If you’ve been connected to AddoAesthetics for a while or been a listener of Spa Marketing Made Easy for even just a couple of episodes, you know I’m passionate about spa retail sales.

I consider it my zone of genius, which is why much of my work has centered around consulting with physician-dispensed skincare brands as well as working with solo aestheticians and spa owners to bolster their retail efforts.

But like most things we’re passionate about, retail sales wasn’t something I just magically became good at one day.

It took a lot of self-education and practice, but once I saw the results I was helping my clients achieve as well as the potential for growth that retail sales afforded me in my career (and later in building AddoAesthetics), I drilled down and refined my strategy and skills ’til I saw the results I sought out.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m going to walk you through that journey and show you how if you develop your retail skills, you have the potential to drastically grow your business (with plenty of my insider tips and insights included, of course!).

If you’ve been sitting on the fence with bringing a skincare line into your spa or feeling uncertain in your ability to sell retail, I urge you to give this episode a listen.

If it’s something you desire, it’s something you can acquire.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• My journey into retail sales and how it started from the perspective of the client
• How I came to love physician-dispensed skincare brands and my approach to creating custom regimens for my clients
• Why retail sales isn’t actually about sales
• How I looked at retail sales as an opportunity for the consulting arm of my business and educational component for my work with estheticians

References Mentioned in Episode #031: How Retail Changed My Life and Business

• Learn more about the medical science of skin and skincare in The Lancet.
• Connect with me over on Instagram.
• Join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community on Facebook.

Have you ever heard of the Pareto principle?

You might know it as it’s more common name, the 80/20 rule, which states that, for many events and scenarios, 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes.

When it comes to the earning potential that solo aestheticians and spas possess, retail sales can absolutely be that 20 percent activity that contributes to a considerable proportion of your bottom line.

According to a career profile by the U.S. News and World Report, it’s stated that, “estheticians and skin care specialists made a median salary of $30,270 in 2016. The highest-paid 10 percent in the profession earned $59,780, while the lowest-paid earned $18,640 that year.”

You may be looking at those numbers and thinking that you’re happy hitting $30K per year, but almost $60K? That would be amazing!

Whatever is your version of success, by all means, celebrate it, but if you’re looking at $30K and want more, know that you don’t have to stop at $59,780 as your higher-earning cap.

We can do better.

In fact, with retail sales and the opportunities of the very lucrative skincare market in the U.S., we can do an extra figure better.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m breaking down dollar-for-dollar how retail sales can massively grow your business and expand your take-home pay as well as dispel the common objections and hang-ups I hear around retail sales.

Yes, retail sales requires selling, but it doesn’t need to be slimy or pushy.

Listen in, and I’ll help give you a mindset shift that can help you grow your business by leaps and bounds (and maybe a couple of zeros, too).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why retail is the quickest and easiest way to boost income as an aesthetician
• How selling retail can increase your businesses bottom line (I’m pulling out the numbers and math skills)
• The entrepreneurial mindset shift you need to see the power that retail holds
• How the U.S. market presents one of the best opportunities in the world to sell retail, and my top tips for leveraging those opportunities

References Mentioned in Episode #030: Smashing The Most Common Spa Retail Sales Hang-Ups

• Learn more industry-specific statistical information on esthetician earnings on Statista
• Join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community on Facebook
• Unlock my free trainings and business-building resources including my retail sales masterclass

Something I commonly see among aestheticians who have recently branched out to go solo or start their own spa is that they feel pulled in a million directions when it comes to their marketing.

Despite having tools, resources, and community, there’s still a piece that feels like it’s missing, and it’s this piece that would make everything click.

Well, there’s a name for that piece, and it’s called branding.


Without a strong brand as your foundation, your marketing efforts are going to feel hectic, cluttered, and ineffective.

That’s because your brand (despite what many think) is not your logo or your color palette. Your brand is the guiding force that drives everything you do in your business.

