Nofu Chronicles #5: Life Unfolds in Proportion to Your Courage

Little did I know that my mission had just begun. Flying out of Vegas on a Sunday night heading home, my soul felt full. My bag of products in one hand and my suitcase to check-in, in the other. Low and behold, guess who was on the same airplane as me, my new mentor. She and her son were sitting only five rows away from me on the plane. By now she had started noticing me, after meeting her son at the show and saying hi on the plane. Her radar was up that I was flying to Oakland as well. 

Was sure to make lots of eye contact on the plane. Then, low and behold she checked her bags too. I'm an awful packer and typically always over pack. Checking my bag for a weekend trip was totally normal for me. Lol. At the carousel, a good friend who owns a hair salon in SF was there as well. We started chatting and then he peeped out my mentor. He was like..."do you know who that is? She is a famous esthetician in the Bay that specializes in African American skin." Pretty much told him that my mission was to see her speak at the show and that I had met her son. He told me to go up and meet her, that I may get a job working for her. So, shy me walked right up to her. 

This was my moment of truth. Walking right up to her, extending my hand to say "hello and thank you for teaching such an amazing class." She greeted me with a smile and thank you, asking me where I work and live. Relaying with, "I live in Oakland, just finished esthetician school and am being really picky where I get a job." Some more small talk and then, "come by my office on Tuesday, let's talk." This was everything to me! Inside, I was in shock and jumping up and down like a little kid. After we parted ways, I went up to my hairstylist friend and told him what happened. He gave me a super hard high five as he was super duper happy for me. My interview was set up at the carousel. Yippee!!

Tuesday arrived for my interview. I wasn't too nervous because at T.J. interviewing folks for eight years was my specialty. Of course, I arrived early and waited in the lobby. A really nice staff, with some side eyes looking my way. My mentor did not come to work for a couple of hours. So intriguingly, I watched the goings on of the front desk and met three of the staff. It was fascinating to see all of the products that she carried and get the jist of the flow. They played old school R&B on KBLX. The vibe was comfortable and chill. 

Eventually she arrived with a briefcase in hand. She disappeared to her office and shortly thereafter reappeared for my interview. There were a couple of cubicles that were for consultations, I later found out. We went into one of the cubicles and she started picking my brain. Told her my whole T.J.'s story about my back injury and not working for a couple of years. That my next job had to be light on my back and that ever since my grade three Rosacea flared up, I was interested in learning about skin with issues. This made her happy. 

She told me about the clientele. That it was mostly acne and hyper-pigmentation and that eighty percent of her clients were African American. We did not go over consultations, only that I would be doing thirty minute peels and facials all day. Seven minute peels/facials, seven minute extractions and seven minute masks and seven minutes to finish up and put sunscreen on. It was a skin clinic so folks had to be in and out quickly. Of course the hardest part for me was going to be doing "real" extractions. I was not worried. At the rate her clients came in, there was no choice but to learn quickly. At the end of the interview she told me that I was hired and to start on Friday morning. This was my dream come true ever since hearing about her from my Russian teacher at school. One of my favorite sayings is..."life unfolds in proportion to your courage." It's SO TRUE!

Nofu Chronicles #4: Excuse Me, I Think That's My Nephew Calling From The Penitentiary

It was so exciting, officially being an esthetician now. It seemed like the next thing to do was, go to the biggest trade show for estheticians in Las Vegas. Not only could you see pretty much every vendor from all over the world there but also there were so many higher education certifications that you could get by taking classes there too. I immediately signed up for three days of trade shows with my friend who graduated school with me. This was going to be fun, getting my feet wet, in the biggest skin trade show of the world. 

We arrived in Vegas, checking into our hotel the night before. The next day would be a Friday and the first day of the show. Arriving at the massive conference center, I had no idea what to expect. Upstairs was the massive show with all of the vendors and downstairs was all of the classes to learn more about a line or to get an advanced certification. Walking into the showroom floor was to say the least...overwhelming! There were a whopping five thousand vendors. My sensitive self didn't even know where to begin. 

Actually, I did. The woman in Oakland was teaching a class on Ethnic Skin downstairs as she was also representing one of the clinical lines from NYC. So, immediately that was where I started. There was absolutely no way that I was going to miss her lecture! Friday was a day of walking through the rows and rows and rows of vendors. I was spent beyond belief. Saturday was my new muse's class. Tick tock, I couldn't wait! 

Finally Saturday was here and I was beyond excited to learn about how to treat acne and ethnic skin. A few more whirls around the vendors to purchase a couple of things...clinical skincare lines of course! Her class was later in the afternoon and upon arrival couldn't believe the number of estheticians in the room. It was packed! She had a serious following, due to her many articles in the skin magazines. Plus she truly seemed to be one of the pioneers of treating acne and hyperpigmentation. 

There she was on the elevated stage, standing room only in her class. This beautiful caucasian woman with blonde dreads and tattoos galore. She started speaking about acne and how folks with ethnic skin and darker melanocytes are prone to hyperpigmentation. Going over the layers of the skin and the Fitzpatrick skin types was so important because you could seriously burn someone with the Fitzpatrick skin of IV, V, and VI. The darker tones range from olive skin, brown skin, to the darkest brown skin.   

