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Do You Have to Own a Business to Be a Successful Esthetician? · Estie Insider Podcast

• Estie Insider Podcast: Welcome to the Estee Insider podcast, where skincare meets real life. We're your hosts, Chelsea, Jacqueline, and Rebecca. Three estheticians in three different time zones, obsessed with skin, business, and the beauty of connection. No topic is off limits. This is the unfiltered side of skin. Let's get into it. Chelsea: welcome back to the SD Insider Podcast. We have I think an interesting topic today. I made a post, this was a couple months ago, that got a lot of good feedback, comments on it. This was a carousel post. it was titled Not every aesthetician wants to go solo. And in the carousel, I talked about, you know, there's such a it's kind of owning your own business as an aesthetician is kind of over glamorized in the industry. And there are people who want to work for someone. They want to be an employee. And that is okay. That's you are still a valuable aesthetician. You can be talented working for somebody. It doesn't, you don't have to go solo. And so there were just a lot of comments from people that they were like, Thank you for this reminder. Or it's like, you know, they're like, I love who I work for. I love what Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: I'm doing right now. Like I don't I don't need to branch out on my own. So anyway, I wanted to discuss it. Let's talk about it. Rebekah: I was forced to go solo and before I went solo, I had zero plans of leaving my employer. I loved it. I always said I didn't want to go solo, and then I did because I was forced to COVID. And then I always said I didn't want us employees, which now I'm doing. But and I didn't want to expand, and here we go. But Chelsea: Now you're on that journey. Estie Insider Podcast: And you didn't want to expand and here we go. Chelsea: Yeah. Rebekah: I I there's so many pros and cons to everything. Both Both aspects Chelsea: Sure. Rebekah: of of being an employee and being a business owner. But I know many, many, many aestheticians. one specifically, shout out to Sadie. I love her so much. We actually worked together at the spa that I used to be an employee at and she got a job once the spa that we worked at closed. She's still an employee elsewhere. I mean, she's been an esthetician for almost as long as I have. I think maybe even as long as I have. So nine, ten years. And she's been an employee the whole time and she crushes it. And she just likes, Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: you know, she likes having Someone else has to worry about the taxes. Someone else has to worry about the inventory. Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: She can go in, focus on her clients and leave for Chelsea: Yep. Rebekah: the day. And she crushes it. She's super successful. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: And I think that people forget that like going solo or owning your own business doesn't automatically a mean that you're gonna be successful and B, it doesn't mean it's not Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: the only route to success as an aesthetician, I think. Estie Insider Podcast: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chelsea: Yeah. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: Sometimes I think about like, you know, one day, like, how long do I want to have this business? Like, where do I want to see it go? And is there a day that I would want to actually close the business and go do something else with my esthetician license? Whether that's like being a rep for a skincare company or working at a nice spa in a different state, you know, like where where do I see myself going in in the industry? Because I am remembering or I'm I have to like tell myself that this is only the beginning of my career and people are in it for 20, 30, 40 years and they start here and then they end up somewhere else. So I sometimes Chelsea: Sure. Estie Insider Podcast: think about that all the time, especially because I wanna like I want to move to another state for a little bit, like just to have that experience Rebekah: Whenever. Estie Insider Podcast: of being somewhere else. I just want to be somewhere like I love it's like Arizona. I I wanna like I wanna go Chelsea: Come to El Peso. Just kidding. Don't do that. Yes. Rebekah: Come to New England. Estie Insider Podcast: to actually I wanna leave the country. I do. But I want like Canada. Canada. Rebekah: to go where. I was just gonna I was just gonna say Canada. Chelsea: Canada. Rebekah: I love Canada. Estie Insider Podcast: I want Canada or some part obviously a place where that speaks English. so Rebekah: London. Estie Insider Podcast: London, just and like see what what how aestheticians operate in different countries. we are we just think that we're elite and there's so many other ways to clear skin and do and treat the treat the skin and there's different regulations and things like that. And the reason why I kind of started well, I've been thinking about it for a while now, but DMK, what's really cool about their philosophy is that They are international, so they're in different countries and they have Chelsea: Okay. Estie Insider Podcast: to be within regulation of each country. So their products have to be able to like you have to be able to use them in each country. And I thought that's so cool because Chelsea: That's interesting. