Going From Solo Esthetician To Business Owner: 5 Lessons Learned
The journey of starting a business can be one of the most rewarding things in life. But it’s also one of the most challenging.
I started this business inside of a Sola Salon and grew it gradually over the years into a business and brand that needed its own storefront. Through this journey, I learned so much about myself, my business, and how to grow a bigger brand that was more than just me.
I took some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way and wanted to share them with you!
1. It’s much harder than it looks.
Getting licensed as an esthetician is the easy part; starting and growing a business is where the real challenge begins!
As an esthetician, you have to be a jack of all trades. You have to be the accountant, administrator, and salesperson all at once. You're responsible for everything from paying your rent to buying your products and paying for supplies out of pocket. Learning how to go from an employee mindset to an independent contractor is a challenge in itself, but when you add on these additional responsibilities, it can seem overwhelming at times.
You're also responsible for marketing yourself — not only to potential clients but also to other businesses such as salons and spas who might want to hire you as well. This means creating a website, social media platforms (which takes time), networking within your community and consistently coming up with ideas on how you can market yourself better than your competitors do.
2. Be intentional about who you trust and keep around you.
If you're a solo esthetician, chances are you have goals of establishing a successful business. But what happens when you start to actually experience that success?
Once your esthetics business begins to thrive, you may find that the energy around you starts to shift. You may come into contact with people who lowkey want what you have so tread lightly and be discerning in who you trust to come along for the ride with you.
Haters can be inevitable in such a competitive industry, but they can also be a good thing — they remind us that we're doing something right!
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to isolate and trust no one — this is truly about discernment and being a business owner will give a lot of lessons in this area. Surrounding yourself with positive people is essential for success because they will help motivate, inspire and support you through the good and challenging times!
3. Never stop learning and advancing your skills.
Once you get your esthetic license, don't just stop there. It’s so important to take advantage of all the other certifications, expos, classes, and opportunities you have to create more knowledge that you can pass on to your clients.
For example, I am a certified health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and I have taken a ton of advanced aesthetic classes. My certification with the Insitute of Integrated Nutrition helps me back up my esthetics knowledge with the ability to connect it to nutrition, lifestyle, mental health, and how it can all come together to affect the skin.
As a result of taking all of these advanced classes, I am able to provide my clients with the best, most up-to-date knowledge possible. The more skills and knowledge you can add to your esthetics toolbox, the more impact and results you can help clients achieve.
4. Follow your Human Design if you want to work in alignment with who you are.
Human Design is a system that can be used by anyone to understand the way they work and how to support their body and mind. The revelation that I am a Generator, and that I am truly here to build in this lifetime, was a game-changer for my life and career.
Human Design has helped me grow my business beyond what I ever thought possible, but it also changed the way I think about myself and others.
Learning and following your human design can empower the way you work as an esthetician because it allows you to understand why certain things work for you while other things don't work so well.
Want to find out more about this? You can find your human design type here. It can be so beneficial to hire a professional Human Design chart reader to help explain your chart more in-depth. Do a search on Instagram if you’re looking for a Human Design expert!
5. Always remember your mission and why you chose this career.
A key lesson I’ve learned is to always remember your mission and why you started a career as an esthetician. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of the things you have on your plate — especially while balancing helping clients who have so many different needs, your personal life, and all the behind the scenes tasks of growing a business.
But if you stay true to your mission by focusing on making your clients feel heard, understood, and supported — not just selling products or services that may or may not work for them — then it will help keep you focused on what matters most: helping people heal.
Final Thoughts
I hope you've enjoyed this read! It's been so fun to share my experiences with you, and I'm so grateful to be able to share them in such a way that can help others.
If you loved this and are looking for opportunities to learn more with me on a weekly basis, I invite you to join my Instagram Subscription where I post weekly content & trainings all about running a thriving esthetics business!
