Spa Divas Book is Free on Amazon This Weekend!

My short memoir on my first industry job is FREE this weekend only! Available at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Spa-Divas-Crazy-Esthetics-License-ebook/dp/B00F4MTQPY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405716611&sr=8-2&keywords=grace+riley+esthetics

What is it? It is all about the pitfalls of my first job experience. It was the first and worse job I've ever had in esthetics, but it taught me a lot about the industry.
What it's not? This book is not meant to be an advice book, it is not meant to give you tips per se on the industry, it is simply my STORY. My hope is that you extract your own lessons from my experience, but it is not a "How to Book."
Why did I write this book? I wrote this book because I get tons of e-mails from my blog readers. They ask me about my job experiences, and I felt that this job disaster could help readers see the potential red flags in their future jobs.  It was in a sense a catharsis for me, it was something that I could visualize and relive in my head as I typed the words. This book might simply be my story, but my goal and hope is that readers can use my story as an example of what isn't right at a spa and how to look for those red flags that I missed. My book is kind of a personal journal into my spa life at the time, it is not a complaint about my former job, in fact, I am glad I worked there. It taught me a lot and helped me pave my way to success in the future. Our experiences make us who we are, without that experience I wouldn't be the esthetician I am today.
What do I want my readers to take away from this book? I LOVE MY READERS---I have met so many of YOU wonderful readers through both my blog and books. When I first sat down to write my first book, I never in a million years would imagine I would get e-mails from all over the country much less become friends with some of you!!! I am truly blessed. My goal with this book was just to let readers know what I went through--how I survived--and how you can weather any storm and still succeed as an esthetician.

Thank you for reading my books.


http://www.amazon.com/Spa-Divas-Crazy-Esthetics-License-ebook/dp/B00F4MTQPY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405716611&sr=8-2&keywords=grace+riley+esthetics

Sometimes Failing as an Aesthetican Has Nothing to do With You

Failing Isn't Always Your Fault

 

 

The sad reality is many businesses fail in their first year of operation. In the spa industry it is fair to say it is more probable than in other industries. Why is this true? First of all, the market is flooded with anything beauty. Secondly, spa services are an indulgence not a necessity. Then you couple those troubling realities with the fact many of these spas pop up as an extension of an existing business (doctor's offices, chiropractors,dentists etc.) and the owners have no industry experience.

 

I have done a lot of interviews with doctors in particular who have no industry experience; meaning they don't deal with the face at all. They might not even deal with the skin. I am talking about family physicians, podiatrists, ob/gyn's  , dentists,  psychiatrists, and chiropractors. I have even worked for a couple of these docs. When I first started thinking about becoming an aesthetician years ago, the industry wasn't flooded with EVERY TYPE OF DOCTOR MED-SPA, it was strictly for Dermatologists and Cosmetics Surgeons. Back then it would have appeared to be tacky and unprofessional for the above mentioned doctors to employ aestheticians.

 

Today it is commonplace for every type of doctor to offer spa services of some sort. Look around, you will see plenty of these spas popping up. On one hand that is good for your employment prospects, the more spas that pop up the more opportunities for jobs for you. Not all of these doctors fail, in fact, some do quite well, but a lot of them fail.

 

Why do I think they fail?

It has been my experience thus far that many of these non-facial doctors are in this game for the money only! They see the beauty industry as a booming business and a great piece of pie to acquire more wealth. Why do they fail? I believe they aren't passionate about aesthetics like facial cosmetic surgeons or dermatologists are. They go extend their practices to include spa services just for money. We know we all need money, and money is good but it is all the root of a lot of greed and people who don't care about what they do or create as long as it makes them a dime. Don't get me wrong, I understand no one can eat or pay their bills without making money, and there is nothing wrong with making money, but I believe when you open a spa just for greed and the hope of a cash cow that your lack of passion and concern for the business will ultimately be the destructive force that causes the spa to go belly up.

 

I have seen two places I've worked for already go under for exactly the above mentioned reasons (fortunately I wasn't working at either place at the time) and I have done interviews at places similar to these that I could see the writing on the wall already. I knew I couldn't take the job because it was only time before it failed. One of the number one  red flags is when doctors or office managers blame the lack of business on a lazy aesthetician. I have heard this one several times, or "We would be more successful if she would market more, if she would actually try to sell retail."

