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Meet Karayla Sylvain of Skin Craze in Jacksonville

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Karayla Sylvain.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Karayla. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I never dreamed of owning my own business, I only dreamed of being successful. During my corporate career, I came across a quote that stuck with me, it read, “The secret to your success is in your daily routine.” At the time, I didn’t know what my success would look like, however, I knew I had a right and duty to be successful. I started looking in my daily routine for things I did effortlessly and could potentially capitalize on.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed looking and feeling my best. In high school, I can remember taking really good care of my skin as and I was always on trend with my fashions so I knew these two categories were great places to start. I set out to put it to the test. I started styling a local gospel artist and other locals who would allow me to put my flair on their wardrobes. It went well, so I added closet detoxes on my menu to expand and gain more customers. Closet detoxes were time-consuming and exhausting so I knew it would be short lived.While styling, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others look and feel good just like I did. I didn’t want to stop, I actually wanted to help people fall morein love with themselves when they would look in the mirror. Often times, people weren’t too happy with the appearance, texture, etc. of their skin and would ask me for advice. I could easily point them in the right direction because I had been taking care of my skin for a while now. I decided to explore Esthetics a little further and thought I could really create something cool out of this. I enrolled in a spa institute in Jacksonville, FL. I graduated six months later and resigned from my corporate career to get my feet wet in the spa industry as a general manager of a franchise spa concept. I loved it! I decided to start seeing clients for facials and eyelash extensions there while still being the general manager and did really well keeping a consistent clientele. I figured it would be cool to have a side job for the weekends so I could have even more of a creative outlet so I began Skin Craze as a weekend thing. Customers would tell their friends and family about my work and well The rest is history.

Has it been a smooth road?
Caution! There are speed bumps ahead! I would’ve greatly appreciated some warning signs LOL. I’ve encountered many struggles in different aspects one being balancing my personal and business life. Work/life balance doesn’t exist when you own a business, you have to create a new normal. That’s what I did. I created disciplines in the areas I knew were valuable to me. I also plan everything as much as I can. I plan time with my kids, family, and friends, exercise, reflection time; I even plan time to plan. Another struggle has been financially. Banks do not just give you a business loan because you open a pretty business or because you ask. I found out there is definitely more to it. I had to take on all the risks to get my business off the ground. No one is going to care about your movement until it starts moving. I’ve had to work a lot and I still go to work as if it were day one. All in all, I’ve learned these bumps in the road were building character in me in preparation for the next level of my journey. The reward you get for mastering andovercoming the current bump in the road is a bigger bump to get over on the next road.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Skin Craze story. Tell us more about the business.
Our focus at Skin Craze is to help you reach your skin, beauty and wellness goals, SKINside Out. We offer corrective, high-tech skincare treatments along with an exclusive, vegan-friendly and quirky line of skincare products. We are known for our high-quality work and customer service. The thing that sets Skin Craze apart is that we couldn’t be further from traditional. Our guests receive their treatments sitting up in a vibrant, contemporary setting while enjoying a beverage during their mask. We like to call it MASK-imizing our time. We not only treat your skin topically, but we also ensure our guests extend the benefit of their facials by establishing a customized home care routine. We also educate our guests on how to “Eat to Glow” because nutrition plays a major role in your skin’s health and appearance. We’ve turned skincare into a lifestyle. Hence the reason our tag line is Health. Treat. Repeat.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see skincare becoming more of a necessity and less considered a “luxury.” Regular facials offer many great benefits such as improved self-esteem, increased blood circulation and overall improved health of the skin. I can see insurance companies getting on board with covering monthly skincare treatments under medically necessary more often.

Pricing:

  • Skin Treatments $65 and up
  • Eyelash Extensions $75 and up
  • Body Contouring Services $150 and up

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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