​There are moments in this industry that remind you why you chose it in the first place. Our recent event was one of those moments for me. Not because of the treatments, the demos, or even the education, although all of that mattered. It was the energy in the room. The conversations. The way people showed up, not just physically, but emotionally. And what kept coming up for me over and over again was this: This industry thrives when we choose community over competition. But if we’re being honest, that’s not what most of us are taught.

​When you first enter the beauty industry, there’s this underlying message:

• Protect what you know
• Don’t share too much
• Stay ahead of everyone else
• Watch what others are doing

 
And before you even realize it, you start looking at other estheticians as competition instead of connection.
 
I understand where that mindset comes from. This industry can feel saturated. Social media amplifies comparison. And when you’re building something of your own, it’s easy to feel like you have to hold on tightly to everything you’ve learned.
 
But here’s what I’ve learned over the years: That mindset will limit your growth far more than it protects it.

​Community doesn’t just feel good. It changes the trajectory of your career. When you surround yourself with other providers who are learning, growing, and willing to share:

• You learn faster
• You avoid unnecessary mistakes
• You gain perspective you would never have on your own
• You build confidence through connection

 
At our event, I watched providers ask questions openly. I watched others step in and share their experiences. There was no hesitation. No gatekeeping. And that’s where real growth happens.

​This isn’t something that just happens. It’s something you choose.
 
It looks like:

• Answering a question instead of ignoring it
• Sharing what worked for you instead of keeping it to yourself
• Supporting someone who is just getting started
• Being open about your own learning process

 
And no, that doesn’t mean giving everything away or having no boundaries. It means recognizing that there is room for all of us, and there is only one version of you.

​There’s another piece of this that doesn’t get talked about enough. If you’re going to choose community, you also have to accept this: Not everyone is going to understand you. There will always be people who:

• Take what you say the wrong way
• Twist your words
• Assume your intentions instead of asking

 
And if you spend your time trying to fix that, explain yourself, or make everyone see you correctly… You will stay stuck.
 
I’ve experienced this more times than I can count over the years. There have been people who didn’t agree with me. People who were upset when I set a boundary. People who misunderstood something I said or how I said it. And for a moment, it can make you question yourself. But here’s what I’ve learned: You cannot be bothered with people who are committed to misunderstanding you.

​What matters is the energy you lead with. If you show up with:

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Care for people
• A genuine desire to help

 
That is what carries you.
 
Not every interaction will land perfectly. Not every relationship will stay aligned. But over time, something shifts. People come back around.
 
I’ve had moments in my career where relationships felt off, where there was tension or distance. And later, those same people have come back, we’ve had conversations, apologies have been made on both sides, and the energy has changed. Because at the end of the day: We’re human. We’re navigating business, growth, emotions, and communication all at the same time.

If we’re going to talk about community, we also have to talk about grace. Grace for:

• Miscommunication
• Growth
• Boundaries
• Change

 
That doesn’t mean you allow everything. It doesn’t mean you don’t set boundaries. It means you don’t shut down or close yourself off the second something feels uncomfortable.

“Community over competition” means nothing without action. Here are a few ways to actually live this out in your career:
 
 1. Refer Instead of Holding Everything 
 
You don’t have to be everything to every client.

• Don’t do lashes? Refer to someone who does
• Don’t specialize in acne? Send them to someone who does

 
Those referrals build trust and relationships that come back to you.
 
 2. Build a Small Circle 
 
Find a few people who are serious about growth.

• Share wins
• Share challenges
• Ask real questions

 
This industry can feel isolating. It doesn’t have to be.
 
 3. Show Up to Events and Conversations 
 
Get in the room. Not just to learn, but to:

• Connect
• Introduce yourself
• Build relationships

 
Opportunities don’t just come from skill. They come from proximity.
 
 4. Share What You’ve Learned 
 
You don’t have to know everything to be valuable. If you’ve learned something:

• Share what worked
• Share what didn’t
• Share what you would do differently

 
That’s how we all get better.

​What meant the most to me wasn’t just that people showed up. It was how they showed up. There was openness. There was curiosity. There was support. There was a willingness to learn and to give at the same time.
 
