Between The Cheeks

In this episode, I’m getting a little spicy and sharing my thoughts on the state of the beauty industry on TikTok, from newer providers expecting overnight success without respecting the learning curve, to the mean girl culture, competition, and entitlement that seem to be taking up way too much space. And somewhere along the way, good old-fashioned customer service seems to have gotten lost in the mix.

As someone who has spent years building a business from the ground up, I believe ambition is a beautiful thing. I want to see estheticians win, make money, and build businesses they’re proud of. But being talented, having great branding, and having a fully booked calendar doesn’t automatically make you a great business owner.

So, when did professionalism become optional? When did having boundaries become an excuse to be rude? And why are we so focused on competing with each other instead of remembering the people who keep our businesses running?

In this deeply personal episode of Between the Cheeks, I’m opening up about what it’s really been like living with endometriosis while building a business in the beauty industry.

For most of my adult life, I’ve navigated the physical pain and mental exhaustion of this disease while showing up for clients, growing KL Wax Studios, and carrying the responsibilities that come with being a business owner.

As I prepare for another surgery to remove endometriosis, I’m reflecting on the parts of this journey people don’t always see: working through pain, the pressure to keep going, and the reality of trying to care for everyone else when your own body needs care, too.

This isn’t a medical episode, and I don’t have all the answers. It’s an honest conversation about chronic illness, entrepreneurship, womanhood, and learning that we don’t have to push through everything just because we’re capable of doing so.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to keep going when your body was asking you to slow down, this one is for you.

In this episode of Between the Cheeks, we’re getting into why being busy can feel like safety, especially as women, entrepreneurs, and business owners. We talk about glorifying the hustle, tying our worth to our productivity, and why slowing down can sometimes feel more uncomfortable than running ourselves into the ground.

Because when you’re used to always doing, fixing, creating, and chasing the next thing, who are you when you finally sit still?

Let’s talk about the difference between being ambitious and being unable to slow down, the nervous system connection, and learning to build a business that doesn’t require you to be exhausted to be successful.

Your reminder that you can be ambitious, build something incredible, AND give yourself permission to breathe.

Tune in, take what resonates, and let’s stop glorifying exhaustion.

In this episode, I’m joined by my dear client and licensed therapist, Dawnchele, who specializes in perinatal and maternal mental health.

We’re digging deep into what happens to us as women when we become mothers—how our chemistry, biology, identity, and nervous system can all change, sometimes in ways we never expected.

We talk about the importance of taking care of ourselves while taking care of everyone else, the overwhelm and overstimulation that can come with motherhood, and why postpartum mental health is something that deserves to be taken seriously.

Motherhood is beautiful, messy, exhausting, emotional, and everything in between. And sometimes, the strongest thing we can do is admit that we need support, too.

This is an honest conversation about motherhood, mental health, nervous-system regulation, and remembering that the woman behind the mom matters, too

Dawnchele Harris, LCSW, QS

Florida Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board-Qualified Supervisor specializing in perinatal and maternal mental health.

Therapy & scheduling:https://growtherapy.com/provider/p2pkeo8h4o1o/dawnchele-harris

Professional, supervision & other inquiries:

Elevated Essence Collective

https://dawnchele@elevatedessencecollective.com

In this episode I open up about why there’s fear around raising your prices and how there’s a bigger conversation about knowing your worth, growing a business, and getting out of the mindset that you have to stay affordable forever.

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Email us at kl@klwaxstudios.com

I did something that, quite honestly, felt a little terrifying… I went to an ALL WOMEN networking event. 😳

In this episode, I’m talking about the fears, excuses, and uncomfortable little voices in my head that almost kept me from going—and what happened when I decided to shut all that shit down and just SHOW UP.

Because as entrepreneurs, it’s really easy to stay in our little bubble. We get comfortable. We convince ourselves we’re “too busy,” we don’t need to meet new people, or that everyone else already has their shit together.

Spoiler alert: they don’t.

I’m sharing what stepping outside of my comfort zone taught me about confidence, connection, women supporting women, and getting out of my own damn way.

Sometimes growth looks like building a business.

And sometimes it looks like walking into a room full of strangers and saying, “Hi, I’m Kristen.” 😂

Welcome to another episode of Between the Cheeks—where we talk beauty, business, life, and all the uncomfortable shit in between.

Entrepreneurship can be really lonely.

And I’m not talking about being physically alone. You can have a full schedule, a team, clients, a family, friends—and still feel like there’s nobody who really understands what’s going on inside your head.

Because when you’re the owner, you’re the one making the decisions, carrying the vision, worrying about the money, managing the people, questioning yourself, and somehow still showing up like you have your shit together.

In this episode, I’m talking about the side of entrepreneurship we don’t see on Instagram—the isolation, the pressure, outgrowing people, being the “strong one,” and the weird feeling of being surrounded by people while still craving someone who just fucking gets it.

