007: Starting a Business in a Saturated Market with Elise Wilkinson

Do you ever wonder if there is space in the market for your business? Join our conversation about how to confidently start a new business in a saturated market. As an esthetician, Elise started Desert Ghost Aesthetics to fill a gap in the world of acne, skincare, and at home education.

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Music: "Great podcast intro (both short and long version included)" by Lundstroem. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Do you think within your industry specifically, what is it like? Like, are people working together, or does it feel like every person for themselves?

SPEAKER_00 0:11

I would say there's definitely an overall theme of community over competition. Especially with the newer generations, I see that a lot more, which is amazing. I love that. But it depends who you're talking to, I guess. Uh luckily, everybody that I've talked to within my space, everyone's so nice. Everyone is so helpful and just over the moon, ready to support you and back you. And I think it's because clients are really drawn to personality. What's that phrase? Like the energy you put out is the energy you get back. And I think a lot more people are seeing that. And that's why the theme of community over competition is becoming more and more prevalent. Yeah, which I love.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Well, welcome to the show, Elise. I'm so excited to have this conversation with you and learn from you. Um, let's just get right into it. Did you always want to be a business owner? Like what motivated you? How did you know it was time to press go? What was the motivation behind it?

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Um, no, actually, I had no idea what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be, who I am. Like nothing for the longest time. And it well, going through aesthetic school, I knew that becoming a business owner was definitely something that I could do and something that intrigued me. But it wasn't until last year when my finances plummeted that I'm like, okay, we could possibly make more money. And I was also very, very burnt out with my other job. And so to be able to work two jobs and have one make good money, and then this other one be able to do whatever I wanted with it was like a dream come true.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

That is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

That's how we got started.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

So you went to aesthetic school. So what? Tell us a little bit more about your business, what you're doing now.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

So right now I am focusing on acne clients, so helping them clear their acne and then also staying clear. That's a huge key point because there's no cure for acne, only being able to contain and maintain acne. Um, so I focus a lot on that, and then I also focus a lot on educating clients on their skin and skincare routines. So being able to let them know, well, basically, like, hey, this is what you're doing, this is what you can do, and now take this knowledge and education to go out on your own and make your own choices. So I do a lot of that, and then uh chemical pills as well, and then I have a lot in store for the future.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Cool. Tell us, do you have anything you can tell us?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

That's so ominous. So listen, this is a bad habit that I have, which is getting so excited about a project and then not having it go perfectly to where I just dropped the project.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

So anybody on my Instagram or my clients are like, hey, how's this going? And I'm like, oh, well, actually, I dropped that last month. But this project that I'm working on now, I can't talk about because I am so going to finish it and fulfill it. And it's creating basically like an online, what is it called? Like a digital product. Okay. Going through everything on the basics of skincare. So anybody who wants to know, like, hey, this is what a cleanser is, this is what a serum is, this is what to buy, what not to buy, how to know your skin type, skin conditions, you know. Like anybody who doesn't know anything about skincare, this is meant for them. So cool. Super excited.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

I love how much education you do. I think, especially in Utah, aesthetics is a competitive space. Oh, yeah. There are lots of girls doing facials, waxing, eyebrows, like that's just a huge industry out here. Um, so I love how much education you do versus just like, hey, come see me. Like, it's more than just income for you. Like, I feel like you genuinely care about your clients, which is huge. Um, having such a specific niche of acne, I think also sets you apart from everyone else. Like it, if someone is dealing with that, they know like you're the person to go to. Is that like, do you feel the same? Like, do you think it's increased your business or do you sometimes think it hinders you?

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Oh, increase for sure. Uh, so I go through a program called Face Reality. I love them so much. They have a really good setup between not only education, but also making it affordable to care for your acne, which I really, really like. Uh, however, so many aestheticians in Utah use face reality. And so within aesthetics as a whole and dealing with the uh competition there, there's also dealing with the competition within acne clients. Um, separating that all apart, acne has really propelled my business. I deal mostly with acne, uh, which I absolutely love. But yeah, it's really made things a lot easier to get clients, to keep clients. And then it's just setting myself apart within that specific niche, yeah. Which overall I feel like that's easier as a business owner.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Yeah, I think so too. Um, within the design world, it's very heavily like you need to niche down, you need to niche down. And so I like started off that way where I was like, I'm only gonna work with health, wellness, and beauty clients. And then now I'm like, actually, that's not really true. But it's not that I don't have a niche, it's just more based on like my design style than an industry. So I've had to like shift my mindset on that. I like that a lot come to me for the way that I work or like the end product versus what they do, if that makes sense. I've seen I think makes it more fun.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

