AdviceInspirationMoms

Wonder Mom: Andrea Scott

This wonder mom has quite the resume. Before she was a CEO, board director, entrepreneur, and a 16-year veteran of the skincare and beauty industry, she was a kindergarten teacher. Feeling that her entrepreneurial muscle needed flexing, Andrea decided to leave teaching and went into sales. She started as a sales rep for a couple of different clothing lines and was then approached to take on a clothing line and start her own sales and marketing company. Driving around British Columbia and Alberta in her Mazda selling high-end jeans to other retailers, Scott knew this was the best way to learn trial by fire. As a co-founder of Skoah, a membership-based, facial-only shop with 17 locations throughout Canada and America, she works with a chemist to build Skoah’s plant-based and PETA approved skincare line. Check out her interview below!

What do you do?

I am a wife and mother of four, and the CEO of Skoah, a facial shop with 17 locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle and Boston. I believe we have created a new category and we call it the facial shop. I love that so many of our guests, ourselves included, have never done anything like this before.

How did your business come into being and how did you know it was the one to run with?

My husband Chris and I were really looking to do something on our own. We had read an article about this new emerging industry – the Spa industry. So we decided to try a spa experience for ourselves. Our first experience was pleasant but somewhat uncomfortable. The music playing was nothing that we would have ever taken pleasure out of listening at home, being that it was mostly panpipes and whales mating. It was also the little details like the magazines stacked on the table that were completely irrelevant to us. It was very expensive, very time-consuming, and very intimidating. So it dawned on us that there was a great opportunity to create an experience that was far more relevant to younger, working professionals who wanted a great relaxing experience, but in a much more modern and relatable environment.

There was, and still is, nobody in our industry today focusing solely on facials and creating an entire experience around monthly facials. But what makes those facials important is the uniqueness of our product line which we have created entirely from scratch. We teach each of our guests to feel confident navigating and tweaking product use based on the variability of their skin. Everything from the environment, age, hormones, etc. can be a factor.

How has having children transformed your lifestyle?

Over the 17 years of owning a business and parenting four kids for the last 10 years, I have definitely relaxed my expectations of even the simplest things like eating dinner out.  I have learned that with kids and a business, things change direction quickly so flexibility is critical. I teach my kids that too. Being flexible makes life much easier.

5 words to describe your personal sense of style?

Comfortable, bohemian, simple, black with color pop.

How do you find time to get ready and maintain your style?

I have a million tips and tricks to multitasking when it comes to skincare. Layering masks, wearing masks overnight, and I am a whiz at getting Gala Ready in 20 minutes. I also have a lot of black in my closet.  I use my winning formula outfits and they are mostly black to avoid matching or showing coffee stains (I always get them!). I also have my nails done with a gel overlay so that helps me appear more polished than I usually am.

Where do you get your energy?

Coffee, running, trail running or hiking is a daily necessity.

What is your spirit animal?

Eagles. When I was a child, my dad told me that an eagle was the very best animal to come back as. They have incredible eyes, can soar over the world and see every detail. They also have no predators and are incredibly resourceful. My dad passed away four years ago and he was my best friend. I believe he shows me signs through sending eagles my way.

What inspires you? 

I’m inspired by the small things in life that ordinary people do every day. When I see a mother and her child interact, when I see someone do something out of their comfort zone, when I witness or experience a random act of kindness – these everyday things remind me that the world is small and really quite simple. We see beautiful things that surround us every day. I’m on the board of Coast Mental Health – the stories our clients tell are incredible. I witness the daily and minute-by-minute struggles they overcome which I find truly inspiring.

Who are your role models and why?

My late nephew, Grady. He passed away when he was three years old from cancer. During his illness, he never complained, fought hard, smiled, and laughed at the simple, small pleasures. He was always so happy if I visited him at the hospital. He was focused on where he was, never the world outside his hospital room. He enjoyed finding the simple things in any environment he was ever in which is exactly how I believe we should be living.

Any words that you live by?

Why not me?

What is your favorite thing to do with your children?

Hiking in the trails with them. To see what they see, to watch them be kids without being distracted or easily influenced.

What would you do with more time?

I would spend more one-on-one time with each of my kids. They are very different during our alone time. I love getting to know who they are when they aren’t competing with their sibling for attention/time.

How do you balance family and work?

I look at each day as a single day. If the time I have is limited with my kids, it has to be high-quality time spent with them. I also learned from a wise friend of mine who said saying the word “no” to some things is actually saying “yes” to others. By saying “no”, I have given myself time to spend with my family.

What do you do to relax?

I run. Seriously. It relaxes me, my mind, my body, and my soul.

What time do you get up and go to bed on a typical day?

I usually get to bed around 11 p.m. I like to be up by 6 a.m. but my youngest still wakes up throughout the night which leads me to wake up between 6:30 a.m. – 7 a.m.

What do you typically eat for breakfast?

I always have an espresso first. Then, I have a piece of toast with crunchy peanut butter (if possible).

Coffee, tea, wine, tequila, or other?

Coffee: Black and strong.

Wine: For white, medium to full body and dry. I like Viognier, Chardonnay, anything dry-like a dry-Prosecco or Champagne, Cava. For red, I like a bold Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay Noir, Petit Syrah, or Shiraz.

What is something that you struggle with fitting into your lifestyle and how do you deal with it?

I work hard to fit in as much as I can but with four kids, you encounter obstacles. Additionally, my business and my board of director’s work interrupts the things I wish I could do every day. I feel like I don’t spend enough time working on school work with my kids which I wish I could do much more of. I also don’t have a set fitness schedule although I do exercise most days. My schedule is unstructured, involving runs, free weights whenever I can. To be honest, I absolutely hate routine and regularity. If I ever found more time, I would view exercising the same exact way I do now. I choose to continue to do whatever I am feeling for both my psychical and mental health. It seems to work just fine for me.

Any advice for new moms, or moms who are struggling to make it all work?

Walk your path. Establish your personal core values and use them as your compass.

ABOUT WONDER MOMS:

From Sheryl Sandberg to Marissa Mayer, women are not sacrificing themselves for their kids like they used to. Why? If you ask me, a confident and happy woman makes a better mother and role model. And whatever it takes to get her feeling that way should be done. But as a mother myself, I know how hard it is to maintain a sense of style, run a successful business and to feel like an okay parent all at the same time.

Women who are flawlessly manifesting this enchanting trifecta are the new wonder women of our times and they are my idols. So I got to wondering how they actually do it all and have it all. Is it really possible? Are they hiding something? Do they secretly never floss? I hope to answer these questions and to give the rest of us moms motivation to stay true to ourselves, live fulfilling lives and love our families as much as ever through interviews with moms who are already doing it. These are the Wonder Moms.

If you know a woman who fits this mold, please share her info with us on Twitter @metromomclub

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