Intro to Self
As mentioned in a previous post, I had always planned to make more content for us in 2025. But with the recent turns in DC (and world) events, it seeming to me like it’s even more the moment to do so. Recently AOC was answering some questions to followers about what to do in this moment if you are an introvert…”lean into your talents” is what she said. My talents are getting in the trenches with you and your skin, giving you a safe place to heal, and telling a story. I hope that’s of value to you…and if not at least it might give some context to who is behind our posting. Does it represent the office as a whole? I’m sure it doesn’t, but at least it makes clear the spirit of what we do that binds us together.
To this end seems like a good opportunity to introduce myself to any followers…I don’t think I ever have. I grew up in St Michael’s/Easton MD, which is a small town. I was a big theater nerd, and had acne. I moved to LA as a young adult to pursue a life in the arts and my dreams, and had acne. I sought all kinds of treatment from derms for that acne…nothing really worked. I struggled with it for over a decade before getting fully fed up and attempting to fix it myself. I did some research and managed to make progress…but years of frying and damaging my skin trying to kill the acne left me with really severe pigmentation scarring. And a lot of knowledge, mostly about what *not to do.
After LA I moved to London, in an attempt to try to move on with my life. LA was not my town…London was. At some point I did some real soul searching about what the next phase of my life was to hold, and the result was to study esthetics. LA and the entertainment industry is brutal, and I wanted something science based, a trade, and solitary. My own experience with acne had been its own education, and became a foundation to my formal training. Immediately after school I opened a solo practice in medical esthetics, and ran it for five years.
At a certain point it became clear to me it was time to move back to the US, to be closer to family. I chose DC as it was the closest city to home and wasn’t New York. I underestimated DC…I didn’t really have high hopes for a life here. To my surprise I found incredible communities, intelligent and caring people…most of whom were under immense stress trying to make our world better and had skin that was on fire due to their type A personalities and overly aggresive skin treatments. I could relate, as I had lived a lifetime of perfectionism and aggressive skin treatments.
Moving to DC was a time of personal healing for me, and opened my mind to new ways of practicing esthetics. And so I shifted my practice to better suit the skin I met here, and began to explore working from a holistic perspective. It struck a chord, and within a year I was hiring staff. Within two years I had a team of six. I didn’t aspire to have a business this size, I just rolled with the opportunities handed to me. The Universe has a plan, and it’s not often mine lol. I’ve learned to trust that.
When I opened my business in London fifteen years ago it didn’t have a name. It was just my name and then the descriptor of what I was hoping to do, “Bespoke Aesthetics”. The idea was really simple, I wanted to give people the kind of care I was looking for but could never find. A single person who was fully accountable, flexible, knowledgeable. Who knew many different facets of esthetics and could weave them together anew at every service. Prior to training in esthetics I was worried it would bore me, as I fancied myself an artist. Instead I found esthetics to be a place where I could exercise endless creativity, as well as innovative problem solving with science. Most of all I wanted to create a place that felt like home for the person visiting. Like “I am going to visit my friend who happens to know a lot about skin and she’s going to help me to fix mine”. A place with warmth. And I wanted a place of healing not only for you, but for me. Because through helping you heal I get to heal as well.
And life is good. I am a single mother by choice, having used a donor to have my boy. I am proud member of DC’s incredible recovery community…I mention this as it informs everything I do in the office and my philosophy of healing. If you have been with the business awhile you know that I thankfully attract many wonderful people to work with me, clients and estheticians alike. And most of all I love what I do. When you walk through our doors you are given the tools to heal yourself, I’m just with you on the ride. I wish you could sit where I sit and see what I see, because it’s beautiful. I want you to see yourself the way I see you.
Going forward I’m going to be writing and sharing more…a few years ago I wrote about burn out and people seemed to really connect with that. Connection is the most healing thing there is I think, so if I have to reveal a bit more to facilliate it in this moment I don’t mind. There is at times I think a misconception that I am some perfect skin, kale eating yoga doing (ok I love yoga) zen robot. The reality is I am very imperfect, often tired, I make mistakes…but it’s worth it if what I learn is useful to you.
Bottom line is I - we - want you to be well. So if you need that, know it is here for you. I can’t control what happens outside our walls but when you are in it you are safe, and seen. You are a part of our community, all I ask is that we pay it forward.