Inspiring Conversations with Maria Hite of The Pink Room Aesthetics Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Hite.

Hi Maria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a little girl makeup, beauty and fashion were so very cool to me. My mom bought me little play makeup kits and I would take them to school and do my friend’s makeup. My entire childhood I talked about what I was going to name my salon, and what services I was going to do… career-wise   Beauty was my first love.

Fast forward to my late teens and it was time to pick a career. I decided to go to school to be an accountant, I had studied it in high school and was pretty good at it. I was about to finish enrolling but in my heart, I wasn’t excited about it, I just couldn’t give up on my dream of being in the beauty industry. I decided to check out the local cosmetology school in Louisville, KY just to see if I wanted to go in that direction.

I took a tour and was on the fence about doing hair, that’s when the administrator told me about the new esthetics program. I knew what an Esthetician was because I had worked at a salon/spa for a year. I loved getting facials and I loved the calm, peace, and relaxation I experienced during my facial appointments. The school administrator let me talk to and shadow the esthetic students for a day and I decided yes!

This was the right path for me. I started school in February 2006 and fell in love with the esthetic industry and knew this was the career for me. I look back often and am pretty amazed how I was able to take something I thought was so cool and fun as a child and turn it into a career that I love so much.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have grown so much as an esthetician when I look back to my days first starting out.

In 2006, the resources that are available now for training and education didn’t exist. I wanted so badly to learn more and remember looking online for articles and information on different areas of skin health and putting my own little binder of information together so I could continue learning.

There were lots of learning curves along the way and I struggled to find my niche in an industry where you have so many options. I dabbled in pretty much every area of esthetics for the first few years until I went into medical aesthetics. That was when I really found my love for skin correction.

Before, I had primarily worked in places that offered waxing services or “fru-fru” relaxing facials. Medical aesthetics taught me everything I know about making actual changes to the skin, in-depth study of different devices, and I really deep-dived into learning ingredients.

Medical aesthetics is where I developed my love for correcting pigmentation concerns.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Pink Room Aesthetics Boutique?
I opened The Pink Room Aesthetics Boutique in 2021. In this industry, there is a lack of estheticians of color that specialize in corrective skincare. I believe we make up about 2% of the industry.

Although I welcome all people into my studio, I especially wanted to be able to provide a safe place for people of color to come and receive corrective skincare treatments from someone who understands from a place of personal experience some of the struggles that come with having the skin of color.

I specialize in treatments for hyperpigmentation. This is my passion, it’s what I truly love to treat as well as continue learning about myself. Having spent 10 years in medical aesthetics, it was also important to me to offer not only corrective, results-driven skincare but also to create a relaxing experience. I never quite got why in the medical the relaxation aspect of treatments was usually left out.

I wanted to create a memorable experience for each client that walks through my door. No matter what service is performed, my clients will leave feeling relaxed and pampered. I think that along with the relationship I develop with my clients sets me and my studio apart. I truly care about my clients, they have chosen me out of all the estheticians in Nashville, and I’m so appreciative of that and I want them to know how much I appreciate them.

I try and teach them about their skin, I want them to know and understand the process. This helps them stay vested and to continue making progress with their treatments and home care. I am extremely proud of looking back at where I started and how I started… I had just lost my job in a very dishonest, hurtful way right before I opened my studio and I am so proud that I didn’t let that break me.

It was a blip on the radar and I viewed it as an opportunity to do what I really wanted to do. Mindset is EVERYTHING. I have incredibly supportive friends and family and am just so proud of what was created out of a bad situation. I really want people to know how passionate I am about not just skincare but their skin concerns.

When you’re working with someone on skin issues they’re having, they are letting you in on a vulnerable and often self conscious area of their life. I want so badly to reassure them that it can be improved and I’m just as excited as them for their skincare journey.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
So many estheticians, Yvette Miller, the first esthetician I ever knew and worked with at a spa many years ago. She has no idea the impact she’s had on me and my career. Dr, Salzman in Louisville, KY for giving me the opportunity when I had almost no medical esthetic experience, and for opening so many doors for me, I am so thankful for that experience.

The amazing business owners I’ve met at Melrose Sola, where my studio is, we are not competitors, we understand running a new beauty business and all that comes with that, and wow have they been incredible. My mom! My mom is my biggest cheerleader, mom’s support and my mom is amazing, I love her so big! And talking business with my dad, he’s been a business owner most all my life and he gets it and I appreciate him so much. My dad taught me work ethic. He taught me to work hard and what it means to “hustle”. He built a business 100% on his own 36 years ago and I truly believe I developed an entrepreneurial spirit from watching him.

And there are many estheticians in Nashville who I’ve reached out to with questions and I’m so happy we could create our own little community, it’ makes life so much easier, healthier, and happier to be supportive than tear each other down and it’s been amazing getting to know some of them.

And my little community of friends that I am forever grateful for. This last year was a bit tough personally and I have friends I am forever grateful that became a part of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: pink-room.org
• Instagram: @thepinkroomaestheticsboutique
• Spotify: PINK Beauty

Image Credits
NDY Images