It’s the experience you provide, the deeper story and the collective experience you provide for your ideal clients.

And once you’ve drilled down on those core elements of your brand, it’s also the directional that drives the visual look and feel of how you show up in the world.

In today’s episode, I’m talking with branding expert, Chris Beltran, about how you can begin defining your personal brand so that you stand out from the crowd, compel and captivate your ideal clients, and have confidence in how you’re visually conveying your brand.

Beyond building the foundation that will help all your marketing efforts thrive, I think you’re going to have fun putting Chris’ knowledge into action with creating your brand’s mood board.

Don’t forget to share the results with me in the Spa Marketing Made Easy community!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What “branding” truly is, and how you can begin crafting your brand story and visual vibe
• How defining your brand sets you apart and benefits your business in the long-term
• Tips for translating the verbal and psychological aspects of your brand experience into the visual design elements you use in your marketing
• How using a tool like mood boards can help you remain consistent in your visuals and why that’s critical in building a strong brand

Resources Mentioned in Episode #026: Defining Your Spa’s Brand and Crafting Your Mood Board with Chris Beltran

• Connect with Chris and learn more about defining your brand through his website, on Facebook and on Instagram.
• Join Chris’ Brand Your Influence group where you can gain feedback, collaborate and get access to his free Visual Vibe guide and brand board template.
• Use Canva’s free mood board creator tool to get started visualizing your brand!

Join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community and share your moodboard!

Work, partner, kids, maintaining everyday life, I could go on, but I think you get the point: we juggle a lot in the day-to-day.

And as an aesthetician, that juggling act only grows more chaotic if you add in back-to-back clients and/or running your own business, which makes it all too easy to move healthy eating habits to the back burner (pun intended).

Even in running and building my own business where I have a lot of time freedom to create my own schedule and don’t have to shovel down every scrap of food I can pull together and call it a “lunch” between clients, I still struggled with creating a cohesive, healthy eating plan.

That is until I found today’s guest on the podcast.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m joined by Jasmine Schmalhaus, the founder of Your Dinner Is Planned, to talk all about how we can get on track with maintaining a consistent plan of action for healthy meal-making that fuels our bodies and our businesses.  

To say her program and recipes are helpful would be an understatement. They’ve completely transformed how I prepare food for myself and my family, and I can’t wait for you to discover how fun and easy meal planning can be when you’ve got a system.

And whether you’re only looking out for you, or you’ve got a whole brood to cook for, Jasmine’s tips are for everyone because the truth is we all need proper nourishment to give our best to our families, clients, our businesses, and ourselves so that we can achieve what we really want most out of life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How healthy eating doesn’t just benefit us personally, but also benefits our business efforts
• There’s no definition of “healthy,” but rather a spectrum, and how to examine it through the lens of your lifestyle
• Jasmine’s five foundational tips for quickly crafting a weekly healthy meal plan that’s delicious and easy to stick to
• My personal journey with struggling to make healthy meals while juggling life and how I’ve incorporated Jasmine’s tips into my family’s life

References Mentioned in Episode #025: 5 Steps to Healthier Eating for the Busy Aesthetician with Jasmine Schmalhaus

• Click here to learn more about Jasmine and Your Dinner Is Planned.
• Download Jasmine’s free guide to the “’6 Tips to Save Money on Groceries” by clicking here.
• Connect with Jasmine on Facebook and on Instagram.
• Join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy group where you can receive feedback, support and make real relationships.

Even though I conduct trainings for hundreds of people at a time via webinars and speak on stages (sometimes in front of camera crews, sometimes in front of live audiences), there’s something about me that may surprise you…


I’m not a natural public speaker.

The truth is, public speaking can stress me out and get me flustered if I let it, but with many things in life and business, I believe that with intentional preparation, those butterflies can quickly be overcome.


After all, life is too short to only live within the confines of your comfort zone.

