Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1517908
56 ASCP Skin Deep Spring 2024 X XIMENA JUAREZ WAS RAISED by strong women. Her mother was a single mom; her grandmother was a single mom; she was surrounded by female cousins and an older sister she considers her role model. Now the owner and master esthetician of Dalior Advanced Clinical Aesthetics in Bellevue, Washington, Ximena hopes to inspire her kids by being a strong woman too. Ximena learned the values of hard work and determination at a young age. "What my mother and I lacked in material possessions was made up for with an abundance of love and quality time," Ximena says. "My mother was an extremely hard worker. She never gave up and always saw a way out of things. She always sought opportunity everywhere she went, and her determination allowed her to accomplish different goals." It was this strong foundation that formed Ximena. At 12, she lost her mother. Just four years later, she immigrated to the US from Colombia. Knowing only a few words of English, Ximena persevered, studied hard in school, and held two jobs. At 18, while still navigating her new life in a new country, she joined the US Navy. During her service, Ximena was awarded multiple accolades, including the title of Sailor of the Year. After serving for four years, she was honorably discharged and immediately transitioned to the esthetics industry. Over the course of the last decade, she graduated from her esthetics program, started Dalior with her husband, Edgar, completed a rigorous master esthetician program, pursued multiple trainings for advanced modalities, and grew her business to be a place where 13 beauty professionals gather every day to share their passion and knowledge with clients. All the while, Ximena is still a family person. She values work/life balance and raising her children—a 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son—with love and compassion, passing along the idea that they too can accomplish anything. "That's something my mom and my grandma always ingrained in me—that we have to believe in ourselves, believe that we can do it even when it seems impossible," she says. We caught up with Ximena to learn more about her journey from the beginning, the advice she gives her clients, and what's to come for her and her business. Skin Deep: When you first immigrated to the US, how did you approach living in a country where you didn't speak the dominant language? Ximena Juarez: That was a hard time because I love to speak and relate with others and get to know people. I was 16 when I moved here—I devoted myself to school and I was determined to learn the language. So, what did I do? I read the dictionary. When I say limited English, I'm telling you it was limited. I knew my name, I knew "window," I knew "apple," I knew "bathroom." That's about it. What motivated me was the fact that I wanted