The Estie Bestie Tea Time ™ Instagram Frandsss EP: 5

Athena Reavis's audio recording: [00:00:00] Welcome back besties. We are going to talk about Instagram friends today because we all have them. Social media has become such a part of marketing and advertising for aestheticians, for PMU artists, for permanent jewelry artists, the beauty industry in general, that I think that it's really important to talk about Instagram friends and friendships and relationships that people are building on these platforms that can either turn super tumultuous or be super mutually beneficial. And at some point you, you might even end up meeting these people in person. So. Welcome back to estie time where we get into the nitty gritty of running an aesthetics business, of being an esthetician, of functioning in the beauty industry.

And this week we are going to talk about the tea of Instagram. TikTok and social media and all those friends that we make and [00:01:00] all the ones that break us. Come on, let's get into it. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-1: I have met so many amazing people through social media and had so many amazing, like, business opportunities, um, that have transpired through meeting individuals through social media, more specifically on Instagram. TikTok, not so much. I'm not too big on TikTok. I haven't been. I've kind of been trying to put that off, but I have found the most valuable relationships in my business career so far have been through TikTok.

through the constant, I don't even know what to call it, the constant like availability, I guess you could say, the constant availability through Instagram connections. Now one of the biggest things that I have done, I feel that I have done, and I've, you know, been proud to say is like I have built a relationship with Glymed professionals, and that is the skincare line that [00:02:00] I.

I call myself a Glyhard, honestly, because I love Glymed products. But that's not the point here. The point is, like, I have built a relationship with Glymed aestheticians, with Glymed itself. I participated in the UAC board, um, which is the unity advisory committee back in 2022. And the only way, and the only reason that I got to be able to do that was because of social media.

Had I not been on social media, I never would have applied. I never would have been able to share my story. I never would have been selected to participate in something that was so big and important in my point of career at that point. The second thing that I was able to do With Glymed was to be a part of their winter [00:03:00] holiday preferred products list that really, really helped me get my foot in the door with estheticians, with social proof, with, being able to share my products and my patent pending designs at the time they were patent pending.

And that allowed me to meet so many other people. So when I tell you social media is amazing for meeting people that can put you in positions and open doors for you or at least walk you up to that door for you to be able to knock on, I mean it. I think social media gets a bad rap sometimes. Because of how, as mentioned before, tumultuous it can be.

But there are so many opportunities out there that all you have to do is literally send a DM. Find their email in their profile. Pitch them your idea. And by idea, I mean like, collaboration. [00:04:00] It's like, there's no limits. The sky is not the limit. It goes past that. And you are your only biggest, um, You are your only, you are the only thing getting in your own way, especially when it comes to social media. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-2: There have been even other companies that I have been able to work with, like Dermatology, I've gotten on their PR list. I have worked with Good Molecules, I've been on their PR list to do content for them. So it's like there are so many different opportunities that estheticians have right in front of them when it comes to Instagram and social media that I feel like a lot of us overlook because we're either scared to put ourselves out there, which is totally understandable.

And we also don't have the training to seek these types of, um, opportunities. Even recently, I have [00:05:00] done a partnership or, um, done an affiliation with And you can see it in my bio with Filter Baby. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-3: And I'm telling you guys this because not only as the market expands more into social media and becomes more dependent on social media, I feel like we need to start taking the relationships that we're building on social media and Instagram specifically with individuals and companies way more seriously.

We need to take them way more seriously. There's so many opportunities out there and we also need to understand. How to negotiate and how to work through those professional relationships, because on the other side of it, we're building personal relationships, for example, myself, I mean, I sell products to estheticians, I sell supplies to estheticians, I sell coaching, I have, you know, another permanent jewelry training program where I have, um, A lot of interaction with individuals as [00:06:00] the company myself.

So it's like, there's two sides to it. There's both sides. I've seen, I've seen it as the consumer, as the affiliate marketing person from the, um, advertising side, from the marketing side as the consumer. And I've also seen it as the individual who's building relationships with individuals to help me promote my own products.

So it's like, I have the unique capability. and experience to share with you guys and what you can do and what you should expect from both sides. And that's what I wanted to talk about the most today. is the difference between professional relationships on social media and the relationships that we build through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, as well as, as a professional, as a brand, the relationships and the way to go about building and the experiences that I've had in building relationships with individuals so that my products can be seen and loved and enjoyed by [00:07:00] thousands of people. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-4: And then there's this also like another aspect to social media when you become a brand, when you're a person behind the brand. When, for example, like just the only thing I could talk about is really like what I know and what I do is the relationships that I build with individuals and estheticians that we just really hit it off.

