Summer Vasilas Has Chispa

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Dave Ramsey_Chispa Magazine

Summer Vasilas: Co-Founder + Director of Training, Waxing the City.

What have you overcome? I’m right brained and more artistic. That means during my high school career, I really struggled with academics and I even ended up graduating a year late. My mother always jokes and calls it my “super senior year.” The extra year in high school caused me embarrassment and judgment from others, and even greater than that, I had to face myself in the mirror every day and live with the poor choices I made. I wanted to be proud of myself and prove that I didn’t have to take the easy way out, so I firsthand know what it means to work very hard and earn success.

I’m an introvert and VERY shy. With where I am today in my role with Waxing the City, public speaking is inevitable and I’ve had no choice but to embrace my fear and rise up with confidence. When I was 17, I fell in love with the beauty industry in my first job as a receptionist in a salon. I enjoyed watching the relationships and friendships that were formed between service providers and their clients, grow. Over the years, building these relationships with my clients really helped to build my confidence. After starting Waxing the City and having to host team meetings in front of groups of staff, I improved on my shyness. Training staff and Cerologists was the next big jump. Slowly, I came to realize that when you’re speaking to people and sharing what you know, always coming from a place of authenticity, you are just sharing a piece of you. People want to hear what you have to say. I have the most trouble speaking if I think too hard about what I think people want to hear vs. sharing what I know. It’s not always easy and I still get scared and intimidated, but I don’t shy away from the opportunities to speak—I challenge myself.

I had to overcome the stigma that came with beauty school in the 80s and 90s. In the late 90s, beauty school was seen as the only option left if you couldn’t get into college and was certainly frowned upon. Regardless, I chose the beauty school path because it felt right for me. I wasn’t worried about what others thought. The beauty industry has proven that there are many avenues to follow and it has taken brave trail blazers to create those paths. I’ve followed my heart and my passion, and that’s led me to success. Had I listened to others, I would’ve believed that “there’s no money in waxing.” I’ve proven them wrong! I haven’t always made the best choices but I’ve been able to steer myself in the right direction, and it’s important to know that only you have the power to drive yourself.

I was raised by a gay parent. Acceptance when I was growing up was much different than it is today. The experience has taught me so much about acceptance and love, and it’s helped me to build confidence and to be more open to different things and new ideas.

I’ve worked very hard to get where I am today and I’ve been faced with numerous challenges, but I always ask myself first, “where did this challenge come from and what can I do to make a positive outcome?” I always do what’s important and meaningful to me, because that’s where it starts.

For more of Summer Vasilas, and the many faces of perseverance order your copy of the November | December, Overcoming Issue here. 

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Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Editor-in-Chief at Chispa Magazine
Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.
Mavian Arocha-Rowe

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Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.