I've seen photographers do the same thing for their their style. It's not just I do weddings, but it's like this is my style. Yeah, yeah. I do weddings, I do brand shoots, I do family portraits, like things like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Totally. Before coming on the show in our Instagram DMs, you were saying that it took you a second to book the podcast session because you were dealing with imposter syndrome. Oh, big time. Which, first of all, I want to say thank you for booking, anyways, and like doing it scared. I think that is huge. Second, I would love to know do you face that feeling more so as a business owner or within your expertise in your practice?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Hmm that's a good question. I would say right now as a business owner, because I know my stuff. I definitely know my stuff. So I would say if anything, it's confidence issues in who I am as a person, and then imposter syndrome within business itself.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Yeah, because you have a long list of education, like you are well educated in this, so there's no like doubt that you know yourself, so it's more on the business side, and you've mentioned that too of like you don't have a business degree or you don't have a marketing background. Like, do you where do you think that comes from? Like, because most of the people that I have on this show so far, it's the same thing. It's like I never thought I would be a business owner, I just started doing this and it led to that, and then I met so and so, and now here I am today. Like, it's very rarely. I went to business school and I made a market, like a marketing campaign, and I did my market research, and I knew I think as women too, like it's a little different, and maybe more male business owners are that way. The women that I talk to, it's always just like you, where it's like I relate to it so much, it's wild, no, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Um, where does it stem from? Everything, I guess. I think you know, honestly, it goes back to confidence. I see all the time if you are confident in yourself and you know who you are, it fully translates into your business. Your business becomes confident, it has direction, and so working a lot on myself has improved it. But I also feel like starting my business last year was honestly the wrong time to start a business. Really? Because I had a lot of health issues um and then I went out for jaw surgery, so I like the whole half the year, I didn't really want to market myself because you need to build up a relationship with a client so that they'll keep coming back. Yeah, and if I was just gonna be out for two months and not be able to do anything, yeah. So I took like six months off of marketing for that specifically, and so now getting back in. I feel like I'm starting my year. Is it year zero? Year one, my first year, all over again.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Year one, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

So I feel like even though it's been a year of business, I feel like I'm just now starting. So there is a little bit of imposter syndrome with that.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Yes, I totally understand that. Um, because I thought that last year was gonna be my year one. And then so when Bryson, my fiance was signed up for this 10-month deployment, I was like perfect timing. That gives me 10 months to like grind and hustle this thing while he's gone, and that's all I'm gonna do. And it like I can give it my full energy, and then I had zero motivation, it was like just sad all the time, like the deepest sadness. And then this like he came back in October, and then October to December. I mean, we were kind of getting reacclimated and moving, and it was chaotic. And then December, I launched my website, and so it's like, yes, I have a year under my belt, but really I feel like this thing is four months old, yeah, which is kind of like what you're saying, too. It was like a trial run, yeah, you know, a little two-week tester, yeah, and then just down for the count and then not back at it. Yeah, totally for sure, kind of along the same lines as a business owner. What you put in is what you put out, right? And that's a lot on your shoulders, it's really exciting, but it's also kind of daunting. And I feel like you can get into this like mental gymnastics trying to go to sleep where you're just like, oh, but this isn't this, like it just keeps going, and then you have to like put it in a box, put it to the side.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

That's how I feel, which is impossible to do.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Yeah, yeah, totally. So, how do you balance like all these amazing ideas, all these projects you want to do versus getting burnout? Like, do you set your goals throughout the year? Do you have any systems in place? Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

No, I am the most unorganized person ever, and it's terrible. It's terrible as a business owner. Um, I kind of what do I do? I'm very impulsive. So I go through this very terrible cycle of having a lot of motivation and being super excited about projects where that's all I do. I don't sleep, I don't eat, I don't do anything. I just sit down and work, work, work and plan all these really cool things, and then I get burnt out. Or I get so overwhelmed that it's not perfect that I'll sit there in a state of like paralysis almost. Yeah. Or I'm just so overwhelmed I can't do anything at all. So it's like these these highs and lows. Um, yeah, I'm still trying to figure it out, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

