Throughout her immersion in the beauty industry, Victoria Tabak has whole-heartedly shared her passion and love for skin wellness and the importance of truly making a difference in people’s lives. She has written countless articles for leading beauty industry publications, sharing her knowledge and expertise. Tabak has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, has inspired many, supported women in business like herself, and influenced the growth and success of spa owners across the country. 

Why aesthetics?

I love the field of aesthetics. What can be more exciting and positive energy-driving than to be in the business of making people look and feel good about themselves?

What have you learned about yourself through running a business?

To begin, running a business is a full-time, around-the-clock rollercoaster that never stops, similar to being a parent. Honestly, sometimes I think that the business requires more attention than my three boys require because they at least go to sleep at night – most of the time, that is – whereas, a business never sleeps.
I come from such a powerful place of gratitude for everything in my life, including the reason that my business even came into existence and that energy drives me to continue to discover my unlimited potential and strength and to never give up.

Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

I was always close with my dad, definitely a daddy’s girl. He is someone who has had one of the greatest influences on me growing up, which certainly shaped a part of who I am today. He always pushed me to demand only the very best of myself, to work relentlessly hard, and to practice what I preach. He is one of the smartest human beings I know and growing up I wanted to be a scientist just like him. He was the original reason I joined the industry early in life.

What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

Taking over the company, especially when I had a baby on the way – it was definitely risky.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

To continue to grow, I believe it is essential to never stop educating myself and to surround myself with people who are hungry for growth and self-actualization, as well.

What motivates you each day?

Gratitude is a huge motivator for me. I am so appreciative for all that I have been blessed with and that pushes me to work harder each day and to realize my purpose to make a difference on a bigger scale.

How do you approach change/the unknown?

Change is important, although the unknown can be horrifying and sometimes paralyzing. I always remind myself that if you want to achieve something different from what you have or where you are now, you must be ready and willing to change and try things that you have never done before.

How do you keep yourself grounded? What do you do to unwind?

I exercise to keep myself sane and grounded. To unwind, I love watching movies.

What is your favorite spa treatment?

It is hard to pick a single treatment, but one of my favorites is the Nature Pure Fire & Ice Express Facial. I am guilty of not finding enough time for myself and it is a treatment that only takes 30 minutes to completely transform my skin.

If you could go back in time to when you first starting out, what advice would you give yourself?

My advice would be to completely, 100 percent, right from the start, get out of my comfort zone and not play it safe – have an all in or nothing attitude.

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?

The biggest advice would be, “Don’t be afraid to fail or succeed. You do not have to be perfect.”

What’s your most irrational fear?

Road kill – at the mere sight. First, I want to scream in horror and, then, I ache for the poor helpless thing for days.

What’s something you wish you’d written?

I wish I wrote a memoire about my experience with pregnancy and starting a family. It was something that deeply affected me. I felt very alone and helpless and as though I was the only one in the world dealing with my emotions. I understand now that it was not the case but, at the time, I believed I had nowhere to turn when I was filled with sadness and uncertainty. If I could help at least one person through similar difficult times it would be so worthwhile. 

How do you stand for what you believe in?

I practice what I preach. I believe in love and kindness as a way of being and much of what I do encompasses that energy.

What do you love most about your job?

First of all, it is kind of hard to call what I do a job. It would be more appropriate to call it a career of passion. What I love most are the people. I meet so many amazing people all with their own stories that I love to learn about.

If you could ask another leader any question, what would it be?

My favorite question to ask a leader or a brilliant mind is, “What questions should I be asking you?” Every leader’s journey and lessons vary and there is no better way to tap into someone’s knowledge and expertise than by simply and directly asking them what you can learn from them.

How do you measure success?

By asking myself three questions, “am I happy,” “am I growing,” and “do I feel fulfilled?” 

Sweet or salty?

Depends on the mood. 

Laundry or dishes?

Laundry: it does not mess with my skin. 

Camping or glamping?

Once upon a time, it was definitely camping, but given that I have so little time available now, I prefer the glamping. 

What is your proudest accomplishment in the industry? 

