Today we’d like to introduce you to Deisy Suarez-Giles.
Hi Deisy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a young girl, I began concocting mud masks and making home scrubs to make myself more beautiful. Now I am a licensed Esthetician & Certified Massage Therapist, published author, expert in wellness & self-care, business owner and entrepreneur. Recently graduated from University of California Irvine Continuing Education Division, majored in Spa and Hospitality Management. Also certified by Cidesco on many advanced skin services & technology. With over 18 years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry.
I learned the ins and outs of skincare and makeup artistry while working and major department store cosmetics counters in NYC and doing makeup for fashion shows and indie films. I then branched out in 2004, starting my own cosmetic line DESUAR Cosmetics. Working with Frencharoma Imports Co., and their research director Dr. Srinivas R Srivas, I learned much of the technical data related to the formulation and manufacture of cosmetics and skincare products.
To improve my makeup skills, I received a certification in Editorial makeup, Body Art Painting, and Special Effects Makeup from the Learning Institute of Beauty Science (LIBS) in NY, NY in 2004. I then worked on various studio sets and fashion shows until 2007 when I relocated to Los Angeles.
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, I worked freelance jobs. In 2010 I had a brief business partnership with a hair salon located in North Hollywood while there, I ran my spa operations, and later in 2011, I parted ways with my salon partner and opened my own home/studio-based spa. Offering facials, massage, skin treatments, and beauty services. in 2015 DESUAR Spa became too big to operate from a home, and with my personal mantra, “forward!” DESUAR Spa has become my outlet. The exterior is signature me, glamour and whimsy, but the services offered are serious.
DESUAR Spa has grown to provide outstanding treatment with proven results, clinical skincare & body procedures, ultrasonic & microdermabrasion facials, hydrafacial md, microcurrent, oxygen treatment, nano needling, hydrojet, endermology, endospheres, cool restore, and my very own “secret” body scrub formula, along with excellent massage treatments, bath rituals, body wraps, brows and waxing services. I want each guest to enjoy the time they spend at DESUAR Spa and to leave happy and feeling better about themselves.
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?
It has been a bumpy ride! It has been a bumpy road for the entire ride! From financial issues, including not having a thriving, dependable business which would allow me to focus my entire attention on this adventure. I was consistently worried, as I was not earning enough income while pushing forward. It was a struggle just to find marketing money to brand and promote my business.
Even though at one point I was forced to postpone my dreams and work in another industry (to save the money to fund my dream), I never gave up!
The struggle continued as finding the perfect location to move the spa from my home loft to a more traditional location was far more difficult than expected. For some reason, the downtown Los Angeles landlords were staying away from beauty spas as tenants, restaurant/bar/venues were their only focus! Those that I could convince to consider me would offer the most ridiculous lease deals that would have put me out of business in the first 24 months.
At one point things were looking promising. With the help of a friend, I found a location, not my ideal place since it was an abandoned basement with nothing in it. I would have to decide, with my husband, if we wanted to take on such a large construction project. We decided to move forward and lease this run down basement. My husband Keith and I were able to secure a small SBA loan,
It was a constant nightmare, just as I would get positively charged again, the horror would continue: the city of LA permitting process constantly delayed us, eating my budget, day by day. I was making loan payments with interest using the money that was granted for my actual business operations! Construction was delayed and costs were going up daily.
The stress was tremendous. I finally realized it was ALL or nothing. I began to search out a temporary location to continue to run and grow my business, to move outside of my home, as my new husband and step-son needed a proper home.
Strangely enough, my future landlord had a tiny storage room where he offered (for a price) me the opportunity to run the spa temporarily while my space was being built out. The space was actually an abandoned chimney room in a historic building that had become a nesting home for the “Vaux Swifts” for decades when the building was previously abandoned in the historic core of DTLA. Of course, the space was not compliant with ADA and had no running water, ZERO AC and/or heating system. Keith and I took on the challenge and turned this tiny chimney room into a converted little gem. We came up with ideas to make the space work, including portable sinks and heaters, window AC units, and lots of aesthetic touches. Somehow, we persevered and were able to make this place an underground gem and speakeasy locale. We continued to run the spa here temporarily during the buildout for three years!
