We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Justina LeSassier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Justina below.
Justina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
Social media is one of those topics that I have a love/hate relationship with. While I think it’s great to connect with like minded individuals as well as family and friends, when it comes to business, I think it has become a saturated market. I have chosen to manage my own with mediocre success. Most of my clients have found me through referrals and word of mouth, so social media has not been something that I truly needed. I noticed this more so after moving from my home state to Florida, having to build my brand and business again was a challenge that social media did nothing to promote me. It was my live connection to people, face to face that built my network. I still believe that traditional methods work and as we seek more community with one another, especially as an Aesthetician, being face to face, having those conversations, feeling the persons energy, allowing them to get to know me as a person, in person, building trust and educating in their presence, has been more impactful.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a licensed Aesthetician for 14 years and have worked in various scopes of the industry. From med spas, to day spas, from plastic surgery, to teaching, and my current role of management. I am also a certified clinical medical assistant, as well as oncology trained for patients seeking skincare health during anti-cancer treatments. I provide a variety of services, from facials, to body contouring treatments, virtual skincare education and product recommendations, as well as mentoring and coaching for new estheticians. I specialize in working with clients that are looking to correct skin conditions like acne, rosacea, pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, scars, compromised skin from auto-immune disorders, and medications. I also specialize in the treatment of stubborn fat and cellulite.
I am most proud of how my clients feel after having a treatment from me. It’s not just about the results they get from me in the spa, it’s about the connection we make. When they leave they feel relaxed, refreshed, reconnected. They feel nurtured and cared for. This is the most important thing that I want my clients and potential clients to understand. Providing service to others in this way, not only fulfills me, but that energy translates to the client. It’s truly genuine and where my heart is. It’s not just a career, it’s a passion.
My why for getting into this career was my daughter, at the time she was only 2 and I was working in a corporate job, feeling unfulfilled, unsatisfied, without a true purpose or calling. When I found Esthetics, I knew it would change my life. My daughter now sees a mom that loves what she does, and gets to live her dream job every day. Like any job, it has its stressors and is not always easy. It’s misunderstood that this profession can be done by anyone, that could not be further from the truth. This career requires constant education, staying relevant, being resourceful and innovative. Which is another reason why I love it. Keeps me on my toes.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing new clients has been getting out in public and asking for referrals from existing clients. Talking to everyone about what I do. When I’m in Target and pass the skincare isle and see someone struggling with what to buy, I will go up to them and tell them I’m an esthetician, and ask if they would they like my help. Making sure I have my business cards with me everywhere I go. Networking with other estheticians, by commenting on their social posts as well as being a guest on podcasts, has also helped get my name out there.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Managing a team certainly has it’s struggles. The way I keep morale high is by being a leader vs. a manager. The managing part is more of the business itself, the paperwork, reports, financials, those things. Being a leader, means I can roll up my sleeves and do the work, I can step in if they need a break, I can help support decisions they make based on my own experiences. I give them a safe space to professionally express themselves. I have frequent meetings to see where they are in terms of the job itself, what do they need from me as far as support. Whether it be more education, better work-life balance, general guidance. I let them know that my compassion is not just for the clients, but for them as well. The main focus is letting the team know that they are heard. Sometimes, they just need to vent and it doesn’t mean they want to quit or give up, maybe they just had a difficult client and they want to talk about it. We all need the space to get this off of our mind, clear our heads, and take a deep breath. I provide that to my team, within reason. It’s true that business is business, however, I like to trend away from those traditional ways of running things and change the narrative that all bosses are terrible. Lasting employees make for better business, less turnover means more profit in the end.
Contact Info:
- Website: justiquespa.com
- Instagram: justiquespa
- Facebook: justina lesassier