The VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios with Matthew Landis

The Esthetics Café with Leila Macias: Brewing Confidence with Acne-Focused Skincare

• IMAGE Studios • Season 5 • Episode 41

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In this episode of The VIP Suite, Matthew Landis sits down with Leila Macias, licensed aesthetician, CIDESCO diplomat, and owner of Esthetics Café at IMAGE Studios Poway, CA. Leila specializes in results-driven acne treatments. She shares how a single, unforgettable teenage pimple sparked a lifelong passion for skincare, ingredient deep-dives, and personalized treatment plans. Drawing from her love of coffee, Leila created the Esthetics Café brand to mirror the idea that, just like coffee, there is no “one-size-fits-all” facial—every client’s skin recipe is unique.

Leila also dives into her philosophy of simple, approachable education, breaking down complex science into language clients can actually use. She talks about building client confidence (including nervous teen boys), setting clear boundaries and consent around social media and photos, and being intentional about tone, communication, and first impressions, especially with intimate services like waxing. You’ll hear how she plans her Instagram content a month at a time, protects client privacy, busts common skincare myths (including high-number SPF), and channels the emotional weight of client stories into her next big goal: becoming an esthetic nurse. This is a must-listen for any beauty or wellness pro who wants to combine technical skill, heart, and strategy to build a business that truly transforms lives.

Catch Leila on Instagram is @esthetics_cafe

The VIP Suite is the official podcast of IMAGE Studios, created for independent beauty, health, and wellness professionals who want to grow their businesses and thrive in salon suite life. Hosted by Director of Education, Matthew Landis, each episode shares real success stories, marketing tips, and business strategies from top beauty entrepreneurs and wellness leaders.

Episodes are sponsored by GlossGenius, the all-in-one salon software. Learn more at glossgenius.com. Episodes are also sponsored by Elite Beauty Society, providing business and long-term career support to beauty & wellness professionals. Learn more at elitebeautyins.com/IMAGE.

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Connect with us on Instagram @imagestudios360 and visit imagestudios360.com for more information about IMAGE Studios luxury salon suites. New episodes drop every two week. Subscribe to hear how beauty and wellness professionals like you are building powerful, independent careers.

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Leila Macias:

it. And then eventually going into school, it was like, Oh, you don't have to just stay with acne. You can also do anti aging. You can go touch the stars if you wanted to in my career. So that's what really got me into. It was the terrible pimple on my chin as a teenager.

Matthew Landis:

Oh my gosh. We have all had that pimple. We have all and we all want to we wanted to go away immediately, because we have to go to school, we have to face our friends. We don't want to be a public spectacle, as you put it this second head that's crazy. So I love that you said, Did you say reach for the stars? I really I like that. That's really great. Because I do think that in this industry, in the beauty and wellness industry, there's so many avenues that you can go down. And I am just as one of the best choices that I ever made was to get into this industry. I'm glad that you you said that. So now where your business is called the Esthetics Cafe.

Leila Macias:

Yes.

Matthew Landis:

Now where did the idea for that come from?

Leila Macias:

So esthetics, obviously, because I am an aesthetician, and then Cafe came from my love of coffee. I love trying coffee. It ranges from like Hawaiian coffee to Vietnam coffee to just coffee from hibiscus flower like anywhere, really. And I took that and ran with it, because there's not a set cup of coffee for everyone. Some people like it sweeter. Some people like it stronger. Some people like cinnamon dolce. Some people like black coffee, which I don't get, but it's the same way for facials. Not one thing, not one treatment is set for one person. I could use a cocoa enzyme on somebody, and then I could use a honey almond scrub for somebody else, and it could give very similar results. It just depends on your skin and your skin care treatment path.

Matthew Landis:

I love that you've combined, combined these two things that you really care about I have to ask, How do you like I like my coffee black? Well, to me, it's like, how do you how can you really taste the coffee if it's if it's weighed down with sugar or milk, but I get it, you know, it's definitely an acquired taste. So how do you like yours?

Leila Macias:

It really depends from where it's derived. I love Hawaiian coffee black. However, I like my Colombian coffee with a little bit of cinnamon, a little bit of cream on top. Nothing too overpowering, but I do appreciate a little bit of mixed flavors in there.

Matthew Landis:

So you're a coffee Alchemist. You like to experiment a little bit with different things. I love that. And you do that, you do the same with skincare.