No, I totally relate to that. I think for me, and like I mean, this is just a fact, but like women were cyclical, like each week is different. Oh yeah, like hormonally, it's just not the same. And so I am trying to balance that of not wanting to burn it all down at the end of the month, and then like the following week being so excited and so motivated, and like wanting to work until midnight, 2 a.m. and then crashing. But it's such a weird balance with that of like you're like it's just like a roller coaster all the time. And like hopefully somewhere in the middle it works out.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

I know. I keep waiting for there to be like I don't even know. You know how like liquid IV gives you electrolytes and makes everything better with hydration. I wish there was some drink that I could take or like some supplement to make me just balanced. No burnout, no overwhelming feelings, just balanced.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Right. Just testosterone to be a man.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Yeah, actually. Yeah, that would be fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

When I'm like ovulating, I'm always like, man, this must be how it is to be a man.

unknown 13:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

We might have to cut that. I feel like every episode is like something where it sounds like I'm a man hater and I'm not. I just it's not but it's so talent.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

They have it so easy, I swear.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Right. Like, wow, you just like wake up every day feeling the same. Feeling normal. Like wonder what's like I'm having to, I use class pass for like my workouts. Yeah. And like one week I'm like, oh, burn boot camp, our long hit class. Like, I'm so strong. And so then the next week I want to do the same thing, and then that week happens, and I'm like, mm-mm, like it's not gonna happen. Isn't that a thing yoga?

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Where like some weeks you can lift heavy and others you can't.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, it's all like your hormonal cycle. That's crazy. But like I try to not get frustrated by it. I'm trying to accept it and like work within that. But I also think that's really difficult. Like, food-wise, workout-wise, I can I can get behind that and I know that I will feel better, like not running the week of my period. Like, I just can respect my body in that way, but mentally and as a business owner, it's still really challenging where I'm like, I don't really know how to use this for my benefit. Like, I feel like there's gotta be like another side of the story where it's like if you do these tests during this week, it would actually come out better than the opposite.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

Oh, absolutely. Once you have that figured out, I'm sure you'll make a lot of money. Because surely there's like some way to make this better. Yeah, there has to be. I know that they're coming out with a lot of workouts, like you were saying, workouts, um, meal prepping, whatnot, based around your cycle. So if you can figure out a way to make that cater towards business and mental planning, you'll make so much money.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

And like content creation, probably shouldn't do that. Well, probably not. I'm breaking down, you know? Like, why don't we do that when we're ovulating and feel pretty and yeah, but really it's just like everything needs to happen long. Yeah, so maybe it's just the prep work. Maybe this won't work, but anyways, that was a long tangent. Okay, is there anything you're the expert here in skincare? Is there anything you want to share with us? I know that's so broad.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Uh yeah, it's very broad. You're like, where do I start? Um, as far as skincare goes, it's a lot more simpler than people think. Oh man, there's like so many like little things I could say. Yeah. Simpler than people think. Don't trust what's on the internet. You know, don't listen to your favorite celebrity with clear skin. Just because they have clear skin doesn't make them an expert. Um the key to balanced, healthy skin is hydration. So just really making sure you're hydrating and protecting your skin is crucial. Um, and I I tell that to my more oily clients all the time. Like, even if you feel like your face is greasy or you have oily skin, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and protect. Like that's only gonna help with aging and balance on your skin, and you know, it helps with acne and eczema, and the list goes on and on basically.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

So our wedding is in like five weeks, and one the stress is just like insane. I'm like, I can imagine why am I putting this on myself? Like, where is this coming from? I don't know, but I am extremely stressed about it. And with that, I feel like that's coming out in my skin. Like, I get hives super easily, like stress related or whatever. I don't really know the full reasoning on why I get hives, but lately it's like anytime I put anything on my face, I'm breaking out in hives. And just last night, I was like, you know, I think I have like I'm really critical. Everyone knows this about me by now. Like, I'm highly perfectionistic, I don't even know that's the word. I'm a major perfectionist and have very high expectations like for myself and for others, for my work ethic, like everything, really any area of my life, there's high expectations. My skin is not an exception. And just last night I was like, you know, sitting there criticizing myself, and like maybe my goals are unrealistic. Like, I'm wondering if the problem isn't actually what my skin looks like, if it's actually just that social media has ruined what I think skin should look like.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Hmm. I think they're both. I think seeing, I mean, that goes for everything. Like for me, it's seeing these beautiful women with perfectly toned bodies and the wonderful six pack and be like, well, why don't I look like that? So I think that translates over to everything like, you know, why doesn't my business look like that? Why doesn't my face look like that? Why don't my shoes look like that, you know? Um, but it's also good because you know what it could be. Yeah, that all sounds very vague. Hopefully that makes sense. Yeah. But I don't believe, well, I don't believe in limitations. So if there's something that you want with your skin, you know, like let's try and figure out every possible way to get it as close to your goals as we can. And maybe that takes a little bit longer. But yeah, I don't know if any of that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

But yeah, because you do so much education and like ongoing care with your clients. Do you is that something that you guys work on? Like, do you set goals and then oh yeah, work towards it? Like have you had to tell someone like that may not be possible?

