Christine Villanueva

I always tell people my success comes from the Lord. Even when I was promoted to become account manager for Jo Malone, I always give God number one - God first. I praise Him because He gives me wisdom to do my job. The preparation for things like my masterclasses is not easy, so I pray and ask my mom and the pastor in Indonesia to pray for me every day. I support and believe in tithing, giving tithes to the Lord. I rotate between Daystar television, Rabbi Snyder's Discovering the Jewish Jesus, Dr. David Jeremiah, and I used to watch Pastor Hagee in Texas on TV. God will correct me too - if I do too much talking and end up gossiping, He will correct me, and I will say, God, I'm so sorry. It's not me, it's God first. And then number two, my mom and the pastor in Indonesia, and then my teammates, my colleagues, my manager. It's a teamwork, basically. I also believe the hard training I received from my marching band days in Indonesia - Drum Corps Indonesia - carried me through. We were trained like in the military, very strict, and all of us that graduated from that are successful people because of that hard training. I noticed firsthand at work that some people, especially young ones, can be smart but the work ethic is bad. I always tell young people and newcomers that there is no such thing as a perfect job. You just have to follow the current but also pay attention. In America, you can address issues nicely without being nasty. My main job is to become like a missionary, to share my faith, because I went through a very hard time.

The best career advice I’ve received includes learning to set boundaries as a manager, taking initiative by speaking up and asking for training or opportunities, and heeding my father’s wisdom to “follow the current but pay attention,” staying adaptable while aware of the bigger picture.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to prioritize a strong work ethic, be proactive in learning, clearly communicate your development needs to managers, and remember that no job is perfect — focus on serving customers wholeheartedly while maintaining healthy boundaries.

The biggest challenges in my field include high turnover among part-time beauty staff, balancing in-store responsibilities with remote client servicing, meeting aggressive sales goals, and adapting to retail shifts like store closures that affect gifting options. Opportunities lie in cultivating loyal client relationships through personalized service and engaging in events that deepen customer connections.

Faith is the most important value in my life - I always put God first in everything I do. I believe in the Bible verse that says in everything you do, you do wholeheartedly unto the Lord, whether you're cleaning the bathroom or managing a counter. That belief and calling shapes who I am. I also value hard work and discipline, which I learned from my strict upbringing in Indonesia and my military-style training in the marching band. Customer service is central to my work - customer first, always. I truly appreciate my loyal clients and sometimes even treat my good clients to special experiences with my own money. Family is also very important to me. I was a stay-at-home mom for 15 years, homeschooling my two sons James and Michael, and I'm so thankful to God that they're good young men now. I help my mom every week with $80. I also value my hobbies like hula dancing - I danced hula for 20 years, including Christian hula at Olivet Baptist Church with the Master Touch Hula group for 5 years. Music has always been important to me too, from my piano lessons in Indonesia to my time in Drum Corps Indonesia, where we competed internationally at the World Music Contest in the Netherlands in 1978 and 1981.