Leila Macias:

Yeah, I do. I love to do the mixology part of my career. I think,

Matthew Landis:

you know, I have known so many estheticians throughout my career. I used to manage a spa, and they seem to have this propensity for experimentation. They love ingredients. They love the sort of science and the research behind it. And I know that's sort of a stereotype, but that's been a lot of the people that I've known throughout the year that have gone into this business, and I find it so fascinating, because whenever I used to teach for a beta, and I used to teach for some other skin care lines, and they would always say, what's in it? What are the ingredients?

Leila Macias:

Yeah, it's definitely something that I think most estheticians are into, especially because skincare is evolving all the time. There's recently a skincare brand that I am a little bit partnered with, we started using exosomes and different ways to treat the skin with those exosomes. And what we should do, what's the best way to get the ideal skin that the client is looking for, and things like that.

Matthew Landis:

So let's talk a little bit about your business. So what do your best clients come to you for? And why do you think they stay with you?

Leila Macias:

So my best clients definitely come from me for my acne treatments. I am not a very harsh picker at all. Although it's very, very fun. It's something that I'm like, oh yes, this is why I have this career.

Matthew Landis:

Oh my gosh, so many estheticians, I know they love doing extractions and popping pimples.

Leila Macias:

It's so fun. It's the number one thing in my opinion.

Matthew Landis:

I guess you don't really pop them, though, right? How would you describe it?

Leila Macias:

Um, I would say gold digging.

Matthew Landis:

Gold digging. I love it. Okay, sorry, I interrupted you.

Leila Macias:

No, you're okay. But yes, the number one thing my clients come for me for is my acne treatments. I'm not harsh on their skin when they leave. They're not super red, which is something a lot of my clients have been like, Oh, my skin's going to be super sensitive in the sun like yes, it is, but you won't look like a tomato. You're not going to leave with your skin burning and your face red and all the things under the sun. You're going to leave comfortable, relaxed, your skin's not going to be inflamed over the next couple of days, you're definitely going to see the treatment that we did today, and that's something that keeps them returning, especially my younger clients. I do have young teenagers as my clients, as well as their moms, interestingly, and those younger teenagers happen to be boys, and they're like, Oh, I'm so embarrassed. I'm coming to a girly place and getting this girly treatment. I was like, No. Skincare is for everybody. It's not set for one person. It's not set for one gender, and his mom texted me. Was like, you have no idea how happy he is. His face feels so much better to him, and he's in basketball, socializing a little bit more, and his friends are like, Oh, your skin looks so great. Like, yes, they are boys, and they don't always talk about skin like that, but for him, it was definitely a transformation in his confidence.

Matthew Landis:

Wow. Well, our skin and our hair are so important to how we look, and so I think so important to how we feel about ourselves. And so that's wonderful to be literally changing people's lives and making a difference. And you said that you like to approach skincare through simple, approachable education. And I And you mentioned that a little bit, but I love that you are educating your clients on what you're using, what they need to do at home, and how to how to carry that throughout. So what inspired that part of your approach?

Leila Macias:

I think what inspired it the most was in when I was in school. I after I would get off, or whenever I'd be on the phone with my mom, let's say she'd be like, Oh, how was school today? I was like, Oh, I learned about tea tree and I learned about licorice root, and I learned about high frequency and I learned and she was like, Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but that sounds. Great. And she's also one of my clients. And whenever we talk about, like her skincare, I, for some reason, nerd out and I say all these things that she has no idea what I'm talking about. So she's like, You need to dumb it down for me, because I get that you love this, and I get that you understand this, but to me, you're speaking a whole nother language. So break it down for me. And then from her saying that, it was just like, Oh, yeah. It's not everyone's profession. It's not not everyone has this knowledge that I have from that I learned Oh. So instead of telling them, You need to stimulate the mitochondria of the cell, it's just like, oh, you need red light therapy. And instead of saying, Oh, you need tea tree oil, and you need this, and you need that, it's like you should use this as a nice acne treatment for a very simple exfoliation. This is what it does for you, and these are the benefits. So instead of scaring them with all the scientific words in the world, I give them a this is what you're looking for. This is what I have to offer you, and this is what it can and will get you if you continue with our procedure.

Matthew Landis:

That's so smart. This is what it is. This is what it does. This is how you're going to use it. Yes, these are the results you're going to get. That's wonderful. I think that's such smart advice to carry across any business, whether it's skincare or hair or, you know, tattoo maintenance or lashes or anything like that. I think it's so helpful to avoid industry jargon. That's a thing that that a lot of people do even, you know, I'm a hairdresser by trade, so when we're talking layers and colors like Auburn and things, and we just assume that our clients know what we're talking about. They may have a completely different definition of what we're talking about than what we think. So I love that you make sure that the communication is clear with them, and I think that's really probably a big factor in your success.

