Today we’d like to introduce you to Ansley Marie Kovacevic.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I became an Esthetician over 15 years ago. I started in my home state of Georgia and upon graduation and receiving my Esthetician License, I started working at a well-known spa in the North Georgia mountains. I worked very closely with a Naturopathic Doctor. In working with him, I learned how to treat the skin from the inside/out. The skin is the largest organ of the body and we must treat the skin from within. This jumpstarted my career as a Holistic Esthetician!
I moved to Colorado in 2012 and worked in Greenwood Village at a spa that had been around for over 20 years. I was seeing upwards of 8-10 clients per day. I loved what I did, but it took a toll on my body. I took a break from facials but never from the beauty industry. I started working as a Sales Rep for a Beauty & Supply company where I was traveling all over Colorado and meeting new people in the industry that I love so much!
I was working directly with prestigious resorts, like the Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain Resort & Garden of the Gods Spa & Resort. I loved the sales aspect of things and enjoyed the flexibility of my schedule. I soon decided it was time for me to open my own Salon & Spa and I was blessed to be able to do that in Colorado Springs in 2017, where I employed Cosmetologists, Estheticians & Nail Technicians.
I built strong connections with my clients, the community & my employees. It was a great experience! In 2022, I decided to shut the doors and pursue my greatest passion, which was creating my skincare line. It was something I wanted to do since I was 15 years old. When I met Rachel at a local event, we instantly connected and I knew that she was the one who could help me create the skincare line that I had always dreamed of.
I wanted a natural skincare line, that contained no harsh or toxic chemicals and gave clients great results. Rachel has exceeded my expectations and together we have created 14 skincare products. We are shipping our products all over the United States & looking forward to the continued growth & success of Ansley Marie’s Skincare!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road. There are often bumps along the way that can shift your business & the way you do things, but often they create amazing learning experiences that otherwise you would have never had. The biggest challenge I experienced like many Entrepreneurs was when COVID hit in 2020.
During this time, I owned Ansley Marie’s Salon & Spa, and like most other businesses we had to shut down. This was a huge challenge for me, as owning a Salon and spa where you depended on clients coming in the door for services and now, we couldn’t do that. How were we going to continue to make money with the doors closed?? I realized during this time, that I needed to pivot my business.
So, I created Facials in a Box for my clients. I wanted to make sure that they were still taking great care of their skin, all while using professional skincare products and giving them that spa experience that I knew they were missing at home. Facials in a Box became extremely popular and even after we reopened our business, we were still shipping these boxes all over the United States!
Sometimes, we have to pivot our business, get out of our heads & think outside the box to change the way we view things. Although this was a very challenging time for us, we prevailed during a time of hardship, and we turned a bad situation into a positive experience for us & our clients.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in helping our clients truly understand their skin from within. I help them to understand what their skin is trying to tell them. Our skin is always trying to tell us what is going on inside the body and once we can pinpoint that and target those areas then we can absolutely heal the skin. I am known for the education that I give to our clients. I want them to become one with their skin and bodies.
I want them to feel confident and comfortable when they look in the mirror. I want them to feel empowered by knowing what to do when their skin “acts” up. I am extremely proud that I have been able to help our clients transform their skin and know that it’s not just about the products they use. It’s also about what goes IN their body that plays a huge role in how our skin reacts.
I believe that being able to help our clients on a different level sets me apart from other Estheticians. I think facials are great! Skincare products are phenomenal! But when we view our skin as ONE with our body, mind & spirit it transforms the way we look at our skin.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe that I am a risk-taker, and I am always up for something new, different & exciting! You just never know what can happen if you don’t ever take that leap of faith. When I moved to Colorado in 2012, I had never lived in another state where I was born & raised in Georgia. I came out for the weekend for a friend’s wedding. It was in Breckenridge, Colorado and before that, I had never even been to Colorado.
The beauty of Colorado, like most people who come here, struck me hard. I felt a huge pull in my heart that this was where I needed to be. In that very short weekend, I decided that I was moving here. I contacted DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies) for my Esthetician License and started the process of transferring my License to Colorado. I also set up an interview at a beauty store in Denver where I was applying for a position as a retail sales manager for skincare & makeup lines.
All in one weekend I had made my decision. Never see any other part of Colorado other than Breckenridge. On my way back home to Georgia, I called my mom and said, “I’m moving to Colorado”! She said, “Okay, when are you doing that”? I said, “I have a job interview and leave in 3 days”! I packed up, I drove over 4,000 miles away and I lived in a hotel for 2 weeks because I didn’t even have a place to live yet.
I had no family or friends here and I was in a BIG city when I was just a small-town country girl. It was the BEST decision I ever made! I met my now husband here and I call Colorado my home. If I had never taken that risk, I’m not sure where my life would be right now. I am so happy that I listened to my heart & took that leap of faith because it brought me to the very best place in my life!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ansleymaries.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ansleymaries
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ansleymariesskincare
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/ansleymarie
Image Credits
Tricia Turpenoff – Turpenoff Photography
