Building Beauty with a Purpose in Shanghai

Carina Schaefer came to Shanghai for its vitality and stayed for its people. Her work as an executive coach and learning & development expert has focused on significant transformation – helping people discover clarity, calm and lasting confidence.

From attitude to body and skin, that idea spread. A long-time goal of creating a waxing business became Varua Beauty, a refined wellness and skincare facility where science meets sensitivity and outcomes feel truly personal.

The German values balance, knowledge and care that keep pace with Shanghai while recognizing the spirit ("Varua") behind it all.

Before we talk about Varua Beauty, would you please introduce yourself?

I'm Carina – German by passport, global at heart. An executive coach with a background in learning & development, a product owner, and a lifelong advocate for fitness and health. I care about change you can actually feel. My work blends method and empathy, science and intuition, helping people explore their lives and capabilities on their own terms – not society's – so growth becomes sustainable and life feels more spacious, even on the busiest days.

Why after a few years you decided to strike out on your own and start a beauty business?

It wasn't after just a few years – it was about 10 years after I arrived in Shanghai. The city moves fast; people need care that keeps up. When I first came, I dreamed of opening a waxing studio that blended art, health and beauty, but I wanted to build a strong foundation first. I took on a great corporate role, learned deeply, and the dream went quiet – but never disappeared.

Years later, I met Farah Lopez Del Aguila, and together we built NUDE Skincare, an organic line that paired clean formulas with real results and education. When the opportunity came to take over a beauty salon, we said yes – bringing that precision and care into the treatment room. Most recently, we rebranded it as Varua Beauty to reflect what we truly do: combine effective facial and body technologies with thoughtful protocols, education and an elegant, unhurried experience. "Varua" means spirit or soul in Polynesian (Tahitian), capturing our aim – results with heart, beauty that feels calm and deeply human.

What makes Shanghai's business environment so remarkable?

Velocity and openness. You can test ideas quickly with a truly international clientele and refine them fast. Shanghai rewards clarity, consistency, and service – deliver real value, and the city meets you halfway. What I love most is how international it feels: Whether local or foreign, everyone brings a piece of the world to the table.

What were you trying to bring to the local community?

We wanted to create a space that feels grounded and trustworthy: effective face and body care, transparent programs, and everyday tools that help results to last. A place where technology and touch meet education and empathy. We always lead with education – so clients feel seen, understand their skin better, and experience beauty as a steady practice, not a source of stress.

What are the biggest challenges setting up a business here? How do you stay motivated?

Navigating operations and compliance across languages and systems;

Hiring and training to a high professional standard;

Maintaining cash flow discipline during growth (memberships, packages, inventory);

Motivation to keep going and be on it is honestly coming from a few sources for me. I have a beautiful team with me that works well together and always tries to keep the spirit up.

What was the moment that made you proud?

There are many, but rebranding from Lylo Studio to Varua Beauty was a defining one – everything suddenly clicked. Clients immediately felt the shift: the quieter space, the elevated treatments and the clear, personalized programs.

Then there are the quiet, human moments – a client with reactive skin saying she finally left home makeup-free and felt like herself. Those stories stay with me. When I step back and see our team, the learning, the doubt, even the tears, and the steady progress – it's deeply moving. Years of dedication become visible.

What are you working on?

We have so many ideas of what we like to do and just thinking about it brings my spirits up. Something that we work on and hopefully can publish soon is our website and Wechat account. We are also creating some workshops around wellness and a small wellness book for in-studio use. Another thing that I feel great is we are all studying and learning to improve our work and deepen our knowledge.

Who is the female role model who inspires you?

I am most inspired by the everyday community around us in Shanghai: women who juggle work, family and self-care with grace, and men who are showing up as supportive partners and investing in their well-being and grooming.

That grounded, collective energy shapes how we design services and care for clients at Varua Beauty.

Besides that, my family has shaped my life. They have always supported me, even when they were not fully convinced about my ideas or plans. They've all fought to get where they are, but they still take time to care for each other. I carry their strength and dedication with me.

Do you have any advice for women entrepreneurs?

Guard your inner compass (and earn it). People will say you're not skilled or "not enough." Listen, observe and then test in the real world – client outcomes, team feedback and your own energy. Choose based on evidence, not noise.

Be your own biggest fan – without shrinking others. Don't contort yourself to fit someone else's view. Define success on your terms and build operations that protect it (pricing, pace, boundaries).

Keep learning on purpose. Turn "not enough" into "getting better." Train, seek mentors, certify and practice – skill compounds (it's how I moved from corporate to skincare, coaching and cosmetology).

Make one clear promise – and keep it every time. Consistency builds trust faster than any campaign.

Design operations early. Pricing, memberships, SOPs, training and cash buffers turn vision into a stable business.

Protect your energy like an asset. Sleep, movement and honest boundaries are strategies, not perks.

Iterate small, improve fast. Use real client feedback; tighten what works, and drop what doesn't – no ego, just outcomes.

Choose courage over consensus. Be willing to walk away from ideas – or people – when your evidence and gut align.

Build partnerships and community. Aligned people compound your impact faster than ads ever will.

Lastly I want to say. It's never too late to pivot. Paths evolve when you dare to take the next step. The feeling of getting there in spite of fear, in spite of everyone telling you that you can't is incredible and it will change your outlook on things.

I have always had so many interests and passions and I still hear voices of people telling me that I can't do everything, or it's too late to do this and I should focus on one thing only.

Now... I smile and think to myself "yes I can do everything" it may be slower, it may not even be for business but just for my own curiosity either way it is for me and it really does not need to make sense to anyone else. So, keep believing in yourself, the magic of life and that no matter what your path is, its yours alone to take.