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Or like, no, you're just like, yes, we can do that. Yeah, and if we can't do that, I send them to somewhere else. So if, like, for example, I don't do microneedling or I don't have lasers, I would love to do that in the future, but right now that's just not in the cards for me. So if they have a certain condition on their skin where laser would be more effective, then I'll get them to that point and then send them on their way.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Yeah, that's really cool. Um, kind of along those lines of like referring work that maybe you're not doing in the season with you said something earlier about like there's a ton of people in the acting space and like you have to stand out against competition. Do you think within your industry specifically what is it like? Like, are people from your perspective working together? Or does it feel like every person for themselves like you're not gonna? I don't know if that question makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yeah, like no, it does. Uh, I would say there's definitely an overall theme of community over competition, especially with the newer generations. I see that a lot more, which is amazing. I love that. But it depends who you're talking to, I guess. Uh, luckily, everybody that I've talked to within my space, everyone's so nice, everyone is so helpful and just over the moon ready to support you and back you. And I think it's because clients are really drawn to personality. So even at my waxing job, we have how many coworkers do I have? I think there's 10 of us. So every client with that specific ascetician, everybody's clientele is so different. So some of us are like more quiet and we have more quiet, quiet clients. Wow, that's a tongue twister. Um, and then other asceticians are more loud and outgoing, and they have loud and outgoing clients. Yeah. So it's really like um, what's that phrase? Like the energy you put out is the energy you get back. And I think a lot more people are seeing that, and that's why the theme of community over competition is becoming more and more prevalent.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Yeah. Which I love. I think that's funny. Yeah, I think there's space for like everyone to win at the end of the day. Like you're exactly right. Like the type of person that wants to work with you specifically is gonna be different than someone else. And I see that a lot like with web design. There's a million web designers out there at this point. But like who works with me is very different than someone who's working with like a developer or whatever. Like there's so many different avenues that you can go. So like I never feel upset when like if I'm put up against someone, like someone's like shopping, and this happens like every now and again. Usually a client works with me and they're like 100% know they want to work with me, and it's never this like competition thing. But every now and then I get on a call and they're like, okay, I'm meeting with three other designers, I'll let you know by Friday. And like if they don't pick me, I'm never that upset because I'm just like, well, I'm happy that they found someone that like clicks with them better. Like, I don't really ever want there to be this like uncertainty. Like, I want someone to be like 100% confident in me, which I think is a healthier attitude than like being bummed out. Oh, yeah, for sure. Or like someone else winning.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Yeah. Do you ever feel like maybe maybe this is just me because I'm still working on my personal confidence? But do you ever feel like looking back you could have done something differently, or maybe you didn't portray yourself or your work well enough for that client to you know cater towards you more? Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah. Um, so most recently it was like a wedding planner in Spokane, and she I asked her, like, okay, like why did you pick someone else? Like, I'm happy, you know, obviously, like I want to know feedback, like if there's something I could do better. Um, and she ended up picking someone else because they offered more SEO within their package. Um, and SEO is like something that I have experience in, but it's not something that like I'm wanting to offer right now. So I've like partnered with someone else to bring that to life for my website and for my clients' websites. Um, so I think like in that instance, I could have highlighted that more, but it's also one of those things where like we don't necessarily know that SEO is her top priority. A lot of people that I work with don't even know what SEO is. So it's hard to everyone is so different, and it's hard to know what is their number one priority in in in their search. Like for some someone, it's gonna be the cheapest option, and that's never gonna be me. Like you can always do it cheaper, you know. Like if you want a freelancer like off of fiber, like they're gonna do it way cheaper than I am, and like I'm not the person for you if that's your top priority. Um if SEO is your top priority, there probably are other designers that could do that at a cheaper rate for me. Like, I would not be willing to do that for just a couple hundred dollars, like you would have to pay me way more because it doesn't flow. I was not, you know what I mean? Like, it's not necessarily what I love doing, and I think there are people that do love doing that and can charge less because it takes them less time because they're already so good at it, if that makes sense, and that's why I love Taylor, the girl that I work with. Um, because she does exactly that, and so I just feel like when people are working within their expertise, you're gonna get a much better result um than like if I was trying to do everything for everyone. I don't know if that answered your question, but I guess like I'm open to feedback from people and like learning about why they worked with someone else, but I definitely take more of the approach of like building relationships and someone feeling comfortable with me and knowing me. I think it's a really big investment, and it's often at a scary time in someone's business. Like, rarely are they just like super comfortable. Um and if they like if they are like financially very comfortable with the investment that they're making in their website, they've probably been burnt out by someone else at this point, and like um, yeah. So I think them feeling comfortable with me and like confident that I'm going to get them the end result that they want is like my priority.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Yeah, like it's so relational, like you know what you're good at, and you know you're gonna give them excellent results, yeah. So you're gonna focus on that, yeah. Yeah, that's something I'm struggling with.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Yeah, I also wanted to ask you with the like your health issues that you had and the jaw surgery. You shared some of it on social media, and like as you said that of like you took a break from marketing yourself because you were going through that. My instant thought was like, Oh, but you could have used that as content, and then like, yeah, but that's so personal, and like what if you don't want to? And that's something I'm dealing with where it's like, yes, everything could be content, like all the wedding planning stuff could be content, like anything in your life could get shared online, but then I don't know if that's what I want. Like, I don't like I am in this struggle where I want to use my personal Instagram and my professional Instagram to like mutually benefit each other and like build relationship, and that's like the focus of my Instagram is like usually someone finds me somewhere else, then they follow me, then they're seeing my content, and then they eventually convert off of some Instagram story. Like the second they're ready, they're like signing up on a story, and then they're like, book me, yada yada yada. I'm like, amazing, but it's not like they necessarily found me on Instagram, they've just kept up with me. But then I also don't love like sharing everything online, yeah. So I'm curious like your thoughts on that and like how you balance what you share and what kind of content you like sharing.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Yeah, so my Instagram is trash I know, so don't look at it. I definitely want to share a lot more. I actually filmed the entire process of my jaw surgery, and I haven't posted any of it uh other than my stories that I shared during the process. Uh, and I think that again comes down to perfectionism and confidence. Yeah. I've filmed so much, like I have so many YouTube videos and podcast episodes just stored on my computer, but I hate them all because they're not perfect in my mind and they don't portray the certain story that I'm going for. Um, so that's something that I'm working on is my storytelling, making sure that my thoughts are fluid and I don't go on tangents like I normally do. So, you know, it um the story circles back and it makes sense and it's straight to the point. Uh, and then the content itself, making sure that it's filmed how I like it, that it looks very nice, that the editing is very smooth. So, with all the the those high standards and expectations I hold myself to, it prevents me from posting. But I also think that's a good thing because it's making me ready for when I do start posting frequently because I'm already in the habit of okay, let's film this, let's edit this. The momentum and the schedule is already there.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

