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- Who: Nicole Giordano
- What: Owner of Rockland Skincare
- Where: 27 South Middletown Road, Nanuet
- Info: http://www.rocklandskincare.com/
“I come from a military family,’’ Giordano said. “Honor, loyalty, family, those were all values that were very important to me. I wanted to establish those values at the place where I work.”
Giordano’s expertise as a skin care professional goes back more than a decade. She worked at a spa in Nyack for several years, and left to pursue continued training in dermatology and skin aesthetics. She also wanted to create a business culture far different than what she had seen in her previous workplace.
“I would get yelled at all the time for being too personal with customers,’’ Giordano said. “They wanted me to get them in and get them out. I want to get to know my clients. My mother helped me out for a week, and she said all the customers do is compliment you. They stroke your ego. But when you make someone feel good, they appreciate it and tell other people. That’s how you grow a business.”
Giordano’s business offers a variety of services. Its spa services are massages, facials and packages, such as a lover’s escape that includes two facials and two massages. Clients can also receive an assortment of cosmetic procedures, including skin rejuvenation, laser hair removal, skin tightening, skin resurfacing, injectables and more. Rockland Skincare offers everything clients need to maintain and rejuvenate their appearance.
“What distinguishes our business is we’re a pressure free environment and deliver an extraordinary level of customer service,’’ Giordano said. “It’s not ‘Earn ‘em and burn ‘em.’ We want people to experience our services. We’ll have specials to make things more affordable. In any good, healthy relationship, communication is the key. If a client has questions, I want them to communicate with me. It’s like going to a restaurant and ordering something, but you don’t like it. If you don’t tell them, they won’t know and then you won’t go back. I want people to tell me. I want them to come back.”
Giordano’s skills as an aesthetician are rooted in her family, which includes six brothers and four sisters. As a young girl, she offered massages for $1 apiece to family members during their annual summer vacations. As she improved, her prices escalated. “Sometimes it got into bidding wars,’’ Giordano said.
She also polished girls with their hair and makeup as they prepared for proms, Sweet 16 parties and dances. She did the makeup for the entire bridal party at a cousin’s wedding. “I learned business from a young age,’’ Giordano said. “I knew early on that I wanted to be in business.”
Giordano acquired business skills by studying at Rockland County Community College. She set about her career in the spa industry, taking classes in massage therapy, and gradually expanded her skills. “I always had the vision of my own business,’’ she said. “Eventually, I’d like a place that has lodging, food, nutrition, yoga, a total health and wellness experience. I want to make every aspect exceptional.”
With a gregarious personality and passion for her work, Giordano has started to put her plan in motion by opening Rockland Skincare.
Even after just one year with Rockland Skincare, she is expanding her service to include Dr. Liviu Saimovici, who is board certified and has been using lasers to treat patients for various conditions. Dr. Saimovici is the medical director of the Manhattan Medical Spa, and has performed cosmetic procedures such as Botox, fillers and many other non-invasive rejuvenation treatments.
“I went to a networking event and talked to anyone who would listen,’’ Giordano said. “I must have made an impression on someone. I got in touch with Dr. Saimovici and he wanted to have a satellite office in Rockland. He invested in two state of the art lasers from Cutera, the xeo and truSculpt, and is helping with our marketing.”
While the business has been successful, it has been anything but easy, Giordano said.
“This first year has been a roller-coaster,’’ Giordano said. “It’s been exciting and thrilling, a lot of ups and down. Balancing business, family and clientele can be challenging. I have some of the best clients you could ask for, and that makes it all worthwhile. The goal with all my clients is to give them a unique spa experience that they’re not going to get anywhere else.”
For more information, click here to visit the Rockland Skincare website. Readers can also learn more about the business on Facebook (click here).
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