You became an aesthetician because you have a passion for skincare and there’s no better feeling than helping someone radiate with confidence.

But what doesn’t feel great is when the work you’re putting in isn’t generating the pay you deserve or even the pay you need.

I know this is a pervasive problem because it’s one of the main reasons behind why I started AddoAesthetics to help elevate the spa industry by sharing my experience and knowledge…


According to reports from the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for aestheticians is $32,990 as of May 2013, with the top 25 percent of these professionals earning an average of $39,160 and the top 10 percent making $56,930.

Although everyone has their own definition of success and everyone’s number for what they need and want to take home is different, I know there’s greater potential beyond those numbers.

It is possible to make six figures as an aesthetician, and it’s entirely possible to do it in less than the 60 and 80 hours weeks you might currently be pulling.


In fact, it’s possible in less than 40, but that’s a whole other episode.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m breaking down the ins and outs of the most common payment structures for medical aestheticians, and how to navigate which one of those structures will best suit your needs, your goals and your skill set.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The four foundational payment structures you’ll find in a med spa environment
• The pros and cons of each payment structure and key considerations when navigating various employment offers
• My top recommendations for what to consider, ask, and identify when negotiating your preferred payment structure

References Mentioned in Episode #024: Navigating Payment Structures as a Medical Aesthetician

• Join the conversation and make connections in the free Spa Marketing Made Easy Community on Facebook.
• Research aesthetician salaries in your region on Salary.com.
• Sign up for free trainings + business building resources including retail sales tips, marketing insights and helpfulcase studies that will help you increase your earning potential.

Anyone who’s a working mom knows the struggle of trying to “do it all,” which also comes with the lesson that if you’re going to try to do it all, it’s difficult to do it all well.

Cue the mom guilt.

With a 17-month-old, I’m right there in the trenches of working out the balance between my family, baby and my business.

Some days everything flows smoothly, but with an ever-growing little one, those smooth days and ironed out schedules can quickly shift and it can feel like we’re back to square one on finding balance.

While those days are par for the course in the grand scheme of parenthood, chaos doesn’t have to be the norm.

As my guest on today’s episode shares, with a few key strategies and practices in place, not only can you take on the tasks your heart desires, but you can craft a mom life/work life balance that actually works and feels good (sans the mom guilt).

In this episode, Ashli Carnicelli, a mom of three (and two under two!), joins me to discuss how she balances her roles as mom, esthetician, and blogger so that she’s consistently present and productive.

If you’ve ever felt even a twinge of guilt about not being present with your kids while reaching for your dreams, or questioned how you’re dividing your time between home and work, I know hearing Ashli’s journey and insights will put your worries at ease and give you some tangible steps you can start putting into action immediately.

Whatever your personal family and work situation, the most important thing I think you’ll walk away with is there’s no “right” way to strike a balance.

What works for you won’t work for everyone, and it’s about time we start to lay down our guilt and dust off our capes because no matter what, I know you’re already superwoman. And this episode will help you see and feel it.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Ashli crafts her daily and weekly schedule to meet her and her family’s needs
• Her strategies and mindset to bring in balance, allow presence and excuse mom guilt from her life juggling multiple roles
• Why we need to open up this conversation so we can crush mom guilt and focus on the goals  that are important for us, and thus, our family’s and kid’s futures

References Mentioned in Episode #035: Balancing Work and Life as a Busy Mom with Ashli Carnicelli

Read Ashli’s blog The Skincare Belle

Connect with Ashli on Instagram and Facebook.

Bella Santé Day and Med Spa

Join a community of like-minded aestheticians and continue the conversation in the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community.

Here are a few fun facts you may not know about me:

• I’m an international speaker, trainer, and consultant in medical aesthetics with trainings in 82 countries around the world
• I’ve worked with major skincare brands like SkinCeuticals, iS Clinical, and SENTE
• And while AddoAesthetics is my full-time business and has been for years, I still work in the treatment room one day a week

Some people look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them I still work in the treatment room because it may seem like I would never have the time, but here’s the thing, it’s vital to me that I stay relevant.

I want to stay fresh in regards to skincare science, retail strategies, and keep my pulse on what’s happening in the industry.

Not to mention, I love working with patients, especially those at Potomac Medical Aesthetics, where I currently get to work alongside my guest on today’s episode, Dr. Petropoulos.

In addition to being the founder of Potomac Medical Aesthetics, Dr. Petropoulos has been a physician for 20+ years and is a highly-respected board-certified physician with specialized training and certifications in aesthetic and regenerative medicine.