The good stuff, the out-of-this-world, perfect-fit opportunities that you dream about require doing things when you’re afraid.

However, when you work on possessing this one quality, you’ll find that doing things outside your comfort zone (like marketing and selling, for example) gets a lot easier.

So, this week I’ve got a quick-listen episode for you, but it’s one with a message you need to hear if you want all the rest of the information I share here on the podcast and in the podcast Facebook community to work.

In this episode, I’m also presenting a challenge with some ideas to get you inspired and motivated to jump outside your comfort zone, so be sure to keep the conversation going in the Spa Marketing Made Easy group where our community can help cheer you on, hold you accountable, and provide feedback.

I’ll see you in there!

In this episode you’ll discover:

• The surprising thing that can make me nervous in business and how I overcome it
• The behind-the-scenes of how I prepare to do things outside of my comfort zone
• The core issues as to why you may not be hitting your sales numbers and steps you can take today to resolve it

References Mentioned in Episode #023: The Key to Successful Selling

• Learn more about and attend iS Clinical’s upcoming Advanced Seminars.
• To talk treatments and everything skincare, join the Aestheticians Connect community on Facebook.
• Join the Spa Marketing Made Easy Facebook community to gain access to live monthly marketing trainings, branding tips, and a network of connections to help you build your business.

As the world of health begins to focus more on how our mentality fits into our overall sense of wellbeing, you might have increasingly heard the term “Mind-Body Connection” used around various topics of wellness.

For some (maybe this rings true for you?) the phrase “Mind-Body Connection” can conjure up feelings around “woo woo” or existential concepts, but as my guest on today’s episode explains, the Mind-Body Connection has long been rooted in science, and is only continuing to gain further scientific evidence of its presence and importance in our lives.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m talking with Rachel Llanes, Health Educator for the Army Wellness Center on Oahu, who is not only obsessed with learning and teaching about optimal human performance but helping others achieve it through the Mind-Body Connection.

Through her work, she’s educated and coached a vast array of people from all walks of life including active duty service members, dependents, civilians working with the Department of Defense, as well as veterans.

And if you’re at all familiar with the military, you know they’re only investing in programs and education that have been shown to work, so even though there’s still much to be discovered about the way our minds and mindset corresponds with the physical health of our bodies, there’s proof in the pudding that the Mind-Body Connection, while largely intangible in its anatomical presence, it has a very concrete presence in our overall health, happiness, and even relationships.

Listen is as Rachel shares with us the five keys to unlocking your Mind-Body Connection.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The definition of “Mind-Body Connection” and how you can utilize it and understand it for your business
• How working through your body can change your brain chemistry, and thus, your energy and mood
• The five essential resources that we all have access to become our best selves
• The first step you can take to engage with these five Mind-Body Connection points

Resources Mentioned in Episode #022: 5 Keys to Unlocking the Power of the Mind-Body Connection with Rachel Llanes

• If you have questions and would like to connect with Rachel, send us a note and we’ll introduce you!
• Read Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur by Cara Leyba.
• Read The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
• Read, “Good genes are nice, but joy is better” in The Harvard Gazette, showcasing the findings from their longevity research.
• Check out the SELF Journal by BestSelf Co.
• Connect with a community of like-minded aestheticians looking to build thriving careers and businesses inside the FREE Spa Marketing Made Easy community.

No business owner with the desire to thrive is immune to the hustle mentality.

And while strong work ethic is a good thing, and necessary for being a successful business owner, there comes the point where if you want to grow, you’ve got to learn to let go.

I know, it sounds counterintuitive…

We think that the harder we work, the more reward we’ll gain or the faster we’ll achieve our vision of success.

But the truth is, when we’re bogged down with the daily minutiae of tasks that don’t best utilize our zones of genius, we get stuck in the grind.


You know the one I’m talking about.

The grind of just skating by with keeping up with client management, treatments, and only the most pressing admin tasks while the other things on your to-do list get perpetually pushed to the next day, week and month.

