They’re back for their first official update of the year! 

I’m talking about today’s guests on the podcast, Sara Sykes and Melissa Lanno, who are the co-owners of Sykes & Lanno, and are officially one month into their Growth Factor journey to hitting seven figures in their spa this year. 

Last month I sat down with them for our first installment to talk about the background of their first year in business and their big growth goals for 2020, so if you haven’t listened to Episode #106 yet, be sure to go do that to get caught up. 

Every month in 2020, I’ll be sitting down with Sara and Melissa to pull back the curtain to show what it truly takes to get your business to the next level of growth and how to maintain it. 

And now that we’re one month in, we’re officially off to the races!  

After having our kickoff and initial planning call for Growth Factor, then attending the Aesthetic Marketing Seminar (my event for Spa Retail Rockstar and Growth Factor group), they’re now back at their spa and hitting the ground running. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• The result of the biggest takeaway from their Growth Factor kickoff planning call and how that has played out over the last month
• Their experience and biggest aha moments from the Aesthetic Marketing Seminar that they’re bringing back to their spa
• Their three big goals for Quarter 1 and how they plan to tackle them 
• Plus we talk mindset, building a legacy, having family support in entrepreneurship, perfectionism, and more

Follow Sara and Melissa’s Growth Factor journey:

• Listen to Episode #106 – Starting the Journey to 7 Figures – A Behind-the-Scenes with Sykes & Lanno Skinbar 

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. 

Have you ever found yourself mid-treatment and thinking, “If only this product had this”? 

Or “If only I could do that, this product would be perfect.” 

As an aesthetic expert working full-time in the treatment room, you’re the utmost authority on what’s going to work best for your clients, which means you’re primed to be a product creator if that’s something you’ve dreamt about, which I know many of you listeners of Spa Marketing Made Easy have because you’ve told me! 

In any case, whether you’re someone who has dreamt of creating their own line, or you’re meticulous about knowing the details of the product lines you carry and what has gone into their development (something you should be meticulous about!), you’re going to love this episode with my guest, Stephanie Laynes. 

Stephanie has been a licensed aesthetician for over 16 year and is the creator of Se-Brazil Waxes, Se Skin Botanical Skincare, and the founder of Smooth Skin Supply LLC, her e-commerce platform and wholesale wax supply company that also incorporates training and education. 

In this episode, she’s sharing her journey of how she got into the aesthetics industry, moved out of working in the treatment room full-time, and transformed into the role of CEO of her own product line and platform. 

Not only does she have fantastic tips and perspectives for how aesthetic professionals can boost their retail revenue, but she’s got a great story that’s sure to inspire your journey if you’ve ever pondered the idea of product creation or want to expand your revenue streams inside your aesthetic practice.  

In this episode, we discuss:

• Stephanie’s origin story of getting into aesthetics and how she quickly found her niche in waxing and why that was so powerful to building a profitable practice 
• How Stephanie discovered that systemizing her process could help her maximize her client capacity 
• Where Stephanie saw the shift in opportunity to create her own line of waxing products and how she stayed focused during the process of creation
• Stephanie’s top tips for waxing experts and her answer to the ultimate question of “hard or soft wax?”
• Her keys for creating an unforgettable experience for your client and highly profitable experience for your business

References Mentioned in Episode #109: Moving From The Treatment Room to Full-Time Brand and Product Retailer with Stephanie Laynes: 

• Learn more about Stephanie’s line of products, online trainings and more on her website
• Connect with Stephanie on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
• Help us reach more aestheticians looking to build thriving careers and businesses by leaving us an honest review on iTunes. 

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. 

With technology continually shifting and consumer behavior moving with it, there’s one constant you can always count on in business: change. 

However, there is one exception to that rule, and it’s been a mainstay of business since the beginning of time, and that’s the power of relationships. 

Behind every marketing campaign, strategy, or tactic and every new service, offer, or promotion, the success of your efforts all boils down to your relationships…

Always has and always will.

And on this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, my guest Elaine Lou, a business and career coach who helps women take aligned action in reaching for their wildest dreams, scaling their businesses, and doing it all in a way that’s anything but cookie cutter. 

In this episode, she’s sharing her secrets for using local events to build community and develop deeper connections with her past, existing, and potential clients for business growth, increased client retention, and creating word of mouth. 

