Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
Bringing Together -
Local Businesses & Your Neighbors in SWFL
Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
EP # 230 From Cosmetic Tattooing to Mobile Massage Mastery: Nykolle Willetts' Entrepreneurial Journey
Discover how Nykolle Willetts turned her unexpected passion for massage therapy into a thriving mobile business in this engaging episode. From her start as a cosmetic tattoo artist, Nykolle shares the journey of expanding her skills into aesthetics and finding her calling in massage therapy—a field she once never imagined falling in love with. Nykolle's story is one of perseverance and adaptability, as she reveals the challenges of launching her own business amidst industry competition and how she triumphs by focusing on continual improvement and client satisfaction.
Listeners will gain insights into the common myths surrounding massage therapy and aesthetics, learning how these services are essential for more than just luxury, but for improving physical and emotional well-being. Nicole passionately describes how her mobile service offers convenience and care directly to clients' homes, a boon for those with busy lifestyles. Her unique approach and commitment to client well-being set her apart, making her a standout in the industry. Tune in to hear Nykolle's valuable lessons on staying committed and innovative in a competitive landscape.
Skin Therapy
Nykolle Willetts
239-398-3570
njwilletts90@gmail.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.
Speaker 2:Welcome Good Neighbors to episode number 230 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have Good Neighbor Nicole Willits from Skin Therapy. Welcome.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Always a pleasure to get to know people in the community and share that with our listeners. So without further ado. Obviously you're in skin therapy, but why don't you share a little bit about what you do?
Speaker 3:Sure, so the name of my company is called Skin Therapy. I am a massage therapist and also an esthetician I do. All of my client appointments are mobile, so I travel as far south as Marco Island and as far north as Port Charlotte.
Speaker 2:Interesting and mobile on top of it, right.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:That is great, taking the business to the people Absolutely. So let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in all of this?
Speaker 3:So I originally started this company back in 2017. And I started as a cosmetic tattoo artist, where my goal was to leave people feeling better about the way that they came in, and so I wanted to kind of expand that business and add the aesthetic side of things, and so when I went back to school, it was a dual program that they also offered the massage therapy, and I had never in my life done anything massage related.
Speaker 3:And so I like to say that the massage therapy chose me. I didn't realize how much I was going to love it until I was in it, and you know that's where the majority of my clients are based is in the massage therapy side of things.
Speaker 2:And it's funny how you stumble across those things. You're like why didn't I think of this before?
Speaker 3:I love this Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about you. Obviously, you started your own business, but let's talk about challenges, whether personally or professionally, to getting to the point where you're at today.
Speaker 3:You know, I think that life has a way of kind of throwing things at you all at once, and my story is definitely no different. But I think that you know, throughout the the whole entirety of having your own business. You know there's always definitely going to be a competition aspect to it and you know that sometimes that is an unhealthy side of things. But you know there's enough business out there for everybody to be able to get food on their table and get their bills paid and help people in the process. You know.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And you know, like I always say, competition is good because it makes everybody kind of up their game and stay on point. But you know, it just exposes and creates awareness for what?
Speaker 3:you do.
Speaker 2:I think that's the biggest thing. So let's talk about myths or misconceptions surrounding what you do that we can kind of clear up for our listeners today misconceptions surrounding what you do that we can kind of clear up for our listeners today.
Speaker 3:Sure, so I think one of the main ones would be that massage therapy and aesthetics can be viewed as a luxury of service. I don't think that that is the case. You know, everybody needs to have massage. Everybody has dysfunction, they have pain, they've got something going on. You know Everybody has dysfunction, they have pain, they've got something going on. You know, whether it's emotionally, physically, and especially on the massage therapy side of things, it's great to be able to make that person's day better, you know, get them a little bit happier when they leave the appointment, make them feel good about themselves both inside and out, and I think that's probably what I love most about what I do Absolutely, and the fact that you are mobile so you can come to the people you know, because people's time is limited nowadays and are always in a rush doing something, but now you can relieve some of that time and come actually to their home or their place, wherever they're at.
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2:That makes a big difference nowadays. I love that?
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly that makes a big difference nowadays.
Speaker 2:I love that. How did you stumble across the mobile side of it? Most people say, no, I'm going to open a brick and mortar building and this is where I'm going to do it, but you decided to go mobile. How did that come to fruition?
Speaker 3:I did so years ago. I actually had a brick and mortar located in Cape Coral, okay, and unfortunately it flooded and I decided at that point you know I'm this is as good as any to just decide to do everything mobile, because at that point I still was doing some of the massage mobile, just so that I could see more people. And so you know, everything happens for a reason and I think, that kind of pushed me in the direction of just doing everything mobile.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Did COVID have any influence under that? How do you handle that?
