S.P.A. Business Podcast

If you've ever spent money on Facebook ads and wondered where it went or why it didn't work, this episode is for you. I'm sitting down with Pamela Howe to demystify marketing funnels, explain why boosting a post doesn't work anymore, and walk through what it actually takes to bring someone from never hearing about you to laying on your treatment table.

You'll learn:

• What a marketing funnel actually is and how it takes someone from finding you to booking

• Why boosting posts does not work like it used to

• How to tell if you have an ads problem or a funnel problem

• What Meta ads really include across Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp

• Why spending money without testing leads to wasted results

• What a lead magnet is and what is working better right now

• The key numbers to watch like CPC (Cost Per Click), impressions, and CTR (Click-Through Rate)

• Why service-based businesses need a different approach than e-commerce

• What to do if ad spend feels intimidating and where to start

• Why working with someone who understands service-based businesses matters

If you know this is your next step but you're scared of throwing money into a black abyss, this episode will help you understand what actually goes into a funnel and how to approach it with confidence.

Connect with Pamela Howe:

🌐 Website: www.howetomarket.com

📱Instagram: @digitalpamelahowe

📩 Gmail: [email protected]

Ready to explore what's next for your spa marketing strategy?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's talk about where you are and what your next step should be.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

Let's talk about something nobody wants to admit resentment about. If you've ever watched your team clock out and head home while you're still there with two more clients, a supply order to place, and payroll coming up, this episode is for you. Resentment isn't a character flaw. It's data. And it's almost always pointing to a financial problem.

You'll learn:

• Watching your team clock out and head home while you're still there working late, wondering why you took all this risk
• Why resentment isn't a character flaw (it's your nervous system telling you something in your business structure isn't working)
• The two stories behind resentment, either you're working more but being paid less (a math problem), or hiring gave you more responsibility with no financial reward (an expectation problem)
• Why investigating this feeling matters more than suppressing it (shame spiraling keeps you stuck)
• Resentment is almost always a financial issue, not a personal failing
• The rule for every dollar you pay an employee, you should get at least four dollars back. If not, your profit structure needs work.
• How to fix to look at your numbers honestly, set boundaries, hold people accountable, and pay yourself what you deserve
• Why paying yourself fairly changes everything (you stop feeling like you're running a charity and start feeling excited to go to work)

I've talked to so many spa owners who are one bad week away from walking away from this beautiful thing they've created. If that's you, this episode will help you investigate what's really going on.

Ready to fix the profit structure so your business actually works for you?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's look at your numbers honestly and create a plan that pays you fairly for the work you're doing.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

If your spa can't function without you, if you're answering the same questions all day long, or if mistakes keep getting repeated, you don't have a team problem. You have a systems problem. In this final episode of the hiring series, I'm breaking down why Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the key to freedom, consistency, and growth without burnout.

You'll learn:

• What an SOP actually is: a simple step-by-step guide for how things get done in your spa (not a 50-page manual)

• Why you're the bottleneck when everything lives in your head instead of being written down

• How SOPs give you accountability, consistency, faster training, higher standards, and way less micromanaging

• Where to start: your biggest friction point. What do you get asked most? What's done wrong most often? That's your first SOP.

• Essential SOPs to create: opening and closing, checking clients in and out, retail conversations, service protocols, sanitation, and late cancellation policies

• Where to keep them: Teachable, Google Docs, Monday.com, or a binder with QR codes to video tutorials

• The big mindset shift: SOPs aren't about control, they're about freedom. When your standards are documented, your spa runs without you being there for every single decision.

If you're answering questions all day, fixing the same mistakes, or re-explaining things constantly, start with one SOP this week. Just one. That's how you begin creating a spa that doesn't rely entirely on you.

What's the one thing you get asked about most? That's your first SOP.

Ready to build a spa that runs smoothly without you carrying everything on your shoulders?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's create the systems that give you freedom, not more work.

www.Amandaluisaconsulting.com

Someone just accepted your job offer. Congratulations! But here's the hard truth, how you onboard them will decide if they succeed or struggle. In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact onboarding documents I use to set new hires up for success from day one, including how I get them paying for themselves by their third day of work.

You'll learn:

• A clear guide covering expectations, dress code, time off, and performance standards (not a 35-page manual nobody reads)

• How to welcome new hires with your brand story, core values, team photos, and practical info like where to park and find the break room

• A simple day-one worksheet where they rate their comfort level (0-10) for every service so you know exactly where to focus training

• Two questions that help you show them the real path to hitting their income goals through tips, retail, and bookings

• How to get them 50% booked and paying for themselves by their third day of work

Your handbook protects your business. Your onboarding packet reduces overwhelm. Your comfort level worksheet creates your training roadmap. Your live like a queen envelope motivates them to do big things

Ready to build an onboarding system that makes your team feel supported and keeps you in control?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's walk through the process so your first hire becomes a thriving team member, not a struggle.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

Your inbox could be the hidden bottleneck slowing down your entire hiring process. If resumes are buried between client confirmations, product orders, and marketing emails, you're hiring from a place of chaos instead of confidence. In this updated episode, I'm showing you exactly how to organize your inbox so hiring feels effortless, not overwhelming.

You'll learn:

• Why you DON'T need another email address (we're making your current inbox work for you)The three-folder system: Resumes, Job Applicants, and Employees
• How to automate with Gmail filters so emails automatically sort themselves
• The subject line hack that filters applications with zero effort from you
• Templates for every stage: thank you, moving forward, rejection, and offer letters
• The auto-response that stops follow-ups: "No need to follow up. We've got your information."
• Why organized systems create confident leadership (messy inbox = reactive decisions, structured inbox = confidence)

Hiring is already stressful. Your inbox shouldn't make it harder. When your backend is organized, hiring becomes fun and exciting instead of chaotic and overwhelming.

