As I am concluding my 23rd year as an esthetician I have been reflecting on things I have learned along the way. I would like to share them with you in hopes you can apply it to your own career and reflect and maybe even skip learning a lesson or two on your own.
Boundaries with clients is essential. This is an ongoing effort for me. We are nurtures by nature. But having client boundaries is key.
Have boundaries with myself. Just like clients we must have rules – hard rules, soft rules and we must stick to them. If we say we aren't going to do something, we must not do that.
There is always more to learn. Fortunately, I love to learn, hence why I created B.A.B.E. but I can tell you I would have never could have guessed where our industry would have come to in 23 years and it keeps going. Keep educating yourself.
Everyone can teach you something. I learn from people just getting in the industry, very seasoned colleagues and everyone in between. I learn from children. I learn from clients. Just keep learning.
Don’t burn bridges. For starters, it’s bad karma. But also, you never know when need to lean on that bridge. The world and industry are smaller than you think. Even if you will never utilize that bridge again – an opportunity you may be interested in may know that bridge well.
Be open to new things. Don’t be afraid to change and pivot. As mentioned before our industry is ever changing. If you would like an example of a SUPER successful company who FAILED due to not pivoting…. Blockbuster.
There is room for us all to succeed. Focus on you, be kind and know that we can all have a seat at the table. Don’t get icky competitive.
Your colleagues can be your friends and support. I have some dear friends in the industry. Ones I can lean on. Ones we can send clients to each other to cover each other when we must, for a short or long term, need to step away from the treatment room. Find your tribe.
Community over competition. Work together as a community. Refer to others. Once again there is room for all.
It’s ok, in fact smart to niche down and do what you love. By doing so you can master what you love, ditch what you don’t like and collaborate with others to refer clients for other specialties…. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?!
Always be kind, you never know what someone is going through.
Put yourself out there. You never know who you will meet and what may occur from those connections.
There is so much more to our career than technical skills. (PSST>>> that’s why we have soooo many professional / personal development & soft skills classes).
You can work whatever days and hours that work for YOU!
Come from a place of integrity.
Believe in what you are doing and the products you use. It will make your job easier and much more enjoyable.
Knowing who your ideal client & targeting them is key.
Prepare for the unexpected. Going through 2020 this should be a lesson we all have learned but there are other kinds of unexpected.
Failure is just a lesson and part of life. If you aren’t even failing, you are playing it too safe. If you fail, ask yourself what is the lesson? What can you take from it? Do you need to just adjust things slightly and then be successful?
We are really blessed to help others and make them feel good. We hold a special place in many people’s lives.
The economy will bump up and down. Keep moving forward and adjust as needed, but it will all work out.
Tell everyone you meet what you do for a living. Don’t be pushy, but you never know what doors may open and connections may be created.
Super clear communication is key.
I hope this was a good refresh for you and perhaps you even learned a few new lessons to bring back to your career. Wishing you all the joy and success in your career!
