As a beauty practitioner, laser technician, clinic manager and most recently microblading artist, I can’t help but think of all the wonderful things that have happened, the amazing women/clients that I’ve met, and how much I’ve learned along the way.
I never imagined myself in the beauty industry. My two old-school Russian parents (that I admire and love immensely) gave me 2 options for careers: a doctor or a lawyer. Though my options sounded grand, I much preferred the business and arts sectors.
I’ve had a taste of a few different professions ranging from retail, to serving and everything in between, to finally exploring the arts with microblading.
This journey has had its ups and downs, moments of self-doubt, but it’s safe to say that it was all worth it, and that it’s only the beginning of something great.
The beauty industry has taught me many valuable lessons that I’d love to share with you. Some of these lessons I have learnt from my incredible mentor and boss at my current workplace, Dermace Advanced Skin Care Clinic.
She has pushed me like no other, threw me in the fire only to see me climb out, and always inspired me to do my absolute best. Other lessons I have learnt were through my clients, starting my own business Brows by Simona, and through personal growth, development and reflection. So here we go…
Lesson 1: Little things do go a long way
I’ve always considered myself very fortunate, and generally a very happy person; my friends and family would say the same. It wasn’t until my clients started noticing that I was always smiling, that I realized that this is the right career choice for me.
I clearly enjoy what I do, and I LOVE coming to work each day; and I’d like to believe that this reflects on my work, as well as the service provided to my clients. So here it goes…THE MOST IMPORTANT lesson I’ve learnt in the beauty and Microblading industry is that if you TRULY enjoy what you do and give 100%, you will never “work” a day in your life.
In other words, when you do something with no expectation in return, there is always far greater impact.
For instance, let’s say you go out of your way, cancel your plans to stay late for a client, offer complimentary services and go above and beyond, do not expect more than a simple thank you.
Every individual will respond in a different way to exceptional service. Some clients will offer a tip as a thank you, some will bring you food and coffee, others will write wonderful reviews about you and recommend all their friends, while there are those that will do absolutely nothing.
As long as you know that you have done your part, you just have to believe in people and give them the benefit of the doubt. Your clients will leave happy, wanting to come back, and you will feel content and satisfied knowing you made that happen.
Lesson 2: Connecting with your clients is key
What I believe differentiates great artists from others is their ability to form a connection with their clients.
I do this by asking each client for their email address when booking their appointment, letting them know that I will send them a short email with pre-care and post care instructions attached in the next few hours.
Notice how I’ve already made a promise to my client before even meeting them for the first time. I plan to fulfill that promise by promptly sending them the email within the first hour.
Although it may seem like nothing special, I’ve seen how well this works first hand and I can assure you that promises, large or small, speak volumes about who we are. Not to mention, your client will arrive well prepared to their first appointment.
The worst would be if someone came after a long night of drinking to her appointment, only to find out that it couldn’t be done, as alcohol 24 hours before is a contraindication to the procedure.
Connecting with your client shows you care, and actively listening to your client will never go unappreciated.
Besides, you will feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing you made a difference in their lives, whether it be from giving them beautiful new brows, or playing “therapist” during their appointment.
Lesson 3: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In this very fulfilling industry, it is important to remember that beauty is subjective, and everyone’s perception of what is beautiful is different.
The perfect eyebrows that we, as Microblading Artists and professionals, consider complimenting, based on our client’s facial shape, structure, and features may not be something our clients want for themselves.
This is absolutely understandable! This is why it is so important to actively listen and communicate with your client, guide them each step of the way, and build a connection, so that you can come together to form a unified perception of beauty for your client’s eyebrow needs.
Lesson 4: Go the extra mile
Once my client’s brows are bold and beautiful, I let them know exactly what to expect while are they are healing for the next 10 days and they are sent home with an aftercare kit.
Included are post-care instructions, a healing packet, and a referral business card for them to give to a friend.
Two weeks after their touch up, I’ll send them an email or text asking how their brows have healed.
We don’t have to follow up with our clients, but this is part of good customer service and going the extra mile to show that you actually care. It takes us 2 minutes, but can make all the difference to your client with their overall Microblading experience.
Lesson 5: Be resourceful
There are a few ways to be resourceful while operating your business. One of the aspects of being resourceful involves having the tools necessary to come up with solutions.
When you are first starting out, let your friends and family know what you’re up to, and once you are confident in your talent, ask them to be your models.
Take beautiful photos of your work and start growing your social media pages. I chose a few of my favorite “before and afters” and sponsored those ads to reach a larger population.
I find this to be one of the more affordable ways to advertise when you are first starting out.