Sure some aestheticians don't do market or retail, but in many cases it trickles down from management and it is a red flag when they blame their former aesthetician. It should be a combined effort between aesthetician and management to market and retail products.

The second red flag is when they have to resort to using those group coupons and other coupons on reoccurring basis...it means they don't have enough business to sustain. If they constantly have to send out coupons it is a problem. Customers get used to dirt cheap prices and won't pay full price once they get accustomed to cheap!

 

Don't beat yourself up if you end up in a job like this; it is not necessarily your fault if the doors close and business dries up. Don't take it personally. Just move on and find the right position for you.

 

Grace Riley Esthetics

Author of Jump Start Your Career: A Guide for Newly Licensed Estheticians

& Spa: Divas a Place to Hang My License & Spa Party Business

all available on www.amazon.com





Spa Party-More Pictures--A Home Birthday Party

This was a home B-day Party I did for a client--this is 1 of 2 tables--waiting for Cosmoprof to have PINK ESTHETIC TOWELS AGAIN DURING BREAST CANCER MONTH--I hate these white ones! I am going to stock up on the pink!

Birthday Diva
She had a blast! I don't normally let kids keep my headbands, but I made an exception for her because she was so much fun!
Did I mention how much I love my job????

Tired of Spa Owners Taking Advantage of Estheticians

It's All About Money!

Okay, I understands businesses are in business to make money without a doubt they have many operating and overhead expenses that we estheticians can't even comprehend. They take out major loans and risk their credit and mortgage their houses to open these spas. I get it! I know it is a lot, but estheticians are part of their success. Without estheticians (or other spa employees) what would be the success rate of their spas then?
Without estheticians there is no spa, thus there is no business to pay the operating costs and overhead. When it comes to esthetician pay there are some seriously cheap owners out there that don't want to share in the success. I am not suggesting owners give their hard earned money away, not at all, I am suggesting that they pay estheticians fair and equitable pay. I wish there were some type of organization that protected estheticians from unfair pay and seedy business owners.
Case and point: I had a job all lined up once at a spa with a terrific owner who was going to pay me 50/50. I would bring some of my own products and he would bring some. I would pay for my own uniform and he would pay for advertising and basic supply costs. We decided we would have a contract that was mutually beneficial and lay out all of terms, except when I got the contract many of the points that we agreed on verbally had been changed to his favor!!!

One of the biggest changes was to the compensation plan. He and I agreed that I would get 50/50 split (just like I had earned at previous places) but he changed the contract to say 50/50 of the profit. 50/50 of the profit is very different from 50/50 of the treatment cost and he tried to slipped that right into the contract. Of course, I nixed that right away because 50% of the profit wasn't much after he put in his overhead costs and such, he was smart he could screw me right out of money by simply putting in the contract a 50/50 profit knowing that most people wouldn't have caught that in the contract.

The second thing he did was put in our contract that I would give him 60 days notice to end the agreement but he only had to give me 10 days notice! That is absurd. I had to give him plenty of notice to find a new esthetician, but he didn't have to give me the same professional courtesy?

Needless to say, I told him that the contract wasn't agreeable or even favorable by industry standards. I am not a pansy that he can just walk all over. He knew exactly what he was doing, we had previously discussed terms verbally and he purposely constructed this contract to be more favorable to him with the intent of getting me to sign on the dotted line. As you can imagine, you can probably guess where I told him to take his contract!

In this business you've got to protect yourself first and foremost, it doesn't matter how friendly or how professional a business owner or manager seems, trust no one.
You didn't pay all that money to go to esthetics school to come out in the real world and people take advantage of you. And trust me, if you give them an inch they will take it. You have to conduct yourself like a professional and demand what you deserve (within reason--within industry standards for your location).  I have always been picky about what I accept, and the owner's character is of high importance to me because I want to work for a place I am happy at, a place where I like the owner and I know they've got my back because we are mutually making money for each other.
Don't accept anything (unless you have to right now)--make sure it is the right deal for you.