As a result, business growth has slowed if not come to screeching halt, and you’re feeling more frazzled than ever, which means it’s time to let go, hire, and delegate.

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’m welcoming back my friend Nicole Simpson, an aesthetics industry educator and international speaker, to talk all about when it’s time to hire for your spa and grow your team so that you can effectively grow your spa business.

Trust me; if you find yourself scrambling to “do it all” in managing your spa, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss because the only thing continually being frazzled will get you is financial trouble and a fast-pass to full-blown burnout. And that doesn’t have to be the case.

Here’s more of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• What indicators to look for and notice for when it’s time to start bringing on help in your spa
• The process for how to approach your initial hire, so you feel confident and prepared
• Mindset shifts and best practices to take note of when choosing your new hire
• How to start wearing your CEO hat more frequently once you have hired in order to see continued and sustainable business growth

References Mentioned in Episode #021: How to Grow Your Spa by Expanding Your Team with Nicole Simpson

• Connect with Nicole via her website, on Facebook and Instagram
• Listen to my previous episode featuring Nicole, The Key Traits and Practices to Become a Successful Spa Entrepreneur
• Read The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
• Get more expert resources, gain feedback, and find accountability + real relationships by joining the free Spa Marketing Made Easy Facebook Group

Energy healing, Reiki, incense and essential oils…if you’re anything like me, these ideas and concepts have always been a bit, well, “woo woo.”

But as I’ve opened my mind to holistic practices and how they can correlate with business, I’ve seen the benefits and, dare I say, become a bit of a believer.

From crafting gratitude and presence practices in my personal life to seeing how those practices correlated within the spa industry, I wanted today’s episode to dive deep into the concept of energy healing and energy flow, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to help lead this discussion and answer my questions than Silke Tyler.


For the past 30 years, Silke has honed her expertise as an energy healer and teacher of various modalities, including being a Reiki Master, as well as an artist. Not only does she have a breadth of knowledge when it comes to energy work and healing, but a true depth as well

In this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, she gives insight into how we can make our treatment rooms a sacred space for our clients as well as ourselves as we give so much of our energy as heart-led service providers.

If you’re already on board with the “woo” side of business, I know you’re going to love all the actionable takeaways Silke shares, but if you’re someone who’s maybe a little more analytical like me, I encourage you to approach this episode with an open mind and heart.

Because beyond learning a new practice that can impact your business, Silke offers advice that can genuinely transform the experience of your spa for both you and your clients for the better, and that is always something to strive for!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What energy work and energy healing entails, Silke’s journey into this line of work and her philosophy on how energy healing can benefit everyone
• The importance of creating a sacred space as an aesthetician and what defines a sacred space
• How to begin creating a sacred space in your treatment room that allows for positive energy flow and a more connected client experience

References Mentioned in Episode #019: Creating a Sacred Space in Your Spa’s Treatment Room with Silke Tyler

• Learn more about Silke’s healing work via her website, and connect her on Facebook and Instagram.
• Learn more about Silke’s free resources and trainings, which she’s created for you to learn and grow, gain spiritual and holistic knowledge, insights and practical tools.
• Skip ahead to Episode 20 to tune in to Silke’s short guided meditation to take before servicing your clients.
• Explore essential oils by Aura Cacia.

Does the idea of going live in front of the camera leave you feeling frozen?

Yes, you know that doing things like Facebook and Instagram Live can be great for your marketing efforts, but you feel awkward being on camera, you don’t know what to talk about, and then the fact that you’re LIVE and can’t click the stop or pause button?

Forget it!

Listen, I 100 percent understand that putting yourself out there via live video can feel scary, but if you were brave enough to venture out on your own as a solo aesthetician or spa owner, you’re brave enough to sharpen your camera-ready skills.