She was very funny as she spoke. Cracking jokes here and there. The whole room would be in hysterics. Then as she was speaking, her cell phone rang and she excused herself from the group by saying..."Excuse me, I think that's my nephew calling from the penitentiary." The group went silent, not knowing how to react to what she said. As I scanned the room and literally saw women's jaws wide open, and eyeballs popped out. This was the moment that I really liked her even more. She did not give two f*@ks. She was the real deal. Not caring what anyone thought about her. Mad respect on my end. She finished the conversation on her cell and completed the lecture. Having completed my mission, it was time to go home.    

Nofu Chronicles #3: I'm a Student!

Being in school for four months went quickly, like the blink of an eye. We went from studying the biology of the skin to hands-on training with our peers and, later on, clients who would specifically come to the school for discounted student treatments. 

I had a real problem with extractions at the time, as fear entered my body when performing them. Scared to hurt anyone, I would do fake extractions on the client while sitting next to my male esthetician student in the lab. We literally would "fake" pop away. Our Russian teacher knew this and would scold us afterward. 

One day in the lab, we were practicing bikini waxes. It was my turn to wax a peer's bikini line. I placed the wax but forgot to pull the skin tight when lifting the muslin strip. My peer shrieked in pain. Then I kept saying out loud..."I'm a student, I'm a student." I felt terrible hurting my classmate. She didn't care, and the funny thing is that she opened her own esthetician/cosmetology school in the South of Market area a few years later. I would teach the students skincare, and we would always tell the newbies the story "I'm a student, I'm a student." It turned out to be a very funny story to tell later down the road. The newbies would laugh hysterically. 

We still had lecture time towards the end of our schooling; this would consist of hearing about all the different estheticians you could be. Our teacher would speak to us about working in spas, wax-only spots, and some eccentric skincare places. One that she spoke of was a shop in Oakland where I lived. There was a woman who specialized in African American skin. She specializes in acne and problem skin and wrote for all skin care magazines. The minute my Russian teacher spoke of this woman in Oakland, I knew that this was the niche of skincare that I wanted to specialize in, even if I was not genuinely performing extractions at the time. 

During my skincare school stint, I developed grade three Rosacea. This would entail a bright red chin and cheeks with pustules in those areas. It was painful and embarrassing to be having this type of flare-up in esthetician school. My Russian teacher was convinced I had been making out with someone for several hours and that a scruffy beard had done this to me. She would ask me several times during class in front of everyone, and my skin would flush bright red from embarrassment. 

I ended up taking some time off and seeing a dermatologist for this painful condition. My prescription was now a topical cream called Metro Gel. Plus, I learned that the trigger was super high stress, drinking coffee (caffeine), eating spicy food, drinking red wine, and extreme exercise. You see, all of these things create heat in the body. I was ticking every single one of these triggers. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of eight years, was drinking coffee every morning, red wine at night, and eating lots of spicy food. I never exercised super strenuously because of my back injury from Trader Joe's. I was a Yogi through and through.  

I took a month off from school to heal my face. I went off of all the triggers and used my Metro Gel religiously. It worked! Slowly, my acne pustules went away over time, and my skin was less red. Yay! It was time for me to return to school and finish my last month. This would consist of practicing for the State Board test in Sacramento. We all received facial kits to practice with and bring to our hands-on exam. You must bring a model with you to perform all of the hands-on stuff; the first thing in the morning is the written exam. I passed both on the first try. I was now officially an esthetician. Yippee! 

Nofu Chronicles #2: When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Living in San Francisco was super fun because I was able to meet eccentric people like me. Being off of work for two years healing my back injury from Trader Joe's was a mixed blessing. I learned so much as far as hands-on people skills at Trader Joe’s, but I knew I had to go on disability in order for my back to heal. 

I finally got some relief and healing by resting and rehabilitating through chiropractic treatments and gentle yoga. However to this day, my back is still damaged, though, and my sciatica flares up if I do strenuous stuff. 

It was pure synchronicity when I met the coolest business owner and waxer in the city. I was her client, and I could tell her personality matched mine. She was bright, bubbly, and empathetic.

My career choices at that time were to become an esthetician or go back to college and get my master's degree. The latter sounded boring to me, as working at a desk on a computer with several co-workers was not my jam. Standing, sitting, and also moving around, though, would be good for me. Plus, I knew that one-on-one with a client would mean less stimulation for my sensitive self. The beauty industry sounded exciting to me so I signed up for an esthetician school in the South of Market district.

I attended a full-time program for 4 months. It sure was funny how close the school was to my old stomping grounds at Trader Joe’s on 9th and Bryant Streets. South of Market was a trendy, up-and-coming area of the city in the mid-90s. There were lots of fun lunch and dinner spots, nightclubs, tech companies, and places to play billiards. So, there I was at the age of 30, starting a new career and thinking I was so “old.” How does the saying go..." when one door closes, another door opens." 