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: country have more regulations on some products and and ingredients. Therefore we have that same ingredient deck and I think that it I don't know, it just kind of reassures me that it's it's good, it's safe for the skin. So I th I thought that was pretty cool, but Chelsea: What it'd be if you I think it would be really cool if you end up doing this, but I would be interested. So this is another carousel that I did that I actually don't want to go on the tangent because we'll be there all day, but I made a a post about medical aestheticians or like calling yourself a medical aesthetician that did not have Rebekah: yeah, people were pissed. Chelsea: as much positive feedback as the going s of not going solo. There was a lot. Anyway, Rebekah: People were pissed. Chelsea: that I was like, mm, I don't like I I got a ton of engagement, it got a ton of shares. I did not feel good having so much negativity. And I was like, Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: that's not my that's not my jam. I'm not about that. But but speaking of Canada, the algorithm sent that post to Canadians and all these Canadians were commenting on it and I'm like, Where the hell did you come from? Rebekah: Did you piss off the Canadians? Estie Insider Podcast: What it Chelsea: I didn't piss them off. It Rebekah: I say that's pretty hard. Estie Insider Podcast: Is it hard to do, Rebecca? Is it hard to do? I feel like they I don't know. Rebekah: They're just so nice, usually. Chelsea: I feel like, yeah, I feel like they're pretty chill. But they were, I don't because I went and I'm like, did I not specify? But I did in in one of the slides I said specifically in the US, and they were commenting in Canada. So in Canada, and I know for sure, because there was one gal that we follow each other, she's in the UK. Their licensing takes it's it is like a legit degree, and it has like a medical background and Rebekah: Aren't they called skin therapists in the UK? I think they are. Chelsea: I I don't even know. But they were like pointing Estie Insider Podcast: See that excites me Chelsea: out and I'm like, Estie Insider Podcast: but scares me. Chelsea: I know, I'm not talking about you. Like to me, I wish Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: that they would come up with a licensing to Rebekah: Yes. Chelsea: I wish it was like a nurse, a nursing license and an aesthetics license combined. I think that would be so good for the industry. Rebekah: That would be sweet. Mm-hmm. Estie Insider Podcast: Just wonder it makes me wonder how other aestheticians are trained in the in the world and that excites me because it's like what am I missing like what else could I like Chelsea: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: how else could I and and it what's that what's that course where you can go global? Rebekah: Sedesco. Chelsea: s yeah, Sedesco. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. So like even like looking into that I mean I I was talking out loud about moving it's just it's it's a big thing. You just it's it's not that easy. And Chelsea: My Rebekah: We're getting off topic. We're getting off topic. Chelsea: one of my ins I know, we'll get back to it, but one of my instructors in school, she was from New Zealand. my gosh, I freaking loved her. Her name was Stephanie. Rebekah: I love New Zealand accents. Chelsea: my gosh. Yeah. She but her whole philosophy, it was just very it was so much more gentle and and now bet now granted this was twenty years ago, twenty two. Yeah, twenty-two years ago, last month is when I got licensed. Rebekah: Yikes. Estie Insider Podcast: my god. Chelsea: Cryptkeeper. But she was in her 50s. So she had gone through like the whole 80s, 90s in the skincare industry. Like, so her philosophy was even different. But it was really cool to see her teach and her philosophy and Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Chelsea: how she did things. It was just so much more Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Chelsea: like gentle and beautiful and Estie Insider Podcast: I don't know, it it excites me to like see what else is out Chelsea: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: there. And like, you know, when I started the the us going back on topic, when I started the my esthetician career, you can go into different areas, like in different avenues with with the with the license. You could be at a resort spa, you could be on a cruise, you could be, you know, mobile, you could be like so many different things. And so, I think that That's always exciting with the well you don't just have to be a business owner. You don't