As the third generation in my family to be involved in aesthetics, one could say that I've been in the industry since I was born. My grandmother did hair, my mom did the skin care, and there I was – around it all the time. With a degree in business and a license in aesthetics, education has played a significant role in my professional life. Granted one of the more beautiful parts of being an aesthetician is that one doesn't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a college degree. I personally know many aestheticians that never went to college and they are very successful. We should always be learning and growing. Does one need to have a degree to be successful, I don't think so. Does having a degree help make a person successful? I believe it does! I knew if I studied business I could choose any field of work. I also understood that having a successful career in aesthetics wouldn't matter if I didn't understand how the business side of the field worked? I believe that when faced with the decision of what product line to offer at a spa it is important to look at it from a business perspective. There are a lot of lines available and most of them are great. But, the bottom line is what will matter the most – meaning, if a spa cannot make it financially by selling a brand then it doesn't matter what that brand says it does or how great it is. If the spa cannot stay in business, does it really matter? Reputation is key – hands down! A reputation can come from a referral, gift certificate, Yelp.com, et cetera. A good reputation is hard to control and maintain because it only takes one person to ruin it. A bad reputation on the other hand is very easy to maintain because it only takes one person to keep it going. Spending quality time and attention to what the client is actually visiting you for is what can set you or your spa apart from the rest. Over the years I've chosen to specialize in acne therapies to stay relevant in the treatment room – instead of specializing in everything!

Alek gives four examples of how an aesthetician could make a mistake during a client's visit.

1. By not being personal with a client – it all starts with the consultation. If the aesthetician just assumes they know why the client is there it can get them into trouble.
2. By focusing solely on the task at hand and not remembering the actual "experience" side of the client's overall visit.
3. By not developing a professional bond with the client. Following up a treatment with a call two days later demonstrates this nicely. A professional is interested in the results of their work, good or bad. Most clients will not call and complain – they will just not come back.
4. By being afraid to make product recommendations.

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