Estheticians in Business

Episode description:
Solo estheticians are constantly looking for something to fix. A slow Tuesday, a reel that flops, a client who doesn't rebook, and suddenly it feels like the whole business needs an overhaul. Allyson breaks down the difference between an incident and a pattern, and why changing everything the moment something feels off usually does more harm than the thing that actually went wrong.

Show notes:
This week's episode asks a question most solo estheticians never sit with: what if nothing is actually wrong with your business?

Business fluctuates. A client tips you nothing one day and $100 the next. A post gets 300 views one week and 3,000 the next. That's normal. The problem is treating every uncomfortable moment like it requires a complete overhaul.

The real test: is it an incident, or a pattern?

• One client doesn't rebook, that's an incident. Your rebooking rate has dropped for six months, that's a pattern.
• One slow week, that's an incident. Revenue has declined significantly over four months, that's a pattern.
• A reel flops, that happens. Your content stops creating any conversation or inquiries for a long time, that's a pattern worth looking at.

Plus a real story about almost overhauling an entire partner-vetting process because of one uncomfortable interaction, and why "chillax, give it a minute" might be the most useful business advice in this whole episode.

Links:

• Estheticians in Business Membership: [Link]
• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: [Link]
• Instagram: [Link]
• 
  

Keywords: esthetician business mindset, solo esthetician overwhelm, esthetician business coach, esthetician revenue fluctuation, esthetician rebooking rate, esthetician content strategy, esthetician business patterns, esthetician slow season, esthetician confidence, esthetician business growth

If you're constantly wondering, “What should I post?” I want you to start asking a completely different question:

What is my client already thinking about today?

Your potential client probably isn't waking up wondering about the benefits of dermaplaning or which modality you use during a facial.

She's thinking:

“Why does my makeup look like crap lately?”

“Why am I still breaking out at 35?”

“Why does my skin feel dry no matter what I use?”

“I've spent so much money on skincare. Why isn't anything working?”

That's where your marketing should start.

In this Monday Marketing episode, we're talking about how to create content around the conversations already happening in your client's head, then use your expertise to educate, recommend, and help her take the next step.

• Why your clients don't think or talk like estheticians
• How overly technical content can accidentally speak to other estheticians instead of potential clients
• Turning real client questions into content
• Why your content should make someone immediately think, “That's me.”
• Using the actual words your clients use instead of cleaning them up into esthetician language
• How to take someone from a question to education, a recommendation, and eventually booking
• Why your DMs can be one of the best places to find both content ideas and potential clients

Your homework this week is simple:

Open the Notes app on your phone and create a list called:

“Questions my clients are already asking me.”

Every consultation question, DM, treatment-room conversation, frustration, and comment about their skin can become content.

Great marketing doesn't require you to constantly invent something new to say.

Join the conversation your client is already having in her own head.

If you understand what you should be doing but still struggle to figure out what your clients are thinking, what to post, or how to turn those conversations into actual bookings, come join us inside the Estheticians in Business Membership.

You'll get weekly support, trainings, resources, and Ask Al, where you can bring me your actual business questions and get help applying what you're learning.

Use the link in the show notes to join and get $15 off your first month while the offer is still available. 🤍

Link to JuvPen

Microneedling can be an incredible treatment for your clients, but it can also be a really profitable addition to your business when you understand how to use, price, package, and actually SELL it.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Bree Holt, Head of Sales and Education and in-house esthetician for JuvPen, to break down microneedling from both the treatment AND business side.

We're talking about what microneedling is actually doing in the skin, who it's good for, why a series is so important, what to look for before investing in a device, and how to introduce it to the clients who already know and trust you.

