There’s an old sentiment when comes to business relationships and how it predicates your success…

“It’s all about who you know.”

While this is true to a degree, because knowing who influences various areas of your community is essential in knowing how to leverage your relationships to be mutually beneficial, what’s more important is how well you’re getting to know people. 

How much effort are you putting into nurturing your relationships?

What are you doing to invest in your existing relationships to make them stronger as well as develop new relationships?

Now, if you’ve listened to even a few episodes of Spa Marketing Made Easy that feature guest interviews, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: all my guests are people I’ve personally connected with or met and developed a relationship with before having them on the show. 

Whether it’s meeting them through my coaching or mastermind groups, business events, or working relationships, our connections are what drive our conversation forward. 

And in this week’s episode, I’m talking with another one of my connections made through my coach, Rachel Perry, who is also a coach herself, as well as one of the sweetest and funniest people I’ve had the opportunity to chat with. 

Today we’re exploring the benefits of business relationships both with clients and with other business owners, and how the power of relationships isn’t so much about the who, but rather the how in how you approach developing relationships with everyone within the sphere of your business. 

Whether you’re brand new in business, you don’t own a business but are working to grow your clientele, or you’re well-established, but looking for new opportunities to expand in your career, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why investing in finding and nurturing entrepreneurial relationships is important and necessary 
• How to create stronger client relationships that make a client feel valued and how that benefits your business in the short- and long-term
• Simple ways to keep track of your relationships and why you should be keeping track
• The differences in approach to developing relationships with clients vs. fellow business owners 

References Mentioned in Episode #083: Exploring the Benefits of Business Relationships with Rachel Perry 

• To learn more about Rachel, click here to visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram 
• Tune into Rachel’s podcast, Making the Leap 
• Listen to Episode #008 of Spa Marketing Made Easy: Grow Your Clientele With Gift Card Marketing

To keep the conversation going, ask questions, and connect with other like-minded aestheticians building thriving careers, click here to join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast community.

When I speak with aesthetic experts who have recently taken the leap to start their own aesthetic business whether it’s as a solo practitioner or a spa with a team of aestheticians, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “how do I build a business that lasts?”

We’ve all heard the stats: 20 percent of small business businesses fail in their first year and 50 percent within five years. 

It’s not exactly a hopeful statistic when it comes to longevity, and that’s why I love to share stories like those of my guest on this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, Shannon O’Brien. 


Shannon is an industry vet with over 17 years of experience where she has started and grown not only a successful day spa in Tahoe but has also moved on to a new area, launched again as a solo practice and built it up with a team and a boutique to boot. 

She knows what it takes to build a business from the ground up, scaling her team and services, and building a brand that will be successful for the long haul, but this journey didn’t come without its bumps in the road.

In this episode, Shannon and I are getting vulnerable on what it looks like to navigate the entrepreneurial journey through tough seasons of life and how you can find beauty in the breakdown to help you build your business to the vision of success you hold, and even beyond your wildest dreams.

Today, Shannon is the founder of iSugarUniversity where she is bringing sugaring education and community to the online space, and I’m so excited for you to hear her inspiring story of how she arrived to where she is today.

I know her story will give you hope, especially if you’re in the midst of a rough patch of life or business, but even if you’re not, her story is a case study in the grit and perseverance needed to succeed, and is chock full of takeaways that will help fuel your growth personally and professionally.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Shannon’s evolution as an aesthetician who owned a successful day spa and moved to a whole new city to start over 
• How Shannon discovered sugaring, how it compares to waxing, and why it’s a beneficial treatment to be able to offer your clientele 
• Shannon’s top tips and mindset shifts for navigating difficult seasons of life and business-ownership to build the dream you envision for your life
• Why finding your focus is one of the most critical entrepreneurial skills you should develop 

References Mentioned in Episode #082: Finding Beauty in The Breakdown with Shannon O’Brien of iSugarUniversity 

• Learn more about Shannon’s iSugarUniversity and Sugar Tribe by visiting her website
• Connect with Shannon and iSugarUniversity on Instagram and Facebook 
• To keep the conversation going, ask questions, and connect with other like-minded aestheticians building thriving careers, click here to join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast community. 

Silver linings, looking on the bright side, glass-half-full…however you coin the idea of optimism, what you’re actually doing is choosing to be positive. And yes, positivity is a choice.