Author of
Jump Start Your Esthetics Career: A Guide to Newly Licensed Estheticians

 Spa Divas: A Place to Hang My License

Spa Party Business: A Plan to Success

Available on www.amazon.com

Find Your Esthetics Niche to a Happy Career

Finding Your Passion in Esthetics
(Dedicated to Gladys--one of my former student-readers that makes me see how passion can slowly bloom beautiful careers!)

Everyone in esthetics school has big dreams. I remember having this super fun project in esthetics school where we had to design and create our own dream spa. It had to include statements as to why we thought it would be successful, how we would advertise and rough price ranges to get started. I loved this project, it helped me and other students wish upon of star and hope BIG!

Now the problem with this project as much as I loved it is it almost sets students up for failure. The reality is most estheticians will never own their spas, in fact, many estheticians struggle just to find work in decent spas. Only the crème of the crop estheticians get good spa jobs, and even then many estheticians can't find their ways. Whether your goal is to make it big and own a high-end spa or you just want to be a working esthetician, there is one common ingredient among successful estheticians (success to me=happily working-everyone's idea of good income varies) and that is a NICHE.

Do you know someone in school who is fantastic at waxing? They can speed waxing off those ugly hairs and they can create a brow that celebrity artists would be proud of? Do you remember someone in school that knew how to transform ordinary into extraordinary with makeup? These are niches, it is a specialized area of esthetics that you are really good at and it can carry you through your career.

You need to know what you are really good at and run with it. Your career might take you many places, you might wind up with many experiences good and bad, but some how you always end up back doing your specialty more and more. For me, well let's just say I ended up doing a variety of things. Obviously if you are reading my blog you know that I like to TALK and bring my experiences to people, but I took my love of creating, organizing and my love of children ( I am a proud momma) and decided to off spa parties to girls and moms. Life leads us in funny ways sometimes because if you ever asked me if I would do additional birthday parties I would have said a flat "NO!" My life began and ended with esthetics--everything esthetics--I worked at med spas and traditional spas before even getting into spa parties, and I certainly didn't have regular kids' parties in my business plan, but sometimes life gives you an opportunity and you at to look at the whole picture and make a decision about your career. 

What changed for me? What catapulted me into becoming more than just spa parties?  My most popular party is still my girls' spa party and my doll spar party, but I was approached by a clubhouse to offer boys' parties. My initial response to them was a unequivocal "no" and I didn't look back. Again I was approached about doing boys' parties and other types of parties, and finally I decided to give it a try. Why not? At first, I didn't want to do this because I am an esthetician and that is my first love, but then I realized I have a gift that people want to use. I am really good at putting things together; I can handle many kids at once (I've handled 31 kids at a party); and these people trust me with spa parties and they wanted me to create something special for their other parties because they trust in my ability to create them the perfect venue. So my career has changed significantly, I used to be just an esthetician who had a couple parties on the side, then turned into a spa party business and then now I am focused on the parties as a whole.
Why does this matter to you when you just want to be an esthetician? It matters because you need to know what you are good at and what you are passionate about because those driving forces can lead you towards an unexpected career path. Back to when I was in esthetics school, my spa project we did in class was the polar opposite of the career I have today. Never once, not in a million years did I ever think I would offer spa parties to little girls nor did I think I would branch out and offer other venues. My point is you don't know where you career can take you, but if you can figure out what your passionate about and what you are good at it, it will help you find your way to success and happiness.
I love what I do. Sure there are bumps in the road, no job is a 100% perfect and if anyone tells you that being an esthetician in any job from spa esthetician to Medical Aesthetician to Brow Bar Expert to a Sales Person to a Spa Party Owner they are sugar coating it! My job is not perfect, it is not easy running my own spa party business and it takes a lot flexibility, creativity and patience to keep it going, but in the end I couldn't think of anything else that would make me happier. I love it!
I don't know who said this, but whoever said "Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life (author unknown)" truly knew what they were talking about.

Author of
Jump Start Your Esthetics Career: A Guide for Newly Licensed Estheticians

Spa Divas: A Place to Hang My License

Spa Party Business: A Plan for Success