A friend once asked me if I ever wondered why clients come to me and stay with me for years and years. Of course my first reaction was, well duh, I’m good! But in the crowded world of skincare, I really did have to reflect and be thankful to the clients I’ve had stay with me for the long haul. Most of my clients are now dear friends that I will have till the end – even if we only see each other a handful of times per year.
So I thought you know what, they have options. Why me? On a recent visit to my treatment room, I decided to ask one of my longest standing clients what it was for her that started her out and kept her coming back for more. I don’t plan on doing what I do forever, although I wish I could, but I do want to continue to build lasting, meaningful clientele that care about what I can contribute to their skin and lives – just like I care about (and appreciate) what they bring to mine.
Here’s my fun “interview” with Ms. Heidi Siegmund Cuda, Producer, Screenwriter and Director of the upcoming dark comedy, “Zombie Newsroom.”
DDP: You’re a busy lady to say the least, what made you take the plunge and make skincare a part of your lifestyle?
Heidi: It was Mrs. Patrick Dempsey, aka the brilliant Jillian Fink, who was tired of looking at my ‘writerly’ skin: i.e., late nights, smoky bars, ample tequila and quite frankly, at 30, I looked 40. So Jillian, at her then salon, “Deluxe” in Hollywood, says, “I’ve got a present for you…” And she handed me a gift certificate to come and see you!! Honestly, who wants to look 40 at 30, especially in Hollywood?! Two decades later and I know I wouldn’t be able to say this without you.
By 40, I looked 30. At 50, I look 40, and every time someone seems flummoxed when I say my age: I just hand out on of your DePiano Skin business cards. Truth!
DDP: I love it!! Building a friendship and witnessing the transformation has been just as rewarding for me. Some people resist a skincare routine thinking it will just take more time out of their day – time they just don’t have. Did you find that?
Heidi: At first, but month after month, and noticing the peeling back of years by hand curating and caring for my skin in a customized program that requires little effort on my part, it was just too genius not to get on board.
Whatever my obligations in life, I pay the tab on DePiano Skin like it’s the DWP. Gotta keep the brights on. And as I take big career risks, disabling my ability to maintain the frequency of our visits, you always found a myriad ways to extend the beauty of my skin despite the ebbs and flows of my pocketbook. Clarisonic, was a brilliant addition to my routine, especially during travel.
DDP: So, other than rolling back the years. What compelled you to keep coming back to me; there are so many options out there?
Heidi: I did do some research but I wanted a guru. This is my face and what I didn’t realize at the beginning, would translate into the way I carry myself overall. Anything happening at the intersection of technology and beauty, I was confident you’d researched it like a PhD and by the time I was reclining on your table, I knew exactly how the latest tech can help me or not. I trusted you and that means a lot to me. You also were creating beauty on the inside and I hadn’t noticed it at the time. It became about going beyond skin and into mindful ways to live a healthier life in the big city. In many ways, you are my guru of #beautycool (hugs all round)
DDP: Awwww. Thank you. So Jillian kick started you (aren’t we both thankful to that!?) and being the generous person I know you are, what have you done to pay it forward in the world of skincare?
Heidi: As a mother, producer, screenwriter, columnist, filmmaker, director and #freepress activist (gee that’s a mouthful), suffice it to say, I’m busy. And my skincare regime reflects that. When I say regime, I mean, wash, rinse repeat. Visit DePiano Skin at least four times a year, and six when I can afford it. And never, ever run out of my DePiano Skin products. What you’ve made possible is for a girl like me to Look Good for Life without undergoing the knife. Huge!!
Now, at 50, beautiful skin is priceless and lucky for me, I’ve never deviated from the DePiano Skin path laid out for me 20 years ago.
And that is why, before my daughter took off for Wellesley as a freshman, at 17, I treated her to her first DePiano Skin treatment. I told her to do what Deb says, and she’ll not only shine like the star she is, she’ll always be pretty on the inside.
Heidi Siegmund Cuda, is an Emmy-award winning investigative producer and a 2017 recipient of the Orcas Island Film Festival director’s grant, where her short film “RIGGED: A Tail of Corruption,” just made its debut. She, with her producing partner Susan von Seggern, have multiple television shows and films in development. Cuda tries to wash her face each night and usually fails. But Deb’s full-proof simplicity skincare regime means Cuda can wash and prep for an Oscar party in 30 minutes. Yep, it’s happened for real.