We were lucky to catch up with Amy Mattox recently and have shared our conversation below.
Amy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
There is so much pressure on outward beauty. Women historically are very critical of themselves. We all are. The idea behind my business model is to make beauty affordable to those that might not otherwise be able to pay for the services I offer. I do feel that historically the public saw what I do as something only people in the public eye or more well off people paid for. This made, and still does make, some people falsify what they do to look the way they do . It shouldn’t be that way. People should want to share what they know so that it’s not stigmatized or thought to be unattainable. Women should find ways to help each other. If I find a lip gloss I really like, everyone knows it! I want everyone to know and buy it for themselves.
Amy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
To be honest I got into this industry by accident . My background is critical care and pediatrics. That was what I did for 26 years. I was approached by someone asking me to sit in on a class they were going to offer. This person wanted my thoughts on the class and the information it provided. I sat in on the class and with her encouragement I started providing services one day a week. I was in an accident at work about 9 months after I started in aesthetics. I then had almost 2 years that I was unable to work at my critical care jobs. I spent all that time taking online classes for aesthetics. For a moment I felt like I lost my identity. I had spent 26 years knowing that I made a difference due to my career path. I then realized that I could help others in a different way. I am very honest with clients. I say no a lot. I do not feel that clients should spend more money then they need to. I have them take baby steps on their aesthetic journey. I tell them it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
I would like to say that I have made so many friends doing what I do. I am not saying we spend holidays together but we have good relationships and they lean on me from time to time. I am honored that they feel comfortable enough to do so. I do know that I am very well known to be very trustworthy. I am very open and honest with clients and they respect me for that. I educate clients. I find that many clients that come from other spas are not well educated. They know what they get done but they do not know the “why” or how products work. I feel that educating helps clients make more informed decisions about their aesthetic services.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The biggest pivot I made was from bedside nursing to aesthetics. The year I started aesthetics I had just gotten my dream job as a flight nurse. While on the job not too long after I started, I was in an accident. We were loading back up to leave after drooping a patient off. We were on top of a building approximately 18 stories high. It was windy and we hot load, meaning we leave the rotors going. I was closing the back doors of the BK and because my partner had opened one side door but not the other, the wind blew through the open side door blowing the back doors open just as I was about to lock them. The doors hit me in the head and threw me, knocking me out and traumatically dislocating my hip. Over the next 8 months it continued to dislocate. Ultimately I had to had my hip reconstructed and replaced. In the end I lost my ER job and retired from flying. For awhile I struggled with my identity due to the loss of a career after 26 years. It did not take long for me to find a new purpose in the aesthetic world.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
My clients and I have a good relationship. Aesthetics can at times cause unwanted results just as it can provide wanted results. If one thing on the face is changed, it alters the areas around it. Sometimes the results need to be adjusted. My clients know that if there is something they are not happy with, I fix it. I do not try and convince them otherwise. I truly believe that my honesty and the education I provide to my clients speaks volumes and is a big reason I continue to grow and get the referrals I do.
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