By stufflovely
Allure: Renée Rouleau is not just your name, it’s your brand. Do you think that is a risky choice?
Rouleau: The name of my company is literally my name on my birth certificate when I came out of the womb, so it’s very personal. It was a strategic choice because I was trying to elevate myself as an expert. When the company is your name, naturally, people want to know who that is. There’s curiosity there with someone’s name: “Who is Renée Rouleau?” I’m an expert and I really wanted to showcase that. I felt like having a name behind it was going to bring that credibility to my expertise.
The challenge with that is you really have to hold yourself to a high standard because you have to be likable. I can only just be me, but there’s a little bit more of a magnifying glass on me personally, my life, et cetera.
The downside of it is it exposes you, because it’s you personally and you are your brand, and if you make a mistake – thankfully I haven’t – but people will come after you personally. For me, it was a good move, and I don’t have any regrets about it.
Allure: What sets your work apart from all of the other aestheticians working today? What is the unique value of the Renée Rouleau experience?
Rouleau: I’ve had so many facials and treatments from so many providers through the years, and the one area that I’m really strong in — and that I wish aestheticians were stronger in — is the consultation. A lot of times people are focused on getting to the treatment but not consulting with them and understanding the person’s skin.
When you get a skin treatment, you’re there for 75 minutes. My goal has always been to really understand their concerns, their lifestyle, see if I can play detective to figure out what’s going on to arm them with the right knowledge and products.
So the minute they leave me, they can go back into the world and have the tools they need to improve their skin. We’re pretty much talking the entire time; part of me playing detective is really understanding what’s going on and providing solutions. Being very solution-oriented is what makes me unique.
Allure: What is the upside and downside of being your own boss?
Rouleau: The upside is you get the rewards of what you created; if you’re doing the right thing and having good decision-making and treating people well, you get the reward of a successful company. I’ve always said I work for my employees.
On one hand, it’s great being my own boss, but I work for my team. I’m here to serve them, and I’ve always looked at it that way. I’m not the star of the show. I planted the seed and watered it and watered it and watered it – that’s the hustler mentality – and all of the sudden it grew and blossomed. And I get the reward of that. Being a people-over-profits company has been a great mindset for me. When I put my head on the pillow at night, I know I did the right thing.