We were lucky to catch up with Terry Gavin-Whitaker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Terry, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

When I was in school for esthetics I saw an instagram post from a very popular black-owned hair salon saying “We are looking for an esthetician, must live in Medford Ma.” Due to their large clientele and large customer base every part of me wanted to work for them. However, still being in school with only a few weeks left until graduation, I knew someone else would get the opportunity. The business was very good about posting and once I graduated from esthetics school I realized I didn’t see a post announcing their new esthetician. At that moment I decided to reach out to the owner. It was almost as if a higher power spoke to me and said “Closed mouths don’t get fed!” I received a response, met with the owner and we hit it off. Like I said before this company posts a lot on social media so once I was officially their new lead esthetician the announcements went out. In order to become a license esthetician in Massachusetts we have pass the state boards. My state boards appointment was booked for Sunday and we were completely booked for facial clients the following Wednesday so at this point the pressure was on to pass my boards! I passed! It was the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had because I knew my life was about to change. I began working for the company part time while still working full time for corporate. I had a young daughter and a husband at home so it was not easy. We were doing so well with skincare at the salon. So well that I noticed I was making more money working part-time as an esthetician, only earning 50% of every facial, than I was making working full-time at my corporate position. Then I knew it was time to take a leap of faith. I decided to leave my corporate job and become an esthetician full time. Best decision I’ve ever made! 1 year into it the owner of the hair salon asked me for a meeting. She told me she is looking to open a few more locations, wanted to focus on hair and wanted to sell the skincare portion of the business to me. It was the beginning of all my dreams coming true. I accepted and that is when I started my own business and we became Skin by Terry. I will forever be grateful and proud of myself for taking that leap of faith.

Terry, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an established master esthetician who specializes in corrective skincare with a focus on ethnic skin in Medford Ma. In my area I’ve become pretty well known as a black esthetician. I have been featured in InBoston Magazine, awarded best esthetician with Vagaro, received an award for making a positive impact in the black and brown community, and currently nominated for best esthetician with Boston Business Women 2024. My goal is to continue educating individuals about skincare and wellness. I work closely with my clients to develop skincare routines to target their skin concerns and achieve their individual skin goals all while helping to boost their self esteem so they can show up confidently in the world. At Skin by Terry, I believe that self-care is essential for the mind, body, and soul. I started this business because I want women and teens to feel they are naturally beautiful. On top of that I found that the need for an esthetician that was also a woman of color was becoming more essential in my community.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me would hands down be social media, particularly Instagram. Consistently posting, creating content to share and putting my business out there has been my number one priority with my business. By maintaining an active presence on social media my business has been able to increase visibility and reach potential clients who were unaware of my services. Social media has also enabled my current clients to share their experiences at Skin by Terry which lead to word of mouth referrals and recommendations. Honestly, I am not exactly sure where my business would be without social media.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Along with social media, email marketing has served as an ideal way to keep in touch with my clients. Regularly sending out newsletters, updates and promotions via email helps me stay in touch and keeps my brand top of mind. Implementing our loyalty program is another way that rewards my clients for their repeat business and incentivizes them to continue engaging with my brand. Regular updates and news keeps my clients informed about new products, services and company news. Helps maintain their interest and engagement with my brand

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skinbyterry.com
• Instagram: @skinbyterry
• Facebook: Skin by Terry
• Youtube: Skin by Terry