Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Gervais.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I feel like how I got here has been a long time coming. I have always had an affinity to skin, starting when I was a child playing in my grandmother’s Avon. When I was 19 o decided I needed to leave small-town living and moved to Connecticut where I nannied for a wonderful family. The woman I worked for was the beauty manager for Glamour magazine so I was very aware of skin and beauty, especially of the fact that I had significant cystic acne. On a day off, I went to see a dermatologist about my skin and was subsequently offered a part-time job in her private practice- my first real exposure! This experience made me believe I wanted to peruse nursing, so I moved home, and went to the College of St Catherine in St Paul to get my nursing degree. After working for about 8 years in the field I knew I wanted something different, so signed up to attend Scott Lewis Beauty College for an esthetic degree. Sadly the program I signed up for was canceled, and it wasn’t my time yet. In 2012 I was going through a divorce, which landed me back in Detroit Lakes. A single parent now, I thought I was destined to re-enter the nursing field. I enrolled in a refresher course which took about 10 months to complete, then was required to do a clinical portion to complete. While doing my clinical lashes, I realized how I try had no zest for nursing anymore. I actually loathed it. Frustrated, I did not want to imagine a lifetime of doing something I hated, and more so I didn’t want to model that to my son. I was 44 years old and decided it was time to go to beauty school. I finished with a full cosmetology license in 2018 and knew immediately that I wanted to start my own business. I also knew that being self-employed was going to be a challenge as a single parent (I M solely responsible financially for my son) so in addition to renting a small space, I took a job at great clips to give me a guaranteed income. After about 10 months I moved to a space where I could do both hair (I never loved hair but it was a more easily filled service initially) and continue to grow my Skin business. When the pandemic hit, it gave me the time I needed to make some decisions. The product lines I had been using were lackluster, I had believed that everyone in the skin field knew so much about skin and was disheartened with the realization that they didn’t. For the most part people only did whatever brand they were trained by telling them. Following standardized protocols, no attention to individual skin needs. The brands I had been using delivered lackluster results at best. I started searching for more, for a mentor. I met a woman who was so helpful and encouraging. She introduced me to the world of Korean skincare. I started taking classes, reading articles, ordering products and playing. When we reopened, I was ready to hit the floor running. In early 2022 I moved to my own space. I’ve continued with multiple classes and certifications. I love to individualize services to client needs. I began to work with a distributor and bring more Korean products into my practice. Most recently I’ve become licensed and trained by Skin Masterclass to perform skin consultations both in person and virtually. It is such an incredible time to be in skincare- there is so much research being done so we know what works and what is possible!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Along the way, there have been many struggles. But, what they have done is help determine my course. They have grounded me and taught me how to live from a place of gratitude.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I love helping people feel more confident in their skin. I customize all of my services and offer many modalities. I utilize solely Korean skin products which I have found give outstanding results and are largely botanical based. My nursing background gives me a unique perspective of understanding physiologically how the skin functions, s well as how to choose products suited to various skin types.
How do you define success?
To me, success is found in the relationships I have with my clients, being able to do something that sets my soul on fire every day and being able to support my son by myself doing it!
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.SkinDetroitLakes.GlossGenius.com
- Instagram: Skin_detroit_lakes
- Facebook: Skin Detroit Lakes