The students at the school were fun people interested in doing similar things. Some wanted to specialize in waxing, some in facials, and some in just brow shaping. Our instructor was a Russian woman with a thick accent who had trained for 8 years in her country.  She knew her stuff! Our training included lessons on the biology of the skin, nerves, lymph system, waxing and facial techniques, face and shoulder massage techniques, and skin types.

Being back in school and studying skin was fun for me. In high school, I suffered from acne on my face, chest, and back. This was going to be cool, learning how to treat skin issues. I was juiced! 

We wore matching shirts at school. The esthetician students wore white shirts with red writing, and the cosmetology students wore black shirts with red writing so that you could tell us apart. Funny thing, the personality types of each group were very different. Estheticians seemed to all be introverts, and the cosmetology students were pretty much extroverts. The estheticians stayed in their classrooms. One was the lecture room, and the other was the lab with facial beds where we practiced waxing and giving facials to one another. 

In the first months, we learned the layers of the dermis and Fitzpatrick skin types (skin tones). Certain skin types require a lower PH for the skincare peels otherwise hyperpigmentation can occur. We definitely had to study because we were tested weekly on this biology.

By the time I started school, I had relocated to Oakland. Each morning, I took a bus to the Fruitvale Bart station. My routine was set; my twelve new classmates and a Russian teacher would be my circle for the next four months.

I loved being back in school and starting my new chapter! 

Nofu Chronicles #1: What Nofu Means

Hi! I would like to introduce myself, my name is Susan Dressler and I have decided to write a skincare/reiki/infrared sauna blog from my business in Alameda, CA. The name of my business is Nofu. Everyone always asks me what the meaning of my business name is. Well, this is the most important part I believe. After doing hardcore clinical skincare in Oakland for nearly a decade, I realized that I truly had a niche in the industry. When deciding to start my own business one town away…a name popped into my head. Nofu, because I don’t do the typical “fufu” skincare that you find (rubbing fragrance massage lotions in circles and no extractions). That was the moment I looked up domain names and nofu.com had not been taken. Little did I know that this name would weed out the high maintenance clientele and attract the Nofu style of client that I meshed with. Specializing in peels, extractions, hyper-pigmentation, and the most sensitive skin EVER!

So now with the formalities being over and the story of my business name being told, let’s start with my beginning. Over twenty years ago, I went to Sacramento State studying Organizational Communication, where I got my BA. During this this fun time and working at Trader Joe’s part time, I was amazed at how much a T.J.’s manager made. So naturally I took all of the knowledge from university and put it towards becoming a manager. Moving up the ladder in Sacramento was great, I had two amazing role models in the Captain and First Mate (the manager and the assistant manager). Anyway, the hands on training was incredible for my shy, introverted, and INFJ self.

The next eight years would challenge my comfort zone daily. Soon I would become bored in Sacramento. Everyone around me was getting married. So many weddings back to back. It was crazy. I remember being in class at Sacramento State one day and there was a cluster of girls showing each other their engagement rings. If ever I felt like an alien on earth it was at this moment. Why didn’t I feel the same? Why was I so different? The bottom line was that it didn’t matter. Being cut from a unique cloth was me. Once graduating from school, cabin fever set in. Having grown up in the Bay, and I enjoyed going to clubs in San Francisco since the age of seventeen. The energy there was electric, that was my vibe.

The next step was to ask my Sacramento manager to transfer to the Bay. Plus, news was that T.J.’s was going to open a flagship store in SF. This lit me up. First and foremost everyone loves T.J.’s everywhere and second I would have an opportunity to build a store from the ground up from managers all over California. More blossoming, more duties and way more out of my comfort zone with one hundred plus employees. Now my duties included hiring, giving reviews and firing (a huge test for me because I hated negative confrontation). The growth boosted my self esteem and did me great!

Fast forward eight years. Lifting, lifting and more lifting. My little frame couldn’t take moving to the store in Daly City. Already starting back pain issues in SF, things would get worse at my new location. I would have to open the store at 4am, unload the truck outside and then have to break down everything outside on the sidewalk. The floor of the old Daly City store was weak and JC Penny was underneath. The powers that be, would not let us break down the pallets inside due to this flimsy floor. Breaking the pallets down outside in the freezing cold had my sciatica paralyzing  me with pain. I’m sure that our working conditions were totally illegal by OSHA standards.

Finally, my pain was unbearable, I had no choice but to go out on disability.  This was a dark time in my life, and just walking on the sidewalk was unbearable for me. This was a time where I was previously on the hamster wheel fifty plus hours per week. It felt so weird and took me so long to calm my nervous system of constant…go, go, go! I realize now that this wasn’t normal and overtime this had stressed my body.

The good news is that Trader Joe’s has changed their ways due to multiple folks going out on disability. The other good news was that they would have to repay me to get trained in another field. Luckily this happened to me before the governor at the time Arnold Schwarzenegger changed the law. While living in SF, I was seeing an esthetician who was a waxer and always having fun. A seed had been planted in my mind for light weight work that would have me sitting and standing. Just the right recipe for my severe back injury. To be continued on my skincare journey in my next month’s blog…