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

Caleb, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Skn Elements is a rapidly-growing skin wellness brand that focuses on helping modern-day individuals achieve their skincare goals in a chic, open and relaxing environment. When it comes to skin care, cosmetic procedures, and beauty treatments, we fundamentally believe in “undetectable enhancements”. We want our clients to be complimented on their beautiful brows, not on their “perfect microblading”. Let them notice your beauty, not your Botox. Our core treatment philosophy is to always err on the side of natural-looking results.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Meet Caleb McGrew. Skn Elements Owner & Founder.

A staple in the South Florida esthetic industry, Caleb McGrew, of Skn Elements, is an esthetician, cosmetic tattoo artist and advanced educator who specializes in delivering clinical results to clients ranging from soccer moms to celebrities for more than 15 years. Caleb started his journey as a professionally trained artist with MAC cosmetics, gradually evolving into South Florida’s most sought-after skin guru. In 2018, his expertise didn’t go unnoticed with Miami New Times awarding Caleb the prestigious distinction of Miami’s Best Facial.

With a combination of his artistic prowess and technical skincare applications, Caleb exploded on the scene of cosmetic tattooing as an industry leader in the specialty of microblading. It’s no wonder that both newcomers and industry professionals alike fly across the globe to attend his sought after classes.

Caleb’s on-air presence has been featured with NBC 6 , Deco Drive, and PBS AllHealth TV, where he focuses on sharing his knowledge to create education and skincare awareness in the community. Allure magazine’s 2018 All About Eyes issue nodded to his microblading talents when they named him the go to guy in Florida for the wildly popular procedure. Ocean Drive also featured the infamous Gold Standard Facial he and his staff offer that can be drooled over on their Insta, which by the way offers a sneak peak into the inner workings of the spa.
After four years of rapid growth at his skincare studio inside Wynwood’s “it” salon, Junior & Hatter, Mr. McGrew is currently operating out of his state of the art, ten bed medical spa and education facility located in Miami’s emerging Little River district. Skn Elements offers clinical treatments to his discerning clientele in an unexpectedly hip environment, specializing in accessible skin wellness for humans.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Culture is everything to me. My team is like my family and if someone disrupts the harmony, we let them go no matter how excellent their skill set may be. Spa owners have a well-earned reputation for being unstable, difficult people to work for and I have had my share of unpleasant employers. I always swore to myself I would not be that kind of boss when I had my own place. Yes, the demands of the business can be stressful and it’s easy to imagine letting those frustrations impact relationships, but people are the greatest asset of my company and I make it a priority to ensure they feel appreciated and respected. I believe in a healthy work/life balance. Most of our providers work 4 days a week or less and no one struggles to get requested time off. We have fun at work, we eat together, we do team-building fun activities outside of work often, and we take annual long weekend vacations together, usually international, but always packed with relaxation and fun. I support my team and invest in them and in turn, they are invested in my business. I get to enjoy relationships I value with people I love and respect every day at work. It’s a win-win for everyone.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Around 2008 I was 28 years old and feeling unfulfilled working as an esthetician in a spa. I allowed my preconceived notions about what success looks like to demand that I needed a college degree to be successful and to pursue a “real career.” I enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at The Art Institute and completed 2 years of that program before deciding I love design as a hobby but it wasn’t for me as a career. The skills and knowledge I gained in that program would come in handy when I would later design my own medical spa, so it wasn’t a total waste. But, I had to ask myself, why couldn’t I instead stay in the skincare industry and focus my efforts on entrepreneurship? I was the only thing standing in my way, so that’s exactly what I did. I continued working in the same spa, became its lead esthetician, and simultaneously managed the day-to-day operations, did payroll and marketing, and had an opportunity to learn all the things I wanted and didn’t want when the time would inevitably come to create my own brand. I left that job in 2013 and began building my brand in the back of a hair salon, then in the back of a larger hair salon where I would thrive for several years before finally opening Skn Elements, a 1600 sq foot 10-bed medical spa in Miami’s Little River District. Businesses like mine are usually owned by doctors and that certainly presents additional challenges as we must contract the appropriate medical professionals to ensure we are always operating strictly within the letter of the law. Our medical aesthetics services are provided by a nurse practitioner who is overseen by a board-certified dermatologist. I have often been told I can’t do a lot of the things we have ultimately accomplished. I’ve learned when to persevere and when to pivot. I’m incredibly grateful to my team and our clients and looking forward to all the things we will continue to accomplish as we grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sknelements.com
• Instagram: @sknelements
• Facebook: @thesknelements
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/skn elements