We were lucky to catch up with Sheena Klos recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sheena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?
I was fortunate enough to have 2 amazing mentors/bosses. The first was with my initial position as an aesthetician in 2006. I had just finished school and realized that I knew nothing but the bare basics of aesthetics. Minka Fitzgerald hired me and taught me everything she knew, passed her overflow of clients on to me, and taught me the importance of the client experience. She fully supported my learning efforts and growing clientele and even sent me to some continuing education courses. Her openness and giving of her knowledge amazed me as this field is extremely competitive and most aestheticians keep their tricks to themselves. A few years later I moved to a different city and started work at a typical day spa chain, where I quickly became the lead aesthetician, Everything I had learned from Minka set me apart from the other aestheticians but I knew I wanted and needed more of a challenge.
I applied and was offered a job at a medical day spa where my boss Lucy Lindsey opened my eyes to result driven treatements and aggressive self care; I was hooked. I spent hours upon hours sitting in her treatment room, watching her perform services and explain histology and product key ingredients as she did. She taught me how to customize every treatment based on each clients concerns and skin condition. After seeing that I am a quick learner, she doted on me and also sent her overflow of steady clientele my way, filling my schedules as much as I could work. A couple years later she retired and wrote me the most inspiring note I’ve every received. “Sheena, you are an outstanding esti and I am so proud of you. Always remember, you know this stuff better than most. Keep your head down, work hard, stick to doing what you know, and you will be successful.” I still have this letter 14 years later.
When it became clear that I could not work more hours and that there was a high demand from new clients for my services, I realized it was time to open my own spa. Hiring staff members has given me the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge with other professionals and mentor them in the same way I was mentored by Minka and Lucy. I’ve learned that when I invest in people the way they did with me, it builds loyalty, strong working relationships, and ultimately business success. I have owned my boutique medspa for almost 10 years, have a strong and loyal team that enjoys learning and giving our clients the best experience possible. Everything I learned from my mentors has made me a better boss, leader, mentor, and team member. I will forever be greatful and have a passion for teaching aesthetics.
Sheena, 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’m Sheena Klos, a West Texas native with a passion for empowering others through skincare. With nearly two decades in the aesthetics industry, I’ve dedicated my career to learning and helping people enhance their confidence and well-being through personalized treatments, skincare routines, and treatments.
As a teen I was always interested in skincare, convincing my mom and sister to let me “pick” at their skin. I thought that the only career path for skincare was as a dermatologist and I knew I was not a good candidate for medical school. So, I began to pursue my passsion for art and started my college basics to becomenan art teacher. Shortly after my first year of college my mom learned about aestheticians and attended a trade school in Colorado Springs. After visiting her and seeing all that an aesthetician could do, I was hooked! I dropped out of college and moved to San Antoino. After completing my aesthetics certification at the Aveda Institute in 2006, I embarked on a journey of continual learning. I moved back to my hometown, Amarillo Texas, and got hired on at Minkas Garden. She taught me everything she knew about aesthetics and the client experience at a day spa. I quickly built up a steady clientele but eventually decided that I did not want to settle in Amarillo. In 2010 I moved to Lubbock Texas and worked at a chain day spa for a few months until I was offered a position at Lindsey’s Medical Day Spa, the pioneer of medspas in Lubbock at the time. Lucy Lindsey was a rock star esti with years of experience and knowledge that she passed on to me. Her influence in my life definitely shaped my career. My passion for helping others feel beautiful in their own skin made working a joy. I love the one on one relationships with clients and get extreme satisfaction out of delivering results with their skincare goals.
After almost ten years of hands-on experience in the day spa and med spa fields, I decided it was time to go out on my own and opened The Spa, LLC in December 2015. I quickly learned the importance of being a mentor to others and how it builds a workplace of loyalty and success. Learning is the #1 thing I encourage in my boutique medspa and is something I continue to do personally. In 2023, I pursued advanced training, earning the internationally prestigious CIDESCO diploma in Atlanta, Georgia.
The opportunity to mentor and train aestheticians in my spa is one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It reminds me of the patience and guidance my mentors gave me, and I strive to offer the same support to the next generation of professionals. I believe that authenticity, integrity, and human connection are essential in this industry, and these values are at the core of everything I do.
My mission is simple: to elevate the standards of the aesthetics profession. I’m here to share my knowledge and passion, whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills. Through in-depth training on the science, techniques, and business of skincare, I help individuals and businesses thrive in this ever-evolving industry.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
I believe that one of the most important things to remember in this extremely competitive field is that “no one is you”. There are thousands of aestheticians out there but no one does anything exactly the same and we shouldn’t strive to. Authenticity is extremely important next to knowledge and training and is what will set you apart from your competition. There are enough clients to go around so don’t waste your time trying to be like everyone else. Stick to what you truly know and are passionate about and become the expert on it. You don’t have to do every service to be The Best. Hone your skills and continue learning about what makes you the most excited in this beautiful industry and your success will fall into place.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Starting out as an aesthetician I never had the initial desire to own my own business. So when the time came and God pushed me into being a solo esti I really had a lot to learn. Then came hiring and managing a team, and let me tell you, I messed up a lot! I have plenty I can share with you about what to do and what not to do.
1.) Communicate Clearly – As a manager you need to be able to clearly communicate job duties and expectations. Do not leave anything up to assumptions. Do not be worried about hurting feelings. Of course communication needs to be respectful and encouraging, but to be unclear is to be unkind. When clear communication is practiced there is greater respect and smoother flow within the workplace as a whole.
2.) Document Everything – It helps hold you accountable to hold your team accountable and ensures clear communication is happening. I learned the hard way of recounting conversations from team members of “I thought you said xyz…” and it was not fun to work out. By having job duties, protocols, meetings, write ups, etc… in written form there is never a question about what is expected. This will also majorly help with any and all legal issues.
3.) Be The Biggest Cheerleader – A little encouragement goes a long way as opposed to constant nagging. Rather than pointing out only the negative things, make a BIG deal out of the positive things. Share with the team when a service provider gets a good review from a client. Celebrate retail sales goals or the number of clients seen in a day. When you build your team up it builds their confidence, their trust in you, and makes them really listen to you when you do have to bring up a negative detail. When your boss is on your side you are more willing to do what it takes to maintain a positive workplace.
4.) Support Continuing Education – Before opening my own business I can look back at the work experiences that made me feel valued vs. the ones that made me feel like a work horse. The times my bosses invested their time to teach me new treatments or sent me somewhere to get continuing education made me feel valued and trusted. I implement that mentality in my spa by offering hands on training to my team often. I also encourage them to pursue new or continuing education outside of the business by paying 50% of the fee for most courses. By having them pay 50% shows me that they truly care about learning and want to better themselves. It makes team members feel that I am truly invested in them and trust them to learn and execute new protocols properly. In turn they become more loyal to my business and our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thespalubbock.com
- Instagram: thespalubbock
- Facebook: thespalubbock
- Linkedin: Sheena Klos
Image Credits
Suzy Taylor Photography