Jennifer Johnson
age 27 | single | Licensed Aesthetician and Website Marketing | Seattle, WA
What are you most proud of? Starting a mobile skin care business on my own and not asking for any help financially! It was and continues to be a lot of work, but it is so rewarding making a difference in helping improve people’s skin, and making them feel better about themselves.
If you suddenly found $1,000 spare cash, how would you spend it? Go to the spa myself! It’s funny how you never get to have done to yourself what you do for others. I would love a day of pampering with some girlfriends. Relaxation can definitely get you re-focused!
How many hours have you dedicated to continuing education since you’ve graduated? I only graduated last year, so I would say about 50 or so hours. I do watch webinars every chance I get, but would definitely love some more hands-on training.
What’s your favorite treatment to give/receive? I love body sugaring! Not many people offer that service in Washington state. It’s amazing how almost ALL of the people I bring up sugaring to have never even heard of it. They are so fascinated by the process that they love to try and watch while I do it. It’s so gentle on the skin and cost effective for me, therefore I LOVE it!
What networking strategies have been successful for your spa? I have met some good people on Facebook strangely enough. But the best way is definitely word of mouth. I also have a good friend who does mobile spray tanning, and we plan on getting together to do pampering parties, including for bridal parties. Her and I have gone to networking events, such as “Girl Power Hour” and I have met some good contacts through that!
What types of marketing give your business the best exposure for the money? I can say from my other job and all the training and experience I have, that website marketing is the best and most cost effective way to go. I know personally, that before I make an appointment with someone, I try to go on their website and see what they look like and what they offer. Its more comforting to know what you are getting into.
What helped you understand how to effectively retail your products? I took a business class in college called “Nuts and Bolts.” I didn’t think back then that it would be that useful, but it really helped with people skills and how to show people that they need products to use at home in order to keep up the achieved result by coming to see me.
What information did you learn after you started working that you wish you had learned in school? I wish I knew that people would try to get so many “deals” or things for free. I have extremely competitive prices and offer discounts for multiple treatments performed, but it’s funny how people want more and more for nothing! So you just have to be firm and professional.
Do you double dip? I do not. In school we learned all of the possible effects of doing so, and how unsanitary it is. I am a super clean person, and afraid of germs, so I do everything I can in order to keep things totally safe and clean for my clients. A secret though… I have my own wax and wax heater for myself, and I do double dip in that, because its only for me! And I wax myself so often (as my friends can attest!) that I have to!
What’s your biggest distraction at work? My biggest distraction when I work is when my clients are distracted. It’s very difficult to work on someone who wants to talk on their cell phone while you wax their eyebrows or brings their children with them while they get treatments.
