Waxing with Women in Mind
Thirty-four. That’s the number of Brazilian Wax by Andreia salons there are throughout the Southeast. Andreia Guilmet founded her first salon in 2005 after spending five years making house calls and working out of her home. Since then, she has continually added more locations to her empire. Guilmet says her secret sauce (besides her proprietary wax) is hard work and generosity. “Everything that comes to me cannot stop with me; it must flow through and continue to bless others.” As an emigrant from Brazil with less than $500 in her pocket when she arrived, Guilmet had to overcome everything from navigating red tape to learning a third language, but the East Cobb resident says throughout those challenges, one thing remained steadfast—her faith. “I believe all successful entrepreneurs and business owners must have faith. The reality is that there are day-to-day challenges out of our control that present themselves and must be navigated. When one realizes that it is not possible to control every situation, you begin to rely on faith. It is my faith in God that keeps me and my business moving forward.”
What advice do you have for building a team that contributes to a brand’s success? Everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. You have to be patient and trusting while tapping into everyone’s individual strengths. I respect my team members and give them space to grow, both personally and professionally. Watching them evolve over the years fills my heart and makes me proud.
What do you want fellow entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, to know about the beauty industry? The beauty industry is endless; there will always be opportunities for an entrepreneur to enter the market and fill a need. But women have a unique opportunity to cater to a different clientele, that men are unable to cater to. Over the past 10 years, we have seen more and more multimillion-dollar companies being founded, owned, or operated by women. Inspiring the younger generation is very important, and I believe we should all strive to be fruitful and productive in order to leave a legacy behind.
https://brazilianwax.com
