Meet Alice Smallwood of Spa Zoey in Bellaire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Smallwood.

Alice, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2003, I was working at a dead-in job that I had been at for eleven years. With no room for advancement I had to come up with a plan for my future. I have always had a strong interest for skincare. I contacted the Institute of Cosmetology & Esthetics and I enrolled in their esthetics program. At that time it was the best esthetics school to attend. I completed my mandated hours in the evenings after working my full-time job. I committed myself to learning all three programs it took to earn my CIDESCO accreditation. CIDESCO is the highest achievement you can have within the esthetics world. It is an international license, which 34 countries recognize it. It includes having my esthetics, massage and CIDESCO license.

I completed my courses and passed the required state board exams. I worked at a large day spa and started building my clientele. I have often had part-time jobs which has allowed me to work with and experience many skincare lines and attend a lot of trainings.

The spa I was working at decided to close that location. I had less than thirty days to make a decision. With encouragement from my husband I decided to venture out on my own. I leased a room from a hair salon and opened Spa Zoey 3 years ago after always working for others. As my clientele increased and my business has grown I realized I needed more space. Recently I moved into a larger independent location. I am grateful for everything I have gone through to get to this point in my career. I feel as every step has prepared me for this.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been as smooth as it can be. After working a stable job with a steady income it was a bit scary going into a commission based industry. As an older teenager working in retail jobs where upmost customer service was always my first priority.

I started out as a front desk clerk at an upscale dry cleaners and moved up to manager of the location I worked at. I was expected to increase my sales by twenty percent annually with no advertisement. In those days there was no social media. How did I reach my goals? My staff and I gave our customers the best customer service possible. One of our clients wrote to my boss at the time (he is now deceased) that they felt like royalty after being serviced by us. At this job our boss really invested in us. He had a professional coach teach us how to talk and treat clients. The coaching also taught us how to react in tough situations, etc.

This helped me a lot when I went into the spa industry. I understand the importance of “spa talk” and keeping topics light. I know how to keep sensitive private information quiet. I know that when my clients are here to see me it is the whole experience. I treat all of my clients as if they are all VIP’s. I never know if someone has saved up to see me or it was really hard to set the time aside. Every one of my clients are important to me whether it’s a quick lip wax or my most expensive skin treatment. I know it’s about them and their needs.

Please tell us about Spa Zoey.
Spa Zoey is a one woman show. At this time I don’t have plans to expand. I know that I am lucky to get to do what I LOVE as a profession. Legally there are not that many jobs where you are allowed to touch people. Touch is very powerful and intimate.

With esthetics there are many ways to branch out. I love science and learning new things. I am always taking trainings and keeping up with current trends. Some of my clients have asked me why I have not gone the “medical” route. I continue to stay on the “spa” side because I don’t want to lose the time I get to spend with my clients. In the med spas the services are often shorter in time. They also consider what I do as fluff.

I offer many different types of skin treatments and different tiers. Listed are my services I offer.

*Customized Facial (This addresses what is going on with clients’ current skin condition. It includes skin analysis, double cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, facial/upper back massage, customized ampoule and mask.) This treatment is for those that want to get what their skin needs without the extra massage.

*Spa Zoey Facial (includes the same as the customized treatment with added arm massage, foot rub and hot towels on the arms and feet)

*Dr. Schrammek’s “Green Peel”

*A variety of chemical peels

*Micro-Current

*LED light therapy

*Oxygen Treatments

*Hydro/Micro-Dermabrasion

*Dermaplaning

*Variety of facials targeting: sensitive/Rosacea, brightening/pigmentation, anti-aging/firming, acne, dry/mature skin types/conditions.

*teen treatments

*Men’s treatments

* Eyelash/eyebrow tinting

*full body waxing.

*reflexology

*Manual Lymphatic Therapy

I am most proud of having clients that have seen me from the very first spa location and following me everywhere I have worked. I am lucky to have clients that come from all over to see me. I have clients that have moved away and when they visit contact me prior and come in. I treat a twenty dollar service the same as I do a three hundred dollar ticket.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was in kindergarten at an after school parent meeting. We had a chaperone but she didn’t catch me in the act. I brought all of my make-up and did applications on most of my classmates including male students. I did get into trouble.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4545 Bissonnet St. Suite 113
  Bellaire, TX 77401
• Website: www.spazoeyhouston.com
• Phone: 713-703-4573
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: houston.spa_zoey.wax.skincare
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/spazoey
• Twitter: @spazoeyhouston
• Other: www.spazoey.com/book

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.