas & plans and being met with complete doubt. Did it hurt? Yes. Did I do away with those ideas because of those oppositions? Absolutely not. It’s funny to me now because a few of those ideas and plans have boosted my business in more ways than one. Had I not pressed forward with believing in myself and my vision, only God knows where I would be today.
One of the most impactful lessons I have learned on my journey is that, in the beginning you have to be a lot of things for your business and for yourself in order to continue growing professionally. But that does not mean you are alone, in those moments you need to surround yourself with not only like minded individuals but also with the people who have been where you are and have successfully overcome all of the challenges and difficulties new business owners face. I truly believe every baby entrepreneur needs a village as well as a mentor. You’re going to need that person to help guide you and help you make the best decisions in order to ensure the best outcome possible for your business.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to NOT watch anyone else’s journey. You were not given the same path and nine times out of ten you’re only seeing the success end of the journey. What’s for you will be for you, and don’t be surprised if your end result is a complete 180 from what you first envisioned. Get a mentor and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed I disconnect. I walk away from what it is I’m working on, clear my mind and return to it when I’m in a better headspace. If I get overwhelmed on the service provider end, I’ll close my books for a day or two just to get back on track. My duty is to my clients and I owe it to them to be in the best mental, emotional and physical position possible.
I used to try to “push through” all the time and then I realized it was doing more harm than good. The best advice I can give is to remember you are HUMAN you deserve the same grace that you give to those around you. You’re allowed to take breaks, you’re allowed to restructure, you reserve the right to make your business work for everyone involved. Once you grasp that concept, you’ll begin to love and appreciate your business journey more and more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wanderluxeskinco.com (Coming Soon)
- Instagram: Instagram.com/wanderluxeskinco
- Facebook: Facebook.com/wanderluxeskinco
