The Solo Edit™

Today we're chatting with Aliesh, a licensed esthetician with twenty years in the treatment room. She was voted Best Esthetician by Philadelphia Magazine in 2024, she is a textbook author, and she worked as a makeup artist for the Obama family during the first presidential campaign. In this episode we discuss the Fitzpatrick scale, what it means to be truly inclusive, and where our industry still has work to do. Find Aliesh: askaliesh.com and on Instagram at @ask_aliesh.

In this episode, I talk with Amanda, founder of WellKnown, about what it takes to create a treatment space that feels as intentional as the work you do inside it. We dive into how she's built a brand experience that goes beyond the facial—integrating Korean skincare with advanced modalities. Follow Wellknown Studio bewellbeknown

In this episode, I sit down with two estheticians who share one roof but run two separate LLCs—and they've found a way to make it work by doing something most people never think to do: they gave their brand an identity, an avatar, and a life of its own. We talk about what happens when you stop making every business decision about you and start asking, "What's best for the brand?" How do you build something that's bigger than your ego? How do you stay authentic while scaling? And how does having a shared brand identity create alignment, clarity, and freedom? If you've ever struggled with letting go of control, defining your brand beyond yourself, or figuring out how to network and collaborate in a way that feels genuine—this one's for you. Follow Hermana Studio on IG: hermanastudio.blono

Hannah Downes, owner of Ease Day Spa has created a warm, consistently booked business that feels like the kind of place clients never want to leave. She's been able to build her business not by hustling harder but by creating systems that work for her and her business. Hannah is honest, grounded, and real about what it takes to build something sustainable. If you're an esthetician feeling the weight of doing it all yourself, this conversation is for you. You can follow Hannah on Instagram @ease_dayspa

Running a sustainable esthetics business requires understanding how revenue, client behavior, and retention actually work—not just mastering treatments. When estheticians focus on client lifetime value, retention, and seeing the right clients at the right cadence, income becomes steadier and burnout decreases. Fewer, more consistent clients often create more stability and profit than chasing constant new bookings. True scaling for a solo esthetician isn’t about getting bigger—it’s about refining systems so the same effort produces better financial and energetic return.

Retail is often treated as optional, but in reality it’s the continuation of the service and the bridge between what happens in the treatment room and the other 720 hours of a client’s month. When retail is framed as aftercare that protects results—not as “selling”—it becomes natural, personal, and essential to outcomes. Healthy retail integration reflects client education, trust, and compliance, not pressure, and directly supports better results, retention, and sustainability. Retail isn’t the extra—it’s part of the foundation of a professional esthetics business.

Growth in esthetics doesn’t always come from adding more—it often begins with subtraction and unlearning outdated beliefs. The Unlearning Series explores how broad menus, overcomplicated language, packed schedules, and underpricing can dilute expertise, lead to burnout, and limit sustainability. When estheticians simplify, clarify, slow down, and price based on value rather than validation, their businesses become more aligned, profitable, and resilient. Unlearning isn’t about losing what you know—it’s about making space for what’s next.

In this episode, we explore what inclusivity truly looks like in the treatment room—and why it matters now more than ever. As estheticians, we aren’t just working with skin; we’re holding space for people with unique identities, histories, and needs.

Let's ConnectWebsite: http://bykinaesthetics.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bykinaesthetics/?hl=enPrivate FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/118001727938013 Kin Aesthetics Website: https://esthisupply.com/The Solo edit is edited by JAG Podcast Productions: www.jagpodcastproductions.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Winter weather triggers complex biochemical changes that directly affect barrier lipids, ceramide synthesis, and the skin’s ability to maintain equilibrium. Let's dive in to how we can best support our client's skin this winter

Estheticians should use this three part strategy to price their services

In this episode, we explore the inspiring story behind DERMATHOD, a Korean skincare brand born from over two decades of experience in the cosmetics industry. We're also sharing some of their most popular products and why we love them!