Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason & Bree Goldwater.
Hi Jason & Bree, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
We’re a husband & wife-built bikini waxing shop brand that started out in 1999, under the name BOX®. Our shop was the first brick & mortar waxing salon brand in the country and, as the name suggests, we specialized in making lady parts pretty. The neighbor of our original shop in Las Vegas was a popular transgender bar, which wound up bringing a lot more than fury flowers through our front door. Hence, we became the go-to groomer for genitals in general.
Sac & Crack®, which we trademarked back in the early ’00s has been a staple service at our shops for more than twenty years, and we’ve been manufacturing a small-batch deodorant for dudes downstairs under that same name for a little more than a decade now. We sold the brand name BOX® a couple of years ago and re-branded under the name Human Landscapers® to make sure everybody who wants to get waxed would have a place to go from head to toe.
Our Manhattan beach shop opened about 10 years ago and has an amazing local following, but still attracts people from all over because it’s where our founder, Bree Goldwater, can be found. We still have our original shop in Vegas and are currently building one in Nosara, Costa Rica for those who want to look a little less gorilla-like when they’re in the jungle We also just launched an amazing “Tiny Shop” program to help girls looking to break the waxing business. We train, supply & market them with the hopes that we can empower as many women as possible into their own small businesses.
Last but not least, we opened a new concept called MULE in the front half of our shop here in Manhattan Beach. It’s a curated collection of antiques, art, and other cool stuff alongside Bree’s tried and true apothecary goods for great skin & gut health.
All this while being full-time parents to a 16-year-old son, and 20-year-old daughter.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Honestly, for two people who knew nothing at all whatsoever about business, we got lucky. Our original investment was $6,000, and the goal when we started out in ’99 was to make enough to meet the $475 rent, pay our $1,200 per month mortgage, and carve out a life that we had control over.
It all worked out better than either of us could’ve imagined. Our little business afforded us the opportunity to raise our kids in Manhattan Beach, and build an amazingly cool life. We often refer to it as “The Giving Tree” because it’s always provided despite our mistakes.
The majority of the challenges we’ve faced along the way were of our own doing.
There were times when we overextended ourselves financially, which had more to do with our egos than anything else. We had moments where patience was by no means a virtue, and made moves that would have turned out infinitely better had we just been a bit more thoughtful.
If there’s one thing we had no control over it’s our age vs. the digital age. Neither one of us understands a darn thing about any of the social media stuff, or technology. We see all of the possibilities within it, but it just doesn’t connect with us in the same way it does the younger generation. We’re old school brick, mortar & brand people who believe providing a great service and space is what’ll keep people coming back.
That’s a tough row to hoe these days, especially when you see businesses popping up overnight and appearing to have unlimited success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I was a young branding guy who was lucky enough to learn from old-school branding guys thanks to people I met at Miami Ad School back in the mid-’90s. Bree came from a customer service background where she worked in some of Las Vegas highest-end restaurants at the height of the celebrity chef renaissance there.
It was the combination of both our talents that built our business and somehow managed to embed it in the minds of consumers long enough to keep it alive for more than two decades. I think our specialty has been that both of us have cared so much about what we do respectively within our business. That’s what’s kept it alive for more than two decades, and keeps us excited to go to work every day.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Our favorite things about Los Angeles are that it’s never boring. There’s always something cool to find where you least expect it, and to live drive, or even sit by the beach is pretty dreamy – No matter the beach.
And, of course, the mountains & valleys are epic! Our only complaint is the homeless problem. It’s a sad situation that only seems to get worse with no end in sight.
Pricing:
- World-Famous Brazilian Wax – $69
- Sac & Crack® Wax – $89
- Sac & Crack Deodorant – $40
- Post Wax + In-Grown – $40
- Boo-Boo Guru – $40
Contact Info:
- Website: humanlandscapers.com or bikiniwaxing.com
- Instagram: @Human_Landscapers
Image Credits
Headshot photographed by James Banasiak and Jason Goldwater