And like you were saying, finding the balance between posting a lot so that your clients can be more familiar with you and more, yeah. I guess just more familiar with you so that trust is already built, so they know that that trust will translate over to your work is super important, but then not posting everything about your life, right? And that's really hard. Luckily, my boyfriend is amazing at that because he doesn't like me posting everything, so it's that good balance of where I want to show every aspect of my life, and he's like, No, like let's keep things private. Yeah, so it's that some things don't have to be that really good middle ground. Did that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Yeah, no, that totally makes sense. The storytelling thing is interesting too. I was just listening to um, I guess like a webinar, I don't know, some speaker um in like a networking group that I'm in, and she was talking all about storytelling and like how to utilize your Instagram to like portray this story. And I in this conversation, I'm like learning that you and I think very similarly of like happy to make something, and then it comes to sharing it, and I just can't like I'm just like debilitated by my perfectionism, yeah. And I was so like I took so many notes during her um I don't know what you call it, her little speaking engagement. I don't know, it was online, that's why I'm like, I don't know what you call this, but um call, I guess. Let's say so many notes, I thought it was so good, and then I just like kind of overthink it, and I'm like, it's almost like I want the story to be finished before I share it. And that's just not how it's ever gonna work, like with social media, like it's never gonna be this like okay, like we finished the story and now I can share it. Like it's always the work in progress, and that is something that I'm very uncomfortable with.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

