Name: Athena Landy
Age: 23
Major: Anthropology
Her Stores: Bare Waxing and Skin Care Center
1215 Lee Avenue | Tallahassee, FL 32303
699 W. Gaines Street | Unit 108 | Tallahassee, FL 32304
Website: Here!
Her Campus (HC): So tell us about your store.
Athena Landy (AL): I grew up in the industry. My mom has been doing this for like 27 years. Skincare and waxing was a constant in my life. Beauty was always something that I knew about. My friends would call text or me and be like “What should I do with my skin? What is your advice?” It just seemed like a natural kind of niche for me. I’ve always been interested in being a business owner. My mom owned her own businesses and so has my father. You know, I’m Greek, Puerto Rican and then Irish. Those are cultures that are heavily into being entrepreneurs and being their own bosses. So I had that cultural background pushing me to it and watching my parents do it. So I said “let’s do waxing.” It was just a process of doing my research; I went to school and got my license. So I am a licensed skin care specialist. I got more specialized training and then worked to develop my brand and what our philosophy is when it comes to skincare and waxing and that’s how “Bare” evolved. When you’re younger it’s a lot harder for people to take you seriously and want to invest in you. When I went to go rent my first retail space off 6th Ave by the hospital, the guy took one look at me and was like “you’re young and your credit isn’t super great,” but he took a chance on me. I drew upon my mom and dad’s existing knowledge and my team and getting our name out there. A lot of it is trial and error. After opening my first store, I knew I wanted a place by campus, and a real storefront. Stadium Centre popped up and they are a huge company and super great. It was about a three-month process of negotiations. I wasn’t a corporation and I was young and they had to take a look at our books, etcetera. In one year our revenues have increased almost 11% and the numbers don’t lie. So they said yes. I’d never built out a space before but we worked with fantastic architects and contractors and in less than two years we opened a second location and it’s so exciting.
HC: Tell us about Bare Waxing!
AL: At “Bare Waxing” we specialize solely on waxing. It is a service that has come into popularity especially in the last 19 years or so. You can credit it to shows like Sex and The City and The View and women just becoming way more empowered with their bodies. People think a Brazilian wax is a sexual thing or that it’s because you’re trying to appease someone else. I have girls that come in here and they’re like “My boyfriend wants me to get waxed,” and I’m like “no, don’t get a wax because your boyfriend wants it; get it because you want it. Because you want the cleanliness of it or the convenience.” It’s just silly. That’s not what we’re about; we don’t sell my business through sex. I want women to feel good when they leave here and feel safe, confident in themselves. I try to build an atmosphere that encourages that because we’re a business owned and operated by women. As far as the products we use I lean towards the more natural the better. We use Farmhouse Fresh, they’re products are 95% natural and a lot of their products are also vegan, which aligns with our philosophy about skincare. A lot of people forget your skin is your largest organ and when you put chemicals on your skin you’re absorbing those into your body. The wax that we use is also all-natural and features coconut oil and is very nurturing to the skin as well. I’m very passionate about skincare and making people feel empowered by their bodies.
HC: What services do you provide?
AL: We provide full body waxing for both men and women. So everything from head to toe. Our most common services are Brazilian services, brow, underarm, and facial waxes. All products we use are all for purchase. The pre- and post-wax oil we use in the room is actually agave oil and that is also for purchase. It is hands down one of my favorite products. We use the best products possible to take care of your skin.
HC: Where do you see “Bare” going? What are your ambitions?
AL: In the next five years I would love to develop my own small-specialized skincare line devoted to ingrown hair reduction and a hair growth retardant. I’d also like to see another two locations outside of Tallahassee.
HC: Are there any nice discounts for our Florida State students?
AL: We offer $10 off their first time as well as a Student Wax Pass. We are the only company in America with that sort of program where it’s a month-to-month membership. It is $30 a month and it covers one full Brazilian, which is usually $35, as well as 15% off all products. You also get member exclusive discounts, so let’s say we run 10% off all products for the general public, members are getting 25% off all facial waxing. Which is lovely because I mean who doesn’t love a $5 eyebrow wax?
HC: What advice would you give to girls who have that entrepreneurial spirit but don’t know where to start?
AL: I would firstly say to absolutely embrace their ideas. Then to read up on what they want to do and do their research. Look at people in their prospective industry and see what they did. Always focus on yourself and making your business and yourself the best possible. But, definitely looking to people who have kind of paved the way and created the industry standard is huge. Look to them to guiding your decisions and give you that stepping of point. Then sit down and set a plan and goals for yourself.
HC: Who inspires you?
AL: Definitely my mom. She is relentless in the fact that if she wants something or has a goal she will not stop until she achieves that. I wish I possessed her ability to talk to literally anyone. I mean, she can walk into a room and make friends in ten seconds. She’s definitely amazing and inspiring to me.