have to just do facials. You can do so much more with your license. but it's just kind of fine and and it's just nice that you can do that throughout your whole career. You can kind of ebb and flow within it and go in and out of whatever Chelsea: Sure. Estie Insider Podcast: you want to do. So Rebekah: And knowing on the back end, just the amount, the sheer amount of money it costs to keep a business going, you can probably make more Chelsea: my gosh, I know. Rebekah: money as an employee. You Estie Insider Podcast: You can. Rebekah: I feel like the chances Chelsea: Yeah. Rebekah: are better of you making more money as an aesthetician if you're Chelsea: Yep. Rebekah: an employee versus going solo or being a business owner. I feel like the chances of you making a rate a great salary is is better if you just be an employee. Chelsea: Yeah. I feel like it isn't portrayed like that on social media. Rebekah: Correct. Correct. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah, yeah. Chelsea: And so, but if you're taking like average take home pay from somebody who owns their business and average Estie Insider Podcast: You would make more. Yeah. Chelsea: pay from yes, like it's n they're not like this, like it's portrayed. I know. Rebekah: Yep. You will make way more. I I was thinking about that. I was thinking about that. Estie Insider Podcast: You will be richer not owning a business. Chelsea: Yeah. Rebekah: I'm like, if I had the clientele that I have currently and I sold the retail that I sell currently and I worked for someone else, I'd probably make more I'd probably have more take-home pay. Cause I invest so much more money back into my business still. Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: that I could, yeah, I'd probably my taxes would be lower. yeah. Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: be investing more money back into the business. I could just, my take-home pay would probably be a lot more. Sorry, Matt. Sorry to my family. Chelsea: Yeah. And I yeah. And I think sorry, Matt. But Estie Insider Podcast: Insurance might be cheaper. Chelsea: I think the trade off ish is like I need the schedule the the somewhat flexible schedule. And I Rebekah: Yes. Yep. Chelsea: think it depend I I think you can like with my with Leah and Natalie, I'm not saying I'm the best boss in the world, but I recognize that. And so I tell them I'm like, hey, let's set revenue goals. This is what I need you to bring in every month. But go ahead and make your schedule how you want it. And if we're hitting that revenue goal, then that's fine. We can keep it that way. But if you're not hitting that revenue goal, then we need to make changes to the schedule. I need to make yourself more available. But like, Estie Insider Podcast: I like that. Chelsea: like Natalie likes coming Rebekah: That I like that too. Chelsea: Lat Natalie likes coming in later and staying later. And and I tell them like I need you to work maybe two nights a week. Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Chelsea: need you to work a Saturday or Sunday. It's, you know, that's just the industry. That's the business. But but like if you like a later morning personally, then come in start at twelve, do twelve to seven. So I think you can still have, depending on who you work for, you can still get a flexible schedule working for somebody. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. And I think that that's what's cool Rebekah: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: about all of us, like all these aestheticians now owning businesses, is that it's different than your resort spa or it's different than your franchise spa. Like Chelsea: Yes, yes. Estie Insider Podcast: they are strict hours where like I Chelsea: Yes. Estie Insider Podcast: I think a lot of people need us opened after five because of work. And you know, s I really like Chelsea: Yes. Yeah. And we need to be open on the weekends. Like that's Estie Insider Podcast: that model that you're doing, Chelsea. And you know, that's not easy to find. Chelsea: Yeah, yeah. I think and I think it just, you know, even even my husband Aaron, for a few years he ran nursing homes. And and same thing, he would like the nurses, you know, they're there there were a lot of nurses that had kids in school and they were like, I don't know what to do. Like I would love to come and work at the nursing home, but I don't know how to get my kid from school. And so he would let them like he they kind of had weird. I don't know. He would let them just like go pick up their kid from school and then come back to work. And sometimes it's like just little things like that. You feel valued as an employee. You don't feel like Rebekah: Yes. Estie Insider Podcast: Mm. Chelsea: you're just there as you know, to make money. It's like, Estie Insider Podcast: To make money, yeah. Yeah. Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: thank you for recognizing that I'm a person that has anyway, like Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Chelsea: Natalie has she is very involved with her church and there's evenings that she prefers not to work so she can go. And I'm like, yes, I want you to have a a personal life outside of work. Like this is not just for you to. Come and slave away. Estie Insider Podcast: They'll want to work harder for you Chelsea: Right. Estie Insider Podcast: if you give them that flexibility and you treat them like a human being. Yeah. I worked at a spa, Chelsea: Yes, way. And so Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Estie Insider Podcast: a chain spa, and I hated it. I'm not gonna name the name, but they Chelsea: gosh, I know. Estie Insider Podcast: they were just like, You need to sell more retail. You need to sell more retail. You're not doing enough. You're not doing enough. And you need to you need to push add-ons, but you only have 50 minutes. So You need to make sure that you can Chelsea: I know. Estie Insider Podcast: get through that. And then you have only 10 minutes to clean and then reset. And it's like, and one of them was not an aesthetician. She had no idea how it feels to be rushed. And then after you do the 50 minute facial, you have to also walk them out, sell them retail, and try to clean your room at the same time. It was and be ready for the next person. Rebekah: And be ready for the next person. Yeah. Chelsea: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: And like my shoulders would hurt so bad. I'd get like this tingly feeling up here. I just hated being booked back to back like that. Now being able to just like, yeah, about 50 minutes for facial, maybe a little bit longer, but I have that wiggle room. And so that is another perk of owning a business. Chelsea: Right. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: Also, I was gonna say another rewarding factor is like look at what I've built and look how far it's come and how successful it it is, even though I might not even be making as much as I could make or would be making as an employee. It's still like really rewarding and that you've like Rebekah: Yeah, yes, Estie Insider Podcast: created something. Rebekah: yes. Estie Insider Podcast: big and that people, you know, come to and employees and all that. So Chelsea: Sure. Yeah. But I think you can get I may it's different, but if somebody was you know, you can get that from being an employee and having full books. It's like, look, I've built this clientele because they wanna Rebekah: I think that there's like Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah, that's very rewarding, yeah. Chelsea: come and see me and Rebekah: I think there's a huge difference between being a talented esthetician and being a talented business owner. They can overlap, obviously, with like look at you, Chelsea, Chelsea: Yes. Yes. Rebekah: like you're a talented business owner and aesthetician, but like sometimes those just don't overlap. Some be owning Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: a business is not for everybody, and that's okay. Like that's Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: fine. Chelsea: I mean, I'll share the gigantic headache that I'm dealing with right now that I don't talk about on social media. Maybe I should. but it's that weird to me for me, it's like, if I get on and talk about this in my stories, it's gonna look like I'm failing. And I don't Estie Insider Podcast: No, yeah. Chelsea: have a I want to show like that side of business, but then it's It's also just taking the time to like talk about it on stories. I'm like, I Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: gotta deal with a headache first before I but Rebekah: Right. Chelsea: no. So we had we fired our accountant, our business accountant back in August, Estie Insider Podcast: yes, we were talking about that last month. Rebekah: you had mentioned that. Chelsea: and we found new tax people and they're great. But it as they're going through stuff and unraveling, and thank heavens, this is just from January. Thankfully, it's not like years of stuff, Estie Insider Podcast: Years. Chelsea: but my gosh, our payroll tax. Rebekah: At finding stuff. Chelsea: Yes. Like, I don't know what the hell this and what's frustrating is this guy Rebekah: no. Chelsea: was our accountant, was CW's accountant and our personal accountant for like four or five years. So when he went in and set up our payroll, I'm like, what? Because this stuff I I basically just didn't really have to pay attention to with CW. Like this was all automatic. And now so I feel stupid because I'm like, well, I should have caught this. But I didn't I'm not used to looking at it, so I didn't think I'd have to look at it because it's the same guy. But no, he had he had three of us. So I'm a New Mexico resident that works in Texas. So it gets a little tricky, but he has done our personal taxes for years. So he knows this. But he Rebekah: So he should know that. Chelsea: had three of us working in New Mexico set up as working in New Mexico. the state account, like the accounts that you have to open with the state for your payroll taxes and your so Texas, Rebekah: Right, right, right. Chelsea: Texas doesn't have Estie Insider Podcast: Holy crap. Chelsea: doesn't have income tax, but you still have to pay into like the Texas workforce and stuff. That wasn't set up. Rebekah: So do have to is that back pay? Do you have to like Chelsea: Yep. Rebekah: no. Estie Insider Podcast: W that means that you have to like just pay pay back into it? Chelsea: So yeah, Rebekah: Yeah yeah, what she missed. Chelsea: so it's like the money's there. Yeah. But it's like, I mean, the payroll taxes weren't coming out of Q1. So that that's been taken care of, but I was just like, some anyway, they're Rebekah: That is a headache. Chelsea: figuring it out, but they had to go in and like go back through each payroll transaction, which I pay them weekly. I pay us all weekly. So there's a shit ton of yes. And so we were this is the crap. I know. Rebekah: Right. That's a lot of transactions. Yeah, see, this is the shit that would like some people just don't want to deal with. Estie Insider Podcast: My God. Can you sue him? Chelsea: No, I don't think I don't even wanna go that route. It's more I know, I wish. Jack Lynch Rebekah: Yeah, come on. Jacqueline's generation with the sue button. Sue Jacqueline's Estie Insider Podcast: Sue! Rebekah: generation. Let's sue them. They looked at me wrong. Sue them. Estie Insider Podcast: No. Sue the I know it takes way more money and time, but I almost took my old tax person to the civil civil court or whatever it's called. That one. Well Chelsea: yeah. We were Aaron was thinking about that, but it's like, whatever. It just Rebekah: Like you're already Chelsea: be done with it. I know. It's more headache. So that Rebekah: dealing with a headache. Do you want to deal with the headache of like bringing this person to court? It's like just Estie Insider Podcast: Well just I would just I just asked her for my money back for a portion of like the the month. I should have gotten Rebekah: Good. Good. Chelsea: Sure. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: more, but that's beside the point. Small claims small claims court is that that's what yeah. Chelsea: Yeah, no, so small claims. Yeah. Rebekah: That's right. Chelsea: No, we thought about it, but it's like, whatever. Let's just I again I don't have the time because Rebekah: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: I know, I know. It's a lot. Chelsea: I'm just I'm just taking the energy of fixing it into suing, and I just want to not have to think about it. Because because this Rebekah: Pick and choose your battle. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: I know, I know. Chelsea: is this is the reality of it, is so we're we were using QuickBooks and so we have our tax manager, we have our this payroll tax lady. We have a new bookkeeper who I she's like an angel on earth. I'm like, I wanna cut she's in I think she's in Flagstaff, Jacqueline. So I'm like, I wanna come there, or maybe she's in Prescott. but I'm like, I wanna come and give you a hug. Her daughter is an aesthetician and uses Vigaro. So she like knows she knows the industry. She does yeah. So I'm like, thank you. Rebekah: God. Estie Insider Podcast: My God, that's amazing. How'd you find her? Chelsea: She just it's through the tax agency that we found. That's who they use for bookkeeping. Estie Insider Podcast: my gosh. Chelsea: So But it's so the the payroll text lady, she was like, hey, I've tried to work with QuickBooks and and but she goes, if I go in and ingest a payroll transaction, it takes 10 to 13 days to be approved per transaction. She's like, we're gonna be here for months trying to fix this. So she's Rebekah: my god Chelsea: switching me over to ADP. So now Estie Insider Podcast: I use ADP. Chelsea: there's an email with like six people on it, and they're all like sending reports and doing, and I'm like, I have no idea what these people are. freaking talking about. And so it's super overwhelming. And then so in between clients, in between working, I'm like checking my email and sending what I need and looking at this and trying to understand this and da-da-da and all this stuff. And I'm so exhausted. Rebekah: And doing all the other stuff to keep your business running. Mm-hmm. And being ridiculously good looking. Like, come on, how do you do it? Chelsea: Yes. Yes. Right. So I'm not I'm not sitting here. gosh. Estie Insider Podcast: And having three kids. Yeah. And and social media and staying up to date with social media. Holy crap. You make me feel you I'm like if Chelsea can do it. Chelsea: Please keep it coming. No. No, and but this is not I don't but this is why I don't like talking about it because I don't need all this praise. I don't want this praise. you just I have three kids. I have to be a mom. So I just have to do it. It's not I don't need like a medal for Rebekah: Yeah. Just do it. Chelsea: you show up for your kids. that's the bare minimum I Estie Insider Podcast: No, I know, I know. But yeah. Chelsea: I'm mom. I have you know what I'm saying. But Rebekah: Right. Chelsea: but that's that's what I think people don't understand. And