We had the good fortune of connecting with Fumi Ozaki and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fumi, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Yokohama, Japan (approximately 30 minutes away from Tokyo); and immigrated to the U.S. when I was 2 years old. Being an only child in the family, it came naturally for me to fully read, write, speak in Japanese and immerse into my Japanese culture at home with my parents who were strict in raising me in a bilingual setting. Such upbringing has a great impact on who I am today as a business owner, which I am truly thankful for my ability to communicate well and relate with all cultural diversities, personalities, and business levels.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
“O” de Kirei, founded in 2012, is a one-and-only personalized, private, petite skincare and electrolysis practice, conveniently located in the heart of North Redondo Beach, California. The concept of the business name, part of it comes from my last initial “O” but also means “water” (eau) in French. Kirei means “beauty” or “beautiful” in Japanese. My concept at the spa is to beautifully inspire the pure blessings of water to all my clients with a positive spirit, optimal health, and radiant skin wellness. I try to keep clients loyal and consistent by maintaining professionalism at all times in a one-on-one, clean, safe, and relaxing ambiance. I incorporate my Japanese background at the spa called ‘omotenashi’, meaning hospitality. There is a deeper meaning behind the term where there is a perfect balance of attentive care while creating a warm atmosphere of client trust. I focus on the utmost personalized customer care from their first visit and beyond. As a professional, it is very important that I respect my client’s personal and mental space. I usually remain mute while rendering a service so I can focus on perceiving their needs and wants. Whether it is becoming hair-free for life or optimizing their skin health, my clients and I will work as a team to help solve the issues. I kindly speak to my clients by looking at their eyes as a normal part of communication and answer any questions or concerns they may have. As an educator, I do my best to relieve any anxiety about the service(s) by doing a detailed consultation from day one. Clients come to the spa so they can shine and it is my job to sparkle joy. Being a good listener, in the long run, will make clients happy. Just like the saying, ‘make new friends but keep the old’, maintaining current clientele while searching for new and potential clients is one of the daily challenges I encounter in owning this business. With any spa business, it is important to realize that there is no absolute guarantee that my current clients will come to me forever. Regardless of their reasons for discontinuing service(s), I must recognize what’s going on, allow the experience to be there just at it is, and investigate with kindness. It is important to stop being hard on myself as things happen for a reason, regardless of good or bad.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As an ardent interest in food, there are many spots to take my friends to eat, visit, and hang out in LA County and vicinity. 1) For a 1-2 night trip, a drive to Oxnard, CA is relaxing, with the mesmerizing view of Channel Islands Harbor and Silver Strand Beach. If you’re a sushi lover, swing by at Sushi Hanada for a hearty meal (https://m.facebook.com/SushiHanada/) 2) After shopping at the Citadel Outlets (https://www.citadeloutlets.com/); drive up to Alhambra for some luscious dim-sum at King Hua Restaurant (http://kinghuarestaurant.com/), or if you feel like having a most amazing deli sandwich, Capri Deli in Covina is worth every mile of the drive (https://www.capridelicovina.com/).  3) For a quick, casual lunch after having my facial in Redondo Beach, swing by N Cafe in Gardena, a hole-in-a-wall eatery that just opened a couple of months ago. It’s take-out only for now but it’s worth the visit! (https://www.ncafegardena.com/)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
With so many competitions and choices, I would like to recognize my loyal clients for choosing my practice and being kind to me during the pandemic. Clients are the lifeblood of my spa business and it makes me proud of being part of a people-oriented industry. Clients come from all walks of life to see me. They trust my expertise and it is my job to present my hands-on skills with quality and integrity. Each day is a life learning lesson. Believing in my self leads to focusing on the success business. I believe that putting clients first before money, in the long run, will flourish many happiness and good luck throughout my spa career.

Website: https://fumiozaki.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odekirei/
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/fumi-ozaki-04434211
Twitter: https://twitter.com/odekirei
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/o-de-kirei-redondo-beach

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.