We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annie Norris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Annie, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I owe my resilience to my incredible parents. Growing up, both of them were self-employed, navigating the challenges of farming and running a hair salon from home. Witnessing the roller coaster of their ventures, I learned the value of perseverance and hard work.
I grew up in the small town of Plainville, KS, where everyone not only knows your name, but also your parents and grandparents, I absorbed important life lessons in a tight knit community that have made me who I am. My parents stood by each other through life’s ups and downs, creating a loving home environment that I cherish. They are two of my biggest cheerleaders, offering support, love, and words of wisdom through life’s challenges.
My mother often said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,”. Despite the twists and turns of life, there’s beauty in finding myself exactly where I belong.
These lessons have shaped my perspective, and I carry the strength and resilience instilled by my parents into every aspect of my life. Their unwavering support has left an indelible mark. I consider myself very lucky to have been blessed with a loving and supportive family.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Starting my own skincare business has been an incredible journey for me. I attended The Skn Academy in Shawnee, KS, and I was in their first graduating class. I feel like my solid education set me up for great success. Opening my studio at the end of 2023 felt like a dream, and I often have to pinch myself because things are going so well. My books are consistently full, and I genuinely enjoy meeting new clients while welcoming back those who return. The satisfaction of helping them feel relaxed, refreshed, and beautiful is immeasurable.
Being a business owner has granted me total control over my vision. I relish the opportunity to delve into new technologies, express my creativity through marketing, and focus on what I find important in my field. I take pride in being a part of the vibrant downtown community of Lee’s Summit, MO, where my studio is located. My focus includes skincare, hair removal, brows, and lashes. Continuing education is a priority for me, as the field of esthetics constantly evolves, and I’m naturally curious, always wanting to understand the “why” and learn more.
One aspect that sets me apart is my genuine care for others. Making a positive impact on people is crucial to me. Throughout my diverse work history, whether teaching, making coffee, or helping someone feel beautiful, I put my heart into it. I firmly believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Understanding the importance of feeling one’s best inside and out, I empathize with those who struggle. Having dealt with acne and severe eczema that led to deep depression, I know the impact it can have on every aspect of life. The challenging years of health problems are behind me, and I credit my journey out of depression to the unwavering support of my husband. Now, I’ve created a happy, healthy, and positive life that I love. Being an esthetician is a significant part of that, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Welcoming women into my calm and relaxing environment for self-care and skincare brings me immense joy, and helping them achieve healthy, beautiful skin is incredibly fulfilling.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities that have helped me to be successful is my CAN DO attitude, empathy, and optimistic outlook.
When going back to school for esthetics I knew that I wanted to own my own studio. I wouldn’t settle for less. It took having faith in myself that I can do what it takes. I genuinely feel like I have manifested my success through positive thinking and envisioning what is now a reality. I knew if I could be successful working for others then I could be successful working for myself. With my work ethic and refusal to fail I will create a business that will continue to soar. I can’t wait to see where my business is in one year, five years, ten years!
I have always had an empathetic heart and I feel it has served me well in dealing with others. Life is hard, and we all need to know we matter. I hope to create an environment that can be a reprieve from the demands of life, a chance for women to to take time to love themselves through me.
Finally the optimist in me has helped me get where I am today. We all have struggles, and how we handle those struggles and come out on the other side defines us. I choose happiness every day and feel incredibly grateful to have landed where I have in life. I am optimistic that I will continue to learn, grow and serve those that enter my studio with great care.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
It is difficult to pick just one book that has impacted me, I have to share two. Let me preface this by saying I consider myself a spiritual person, not religious. The books that have had the biggest impact on me are based in Christianity and Buddhism,
Everybody, Always~by Bob Goff. This book has helped me to do my best to love everybody where they are and for who they are. I now believe that we have the power within ourselves to bring in the right people and energy by creating and embracing the positive. We get back what we give. If our hearts and minds are cluttered with anger, negative thoughts, lack of understanding we cannot find peace. If we find commonality with others and love life and all its ups and downs we will have an enjoyable journey. Embrace it all, let go of any suffering and love always wins. There will be people in our lives that bring us great joy, and difficult people that will teach us important life lessons. Everyone we meet gives us the opportunity to show love, and there really is nothing more important. Loving someone similar to us is easy, loving someone that we have a hard time relating to is hard. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, it just means we need to work harder and be better. Another takeaway for me is that being present is sometimes the most important thing we can do. I try to be fully present when I am with someone, which can be difficult. Life is crazy, busy and we are often being pulled in different directions. Tuning out the noise and being in the moment is so important.
The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. I have read this book three times and every time I have ah ha moments. One quote that really hit me and I often think about when I am feeling frustrated is this. “Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.” Suffering comes from being undisciplined, not being able to control your emotions and reactions to others or a given situation. For many years I suffered, which was my own doing, because I was upset or bothered by a situation or at a person that I had no control over. Accepting things for what they are and choosing how we respond can dramatically change relationships, stress level, and thus the ability to be truly happy.
I highly recommend both of these books no matter what your faith is. What can be more important that doing a better job loving our fellow humans and finding true happiness?
Contact Info:
- Website: riseandshineskincare.com
- Instagram: rise.and.shine.skincare
- Facebook: Annie Norris LE
Image Credits
Angela Needs Ships Picture This! Studios
