Two peas in a pod, dynamic duo, a perfect combination—whatever you want to call them, one thing is for sure: First Bloom Lasers & Infusions’ Dr. Rosabel (Dr. Bel) Nazal-Kaw and Vanna Garcia-Kaw are a match made in beauty and wellness heaven.
More than their similar surnames (sidenote: Their husbands are actually cousins and if that’s not fate, we don’t what is.), these two girl bosses have known each other for so long now that the road towards their business venture together is simply inevitable. Plus, individually and separately, they’ve been immersed in the beauty and wellness industry, so building First Bloom really was a no-brainer.
Dr. Bel is the daughter of dermatologist Dr. Isabel Nazal, who founded a chain of clinics around the country. Naturally, she’s been exposed to and knowledgeable of the field of aesthetics, which gave her the idea to have something of her own. Enter Vanna, who, at that time, was already thinking of the same thing for herself. She, on the other hand, started in the showbiz industry and is now an influencer for beauty, lifestyle, and motherhood. That said, looking and feeling good has been part and parcel of her career. From cousins-in-law to friends and now, business partners of First Bloom.
“We were talking about a business where we wanted to incorporate everything that would make it easy to make self-care sacred. We thought about this idea where we include all these services, which are very easy, hassle-free, and not so time-constraining for the on-the-go man or woman,” Vanna shares, as she talks about how the idea of First Bloom came about. The vision is to offer unique services that are the basics of what every Filipina needs and looks for.
She adds that while they want their services to be easy on the pocket, they also make sure to use only premium machines in providing their services, which include laser services for whitening, hair removal, injectables, and drips. In fact, the concept of “premium” applies not only to their equipment, but also to their interiors, which Vanna designed. She says, “We would like to show everyone that even through the design and the interiors, you can feel relaxed. Coming into our clinic, you will feel how premium it really is to be with First Bloom and that it’s value for your money.”
In terms of handling the business, Dr. Bel handles the more technical side, which includes the overall operations and trainings, while Vanna handles the marketing, daily operations, and the branding. “I'm very proud of how we are business partners because it's rare to have friends maintaining a business relationship. So, for us, that’s our priority—maintaining our friendship—and at the same time, running the business together as partners,” Dr. Bel says.
First Bloom took one year in the making before it got fully established and it wasn’t at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) yet. They put it up first in Pasig City in late 2019 and just a few months after that, the pandemic hit. While everything was closing left and right then, First Bloom stayed open, in spite of the challenges that came with maintaining the rent and supporting the staff. Looking back at that time, the whole uncertainty of the situation was the biggest challenge for Dr. Bel. “We were just so unsure of whether we would still have a market, still be able to open, or have employees,” she recalls.
Vanna adds, “We were also considering whether it was still worth it to shell out money for the business and if it was worth it for us as business partners. At the same time, we were also thinking of closing. During that time, everyone was affected, so we really had to stretch what we could at the time and see where it benefits both us and our staff.”
In 2021, as things slowly started to ease up and businesses doubled efforts to recover from the pandemic, Dr. Bel and Vanna wanted to move their location. They then decided that they needed to try out BGC, which is their present home, with a target to open it by early 2022. “At that time, I was telling [Vanna] to relocate, since our concept and design would be a waste if we didn’t move to BGC,” Dr. Bel says of their mutual decision.
Making a big decision to move bases, especially while still navigating through the pandemic, was undoubtedly filled with pressure and trepidation. Aside from shelling out money again to construct a new place, it was a challenge for Vanna as a designer to use what they had in the past studio and move it all to the new one just to save money.
All things considered, Dr. Bel and Vanna consider the move as the best decision they’ve made, so far. It serves as a testament to how much they believe in the business and the good that can come from it, pandemic notwithstanding. “If we gave up easily, we didn’t know the opportunities we would have if we closed,” Dr. Bel muses. Vanna agrees and adds, “We stuck by our intuition and beliefs because we know this is something we can push for. The branding, the idea—everything is really good, so [I thought] let’s have one last try.”
When asked about what they think was the biggest silver lining that came from the pandemic, Vanna says that it’s the reinforcement that making self-care sacred, which is what they’ve believed in from the start, should be all the more a priority: “Self-care is really something that people keep on going back to, so it's really something that we all must do to make ourselves feel better. At the end of the day, given all these challenges that happened in the past, I think the business that we chose to do is still something that’s very essential to people today.”
As they continue to push through and set their eyes on the future, this twosome beauty-and-brains behind First Bloom has high hopes for their business. Between more branches and even franchising, the opportunities to grow further are already within sight. The messages they get from people asking them if they can open a branch in their area—Cebu, for example—is validation enough that they are heading in the right direction, in terms of the high-quality service they provide and the satisfaction they bring to their clients. Plus, armed with and supported by the team and staff that have played a big part in making First Bloom prosperous, Dr. Bel and Vanna feel all the more motivated, happy, and lucky.
For Dr. Bel, having their vision come to life, First Bloom up and running, and meeting the needs of their clients are and will forever be their sources of pride. “The experience coming in, our people, how we do our services, our machines, and everything about First Bloom—we're very proud of it. It's something that Vanna and I thought very long and carefully about,” she shares.
Vanna adds, “We are very proud of spreading awareness of making self-care sacred and a priority. That's really what we are putting out there for all of us, may you be a woman or a man. To be able to take care of yourself and feel good about yourself—it's something that we're very proud of as First Bloom.”
As two inspiring individuals who’ve long been in the beauty and wellness industry and who are both self-care advocates, we couldn’t help but be curious as to what beauty is for them and how they personally see it. For Vanna, “beauty is just really being able to come out of your shell, being comfortable with who you are, and basically letting yourself shine through. To live a beautiful life is just being able to do you. It’s everything positive coming your way and feeling fulfilled, and being able to do what you think is best for you.”
More to the point, Dr. Bel muses, “I've always appreciated inner beauty. A beautiful person is pretty on the inside and outside; it cannot only be one. [When it comes to life,] I have to deal with the day-to-day stuff, but there's still beauty in there. I’m very content and happy where I am right now.” And isn’t that just the heart of true happiness?
As for First Bloom, Dr. Bel is quick to add, “Of course, First Bloom is beautiful since It's a place for beauty.” Simple, but oh-so true.
*First Bloom Lasers & Infusions is at 4/F Fort Pointe Building, The Fort Square Plaza, 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City. Discover and know more about First Bloom Lasers & Infusions on Parlon. Follow First Bloom Lasers & Infusions on Facebook and Instagram.
Photos courtesy of Dr. Rosabel Nazal-Kaw, Vanna Garcia-Kaw, and First Bloom Lasers & Infusions