Ready to fully streamline hiring so you can grow without the chaos?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's create a system that helps you narrow down top applicants in under 3 minutes and hire strategically, not desperately.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

You've written the job description, saved your payroll cushion, and you're ready to hire. But here's the problem. if nobody knows the job exists, none of that matters. In this episode, I'm breaking down where to post your job and the strategy behind each placement so you attract the right esthetician, not just anyone.

You'll learn:

• Why a Google Form is essential and how it helps you quickly narrow down the right candidates • Why your careers page should be the one clear place every application leads back to • How to use social media and your email list strategically to attract aligned estheticians • Why referrals and personal connections often lead to your best hires • How to use job boards like Indeed without wasting money • How to attract and repel the right fit from the very beginning

Where will you post your job application this week? Make the list and take action.

Ready to streamline your hiring process with a Google Form and strategy that works?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's create an application system that brings you qualified candidates, not just anyone.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

Thinking about hiring your first esthetician? Before you post that job listing, there are four critical steps you need to take first. Skip these and you'll end up stressed, burned out, or back to solo six months later. In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly what to do before you ever write a job post.

This is Part 1 of a five-part hiring series. If you're a solo esthetician who's constantly booked, really tired, and one sick day away from everything falling apart, this episode is for you.

You'll learn:

• Why hiring does not start with a job post and where it actually begins

• The biggest mistake spa owners make with their first hire

• How to decide the exact hours you need help based on demand

• How to structure pay based on your numbers, not emotion

• Why saving three months of payroll changes how you lead

• How to write a job description that filters the right candidates fast

• The simple bonus structure that keeps compensation fair and motivating

• How 38 applicants were narrowed down to 3 in minutes

Information is not transformation. What's one step you'll take this week to prepare for your first hire?

Ready to hire your first esthetician without the overwhelm?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's create a hiring plan that protects your finances, sets clear expectations, and brings the right person to your team.

I've helped clients go from 38 applicants to 3 qualified candidates in under 3 minutes. I've walked people through hiring their first esthetician in as little as 30 days (though I prefer a slow and steady approach).

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

In this episode, I'm breaking down what "bougie" actually means, why it doesn't come naturally to me, and how intentional choices (not expensive ones) create the elevated experience your clients remember.

We talk about the difference between luxury and high-maintenance, how your energy as an owner shows up in your client experience, and why bougie is a skill you can learn, not a personality trait you're born with.

You'll learn:

• What "bougie" is NOT: it's not flashy, expensive, or having more of everything

• Why your business can't feel elevated if you don't embody calm, confident leadership first

• How I simplified my service menu to reduce decision fatigue and increase bookings

• The appearance factor: what elevated looks like when you're client-facing (even when you're not in scrubs)

• Why boring keeps your business running and bougie keeps people coming back

• Simple upgrades that cost nothing but change everything about how your business feels

If you've been struggling to make your business feel more intentional and luxurious without adding more to your plate, this episode will show you where to start.

Ready to make your business feel more calm, confident, and intentional?

Fill out this intake form to book a discovery call with me. Let's talk about what bougie and boring could look like for your spa.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

What if growth doesn't come from adding more, but from refining what already works?

In this episode, we break down why "bougie and boring" businesses are often the most profitable and sustainable. We talk about the hidden cost of chasing trends, how chaos impacts your team and clients, and why predictable systems create calm, trust, and repeat revenue.

You'll learn:

• Why constantly adding new services and strategies often creates more stress instead of more profit
• What "boring" actually means and why it does not equal lazy, stagnant, or bland
• How refining what already works leads to more rebooking, stability, and peace
• The connection between your energy as an owner and the client experience in your spa
• Simple mindset and structure shifts that support long-term growth without burnout

If your business feels heavy or scattered right now and you're ready to figure out what actually matters, let's talk.

Fill out this intake form to book a free 30-minute discovery call with me: I help spa owners identify what's already working in their business so they can stop doing ALL THE THINGS and start doing the right things.

If you're ready to trade chaos for calm and build something sustainable that doesn't require you to sacrifice your life, let's map out what "bougie and boring" looks like for your spa.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com

Staring "tons" applications and have no idea who's actually worth your time? Tempted to just hire the first person who looks decent on paper because you're desperate for help? Hold up, let me save you from a very expensive mistake. I'm walking you through the exact job application system I've perfected over nine hiring cycles that filters out the wrong people before they ever hit your inbox. This isn't about making hiring harder, it's about making it smarter.

You'll hear about:

• Why resumes tell you almost nothing about how someone actually shows up for work
• The Harvard Business Review study that proves gut feelings are the worst predictors of job performance
• The one resourcefulness question I ask that immediately cuts my applicant pool by 75% (and why that's a good thing)
• How to spot red flags like "Eeyore energy" and blame-shifters before you waste time on interviews
• The exact questions that reveal if someone is coachable, accountable, and drama-free
• Why fewer applications means higher quality candidates (and less work for you)

This episode is about setting up a hiring process that takes things off your plate instead of adding to it, because you're not hiring someone to fix or mentor, you're hiring someone to support you and give you relief.

Ready to hire your first esthetician the right way?

Fill out this intake form to book a free 30-minute discovery call with me. I work with spa owners who are ready to stop spinning their wheels and start building sustainable growth strategies that actually work long-term.

www.amandaluisaconsulting.com