We were lucky to catch up with Ciera Pennington recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ciera, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

My vision of success is going to be different than most other companies and individuals. I believe the term “successful” is relative to your own personal and professional journey. For some, it may be becoming a franchise, building up to 450 employees, or creating a Fortune 500 company, but for me it was much more simple.

Success for me is having complete control of my day with an unbridled expression of passion and creativity. It’s having the confidence to steer the ship in the right direction while enjoying the breeze. And it’s also having the determination and diligence to sail into uncharted territory. This is what helped me learn to love the process in every way, shape, and form that it comes in.

A great example of this is how I actually made the move to even start this dream of mine. I worked for a successful spa in an affluent area and I was truly at the height of my career. I was making “unheard of” money for my field at the time, but the problem was that I had to do it “their way”.

Every drive home from work was miserable and I knew I had to step into that uncharted territory to honor myself and bring life back into my passion.

When I decided to leave completely and start my business, I knew of all the risks that were in front of me. I could see the challenges with having a pay cut, increase in hours, and building a new network of clients and professional partners. Despite how daunting all of this was, I held tight to the reality that this was finally all mine.

It wasn’t all easy but mostly, it was freeing and empowering to have control of my own ship. I was quickly able to implement my vision and creativity into what I know now is a beautiful environment for my clients.

I love being able to completely be me in all of my daily tasks; recommending better products, creating my own schedule, and being more available. In the end, I’ve been able to happily express my passion every day instead of keeping it walled in.

Ciera, 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?

I chose this industry all because of an incredible facial I had received from the recommendation of a friend. Ever since that experience, I’ve been immersed in the Esthetics industry for over a decade and owned/operated my own business for half of that time. Being at the age of 30 now, I can say that my business is a reflection of what I’ve built my life to be. I take pride in my work, I love being with my husband, spending time with my pups and cat, and making sure that I get valuable time with those I love. I’ve learned the only thing you don’t get back but can always give…is time, and I choose to be intentional with that exchange.

Time comes and goes as we all know, but that intent behind every action is what helped me form the structure of my business. That being said, when it comes to the littles things like product, specials, and services, intent and exchanges are extremely valuable. For me, I did not want to sell the same mediocre products that I felt didn’t provide real results that I wanted for my clients. So I chose to provide a high quality product with a thorough service that combined both relaxation and results. However, that still wasn’t enough for me.

What I feel separates me from most other spa companies is my passion to treat skin related issues on an individual basis, giving as much time needed to help every different situation. In the few previous positions working under management, I didn’t feel the client was given the adequate amount of time and investment to better help them. This is what SKINTOLOGY is.
I live to help everyone and anyone within their specific need and the time will be always be available. I pride myself in wanting to give the knowledge freely to my clients to help them in the times between our services and not many places can say they do that.

I have to say when it comes to esthetics it can be a bit much when looking on your own to heal, rejuvenate, or protect your skin. There’s a lot of information out there and not of all it is sound advice. If there’s any advice I would give to anyone pursuing this or any business, is to do the work yourself. Put in the time and effort when it comes to research and continued learning. Stay up to date with your industry, constantly seek advice from trusted sources, and never quit developing creative and innovative ideas to improve your business. I keep it simple at the core and that’s what propels me into grasping deeper knowledge. It’s like the acronym we’ve all heard, K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. For me, it’s all about skin. What’s the first thing to be affected when your out an about….skin. What’s the first thing people see when they approach you…skin. What’s the number one part of your body you need to keep clean and hydrated…skin. I just love it and I love to be available to anyone that’s wants to protect and preserve their beauty.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Honesty and integrity. Like I’ve stated before about previous jobs under other management, there’s a lot that goes on behind closed doors that I felt was unfair and unethical. Being consistent and true is always going to be your best path to success. Never let money, people, or circumstances dictate who you are and what you genuinely have to offer. I found it to be very important to give my clients the full picture of their situation when coming in for a service. It’s important to be upfront with results, product brands, or services because the outcome isn’t always perfect. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone gets a fairy tale ending when it comes to treating their skin. What helps me through this is being honest and available to give them the time and information needed to address the specific condition. This means it can take many different ways to achieve a result. At times, I have set my clients on a routine plan of maintenance treatments, I’ve given them a home care routine, and in some cases I have even recommended a better treatment/solution that is offered by another spa. At the end of the day, I always remember the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This may seem like a simple parable, but it has proven itself true time and time again within my company. Do what’s right, not what’s easy.

Any advice for managing a team?

From experience, the most important aspect in building a team is clear and concise communication and being vulnerable. Without this, we’ve all seen what happens to countries, cities, and companies. If you can’t get your point across, how can you expect any success. And more so, that systematic dysfunction is a reflection on your own inability to communicate and paint a clear picture. With that being said, it also goes hand in hand with vulnerability. Just because you are an owner, does not make you better than any other hard working employee. We can’t forget where we once started.

It’s as simple as we’ve all been taught since we were children. If you’re not walking the walk, don’t expect the same from your team. We all lead by example and I have been blessed enough to have had a few great leaders in my life who showed that to me. I heard their talk, but I always saw their walk.

It may sound silly, but it’s kind of like when a child is building a Lego set. When his friends come over and they work as a team to build this big scale fort, there’s really only one important factor that contributes to the success of that fortress…communication and leadership. The team will always fail if they can’t see the vision of what it’s supposed to be. However, if everyone can see the picture on the box then everyone can work together on a unified goal. In the end, the fort is complete and the experience is shared among each other.

It’s the same with my business and any business that’s out there. Present your vision and work along side your employees to achieve the goal. Take time afterwards to discuss the day or the event or the service, and share in the experience and give feedback. In all of that, communication and follow through (integrity) will always support a healthy culture. Be with them and not only above them. You can’t expect anybody to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. Lead by example. Be in the trenches. Share in the experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.skintologyofva.com/
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