As a spa owner or aesthetic expert with your own space to leverage, events hold some of the greatest potential and opportunity for growing your business while costing next to nothing. 

I speak with a lot of aestheticians who all talk about wanting a “word of mouth”-based business, and while I believe today’s business landscape requires more than relying solely on word of mouth, events are one of the best ways to begin building that kind of organic buzz. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Elaine works with women to take aligned action and get out of their own way to go after their wildest dreams
• The deeply-rooted mindset blocks that may be standing in your way of success and the number one thing you can believe and do to unlock those blocks
• Why Elaine focuses on hosting local events and how this can translate to building community for your spa or aesthetic practice
• Her top tips for crafting events that brings together people who are excited about the opportunity to connect with and work with you

References Mentioned in Episode #104: Cultivating Community Through Hosting Events with Elaine Lou

• Learn more about Elaine and her work via her website and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram
• Grab Elaine’s 6 High-Touch Scripts for Sharing Your Event with Your Community 
• Listen to Episode #086: Creating a Month’s Worth of Video Content in 15 Minutes with Katya Varbanova
• Check out Eventbrite for creating your event information page, spreading the word, and selling tickets (if applicable for your event)

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. 

The 2020 Aesthetic Marketing Seminar is going VIRTUAL! 

Save the date (and your FREE seat!) for August 24-25 for the 2020 Virtual Aesthetic Marketing Seminar, which will feature top experts in the spa industry speaking on today’s most effective marketing strategies to build, grow, and scale a successful aesthetic business.

[ Click Here To Save Your FREE Spot Today ]

EP 098: From Retail Sales Resistant to Rockstar with Amanda of The Beach House Skincare and Spa

Raise your hand if you don’t want to sound “salesy” or “pushy.”

Raise your hand if you don’t want to make your clients feel like all you want is their money. 

Of course, I can’t see your hands, but I know that there are a lot of them raised. 

The idea of “selling” or “retail sales” has some heavy emotional ties, but I want to give you a reframe today…

Sales shouldn’t be based on emotion (for you), but education.

When you educate your clients and allow them to see how your products can help them reach their goals (something that may be emotional for them), that is sales done well. 

This is the lesson Amanda, owner of The Beach House Skincare and Spa in Illinois, learned, and her business has completely transformed because of it. 

After participating in one of my retail challenges inside Spa Retail Rockstar, Amanda got the real picture of where she was at with her retail sales, and realized she needed a major change…

To understanding her numbers, setting her sales strategies, and most of all, her mindset.

After making those changes, she’s seen a tremendous shift in her retail sales and is now experiencing a whole new level of business success. 

If you find yourself fearful of feeling like a sleazy salesman, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Amanda’s journey in aesthetics and how she has used her cosmetology background to carve out her niche 
• The switch that flipped when Amanda decided she needed to stop making excuses and start taking retail sales seriously for her business 
• How she took what she thought was a disadvantage to her sales strategies and turned it into one of her biggest assets 
• Amanda’s top tip for embracing retail sales and shaking off the fear of “sales sleaziness,” plus where to start with making the mindset shifts around becoming the expert for your clients 

References Mentioned in Episode #098: From Retail Sales Resistant to Rockstar with Amanda of The Beach House Skincare and Spa 

• • Learn more about Amanda’s spa, The Beach House Skincare and Spa via her website and Instagram
  • Connect with Amanda on Instagram and Facebook
  • Join a community of like-minded aestheticians building thriving careers, and join the free Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast community. 

New to the Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast? Download our Quick Start Guide to learn more about tuning in, where you can connect with our resources, and how to leave a review.

[ Subscribe to Spa Marketing Made Easy on iTunes ]

The 2020 Aesthetic Marketing Seminar is going VIRTUAL! 

Save the date (and your FREE seat!) for August 24-25 for the 2020 Virtual Aesthetic Marketing Seminar, which will feature top experts in the spa industry speaking on today’s most effective marketing strategies to build, grow, and scale a successful aesthetic business.

[ Click Here To Save Your FREE Spot Today ]

Just because you’re not a medical doctor doesn’t mean you can’t start and grow a successful medspa. 

If you don’t believe me, I’d like to introduce you to one of my Spa Retail Rockstars, Supreet Ghuman. 

Supreet is the founder and owner of Skin Sutra Medspa and Cosmetic Center in Fairfax, VA, which is a quickly growing medspa in a market that already has plenty of other medspas for potential clients to choose from, which speaks to her ability to attract and retain clients. 