And yes... we're talking MONEY too. 😂

• What microneedling actually does and how collagen induction works
• Who makes a good candidate for microneedling
• Microneedling for fine lines, texture, acne scarring, pigmentation, stretch marks, and overall skin rejuvenation
• Why Bree recommends a series of treatments instead of looking at microneedling as a one-and-done service
• Why you MUST check your state's scope of practice before offering microneedling
• What to look for when investing in a professional microneedling device
• The difference between the JuvPen J1 and JuvPen MD
• Why needle depth and speed aren't necessarily one-size-fits-all
• What estheticians are charging for microneedling and how to think about your cost per treatment
• How a microneedling series can increase your average ticket and create repeat business
• How to introduce microneedling to the clients you already have
• Why you shouldn't sell "microneedling" and should instead sell the outcome your client actually wants
• The support and education JuvPen provides after purchasing a device

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is something Bree said:

Don't sell the treatment. Sell the outcome.

Your client may not care about the technical details of collagen production. She cares about the acne scarring that's been bothering her for years. She cares about softening the fine lines she's noticing. She cares about what her skin could look and feel like after completing her treatments.

JuvPen is offering Estheticians in Business podcast listeners 20% off JuvPen opening bundles. Bree shared that the offer is intended to run for approximately two months after the episode releases. JuvPen also offers in-house 0% interest financing, according to our conversation.

JuvPen inquiry link: [ LINK]

Make sure to mention Allyson or the Estheticians in Business podcast when you inquire so they know you're coming from me.

You can also find JuvPen on Instagram and TikTok at @JuvPenJ1.

And if you're inside the Estheticians in Business Facebook group, you'll see Bree and JuvPen in there regularly sharing education and answering questions too.

Important: Microneedling scope of practice varies by state. Before adding it to your business, verify what your individual license allows where you practice.

In this episode, we talk about:Special Offer for Podcast Listeners

Your clients don't automatically know what they're supposed to do next.

They don't know when they should come back, which products they should be using, what happens after they finish a package, or how they're supposed to maintain their results.

You're the esthetician. You know. They don't.

In this Monday Marketing episode, we're talking about all the places in your business where clients may be left wondering, "Okay... what now?" and how those moments can quietly cost you rebookings, retention, retail sales, and future appointments.

• Why clients need you to tell them when they should return
• Making sure clients actually know how and when to use the products they purchase
• What should happen after a client finishes a package or treatment series
• Why answering a service question shouldn't automatically be the end of the conversation
• Following up when someone cancels and never reschedules
• Helping clients understand how to maintain the results you've created together
• Looking at every interaction in your business and asking, "Does my client know what happens next?"

Your client shouldn't have to figure out how to be your client.

From the moment they book their first appointment to what happens after they finish a treatment series, you have an opportunity to show them what comes next.

And every time they leave wondering what they're supposed to do, there may be a rebooking, retail, retention, review, or future service opportunity getting missed.

So this week, look at your business through your client's eyes:

Do they know what happens next?

Follow @estheticiansinbusiness on Instagram and join the Estheticians in Business Facebook community for more business support created specifically for solo estheticians.

If this episode helped you, share it with another esthetician, subscribe to the podcast, and leave a five-star review. 🤍

Episode description:You could be the best esthetician on the planet and still need to get better at being the person responsible for your business. Allyson walks through the performance review she'd give herself, and challenges you to give yourself one too: 8 questions that reveal whether you'd actually hire yourself to run your business, from bringing in new clients to protecting your time to knowing your own numbers.

Show notes:This week's episode is a challenge: pretend you're not the owner of your business for 30 minutes. You're a consultant hired to review the last 30 days. What would you tell her to keep doing? What needs attention immediately?

The 8-part performance review:

1. Are you doing the job of bringing business in, or just posting and hoping?
2. Are you taking care of the clients you've already earned?
3. Do you actually know what's happening with your money?
4. Are you making decisions, or are you reacting?
5. Are you spending like an owner?
6. Are you protecting your business (your time, your pricing, your boundaries)?
7. Are you giving yourself too much to do?
8. What would you actually praise yourself for?

Plus a real story about the moment her husband asked where a $12,000 month actually went, and why "I think we're doing pretty good" isn't good enough when it's your own business.

