Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Marasco
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Emily Marasco. I am the founder and owner of Elite Feet & Studio. I have twenty years in customer service and started my career in business. I graduated with my BAS and started working at a spa were I quickly fell in love with the beauty industry.
While I was working at the spa I started my Cosmetology journey. I started offering hair care, skin care and nail care. While offering these services I noticed that there were a lot of people searching for something “more” when it came to their pedicures. Guests who were diabetic, auto-immune compromised and even those with minor nail or feet issues, started saying things like:
“You seem to really care.”
“I feel safe when you do my pedicure. Everything is so clean.”
This began the path that lead to me wanting to offer a service, actually an experience, that is like no other. I wanted, no I needed, to learn more. Now, years later I am a Certified Master Pedicurist. I am oncology and diabetic trained. I have years of experience in advanced foot care and massage techniques.
I lead a team at Elite Feet who is driven and passionate about high end luxurious and advanced foot care! This is my calling and I know it’s what I was meant to do. I care about my guests, their relaxation and most importantly their safety! What my team and I offer is more than “just a pedicure.”
As part of my mission to spread knowledge and raise the standards for our industry I founded Elite Level UP Education. This is where I help teach and mentor other nail technicians to better care for their clients.
When you find the thing in like that makes you happy it never feels like work. I found happiness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh my goodness. Grab a box of tissues because my life road is quite the bumpy one.
I won’t include all the details that take you “back to the beginning” but in order for you to understand some of my personality and drive you should know from the age of 2 years old to when I turned 20 I grew up in a cult. I was homeschooled and was taught that everything I had was “better than I deserved.” It was also instilled in me that nothing I could ever, would ever do would be “good enough.” For most, I think they would have given up. I mean, if I’m never going to be good enough then why even try? However, I think I’m too stubborn or maybe just defiant, I wanted to try to be perfect and then maybe I could prove them wrong.
I remember seeing a desk plaque once that read SUCCESS IS THE BEST REVENGE and I began to grin like the Grinch from that famous Christmas movie.
Education was the one thing I kept investing in. I told myself that no one could take away what I’ve learned. So, year after year I went to college, took every extracurricular activity I could. I became hungry for knowledge and the more I knew the more powerful I felt.
My twenties seemed to come and go quickly. I was married and then divorced. I had managed two spas, completed my BAS in Business Entrepreneurship, became a Licensed Cosmetologist, Barber, Oncology trained, went to massage therapy school and added over 10 advanced certifications to my life resume.
Then as some people call it B.C. – Before covid – I started to get antsy. I wanted more. I had hit a plateau.
In March of 2020, I was told that my business was shut down and I would be unable to work due to Covid-19. It feels like yesterday that I remember the fear. A heaviness that you could almost smell in the air and there was such an unknown our world faced.
Well, what does a “Type A” person do with no work and living in a one bedroom studio apartment when she’s already cleaned every square inch ten times over? Spoiler alert…she writes a business plan.
In July of 2020, Elite Feet & Studio was founded. As I was given the keys I sang the words in my head to my favorite Alicia Keys song “It took a brave girl to try.”
The last piece to this puzzle until we bring ourselves to present day. The new space was far from ready to be opened. There were leaks, black mold and every wall had to me removed and rebuilt. In the midst of building the life of my dreams, I found out I was pregnant. How could I juggle any more?!?! For reasons I may never understand, I lost the baby, at 12 weeks. Trigger warning: words could never describe the feeling of excitement just before you are about to hear your baby’s heart beat for the first time and instead the Dr holds your hand and tells you the pregnancy is no longer viable. I stopped breathing. I still to this day carry that deep sadness.
We’ve been impressed with Elite Feet & Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Did you know that my parents owned a vegan restaurant for over 20 years? Probably not, because you haven’t met me yet but it’s true. I have worked in family owned businesses since I was 5 years old, no joke! Opening up my own business felt natural and right. It was as if it was my destiny. I wanted to run a business that was like no other. I wanted to find a niche that I could master. So, when I was doing my research and after working on hundreds of guests I heard and saw what they were looking for. I had the hunger and grit to do it so in the midst of a worldwide pandemic I opened Elite Feet & Studio.
Elite Feet & Studio is award winning for our luxury treatments for the nails and feet that are designed to rejuvenate and restore. Our Advanced Nail Technicians care for all types of guests including those with the most troubled toes. We pride ourselves in providing a clean, safe, relaxing atmosphere with proper, quality products. We are a step above the rest!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Oh I love this question! I have so much to say and offer to the next entrepreneur. First, believe in your vision with all your heart and know that there will be days of doubt and many who tell you why it won’t work but hold onto the core of what inspired you.
Next, owning your own business will force you to embrace fear and uncertainty. We can’t plan or control it all so don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back or paralyze you from moving forward.
Always celebrate the small wins and enjoy the journey. Owning a business isn’t a sprint, it’s a long walk through unknown terrain that has some of the most amazing views.
Lastly, take care of yourself. Don’t give everything you have to the business in a way that you are left dry and depleted. Also, don’t forget that whomever your surround yourself with will either lift you up or bring you down. When you make the decision to work and live differently the people in your life don’t always align with that decision. Choose to be around people who encourage you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elitefeet386.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elitefeet386/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elitefeet386/