Although state regulations vary, I love Supreet’s story because she’s a shining example of someone who followed her curiosity and let it lead her to her passion. 

She didn’t concern herself with the fact that she doesn’t have an M.D., she knew that with her extensive expertise and the professional network she had built, she could set out to make her medspa dream not just a reality, but a success. 

As she continues to build momentum and grow, she’s sharing with me what it took to get her to where she is today, the considerations and decisions she had to make during the process, plus what she has her sights set on next for taking her success to the next level. 

Tune into this episode as we discuss:

• Supreet’s beginning journey into the aesthetics industry and how her various roles and positions evolved into opening her own medspa
• How she has managed to carve a niche for herself and her business in a crowded market with plenty of other medspas 
• What services she provides at SkinSutra as an aesthetician and how she navigates decisions on which services to bring in
• Her insights on finding the right medical director as well as other business considerations such as choosing the right location and product lines 

References Mentioned in Episode #097: The Journey to Starting a Medspa as an Aesthetician with Spureet Ghuman of Skin Sutra

• Learn more about Supreet’s spa, Skin Sutra Medspa and Cosmetic Center 
• Connect with Skin Sutra on Facebook and Instagram and connect with Supreet on Instagram 
• Join other like-minded aestheticians working to build a thriving career and business inside the Spa Marketing Made Easy community 
• New to the Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast? Download our Quick Start Guide to learn more about tuning in, where you can connect with our resources, and how to leave a review. 

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.

[ Subscribe to Spa Marketing Made Easy on iTunes ]

Over the years of growing my business, I’ve heard other business owners mention taking a couple of classes down at their community college, or going so far as to get their MBA to learn the ins and outs of owning and operating a business. 

Now I’ll start off by saying that I think you need to choose the method of learning that works best for you, and for some, that means going and sitting in a physical classroom with a real teacher standing directly in front of you.

However, I’m also a firm believer that you can get a solid business education on your own. 

In my entrepreneurial journey, that has looked like taking online courses, participating in coaching programs and masterminds, a lot of trial and error, and the tool that I’m talking about in this episode…

Books! 

With the rapid evolution of online learning and digital media, it’s funny how books can feel a little “old school,” but truth be told, they’ve stood the test of time, and the authors of these noteworthy and top-selling books have distilled the most critical pieces of expert insight on their subject that they can pass on to their audience in a nicely wrapped package, all for typically less than $30. 

Sure, they way we buy and consume books has changed, but every year more and more incredible books, especially in the realm of business, are published and chock full of expert-level knowledge just waiting to be acted on. 

So, now that I’ve professed my love of books for business education let’s get to the announcement you’re really here for: we’re starting a Business Book Club! 

Tune in to this episode to learn more about how our Book Club will work, how you can join in, and what our first read will be!

In this episode, I share: 

• Why books are one of the top business tools I’ve leveraged over the years to round out my business education 
• How to incorporate reading/learning time for your business skills even when you’re in a season of life that makes reading difficult 
• My announcement on the new Spa Marketing Made Easy Business Book Club and how it’ll work plus the first book club selection! 
• In addition to our first book club read, I also share my top 3 business book recommendations that I believe every solo aesthetician and spa owner should read 

Resources Mentioned in Episode #096: The Start of Business Book Club and My Top Business Book Recommendations 

• Join in on the Business Book Club inside the free Spa Marketing Made Easy community, click here to join
• Pick up a hardcopy or Kindle version of our first Book Club read, “You Are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero 
• Check out my other business book recommendations from this episode including:
  • The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – Hard Copy or Kindle 
  • Profit First by Mike Michalowicz – Hard Copy or Kindle 
  • Essentialism by Greg McKeown – Hard Copy or Kindle 
  • The One Thing by Gary Keller – Hard Copy or Kindle 
  • The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz – Hard Copy or Kindle 
• To learn more about our Growth Factor Coaching Program, click here to get in touch with me and my team
• New to the Spa Marketing Made Easy Podcast? Download our Quick Start Guide to learn more about tuning in, where you can connect with our resources, and how to leave a review. 

*Some links in this post are affiliate links where I will receive a small commission upon purchase.

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. 

[ Subscribe to Spa Marketing Made Easy on iTunes ]

Maybe you studied, or are currently studying aesthetics straight out of high school. 

