Ellen Delaney
age 50 | married with two children | aesthetician and business owner | Oswego, NY
What are you most proud of? I am proud to be able to offer our local community a place of wellness, cleanliness, professionalism, and serenity.
What is the one thing you want in your spa, but don’t have? I work within a wellness center that offers nutritional consulting, weight loss, massage, and aesthetics. I would love to have more space so we could offer a wider array of services and products.
How many hours have you dedicated to continuing education since you’ve graduated? I try to devote at least 100 hours a year, and would love to do more if possible.
What’s your biggest distraction at work? My biggest distraction is managing retail and bookkeeping. I prefer working with clients and letting someone else handle ordering, inventory, etc. But when you’re a sole business owner, you wear all the hats.
What’s your favorite treatment to give/receive? I love giving mircrodermabrasion treatments with complimentary makeup applications. Clients love the feel of their skin and the look is complete when they leave. But personally, I love receiving facials!
What networking strategies have been successful for your spa? Last year I ran a contest called “Extreme Oswego Makeover.” I teamed up with nine other businesses in Oswego (this received local press, kept businesses local, and benefited an individual from our hometown). This was not only fun for me, but great teamwork and marketing from the other businesses.
What types of marketing give your business the best exposure for the money? I’ve only been in business for a year and a half, but most of my advertising has been with our local newspapers – that seems to work well. I am branching out and still trying to determine the trend.
How have you stayed motivated throughout your career? Training, conferences, lectures, and staying connected to other business professionals has kept me motivated.
What inspires you to continue working in the aesthetic industry? I love skin care and have always been in to taking care of my skin; mainly due to my own skin challenges growing up. Being able to offer skin care solutions to clients motivates me! Knowing you can help someone change is not only fun, but rewarding.
How many conferences/trade shows do you attend annually? I attend one large trade show annually, and three to four conferences or educational segments as well. If time and money allow, I would go as often as I could.
What information did you learn after you started working that you wish you had learned in school? The real world and school are so different. I would have loved to have done some job shadowing during school. I think what I gained most outside of school is confidence.
How do you feel about mandatory continuing education for license renewal? In order to stay connected and be good in this business, you need to be educated. As long as the demands aren’t costly and lengthy, I’m on with it and think education is important in a market so rapidly progressing.
