Today we're chatting with Aliesh, a licensed esthetician with twenty years in the treatment room. She was voted Best Esthetician by Philadelphia Magazine in 2024, she is a textbook author, and she worked as a makeup artist for the Obama family during the first presidential campaign. In this episode we discuss the Fitzpatrick scale, what it means to be truly inclusive, and where our industry still has work to do. Find Aliesh: askaliesh.com and on Instagram at @ask_aliesh.

In this episode we sit down with Sarah Brown — a multi-year Best of Omaha award-winning esthetician — for an honest conversation about what it actually takes to build and sustain a thriving solo practice. Sarah Brown shares the real story behind her growth: knowing when staying solo stops serving you and when bringing on help becomes a business decision. She walks through how she identified the tipping point for hiring, how to create policies that work and the importance of work culture. Find Enchanted Skin Studio on IG: https://www.instagram.com/enchanted.skinstudio/

In this episode, I talk with Amanda, founder of WellKnown, about what it takes to create a treatment space that feels as intentional as the work you do inside it. We dive into how she's built a brand experience that goes beyond the facial—integrating Korean skincare with advanced modalities. Follow Wellknown Studio bewellbeknown

In this episode, I spoke to Devyn from Mii Korean Aesthetics about why barrier health is the foundation for everything, how she's built a brand rooted in authenticity and what it looks like to carve our your own lane in the aesthetics industry.

In this episode, I sit down with two estheticians who share one roof but run two separate LLCs—and they've found a way to make it work by doing something most people never think to do: they gave their brand an identity, an avatar, and a life of its own. We talk about what happens when you stop making every business decision about you and start asking, "What's best for the brand?" How do you build something that's bigger than your ego? How do you stay authentic while scaling? And how does having a shared brand identity create alignment, clarity, and freedom? If you've ever struggled with letting go of control, defining your brand beyond yourself, or figuring out how to network and collaborate in a way that feels genuine—this one's for you. Follow Hermana Studio on IG: hermanastudio.blono

Niki Robison is an esthetician who has done it all. She's been an employee, owned a studio, built a reputation for brows, and now incorporates sound healing into her treatments. This isn't your typical esthetician journey, and that's exactly why I wanted to talk to her. You can follow Niki on Instagram @Nikirobisonbrows

Hannah Downes, owner of Ease Day Spa has created a warm, consistently booked business that feels like the kind of place clients never want to leave. She's been able to build her business not by hustling harder but by creating systems that work for her and her business. Hannah is honest, grounded, and real about what it takes to build something sustainable. If you're an esthetician feeling the weight of doing it all yourself, this conversation is for you. You can follow Hannah on Instagram @ease_dayspa

Three years ago, I wrote a blog about the strategies I used to build a nearly fully booked six-figure esthetic practice. I shared what worked for me — networking, treating clients like gold, trading tips for reviews, niching down — all the things that helped me go from three clients and a $450/month storefront to a thriving business. https://esthisupply.com/blogs/news/building-a-booked-busy-esthetic-practice-in-2026 A lot has happened since then and I'm here to talk about it.

Running a sustainable esthetics business requires understanding how revenue, client behavior, and retention actually work—not just mastering treatments. When estheticians focus on client lifetime value, retention, and seeing the right clients at the right cadence, income becomes steadier and burnout decreases. Fewer, more consistent clients often create more stability and profit than chasing constant new bookings. True scaling for a solo esthetician isn’t about getting bigger—it’s about refining systems so the same effort produces better financial and energetic return.

Esthetics thrived long before algorithms, built on human connection, trust, and the experience created in the treatment room. While social media can amplify visibility, trust—not views or virality—is what sustains long-term success and client loyalty. Real growth has always been measured by outcomes, care, and relationships, not content metrics. When the noise feels overwhelming, it helps to remember that this industry continues to grow one real client, one real connection, at a time.