Three years later, in March 2018 we were finally granted our occupancy permit. We were able to move DESUAR into our new home. I had little money to operate. Luckily my husband had a 9-5 job and that helped us pay rent and eat. DESUAR Spa was not profitable, and it was going to take time to raise our utilization rate and become more popular. At the end of 2019, we closed our first profitable year. But who would have predicted 2020!!
Nobody was prepared for COVID 19 – Like many other businesses, DESUAR Spa was shut down. It was devastating. I really thought I was going to lose my business. We didn’t get a loan during the first round. The business account was at a three digit negative balance. I was going to lose my mind! Right around that time they opened up for round 2 relief. We applied and we were able to secure some funds to keep us afloat. Months later, we were allowed to open, only to be shut down again in two weeks! It was a disaster. The city & county announced that we could operate personal services outdoors. I had to figure out a way to make this work.
I came up with a plan, had a meeting with my team and they were all down to work. It was the middle of the summer and my team and I were operating an outdoor spa on the roof of our sister building. It became a massive hit. We started to get busy. People were coming from everywhere to get facials & massages. After seeing the response I was getting, we had to expand to keep up with the demand. We rented a house that was zoned for business, right in the Los Feliz hills, and in three weeks, my husband had that place ready with gazebos for treatment rooms. DESUAR Spa Los Feliz became our second location. Right in the middle of the pandemic.
As you know, we’re big fans of DESUAR Spa. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
DESUAR Spa is a day spa with two locations, located in the historic core of downtown Los Angeles and in Los Feliz.
DESUAR is a private day spa incorporating a philosophy that is fundamental to the human experience, the quest for a balanced lifestyle. Balancing mind and body creates a new state of mental and physical health, beauty, and self-esteem. DESUAR Spa offers healing as well as relaxing high-end treatments. Our slogan is “Where communicating with your body means listening with our hands”.
Our spa is a place where you can spend an hour of your time to experience an amazing high-end therapeutic massage, facial and skin or body treatment without the guilt of breaking the bank. We specialize in many high-end, personalized treatments at affordable prices. Our most popular treatments are couples massage with romantic candlelight couples soak in a private room in our unique copper tub.
We have the latest technology out there to offer treatments like; Endermology & Endospheres for cellulite reduction, Cryo services for fat reduction, slimming/cellulite elimination body wraps, Hydrafacial MD for acne and anti-aging, and so much more.
There have been so many mountains to cross, yet so many proud moments too. Being able to convert “literally” an abandoned bird aviary into a spa; managing to “beat the odds”, which were all against succeeding, into something amazing and positive; having clients telling their friends about us and our unconventional and singular location; and being aware and capable of hiring incredibly talented professionals from the local neighborhood of DTLA that have joined me on this journey. But, from a brand perspective, I am most proud of the reputation that DESUAR has developed within the local community, we are known as a place that anyone can go to receive 5-star treatment at affordable prices, from professionals who are also members of the community and take pride in it.
Our staff are so passionate about providing services that it shows in our reputation within the community. Our story, our location, our community spirit are all parts of DESUAR Spa that set us apart from the competition. Our clients become family, our location is unique, and our story is definitely one for the books!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success, to me, is being able to provide jobs for many that allow them to provide for themselves and their families. Success is being able to see that my hard work is not going unnoticed and that people are learning about me and my business. Success is being able to help relax my clients with the power of my healing hands. Hearing customers tell us how we have helped with their skin insecurities and helped them gain their self-confidence. Success is, ultimately, being able to do what I love the most, which is self-acceptance, self-love, self-care, healing and wellness, and be able to get paid for it.
Pricing:
- $115 (50min) Swedish Massage
- $125 (50min) Deep Tissue Massage
- $150 (30min) Hydrafacial MD
- $250 (50min) Couples Massage
- $300 (80min) Microcurrent Facial
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: desuarspa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deisysuarez
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daisysuarez12
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/daisysuarez
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qyzaXINXNtVpUMC-T3h9w
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/desuar-spa-los-angeles-2?osq=desuar+spa
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/desuarspa
Image Credits:
Travis Lainfiesta