Thankfully, with tips from experts like Tiffany Lee Bymaster aka Coach Glitter in your back pocket, you can build your on-camera confidence to begin leveraging the power of live streaming.

In case you haven’t guessed by now, Coach Glitter is my guest on this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, and she’s here to give you the honest-to-goodness truth: you can’t afford to not connect with your audience via video.

In case you’re still on the fence, according to a study conducted by HubSpot, 72% of respondents said that where both video and text are available on the same page, they would rather use video to learn about a product or service.

If that’s not enough reason for you to embrace video marketing for your services, I don’t know what is.

So, if you’re ready to get on board with today’s most effective social media strategy, listen in as I discuss Coach Glitter’s unique background as a pro makeup artist and how she became a live video expert, plus how to use these tools to boost your aesthetic expertise and grow your audience.

(And with a name like Coach Glitter, how can you not be intrigued?! Trust me, she is an expert who will give you the boost you need to finally click the “Go Live” button with confidence!)

In this episode, you’ll also learn:

• How Tiffany was forced to take the plunge into live video and has since gone live over 1,000 times, and has never looked back
• Why live streaming can provide a much-needed boost around building our audience and promoting our services
• How to stop playing small and start showing up through your online video marketing
• Her top tips for getting started with what to say, do and show when you go live plus how to leverage that live streaming content through your other marketing channels

Recommended Resources from Episode #018: Getting Comfortable with Live Video as an Aesthetic Expert with Tiffany Lee Bymaster aka Coach Glitter

• Learn more about Tiffany and her work as a camera confidence coach, branding expert and pro makeup artist.
• Check out Coach Glitter’s course, Lights Camera Branding!
• Connect with Tiffany aka Coach Glitter on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
• Ask your live video questions, receive feedback and support in the Aestheticians Connect Facebook group.

Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?

Traditionally speaking, an entrepreneur is someone who owns their own business, which if you own a spa or operate as a solo aesthetician, would mean that you’re an entrepreneur!

But even if you work as an employee for a spa, and don’t necessarily have aspirations to run your own show, the insights shared in this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy will still apply because as you’ll see, every successful spa expert needs to possess these key qualities to achieve their definition of success.

After all, as an employee, you still have sales goals to meet and client bookings to fill, right?

So, as long as that’s the case, there’s always room for improving our entrepreneurial traits in skills, and this episode will help you do just that.

Today I’m joined by my good friend, Nicole Simpson, an aesthetics industry educator, aesthetician, international speaker, and most recently the AVP of Global Education for SkinCeuticals.

She’s traveled and worked in more than 37 countries educating on the skin, cosmeceutical science, as well as on business development and social media for aesthetics clinics around the world.

And as a co-founder of Aesthetic Influencer, an aesthetics education and support company created to provide the aesthetics industry with resources for business and social media growth, Nicole remains at the cutting edge of the aesthetics world to carry out her mission of elevating and supporting the industry she loves.

(You may also be familiar with her as she is one of the panelists from the Aesthetic Marketing Seminar I hosted in San Diego this past spring!)

In this episode, we discuss which qualities every skincare and spa entrepreneur needs to have and develop to build sustainable success on your terms.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why it’s critical to define your vision for success and how that aligns with the journey you take to achieve it
• The purpose of “starting with why” and how to find your “why”
• How your “why” and purpose helps you overcome entrepreneurial roadblocks the steps you can take to cultivate your why further and have it drive the actions you make in your work
• What a successful entrepreneur’s mindset consists of and the consistent attributes between successful entrepreneurs
• How understanding your own personality and perspective allows you to shape your journey to success

References Mentioned in Episode #016: The Key Traits and Practices to Become a Successful Spa Entrepreneur

• Connect with Nicole via her website, on Facebook and Instagram.
• Learn more about Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” via his book and by watching his TED Talk.
• Read “The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level” by Gay Hendricks.
• Take the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator test.
• Join the free Aestheticians Connect Facebook group.