We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zaphira Be a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zaphira, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I think I’m starting to fine tune my purpose in life. I’ve been grasping at its edges for years. Slowly allowing it to grow and mold and become more clear. The big push into this clarity came from opening my own Esthetics practice in 2022. I’ve met thousands of women in my career, allowing me to continuously ask questions and learn and grow. It has been such an honor. I created my practice to help people feel comfortable and feel seen. I wanted to create a space that my younger self would feel empowered going to.
I’m no stranger to feeling uncomfortable in my body. I’ve struggled with my self image for as long as I can remember. Through a lot of self examination, self work, and a new openness to receiving help, I have become truly comfortable in my own skin. With this new lense I have been able to transmute my experiences with other practitioners, close relationships in my life, and new situations into these little pockets of relaxation in my body. Those little moments where I feel so seen, listened to and cared for are what started shifting my approach to my hands on practice. I wanted to create a space for people that made them feel comfortable to shift something as small as releasing their jaw, or to stop chewing on the inside of their cheek. Small moments of tension in the body that add up over time… I wanted to build a space that I would want to go. Having this as my goal meant that I needed to really develop more self love and openness so that I could show up for clients authentically. I want a Brazilian wax to be more than just a wax. I want it to be a moment in their day that refreshes them. An experience that allows them to get off my table feeling a little better than they did before – and not just because they got a new brow shape or a facial, but because they felt safe in a moment of surrender. I want to be fully present for the people that come through my door. This required a few things from me… I got sober. I removed myself from toxic relationships and created some very necessary boundaries . I fully dedicated myself to mending these broken pieces in a way I never had before. I wanted to be the fullest version of myself so that I could have the focus and energy to give in the way I so deeply desired. The Hidden Gem has helped me find my purpose.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Zaphira Be and I am the creator and owner of The Hidden Gem Wellness in Lafayette, Colorado. I have been an esthetician for 13 years. I was first introduced to trade programs when I attended massage school at 18 years old. During this time I was really struggling with my skin and looking for solutions, so after discovering the world of esthetics, I realized that massage wasn’t the industry for me and I switched my course! I really got into my groove in the esthetics field, especially the skincare side of it.
My goal became (and remains) to age gracefully and powerfully. Esthetics gives me a direct line to being able to do that. Throughout my career I’ve loved learning about product lines – specifically their ingredients – how things are formulated and everything I can about how it’s going to change the skin. I started to work with Helena Meyer Organics about five years ago, so when I opened The Hidden Gem, I knew I had to have her skincare line at the shop. Helena handcrafts all of her products in Boulder CO, all small batch and made to order. Helena Meyer has been around for decades and there’s a reason her products are unlike anything I’ve ever used both professionally and personally. My skin has never been more clear, hydrated, and overall nourished! When a product line is this good, the facials have to represent that. I wanted to bridge the gap between holistic skincare and result driven facials. I noticed that a lot of the deeper facial treatments are paired with products that have subpar ingredients or are far too expensive. Helena Meyer Skincare is 100% organic and accessibly priced so that the results achieved in regular facials can actually be carried over to daily regimens. Knowing I was working with a line of this quality made designing my menu really fun!
In addition to the esthetics side of my practice, I specialize in Brazilian waxing. I use a natural resin based wax which helps decrease irritation and makes for a more gentle experience. I know no one loves to get a Brazilian but there are little hacks we can do to make it a much more enjoyable experience for our clients and I have implemented each one of those at The Hidden Gem. The appointment will truly feel like you’re just catching up with a friend and you just so happen to have also gotten a top notch wax in the process. It is so empowering to give my clients power when they are on my table, I love it so much. I am really looking forward to 2024. I am bringing on some really incredible, non-invasive, medical facials that will blow people away. I will be introducing an Oxygen facial, Radio Frequency treatment and No Needle Meso Therapy along with some other incredible offerings (again, all paired with the magical workings of Helena Meyer Skincare). In addition to the new services I am revamping the Membership programs so they will be even more customizable. Whether you’re a facial member or a waxing member (or both!), the whole program will be even more client forward. The freedom I’ve found since opening The Hidden Gem has truly been a gift. By embracing this new freedom, my hope is for that feeling to ripple into client experiences as well. I am so excited to continue growing and changing and expanding my practice!
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?
Honestly it’s too hard to boil down to three distinct skills or qualities for getting me this far. But it has always been important for me to be constantly learning, luckily I am in an industry where it’s very easy to obtain new skills and education on a regular basis. Also listen to the people around you, I pride myself on being surrounded by really intelligent and kind people, so I ask for their advice often. I’ve learned so much from my clients over the years too, they’re who I want to attract to the shop the most, might as well listen to their thoughts on things. Having a little delusion is really helpful. Be very loud with your gratitude. If possible, try to do something you love because no matter what, if you are in love with what you are doing you will be successful in every sense of the word.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client would be someone who wants to eff around and find out. They want to dive into the connection their skin has to EVERYTHING. They’d understand that results can take time but that there WILL be results. They would trust me to guide them on their journey of skin empowerment. There is a method to my madness!
Contact Info:
- Website: thehiddengemwellness.com
- Instagram: thatbtheycallz
