Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Ahmadi.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Ahmadi.
Hi Nikki, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi, thank you so much for the opportunity to be a guest speaker on Voyage Baltimore magazine. I believe my slogan is a great representation of my backstory. “The Vanity Room- where business, beauty & medicine meets”. I believe it began with my general interest in medicine, beauty & business. I thought to myself, what would be a great way to incorporate all 3? I chose to start my own business to give clients a luxury, pampered, quality & unique experience they’ve been looking for. Although that sounds cliche, I wanted to incorporate a customized service tailored to each client individually. I thought this would be perfect because of my medical background.
I am a Licensed Esthetician & Massage Therapist, located in Glen Burnie/Pasadena, Maryland. Originally, I was renting the unit and living out of it. I would occasionally take clients out of one of the rooms, which I called my vanity room (room with a huge vanity, where I would get ready). It wasn’t long before I realized I had a passion for it. My family chose to downsize & purchase the property. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to grow myself & my business. I moved out, renovated, furnished & completed all necessary legal paperwork to start my own company. We officially opened February 2024
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe the most challenging part would be awareness/publicity. I’ve worked at multiple corporate chains, as well as high end salon/spas, where a lot of people knew me from my reputation, word of mouth, or general high rated reviews. I was always a top performer at each & every company I worked for. Most of the time I was so busy, where clients special requested me & pre-booked 6+ months in advance. Going from being fully booked & well known at these companies, to starting my own business was my biggest struggle. I needed to build my name, reputation, and clientele all over again. My business doesn’t have a typical store front location yet, as it’s still a small home business that I turned into a salon/spa. This also makes business difficult, as I don’t get walk-ins, which requires me to be appointment only. I typically ask clients to call/text for same day appointments, to ensure we can accommodate their appointment
This definitely has not been a smooth road. Not knowing much about business, never taking a business class, yet trying to educate/manage people with no experience in the industry. I love to welcome people into my salon, such as new clients, staff members, and other business owners. Unfortunately, this caused many to take advantage of my kindness and my business. I have lost about 30% of my clients to former staff members, along with supplies and business revenue and unfortunately there isn’t much you can do. I’ve also struggled with understanding taxes as a business owner with not much background. A recent struggle my business has faced is government employees being laid off from their jobs. With the very high cost of living and the state of our economy, we managed to lose an additional 50% of our regular clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Vanity Room ?
The Vanity Room is a small business located in Glen Burnie/Pasadena, Maryland. We offer Teeth Whitening, Gem Stones, Body Contouring/Sculpting, Lash Extensions, Hyaluronic Filler, Lash & Brow Lift/Tint/Curl/Lamination, and Makeup application. We also offer Facials, Waxing & Massages (my specialty). In addition to services, we also offer classes, as well as private events.
What sets us apart from other businesses is the safe clean space we provide for our clients. Sanitation is essential when owning a business, but unfortunately not all businesses follow sanitation protocols, putting their clients at risk. We are not one of those businesses, as we choose to put our clients first. Just like working in a restaurant, you see what happens behind closed doors. I’ve worked at many high end salons that aren’t any better than these typical corporate chains. Most of these companies leave towels in their fridge/towel warmer overnight. Although this may speed up the setting up process, it’s extremely unsanitary and unethical. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, this is a nightmare because mold grows within these towels, which clients are then putting on their face. I’ve seen moldy towels, rusted towel warmers, sinks used as facial bowls, etc. The most horrific thing I’ve seen is staff members waxing clients & reusing the same sticks. This is terrifying for those that get a brazilian and the stick is put back in the pot, contaminating the whole thing. Lets just hope the Brazilian client didn’t have anything that could be passed to the next client, receiving an upper lip wax. I’ve seen private suites with bathtubs/jacuzzis that aren’t properly cleaned (knowing guests are being intimate in those rooms). I’ve seen providers not wash their hands in between massage sessions. I’ve gotten tired of trying to make a difference at these companies, when nobody else seemed to care to do anything about it. These are some of the reasons I chose to start my own.
I’ve noticed a lot of these companies care more about the money they receive, rather than the betterment of their clients health/well-being. These companies enforce guest services/receptionists to sell a product/certain amount of products. I don’t believe this is right, as they are not trained, qualified, nor experienced to give legal advice pertaining to a service they did not perform (nor have the credentials to do so). Many businesses also like to over charge clients for simple services. For example, charging separately for an upper leg and lower leg wax, when you could easily charge them as a full leg for cheaper. The Vanity Room is a clean, luxury experience, worth your money spent.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like how everything is relatively close, always giving you something to do. My favorite part about the city is being close to the water, parks, music & food. On the other hand, I dislike how it can be overly populated. This results in street cleanings, towings, traffic & parking issues- especially after a sold out ravens or orioles game
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thevanityroom.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thevanityroom__/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071054681653
