Lifestyle

Deisy Suarez-Giles on Beauty, Female Empowerment and Philanthropy

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2020

The beauty and spa industry is inarguably cut-throat. It’s no easy feat for newcomers who are trying to make their name in cosmetics and skincare arena, when you’re competing with beauty giants who have been decades-long key players of the game. But Deisy Suarez-Giles braved the odds and came out on top with her namesake label.

A believer that she is more than just a businesswoman, she built her company for reasons tied closely to her core values — inspiring and empowering individuals through the transformative power of wellness and spa. We caught up with the founder as she has just dipped her toe launching her second DESUAR SPA location in Los Angeles, to discover what success means to the girl boss.

Name: Deisy Suarez-Giles
Profession: Founder and CEO of DESUAR SPA, AUTHOR and PHILANTHROPIST
Start up since: 2010

Tell us about your business. What do you do?

I like to believe that I am able to be part of something bigger in my role as the Founder and CEO of DESUAR SPA, esthetician and philanthropist. The brand was founded with the intention of inspiring and empowering individuals through the transformative power of spa and wellness.

Wellness Spa provides a universal language of happiness, self-love and creativity, and I learned this through my philanthropic work. I had the unique opportunity to volunteer at the Living Water Children’s Centre in Tanzania, Africa where I applied my touch therapy to healing orphan children.

DESUAR Spa has continued to grow, providing clinically proven skincare procedures, ultrasonic, chemical peels & microdermabrasion facials, and Suarez-Giles’ very own “secret” body scrub formula, along with massage treatments, spray tanning, body scrubs, soak rituals, wraps, and waxing services. DESUAR Spa offers healing as well as high-end relaxing treatments fit for royalty, be it massage, waxing, facials, body scrubs, saunas, or even CBD treatments.

DESUAR SPA encourages self-love, inner power and realizes the different definitions and expressions of beauty and wellness: each product and service is designed with unique aspirational affirmations, so that the individual feels uplifted when using our products or services.

Tell me about your best and worst day at work?

As an entrepreneur, no one day is exactly the same, but my favorite kind of days are the ones in which I am able to feel and see that my services are serving as a source of confidence.

My so-called worst days are the ones where I feel I need two of me and more hours in a single day. I am extremely hands on with all areas of the business from concept development to product formulation, management and distribution to ensure every addition to the DESUAR SPA portfolio speaks true to our values: to empower and inspire all those who use our services and products.

Looking back now, what would you have done differently?

I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason. I always believe that every failure shouldn’t be labeled as a failure, but rather a step towards being a better version of yourself. If I have to do it again, I will do it the same all over again.

What is a normal work day like?

While I wouldn’t categorize this as a ‘normal’ workday, I’d say my days usually consist of: speaking with my staff, liaising with, working on new formulations and products, creating new menu, and engaging with my community via social media.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start up?

Starting something up is one of the most fulfilling, but also one of the most challenging things you will do. It will push you to your utmost limits, but will also be unbelievably gratifying. My advice would be to take a chance on yourself, set your sights on the goals you want to accomplish, believe in yourself no matter what anyone else says and take the first step in the right direction. Never stop learning, continuing education is a must to be able to stay current to new trends and changes in consumer behavior.

What are your goals for 2020? And in the near future?

It’s full speed ahead at the moment in terms of expansion and growth in order to be accessible to our customer. We are also working on several new products to add to the collection. I aim to launch my Skin Care products, along with my second book as an author called “Holy Skin”, in December 2020. Lastly, I am fully involved in my new outdoor spa concept, in order to adapt to the new normal and be able to continually provide wellness services that people need and want. Especially now during these difficult times.

How hands-on are you?

Extremely! I’m involved in every aspect of the business from hiring, training, management, conceptualization to formulation and distribution. Every service that is in our spa has been inspired by my experiences through my philanthropy, travels around the world, and as an esthetician and massage therapist. With that being said, I am very fortunate to have a team that I can consult with and support in making each product and wellness treatment a reality.

How do you define success? Do you consider yourself being successful?

My definition of success is being able to make someone feel empowered and indestructibly confident in themselves, be it through the application of one of our services or through my voice.At this very moment in time, I would say that success is a journey and I still believe that for myself, there is more to come.

With her entrepreneurial spirit and emphasis on education, it is no surprise that Suarez-Giles has been featured in Forbes, LA Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, NBC, ABC News, Zoe Report, Voyage LA, Spa Insider, Well and Away, DTLA Weekly, LA Magazine, Medium, Thrive Global, and MTV. She has also worked with many Hollywood celebrities and sports figures. Success is important to Suarez-Giles but philanthropy also has an important place in her life.