Leila Macias:

Yeah, definitely is.

Matthew Landis:

You have built a really solid presence on Instagram. Her Instagram is at esthetics cafe. That's E, S, T, H, E, T, I, C, S, underscore cafe, C, A, F, E. So how do you approach social media as part of your business? And I just before we what I like about your social media as an esthetician, because I get this question a lot in my coaching, especially from estheticians and massage therapists where privacy is a concern and a lot of clients don't necessarily want to be on camera, how do you approach social media As part of your business and keeping those privacy concerns in mind.

Leila Macias:

So I think the biggest thing for me, in my consultation forums, I have a very, very in depth thing about photo consent and the age requirements and where it will be placed, and I'm very, very transparent about that, because that's the number one thing. It's very, very, very very into safety and being on social media. Once it's out there, it's out there, you can't really get rid of it. So for my younger clients, I will definitely go into talking about social media with their parents and the photo consent, everything like that, and their parents are like, Oh yeah, that's totally fine with me. Yes, it's okay for me to post it because they said it. However I cover their face, there's always going to be that mark on my picture that covers how you're able to tell who they are. Like, some of my pictures have a heart on them, or some of them I'm very zoomed in. You can't really tell who they are unless that's my family member. Then it's like, Oh, I know who you are. And I think another big part is being open about it. I have heard some horror stories about some clients not knowing that their pictures are going to be out there. It's like, oh, can I take a picture just for you? Like, oh, yeah, that's okay. And then later on, that client will see their pictures online. They're like, I'm not very comfortable with that. Why did you put it up there? They're like, Oh, you said it was okay. And it's like a, he said, she said, type of situation. So I always, always, always have it in writing, and I'm always open about what I will be using the photos for, when I will be posting them, how much will be shown, and if they're comfortable with it. And I never, never tag my clients at all, just for safety reasons. The only person people I will tag is image studios and my co workers, because we love to promote each other. So one of my images is a brow tint and waxing with one of my co workers, and I asked her, I asked her, I was like, are you comfortable with me tagging you? She said, Oh, yeah, of course, I would love to get the exposure. Said, okay, perfect for Instagram. I'm very nitpicky. Same with Tiktok. I don't really show my clients on Tiktok. That is more of a this is my personality. This is my space, just little bit. Videos me doing I don't know, silly little things, even though it takes 15 tries, but Instagram is more of my portfolio, showing what I can do, and more of my work.

Matthew Landis:

How do you incorporate social media into your routine? How do you make sure that you're posting?

Leila Macias:

it has actually taken me a very long time to get used to before I was like, I don't want to be on camera. This feels really weird, and I would retake the same thing, like I said, 15 times, because I'm such a perfectionist, and it bothered me even if my hair was set the wrong way. But I was like, You know what? We have to get it done. So I did some research. I was looking over the statistics of the best times to post what people are looking for, trending audios, hashtags on what people will look for. And then the algorithms and just going through everything under the sun. And then I found that based on the day, the posting times matter, so on the earlier times of the week, like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday mornings are great because we don't want to get out of the bed in the beginning of the week. It's Monday, come on. We want to stay and scroll in our bed, and then later on in the week, it's like, oh, it's kind of relaxed. And so lunch time to the evening is best, just because it's from the week we're settling into our weekends, and it's just such a great time to scroll. And that's when I see I have the most engagement in my profiles.

Matthew Landis:

It sounds like your posting is very intentional, because I think there's two kinds of posters, there's planners and there's Pantsers, which is people that are posting by the seat of their pants. Yeah. And it sounds like you're more of a planner. Yes, they always have to have something planned. How far out do you plan?

Leila Macias:

Honestly, the month, it doesn't always go day by day, just because life happens. And sometimes I'll be like, oh, shoot, I forgot to post today, but I'll make it up in a video, or I'll make it up from stories. I'll make it up from marketing in different ways, like I have printed a whole bunch of little cards and attached lollipops to them and just hand them out to people like, Hey, I'm here in Poway. I'm here in the community. I want to see you.

Matthew Landis:

I love it. What's something that you're very intentional about in your business that most people overlook.