While being positive isn’t a marketing strategy per se, when embraced and embodied, the power of positive thinking has true, scientific evidence of improving not just our day-to-day lives, but long-term happiness and sustainable business success.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why mindset is a critical piece of success and happiness in life and business
• My personal story of how positive thinking has directed my entrepreneurial journey and my approach to taking on challenges and struggle for beneficial outcomes
• The science behind positive thinking and the tangible numbers to prove how impactful it can be in your business
• A simple practice you can begin doing now to immediately begin shifting your mindset into a place of positivity and possibility

To join the Spa Marketing Made Easy community on Facebook and receive more marketing insights, support, and feedback, click here.

When I first traveled to Japan in 2016, I immediately fell in love.

Not just with the place, but with the people.

They’re kind, inviting, present and take immense pride in their work, and as I explored some of their most prominent cities, I noticed that my experience with the people remained constant whether I was in a 7/11 convenience store or an upscale sushi restaurant.

Needless to say, it’s not uncommon to be inspired by travel, but Japan and its people genuinely offer an experience that’s uniquely it’s own, and I believe we have a lot we can take away and bring into our spa client experience.

So, in today’s episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, which I’m recording while on my second trip to Japan, this time to Kyoto, I wanted to share while immersed in the surrounding culture, the three core principles that I’ve experienced within the culture and among the Japanese people that you can use them to transform and enhance your spa’s client experience.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What it looks and feels like when you make people your priority
• How details matter when crafting a client experience that leaves a lasting impression
• What it means to be “simplistic” in a way that adds immense value (without creating a ton of extra work for you)
• How approaching an attitude of gratitude and service is one that can only come authentically

References Mentioned in Episode #015: 3 Takeaways from The Japanese Culture to Enhance Your Spa’s Client Experience

• Learn more about cultivating a presence practice by listening to my discussion with Kimberly Spreen-Glick in Episode #013 of Spa Marketing Made Easy.
• See the culture and mindset of the Japanese exemplified in the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
• Join the free Aestheticians Connect community and give your feedback on this episode or ask questions within a supportive community of like-minded aestheticians working to create thriving careers.

Today’s guest is a little different than my usual interviewee in the sense that, yes, she is a successful business owner, but the topic of her business isn’t what we’re discussing.

Instead, we’re diving into the money mindset that helped her achieve her success in life and business.

Meet Tamiko Kelly; she’s the founder of Sleep Well, Wake Happy, where she helps mamas feel like themselves again and improve their baby’s sleep through the night, which is actually how I began working with her when my daughter struggled with sleeping (not anymore!).

Tamiko has been instrumental in helping me create the business and baby balance that works for our life and my work, and as I got to know her, I found her attitude and reflections toward money to be profound in a way that I know many aestheticians need to hear.

Now let me address what could be the elephant in the room for you…

I know being in such a caring profession can make the idea of money feel sticky or out of alignment. After all, you’re here to serve and heal, right?

Before we go any further, you have to know this: you can help heal people and still be financially successful (whatever that means for you). Those two things are not mutually exclusive.

You can do both, and based on personal experience I can also confirm that is only the case if you have done the work to develop a money mindset that acknowledges your value and reframes your money outlook from one of scarcity to abundance.

And that’s what Tamiko is going to shed light on today you hear her money mindset journey along with her top insights for developing the mindset that will help you win big in business.

So, we may not be talking about sleep in this episode, but I think by the end of listening you’ll sleep better knowing that the success you desire to achieve lies within your control and reach.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why just “charging more” isn’t the fix for earning more and how there’s more profound work to be done
• How you can prepare yourself to be ready to receive and be resilient in breaking new blocks through your evolving money mindset journey
• What it takes to create boundaries that allow you to unblock the things that could be holding you back from receiving new energy around earnings

References Mentioned in Episode #054: Developing Your Winning Money Mindset with Tamiko Kelly

• Learn more about Tamiko’s work at Sleep Well, Wake Happy and sign up for her free (game-changing) online workshop: The 3 Step Process For Teaching Your Baby To Sleep All Night
• Connect with Tamiko on Facebook and Instagram
• Learn more about “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne
• Read “E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality” by Pam Grout

As aestheticians, I wholeheartedly believe we provide more than just beautiful skin. We’re also healers and confidence creators, so when I heard from one of my guests on today’s episode that 50-60 percent of aesthetic schools have closed since 2009, I was honestly shocked.