I'm not I'm trying not to complain that this is just the reality of it. Like I'm thankful that I have this business, but it's it is so over glamorized on social media. Rebekah: Hm. Be prepared to work your ass off and hustle. Chelsea: Yes. Well, and either way, you have to work your ass off. If you're an employee, Rebekah: Correct. Chelsea: you still have to build a name for yourself. You can't just sit there in your room on your phone and not market yourself. Rebekah: I saw a another I'm on aesthetician TikTok. Every so now often my algorithm changes back to all ask all aesthetics. And then I'm like, I get annoyed. Chelsea: Right. Rebekah: So I'm then back to all pets and like things like Chelsea: Right. Rebekah: that. But yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: yeah, I try to like all the dog shit. Rebekah: Right now I'm in aesthetics and this girl she was actually Chelsea: The d the dog shit. Rebekah: a hairdresser. And she was talking about how with social media a lot of these people are, you know, right out of school expecting just people to walk through their door. You know, they're expecting people to just pick up the phone and I want to book with you, I want Chelsea: Yeah. Yes. Rebekah: to book with you. She's like, The thing that hasn't changed in the industry is like you're still gonna have to work your ass off. It's actually you have to hustle. You you're gonna have to work nights and weekends. Sorry. You will. And I did Chelsea: Yes, either way, you have to work your ass off. You have to show up. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Rebekah: I did tell my my upcoming employee, I'm like, I don't need you to work every single weekend and every single night, but Chelsea: Right. Rebekah: I did. I worked every single weekend for five years. But Chelsea: Yes, yes, yeah. Rebekah: like that's how you're gonna get clientele because that's when they people have available they have availability to book with you. Estie Insider Podcast: lot of a lot Rebekah: So Estie Insider Podcast: of like employers they require you to work saturdays or like a sundays not just one but like a multiple yeah so and that's Rebekah: Yeah, mine did. I didn't Chelsea: Yes. And that's just the industry. Yeah. Yeah. Rebekah: And you Estie Insider Podcast: what's so hard I want to give up Saturdays so bad but you just can't I wanna I wanna do that. I do half days now. Yeah. Rebekah: I can't. I still work one every month. Sometimes two. Chelsea: I know. Yeah, I do I do like two half day ones, but it's too hard with all my kids stuff. And I told myself I'm like, Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: you I can miss their practices, I can you know, but I will not Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: miss their games and performances. I can't. I I do not yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Yeah. Rebekah: And like when you st and when you start, you might have to have a supplemental income somewhere. Like I bartended for a lot a majority of the time. See? But like and and Chelsea: Yes. Yeah. I worked at a pizza place. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Worked at Starbucks. Rebekah: I don't see why people are like, we deserve a living wage. You yes, you do, but with any job Chelsea: I know. Rebekah: that comes like like when my husband started in sales, like he didn't have a lot of leads, he didn't have a a lot of this. He we were friggin' broke, but like as the years go, he becomes more Chelsea: Right. Yes. Rebekah: successful. It's just the name of the game with a lot of industries. that you need Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: to build up your clientele and you might have to hustle and do other things like bartender, serve pizza or do whatever to supplement Chelsea: Right. Right. Rebekah: that while you while you build your books. So it just it is what it is. Chelsea: Yes. Yeah, you have to put the time in. You do. You have to put the time in and and then and then learn how to maintain it. I think it's you're always it's it's a a hustle type of industry. Rebekah: And my advice always whenever the aesthetic students come to talk to me, because they have this, they have to go talk to different spas throughout the local community, is when you first start out, yes, you can go solo, but start out, try to find a job, learn, and Estie Insider Podcast: Somewhere else start of Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: get continuing education on someone else's dime. Don't don't be sitting there not getting paid. Like, yeah, at least if you Estie Insider Podcast: on someone else's dime. Just six months, a year, doesn't matter. Just do something. Chelsea: Tot totally. Yes. Rebekah: get a job with someone. They're gonna market for you. They're gonna try to fill your books. You're gonna learn on their dime. I know it it's just so tempting to go solo right out of the school, but it's really not glamorous. Estie Insider Podcast: It's hard. And and I Chelsea: Yeah, Estie Insider Podcast: think that you should, Chelsea: it's hard. Estie Insider