Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Smith.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Stephanie Smith esthetician and owner of Stephanie Smith Skin Care- A holistic skin care studio in Franklin, Tennessee.
Let me tell you a little bit about how I got started, any why I love what I do. I have been in the skincare industry for a very long time. I first attended esthetics school in 96, in Sarasota, Florida at a tiny school, The Sarasota Hair Academy, after dropping out of a graphic design program in college.
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was struggling with undiagnosed ADHD, and couldn’t keep up with the course work. I was burnt out, and decided to try something simple for a while. I have often wondered if I made the right decision, but becoming an esthetician, (a licensed skincare specialist) has been a rewarding experience for me, and fortunately, it helped me identify melanoma on myself, so it may have saved my life!)
Straight out of school, I hoped to be employed at what I viewed as the most luxurious day spa I’d ever seen- Mettler’s Spa on Saint Armands Circle.
All of that did happen. There has never been a lot of post secondary education in the esthetics world that is not product specific meaning… that a skincare company is training you with the hopes of being able to sell you something (not very objective education).
Because of this, I realised quickly that if I wanted my resume to stand out, I needed to know more than the other grads in my class. I decided to approach a beautiful day spa, called Melody’s in downtown Sarasota. I walked in and asked the gorgeous spa owner if she would consider training me for a day in some of her techniques if I paid her $100 (Back then $100 was a lot of money to me
). She accepted my proposition and trained me for the whole day, tweaking my skills and then offered me a job- this was unfortunate, because my dream was to work at Mettler’s. Unfortunately I burned a bridge there when I turned her down, but her reference did help me get the coveted esthetics position.
It’s very difficult to stand out in the crowd of graduates when you have no experience, the only way to do that is to get some special certifications on your résumé and maybe a reference. This experience is what inspired me to create a post-grad internship program for estheticians which allows them to shadow me in the studio-and get an inside perspective of advanced aesthetic skills and professionalism. There’s really no other program that does this, and it’s a great joy for me to mentor new estheticians.
Since then I’ve lived in New York City, Nashville, Tennessee, raised four children, gone back to school to become an esthetics instructor and spent a lot of time working for other people in the industry learning as much as I could.
In 2019 I realised that I had gone as far as I could in a traditional day spa setting. When I did the math and realised I was being paid less than 30% for my skincare services (in spite of being one of the highest earners, a lead esthetician and educator which involved training a team of estheticians).
Supposedly I was in the highest pay bracket at the spa- I was making good money- but to be paid less than 30% was disconcerting. I decided to open my new business, Stephanie Smith Skin Care in January of 2020…1 month before Covid closure. Who could predict that there would be a global pandemic that closed down all business… ?
Thank God that the space that I was renting was month-to-month. Thank god I had a business plan. So many businesses closed that year. I was so fortunate that they didn’t even charge me any rent for the months we were closed.
I’ve spent many years in this industry, and my favorite part is connecting with individuals who come to me with skincare goals… to see their eyes light up when they realise that caring for their skin doesn’t have to be complicated.
Because I’m an educator, my skincare treatments always include a lesson about the client’s skin. which allows them to understand their skin needs and helps them become a savier consumer.
I’ve learned to tailor the person’s skincare routine to their lifestyle and even learning style… (as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid 30s, I understand how a divergent brain functions). This tailored approach to skincare acts as a catalyst for creating new habits that get results.
Connecting with unique opinionated men and women is the number one reason why I do what I do… Everyone needs to be seen, heard and accepted for who they are. My talent is recognising a person’s inner and outer beauty and holding space for whatever they need to be or feel during their time with me.
My business is almost 6 years old now and I’ve learned a lot about being an entrepreneur- including being patient with myself as my business evolves.
I love working with clean organic skin care lines such as Savor Beauty out of NY, and Image skincare. I specialise in working outside of the box by creating custom-blended serums and oils that simplify the skincare routine while getting great results.
It has also been my honour to mentor new Estheticians through internships in my studio.
Every year I have scholarships that allow individuals to learn from me based on essays that reflect their goals.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Besides the normal every day challenge of raising children and finding time for them and myself, while running a business, some of the challenges have been: economic changes that affect consumer buying habits, and the learning curve of running my first business, learning how to promote my business, force myself to do things I don’t enjoy like social media. Learning how to hire and work with employees and interns- all learning opportunities which I love, but definitely something which isn’t always easy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an esthetician and educator of almost 30 years who specialises in holistic skincare treatments, customised serums and oils and a culture of teaching clients about their skin in ways they can understand.
I’m known for getting results without using medications. I’m known for thinking outside the box and connecting people with people on a personal level that is positive and inclusive no matter their age, sex, political beliefs or social position.
I was very proud to be voted in the top three estheticians in the Nashville scene for 2024, but the two things that I’m most proud of are- the results that I get in the studio resulting in clearer, firmer more balanced skin and my internship program which allows me to mentor new estheticians, offering them a bird’s-eye view into what is takes to become a successful esthetician while assisting them in job acquisition.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I listen to a lot of TED talks, and one pattern I’ve noticed in these presentations is that the most personal growth usually comes from some sort of risk. I believe in a calculated risk. You take a risk every time you accept a new client, hire an employee or try a new business idea. I’ve been able to envision and test all of my ideas through my business and while some of them didn’t work, they all helped me to grow and widened my world view.
In my personal life, this concept has paid off as well. I grew up in an artist family and I have been painting and singing all my life. They are two of my greatest talents. It was on my bucket list to be in a musical so I tried out for a musical this year, and I was cast in a duet for an upcoming Broadway production here in Franklin. If I didn’t take the risk that never would’ve happened and I am beyond excited to keep living my life taking risks being my most authentic self.
Pricing:
- Oncology Facials are offered on a sliding scale based on need.
- I offer several spa memberships that allow people to budget for their skincare needs and stay on schedule.
- My custom blended serums allow you to spend less money and get more consistency in your skincare routine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Stephaniesmithskincare.com
- Instagram: @ssmithskincare
