Ildi Pekar On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Health and Wellness Industry

An Interview With Luke Kervin

To me wellness is practicing healthy habits to live a better life. The skin is a map about what’s going on in your body and if you read it well and take care of your insides, it will show in your skin. Treat your body well. You can use the most expensive cream on your skin but if you’re still not taking care of the inside, then you’re wasting your money.

The global health and wellness market is worth more than 1.5 trillion dollars. So many people are looking to improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellness. At the same time, so many people are needed to help provide these services. What does it take to create a highly successful career in the health and wellness industry?

In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Health and Wellness Industry” we are talking to health and wellness professionals who can share insights and stories from their experiences.

In this particular interview, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ildi Pekar.

Working with the body for over 20 years, Ildi Pekar has focused her craft on all the manifestations of cellular damage and accelerated aging that are skin deep, providing her clients with measurable results in both their visual appearance and their overall sense of well-being.

A native of Budapest, Ildi Pekar incorporates her deeply rooted cultural and educational experiences as a skincare therapist to promote her philosophy “skincare is health care”. Ildi’s home country of Hungary is known as the “spa capital” of the world and served as a foundation for the creation of her renowned healing therapies.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you grew up?

I am an esthetician born and raised in Hungary. When I was growing up, there was limited access to medication so we made due with what we had. Thermal water and fresh herbs was the cure for everything! People often underestimate the power of herbs and flowers.

Was there a particular person or event that inspired you to live a wellness-focused lifestyle? Can you tell us about your main motivation to go all in?

My grandma and my mom. We grew up in a small country that didn’t have loads of fancy products. My grandma’s motto was that “you only have one skin” and that you should take care of it. My family was all about feeling our best selves and that includes taking care of your insides and outsides.

Most people with a wellbeing centered lifestyle have a “go-to” activity, exercise, beverage, or food that is part of their routine. What is yours and can you tell us how it helps you?

I’ve been meditating for 18 years and its my savior! It gives me a sense of calmness, peace and balance which helps me keep centered. I also enjoy practicing yoga and reiki. I am a Libra and we like to feel balanced. I do however have a bit of a sweet tooth and feel that a good chocolate can fix a lot of problems. 80% of my diet is vegetarian and I prepare my food at home. I also like to take walks in the neighborhood and soak in all the beauty.

To live a wellness-focused life is one thing, but how did it become your career? How did it all start?

When I came to this country, I worked under someone and learned a lot. There were very limited options for natural facials. I was shocked when I went into places like Sephora. I was in awe at the scents and pretty packaging. After dabbling, I realized that my skin wasn’t thriving how it once was so after years of trying these products, I decided to go back to my roots which always worked for me. I’ve always been interested in skincare and knew that I wanted to create something of my own and decided that I wanted to bring a piece of Hungary to the US.

Can you share a story about the biggest challenges you faced when you were first starting? How did you resolve that? What are the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

Leaving my parents behind was very difficult. I didn’t speak any English when I first came to the States and tried to read a lot of magazines! Another challenge is one that I still struggle with and it is feeling like I’m going against the grain trying to educate people about natural ingredients when there are so many products on the market. I continue to stay true to myself and my beliefs and try not to get swayed with every new trend on social media.

Can you share with us how the work you are doing is helping to make a bigger impact in the world? Can you share a story that illustrates that?

I am teaching and educating people on how to attain their best/beautiful skin. I have a client that used to struggle with her skin always looking for a quick fix until she started seeing me. I believe that slow and steady wins the race and within a few weeks, this client was able to start noticing major positive changes in her skin. Seeing people progress in this way makes everything worth it! I believe that it is important to see a professional who will get you on the right routine and show you the correct products for your skin.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people

I am working on some exciting projects that I can’t speak too much on at the moment.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

I believe that I am a great listener, I pay close attention to detail and I have vast knowledge on health and skin. I love to talk with my clients and listen to what has and hasn’t worked for them so that I can better treat them. I believe this has bought me far since my clients trust that they’re always in good hands with me or my estheticians. I pay close attention to detail and can remember every story you tell me during your visits. My knowledge on skincare and health allows my clients to pick my brain and achieve a sense of wellness themselves.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition of terms so that all of us are on the same page. Wellness is an incredibly broad topic. How would you define the term “Wellness”? Can you explain what you mean?

To me wellness is practicing healthy habits to live a better life. The skin is a map about what’s going on in your body and if you read it well and take care of your insides, it will show in your skin. Treat your body well. You can use the most expensive cream on your skin but if you’re still not taking care of the inside, then you’re wasting your money.

As an expert, this might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to expressly articulate this. Can you please share a few reasons with our readers about why focusing on our wellness should be a priority in our lives?

You should focus on your wellness because you feel better, energized and look amazing. It’s a way to keep your body in tip top shape and improve productivity and performance. Having treatments like a detox or face massage can even cause you to sleep better.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasingly growing understanding of the necessity for companies to be mindful of the wellness of their employees. For the sake of inspiring others, can you share steps or initiatives that companies have taken to help improve or optimize their employees’ mental and physical wellness?

I give my employees CBD! I have a small team that are like family and I like to take them out for dinner here and there so that we can get to bond and get to know each other better outside of the office.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Health and Wellness Industry”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.

In order to create a highly successful career in the health and wellness industry, you need to research, keep your mind open, be persistent, get creative and stay consistent. There is loads of information out there, you just have to search for it. I am constantly doing research on ingredients and new technology that I can incorporate into my spa. You must always keep your mind open. I love the quote “you never stop learning. You learn something new every day.” Persistence is another thing that you definitely need in this business. There was this woman who once told me, “its always a great idea until you tell someone”. I believe this is so true because if you don’t believe in yourself, who else will? With so many products and facials out there, you need to get creative to stick out and understandably, things can get discouraging. Stay true to yourself and manifest what you want. Consistency is also key. I give my clients a consistent experience so that they return and let others know about their great experience as well.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would promote the most wellness to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would start a movement educating people to take care of themselves and what they put into their bodies. I would urge them to start reading their ingredients and using quality natural products.

We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I would love to meet Dalai Lama because he is full of wisdom and I would love to pick his brain. I’ve been obsessed with him for a long time since he has this calmness about him. For me, he’s the face of knowledge and spirituality and I look up to him. I would also like to meet Gwyneth Paltrow because the topics she chooses to speak about are very interesting. She is not afraid to bring new things to the forefront and start meaningful discussions.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can follow us on Instagram @ildipekarwellnessstudio or checkout our site for things like monthly blog posts.

Follow us on Instagram @ildipekarskincare

for skin tips, tutorials and special discounts!

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!