HELLO, MY NAME IS… Carmen Hamerski. I own Carmenique Beauty Skincare and Carmenique Beauty & Wellness, an esthetics studio in Desert Hills. You can find us at carmeniquebeauty.com.

I LIVED IN PHOENIX SINCE 2015 AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE…the community has embraced us, are so supportive of my businesses, and they’re very friendly and warm. I love the weather here, too, because I have always loved hot weather. In addition, I suffer from Raynaud’s Disease. That’s a type of circulatory condition that can cause severe pain to the fingers, toes, and ears in cold temperatures. I can handle 120 degree weather much better than 50 degree weather. People laugh because I’m always cold and carry a sweater everywhere, even in the summer.
A TYPICAL DAY IN MY LIFE INCLUDES… starting the day by checking my emails and texts. This way, I can reply to clients and get everything organized at the start of the day. I then look to see if any product orders have arrived that require handling and shipping. My husband handles shipping and handling, so I will then send those emails to him. He’s amazing at getting orders processed quickly. Most orders are shipped the day they are received and are shipped by priority mail.

After lunch, I start accepting client appointments. I often work 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Most clients work full-time, and I enjoy working evenings, so I have arranged my appointment hours to work well with their schedules. I also work Saturdays.

MY FAMILY IS… very precious to me. I have my husband, Brian, two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and 6-month-old twin grandchildren, a boy and a girl. It saddens me that they live in California, and that I can’t see them as often as I wish. However, they often come to Arizona to visit and vice-versa. Now that we’re grandparents of beautiful twin babies we will probably travel to California more often. We don’t’ want to miss watching them grow up.

ONE THING I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IS… of course, my family is of great importance to me. They are my saving grace. Additionally, I find that I can’t live without balance in my life. I love the fact that I can balance work, my wonderful hobby of ballroom dance, my family and social life, as well as my spiritual life well. Having balance in my life allows me to live a stress-free, exciting life full of joy and contentment. I work a lot, but I’m rarely stressed because I follow this rule: Whenever I begin to feel “burnout” I step back and re-evaluate. Where am I going wrong? Am I spending too much time at work and nothing else? Then, I make proper adjustments.

MY FAVORITE MOVIE I NEVER GET TIRED OF WATCHING IS… “Forrest Gump.” It is one of my favorite movies. It inspires all of us to become better people. It motivates us to be successful despite our flaws and encourages individualism, success through diligence, as well as progress and change. In many ways, it reflects much of what I stand for. My business logo is a butterfly because I believe that you can overcome anything and become great!

THE ONE PERSON THAT MOTIVATES ME IS… my husband. He motivates me every day as I watch him go through the day. He wakes up at 5 a.m., cares for our two ill dogs, handles all managerial aspects of our business, cooks most meals; handles the gardening, grocery shopping, and laundry and drives with me to all doctors’ appointments, as well as all doctors’ appointments for himself and our family member that we care for. He is extremely emotionally and physically energetic. Oh, and he takes ballroom lessons with me! I know he does it just for me! He’s always even tempered, kind, caring, supportive, and incredibly compassionate.

THE PERFECT DAY IS… I don’t believe that there is such thing as perfection. I call it “greatness.” A day may not be “perfect” but it can still be great. A great day for me is having every single thing go well during work hours and being able to relax and detach at the end of the day, knowing that I have done the job well and that it’s now time to enjoy a few hours without responsibilities. And, waking up the next day, in good health, to enjoy the best life.

MY LIFE IS…. at the happiest point in my life, having married Brian Hamerski, my soulmate, at the age of 55, and feeling age-less. My family is growing, my business is successful and also growing, and I have an exciting, purpose-filled life! I’m 66 years old and thriving! My life is GREAT!

THE BEST GIFT I HAVE EVER RECEIVED WAS… from one of my friends who gave me a poem, on butterfly paper (I love butterflies), that listed the qualities she loved about me. I was so touched! I framed it and hung it on my wall. I see it every day. It also motivates me to clearly tell my loved ones what it is I love about them. One can’t assume they know.

MY DREAM VACATION WOULD BE… I have lived abroad and I no longer have the need to go there. I prefer to take vacations throughout the U.S. these days. There are so many states I have never visited. My dream vacation is to take a month or six weeks off work and visit as many states as possible next year and every year thereafter. I would love to visit every state.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED IS… from my dad: “Dare to Dare.” As the result, I have lived a very full, exciting, and interesting life.