Links:

• Estheticians in Business Membership: [Link]
• This episode's sponsor, GlossGenius (use code EIB for 50% off your first two months of premium plans): [Link]
• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: [Link]
• Instagram: [Link]
• 
  

Keywords: esthetician business coach, would you hire yourself, esthetician performance review, esthetician business owner mindset, solo esthetician boundaries, esthetician time management, esthetician self accountability, esthetician CEO mindset, esthetician business audit, esthetician confidence

Episode description:
Every discount you offer when you're slow, every DM you answer at 11pm, every time you squeeze someone in last minute, you're teaching your clients how to treat your business. Allyson breaks down the small, repeated things that quietly train clients to expect discounts, skip booking ahead, and treat your calendar like it's always open, and what to do instead so clients learn to actually respect your time, your schedule, and your recommendations.

Show notes:

This week's Monday marketing tip is about a question most estheticians never ask themselves: what are you teaching your clients to expect from you?

Clients learn how to interact with your business based on what you repeatedly allow.

• Discount when you're slow, and clients learn to wait for a deal instead of booking at full price.
• Answer DMs at 11pm, and clients learn that's when you're available.
• Let your schedule stay wide open with no real boundaries, and clients learn they don't need to book ahead, because there's no exclusivity to protect.
• Never recommend when they should return, and clients learn facials are something they book whenever they happen to think about it.
• Skip the retail conversation, and clients never connect home care to the results they're getting from you.
• Only market when you have openings, and clients learn to associate your content with "she needs an appointment," not with you actually showing up for them.

The bigger point: clients don't already know how you want to be booked, paid, or treated. You're teaching them that, whether you mean to or not.

Links:

• Estheticians in Business Membership: [Link]
• This episode's sponsor, GlossGenius (use code EIB for 50% off your first two months of their premium plans): [Link]
• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: [Link]
• Instagram: [Link]

Keywords: esthetician client boundaries, esthetician discount strategy, esthetician booking policy, esthetician scheduling tips, esthetician retail sales, esthetician client retention, esthetician business coach, esthetician rebooking, solo esthetician marketing, esthetician client expectations

Episode description:Followers, likes, and comments feel like progress, but they're rarely why an esthetician actually becomes profitable. Allyson breaks down the six numbers she'd track every single week if she were starting over: conversations, referrals, rebooking percentage, average ticket, follow-ups, and client lifetime value, plus a real coaching story about a client whose retention problem was hiding behind what looked like a marketing problem.

Show notes:This week's episode is about the numbers that actually grow a solo esthetics business, and follower count isn't one of them.

1. Conversations. How many real conversations did you have this week, DMs, consultations, follow-ups? Clients rarely book without one first.
2. Referrals. Not how many you got, how many you asked for. If the answer is zero, that's your answer.
3. Rebooking percentage. If it's under 80%, that's worth looking at before you chase more new clients.
4. Average ticket. Tracked over a month or three, not one appointment.
5. Follow-ups. How many people are sitting in your phone waiting to hear back from you.
6. Client lifetime value. What a client is actually worth over years, not one visit.

Plus a real coaching story: a client whose new clients weren't sticking around, and what was actually missing (a conversation before booking, one during consult, and any follow-up after).

Links:

• Estheticians in Business Membership (use code PODCAST for $15 off your first month): [Link]
• This episode's sponsor, GlossGenius (use code EIB for 50% off your first two months of premium plans): [Link]
• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: [Link]

Keywords: esthetician business numbers, esthetician rebooking rate, esthetician retention, esthetician client lifetime value, esthetician average ticket, solo esthetician kpis, esthetician follow up, esthetician business coach, esthetician vanity metrics, esthetician instagram followers

If you opened your calendar and only saw five clients booked for next week, would you panic? Allyson breaks down the exact six-step plan she'd run herself, from how to treat the clients you do have to the follow-up most estheticians skip and the content you can film while you're already in the treatment room. This isn't about hoping more people show up. It's about what to actually do with the time you have.