It's, it's not a marketing aspect. It's not an affiliation aspect. It's just, it's just. Building those genuine relationships with people that you just like and chat with through social media. And that's where it gets kind of like, I don't want to say murky, but that's where social media bleeds across the lines of professional expectations.

As a brand and as a personal brand building, you know, a relationship with an entire community. It's like those things are so [00:08:00] gray area and it's so hard to come out as an authentic Person being a brand where it's like it's almost like you feel like okay one You're trying to do affiliate marketing for other brands that you love and support and you just want to share that stuff because you love And support them.

I'm very picky on what I actually Represent. I'm very honest if I'm making a commission on something like I'll say yeah, there's a commission here or I love this product I've actually been using this product things like that But then there's the other part where I'm a brand and I'm like, okay My face is behind the Estiebestie.

People relate to me. They know I'm the Estie Bestie. That's, that's what they see. That's what they know. They know I have a patent for Cryo Glam Globes, now Glam X Globes. So it's like, behind all of that, behind all of that on social media, behind all of those complicated relationships, behind all of the branding and not branding and the affiliations and the [00:09:00] marketing, I'm a person and I have built really, really strong friendships with individuals that I really appreciate having in my life at the point to where I'm at.

It's not because They buy my products or they share my products or anything like that. It's because if I'm talking to you personally, if I'm voice messaging you on Instagram, if I am engaging with you, if I am including you in things and sharing your things and appreciating you and, and all these things, it's because that's a, that's a real friendship.

In my opinion, in my opinion, I think That's a real relationship that we've built over time that I appreciate that I cherish because I don't typically allow many people into my circle into me other than what you see [00:10:00] on online. I mean, I try to share almost everything, but at the end of the day, like there's only so much I can share online other than.

my personal life, which I don't share my kids too much. I don't share my spouse too much. I try to keep my business as a business and a personal brand. And I think that that can be really off putting for some people, but I think it's also really beautiful because this is like new uncharted territory, but also these relationships are genuine.

So when something happens with those relationships. When something happens and like, it doesn't work out or we drift apart, it's like a normal breakup in a relationship, right? When something's really positive and happy, that, you know, it's taken farther than beyond the screen and the social media that you have there.

It is personal. [00:11:00] It is social media. That's the point of social media is to get to know people, to build a community, to find people that think like you, that, you know, have opinions that you appreciate and relationships that you want to build long term. And, you know, that's, I think that's something that makes me a little bit different because I can build real relationships as a human being behind social media.

anything else like not just as a brand and I think that's what has Gotten me into a lot of situations because people expect me As a quote unquote brand to act a certain way when all I can do is act and be myself If that makes sense. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-5: And I know a lot of you are out here thinking like, oh, that's my Instagram friend, or oh, that's my TikTok friend, and you're thinking of certain people that this applies to in your own life. in certain [00:12:00] brands that this applies to and the people and the marketers that you have, you know, engaged with or the employees of those brands that you have engaged with.

And you're like, wow, okay, that makes sense. I'm, I'm feeling, you know, this kind of way. And it feels kind of gray area, but also like, I really enjoy Spending social media time talking to this person. We get along, we are doing the same things. We are building a community. She's over here or he's over here.

And, you know, I align with that and that's okay. And I think a lot of people think that it's weird and I don't disagree. It's. It's still kind of weird to me to think that like, wow, you can really build a relationship with somebody on Instagram or TikTok or Facebook. And it's almost like you don't have any obligation to see them in person, so they don't really know much about you.[00:13:00] 

What you don't want to share about, right? So it's kind of like, weird in that sense. But it doesn't negate the things that you do connect on. It doesn't negate the things that you do align with. And I think that's why Instagram friends and social media friends, I think that's why it's such a weird thing.

gray area topic right now, at least in my, in my point in life, it's a gray area topic because you know, as business owners and as estheticians and permanent jewelry artists, we are going to be building relationships. We are going to be finding our vibe and what we align with. And, you know, to say that these, these Instagram or these Facebook relationships that we build with people are not real or not serious, I would have to say like, I disagree.

I disagree because for me, I bring my genuine self, the real me, whether I agree with something [00:14:00] or I disagree with something, I still bring that to the messages. I still bring that to the table. Like I still talk about those things. I'm not afraid to be who I am and allow the people that align with me to be present within that situation.

So it's like, I know there's a lot of people out there that think like, Oh, Instagram is just like, Oh, that's my Instagram friend. But. Then we have like, you know, the events and the retreats and the things that we all do. And like, you end up meeting these people in real life and it's like, wow, I vibe with them just as much in real life as I do on the gram.

And then that just like solidifies it. But you know, to get to that point, like you have to put yourself out there and be open to making and building relationships with people through social media. And a lot of people don't, and they just stay strictly business and That's okay too. That's, that's their vibe.