Podcast: yeah, do it on someone else's dime. But then also there's so many opportunities with that too, because you could learn while you're doing aesthetics in the at the place, you could learn back the back end of things, like with the booking sites Rebekah: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: and selling products and 'cause in school you're not taught those things. You're not taught how to sell I mean, yeah, kind of maybe a little bit like, Hey, you should I recommend this for you, but like there's Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Estie Insider Podcast: so many ways to sell product and create routines and things like that and then You know, I always reference back to having what are those called? well I guess it's like continu like the brands come and they, teach all the aestheticians at the the place, you know, about their products or if there's a new product that came out, they come and then you get gratis from that. Like you get like a Rebekah: Yes. Estie Insider Podcast: free product and so then you get to try it yourself. And Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Estie Insider Podcast: I always loved that and I wish that I I'm I mean I can do that for myself by just going to another brand, but Rebekah: Well, that's how I learned Estie Insider Podcast: I'm like, I want. Rebekah: how to do a lot of stuff, is because my previous boss gave me a lot of autonomy within the business. she gave me her credit card and I would do all the ordering, all the inventory. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: I would call in payroll for all of us. So I was technically like the spa manager or whatever. But because I was able Chelsea: Yeah, kind of admin, yep. Rebekah: to like hustle and prove myself, she gave me the ability to have more responsibilities, which I am so appreciative of because I wasn't completely blindsided when I went solo. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: So i if you do work for someone, you will learn a lot of how a spa works, you know, how that machine runs. And you Estie Insider Podcast: Mm-hmm. Rebekah: might be able to determine, maybe I don't want to go solo or maybe you do. So before you Chelsea: Right. Rebekah: like completely jump into it, maybe slow down and work for someone and and it'll be able to dip your Chelsea: Yeah. Dip your toe into it. Mm-hmm. Rebekah: toe. That's right, dip your toe. Estie Insider Podcast: And you probably didn't know that that's the route you were gonna go when you got hired by her. You probably thought you were just gonna do facials, right? Yeah. But then you started Rebekah: I just wanted clock in and rub clock out. Estie Insider Podcast: so yeah, I don't know, it just it kind of ev evolves into where you're meant to be. Rebekah: I loved this space so much. I loved that spa so much that I I wanted to like be more than just do facials. I wanted to have more responsibility, which I would Chelsea: Sure, sure. Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Yeah. Rebekah: hope for my future employees, but we'll see. T B D. Estie Insider Podcast: Yes. We'll see. Well Chelsea: Yes. Something something that I wanted to bring up just in case for whoever is listening. Those I know. I know. My husband. Yeah, Aaron. Aaron, just Rebekah: All four people. Estie Insider Podcast: My mom. Your husband. Your husband. Caleb. Chelsea: in case you're you want to know that you're curious. No, in that post I put something that is it is very important to learn if you are an employee how you are classified, how you should be classified. So Rebekah: Yes. Yep. Chelsea: I did a little bit of A W-2 employee versus a 1099 because there are shitty employers out there who will, which now I see having to deal with payroll taxes. I can't tell you the rage that goes through my body when I do payroll and I see how much goes to payroll taxes. I have to pay a tax on Rebekah: Yep. Yep. Estie Insider Podcast: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Chelsea: having an employee, an extra 12 and a half percent, just for having Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Chelsea: an employee. Rebekah: So now you see why people try to cheat the system. Chelsea: Yes. So what they'll do is they classify them as a ten ninety nine, but they supply all the they what am I talking about? All the yeah, they supply Rebekah: bar everything, products. Chelsea: everything. So then the so they still get the tax deduction of of all the supplies, but the person working has nothing to write off. But they don't have to pay Rebekah: Correct. As a ten ninety nine, they also shouldn't be telling you when to work. You should your independent contractor. Chelsea: Exactly. You are renting the room. You're renting the space. Rebekah: Yeah. Chelsea: So if you are at 1099, you supply all of your supplies, you buy all of your product, your equipment, you are renting the room. You pay your employer a not employer, I guess, whatever. You pay you're paying them rent every month. Rebekah: Yeah. And you make your own schedule. That's what you should