I am so proud to have been a main stage speaker at the International Congress of Esthetics and Spa on two different occasions. I felt so honored and humbled to be able to share my knowledge with a large group of aesthetic peers and colleagues. 

What’s the biggest myth in the industry?

The biggest myth probably is that you cannot make a lucrative career being an aesthetician. Of course, there are many elements involved in growing and becoming financially successfully but, ultimately, a great deal has to do with how ambitious, hardworking, and gritty you are and continuously following through on clearly defined goals. 

What hurdles have you had to overcome?

In business there are always challenges. Certainly being a business owner means constantly perfecting the art of problem solving because, just as you solve one issue, another one typically arises. I actually believe it is the same process with raising children. The greater the business, the greater the required problem solving skills we develop with experience. Some of the hurdles have included time management, delegating responsibilities effectively, budget chokeholds, and staff changes. 

Where is the brand headed over the next 5 years?

We plan to continue expanding our education and training offerings to help skin care professionals build a strong knowledge base and expertise in ingredients and hands on holistic skin therapies. 

Where is the entire industry headed?

The industry continues to move toward the natural wellness lifestyle movement. More and more people are embracing the fact that the skin is the vessel for supporting and promoting wellness from the outside in. 

What distinguishes your company from others in the industry?

We started as a local family business over 23 years ago chasing the American dream, when my father formulated the first skin care product on the market with hippophae (sea buckthorn) berries. It was our original concept and a skin care ingredient breakthrough we introduced to the professional beauty industry, which is still in about 75 percent of our formulations. Since then, we have always challenged ourselves to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to ingredient innovations, including our patented Soy Beauty and Soy Doctor collections that offer a natural alternative to hormone imbalanced skin concerns. The resveratrol-enriched, longevity-increasing collection is another original among so many of our other product gems brought to market over the years.

Our primary goal is to achieve transformative skin results while supporting overall wellness.

Besides creating our products with so much love, we wholeheartedly approach each and every person we work with as part of the Nature Pure family. We genuinely look for opportunities to be able to help and support business owners in reaching their greatest potential and self-confidence to continue to grow and succeed. 

What are your current goals?

My current goals are to continue to build a team that represents the values and passion that has shaped the company thus far and to bring more value to professionals by providing more continued education.

How would you define your company’s culture?

The company’s culture is very much centered around positivity and generosity. 

What has been the hardest lesson learned in business?

When you mess up, in most cases, you do not get a second chance; but, on the bright side, you can always create new opportunities for yourself by working harder, smarter, and more resourcefully.

How do you motivate your team?

I practice what I preach about having a positive and generous energy and way of being. I give my staff space and freedom once they know what is expected of them to get the final job done and I make sure that they feel a strong foundation of support.

Gut instinct versus expertise: which is more important and why?

It takes both to make hard decisions in business. It really depends on the circumstance. Certainly, expertise can be developed, but gut instinct is much more abstract and innate. Luckily, we learn from our experiences. 

How do you encourage creative thinking within your organization?

I throw out ideas during meetings and let them run with it and, then, they get back to me with what they came up with and we go from there.

Where do the great ideas come from in your organization?

I believe that great ideas can come from anywhere and you do not have to be – and should not be – the only one to come up with the great ideas. This is why I maintain an open channel of communication with my staff. I also deeply value the feedback of spa partners and customers who have inspired some of our ideas throughout the years. Of course, there is also my dad, who is our company’s original creative mastermind, scientist, and formulator.

What are the most important decisions you make as a leader of your organization?

One of the most important decisions is whom to hire. People who work for you are the face and representation of what your company and business is about and it is critical that your staff is happy, so they in turn want to perform at their highest level for you. Another critical decision surrounds how and where to reinvest the company’s working capital to support the growth of the business.

How do you stay relevant and current?

To stay relevant, I am always reading and learning – and not just about what is trending, but anticipating and conceiving the next big idea, while finding the perfect synergy between ancient remedies. 

What is the hardest thing about being a leader?

The hardest part is remembering that it is okay to make mistakes. Having failures along the way is part of the journey. This is what actually makes us stronger and better and pushes us toward being our best self at any given time and that, too, cultivates over time.