We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nina Duffy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nina below.

Nina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Starting a business is taking a risk, financially, personally, and career wise. I took this risk because of an internal issue that arose at my previous spa. This was the push I needed to get started on my own and so I did. I first started with an idea of what I wanted, visualized it, and started putting it together in November of 2021. I was scared and nervous, but anything worth doing usually makes you feel that way. I dove in head first, so to speak and haven’t looked back since. It was a risk worth taking.

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?

My journey started many years ago, but I waited a very long time to get started in esthetics. I will start at the beginning.

I moved to the beaches community in Jacksonville Florida in 2003 from the D.C area, but originally from Georgia. I have a southern accent you can’t miss. After high school I wanted to see what the city had to offer and so I moved. I was very fortunate and found a job in a plastic surgeons office that specialized in hair restoration and advanced skin care. My love for esthetics blossomed from there and has continued to grow over time.

After several years as an administrator in real estate I grew very bored with this career path and decided it was time to move on. After leaving the industry I found myself enrolled in esthetics program in St. Augustine Florida a few moths later, I graduated in 2018. Since graduating I’ve been carefully honing my skills at a luxury resort, while also owning Posh Skincare Studio. I specialize in facial massages, lymphatic drainage techniques, and ensuring you have a one of a kind experience during your service.

My passion for skin care is driven by my love of helping others feel confident in their own skin. I takes pride in each service performed and find it extremely fulfilling to connect with my clients, establish trust, and provide personal attention to all details. My focus is the same everyday, helping you reach your skin care goals.

In the studio I provide an array of facials, use Image Skincare and provide exceptional results. I am confident that if I can get you on my facial table I can get you interested in skincare if you aren’t already. Skincare is my passion and I enjoy sharing my knowledge of products, laws, contraindications and general information with others. I never feel like I am working, ever. It excites me to give this information for you to use in your daily lives.

You can see my journey and client results online at the following.
Instagram: @TheJacksonvilleEsthetician and @PoshSkincareStudio
Facebook: @TheJacksonvilleEsthetician and @PoshSkincareStudio
Website: PoshSkincareStusdio.com

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My life did not start out great, I was born into a family of alcoholics and watched everyone around me kill themselves through alcohol. My mother died of alcoholism when I was 16 years old, we were dirt poor and had nothing of value. My family consisted of myself, my mother and grandmother. My grandmother would die a year later, of the same thing, in a nursing home. When my mother died, there was no one to care for me, I was thrust into adult life with no tools or instruction on how to do so. I was not able to finish high school because of my circumstances, I later earned my GED and would go onto college and esthetics school as well. I lived with my best friends mother (they were also dirt poor) right after her death for about 6 months. Somehow I knew what I needed to do and did it. It started with me being emancipated by the courts in our small town, this allowed me to work, get an apartment, and was looked at as an adult on paper. My first order of operations was to get a job but I barely had any clothing to my name. With this limited, very casual wardrobe I knew I could only get a handful of jobs dressed this way. I sought out a waitress job and worked there for about 6 months before deciding it was time to leave this small town in Ga. This is when I decided to move to the D.C area with a friend that already lived there, she accepted me with open arms. I then found a job in a plastic surgery office (as mentioned previously), and fell in love with esthetics.

My life only began after this tragic event, before this I was caring for adults and unable to develop necessary skills to function properly. But with time I did acquire these skills on my own and prevailed against a life with the cards stacked against me. I find I am resilient in many ways in my life, and I was shaped this way by this major event. I am no longer dirt poor, I have a thriving career, a loving husband and I am just getting started. A little later than expected but doing it nonetheless. My story reminds me of how far I have come and will continue to go, it remains a motivational tool, daily.

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

My best strategy has been to give 100% every single day to every client that walks into my treatment room. Word of mouth has been priceless for me. I also use social media on a regular basis to promote upcoming events, appointments, specials and general news about the studio.

Contact Info:

• Website: PoshSknicareStudio.com
• Instagram: @TheJacksonvilleEsthetician and PoshSkincareStudio
• Facebook: @TheJacksonvilleEsthetician and PoshSkincareStudio
• Youtube: @TheJacksonvilleEsthetician
• Other: TikTok: TheJacksonvilleEsty