And it reminded me that this industry doesn’t have to feel guarded or competitive. It can feel connected. It can feel collaborative. It can feel like a space where we genuinely want to see each other succeed.

​If you’re building your career in this industry, remember this: You don’t grow faster by isolating yourself. You grow faster by getting in the right rooms, having the right conversations, and being willing to both learn and contribute.
 
Community is not a weakness. It’s an advantage. And when you choose it, consistently, even when it’s imperfect… It will change everything. 

​Let me start by saying something that might make people uncomfortable. Work-life balance is not real in the beauty industry. It sounds good. It looks good on motivational posts. But if you are truly in this industry, if you care deeply about your clients and your work, you know it doesn’t actually work that way.

• Our schedules are not predictable.
• We don’t have banker’s hours. 
• We work in a service industry, and service industries are built around people, not convenience.

Clients need evenings. They need weekends. They need last-minute help before events, weddings, vacations, job interviews. And if you are the kind of beauty professional who actually cares about your work, you take that responsibility seriously.

When you perform an aggressive treatment on someone, you send them home and wonder how they’re doing.

• Are they red?
• Are they healing well?
• Are they nervous?

If you do someone’s wedding makeup, you want to see the photos. You want to know how the day went. You want to know if she felt beautiful walking down the aisle. Because this industry is not just about services. It’s about people. And the truth is, when you care about people, you take this work home with you. That is simply the nature of the beauty business.


The Real Problem Isn’t Work-Life Balance

The real issue isn’t balance. The real issue is burnout. And after many years in this industry, I have learned something that surprised me. Burnout rarely comes from clients. Burnout usually comes from not keeping your word to yourself. It comes from saying yes when you meant no. It comes from letting your schedule slowly fill up until suddenly you’re working seven days a week and wondering how it happened.

And it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens little by little.

A client can only come in on Sunday. Someone is starting a new job and really needs their brows touched up. Someone is going on vacation and needs a quick treatment before they leave. And these are the exact people who helped build your business.

So you say yes. Because you care. Because you want to help. Because you remember when they supported you in the beginning. But if you aren’t careful, that generosity slowly turns into exhaustion.


The Boundaries That Actually Matter

People love to talk about setting boundaries with clients. But in my experience, that’s not where the real problem lies. The hardest boundaries are the ones you set with yourself. It’s keeping your word when you say:

• “I am not working today.”
• Even if someone texts.
• Even if someone calls.
• Even if the request is reasonable.

Because the truth is, if you don’t protect that time, someone will always need something.


The Only Strategy That Has Worked for Me

The only thing that has consistently worked for me is scheduling my personal life the same way I schedule work. If it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t happen. So I schedule:

• Massages.
• Personal appointments.
• Quiet time.
• Time with my kids.
• Time where I simply do nothing.

Because if I leave those spaces open, my brain automatically fills them with work. I’ll start answering emails. I’ll start helping a student. I’ll open my website to look something up and suddenly realize something needs updating. Then another thing. Then another thing. And before I know it, I’m back in work mode.


Burnout Doesn’t Mean You Chose the Wrong Career

Burnout in the beauty industry doesn’t mean you chose the wrong path. In fact, it’s often the opposite. Burnout usually happens because you care deeply about what you do. Because you want people to feel confident. Because you want your treatments to work. Because you want your clients and students to succeed. 

That passion is what makes this industry so beautiful. But passion without boundaries will eventually drain you.


The Goal Isn’t Balance

The goal is sustainability. A career that lasts. A business that continues to grow. A life where you can still love the work years from now. And that requires something many of us struggle with:

• Protecting time for ourselves with the same commitment we protect time for our clients.​ Because if you don’t, eventually there will be nothing left to give.

There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk about, because I see it every single week in my treatment room. We love to blame TikTok. And yes, social media has amplified it. But this didn’t start with TikTok. This has been happening since the beginning of my career. People have always been marketed to. People have always tried new products. People have always been curious. That part is human.

​What I’m noticing now, though, is the frequency and the constant switching, and how much damage it’s doing to the skin long term. Some of my most loyal clients are the ones whose skin looks consistently great. They do their treatments. They stay on their products. And even they still ask thoughtful questions like, “Should I be adding anything?” or “Is there something new I should try?”