Links:

• Estheticians in Business Membership: ⁠[Link]⁠
• Solo Estheticians Business Blueprint (free masterclass): ⁠[Link]⁠
• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: ⁠Link⁠

Show notes:

Quick Monday marketing tip this week: what to actually do if your calendar looks emptier than you'd like.

1. Take care of the clients you already have. Rebooking, retail recommendations, asking for reviews, being fully present, every client is a referral source whether you realize it or not.
2. Reach out to past clients personally, not a generic "I have openings" blast. Reconnect first.
3. Follow up on old inquiries. Go through DMs, texts, and emails for anyone who said they wanted to book and never did.
4. Get in front of local people. Local Facebook groups, other beauty businesses, networking.
5. Use the open time to create content. Film in the treatment room, show a service, answer questions.
6. Show up to work during your normal hours even without a client booked, and think past next week. Market next month, not just next Tuesday.

Plus why a slow week isn't the same thing as a failing business, and why sometimes a cancellation is the time you actually needed.

Keywords: esthetician slow week, how to get more clients as an esthetician, esthetician marketing tips, esthetician business coach, solo esthetician clients, esthetician follow up tips, esthetician content ideas, esthetician networking, spa marketing tips, esthetician rebooking

Have you ever posted on Instagram, gone to one networking event, or sent one email and thought, well, that didn't work? Same. This week I'm telling you why that's the wrong question entirely.

I got real with you guys about my 75 Strong challenge, my postpartum body, and why I picked the stair stepper three times a week instead of quitting when everything else got hard. And then I connected it to the thing that's actually holding your business back: you're judging strategies after one try instead of giving them a real shot.

One Instagram post won't change your business. A hundred and fifty might. One email won't build trust. Fifty-two might. One networking event won't get you referrals. Forty might. I also finally admit out loud what my actual ROI was from my BNI group (spoiler, it's a lot), and why it took six months of feeling like nothing was happening before it clicked.

If you've ever quit something in your business because it "wasn't working," this episode is for you. Don't quit. Modify. Keep going.

Episode description (Apple/Spotify):

Most estheticians don't fail because their strategy is wrong, they fail because they quit before one strategy had enough time to work. In this episode, Allyson breaks down the compound effect of consistency in an esthetics business: why one Instagram post, one email, or one networking event will never move the needle, but showing up week after week for a year will. Using her own postpartum fitness challenge and a specific $1,000-to-$15,000 networking ROI story, she makes the case for staying in the game long enough to see results, and gives you a challenge to try for the next year.

Links:

• Join Estheticians in Business Membership: [link]

• Estheticians in Business Facebook Group: [link]
• Follow @estheticiansinbusiness on Instagram: [link]
• 
  

Keywords: esthetician business coach, solo esthetician marketing, esthetician Instagram strategy, esthetician email marketing, esthetician networking, beauty business consistency, compound effect business growth, six figure esthetician, esthetician BNI networking, esthetician business podcast

You may think the only way to make more money is to bring in more clients.

But sometimes, the money is already sitting inside your business. It is just leaking out through small habits and missed opportunities that add up over time.

In this episode, I am breaking down six ways solo estheticians quietly lose thousands of dollars every year and what to focus on instead.

• Why not following up can cost you paying clients

• How letting clients leave without rebooking creates an unstable schedule

• Why increasing your average ticket can grow your income without adding more appointments

• How poor retention keeps you stuck constantly searching for new clients

• The long-term cost of underpricing your services

• Why every solo esthetician needs to start building an email list

A small increase in your average ticket, stronger follow-up, better rebooking, and more returning clients can make a major difference in your yearly revenue.

You do not have to fix everything at once.

Choose the area that is costing your business the most money, work on that first, and then move to the next.

GlossGenius: Use code EIB to receive 50% off your first two months of a Gold or Platinum plan.

Estheticians in Business Membership: Get weekly business coaching, trainings, resources, and support created specifically for solo estheticians. Use code PODCAST when joining through the link below.

• Follow @estheticiansinbusiness on Instagram

• Join the Estheticians in Business Facebook community

• Share this episode with another esthetician who may be losing money without realizing it