Leila Macias:

I think something I'm very intentional about is my tone and how I talk to people, because I've met so many different people. I've met everyone all over the world. I've had people come from Alaska to see me, matter of fact, and and it all depends on the personality. You really have to figure out who they are within the first couple seconds and see if they're more open, if they're not super talkative, if it's their first time, because I also do intimate waxing, so when it's especially when it's those moments and it's like, hi, nice to meet you. How are we doing today? And if they look a little closed off, then obviously you're going to be gentle overall, but a little bit more gentle, just because it could be their first time, your first time meeting them. And then if it's like, oh, nice to meet you, here we go. Ready. And it's like, okay, here we go. It really just matters how you talk to people and how you come across, because first impression is definitely everything. I know it's a very cliche thing to say, but when someone first sees you, are you happy? Are you mad? Are you showing that you're excited to see them? Are you like, oh, great, you're back. Like, no, your client wants to feel welcome, and your client wants to feel just excited to be there or ready for a therapy session. Like, oh, my boyfriend did this. He wouldn't believe. Like, no way. And while you're waxing, and then you're having fun, or, like, you're having a treatment, it's, oh, it's my wedding in a couple weeks. Like, oh my gosh, that's so exciting. Some of my clients have told me the most intimate things about their lives while they're on the table, and they're like, I've never felt discomfort with somebody else. Thank you so much for letting me vent. And it's a very open space in my studio, so whatever you say stays in here. No one ever hears it.

Matthew Landis:

That's an amazing compliment to hear from somebody that you can get them to trust you so quickly, and it sounds like you're very intuitive and with people, and I think that is a big hallmark of your success.

Leila Macias:

Yes, definitely.

Matthew Landis:

What are some myths about skincare that you would like to dispel?

Leila Macias:

You don't need every treatment under the sun. I know in our trade as an esthetician, it's like, you need this, you need that. You need this, and products like you need toner, you need, I don't know, masks. You need Moisturizer. You need this, this and that. I think, man, you're throwing me out there that sunscreen. Yes, you need it, the SPF, unless it's 35 and under doesn't or 35 and above doesn't matter, as long as it's 35 minimum, anything above that won't do anything else for you. And I think it's a marketing thing, just because it's like, oh, we have the best sunscreen. We have one of the top we have SPF, 150 it's doesn't do anything for you. In my opinion, I have tried every, almost every, sunscreen under the sun, just because I'm acne prone and my history with acne, I think SPF 35 is the best you're going to guess, and anything above that is just, it won't do anything for you?

Matthew Landis:

Yeah, we're heading into summer, so we're going to be wearing a lot more of it going forward. But of course, you know, I wear sunscreen for my face every day. I've been told by most of my esthetician friends that you something you should be doing no matter where you live, because we here in Palm Springs, we have about 350 days of sunshine. But I've heard, even on those 15 days of not sunshine, that you should still wear it. What inspires you, what's inspiring you right now, inside or outside of the industry?

Leila Macias:

What's inspired me the most is definitely going to school. I am a nursing major. Currently, I'm in my second year of being a nursing major, and I decided to go into this because I want to be an esthetic nurse, not for the Botox, not for the lip injections, as a lot of us do. I want to do micro needling. That's something that I hope to do, and in California, unfortunately, we are very restricted on what we can and can't do. So definitely, nursing is pushing me, because a lot of my clients are they have a lot of acne scarring, and I want to use microneedling with exosomes to help replenish the skin. Excuse me, replenish the skin and bring out them their best self. Because even though we do a lot of great treatments, they leave feeling amazing. Their confidence is always through the roof. But there's always that it could be better and it can be. So I'm working towards it. Definitely nursing my clients are pushing me, and my mom is a big inspiration for me.

Matthew Landis:

Yay, mom. So you in our business, and you you talked about this because people feel safe with you, and people tell you things, and people trust you, but that can take a toll on us, yes, when we absorb all of that energy. So what are some strategies that you have for releasing some of that energy at the end of the day? How do you sort of wash that off?

Leila Macias:

It depends on what I've been told a few times. I'm like, wow, that it really hit home. And I just kind of take a second, and it's kind of overlooking what I know from my client and what I've been taught from myself and how to kind of regulate all the feelings. Because as a client with a relationship from with your esthetician, it's kind of like, Oh, she's she's my friend, not best friend, but she's my friend. I can open up to her, and I can tell her these things. So that client is just kind of giving you, is trusting you with all this information. And as a statistician, you just kind of take it and hold it and you don't really have anywhere to put it. So we feel like we just have to take it in. I. I like to take it and put it in something that I love and pushing me to do more. So, like I said with nursing, I'm taking that and putting it into I can do this to make them feel better. I can use that I wouldn't want to say negativity, but I want to use that energy that I got from them, and push it for me to be better and be the best self that I can be for them. And in order for me to do that, I need to take care of myself, but also do what I need to do first, to put my clients where they want to be and in the space that they want to be.