That curiosity is normal. But the clients who are always chasing the next best thing are the ones whose skin is the hardest to keep healthy. These are the clients who come in saying:

• “I just bought this online.”
• “I saw this on Instagram.”
• “I was told this supplement rebuilds collagen so I stopped using my topical products.”
• “I switched everything last month because this was trending.”

It doesn’t matter if it’s natural, clinical, medical-grade, or labeled as clean. The issue is not the category. The issue is constant disruption.

And I want to be very clear. I am not talking about seasonal changes. I am not talking about adjusting moisturizer when you’re drier. I am not talking about hormone-related shifts or thoughtful modifications. Those are intelligent adjustments.

What I’m talking about is repeatedly layering new products that do not work together, that you do not fully understand, based on a single post, a marketing claim, or a recommendation that lacks context. When that happens, I see:

• Thinning of the skin barrier
• Chronic inflammation
• Sensitivity that wasn’t there before
• Skin that cannot tolerate treatments anymore

And once that happens, everything becomes harder. We stop focusing on skin health and start chasing fixes.

Skin health is not about constantly changing what you use. It’s about understanding:

• The epidermis and how it functions as a protective barrier
• The dermis and how collagen and elastin are actually supported
• What nourishment looks like topically and internally
• How inflammation shows up over time, not just today

Our skin has not evolved in the last 20 years. We are still human skin. The ingredients that worked decades ago still work now. They will still work decades from now.

Antioxidants matter. Protection during the day matters. Repair and nourishment at night matter.

There is a rhythm to skin. A circadian rhythm. During the day, your skin is designed to protect you. It is a shield. At night, your skin is designed to receive nourishment and repair.

This is where I want to pause and talk about something that often gets brushed off as marketing. pH. pH balanced is not just a buzzword. pH matters, and understanding the pH of what you are putting on your skin matters.

Your skin functions best within a slightly acidic range. When products are too acidic or too alkaline, and they are not being used intentionally for a specific purpose, your skin has to go into correction mode.

Instead of focusing on repair, nourishment, and regeneration, your skin shifts into survival. The skin will work to rebalance its pH by:

• Increasing oil production
• Increasing inflammation
• Accelerating barrier repair processes

That means your skin is spending its energy trying to normalize its environment instead of using the ingredients you are applying for benefit.

This is one of the reasons constant product switching causes so many issues. Different brands, different actives, different formulations often mean different pH levels. When those are layered without intention, the skin never settles.

It is always adjusting. Always correcting. Always recovering. And when the skin is busy repairing pH imbalance, it is not effectively receiving hydration, antioxidants, peptides, or barrier-supporting ingredients. This is why consistency and compatibility matter just as much as ingredient quality.

When the skin is constantly adjusting to different pH levels, different actives, and different formulations, it never gets the chance to fully receive what you’re giving it. Instead of benefiting from your skincare, it stays stuck in a cycle of correction and recovery.

There is rarely just one ingredient in a supplement. Most contain long ingredient lists, fillers, binders, and additives, many of which are chosen for cost and shelf life, not for how the body actually responds to them.

I am very pro supplementation. If you saw my cupboards, you’d understand. But I also see a lot of marketing disguised as science. Many supplements are promoted as doing everything, rebuilding collagen, replacing topical care, fixing skin from the inside out, when in reality they can quietly contribute to inflammation if they are not well formulated or appropriate for the individual.

When clients stop using proven topical skincare because they believe a supplement will “do it all,” their skin often declines quietly. Slowly. Until suddenly it feels sensitive, reactive, or dull, and they don’t know why.


No supplement replaces topical skincare. No supplement bypasses the skin barrier. No supplement alone rebuilds collagen in your face. Internal support and topical care work together. One does not cancel out the other. This is why consistency matters more than novelty. Skin does not need constant stimulation:

• It needs support
• It needs protection
• It needs patience

And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do for your skin is stop adding and start maintaining.

If your skin is healthy, functioning, and stable, that is not a sign to change everything. That is a sign that what you’re doing is working.

