Meet Jean Vavra | Entrepreneur, Actress, Proud mother of two fine young men

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jean Vavra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jean, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I have a strong work ethic and I’ve always worked like I owned the business. I wanted my efforts to directly impact my life and the lives of my employees. My employees have been with me from between 5-19 years and it gives me great satisfaction knowing I can provide them with work so they can support themselves and their families. Since the beginning, I knew I wanted to run a business. It’s exciting being involved in all aspects of a company and I especially enjoy the creative side. Developing new products and designing packaging is my favorite part of my work. That and testing all the lotions and candles! Our Zen inspired line of products has been a top seller. Each scent has a different quote from spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama, Lao Tzu, and Gandhi. Our massage candles were featured on HGTV as one of the hottest products of the year two years in a row. The candle is an oil blend so you can use the melted oil of the candle on your skin as a body oil or warm massage oil. Sin Cleansers are another innovative product we came up with. The soap has spiritual icons in them like a nun, a pope, and Jesus, and they will wash away your sins. They dissolve as they absolve.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Having been raised by parents that lived through the Korean War, I was taught to be practical. Art and creativity were fine hobbies but didn’t make ideal career choices. I was always drawn to the theater and I loved the magic that these artists created, bringing an entire room of strangers on an emotional journey. Whenever I attended shows, I felt an intense desire to be on that stage but I never believed it was a possibility for me.

I’ve always heard that life is short, but watching my husband lose his battle with cancer shortly after his 50th birthday solidified that concept as a belief. It changed the way I looked at life and I developed a fervent desire to seek what I was truly passionate about. I took my first acting class and loved it, but my priorities were running my business and supporting my kids, so I didn’t move forward with it. Then the pandemic hit and I was reminded once again how precious and uncertain life is. I went all in. I slowly transitioned from never missing a day of work, to taking off more and more days each week so I could explore various acting classes. There was a point where I was taking 7 classes a week. Training in Meisner for the last three years has taught me how to bring the emotional life to the scene. It’s such great training for being present with your scene partner. Training in improvisation at UCB was exhilarating. Improv keeps you agile so you’re ready for anything and can go with the flow.

I am proud to call myself a second act actor. Coming to this career at a later age allows me to bring a wealth of life experiences to my work. My life has been full with joys and sorrows which helps me to flesh out and create fuller characters. I’m also in a financially stable position which allows me to pursue roles that I’m drawn to without having the pay scale affect my decision to take on or turn down a project. I have been running my company Natural Selection Bath and Body for 24 years. I am thankful that my business has reached a point of self-sufficiency. I’m grateful for the incredible staff I have which affords me the ability to step out whenever I book work or have auditions to shoot.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

San Diego has so much to offer. Old Town is a favorite of mine as I absolutely love Mexican cuisine. Little Italy is another fun area with incredible eateries. Convoy street in Kearny Mesa is lined with a wide array Asian restaurants. I could spend days on end at Balboa Park. It’s picturesque scenery, fine dining, museums, and of course The Old Globe theater make for a memorable day. There is a fantastic urban hike I enjoy that takes you throughout the city while crossing seven different bridges. There are lots of cool venues for live music and dancing like The Belly Up, Tio Leo’s, and Humphries.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My success can be attributed to supportive friends and family and thanks to finding incredible communities such as The Houde School of Acting and Wendy Alane Wright’s Hollywood Winner’s Circle (HWC). The Houde School provides top notch training in Meisner, improv, self tape, and script analysis. The school is located in Ohio but thanks to zoom students all over the world can train with them. Jessica Houde Morris has created a truly special community that offers outstanding, affordable classes. Acting requires not only acting skills but also business acumen. HWC educates actors on the business of acting. Through this community I have connected with many people in the industry including agents, managers, casting directors, acting coaches, and working actors. I signed with my first agent in an HWC session. It is a community where members support each other, celebrate wins, and help each other push through the setbacks. Through HWC I connected with Holly Gagnier, who is not only an accomplished actress, but also a gifted acting teacher. She teaches at Playhouse West in LA. I am fortunate to train with her weekly and to have her as my acting coach.

My family has been incredibly supportive. They are my biggest cheerleaders. When I started this journey my boys were 16 and 18. Instead of thinking it was a crazy idea to pursue this dream, they believed it was possible. Seeing them open to finding your passion and pursuing your dreams makes me feel like I’m doing something right as a parent. I love being an example of living life to it’s fullest. When it’s my time to leave this earth I’ll know I did my best and I gave it my all.

Website: www.jeanvavra.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jeanvavra

Linkedin: jeanvavra

Facebook: facebook.com/jeanvavra

Youtube: @jeanvavra

Other: My business website is www.ShopNaturalSelection.com

Image Credits
Joanna DeGeneres