Kurr owner Kimberly Espich has been drawn to aesthetics since she was a little girl. “I’ve always wanted to work on people,” she laughs. “Even my grandpa let me comb his hair.” So after she got a degree in business and public affairs from Indiana University, Kim felt compelled to return to school—this time to get her education in aesthetics in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

Her career began with a dream job: she was hired at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, where she received excellent training and had the chance to use some of the finest products on the market. “At some point after that,” she says, “I knew I wanted my own boutique spa.” Her first shop, Kurr Chicago, opened in Lincoln Park and attracted a devoted clientele. Eventually, as her reputation grew, some famous faces crossed the transom, like then-couple Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey—and also a group of Oprah Winfrey’s producers, who loved the place and offered Kim a second once-in-a-lifetime gig working in Oprah’s private spa.

“I had just made the decision to move back to Indiana to be closer to my family,” Kim says. “So I did—and I commuted.” The job was worth it—great people, fabulous facilities and products, and an exciting, ever-changing atmosphere thanks to Oprah’s star power. “You never knew who you were going to meet on a given day,” she continues. But after two years, Oprah’s daily show was coming to an end, and so did the spa. “It was a wonderful job, but it was time to move on,” Kim adds.