be doing. Yeah. Chelsea: Yes, you make your own schedule. You make in that that way you have all of those expenses to write off. If you're a Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Chelsea: W if you're a W two employee, that's when everything is provided for you. And you're you're given a schedule, you're given an hourly or a salary or commission or whatever it is, but then Rebekah: Mm-hmm. Chelsea: it's agreed upon. They are paying you your income. So there are so many that come out of school and they don't know this and they get taken advantage of. Rebekah: Mm. Chelsea: because they so you if you're a 1099 but you have nothing to write off, you are paying so much more in taxes than you should be. So Estie Insider Podcast: So all in all, go look at Chelsea's carousel post to see the breakdown of which in play you should be. Chelsea: From May. Rebekah: She could she's the queen of carousel posts. I love them. I was actually scrolling Estie Insider Podcast: Yes. Yes. Rebekah: through your Instagram feed the other day looking at the mom. Like, she's so good. Chelsea: You know what my Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Chelsea: carousel my talking reels but my carousels do really well Rebekah: So well. Chelsea: and so I'm just gonna crank them out. I'm just gonna keep it going. I know, and I've even I've Rebekah: Keep keep it going. Keep feed keep feeding the machine. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: Keep doing the carousels. Yeah. And th those are easier to do than Chelsea: heard the reason I started is I've heard that carousels are doing better on social media right now. for yes, yes. Estie Insider Podcast: I'd rather scroll quickly and then move on than sit there unless there's captions on Rebekah: Same. Estie Insider Podcast: the reel, then but Chelsea: Yes, yes. Estie Insider Podcast: it typically people don't put the cap or the stories. You guys start putting your captions on your stories. Cause I won't watch I won't watch Chelsea: Yes, I don't do that all the time. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: it because I'm Rebekah: Same. Estie Insider Podcast: like, I don't want to turn up the volume and here's like I just wanna read it. Chelsea: Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: but Rebekah: Yeah, like if I'm in a waiting room or like if I'm at my kids' Chelsea: Yeah. Rebekah: swimming lessons, like I'm not gonna listen. So I need captions. Chelsea: Yeah. Yeah. And Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Chelsea: you need or or words to read. I know. So that's what and it's they're easier to make. I can make late at night. I can do it like I can type Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Quickly, Rebekah: Yes. Chelsea: up a slide quickly at work. I don't have to like I can look Yeah, exactly. I can Rebekah: Makeup on. Yeah. Chelsea: look like I've slept in the trash can and I can still make a post. Estie Insider Podcast: Take it f yeah, yeah. Rebekah: Me every day. Yeah. Well yeah. So I like this. I just want other aestheticians to know that Chelsea: Me every day. I know. Estie Insider Podcast: Well, this was yeah, you wanna me do. Rebekah: like you can be super, super successful. And there's a lot of our our colleagues Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: too that we know that are employed by, you know, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, or just you know, spas that are super successful, whether it be online or in the treatment. Yes. He is a perfect example. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Chelsea: Yes. I mean look at Michael. My Michael's a perfect example. He freaking kills it. Yes. Yeah. Estie Insider Podcast: And you can still be a brand ambassador if you don't own a business. Chelsea: Yes. Rebekah: Yes. my god, Dana D'Amico, D juicy skin, you know. She's Estie Insider Podcast: So yeah. Yeah. Chelsea: You can you cannot Rebekah: one Chelsea: have the machine and not own a business and be an ambassador. Rebekah: It's crush it. Estie Insider Podcast: And you could Rebekah: And crush it. That's right. That's Estie Insider Podcast: Yeah. Rebekah: right. Chelsea: I'm I'm teasing Jacqueline. Rebekah: Thank you for listening. We're gonna continue to Estie Insider Podcast: Glacial I will not be. Rebekah: make fun of Jacqueline offline. We will Estie Insider Podcast: I love it. They're bullies. I'm just kidding. Chelsea: It's all it's all in love. It's all in love. Rebekah: see we will see you slash you will hear us next week. Estie Insider Podcast: Nope, we won't see them. We won't see them, Rebecca. Rebekah: Goodbye. We'll be back. We'll be back. Goodbye. Chelsea: We'll be back. We'll be back. Bye. Estie Insider Podcast: We'll hear them. Bye. Thanks for tuning into the SD Insider podcast. If you love today's episode, please be sure to follow, share, and leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on Instagram at the SD Insider podcast with topics you'd want to learn about on our next episode. Remember, exfoliate responsibly, and we'll see you next week.