We recently connected with Taylor McCann and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Taylor thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I love being a business owner but I would be lying if I said there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about what it would be like to give it all up and work for someone else. Owning my own business means everything, and I mean everything, falls onto my shoulders and that can get exhausting. At the end of the month when I tally up my income that number is the result of my hard work and mine alone. It’s not to say that I don’t have an amazing support system because I do, it would just be so much easier to clock in and clock out and not have to worry about the day-to-day operations of a business.
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
Whenever I introduce myself and what I do for a living I say, I’m an Esthetician, followed by, and also a business owner. The next question I usually get asked is how I got into the industry and that is where my story gets interesting. Unlike most, I didn’t pursue a career in Esthetics right after high school, instead, I went to a traditional college and got a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Graphic Design and Advertising.
From there I went to work as a Graphic Designer for six years working my way toward my dream job and when I finally landed my dream job I realized I hated everything about it. All that time I thought landing the job I actually wanted would make me love my job and love going to work and when it didn’t everything came crashing down. I cried daily at the thought of having wasted six years, tons of money, and even more, time working my way toward something that didn’t end up turning out the way I imagined.
After just a few months, I got fired. I got fried from my job on a random Tuesday morning and had to make the humiliating walk back to my desk to gather my things. I then had to make the phone call to my then-boyfriend now husband, who had just moved into our house, that I lost my job. When I tell you I have never felt lower in my life you better believe it. I felt like a complete failure. It wasn’t until I stepped back and reflected on the situation that I realized I had been handed the golden ticket. I had been gifted an amazing opportunity…to start over.
I spent the next two months joining women’s groups, networking, visiting a career counselor, and soul-searching for what I truly wanted to do in life. That time in my life was very challenging, every day I watched my husband leave for work with the expanse of an empty day in front of me.
One day my career counselor said to me, “have you given any thought to Esthetics?” and that was the day my life changed. I enrolled in Esthetics school and started a few weeks later in March of 2020…yeah that March of 2020. We were in school for just two weeks before being sent home to do remote learning. I was so ready to start a new chapter in my life and COVID come barging in with other plans. After many many many setbacks, I graduated in August and was officially licensed in October 2020.
I was officially an Esthetician and was ready to work but there was one problem, the entire world was shut down and no one was hiring. Facials were still being restricted and with the fear of being locked down again, no one was willing to hire. I figured I could sit around a wait for something to happen or I can start working on some family and friends and get much-needed hands-on experience and that is what I did.
I started waxing and doing lash lifts out of my house and things just kept growing and growing and now here I am.
I think my unusual journey is what sets up apart and the fact that I keep it very real with my clients and I think they appreciate the honesty.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I have built my reputation on professionalism and dependability which I draw on from my time in corporate America and I think people really like that. I show up for my clients on time and ready for their appointment and they do the same for me.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Similar to how I built my reputation is how I grow my clientele. When you treat people the way you want to be treated, they will keep coming back and tell their friends too. Doing good work is only half of growing a clientele, You must be able to relate and build trust with people. There are a million other things someone can spend their money on, you just have to give the best reason as to why it should be you.
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Image Credits
Jenna Joann Photography