We were lucky to catch up with Robin Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Robin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

I was waiting on my practical experience in nursing when the Esthetics industry revealed itself to me. There was a three month wait before I could even begin to finish my nursing certification. Driving my mother to an esthetics appointment, we were talking about what I was going to do while I waited for the practical portion of the nursing program. Mom suggested to me that I speak with her esthetician about what the industry was all about. Looking back now, I’m certain that this was a true experience of Devine Guidance. Mary, the esthetician my mom was seeing at the time, asked me why I was drawn to the nursing field. I explained that I was an empathetic, natural care taker and experienced true joy through helping other people. She asked why I hadn’t considered esthetics as a career and honestly, at that point, I wasn’t familiar with the industry. Mary had a friend who owned an esthetics school and gave me her information for contact. When I met Carrie, the owner of the school, the connection was immediate. By the time I should have returned for my practical in Nursing, I was almost finished with esthetics school and was in love with the concept. A manager from a local dermatologist came into the school to do interviews one day so I took advantage of the opportunity to interview. Then was called to the dermatologist practice for a second interview with the doctor. When I walked in his office he said, “We are looking for an esthetician”. I simply said, “Not anymore.” I never looked back or regretted not finishing nursing school. I was absolutely where I was meant to be.

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.

I worked solely for a dermatology practice for one year. I knew I really wanted to have my own business but, I felt I had plenty of time. I developed a relationship with a local salon owner who really took me under her wing. I learned so much more from her than I ever did in the environment I was working in. It was interesting that I did not feel at home in a medical setting even though I had started out in nursing school. During esthetics school, my passion for Microcurrent Therapy and the skin care line La Maison Clayton Shagal became evident. Obviously, this was not received well at the medical practice. During this time in the industry estheticians were not taken seriously and most doctors would tell people to use something over the counter. My how times have changed! I decided to leave the medical field at 22, applied for a small business loan and went to work with my friend in the spa industry. My business, Robin’s Nest grew so quickly, it was astounding. I specialized in Microcurrent Therapy and was quickly contracted as a trainer for a Microcurrent company. I loved traveling and teaching, and I adored my clients and my small business. There was so much freedom outside of the confines of being employed and “punching a clock”. In my mind, failing at this business was not an option. I opened my own spa within a few years. Through positivity, long hours, perseverance and unwavering support from my cosmetology family, I stayed in business for 30 years. I carried La Maison Clayton Shagal through the entirety of my years at Robin’s Nest. Once I retired from my own practice, it seemed inevitable that I would work with the skin care company that I had loved for so long. Starting out with SC as my region, within two years I became the US Distributor for La Maison Clayton Shagal. I shifted my focus from sales and education for consumers to mentorship and training for estheticians across the US. We decided to use The Skin Games as a platform to share the word about our amazing product line. This past year, all of our sponsored players made the top ten! One of our players, Laney Tepes, took first place in the Holistic category, and third place in Compromised Skin. Sara Lamagie, another sponsored player, finished third place in the Pigmentation Category. Melany Renaud, CEO of La Maison Clayton Shagal and I won mentor of the year for our work with our players in this years Skin Games event. Now, 35 years in this industry I feel like somehow I still have people to reach and goals to meet. I am beyond grateful.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Absolutely. A David and Goliath one! The first year, after I left the dermatology practice; when I was renting space in the spa, the dermatologist I had been working for sued me for leaving. There was a non-compete clause in the contract I had to sign to get the job. Being as young as I was I just didn’t realize the ramifications of this clause. I should have never signed that contract but I really needed the job. It was devastating, and scary. I knew he didn’t want me to leave but I never dreamed I would end up in a lawsuit, naivety I guess. I remember thinking this is it, I haven’t even been working for myself for a year and already I’m going to have to close down. I couldn’t help but think too, how strange it was that a doctor, with all of the success that comes with that, would bother to try sue a 22 year old esthetician right out of school. I just didn’t know what to do. My friends helped me decide to contact a lawyer, something I would never be able to afford but I hoped I might find someone to take my case pro bono. In my visit with the attorney when he realized the power behind the representation of the doctor, he declined the case. I needed bigger guns if I was going to continue to work in my city. At this point I had no choice but to reach out to family for help. My step father had a connection with a law firm in town. A powerful one. He and I went to see this attorney and he wrote a letter to the doctor’s representation. That’s all it took. He didn’t really stand a chance with the non compete, and he knew that. What he didn’t count on was my determination to succeed and stand up to him. What I didn’t mention earlier is that when I resigned, during my exit interview, I asked the dermatologist if I could continue to refer clients to him and carry his skin care line. He, of course, refused. Interestingly, a few months after the lawsuit was dropped, he had his office manager reach out to me. She said that he would like to “bury the hatchet” so to speak. And that he would LET me carry his line of skincare. I simply replied, “Thank you so much. Please let him know if he ever has any interest in carrying Clayton Shagal in his practice I would LET him.” This was the most satisfying sentence I had ever said. Needless to say, I never heard from Goliath again.

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

Hands down, authenticity, passion and results. There were very few estheticians in my area, any area really. This would be over 35 years ago. There was no social media or influencers. Networking was face to face in real time. I relied on relationships, referrals and solid results. Thanks to my friend in the industry, who taught me how to network, I reached out to the two high end clothing stores in my area. I did half face Microcurrent treatments in their dressing room! I mean, I had time and needed clients, why not? It was a huge success. I guess there is nothing like seeing half of your face 5 years younger to sell a service. I got a lot of clients from that little endeavor. I also reached out to our local news media station and spoke to our weather girl. I offered her a six week series of Microcurrent. Her results were just phenomenal. Her pictures helped me win a before and after contest internationally! She had a lot of connections as well and that paid off for me in a big way. She also did a news story about it, showing me performing treatments and talking about her experience. That would be the equivalent to something going viral these days, by the way. I am thankful that face to face interaction and networking was the backbone of my success. I think it helped me in ways that still pay off to this day. I’m still thinking outside the box when it comes to business. I do try to keep up with social media but my passion lies in personal connections.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: robinelizabethlee
• Facebook: Robin Lee

Image Credits
Ashley Ward Photography Skye Amberlee Culler