Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adriana Perez-nakamura. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Adriana , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I was raised by a single mother. She had so many dreams for the type of life she wanted, dreams that included having a family, becoming a lawyer, and owning a flower shop. Unfortunately, she found herself divorced in her early 20s. I must have been around 2 or 3 years old at the time.

With our extended family helping to look after me, my mom went to school and earned her B.A. While she did that she had several jobs: usually an office job (which she never really enjoyed) along with cleaning offices with her friend in the evenings. I even remember a time when she worked the graveyard shift in housekeeping at a hospital.

My mother is intelligent, resourceful, and big-hearted. Despite the stress of single motherhood and working practically non-stop, she was always there to cheer me on and support me. When she saw that I was struggling to find my place in the working world, she was perceptive enough to realize that I might be happier working for myself and encouraged me to take those first steps.

She probably would have been a successful entrepreneur herself, but she never got that chance because she had a lot on her plate, and caring for me and earning a steady paycheck took precedence. Yes, she had family support, but they were not in a position to help her financially.

Although my mom feels like she made many mistakes as a young mother, I reassure her that she did, in fact, do so many things right. She’s my number-one supporter, and she’s shown me by example that there’s always a solution if you’re willing to look for it. She has also taught me there is no shame in asking for help if I need it, and that I need to advocate for myself when things get hard because being quiet won’t get me anywhere.

Her encouragement, kindness, and willingness to help others had a big influence on me, and I enjoy helping others as well. I think her helpful, can-do attitude is something she passed along to me. It has served me well in my career as an esthetician working with clients and continues to fuel my motivation for the mentorship I now provide to estheticians growing their businesses.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a licensed esthetician and entrepreneur. I became an esthetician in 2010 after spending a year in law school and realizing it was not my path. I only went to law school because I had recently graduated with my B.A. in English and thought law school was the next logical step since I enjoyed reading, writing, and helping people. I was lost and didn’t know what to do for a career when my good friend Shannon suggested I become an esthetician. She said that since I already enjoyed makeup, skincare, and beauty products, I might also enjoy esthetics–and she was right.

I got my license, worked for other people for a few years, and eventually opened a skincare studio in Ventura CA, which I ran for 9 years. During that time, I offered facials, eyelash extensions, spray tans, sugaring, and waxing. I had two excellent employees who were with me for several years until 2020. My staff and I built a great clientele but Covid hit us hard and I had to let everyone go. I eventually reopened by myself but knew I wanted to do something different, and got the idea to offer writing services to brands within the skincare industry.

I started writing for a company called DiamondTome that manufactures microdermabrasion machines for skincare professionals (estheticians, nurses, doctors, etc.), and transitioned out of my studio when the lease came up for renewal. I’ve since written for many other companies in the professional beauty industry, drawing on my background and hands-on experience in esthetics to give my writing authority. Writing is a fun and challenging job; I enjoy it and am genuinely happy I made the switch. But I have to say, my transition into writing from esthetics helped me understand something bigger: the importance of clear communication and overall marketing knowledge for the success of beauty professionals.

Marketing was something I had to do when I owned my skincare studio and I enjoyed it. It’s an important topic, and over the last couple of years I’ve started to see just how little experience many beauty professionals have with it. They graduate from school ready to give a beautiful treatment, but then have a hard time getting clients in the door. When they can’t get clients to work on, they get discouraged because they’re not making money. Who wouldn’t?

Over the last year, I’ve hosted monthly webinars with DiamondTome that cover different marketing topics for solo estheticians (but really, any beauty professional can benefit from these webinars). I’ve also contributed articles on various marketing topics to industry magazines, and have even started a podcast called The Everyday Beauty Pro.

On my podcast, I interview licensed beauty professionals who are working in the industry and doing well for themselves. We discuss their careers, how they got to where they are now, and they give advice on how to have a successful career. It’s a lot of fun!

I enjoy my writing work because I can do it from anywhere. But at this point in my career, I’m most proud of the marketing and education outreach I’m doing. Along with all of my other projects, I am currently working with DiamondTome on going into beauty schools and giving presentations to esthetics students on what I’ve identified are the 3 main pain points of solo beauty professionals: attracting clients, retaining clients, and selling retail.

So far, the students I’ve spoken with have been interested and engaged. They ask great questions and appreciate the information I share with them. This is a wonderful project and my goal is to speak to students across the U.S.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my communication skills, ability to take feedback well, commitment to being prompt, and willingness to ask questions when I’m unsure about something have helped me build a solid reputation.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

When I owned my skincare studio referrals from loyal clients and other business owners I networked with were the absolute best. The next best thing for referrals was my Google Business Profile. When new clients came to me I’d always ask on my intake forms how they heard about me, and 7 out of 10 people would write “Google.” I remember thinking how that was possible. Were they finding my website? Nope. They were searching for services near them and my Google Business Profile came up at the top of search results. If you don’t have a profile set up for your business, do it now!

Now, for my writing work, it’s mostly referrals and from networking. I’ve even met clients on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skincarebyadriana.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skincare_by_adriana/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-perez-nakamura-61188021/
• Other: https://pod.link/1773693617

Image Credits

Photos of Adriana (excluding the one where I’m working on a client) are by Debbie Walton of Debbie Walton Photography