Lifestyle

The Role of Medicine in Achieving and Sustaining a Healthy Body Mass

Published

5 days ago

April 18, 2024

Rosario Farell

The CDC’s latest numbers classify approximately 42 percent of Americans as obese, and over two-thirds of American adults qualify as either obese or overweight. Living with excess weight heightens people’s risk for debilitating and chronic but otherwise preventable conditions like stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

With new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy on the rise, many are wondering if these medications live up to their hype and can even help end the obesity epidemic. Sergio Padron, founder and CEO of online healthcare and weight-loss support company MD Exam, believes they can — up to a point.

“It’s important to approach these medications with a thorough understanding of what they can and can’t do,” Padron says. “Magic pills for weight loss don’t exist.”

The importance of achieving a healthy body mass

According to Padron, achieving and sustaining a healthy body mass is key to good health. To obtain your body mass index (BMI), online calculators like this one from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ask for your height and weight, run them through the standard formula, and generate your score. The last step is to find this number in the standardized ranges considered underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.

“Many healthcare professionals use the body mass index (BMI) for a quick approximation of most people’s health,” he explains. “All you need is the patient’s weight and height, and you can calculate this number.”

There are exceptions, however. “In particular, bodybuilders and other athletes can generate results that make it seem like they aren’t healthy, when in fact they’re in excellent condition,” Padron explains. “That’s because BMI doesn’t consider muscle mass, and muscle is more dense than fat. In addition, BMI doesn’t account for visceral fat being more dangerous than fat deposits elsewhere in the body.”

That’s why Padron cautions people not to make snap judgments based on BMI alone and to seek a more comprehensive view from healthcare professionals. “Factors like body composition, blood markers, and lifestyle need to be considered,” he explains, “which is one of the many reasons why we only offer individualized care at MD Exam.”

If your BMI falls in the overweight or obese categories, then it’s time to make a change. “Unfortunately, excess body weight means you could be developing major health problems that you otherwise wouldn’t,” Padron says. “Being overweight has also been associated with depression. In my experience, it can have a negative impact on self-esteem and even lead to the development of eating disorders.”

Luckily, groundbreaking new drugs have become available to help people recover their quality of life.

How Ozempic and Wegovy can help

According to Padron, pharmaceutical solutions like Ozempic and Wegovy can help most people achieve and sustain a healthy body mass. These medications reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness, thereby enabling people to regulate their consumption better.

“One of the most important things our patients report is that they’re no longer tormented by cravings,” Padron says. “They find it easier to avoid overeating in the first place.”

In addition, Ozempic and Wegovy have been shown to decrease visceral fat — the dangerous kind of fat deposits. “The idea is to optimize health and well-being, not just lose weight,” Padron says. “We want to make sure you lose the right pounds. When you lose visceral fat and keep muscle, you are heading in the right direction and your body composition improves.”

In some rare cases, however, Ozempic and Wegovy aren’t effective. “Luckily, other interventions can be effective in those cases, such as Tirzepatide or classic weight-loss drugs,” Padron says.

Yet Padron emphasizes that weight-loss drugs alone are insufficient to achieve and sustain a healthy body mass.

Personalized, comprehensive support

“Just taking a pill won’t make pounds disappear,” Padron says. “To lose weight, it’s necessary to get real about your lifestyle and actually change your habits. If you haven’t been exercising, for instance, then it’s time to start getting up a little earlier and going for a morning walk. If you haven’t been eating well, then it’s time to stop buying soda and junk food.”

Easier said than done? “We know it’s hard,” Padron says. “That’s why our program takes support seriously. Our medical staff works with patients one-on-one to develop treatment plans that will work for them. We also provide coaching and connect patients to each other for mutual support and accountability. MD Exam is a community. People make friends for life on our platform.”

Lose weight, feel great

Obtaining a healthy body mass often leads to increased energy levels, improved mobility, and reduced joint pain. It can also help control chronic conditions like high blood pressure and sleep apnea, as well as forestall the development of preventable diseases. If that isn’t already enough, it can also boost patients’ self-confidence and mental health.

“Our patients experience an incredible feeling of accomplishment and empowerment,” Padron says. “Losing weight can be truly transformative. I can’t tell you how many people have told me their whole outlook on life has become more positive.”

For Padron, helping people lose weight is its own reward. “I love watching people shed their depression and come back to life,” he says. “This is the most rewarding work I can imagine.”