Meet Marion Simms of SkinSense Wellness by Marion Simms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marion Simms.

Marion, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story began in the UK where I was raised in the Sussex countryside. Both my parents were entrepreneurs and that had a great influence on me – I knew that I too wanted to own my own business eventually. My mother was a hairdresser and from an early age, I witnessed how she transformed her clients into something beautiful with the coloring, styling and makeup techniques she used. I also watched my father design and build houses always creating something beautiful and functional when the projects were completed.

My first job in London was working in the PR division of a large oil company. I loved the busy, bustling metropolis, but disliked being a small cog in a large corporate wheel. While considering my next career option, I stumbled across the Potter Evans School of Beauty where I could take an evening class that taught the importance of make-up, skincare, and fragrance. I signed up and was hooked.

I went back to school full-time to learn how to become a facialist and during my two-year training course met a salon owner from South Africa who offered me a position when I graduated. I spent a year in Johannesburg before returning to the UK to run a post-graduate training school for other facialists. To this day I love to teach, whether it is clients or other beauty professionals. Two and a half years later, the same company offered me a second training position in Los Angeles. Teaching and traveling around America was a wonderful experience for this English country lass but in 1984 I followed in my parent’s footsteps and opened SkinSense Wellness Spa.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning your own business is always challenging and takes a lot of energy! Staffing, finding the right products and making sure you are compliant with state laws are continual obstacles but I have been very fortunate to surround myself with a great team of professionals who continually help me weather the ups and downs. I feel it is very important to love what you do and be really tenacious about moving through and forward with every challenge that appears. And from these challenges, there are always lessons to learn.

With technological advancement, owning a brick and mortar business has become more of a struggle in recent years because so many people buy their products online.But because we focus very heavily on education and also offering our services at very competitive rates we have managed to grow and maintain a loyal clientele.

The beauty industry, in general, has expanded enormously over the last few decades which is a good thing because it offers more opportunity. However, new treatments are popping up all the time and we go to great lengths to sort out what works and what doesn’t so we can offer our clients results.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about SkinSense Wellness by Marion Simms – what should we know?
I am both owner and facialist at SkinSense and I have two other facialists who work with me as well as two body workers on call. We are open seven days a week and we specialize in customization. How we feel about ourselves and the way we look has a huge influence on our ability to succeed in life, connect with others and experience joy and happiness. Over my years as a facialist, I have realized that it is the inner layers of a person I am working on as much as the outer layers. So customizing every visit is essential to fit each client’s needs. My staff adheres to the same philosophy and as I have already mentioned, we continually educate ourselves and our clients on all thing to do with health and wellness. The skin will reflect everything we do to our bodies – good and bad! Ill health, aging, bad habits all show up. So our goal is to send everyone out into the world with a radiant complexion and an inner confidence. as well as being committed to a healthier lifestyle.

The products we carry vary in price and formulation. We have a fully organic line as well as state of the art aging products that clients can use at home. We treat acne at all ages. And we blend electrotherapies, with aromatherapy, enzymes and light peels.

All this we offer in an intimate and friendly environment that people love to visit and relax in. We do offer meditation classes too – much needed in today’s world of confusion and stress.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My passion for the business and my love of people. I enjoy the challenge of working to make everyone’s skin look better and I have also returned to teaching and lecture at two schools in England to facialists just about to graduate. I also helped to found Skin Inc. magazine, a trade publication, 25 years ago so that other professionals had access to treatment and product information to help them in their practice.

Pricing:

• Our pricing is very competitive – we offer high end products and services that are affordable to most. Your readers would receive a 15% discount on their first visit if they mention your details.
• 10% discount to teachers and KCRW subscribers.
• 15/15 referral service where both the client and referral receivea 15% discount.

Contact Info:

• Address: 8448, W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA. 90048
• Website: www.skinsensewellness.com
• Phone: 323-653-4701
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthyskin10
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkinSenseWellness/?ref=bookmarks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skinsensela
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/skin-sense-by-marion-simms-los-angeles-2?osq=SkinSense+Wellness