Today we’d like to introduce you to Maritza Ortiz.
Hi Maritza, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I truly believe my childhood has a lot to do with where I am today and my story. Growing up I would always see how hard my parents worked to give us everything we could ever ask for and more. My mom always worked so hard to get to where she wanted to be at her job and my dad maintained his own business since the day my parents came to the USA. Seeing my dad doing what he loved to do made me realize that you can work for what you want and make a living out of it and that inspired me my whole life. It all started when I was a freshman in high school. I didn’t know what electives I wanted to choose for the next year so I talked to my mom about my choices and mentioned to her that my HS was offering a Cosmetology program. At first, it wasn’t a top option of mine until she told me her story. She explained to me that when she was younger, she was enrolled in a Cosmetology school and accomplished all her hours but never took the test to receive her license. After that I thought more and more about the class and decided, let’s do it. It’s crazy to think that maybe she went through that so it could lead me to where I am now. In sophomore year I started my cosmetology course with no clue where this was going to take me but I took the opportunity that was given to me. The cosmetology course was three electives so it was an everyday class for 3 hours. The sacrifices started there. All of my friends would always tell me about the other fun electives that they were taking that I would never get to experience because Cosmetology took over all three for the rest of my high school years. Fast-forward to senior year, I finally accomplished all 1000 hours that were needed and took both written and practical tests, and was finally Licensed in Cosmetology. That’s where my journey really started.
While I was in cosmetology school, I started working at a hair salon to start gaining experience in the cosmetology field. I was a hair assistant and would help out other hairstylists with anything they needed while making sure the salon was clean at all times. I worked there for three years and never gained a passion for hair and knew it wasn’t for me. I wanted to continue to find my passion so I randomly googled “what kind of cosmetology jobs can you get while being licensed” and that’s when a waxing franchise popped up. I immediately took the chance and called to see if they were hiring and took the next step. I got the job that next week and was so happy that I was able to stay in the beauty industry but do something different. I loved being able to help make people feel and look beautiful while creating a relationship with them. This was my first time ever waxing but it came so naturally to me and that’s when I realized this was exactly where I wanted to be.
I worked there for about a year and then I transferred to the University of Houston to finish my bachelor’s. Although I already had my cosmetology license and knew that was all I needed for me to further my career I was still going to college. I enrolled in Lone Star college right after high school and then transferred to UH when I got my associate’s degree. When I transferred, I had to quit my waxing job since I was going to be living on campus. I was blessed enough to be able to stay in an on-campus apartment and had the idea of waxing people there to start my business. I had everything purchased, the table, waxing supplies, everything I needed to begin. Unfortunately, the transition from a community college to a university was very hard and busy so I never got to start until the following year. That year was my last year in college and I knew I was ready to go all in and start my waxing business. I moved back home and was only going to campus Tuesdays and Thursdays so I had a lot more time. My parents knew what I wanted to do and were supportive enough to allow me to start waxing in one of the empty rooms they had available in the house. That’s when ‘The Beauty of Waxing’ was created. I made an Instagram, Facebook, business cards, t-shirts, and everything to promote myself and start my dream of owning my own business. It was such a great start to my main goal and I was so happy to finally see my goals come to life. Fast-forward to the end of the year when I finally graduated from the University of Houston and got my degree in Business Administration majoring in Management. I still remember that day clearly to this day, I was so happy to give that degree to my parents to thank them for everything they had ever done for me and my brothers.
Once I graduated, I knew it was time and I was ready to go full in on my business and start to work on making my goals come into reality. One month later, I moved out of my parent’s house and got my own apartment, got my own suite for my business, and changed my business name to ‘The Luxury of Beauty’. The Luxury of Beauty was open for one month until COVID happened and shut me down for three months. I was blessed enough to be able to fight through that depressing time and still up and running after. Since then The Luxury of Beauty has grown so much and is continuing to grow still till this day. Through the ups and downs, I am forever grateful for the journey that leads me to where I am now. It led me to find my passion and love for what I do every day. Not only is The Luxury of beauty a business to get your beauty needs to be done but it’s a place where you can feel your most confident to laugh, cry, vent, and feel whatever you need to feel because we all need that somebody, and I’ll be more than happy to be that somebody to whoever needs it!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest struggles that I faced was when COVID first hit. It was a very hard time for me because I felt like my life was on pause. I had just invested so much into starting my new business and was so excited to finally be done with school and have the time to work on my goals.
I was open for one month and then had to shut down for 3 months not knowing what was next and feeling defeated. When those 3 months passed and I could finally reopen again, I took it as a learning experience and kept going on.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a full-body Wax Specialist and licensed in Cosmetology. I believe if you love what you do, it shows! I love to make my clients look and feel they’re most confident while building a relationship with them. What sets The Luxury of Beauty apart from others is how I treat and value my clients.
Professionalism and customer service are always number one at my shop. Every person that walks through my door is promised 100% of me and makes sure we are getting 100% of the best results possible. Waxing is usually known for something that is brutal and painful but The Luxury of Beauty’s main goal is to make sure my client goes through the less pain possible while being comfortable to talk/vent about what they are going through during that time. Waxing service + Therapy session, can’t get any better than that!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t give up! Life is not easy and it will never be. How strong and determined you are will get you to where you want to be. Find your passion and you will see how your life slowly starts to change.
Create a goal and fill out a plan and continue to work to achieve your dreams and you will thank yourself when you start living it. I wish I knew how everything lines up for you exactly how it should. Anything that is meant for you at that time is supposed to happen because it is a part of your journey and you will understand it and be thankful for it in the long run.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theluxuryofbeautyy
- Facebook: The Luxury of Beauty