Working with him has been such a great experience, especially in seeing how he values the role of the medical aesthetician in his practice, so when our Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast Community asked to get a physician’s perspective on how an aesthetician can pivot into the world of medical aesthetics, I knew just who to interview.

Whether you’re already in the realm of medical aesthetics, or you’ve been considering making a shift in your specialty, hearing Dr. Petropoulos’ insights is sure to leave you feeling encouraged in leaping toward your passions (no matter where they may lie) while also giving you practical steps to get started.  

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Dr. Petropoulos journeyed from emergency medicine into the world of medical aesthetics and opening up his own practice
• The beginnings of Dr. Petropoulos’ aesthetic eye through his photography work and how that directly translates to the work he does today
• How he views medical aestheticians in his practice and the value they bring to the table to his clients as well as his business structure
• What Dr. Petropoulos looks for when bringing on new aestheticians into his practice and his top tips for beginning to pivot into the medical aesthetics arena  

References Mentioned in Episode #077: A Physician’s Take on Breaking Into the World of Medical Aesthetics with Dr. Petropoulos

• Learn more about Dr. Petropoulos and Potomac Medical Aesthetics by clicking here
• Connect with Potomac Medical Aesthetics on Facebook and Instagram
• Continue the conversation and receive feedback and support inside the Spa Marketing Made Easy community

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.

Whether you own your beauty business or you work as a team member at a spa, it is critical that you have a well-rounded understanding of foundational business principles. And as today’s guest, Carla Jones, explains, the couple of pages of business material in the back of your beauty school textbooks isn’t enough to pass by.


As the founder of Salon Solutions Group, Carla helps beauty industry professionals learn, earn and thrive and her tell-it-like-it-is style helps her students and clients understand the vast importance of sharpening their business skills if they want to achieve their big goals.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Carla transitioned from her career in logistics and operations into the beauty industry and how her foundational skills served her in her new career
• The common misconceptions about being a six-figure earner and what you need to know about your numbers to get there
• The power of positivity and self-awareness in creating an unforgettable client experience
• How she navigated a negative client experience and stumbling block but came out with a powerful lesson
• Carla’s top pieces of advice and insights for new grads and business owners setting out to create their own version of success

Continue the conversation and connect with like-minded beauty and spa professionals looking to build thriving careers and businesses by joining the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community.

Her story reads like a breaking news headline, “Nurse slays nearly 1 million in debt in just 2.5 years.” Yes, it sounds crazy, but as my guest on today’s episode, Naseema McElroy explains, building wealth and being able to invest is attainable at any income level.

A labor and delivery nurse, Naseema is a self-taught money expert who is the real deal in helping others become financially intentional, slay their debt, and set themselves and their families financially free so they can feel secure in their future and focus on the present.

If you’ve ever thought that now wasn’t the right time to save or you keep putting off your finances for a day you’ll feel more organized; this episode is for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Naseema’s transformation story from being a labor and delivery nurse working paycheck to paycheck to a self-taught financial expert as she knocked out almost a million dollars in debt in just 2.5 years
• Why it’s critical to have an exit strategy in your business as well as an investment strategy
• The power of compound interest and setting yourself up for a solid and stable retirement
• How Naseema defines “Eff You Money,” why we all need it, and how you can begin achieving it, even when you feel like you’re stretched thin and don’t have anything to spare for saving or investing

To connect with Naseema and the resources and recommendations made in this episode, click here to visit the show notes: [ insert link to show notes on blog ]

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

The prospect of goal-setting is always an exciting one as you envision your future and imagine the feeling of when your goal will be accomplished. But it’s not enough to dream, you also need a deadline and an action plan, and that’s where the 90X Goal Planner comes into play.

At the time of this recording, I am on my fifth 90X Goal Planner, which goes to show how much I believe in this system of goal-setting, and here to share the concept behind the framework with me is the 90X creator himself, Alon David.

Not only has Alon used his goal planning framework for building multiple successful business prior to producing the 90X Goal Planner, but he also used to create the planner, and today he’s sharing his method behind the 90X system and his top tips for crushing your biggest goals.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Alon developed his 90-day goal-setting and achieving system and how he used it to build his successful photography business as well as the 90X Goal Planner itself
• Why Alon focuses on a 90-day framework and the biggest goal he’s accomplished to date by using his own system
• The differences between the 90X Goal Planner and the 90X Action Planner and how both tools can be used for short and long-term goal setting
• Alon’s top tips for mapping out and staying on track with using your planner to guide you to accomplishing your goals

References Mentioned in Episode #050: Using a System to Achieve Your Goals with Alon David of 90X Planner 

• Learn more about the 90X Goal Planner here and the 90X Action Planner here and use the code “esthetics25” at checkout to receive 25% off your purchase 

• Connect with Alon and 90X® on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
• To see how I use my 90X Goal Planner and plug into a goal-oriented community, be sure to join the Spa Marketing Made Easy group on 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. 

