We were lucky to catch up with Satia Herrera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Satia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

Out of all of the clients I’ve had, one of the first clients I had that stood out most to me was someone who had been a silent follower of my business instagram for a while. She always viewed my stories, and liked posts. After posting a promotion for a service, she immediately booked for the following day. When I met her, she was so sweet and had such a gentle demeanor: something I don’t experience often with clients, as many come in having experienced a facial before. It was a special moment for me having a new client that was comfortable enough to book with me not based on a referral, and to trust me with her first ever facial. I learned a bit about her, her family, and her home life. I really appreciated her presence, not just as a client, but as a new friend. She has become a regular client for the better part of a year. During one of our last appointments, she had been telling me about the changes in her skin and I unknowingly had mentioned that I had dealt with similar skin issues during my pregnancy and knew the exact solution to her problem. At our next appointment, sure enough, my client showed up with a small baby bump and a big smile. She laughed and told me that she had no idea that she was pregnant, and found out the same night of our last appointment that she was. I am so excited for her and her family, and their newest bundle of joy. She is an amazing client, and absolutely an amazing mother. All of my clients at some point become family, and this is the most exciting part of my career. Chosen family matters.

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

During 2018, I started working as a counter manager for MAC Cosmetics. Looking for more flexibility in my schedule, I started working as a freelance makeup artist for MAC while in school to obtain my esthetics license. During school, I fell in love with the skincare aspect of the beauty industry and it stuck with me. I saw this as my opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship. I opened Esthetically in September of 2020, and have been building my brand and business ever since. I am licensed and certified to perform facials with advanced modalities such as microdermabrasion, dermaplane, chemical peels, and microneedle. My other certifications include eyelash extensions, lash lifting and tinting, brow lamination and brow tinting, and full body waxing. I have clients that range from 16 to 60, and work with all different types of skin tones and conditions. I’m proud to offer a one-stop-shop for my clients, as they get all their skincare services taken care of in one place.

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

This is something I am still working on as a business owner. Social media is my least favorite aspect of being a business owner, as it’s hard to be a content creator on top of everything else. As there’s always room to grow, leaning your audience is very important. Social media holds a huge advantage to gaining a massive amount of clientele, but it’s most important that you’re engaging the right audience. Someone with 1000 followers can have 10 clients, while someone with 100 followers could have 50 clients. As social media changes its algorithms, it is imperative as an entrepreneur to become an expert in what makes your business noticeable on social media like trending sounds, eye-catching captions, being knowledgeable in the topics you’re sharing, and consistent posting.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Client follow up is extremely important in the beauty industry. This gives your clients an opportunity to express the satisfaction of their service with you. Sometimes, you’ll receive criticism you weren’t expecting, other times, you are so overjoyed by a client’s response. As a business owner, there is a fine line between having a personal relationship and professional relationship with your clients. This line is where you are fostering brand loyalty. At times, you may way to overextend your kindness and discount your services for people, or work on your days off. Don’t overextend where it isn’t necessary. Celebrate and reward the clients that show up on time, that respect you and your business, that tip and that are supportive of you. There will be clients you have to let go, and that it okay. Respecting yourself, is how your clients will respect you and your business. In return, show up for the clients that matter. Client loyalty and retention is what keeps a good business running!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.estheticallyskin.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/e.sthetically
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/esthetically
• Other: https://www.fresha.com/a/esthetically-skin-therapy-aurora-2323-south-troy-street-cwyq85zg

Image Credits
Jasmine Litvak, Hennessey Jones, Celia Herrera, Laura Lephart