I recently had the privilege of attending and teaching at the Be+Well (former IECSC) event, and honestly — it reminded me exactly why we do this work.
Our KPI business class sold out. And while it was flattering, it's also telling. Estheticians are hungry for business education. Not just skincare knowledge, not just new techniques — they want to understand the numbers, the structure, the strategy behind building something sustainable. That need is real, and it's growing.
What we saw in our classroom
The classroom vibe was definitely energizing. These are passionate, resilient people who are asking all the questions. The Q&A alone could have gone on for hours — and not just because of the questions being asked, but because of the conversation happening between attendees. Estheticians teaching each other, sharing what's worked, being honest about what hasn't. That's the community we love to see!
Here are a few moments really stuck with me...
A nail artist raised her hand and asked how to charge more for nail art without scaring clients away. It's a fear so many service providers carry — raise your prices and everyone leaves. My take? The clients who value beautiful nails are already willing to pay for them. Those are your people. The ones who nickel and dime over nail art were never really your ideal clients to begin with. Don't shrink your pricing around the wrong audience.
Another salon and spa owner wanted to know how to attract younger clients. Their books were full, but skewing older, and they couldn't figure out why. After talking it through, the answer became pretty clear — every service provider on their team was also older. If you want to attract a younger clientele, you need younger providers on your floor. It sounds simple, but sometimes we're too close to our own businesses to see it.
The thing I keep coming back to (sorry I'm a broken record)
I say this a lot, and I'll keep saying: if you're a solo esthetician, you are a business owner first and an esthetician second.
It doesn't matter how good your facial technique is if you don't know what to charge, how to pay yourself, or how to keep the lights on. The craft matters — but the business has to work too. One without the other isn't sustainable.
This is exactly why we're bringing a KPI webinar on March 19th. We'll be walking through the numbers that matter, what reports to pull, and how to actually use that data to make informed decisions in your business. No fluff, no overwhelm — just clarity.
You can sign up over in Kin Academy. I'd love to see you there! If you can't make it, there will be a replay inside the Academy!