Or maybe you went and got a degree in something else or had a full career in another industry before finally pursuing your dream of working in spa. 

No matter where you are  in your journey to becoming or building your career as an aesthetician, there’s one quality that acts as the foundation for anyone who wants to be successful in this industry: passion. 

A passion for helping and serving people, to committing to your craft and continually refining your technique and skill set, and, if you’re like my guest on this episode, a passion for giving back and paying it forward. 

I’m talking about Jaclyn Luongo, who if you haven’t met at one of the countless industry events she attends and speaks at, is simply the epitome of being a well-rounded and highly educated professional and industry leader while also embodying the role of a student at heart.

In addition to being a licensed aesthetician, make-up artist, aesthetic instructor, beauty blogger and business consultant with over 20 years of experience, Jaclyn also has an impressive resume as a featured guest freelance make-up artist for Chanel for over 11 years, a Business Consultant for Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, a volunteer for the Look Good Feel Better Program with the American Cancer Society as well as a guest speaker for the Dress for Success Organization. Additionally, she currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Melanoma Education Foundation, has been a Program Advisory Board Member at Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics since 2009, and is also the Academy Director at the American Academy of Health & Beauty. 

Clearly, Jaclyn is a woman who knows how to not only identify and create opportunities for her career but also go deep in her niche to carve out her expertise and pave the way for her to become the industry leader she is today. 

In this episode, we’re discussing the ways in which you can navigate your path to become the expert in what you’re most passionate about, while also remaining open to the endless opportunities that abound. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Jaclyn’s career journey and how she got to where she is today, which is the Academy Director at The American Academy of Health & Beauty
• How to begin navigating the many avenues you can take with a career in aesthetics 
• Why it’s crucial to remain a passionate learner and continue to seek out education, especially in the realm of business 
• Various ways to dive deep into your niche while staying open to the evolution of the industry 
• Why passion acts as the fuel for a successful career that allows you to pay it forward

References Mentioned in Episode #094: Committing to Life-Long Learning and Finding Your Aesthetic Niche with Jaclyn Luongo

• Connect with Jaclyn through her website, and on Facebook and Instagram 
• Learn more about the Growth Factor Framework program and get in touch with us to apply

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. 

[ Subscribe to Spa Marketing Made Easy on iTunes ]

It’s not uncommon for the foray into entrepreneurship to be less like a swan dive and more like a cannonball. 

You’re making moves, and you’re making them fast, all in the hopes of building up enough momentum to get your business off the ground so it can soar.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making quick moves when it comes to launching a business (life’s too short to sit around and wait for the right decision to present itself). 

And sometimes life circumstances mean you don’t have time to plot out every move in your business before taking the leap. Sometimes you just have to GO. 

However, even if you may not have time to spare, that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice stability.  

You need to build your business foundation on solid ground if you want to have success and longevity, and that’s where the Growth Factor Framework comes into play. 

What’s the Growth Factor Framework?

So glad you asked! 

Over the years I’ve discovered that every successful six- and seven-figure spa is built upon the same core pillars that give it strength and stability, which then allows for scale, and it’s these pillars that make up the Growth Factor Framework. 

Entrepreneurs with successful (i.e. profitable) businesses don’t end up there by accident, they get there with a purpose and a plan, and whether you’ve yet to take the dive into spa ownership or you’re all-in and struggling to keep your head above water, it’s never too late, or too early to get down to business basics and make sure that you’re giving your business the foundation it needs to thrive. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The three core pillars inside the Growth Factor Framework
• What it actually takes to make a million dollars of revenue in your business 
• Why building a team is integral to your success and where to start with your first hire 
• Where the spa industry is headed and how following the framework will ensure you’ll have a business foundation built to last 
• How to calculate your Lifetime Customer Value and how this plugs into the bigger picture of your business’ current and future growth

References Mentioned in Episode #090: Building a Successful Spa with the Growth Factor Framework

•  Read “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” by Micahel Gerber
• Learn more about Post With Purpose, a membership to help you master your spa social media
• Get more industry insights and data via Statista
• Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts

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. 

[ Subscribe to Spa Marketing Made Easy on iTunes ] 

As aestheticians, we share touch and personal connection with our clients, which means that energy exchange plays a huge role in our client experience. 

