We were lucky to catch up with Katy Stelter recently and have shared our conversation below.
Katy, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Like many small business owners, the story behind my mission is very personal as I grew up battling acne that was continuously exacerbated by my athletic activities, lack of consistency with skincare & raging hormones. At the time my mother did what any concerned parent would do for their struggling daughter; she took me to see a dermatologist & the Clinique counter at the mall!
The dermatologist happily prescribed antibiotics, which I took over the following four years, as well as various topical creams that burned & dried out my skin. The Clinique counter suggested a 54-step (slight exaggeration) skincare routine that was completely overwhelming. Despite all the money spent & tears shed, my acne remained an issue.
Fast forward to my thirtieth trip around the sun, I found myself unfulfilled in my career as an Executive Assistant & curious (again) about the beauty industry. It was time to follow my dreams & create the life I wanted to live. Then God intervened with a series of what I like to call “God winks”. I was up late one night pondering my next career move with the tv quietly twinkling in the background. An Ogle commercial appeared on the screen and caught my attention. Was it my sign? Without a second thought, I shot the school an email not realizing it was 1 a.m. The next day, a call came from an admissions counselor and we visited at length about the esthetician program & scheduled a tour of the campus. Next came orientation & within a week I was in my first class! The rest as they like to say “is history”.
I immediately fell in love with the idea of helping others that were struggling with their skin whether it was a mature client noticing signs of aging, a high school freshman battling acne, or a business executive with Rosacea. I knew I found my calling. After obtaining my esthetician license, I moved on to the exciting medical branch of our industry where I fell even deeper in love with my craft. I was fascinated with being able to apply advanced techniques, modalities, & active ingredients to correct skin issues.
My spa, katydid it aesthetics, was born on October 11, 2016 in Fort Worth. Ever since, I have been nurturing the business & honing my craft. My team has assisted countless people with their skin, skincare routine & ultimately, their confidence. I have learned throughout this journey that confidence is key! We present ourselves to the world differently when we feel confident in our own skin.
I vividly remember a thirty-something-year-old woman who struggled with cystic acne for 20+ years. She was shy, timid, quiet & had a difficult time making eye contact. I later found out that she was still living with family & had never been in a healthy relationship with a man. As I got to know her, we built a trusting relationship & wonderful rapport. Eventually, that led to her asking me for help with her skin, which was an absolute honor. We began a series of treatments & did an overhaul of her skincare routine. As her skin transformed, so did her personality. She became more open, beaming with joy & excited about life. She now has a happy home with the man she loves. Gaining confidence changed her trajectory. Stories like hers are exactly why I continue on my mission. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. So, maybe I ended up retiring when I was thirty.
Katy, 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?
Have you ever had to pivot?
That’s easy…COVID! When our industry came to a screeching halt in March of 2020, we were left with one option. Get creative!
Within the first week of shutdown, I built an ecommerce site to streamline the process of getting products in the hands of my clients. This allowed us to continue working with them on achieving their skincare goals.
By week two, I was distributing facials-in-a-bag to clients across the DFW metroplex via porch drop-off & shipping throughout the nation via my newly built ecommerce site.
Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! – one of my favorite ‘Friends’ scenes…yes we pivoted! And it worked.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
We send a monthly newsletter to keep our client family engaged & in the loop.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katydiditaesthetics.com
- Instagram: @katydiditaesthetics
- Facebook: @katydiditaesthetics
Image Credits
Lauren Bethany Photography