If you’ve ever thought, “Who the hell do I talk to about this?”… this one’s for you.

You graduate esthetics school, get your license, and suddenly expect your books to be packed with clients… right? Let’s talk about the fully booked fantasy and why new estheticians are setting themselves up for disappointment when they expect a full clientele straight out of school. Building a book takes time, consistency, marketing, networking, skill, and A LOT of showing up when nobody is knocking on your door yet. This is the part nobody puts in the beauty school brochure.

Advanced Brazilian Wax Academy inquiries email us at kl@klwaxstudios.com for more information and enrollment

Have you ever gotten a spray tan and wondered why you turned orange?

Manager of Boca Tanning Club WPB Brandi Brown gives us all the tea on getting the proper spray tan or airbrush tanning. The pre and post that helps the longevity of your tan and how Red Light Therapy can help your tan last longer.

Brandi Brown

Manager and Air brush Specialist Boca Tanning Club WPB

561-826-2582 (Salon)

561-614-7217 (Airbrush)

Bocatanningwpb.com

Maybe it’s not the wax you hate—it’s the feeling of being completely exposed, trusting someone with a very personal part of you, and letting yourself be seen. In this episode, we’re getting real about vulnerability, body confidence, and why a Brazilian can feel like way more than just hair removal.

Follow us on Social Media @klwaxstudios

Email us at kl@klwaxstudios.com

Get your copy of The Brazilian Wax Mastery Method

https://stan.store/Klwaxstudios

If These Lips Could Talk

Welcome to If These Lips Could Talk — the Between the Cheeks segment where the client stories are so wild, you almost couldn’t make them up if you tried. 😂

From the unbelievable to the downright unhinged, I’m spilling the stories that happen behind the waxing room door. Names are changed, dignity is questionable, and confidentiality is still very much intact.

Because after years in the waxing industry… trust me, these lips have STORIES.

Motherhood changes you in ways no one really prepares you for. In this episode, Izzy and I get real about what it’s like to be mothers, women, and entrepreneurs all at the same time. We talk about mom guilt, identity, ambition, exhaustion, the pressure to do it all, and the weird reality of trying to build a life and a business while raising tiny humans. It’s messy, beautiful, overwhelming—and sometimes hilarious. Because being a mom doesn’t mean we stop being women with dreams of our own.

What if burnout isn’t just about working too much… what if it’s about everything we’ve been taught to be?

In this episode, I’m unpacking the “good girl” conditioning so many women carry into entrepreneurship—saying yes when we want to say no, putting everyone else first, wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor, and feeling guilty every time we slow down. As beauty professionals, we’re expected to pour into everyone else, but who’s taking care of us?

If you’ve ever skipped lunch for “just one more client,” answered DMs from your couch, or questioned your worth the moment you took a day off, this one’s for you. Let’s laugh, call ourselves out, and maybe redefine what success really looks like.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been feeling Imposter Syndrome hard. In todays episode I open up about my struggles with self-doubt and that even after building KL Wax Studios, becoming an educator, launching Between The Cheeks, and putting my ideas out publicly, the doubts didn’t disappear- they just changed shape.

In this episode I talk about how posting on social media can be overwhelming, and exhausting for small business owners. I go into some tips and tricks that help me have more fun with content creating and why it’s such an important marketing tool for your brand.

Wanna check out my Ebook?

https://stan.store/Klwaxstudios

Follow us on all social platforms @klwaxstudios

Shoot us an email at kl@klwaxstudios.com

What’s it really like being married to an entrepreneur? In this episode, my husband joins me to share his side of the story—from late nights at the studio and nonstop business ideas to life with a wife who’s equal parts beauty professional and spiritual believer. We’re keeping it honest, funny, and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at our marriage.

In this controversial episode, I’m sharing why a 15-, 10-, or even 7-minute Brazilian isn’t what makes someone a master in this industry. Speed is impressive, but it’s not the whole story.

Check out my full method

https://stan.store/Klwaxstudios

Follow us on all platforms @klwaxstudios

Email us at kl@klwaxstudios.com

On today’s episode I’ll be debunking 5 of the most common wax myths I hear in the treatment room.

If you want me to debunk any you’ve heard send them my way!

Follow us on all platforms @klwaxstudios

Email us at kl@klwaxstudios.com

Check out my ebook The Brazilian Wax Mastery Method

https://stan.store/Klwaxstudios

Hiring was supposed to give me freedom. Instead, it gave me anxiety, second-guessing, and more lessons than I ever expected. In this episode, I’m sharing the honest side of building a team—the fears, the mistakes, the wins, and why hiring can feel so personal as a business owner. If you’ve ever said, “I hate hiring,” this conversation is for you.

Follow us on all platforms @klwaxstudios

Dm us! We would love to hear from you

Kl@klwaxstudios.com

I sit down with one of my wax specialists and interview her about her journey in the wax industry .