Community Highlights: Meet Ellie Walsh of WOAD Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Walsh

Hi Ellie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Ellie, and I’m an esthetician located in Pasadena. Before becoming an esthetician, I worked in the video game industry (huge switch, I know), but I’ve owned this studio for a few years now. I’m a one woman operation!

I am originally from Romania and moved to the US in 2017 from Berlin, Germany. I have a Bachelor Degree in International Affairs and European Cultural Studies and a few other certifications like graphic design (lol). I speak multiple languages albeit i need a little freshening up on some. How did I ended up in esthetics?

I was working as a makeup artist in the Portland area for film/TV (more on the special effects side) and I thought to work legitimacy in LA you need to have a license to touch skin. Little did i know that I would absolutely love this field and I will even open my own business.

I knew nothing about starting a business and honestly nobody around me has owned a small business. So i did what most people do and struggled. Have to learned all the paperwork and bureaucracy, all my permits and regulations. I am very by the book so before I even opened I had to have everything in order. It was a process to say the least.

Like I mentioned before i am an one woman operation, so in reality i have about 7 jobs. I get overwhelmed and confused, but at the end of the day having a good treatment with one of my clients makes it all worth it. They brighten my days.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think it’s ever a smooth road when you start with no experience and very limited budget. Marketing is the bane of my existence and unfortunately there are a lot of entities preying on small businesses in this aspect.

I want to say it was a trail and error but it was mostly errors. It made me realize that even though I can be a good esthetician it can fail spectacularly. It made me take steps back and reassess my direction.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
WOAD Studio is a corrective skin treatments space.

I focus on helping clients with very specific skin concerns, as my own journey with my skin has been a wild one. I struggled with acne for years, which is why I feel so passionately about being an acne specialist. On top of that I was also diagnosed with Rosacea and it gave me a better understanding of inflammatory skin conditions.

Not every product or regimen works for everyone, and I help people figure out what is right for them. From young to old, whatever your concerns, I’m here to work with with my clients on their complexion and skin health. Their skin goals are my priority! I like to think of everyone working with me as a team mate, and my role is to support them.

My hands down favorite service is Skin Analysis! You can’t do anything to correct the skin without it and it’s part of all of my treatments. It’s a combination of me looking at the skin and asking all the questions to identify the causes and set up realistic goals,

WOAD is a calm, open, soothing environment and one that I’m very proud of. I’m excited to see new clients and connect with everyone and to answer any questions about skincare!

What are your plans for the future?
I just stated a form of medical school – Diagnosis Medical Sonography (ultrasound technician) to open more avenues of what I can do with my business. I wanted to expand, without becoming a nurse, and this has a lot of applications, skin included.

I’m just 1 month in (baby deer) and I feel I already learned a fraction of something that makes me better at my job.

Pricing:

• 50 – Skin Analysis
• 160 – Acne Clearing Program
• 200 – BioRePeel
• 275 – DMK Enzyme Therapy

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.woadstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woadstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WOADStudio
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/woad-studio-pasadena