I had no idea our industry was experiencing such a shortage of educational avenues, and it got me thinking, “How can we as aestheticians be doing more to support and enrich the community and industry we’re a part of to ensure that it doesn’t slowly die?”

As I pondered that question, one of my guests on today’s episode, Maxine Drake, a leading spa consultant and coach, stepped in to help shed light on the subject and share how she’s giving back and creating educational opportunities on a larger scale.

Along with Maxine, I’m also talking with Malinda McHenry, a veteran aesthetics educator and Co-Owner of Bronzed n Beautiful (among many other notable accolades), about the current state of aesthetic education, the importance of giving back to the aesthetic community and industry, and how we can continue to professionally thrive through education.

In addition to those topics, we’re also talking about the incredible event Maxine is hosting in Hawaii on October 14 and 15, the 2018 Beauty Business Summit!

When you buy your ticket to the Summit, not only are you investing in your professional growth, but you’re also giving back to the aesthetic community since all proceeds from the event will go toward a funding grant for an aesthetic education institution.

I’m honored to have been invited as a panelist at the event where I’ll be speaking on “Retail Selling With Confidence.” I would love to meet you and learn with you there, so get your ticket today!

During this episode you’ll learn:

• The current state of aesthetic education institutions and why it’s critical they receive outside support from those thriving in the aesthetic industry
• Various ways we can give back to the aesthetic industry by imparting our gifts of knowledge and helping up-and-coming aestheticians gain greater experience
• How Maxine saw an opportunity to help up-level aestheticians’ business acumen while simultaneously giving back to aesthetic education through the Beauty Business Summit
• The benefits of participating in industry events and making professional connections
• How you can get involved with giving back no matter where you’re located or how much time you have

References Mentioned in Episode #014: Giving Back and Owning Your Role in Supporting the Aesthetic Industry

• Learn more about the 2018 Beauty Business Summit and to get your ticket.
• Apply for your school to be a candidate for the Beauty Business Summit Grant.
• Learn more about Maxine via her website and schedule a complimentary coaching call by click here.
• Learn more about Malinda and connect with her via LinkedIn.

Vulnerability, fear, self-compassion, judgement…these are all things we tend to face, especially as women, but even more so as entrepreneurs and aestheticians carving out our own definitions and pathways to success. But just because we face them doesn’t mean we’re doing the crucial work of moving through or with them, and that’s why I’ve brought on today’s guest, Julia Kristina.

Julia is a registered clinical counselor and the founder of Julia Kristina & Associates where she and her team help their clients process and breakthrough their emotional barriers brought on by anxiety and depression, stress and overwhelm as well as self-esteem issues, and grief and trauma.

Julia believes that we need to stop shying away from looking at and talking about the deep things that make us tick (and tock) as human beings, and doing so doesn’t have to be awkward or uncomfortable. In this episode, we discuss how we can begin bringing down our emotional and mental barriers to allow ourselves to be happy, healthy, and prosperous entrepreneurs.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How the core of your entrepreneurial success is tied to your willingness to be vulnerable
• Why you might be subconsciously sabotaging yourself and how to unblock the emotional restrictions holding you back
• Why you need to get curious and questions for reflection to help you transform fear into confidence
• What it means to be self-compassionate and how that ties into practicing self-care

As service providers, especially aesthetic experts who are inclined to give so much of ourselves to see our clients happy, it is all too easy to neglect our own self-care.

However, as my guest on today’s episode, Kimberly Spreen-Glick, explains, if we don’t fill up our cup first, we can’t expect to be able to provide our clients with the highest level of quality that we’re capable.

With over 25 years in the fitness, yoga and wellness industry, Kimberly has worked as a teacher, trainer, coach, program developer and director and has presented at workshops and conferences all over the world. In 2017, she founded the Make A Difference Academy, an online platform that provides inspired growth for Difference Makers everywhere, and remains a passionate student of life who uses her gifts to help others feel empowered to be themselves, let their authentic light shine and live the life they were meant to live.

In this episode, she shares the why and how behind her three critical steps for cultivating self-care, maintaining presence, and balancing our energy, especially as service providers.