Yeah, yeah. I feel that uh when it because my one-year anniversary with my business was oh my goodness, I'm gonna shoot myself in the foot. I forgot, I think it's the fourth of March, and when that came up, I didn't want to do anything for it. I didn't want to post about it, and I did make up just a little post, but it was exactly that. Like I wanted to be able to tell a full story and not have this middle ground, and like we were talking about the first year was really that trial year, and now this is my first year. I would like to consider it as that. Yeah, and so you know, to make a post to look back and be like, you know, look at all the things I accomplished. I couldn't say that. Like, yes, I did accomplish a lot, but it was more of a learning moment for me. So being able to learn a lot about what I wanted with my business, what I wanted that to stand for, how I wanted it to resonate with me and my clients. You know, there's a whole long list that I wanted to associate with my brand and my business. The story isn't there yet. Like the that full circle moment, that beautiful, happy, ever after ending, it's not there yet. And I don't think it will ever be. Like it's constantly gonna change and mold. And so to be comfortable enough to share that, or even you know, to make a story out of that, make it like tell it in a way that I don't know how to explain this, like tell it in a way where it's a story in itself. That is so vague, right? Like instead of having this nice little bow to tie up the ending, have it be, I guess, more motivational or like leading in a positive direction, leading to the next story or the next chapter. Yeah, I'm just kind of spitballing there. No, that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

I think that's a good way to do it. Yeah, I find myself comparing, so I don't follow a lot of other designers necessarily because I think it's I don't want to like be a copycat. Um and so with that, for whatever reason, I find myself almost comparing like my business model and social media and all of that to like course creators, which I think is so random. And then like I have to take a step back and be like, okay, this is like not even how my business operates. Like, why am I but they do that a lot with like the storytelling of like I was a mom, I'm a mom with three kids, and I left nursing school because I wanted passive income for my family and buy my course. And it's like so it feels so fake to me a lot of the time. Like, I'm like, okay, you're not actually an expert in this. Like, I can just read through it. Like, I'm like, you're not actually gonna help me make money, you're just saying that, and that's what's making you money. It's like an MLM. Yes, MLM, yeah, yes, and Utah especially is just like an incubator for that. Like, for whatever reason, it's like I will be in the groceries, we've been in the grocery store multiple times, and like these couples selling pyramids games come up to us and like try and get us to join, literally in person, like in the grocery store wild, and I'm like, I am in Trader Joe's right now, like please let me leave. Yeah, I like told the manager about it. I was I turned into a Karen because I'm like, this is not cool. Like, why are you trying to sell me your protein powder and tell me I'm gonna do it? That's a whole level of confidence. So weird, it's so weird, anyways. Major side note, but um, is there anyone that you feel like you compare yourself to, or maybe on the opposite side, like a more positive twist? Like, look up to.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Yes, yeah, pretty much everyone in the industry. Yeah, I'm like, you're so cool. And it's so I follow a lot of local aestheticians, and I I worry about the same thing. Like, I don't want to be a copycat, I don't want to steal anything or make it look like I'm stealing anything. Yeah, and it's really hard because I'm like, wow, they're so cool, those ideas are so unique, like I love that, yeah, but more as in an admiration rather than a I guess like a I'm a steal that, you know, kind of vibe. So, yes, there are a lot of estheticians that I look up to, and just trying to emulate what they're doing in their business, but putting my own twist on it. Yeah, that's really hard. Yeah, but I don't know. I think it's like you know how artists take inspiration from everything pretty much, and they put their own, like not brand, but I guess like in a business it would be brand, but their own taste, their own design on it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

Well, this has been such an amazing conversation with you. Tell us where people can keep up with you, how to book with you, any promotions you've got going on.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Give us all the details. Sure. Yeah. So my Instagram is Desert Ghost Aesthetics spelled A-E, not E S T. It's a hard word to spell. We'll link it in the show out. And then I also have a website that's the same thing, just desertghost aesthetics.com. Cool. That's pretty much it. And you're in Riverton. Yeah, so my business is in South Jordan.

SPEAKER_01 37:17

South Jordan. Yes, South Jordan. I don't get it. I said Sandy the other day in South Jordan.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Yes, South Jordan, but I do uh 50-50. So 50% virtual appointments, 50% in person. Cool. That's so cool. Awesome. Well, thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 37:40

Not ready to say goodbye. Me neither. Follow along on Instagram at flourish.foundry to stay connected day to die or join my email list for free reviews, new episode updates, fun links, and more.