This entire “anti-aging” conversation has gotten out of hand. Aging is not a failure. It is not a sign that you are doing something wrong. It is biology.

Your skin will lose elasticity over time. Collagen production will slow. Your skin will not feel as tight as it once did. Your face may feel like it is falling or changing. That does not mean your skincare has failed you. That means you are human.

We have somehow turned normal aging into a problem that needs to be fixed instead of a process that needs to be supported. Yes, we can absolutely use products and treatments to support the skin, to improve quality, to help it age more gracefully. But we need to stop pretending that “anti-aging” makes sense as a goal.

We are aging. There is no way around that. What does matter is how we age. Healthy skin ages more slowly, more evenly, and more resiliently. Healthy skin tolerates change better. Healthy skin holds structure longer. But healthy skin will still age.

The goal is not to stop aging. The goal is to keep the skin healthy as it ages.

When we focus on health instead of fighting time, everything shifts. Expectations become realistic. Treatments become supportive instead of aggressive. And people stop feeling like they are failing simply because their face is changing. That is the conversation we need to be having.

My job is not to sell you the next best thing. My job is to protect your skin long term. And sometimes that means saying, “Let’s not change anything right now.”

That is how we build resilient, healthy skin that ages well.

​Every time I’m researching beauty industry topics, I like to look at what people are searching for. And one question I see constantly is: “What is an esthetician salary?” So naturally, I clicked into Google and opened the first thing that popped up from ZipRecruiter, and what do they tell the world? $30,100 a year. Twenty-fifth percentile.

Let me tell you something with honesty, experience, and love: That number is not even close to accurate. If that were true, we wouldn’t have spas and med spas popping up everywhere. No one would invest thousands into esthetics school just to walk out and make a wage that doesn’t reflect the heart, the energy, and the skill this career requires. And business owners like me? We wouldn’t be able to keep our doors open.

The problem is that online salary numbers don’t reflect real estheticians building real careers in real treatment rooms. So let’s break down what estheticians actually earn, why the range varies so drastically, and how your decisions impact your income more than any algorithm ever could.

There are a few big reasons why the $30k number is so far off.

1. Estheticians rarely work 40-hour weeks. And this is where salary numbers get distorted. This is emotional, energetic, client-facing work. Most estheticians work 25–30 hours of hands-on service per week. Not because they’re lazy, but because this is intense work that requires energy management and recovery. When someone calculates “annual salary” as if you’re working 40 hours of back-to-back treatments, the math falls apart instantly.
2. Those numbers include every scenario. 
   ​Online averages combine:

• Estheticians who build a career
• Estheticians who quit within the first year
• Estheticians who move every few months
• Estheticians with no additional training
• Estheticians working in low-paying spas
• Estheticians who never learned to build clientele

It’s not an accurate reflection of the potential. It’s just an average of every path someone could take. And in esthetics, your path makes all the difference.

The biggest factor? Clientele stability. Your clientele is your business. Period. 
And here’s the part that many new estheticians don’t realize: Every time you switch jobs, you lose 30–50 percent of your clientele. Not because you did anything wrong, but because:

• people are creatures of habit
• convenience matters
• trust takes time
• clients attach to routine

When your environment changes, their routine changes. And every restart is a rebuild.

This is why “job-hopping” kills momentum. It sets your income back dramatically because you’re constantly restarting the thing that actually grows your income: relationships.

Estheticians who earn the most are the ones who:

• stay consistent
• stay rooted
• invest in education
• build meaningful client relationships
• let time compound their efforts

The longer you stay in one place, the more powerful your business becomes.

Whether you’re about to begin an esthetician school, a cosmetology school program, or preparing to take advanced training here at Aesthetics Academy, we need to have a very real conversation. Your education will only ever be as strong as you are willing to make it. And I say this as someone who trains licensed aestheticians, esthetics students, licensed cosmetologists, nurses, NPs, and medical assistants every single week, and as someone who goes into esthetic schools and cosmetology schools across the nation every month to support the next generation. So let’s get something clear right out of the gate…

How bad do you want it?

• We train people who want depth.
• We train people who want science.
• We train people who want to work in advanced modality aesthetics.
• We train people who want to stand out.

