Several years ago, I interviewed Summer Vasilas, co-founder of Waxing the City, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Adam: How did you get here? What failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Summer: Believe it or not, I was a “super senior” (5th year) high school student. When I was seventeen, I was faced with a decision of dropping out of school and getting my GED or going through the “embarrassment” of repeating my senior year of high school because I was not eligible to graduate with my senior class of 1996. This was truly a life-altering moment for me because it made me take a deep look into how I got into the situation and what I wanted to do about it/how I could change my life. 

I needed to make a choice that I knew at that time would be instrumental to my future. I decided to forgo the possible embarrassment and complete another year of high school for several reasons. The first being, I wanted my diploma, not a GED and secondly, I needed to prove to myself that I was capable of doing it. I was in that situation because of poor choices I had made, not because I lacked the intelligence or was not deserving enough. 

I often look back on that experience and tell myself in tough times that I can do whatever it is that is causing me doubt in myself. If I put my mind and heart into whatever I am facing, and it is something I really want, then I can and should go after it. No one ever said life was easy, no one said owning a business would be easy and no one said starting a franchise would be easy. Just like no one said parenting or marriage would be easy. The success and enjoyment that I’ve experienced in my life have been through passion and perseverance.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Summer: I believe there are four qualities a leader needs to have. The first being humility, I think this quality is crucial to any successful leader. By having the willingness to learn from both people and experiences, along with accepting defeat and allowing yourself to grow, can truly make or break a leader. The next being courage. By being courageous you are willing to break through your fears. If you do not possess courage you will constantly be wondering, “What if” or looking back on a situation wishing you would have gone out of your comfort zone. Thirdly, it is always important to be curious and have a growth-focused mindset. Always try to learn something new. How boring would life be if we simply stopped learning? Times are changing and the world is always evolving, change with the world and those around you. Last, but not least is perseverance. Keep going, even when you think it would be simpler to just give up. You need to have a fire in your belly in order to get to where you want to be.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Summer: Current leaders and aspiring leaders need to create and execute a personal growth plan. Find time to invest in yourself through reading books, listening to podcasts, or taking courses that will enhance you as a leader, friend, parent, and significant other. You should have both, personal and professional skills, that you’re itching to develop. Investing in yourself will ultimately benefit your team and can never set you back, only help you succeed.

Adam: What are the three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Summer: Take Care of Yourself – The days of working 9 to 5 are something of the past. Not saying you need to work yourself into the ground, but 9 to 5 just is not practical now. It is crucial to exercise regularly, eat healthy and find time to relax. Otherwise, you will end up being less productive and setting yourself back.

Hire Character, Train Skill – Build a team that shares your vision. It is simple – great people make a great company. You cannot train a person to have the same views as you, but you can train a person to work in a certain way.

Never Stop Improving – Continue to learn and improve yourself. Never settle for mediocre and keep an open mind to new skills or possibilities.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Summer: “Do what you love or what you are passionate about and you’ll be successful.” I followed my heart into the beauty industry. Within the industry, I have continued to follow my heart, which has taken me in so many different directions. At first, it was getting my esthetics license and working in a spa from there I opened my own waxing salon (Waxing the City) to then owning five locations in two states. This ultimately led me to franchising the company and now there are over 100 locations. 

I’m continually listening to what makes my heart sing and following suit. I have no regrets at this stage in my life because of the advice I was once given and choosing to act on it. However, I have found that as easy as it sounds, it often times takes a lot of courage to follow your heart.

Adam: How can anyone pay it forward?

Summer: Always help someone pursue their dream. What better way to pay something forward than helping someone accomplish their dream? Look back and reflect on all the people that helped you reach your end goal. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in a position that allows you to help someone realize and achieve one of their dreams – offer your help.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter at @adammendler and on LinkedIn and listen and subscribe to Thirty Minute Mentors on your favorite podcasting app.