And if we come to our work with our energy unbalanced, or we find our energy affected by that of a client, it’s critical that we’re able to recalibrate and realign with a lighter, brighter energy. 

Now, before I go on any further, let me give a disclaimer if you’re reading and you’re thinking this sounds a little too “woo woo” for you…

Listen, I get it.

Although energy work is still relatively new to me having only become aware and slowly immersed in it over the last couple of years, it’s still something I’m discovering and wrapping my brain around.

But what I’ve realized in recent years is that these topics of energy work, inner work, and mindset, aren’t “woo,” it’s real, it’s science, and it’s totally within your power to shift if you’re willing to approach these concepts with an open mind and heart. 

So, with that said, I want to introduce you to my amazing guest on this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, Lisa Gornall. 

Lisa is a spiritual medium, healer, and coach, and uses her natural-given abilities to intuitively empower successful female entrepreneurs like you to reclaim your time, relationships, abundance and energy and live a fulfilling and balanced life.

After recording this episode, Lisa shared her intuitive and energetic gifts with me, and it resulted in a calm that washed over me like I can’t even describe. She’s the real deal, and I can’t wait for you to soak up all of her takeaways in this episode. 

I know you may be in the habit of listening as you commute to work, or as you cook or clean, but I highly encourage you to listen or re-listen when you’re in a space where you can be still, turn inward, and apply some of Lisa’s teachings as she explains it to really allow yourself to feel the energetic shift in real-time. 

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

• Lisa’s background in energy work and spa, as well as what energy work is and how it differs from other energetic practices such as meditation
• A simple process for calming and balancing your energy at the start and end of your day and in between client sessions 
• How to change the composition of our energy and shift into the power of positivity to clear and release  negative energy 
• Why we need to operate in a place of abundance and presence rather than fear and lack 
• How being in tune with our energy and mindset gives us insight into the growth of our businesses and careers and how it impacts our personal and family lives

References Mentioned in Episode #087: How to Recalibrate Your Energy and Invite Abundance into Your Life with Lisa Gornall

• Learn more about Lisa and her work as a spiritual medium, healer, and coach on her website 
• Discover Lisa’s newest book, “In Light & Love” and don’t forget to share a pic of you listening to this episode and tag us for your chance to win a copy! 
• Connect with Lisa on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube
• Learn more about the work of Shawn Achor and Brené Brown 

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.

Stop doing $10 an hour tasks in your business.

Stop doing $100 an hour tasks. 

So, what are the tasks you should be doing in your business? 


The $1000 an hour tasks. 

Now let me momentarily backpedal because I already know what you may be thinking…

“$1000 an hour tasks…what are those?!”

“I don’t have the revenue to stop doing $10 and $100 an hour tasks; I’m just barely keeping up!”

“I know I need help, but I don’t know the first place to look.”

Well, sit back, pull up an earbud, and fire up your notes app because in this episode of Spa Marketing Made Easy, I’ve got you covered on all things hiring a VA.

If you’re not familiar with the term VA, it stands for virtual assistant and let me tell you; they are a game-changer for the burnt-out, overworked, run-ragged business owner.

(Even if you’re not burnt out, you can still use a VA because they help you continue to stay sane and help you sustain growth as you scale your business!)

Virtual assistants are the key to setting yourself free from tasks that don’t fall within your zone of genius (aka the $1000 an hour tasks) so you can pass off the to-dos that take you forever to cross off to someone who can do them in mere minutes thus saving you a ton of aggravation and getting you a massive return on your investment.

However, as you get searching for a virtual assistant, you’ll find there is no shortage of potential hires to choose from.

In this episode, I’m sharing with you my top tips, tools and resources for finding your perfect fit VA, getting them set up and ready to roll, and creating a system so they can help you achieve your mile-markers for success.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How you and your business can benefit from bringing on a virtual assistant (VA)
• What a VA is and what types of tasks they are equipped to handle 
• What to consider concerning pricing, hours, and hiring locally, domestically, or internationally 
• Tips for finding and working with your perfect fit VA 
• Resources for where to begin searching for virtual assistant help

References Mentioned in Episode #085: How to Hire a VA and Reclaim Your Time

• Check out sites such as Hire My Mom, Cloudpeeps, Upwork and Freedom Makers to find a VA 
• Find international VAs in the Philippines 
• Use tools like LastPass, Canva and Google Drive to collaborate and share access to materials 

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.