Editor’s Note:The Chronicle is working to assist local businesses suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 virus spread and associated government orders to close or limit commerce. There will be a feature on a local business in each edition of The Chronicle and at chronline.com moving forward. To be considered, email reporter Eric Trent at etrent@chronline.com. Additionally, The Chronicle will continue to offer its coverage of the coronavirus and its effects across the community, state and nation free outside of our paywall at chronline.com.
Almost 17 years ago to the day, Jan. 4, Kim Chase was making a dramatic decision that would change her life. She didn’t know at the time if it would be for the better or for worse.
Chase was 39 years old at the time, having worked her entire adult life for other people in sales, marketing and the beauty industry. She was mulling over the decision to either continue being an employee or branch off on her own. She ultimately decided to quit her job and go back to college right before her 40th birthday in hopes of starting her own day spa.
“I didn’t love school in my 20s,” Chase said. “I just did what I had to do to get through and get a job. Going back at 40 with a different mindset was really awesome. All the sudden, I wanted to be there more than anything.”
She opened up Beautiful Skin, a day spa, soon after graduating. But 17 years ago, going into the spa industry and opening a beauty salon, especially in a smaller community, definitely had its challenges. She was one of only a few spas in the Twin Cities at the time and Chase had to put herself out there to gain a customer base in a growing industry.
“Now, everybody knows spas and it’s common, and you even have men that come to spas and are comfortable, but 17 years ago it was still kind of like a little bit unsure,” Chase said.
It ended up becoming one of the most difficult things she’s ever done. Two years after opening her business, the state’s last coal mine in Centralia shut down, ending 550 union jobs that paid on average more than $55,000 a year each. All of a sudden, Chase went from excellent sales and a burgeoning spa company to immediately tanking. At once, people began canceling appointments.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh, gosh, what am I going to do?’” Chase said.
She had to do a gut check and figure out if she should continue on or hurry up and find another job. She eventually decided she still believed in her business and pushed on. Chase began rebuilding her company from the ground up, working later hours, adding services, getting additional training and hoping for the best. Beautiful Skin rebounded and is still going strong 15 years later.
Beautiful Skin, located on North Tower Avenue the past five years, has changed locations five times since opening 17 years ago. It has since grown into not just Chase’s business but a collection of three other women who run their businesses under hers, which makes it a full spa.
Kendell Holmes is a lash artist and does waxing and teeth whitening. Madison Zucati does manicures, pedicures and lashes. Avishan Saberian is the acupuncturist and Chase does anti-aging medical-grade facials and peels.
Customers can get facials, flashes and waxing all done at one spot, and even a doctor who does medical services, such as Botox and fillers. Chase even has a part-time acupuncturist who comes down as well.
“We’ve really grown into a full health and wellness spa, which is absolutely what my dream was. That’s what I saw happening,” Chase said. “It’s done a really good job.”
Beautiful skin offers facials, medical-grade peels, body treatments, full-body waxing, lash extensions and lifts, manicures and pedicures and many more.
“We work really hard to be that place that is almost like a retreat for people to come and take care of themselves,” Chase said.
The business is still going strong, despite having to be shut down for three months as a non-essential business from March to May.
“That’s always super challenging to have your business shut down, literally, overnight,” Chase said.
Luckily, because Beautiful Skin’s entire business involves touching people, they already had a high degree of sanitization that they do naturally. In turn, the statewide COVID-19 protocols didn’t force the business to change its health standards too much since it was already doing many of the sanitary and cleaning guidelines beforehand.
The few changes they did need to make were closing the waiting room and timed services so customers were never in close proximity with each other. And once the business was able to open back up in June, customers came back strong.
“Once we did that it was almost a relief to the clients because they needed to have some spa love,” Chase said. “Once we opened back up, things just went crazy. People were feeling the loss, and they still are, so many things they were limited to do.”
Chase and her co-owners wanted to make sure their clients didn’t suffer as a result of the protocols. Luckily, the store space is big enough and they all have their own private suites that they’re able to still offer an incredible experience, she said.
“For a moment, you get to forget what’s going on in the world and do it safely,” Chase said. “The community has been so welcoming and supportive to us and our services.”
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Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