Speaker 3:You know, there were definitely times where it was a little less busy than what I was used to, and so that really made a bit of an impact. But, quite honestly, you know the clients that I had before I was able to keep after and you know, as soon as everything was lifted we were able to hit the ground running again.
Speaker 2:Love it. So you just kind of persevere and push through and come out at the end.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So do you notice anything, whether it's technology or other things that are trending currently in the industry?
Speaker 3:You know, I think, especially on the aesthetic side, there's always new devices coming out. Side, there's always new devices coming out, and one of the ones that I focus on is actually called Jet Plasma, which is a non-invasive skin tightening treatment.
Speaker 2:Interesting. How is that different than what Botox is or what other people would use, isn't it?
Speaker 3:So Botox is a great thing to use in conjunction with the jet plasma. With Botox, you're injecting into the muscle and essentially paralyzing the muscle, which then limits movement in the face, so that you can you know, limit the wrinkles that you get, whereas the jet plasma it uses plasma energy to go into the subcutaneous layers of skin and tighten from that out. So every treatment you can have an increase in wrinkle and pore reduction by 14.8%, and so they really they go hand in hand to have a more youthful glow.
Speaker 2:I'm sure that's probably, if it's not already, a big market for you down here, obviously.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:So let's. Are you from this area originally?
Speaker 3:Not originally. I've been in Southwest Florida for 10 years now, but originally I am actually from Canada.
Speaker 2:Wow, what brought you down to beautiful Southwest Florida?
Speaker 3:You know, it was a place that I'd always wanted to live, and so one year, I just decided to pack up and make the move.
Speaker 2:There you go. Did you come down for spring break? I know we have our Canadian spring break. It's always typically early, like in February, but we do get a lot of Canadians down at that time.
Speaker 3:Yes, so every year prior that was always the time that I would come down to Southwest Florida was around Valentine's Day really. And back in college I did come down for spring break one year down to Panama City Beach, and after that it was, I know I knew that I was going to be down here full time.
Speaker 2:You love it, you love it, so you've probably acclimated, because I mean, when you, when you first come down for spring break, you're the people in middle of February that are in the water and we're like are those people nuts?
Speaker 3:What are they doing? Yes, now there's no way that I could get in the water. It's too cold.
Speaker 2:I'm with you. I'm an 85 guy. Air has got to be 85. Water has got to be 85.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I love it. I love it. So, when you do get a moment of free time and you're not working. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Speaker 3:You know, my favorite thing is probably going to the beach. I love sitting on the sand and listening to the waves crash in, and you know, I just every day is just such an amazing thing that you get to realize that this is where you live, amazing thing that you get to realize that this is where you live Absolutely. And so I try and get to the beach as often as I can. I love to do shopping, local shopping, at some of the little boutiques that we have around town.
Speaker 2:I don't want to give away your secrets, but any favorite beaches or types of beaches.
Speaker 3:So my absolute favorite, before Milton and Helene came through, was Casperson Beach in Venice. I'm not sure what the update is quite yet. I haven't been up that way since those two hurricanes came through, but that is probably one of the nicest beaches that we have in the area.
Speaker 2:It is, and that's the nice thing about Florida. You go a little bit different part of the state and you find different types of beaches. You know it's a beautiful place and that's why.
Speaker 3:Yes, it really is.
Speaker 2:So is there one thing you wish our listeners knew about skin therapy that maybe they wouldn't be so familiar with?
Speaker 3:You know I would say probably that everybody deserves to be able to feel good, and that is my goal is to see and treat every single person that I come across, Whether it's just giving advice, whether it's actually able to put my hands on them and manipulate you know different areas that they have dysfunction, but yeah, I think that everybody would benefit from a massage or from a jet plasma treatment.
Speaker 2:I think that everybody would benefit from a massage or from a jet plasma treatment. Love it, love it. So how would they go about?
Speaker 3:contacting you if they're interested in learning more or needed some help. So I do have a website, skintherapyofswfl. com, and then also by phone or you can call or text at 239-398-3570.
Speaker 2:Perfect.
Speaker 3:Perfect. Any last words for our listeners today. I think that you know I would love to meet new people. I'm always out in the community, always trying to get my name out there, my business out there. So if you see me out and about, come say hi and I'd love to be able to meet.
Speaker 2:you Love it, Nykolle It's been a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for being such a good neighbor and we'll definitely see you out in the community soon.
Speaker 3:Sounds great. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpestero. com. That's gnpastero. com, or call 296-2621.