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You’re a big dreamer and hard worker, and you’ve got a vision for your career or business. But I also know that you likely struggle with overwhelm, and maybe even burnout.

This phenomenon is due to operating at “peak performance” instead of “high performance,” and here to teach us the difference is Mark Bailey, a high performance and achievement coach who helps ambitious entrepreneurs get out of their peaks and valleys and shift into a steady and sustainable level of achievement for accomplishing their goals. Listen in as he shares his insights for maximizing your potential and energetic drive to perform to a standard of absolute excellence.

To be an expert means knowing a lot about one thing rather than knowing a little about a lot of things. As an aesthetician, you may be afraid to stake a claim and specialize out of fear of not bringing in enough clients, but as my guest on this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy can testify, niching down is what it took for her to level up in a major way.

In this episode, I’m chatting with Gisel Campbell, the owner of Elevate Esthetics, who since niching down on her aesthetic specialty of waxing has been able to build a base of loyal clientele, grow her business by over 120% and spurred the need to expand beyond her solo operation and into a spa.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Gisel made the transition to a menu of services a mile long to focusing on one core aesthetic service
• Why she chose her specific specialty and how that has opened doors for her beyond those of her aesthetic practice
• The steps Gisel took to determine the smartest direction for her niche and how becoming an expert in that core area helped her exponentially grow her business
• How you can begin to elevate your aesthetic expertise and get into a mindset that will you set the stage for your success

References Mentioned in Episode #061: Level Up by Niching Down with Gisel of Elevate Esthetics

• Learn more about Gisel’s studio, Elevate Esthetics via her website and Instagram
• Connect with Gisel on Instagram

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

One of the (many) reasons I love sharing stories of successful spa owners and solo aestheticians is that to grow to new levels; it helps us to see others who are already doing it. Their stories of how they navigated the journey shows us what’s possible, and their lessons on how they stepped up their game serves not only as motivation, but invaluable insight we can invite into our own businesses.

On this episode, I’m joined by one of those successful spa owners, Amanda Whelband who is the owner of Absolutely Fabulous Spa and has built a team and brought in over 7-figures. She’s smart, savvy, and also one of my Spa Retail Rockstars who won our Finish The Year Strong contest.

Here’s what you’ll learn from Amanda:

• Her journey to starting her own spa and her top strategies for building up her clientele fast, which she still uses today
• The winning strategies she implements with new leads to convert them into loyal clients
• How she doubled her holiday gift card sales from the previous year in just 2.5 weeks, which led to her winning our Finish The Year Strong contest inside Spa Retail Rockstar
• Why Amanda has embraced a membership program for her spa and the benefits it brings to her bottom line 

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

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Community is stronger than competition.

These are sentiments I have believed in and preached for years, and today’s guest on Spa Marketing Made Easy is the epitome of these philosophies, which is why I’m so excited for you to hear from her today.

If you’re not familiar with Denise R. Fuller, here’s just a little of her background:

Denise is a 25-year beauty industry veteran, a licensed esthetician and international trained beauty therapist and Founder of NASNPRO, which is a complimentary membership organization for licensed salons and spa professionals

She is passionate about education and mentoring to help industry professionals like you reach new heights in their businesses and careers, and if that’s not enough, she is regularly featured on NBC and CBS affiliate news channels as a beauty expert and frequently asked to share her expertise for articles, books and magazines.

Needless to say, she’s a true expert and not just because of her years of aesthetic experience, but in her strides to elevate the industry through helping you build your professional network in a way that’s incredibly accessible (did you know NASNPRO membership is free?!) and highly valuable.

This year NASNPRO is ringing in its 15th anniversary and is celebrating by hosting events in every region and corner of the country making this the year to get involved in NASNPRO if you aren’t already.

Tune in to hear more of:

• How NASNPRO started and how it has remained true to its intention and core values over the course of 15 years and global growth
• Why community and a connected professional network is vital for personal and business development
• What you can expect to get as a NASNPRO member and when attending an event
• The importance of self-care, mindset, and personal growth in becoming the best version of yourself  

References Mentioned in Episode #075: Building Your Professional Network with the founder of NASNPRO, Denise Fuller

• Learn more about NASNPRO and their complimentary membership program by clicking here
• Connect with NASNPRO on Facebook and on Instagram
• See NASNPRO’s calendar of upcoming events and conferences
• Continue the conversation from today’s episode inside the Spa Marketing Made Easy community on Facebook, click here to join  

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.