Today we’d like to introduce you to Merari Soto.
Hi Merari, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico—Spanish is my first language! At 8, we moved to Camarillo, California, and later to St. Johns, Florida, when I was 15.
I always felt called to help people, which originally led me to nursing school. But after struggling with endometriosis, acne, and mental health, I felt God redirect me toward esthetics. I realized I was still meant to heal—just through skincare.
I became a licensed esthetician in March 2020, right as the world shut down. I kept learning and practicing at home during lockdown, then worked at a local spa before taking a leap of faith and opening Bodhi Aesthetics in November 2021. It was terrifying—but the best decision I’ve ever made.
Skincare has transformed not only my life, but also my clients’ lives.
When I’m not in the treatment room, you’ll find me with my fiancé Jacob and our two girl kitties, Timo and Taro—baking, reading, spending time with loved ones, or beachcombing for shells and shark teeth (with sunscreen on, of course).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road becoming a solo esthetician. I originally planned to be a nurse—I wanted to comfort people during hard times. But during nursing school, my mental health declined drastically. I was battling generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and acne, and nothing seemed to help. After a year and a half, I realized nursing wasn’t the right path. I felt God calling me toward esthetics—toward healing in a different way.
Leaving nursing school was terrifying, but the shift to esthetics brought relief I didn’t expect. My mental health improved, my skin cleared, and I finally found joy in what I was doing. I opened Bodhi Aesthetics in 2021 with just a couple of clients and no business background, but I poured my heart into learning everything I could.
Running a business hasn’t been easy—especially while managing endometriosis, a chronic, invisible illness I’ve lived with since my teens. It’s something I battle daily, even in the treatment room, where I often push through intense fatigue and pain that no one can see. I’m grateful I can set my own schedule and prioritize rest when I need it. It’s not easy, but I refuse to let it define me. With my faith, support from my fiancé, family, and friends, and my passion to help other heal their skin, I keep showing up—for my clients and for myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a solo licensed esthetician specializing in all inclusive treatments for acne-prone and aging skin. Having an all-inclusive, no add-ons service menu allows me to fully customize each treatment based on what my client’s skin truly needs in that moment—no upsells, no limitations, just intuitive, results-driven care. I work with clients from their teens to their seventies, helping them achieve their dream skin through consistency, lifestyle shifts, and personalized care. My approach is rooted in education, empathy, and results—I’m here to guide my clients every step of the way.
What sets me apart is that I’ve been there myself. Before I became an esthetician, I struggled with painful, stubborn acne and tried to cover it up with layers of foundation. I know how discouraging it can feel to look in the mirror and not recognize your own confidence. That’s why it’s such a privilege to help clients who feel like they’ve tried everything—sometimes even considering Accutane—find real, lasting change through holistic routines and targeted treatments. Watching them rediscover their glow, not just in their skin but in their eyes and energy, is the most rewarding part of my work.
But my studio is more than just a skincare space. It’s a sanctuary. Over the years, I’ve held space for clients through breakups, pregnancies, cancer, grief, promotions, and celebrations. We laugh, we cry, we heal together. Whether someone needs to vent, nap, or just feel seen, they leave not only glowing—but lighter.
What I’m most proud of is the community and connection I’ve built. Helping people fall in love with their skin again while creating a safe, welcoming environment is what makes this more than a career—it’s my calling. I truly believe this is what I was meant to do.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I believe we play a big role in shaping our own luck. What we believe, we manifest. If you expect things to go wrong, they likely will. But if you hold onto faith and the mindset that things will turn around, you create space for that shift to happen. Perspective is everything.
Of course, life happens—challenges and setbacks are often out of our control. But we do have the power to choose how we respond. What some might see as bad luck, I often see as redirection or an opportunity for growth that brings me one step closer to the life I’m building. I don’t believe in failure, and I don’t believe bad luck can define you—only refine you.
Whenever I’m in a tough spot, whether it’s a slow month in business or something unexpected like a flat tire and a dead car battery during a move, I always remind myself: God didn’t bring me this far to only bring me this far. There’s always a lesson, a purpose, or a pivot waiting to be discovered. And as long as I keep trusting that and putting one foot in front of the other, I know good things—good luck, even—are always on the horizon. And I believe this mindset has brought me to where I am today.
Pricing:
- The Bodhi Acne Treatment (60 minutes)- $150
- The Signature Bodhi Glow (60 minutes)- $225
- The Deluxe Bodhi Glow (90 minutes)- $275
- The Signature Bodhi Glow (120 minutes)- $225
- Eyebrow Wax (15 minutes) – $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bodhi-aesthetics.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esthierari?igsh=cXpqYXd4YXBqM2Rk&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16F3JYpZaX/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@esthierari?_t=ZP-8wC9kHOwwhz&_r=1
