We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elizabeth Donat a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

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

In the beauty, health, and wellness industries, success demands more than just surface-level appeal and competence in your craft. It starts with thought leadership—having a unique point of view that challenges the status quo and sets you apart from the crowd. Creating your own brand and establishing a distinct identity is crucial in a field that’s increasingly saturated. But it’s not just about aesthetics or sales; being genuinely warm and good-hearted with a mission-driven approach is essential. When you work towards making an impact, people notice and are naturally drawn to your authenticity.

Innovation is another key ingredient. With so much competition, staying ahead means constantly evolving and finding new ways to solve problems, clear up misconceptions, convey deeper understanding of complex topics, connect with your audience, and offer value that others can’t. It’s not enough to simply follow trends—you need to be a trendsetter, someone who shapes the conversation in your niche.

The old influencer model of perfectly curated feeds, vapid imagery, and ceaseless self-promotion—heavy on sales and light on substance—is becoming obsolete. Today, to be well-known, successful, and the go-to person in your niche, you need to stick your neck out. Show your face, even when it’s not looking perfect. Lend a hand, and let your voice be heard. It’s about being real, providing value, and building genuine connections. The people who rise to the top are those who aren’t afraid to be visible, to speak up, and to truly engage with their community.

Elizabeth , 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?

I’m Elizabeth Donat, a passionate beauty industry veteran with over 20 years of experience. My journey began in the top spas of New York City on Park Avenue, where I had the privilege of working with celebrity clientele. My love for the industry grew as I spent years teaching esthetics, igniting my passion for mentoring and supporting other spa professionals.

My career evolved from hands-on spa work to roles as a regional trainer and manager for top brands, eventually leading me to the world of professional writing and publishing. In 2014, I launched my own spa consulting business, dedicating nine years to helping spa owners create valuable systems for their businesses. This experience inspired me to expand my coaching to support beauty, wellness, and health founders in boosting their sales, confidence, and media presence.

Today, I lead writing mastermind workshops designed to help good-hearted founders become more well-known and impactful in their fields. I’m incredibly proud of the professional writing and press coverage I’ve received, with over 25 media mentions in esteemed outlets such as Fortune Magazine, NewBeauty, Redbook Magazine, and MindbodyGreen.

What I’m Most Proud Of:

I am deeply proud to help incredibly talented, ethical, and hardworking founders in the beauty, health, and wellness industries who feel like invisible experts step into the spotlight and become more well-known in their niche. In industries as saturated as these, it can be difficult for the best people to stand out, so I’ve made it my mission to ensure they do.

Additionally, I’m working toward a career in book publishing and public speaking to spread awareness, particularly to the youth, about how to increase confidence and self-image in a world where we are constantly bombarded with beauty imagery, comparison, and pressure to conform to unrealistic standards. My dream is to give a TED Talk on this topic, and I hope you’ll see me on that stage very soon!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Nine years ago, I was really intimidated by the idea of using Instagram to build my business. At the time, everyone was advising me that it was a must-do, but I had no idea where to start. In the beginning, I never showed my face in pictures, and video content wasn’t even available then. My feed was filled with generic graphics, and I tried to copy what everyone else was doing because, honestly, we were all just figuring it out.

However, I quickly realized that my engagement was really low until I forced myself to get brave and start showing images and videos of myself, talking about who I am and what I do. My biggest lesson? People follow other people—they want to connect with you and feel like they’re part of your community.

To really make your social media grow, you have to show up: share your face, your videos, your unique point of view, your voice, and even elements of your personal life that you’re comfortable sharing. If you’re scared or intimidated, here’s a piece of advice that has always stuck with me: “You will never be criticized by people doing more than you.” I can’t remember where I heard it, but it was a sign for me to not care about anyone’s opinions, especially those who aren’t in the ring, being brave, and doing it themselves.

So, get out there, put the blinders on, and share your gifts with the world. Don’t worry about the critics or people from your past—focus on the people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. That’s how you build a strong, engaged audience on social media.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to unlearn is that just because you are capable of doing something doesn’t mean you should do it. For a long time, I operated under a false belief—a part of my personal programming—that life is supposed to be hard and that you must spend years suffering to prove your worth to the world. I never learned to check in with myself and ask, “Is this really what I want to be doing, or am I just doing it because I think I should?” Now, at 41 years old, I’m realizing just how fast life moves and how precious our time is. We can’t afford to wait to do the work that truly lights us up, even if it seems too grand or out of reach. The beauty of social media and the vast array of biographies out there is that they show us how others have followed their bliss and found both success and fulfillment in doing so. That’s my goal now—to be truly lit up and in a flow state with as many aspects of my work as possible. It’s about aligning your work with your passions, so that your professional life feels less like a struggle and more like a natural extension of who you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizabethdonat.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmdonat/
• Other: https://www.elizabethdonat.com/press

  https://www.elizabethdonat.com/online-store-2