We were lucky to catch up with Nina Connor recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nina , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

From the very start of my solo career and deciding to open a small business, I’ve taken many risks, big or small. In May 2018, in Chicago I opened my small skincare studio with very little idea how to run a business or even open an LLC. My start was slow, I could count the clients who followed me from my previous place of employment on the fingers of one of my hands. The rent I was paying was affordable, the location however, not so great. So after 4 months in the space i decided to move in a prime location which of course came with double the rent i was paying at the time. The number of clients I was servicing at the time wasn’t enough to supply the increase of overhead expenses, but I decided to take the risk. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work marketing myself as much as I possibly can and running fun monthly specials to keep potential clients interested. The risk I took paid off and in 4 months my calendar was booked at 70% with 50% repeating business. The next big risk I took was to move states during the pandemic in 2020 and open my business here in Austin, Texas. I had to start from scratch and build a whole new client list in a new state where nobody knew who I was or what I did, I had no natural network, friends or family. My start once again was even slower than the first time. I rented a barrely 90sf room which I was overpaying for. I’ve decided to separate myself from the mainstream offerings in the beauty industry with innovative services, i revamped my entire website, changed my service offerings with prices significantly higher than what was the norm in my area. The risk was huge, I have received many raised eyebrows from other professionals and clients. At the time it seemed like nobody had heard of Facial Gua Sha, Buccal massage or Facelifting massages and even the long duration facials I was offering. After 6 months of offering free facials to clients in exchange for content for my social media just so I can demonstrate my unique approach to skincare and techniques, the risk I took paid off again. Fast forward to today: I have once again moved locations, expanded my space, hired employees, and taught my techniques to other professionals in the area with a current waiting list of 90+ clients waiting to get serviced by me. The risk I am taking now is transitioning from full time service provider to full time business owner, managing and training a team of Estheticians, expanding my Skin Lab Academy workshops for professionals from 1:1, to small groups and eventually occupying the online space. This is obviously all new to me and involves a lot of trial and error, i am in the public space being observed and every step I take feels like a small or big risk, considering the chance of a failure. I see this new adventure as an amazing opportunity for me to learn and grow through my mistakes and experiences.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Sure. I am a licensed Esthetician with a European background and I have been in the industry for 13 years. I knew from a very early age that I wanted to become an Esthetician, which wasn’t so much knowing but more so a deep feeling and conviction that this will be my path one day. After 9 years of being an employee and working for many different spas I’ve decided to take the leap of faith and open my own private skincare studio. The main source for my drive was freedom and eagerness to evolve. I believed that I had much more to offer, other than just staying in the same loop and being underappreciated by my employees. I have dedicated my whole life and free time to perfect my craft. My idols are Leonardo Da Vichy and Michelangelo. I might risk sounding cocky, but I believe that my passion and drive to become master of my craft is similar to who they were at their time, burning desire to be the best of what i do, impeccable attention to detail and relentless quest for growth and innovation. At a very early age I was interested in art and painting and I’ve studied their lives and work in detail. So it’s only natural that today I express myself through my art, which is my work. In my skincare studio and facial offerings I consider myself a Hybrid Esthetician. My protocols are a blend of western technologies and science combined with Ancient techniques for facial rejuvenation. I am deeply interested in all the possibilities the human body is capable of and I strive to bridge the eastern wisdom with the western science for a complete life changing experience for my clients. Wellness is a big part of my skincare philosophy and I take self-care to a whole new level with knowledge of biohacking, mindfulness and even epigenetics and quantum physics. The products I use in my practice are high quality, high-performance medical grade and clean fully sustainable professional skin care. My facials are fully hands on, and my ” tool box ” is full of different face massage techniques i’ve perfected over the years, from gua sha to acupressure, manual lymphatic drainage, scalp reflexology, sculpting face lifting massage, buccal massage and the newest one KOBIDO ( ancient Japanese technique considered to be the art of facelifting).

I service all kinds of clients and skin conditions, from acne to melasma, anti-aging and a lot of clients with health concerns like migraines, TMJ, anxiety and autoimmune conditions seeking to get some kind of relief and to feel better.

I think what sets me apart is my attention to detail, the care and compassion I have for people, my undeniable passion, pride and effort, plus intention in everything I do. My goal is to underpromise and overdeliver and give 110% to my clients each and every time. My confidence stems from the results I’ve achieved, the long years of hands-on experience and my knowledge and resourcefulness.

I am most proud of the fact that all of my sacrifices and efforts are finally blooming into something much bigger than what I have ever imagined. I am a visionary with a burning desire to innovate and evolve the skincare industry as a whole with what I have to teach and offer. Clients no longer perceive regular monthly facials as a luxury, but more so as self-care and health enriching necessity for their well being. And is our responsibility as professionals to evolve just so we can meet their needs and pave the way for the new generation of skincare professionals.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Contrary to the popular belief that discounts will drive new or repeating business, I’ve never discounted my services. If we are devaluing ourselves with discounts, how can we expect that our clients will value us and our work?

My strategy in the beginning was instead of offering discounted services as an incentive, I offered complimentary add ons, for example: hot stone neck massage with every facial, free face oil sample with every facial, scalp massage, LED, lip treatment…
Something that didn’t cost me much or took too long of my time, but was highly appreciated by my clients.

I also have run monthly facials specials in the form of Seasonal offering ( CBD, hydrating or season reset facials ), again with no discount, but a limited time offer to keep my clients interested.

There are so many ways to keep your clients and yourself from boredom and establish long term relationships and loyalty with high value skincare savvy clients.

For my Star clients ( the ones that come in every month religiously, purchase products from me and refer me to their friends i make sure that I award them with a gift card at the end of the year or give them something little extra as often as I can.

Giving 110% of me everytime and making sure my clients are well taken care of is a number one priority for me and this is something that has helped me build a strong following of amazing clients.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When building your audience on social media for existing business you have to decide early on on a few things. Never lose sight of the fact that as a service provider you are the face of your brand. Essentially you are your brand. This comes with big responsibility and you have to determine how you want to carry yourself as a professional. Authenticity is huge now. If you are not aligned with yourself and displaying who you are in your essence as a human being and skilled professional, your followers will feel that you are not being authentic and truthful. No One will relate to you if you don’t share a little bit of who you are and your daily life and activities, how you look after yourself and what are your core values.

Get inspired by other creators, but refrain yourself from copying or following every single trend. stay true to yourself.
For content creation you have to decide if you will Inspire, Entertain or Educate your audience.

If you are a service provider you have to showcase what you do, how you do it and why you do what you do. All of that followed by showcasing the RESULTS of your work.

When building your public image and following you have to be clear if you are trying to build followers or clients. There’s a huge difference between the two. building followers is easy, but building clientele from the following is slightly different. Carrying yourself as imposter in the space will come to light sooner or later, so you better have the skills to back up your online credentials in real life with real clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.glowbynina.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowbynina/

Image Credits
Kimberly Schuh Photography