Today we’d like to introduce you to Tempest Seagraves.
Hi Tempest, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My official journey in esthetics began in 2019, but the passion started much earlier. At 25, I was burned out on the retail world and feeling a little lost after cycling through various service industry jobs. One day, my husband asked me a question that changed everything: “If you could do anything that would truly make you happy, what would it be?” My immediate answer was that I wanted to help people find real, lasting solutions for their skin concerns. Like many teens, I developed cystic acne, but unlike many, it didn’t disappear with age. My long, personal battle with adult acne was, and remains, the driving force behind my desire to learn the science of skin health and help others feel confident.
After graduating from esthetics school, the COVID-19 pandemic completely disrupted the spa industry, making it incredibly difficult to find treatment room employment. Fortunately, the school I graduated from offered me a position as their Spa Coordinator. This kept me present in the field, and after a year, I stepped into an Esthetics Instructor role. I spent two years in the classroom, teaching future estheticians. I was committed to continuous learning, attending every education class I could. While I briefly attempted to launch my own business during this time, the demanding schedule of a full-time teacher meant I couldn’t dedicate enough time to the treatment room, and the idea unfortunately faded.
However, I couldn’t ignore the strong pull to work one-on-one with clients. I knew my real fulfillment was in the treatment room. I left my teaching role to become a full-time facialist at a wonderful, woman-owned small spa in Powell. For two years, I focused on building deep client relationships, refining my knowledge, and honing my skills. It was a beautiful experience, but eventually, I felt ready for the next, bold step: to be a business owner.
I launched Seagraves Elevated Aesthetics in June of 2025. I specialize in a gentle, results-driven approach, focusing heavily on facial massage and treating the skin kindly to improve both skin health and overall wellness. It’s so much more than a cosmetic fix—it’s about comprehensive care. After years of searching and growing, I can finally say that I have found my perfect career fit, and I am dedicated to sharing that passion with my clients every single day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but the journey has been so rewarding! Just getting through esthetics school was a serious juggling act- trying to balance my part-time job while being a wife and a mother to a grade-school boy. Those long months of little sleep and massive stress were immediately followed by the uncertainty of the global pandemic, which nearly ended my career before it even truly began. It was an incredibly scary and uncertain time for everyone in our industry.
While I was working at the school, I honestly started to believe I might never make it back into the treatment room; I doubted my capabilities after being away from hands-on practice for so long. Stepping into my role at the spa was a new challenge entirely. Suddenly, my income was directly affected by my ability to build a clientele and market myself. That first year was a steep learning curve, requiring me to quickly grapple with the business side of esthetics.
Despite the initial struggle, my favorite part of the transition was learning how to build meaningful, trusting relationships with my clients. I’ve been so lucky to have clients who start as complete strangers and truly become close friends. That personal connection is the heart of what I do.
My current challenge is navigating all the hats required of a business owner in this constantly changing world. While I absolutely love being the “talent”—giving clients results and building those trusting relationships—I confess that the administrative side is less enjoyable! Dealing with social media marketing, managing orders, taxes, and accounting all take valuable time away from the treatment room and my family. It’s a continuous learning process to manage all the responsibilities necessary for success, but I’m so happy to have the opportunity.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a licensed Esthetician and former Esthetics Instructor, with certifications in dermaplaning, corrective facial massage, and buccal massage. I specialize in a more holistic, gentle approach to skin health, focusing on treatments that help provide both physical and mental benefits. I am particularly proud to be known as Knoxville’s premier buccal massage facialist.
When a client steps into my treatment room, they are signing up for more than just a typical facial. My work centers on customized skin treatments, precisely catering to each individual’s unique needs and commitment levels. My goal is to work with your body, treating your skin kindly to improve health from the “outside in.”
My signature is a focus on facial massage—specifically, techniques that include Buccal Massage, which is performed inside the mouth to release deep muscle tension in the jaw, neck, and face. This is not a standard spa offering; to ensure the highest level of care, I pursued specialized, in-person training. I made the sacrifice of time away from my family to complete a specialty course in advanced facial massage with Katerina Summers in Franklin, Tennessee.
This specialized work offers incredible results: it is known to lift and sculpt the face, promote circulation, and dramatically reduce facial inflammation.
Facial massage may also provide some relief for clients suffering from TMJ, chronic headaches, and stress-related tension. My clients often say that they come in for the glow, but they keep coming back for the deep sense of relaxation and the tension relief that helps them feel better overall.
I am so proud of the trust I’ve earned from my clients, as well as friends and family that value my knowledge and opinions. It goes back to that early goal of wanting to truly help people. When a client tells me they can sleep better because their jaw pain is gone, or they are obsessed with how their new skincare routine makes them feel, or that they finally feel confident enough to go without makeup, that is my greatest reward. Opening Seagraves Elevated Aesthetics was the culmination of years of hard work and belief that there is more to skin health than just products and machines. Being able to provide a service that makes such a real difference in both client’s skin and their day-to-day well-being is the highlight of my career.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am a firm believer in collaboration over competition! Knoxville is full of people looking for real, positive change in their lives, and I truly believe taking a full-body approach is the best way to help them achieve it. I love teaming up with fellow alternative health and wellness providers, such as massage therapists, reiki masters, chiropractors, acupuncturists, mental health therapists, and nutritionists. By connecting and working together, we create a supportive space where clients can receive comprehensive care that addresses their well-being from multiple angles.
If you are a fellow provider interested in working together, or if you are a client ready to book a service, reaching out is easy.
You can contact me directly via email at Seagraves.aesthetics@gmail.com.
You can also find me and my work on social media—Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok—by searching @seagraves.aesthetics. For convenient booking links, please visit my business page on Google.
Pricing:
- (75-minute) Bespoke Buccal Massage Facial, $125
- (60-minute) Customized Facial, $120
- (105-minute) Elevated Experience, $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.vagaro.com/seagraveselevatedaesthetics
- Instagram: @seagraves.aesthetics
- Youtube: @SEAesthetics
- Other: Https://popl.co/card/vUfuKPz0/1/s
