Today we’d like to introduce you to KC Van De Merkt.
Hi KC, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was living in Chicago, I was living a different life. I was a professional belly dancer, traveling the country and abroad to perform, working at the front desk of a hair salon to supplement my income. I had been in the cosmetology industry for years, watching dozens of stylists give incredible service to their clients. There was a solo esthetician who rented a room, and she was such an incredible person. Her clients adored her, the stylists adored her, everyone would linger in her room between clients for a little peace in their day. At 31, my first marriage was ending, and life felt like it was suddenly unstable, and I knew I needed to make a change. Nancy, the esthetician, encouraged me to go to esthetics school. It wasn’t a month later until I enrolled in school, and less than a year later I had decided to move to Nashville in 2016. During the pandemic, our entire industry was shaken up. There was talk of disposable sheets and aprons, plastic covers to shield clients during treatments, and I made the hard decision to leave that position and venture on my own – I wanted a more private experience for my clients – one that they could feel safe and exclusive.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Leaving my spa position during Covid was one of the craziest things I could have ever done. I left a secure position to embark on something completely uncertain, during uncertain times, and I remember telling my husband, “I’ve either just blown up my life or I have done the best thing I’ve ever done and only time will tell.” I had never intended on opening my own studio, and had zero idea where to even start. Office hours weren’t normal during that time, and I was very scared I wouldn’t be able to do it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a solo esthetician, I have always wanted to help people. When I first started clearing acne, it made my work even more meaningful. As the years went on, I encountered my first difficult case of acne rosacea and realized I didn’t have the tools to help her. Instead of turning her away, I decided to find the tools. When I don’t know the answer to something, I wills top at nothing to find it. I think having that amount of empathy paired with determination has shaped the service provider I am. I take a lot of pride in my work, getting the results, and staying authentic and transparent to my clients. They do not have to worry that I am trying to “sell” them on something, I always have their best interest in mind.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
In this industry, I think it is normal to feel competitive, but what has worked for me is just to recognize talent and great people and not be afraid to say it. Take the feeling of “competition” and turn it into admiration. There will always be enough for everyone, and your clients will always come back to you for your hands. Creating more good energy can create a beautiful community to lift everyone up. A client of mine, Simone, decided to go to esthetics school and I promised to be her mentor and teach her everything I knew. I wanted to be the same encouragement for someone that Nancy was for me. Her own clientele has grown immensely and she has made me so incredibly proud.
Pricing:
- Custom Facial 125
- Acne Edit Consultation 75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kcvand.com
- Instagram: @kcvand_esthetics