They have their own personal lives. They have their own friendships that they tend [00:15:00] to in their personal lives. I know for a fact that I do as well. Um, and it's, you know, it's just like to each their own and what's happening around them. 

Athena Reavis's audio recording-6: Now, when you build relationships with people, of course, there are going to be things where, like, a lot of people are incapable of disagreeing with somebody and still being their friend. And I think that's just something that, like, society and, like, the beauty industry, as human beings, like, we are just not evolving ourselves that way.

I see it in 90 percent of, like, the interactions that I see. Like, people will Be in the sheep mentality and the herd mentality and it I'm gonna be honest like it sucks for the people that are encouraging you to think freely think for yourself and Build relationships [00:16:00] and put yourself out there. It sucks for us to see that happening because There's so many missed opportunities and beautiful amazing relationships that you could be building with brands, with people, with professionals in the networking that you do and that you put yourself out there with.

And when you're, You know, in the sheep mentality, and you're not having an open mind, and you know, you're looking for every single box that chick, that chick, that checks off. Sorry guys. Um, You're not gonna find it. You're, you're gonna have disagreements in any sort of community. That's fine. It's how you present it.

Like you don't have to be mean about something if you disagree with something. You don't have to be negative about something if you don't believe in what that person's doing. You have to really be your true self on social media these days and you have to [00:17:00] think for yourself. You can't just keep thinking as a sheep in an industry full of wolves because you're not going to get yourself anywhere.

One, you're emotionally going to suffer. Your business is going to suffer because you're emotionally. feel unsupported. You feel alone. You feel like you can't relate to anybody. You've put yourself in that position to, you're going to be kind of lost because you're not going to have, or be able to open yourself up to people to learn from and learn with and grow with business ownership, especially in the beauty industry can feel super lonely a lot of the times.

And we've heard so many professionals and, you know, mentors and. aspirational speakers tell you guys this, tell me this, that it can feel so lonely when you're climbing that ladder, whatever that ladder looks like. I don't even have a ladder anymore. When you're climbing and learning and growing as a business owner, it can be so [00:18:00] lonely.

And that's when you'll find yourself in distraction lanes. I call them distraction lanes because that's what it is. So build those relationships. Cherish the relationships that you have built over the last few years, nurture those relationships, and be open to not having and agreeing with everything that you are going to see on social media from even your most favorite people.

That happens, and that's okay. The one thing that I see happening a lot too, and I'll share like. Negative experiences to putting yourself out there because it's, it's true. There's always good when there's good, there's bad, there's bad, there's good. It's there's balance. It's a universal balance. So like when you build a relationship with a company or a person or an individual, and you think that.[00:19:00] 

It's something that you've put your time into and it's something that you cherish and you turn around and like, this is what really, really, really sucks about social media. You turn around and you just find yourself like blocked or you find yourself not included in certain things and that's going to happen and that's okay, but you have to realize like that's them, that's their prerogative.

That's, that's fine. You can wish someone well. You can wish someone well and not be what they want in their life. And even though you have put your time and energy into building a relationship, sometimes it doesn't work out. And that's a scary thing just in general. Let alone on social media where it's so easy to just be blocked, forgotten about, and left on read.

Right? So like, don't worry about those things. They happen. Of course they happen. But, you can absolutely find 600 million other [00:20:00] people to vibe with. So, it is what it is, and that happens, and there's more companies, and there's more people. As long as you're being your true self, and you're being kind, and you're being nice, and you're being who you truly are, you're gonna find the people that you vibe with, and that vibe with you.

And Instagram friends are real. In my opinion, I'm saying it now, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok friends, they are real. And just as real as those friends are. And how positive they can impact your life. You can come across situations where they're, they're negatively impacting your life and that's okay too. You have to take the good with the bad, but the one thing you have to not do is not limit yourself because you're having sheep mentality and you're not thinking for yourself.

You have to get to know people. You have to get to know brands. You have to figure out who you are, [00:21:00] how you are as a business owner, as an esthetician. As a person, and what you want to accept into your life, and I know people are gonna think this is nuts and crazy and like, Oh, Instagram fans are not real.

That's okay. I've already explained, I've already explained why I think they are, and I, I disagree with that mentality. And that's okay too. You don't have to agree with me. You don't have to like me. You don't have to love me. You don't have to buy my products. You don't have to do anything for me or with me.

But I encourage you, To not limit yourself on the opportunities that you can create for yourself as an esthetician in the beauty industry. Thank you guys so much for listening. If you like this episode, if you like all of my episodes, please make sure you're leaving a review below. I love those five star reviews.

I love seeing your comments. I appreciate your support. And I will see you next time on estiebestie Tea Time for episode six. I'm not telling you what it is yet, so you'll have to come back and see. [00:22:00] Talk to you soon................................................................