We do not teach the basics of traditional esthetics. That is what your aesthetician or cosmetology school is for. We train:

• Licensed estheticians/aestheticians (yes you can spell it both ways and neither is wrong)
• Students currently enrolled in an esthetic/cosmetology program
• RNs
• NPs
• Medical assistants
• Medical providers 
• And providers wanting to expand into advanced modalities

We fill the gap between what the state requires… and what the real world actually demands. But before you ever get to us, here’s something you need to understand about your education.​

You Might Not Have Liked Your Esthetics Education- You Are Still Responsible

This is the part no one wants to talk about.

• You might not like your instructor.
• You might not like their teaching style.
• You might not like the stories they tell (or don’t tell).
• You might not like how they show up.

But let me tell you the truth from someone who has been in dozens of Idaho schools:

• Schools are limited.
• Choices are limited.
• Resources are limited.
• And people who complain about schools rarely have any idea what it takes to run one. Everyone thinks they can do it better. Yet almost no one actually opens a school.

So here’s what I’m tired of hearing:

• “My school didn’t teach me that.”
• “My instructor didn’t show us this.”
• “I feel behind because my education wasn’t good.”

I sympathize. Truly, I do, but sympathy doesn’t change reality. This is your job, this is your responsibility. And when you walk into a job interview, nobody cares that you didn’t like your instructor or felt your school lacked depth. If you chose the wrong school, I feel terrible for you, but you still have to fix it.

And yes, that means taking extra classes. It means signing up for workshops. It means coming to our Academy for facial basics, waxing basics, preceptorship training, or whatever you feel you missed. Do what you need to do, but sitting around complaining accomplishes nothing.


The Ugly Truth: Not Everyone Should Be in This Industry

Here comes the hardest truth of all. We encourage way too many people to enter esthetic school who simply are not ready. Not because they’re incapable, but because they lack professionalism.

And let me be blunt. You do not magically grow up in 600 hours of esthetic school. You do not suddenly become disciplined because you love skincare. Six months in a basic program does not fix immaturity. Two thousand hours in cosmetology school doesn’t guarantee readiness either.

Parents often say, “They’ll grow up in school.” That logic MIGHT apply to college — four years of independence, deadlines, structure, and life skills, not beauty school.

Because here’s the reality, you must start preparing before you ever enroll. And if you plan to come out of school and get a job, you need to treat school like a job from the very beginning.

That means:

• Show up on time
• Show up looking like a professional
• Pay attention
• Put your phone away
• Participate
• Ask questions
• Go above what is required

Because if you think showing up halfway in school but expecting a full-time job afterwards makes sense, you’re in for a massive wake-up call.

You Will Not Be Exceptional if You Behave Like a Student Who Doesn’t Care

When I teach in aesthetic schools, I can instantly spot who will make it. It’s not the prettiest facial massage. It’s not the best laid wax strip. It’s not the person with the most friends (being popular doesn’t count anymore in adult education). It’s the student who is hungry. The one who pays attention. The one who sits up straight and leans in. The one who takes initiative. The one who acts like a professional long before they actually are one.

Because here’s the truth, there are thousands of estheticians coming into the market every year. The industry is competitive. Medical aesthetics is even more competitive. Only the exceptional survive. And exceptional people act exceptional long before they get the title.

If You Want to Step Into this Industry- Your Responsibility Starts Today

Whether you’re still in high school, about to start esthetic’s school, halfway through a cosmetology program, or already licensed and ready to level up — you need to hear this:

• Your school is just the beginning.
• Your professionalism is the foundation.
• Your attitude is the deciding factor.
• ​Your drive determines your success.

Aesthetics Academy of Idaho exists to take you deeper. To elevate you. To prepare you for the real world of aesthetics. But we cannot fix a lack of effort. We cannot teach drive. We cannot install discipline. Those must come from you.

If You’re Ready To Take Responsibility For Your Future, We’d Love To Train You

We are here for the hungry. The driven. The focused. The ones who want to rise above average. The ones who are ready to take responsibility for their education and their future. If that’s you, we’d love to see you in class.