If you find your mind wandering during treatments, feel mentally burnt out by the end of a workday, you’re finding it tough to find inspiration or motivation for growth, or you’re in an emotional rut, I know you’ll find the insights and takeaways Kimberly shares in this episode to be light-giving on a variety of levels, and I can’t wait to hear how it inspires and motivate you.  

Be sure to share those takeaways with me by leaving a review or posting in the free Aestheticians Connect community.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The importance of, plus how to initiate a consistent self-care practice
• What role self-care plays in our businesses in addition to our mental and physical wellbeing
• Inspiration for how you can fill up your self-care cup that doesn’t require any more than a few minutes of your time
• Why it’s paramount to our lives and business to maintain a mindset of continued learning and growth

References Mentioned in Episode #013: 3 Ways to Create Balance as an Aesthetician with Kimberly Spreen-Glick

• Connect with Kimberly via her website and on Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram.
• Enroll in Kim’s free mini-course, “Discover The 3 Simple Ingredients Anyone Can Use to Live an Inspired Life.”
• Learn more about Kimberly’s Make A Difference Academy and connect via Facebook and Instagram.
• Check out the expert resource recommendations for Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, and Marianne Williamson mentioned during this episode.

We all know that it’s good to be grateful.

But are you really, truly feeling that gratitude?

The truth is, having an attitude of gratitude requires practice, consistency, and specificity, which isn’t always easy, especially if we feel like we’re in a tough season of life or business.

Of course, we’re grateful for all the blessings we have, but when you desire something different, it can leave you feeling lost on how to feel thankful and using that gratitude to propel you forward.

And that’s exactly why I’m bringing you the message I have in this episode, which is all about how you can cultivate a deep sense of gratitude, put it in action, and how by doing so; you have the opportunity to see significant growth in your life and business.

See, gratitude isn’t a byproduct of success; it’s the activator of it.

So click play and dial into all you have to be grateful for, I promise you’ll immediately feel uplifted and see the benefits of building a gratitude practice with time.

In this episode I discuss:

• What gratitude helps do for our mindset, perspective, and actions, and in turn, how that affects our lives and businesses
• The 30-Day Gratitude Challenge
• A story of one of my students and how gratitude can affect the outcome of your goals
• Why it’s important to get specific when reflecting on your gratitudes

References Mentioned in Episode #037: The Attitude of Gratitude

• Download the Gratitude Journal and join me for the 30-day Gratitude Challenge
• Leave us a review on iTunes and help us reach our goal of impacting the lives and careers of 500 aestheticians
• Join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community on Facebook for exclusive monthly marketing trainings, insights and tips

Maybe you crave the freedom to set your own schedule.

Perhaps you want to have the choice of what protocols and products you use with your clients, or you want all the perks you’ve heard about being your own boss as a solo aesthetician.

No matter the reason, there’s no doubt that operating as a solo aesthetician comes with a variety of benefits, but one thing our industry tends to not shine as much of a light on is the behind-the-scenes.

The reason being: sometimes the behind-the-scenes isn’t as desirable or “sexy” as what you see paraded as the benefits of being your own boss.  

Now don’t get me wrong, these less-than-desirable things don’t make being an entrepreneur any less of an excellent choice, it just makes for one that should be thoughtfully considered before taking the leap into operating as a solo aesthetician.

Why?

Because not everyone is cut out to run their own show or take on the endeavor of entrepreneurship.

That’s why in this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m sharing some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned on my path in building a business as well as the key factors you’ll want to think long and hard about before taking the leap as a solo aesthetician.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why the spa industry lends itself well to branching out on your own using your unique skill set
• The pros, cons and major lessons you’ll learn as a solo aesthetician
• And the three questions you need to consider to decide if being a solo aesthetician is the right fit for you, your goals, and your circumstances

References Mentioned in Episode #010: Is Being a Solo Aesthetician the Right Fit for Me?

• Ready to create your own success as a solo aesthetician? Click here to access a vault of step-by-step marketing strategies, video masterclasses, and more!
• Read The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
• Ask questions, receive feedback and support from fellow aestheticians within our free Aestheticians Connect community.

Help us reach and measure our goal of impacting the lives and careers of 500 aestheticians by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on iTunes!