Matthew Landis:

That's great. What do you do outside of your business that bring you joy and happiness? What do you do for fun, learning. I know you love your business, and I know you have a lot of fun, and I know you love coffee. What else?

Leila Macias:

So in San Diego, I'm very lucky to live here. I like to go to the beach a lot. I like to work out there's a lot of great places that are open at nights that not a lot of people know about. Like, there's a San Diego kickback that has a whole bunch of little vendors. It's 100 plus vendors, and it's not super expensive at all. It's just, if you want to buy something, you buy something and support your local businesses. What's the kickback? So it's just the name of their brand. It's San Diego kickback. It's just kind of a little hangout with a whole bunch of market, yeah, pretty much like a night market. Their brand is just San Diego kickback. So that's just what it's been

Matthew Landis:

I'm not sure everybody has a kickback, yeah?

Leila Macias:

So it's just pretty much a little night market. There's always music playing. There's a whole bunch of local vendors. And I also like to go to the beach a lot, just because I'm in San Diego, so you have to soak up the sun somehow. I love San Diego, and also trying new places around San Diego, I like to scrapbook. So I take that's a napkin, like a cool napkin, not just a plain, I don't know, brown napkin. That's not fun. If it has a design or the name on it. I like to scrapbook it and put it into my little thing. It's like, this is what I've done this year. This is what I want to do this year. So just things like that. And I also like to work out on my free time. Whenever I have free time, I know it's not often, but I like to work out

Matthew Landis:

G for you. Well, you are busy and having a lot of fun, so I think that's wonderful. All right, so we're gonna do some rapid fire questions here. So just fast answers. You ready? All right, favorite service to perform. Ooh. Micro dermabrasion. Love it. Least favorite. Say, I don't want to say, yeah, yes, I won't ask why. I've seen, I've seen a few. They look, you know, they look scary, but you know, results are great. Anyway, go to skincare product you can't live without.

Leila Macias:

Oh, my Murad Acne Treatment.

Matthew Landis:

Murad Acne Treatment. Okay, now, you told me you love coffee. Your favorite coffee? What's your favorite? You mentioned Hawaiian latte, or I don't know, what's your favorite? If you could only have one coffee for the rest of your life, every day. What would it be?

Leila Macias:

Oh, I'm gonna say a Biscoff latte.

Matthew Landis:

Ooh, yum. Who doesn't love Biscoff. All right. Dream client, you'd love to treat? Anyone. Who'd you like to hang out with?

Leila Macias:

Oh, man, that's a lot of I have a lot of people in mind.

Matthew Landis:

Okay, three,

Leila Macias:

okay, I'm going to say my best friend. One, because she's acne prone and she loves to get treatments for me, and I love to experiment on her. So whenever I have a new treatment, she's one of the first my mother, because she loves our my anti aging, and she says, you took 20 years off me. And then my brother, because not a lot of guys like to do skincare treatments. So whenever he's on the table, I will do anything under the sun, even his brows.

Matthew Landis:

That is a well rounded trio. Yeah, and I love doing my mom's hair. I absolutely love it. It's one of the greatest honors of my life. Yeah, it's so fun. All right, one last thing, one word your clients would use to describe you?

Leila Macias:

Different, different, different.

Matthew Landis:

Hey, I'm not even gonna ask you to explain that. I'm just gonna go with it.

Leila Macias:

Okay, different. That's my answer.

Matthew Landis:

Well, Layla, this has been such a wonderful conversation. It has been such a. Pleasure getting to know you. Thank you so much. And where can our listeners find you?

Leila Macias:

Like you mentioned on Tiktok or, sorry, Instagram. Instagram (@esthetics_cafe) is a great place to find me, and on Tiktok as well, is the same username and my website. It's estheticscafe.com. My number is on there. The website is under construction, but it will be up soon,

Matthew Landis:

And we will put your information in the show notes so people can find you there as well.

Leila Macias:

Thank you so much.

Matthew Landis:

Thank you. Thank you for listening to the VIP Suite at IMAGE studios. If you found value in today's episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. It helps more independent beauty and wellness pros discover the show to learn how you can be part of the image studios collective, Head to imagestudios360.com. You can also reach me directly at matthew@imagestudios.co and I will see you on the next episode of the VIP Suite at IMAGE Studios.