The other aspect of being resourceful is to be able to solve problems effectively and efficiently. This lesson I learnt while working as a laser technician and then as a manager at Dermace.
It will never be a dull day, especially when you are working with clients, coworkers, friends, or running your own business. Problems will arise, and it’s your job to make sure they are solved immediately.
It’s your responsibility to make sure your client never leaves unhappy. It is also your responsibility to remain calm and collected while handling every obstacle.
What’s my secret?
My secret is coffee and dancing (not at the same time).
Whenever I have a problem that needs solving, I enjoy coming up with a solution over a cup of coffee.
If ever I have a very stressful day, I’ll go dance it out in a Hip Hop or Reggaeton class at Underground Dance Centre in Toronto.
One of the most important truths I learned in my kinesiology undergrad is that physical activity reduces stress and improves your sleep via the production of endorphins – chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers.
Also, did you know that good posture not only has physical benefits, but mental and emotional ones too?
We know that good posture can change people’s perception of us, but did you know it can change our own perception of ourselves?
As much as my kinesiology side would love to go into detail, we’ll save that information for another blog!
Lesson 6: To plan or NOT to plan your Instagram feed?
Have you ever wanted to post a photo SO BADLY on your Instagram feed and you finally have the time to, but that caption is taking you forever to come up with?
Yeah, me too.
Finding the perfect caption for a photo can be tiresome, annoying, and just time consuming…so much that you close your Instagram app and wait for inspiration to hit you.
In the meantime, you browse other people’s captions and Pinterest for ideas, get side tracked, end up online shopping, and that plan of yours to post at least 1 photo a day is ruined.
There are a few apps I’ve tried apps where I’ve downloaded the next 7 days of images that I want to be posted onto Instagram
Lesson 7: Become an Organized Ninja
This one is a toughie for me, as I am still working on and perfecting this one daily. I have always found my organizational and time management skills to be weaker than my passion and drive.
Therefore, I’ve always bitten off more than I can chew, for example, by booking clients 7 days a week, and forgetting that I have family, friends and a loving boyfriend outside of work.
I’ve also learnt that with success come responsibility, and the more successful you are, the more tasks you’ll have to check off of your to-do list, so you have to stay ORGANIZED!
This will improve your focus, decrease your stress levels, and allow you to work at a higher level…like a ninja!
You also always have to be “ON” and available, whether it be at your workplace, home, or on vacation…at least until you can afford to shut off your phone while sipping on margaritas in Mexico.
There is, however, a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and that is a large screened high tech phone where you can check your email, messages, online booking appointments, Instagram and Facebook at the touch of your fingertips.
On a more serious note, writing down my to-do list FIRST thing while having my morning coffee has been the most helpful to staying organized.
Not only does this help me to stay on track but it also adds to my professionalism when interacting with my clients.
I am still looking for more tips and tricks and would love to hear about how others stay organized in their practice. Sticky notes anyone?
Lesson 8: Further your education
Truth be told, I never felt like the education I received before being certified was enough once in the field, and I came with 1 and a half years of experience from another clinic.
I felt the same with Microblading. Let’s be honest, a 5-day Microblading course and then you jump right into eyebrow corrections? No requirements to become certified? Sounds questionable.
Nonetheless, my mom was brave enough to be my first model, after an hour of convincing that is.
I reminded her about my many years of art lessons, drawing and painting, all throughout elementary and right up to grade 12.
One coffee, two cigarettes (for my mom that is), a very slight confidence boost, and three hours later, they looked fabulous and I couldn’t help but wonder who my next victim would be.
Needless to say, I still wasn’t 100% confident and my goal was to keep practicing for a few months, then jump right back into taking another course for Microblading, which is exactly what I did, with MiniBrow and BrowBeaute.
Once I finished, I definitely felt more confident. I took what I’ve learned and applied it for another few months, before jumping right back into another training with them for Microshading, a popular technique for Ombre or Combination brows.
Education never stops and it’s important to keep up with the latest information, or you’ll fall behind. I set myself a goal to take at least 1 course per year to further my knowledge. What better way to invest than to invest in yourself and your future?
It all started at Natural Look Academy with Tania Todd, one of the best in the Microblading industry, so I feel very honored to have trained with her, and even more humbled to share her and my own knowledge with future aspiring artists.
What I’ve learned from Tania and this incredible industry in the past year has been so valuable to me in not only building my business, but it has only given me the opportunity to venture into a few other paths, such as teaching and training that I have planned for the fall of 2018. Who knows what 2019 has in store?
Editor’s note: This is our second guest post and we are very happy to be publishing it! If you’d like to guest post for us, please send an email to info@microbladinghub.com.