Is Sugar Con Really Worth It? Here’s the Truth (and How to Get ROI)

Trying to grow a beauty business in a treatment room can feel strangely lonely, even when your books are full. If you’ve been telling yourself you should be able to figure it out on your own, we want to challenge that. Going solo without education and without community doesn’t make you tougher, it usually just makes the climb slower and more stressful.

We’re kicking off the Sweet Success Series: The Road to SugarCon, and we’re sharing why conferences and real peer connection can change a sugaring career. We talk about what community actually gives you in real life: accountability, clear standards, support when you hit a weird skin situation, a reality check when you’re spiraling, plus friendships, referrals, and momentum. We also get practical about the “aha” moments that happen when an educator makes one small adjustment to your hand pressure or technique and suddenly everything clicks.

We also dig into the part no one loves talking about: budgeting. We walk through simple ways to plan for a once-a-year professional conference without debt, from setting aside tips and automating savings, to a small service-price bump or skipping a non-essential subscription for a few months. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what SugarCon offers, why Cleveland surprised us, and how to start planning your growth intentionally.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a sugar pro friend, and leave a quick review so more beauty pros can find the community they’ve been missing.

If you’ve connected with or been inspired by this episode in any way, leave us a review and let us know your biggest takeaway — I’d love to hear how you’re embracing Sugaring For All!!

And while you’ve got your phone out, make sure to follow us on Instagram @Love2Sugar 🤍

If you’re ready to take your sugaring education and community to the next level, join us at SugarCon!
Grab your tickets and learn more here → https://sugaringconvention.com/

And don’t forget to follow along for updates, behind-the-scenes, and all things SugarCon → https://www.instagram.com/sugarcon_/

Cheers to your Sweet Success! ✨

Transcript

Why Going Solo Slows You Down

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Okay, let me say something that might step on a few tweezers, so to speak. If you're trying to build a thriving beauty career alone, without education and without community, you're making it 10 times harder than it needs to be. Welcome to the Sugar Show, the podcast for beauty pros, ready to drop the wax stick, master body sugaring the smart way, and build a career that loves you back. Whether you're brand new or a seasoned sugar pro, there's something sweet for you in every episode. I'm the Sugar Mama. Let's get into it. Okay, Sugar Tribe, it's time. Welcome to the Sweet Success Series, The Road to SugarCon. I'm Shannon the Sugar Mama. And this year, the Sugar Show is the official podcast series partner of SugarCon, I am happy to say, which means we are going to use this season to raise the sweet standard for sugar pros. Today's episode isn't about getting ready yet. It's about something bigger, about why community and conferences change careers, actually, change mine, and why you should start planning now. It's a few months away. And you really do need to start thinking about how you're going to use this in your tools and saving and really listening to each of these episodes to get a better understanding of each of the speakers and some of the sponsors. And Sarah, you're going to be hearing from all of them over the course of the next few weeks until it's time to go. So if you're kind of on the fence about buying your ticket, um, or you're on the fence about whether or not you want to go at all, um, or you're on the fence about you bought the ticket and you're like, I don't know what to expect. Or you went last year and you're like, okay, how can I meet some of these people before I head to Cleveland? Then all of that is going to be for you in the coming weeks. So the truth is talent just isn't enough. Um, you can be talented and still, you know, not really have your business dialed, you know, not really have your expertise really showcased in your marketing. Um, your skill and confidence will come when you get feedback from other colleagues. And what I love is when you are feeling isolated and you're wondering, am I doing this right? You know, am I good enough? Is it just me? It's the community that fixes that fast. And I found that there are things that I don't even know that I was able to learn at the last sugar con. And that's what I want for you is to, you know, your clients see results. I want you to see results. And you need your peers to wrap their arms around you and you need to wrap your arms around your peers, to be honest, so that we all can have an amazing spirit experience and just love this industry more than we already do. Um, beauty can be lonely in the treatment room. Uh, if you're a solo and you're just flying so, you know, you're just flying by yourself if you don't have coworkers. Even if you have coworkers, but you really all just stick to your own treatment room, or maybe you're an employee and you don't feel like you connect with the other people that are around you, or you feel like you're nervous to ask them questions because maybe they know how to sugar and you're new, or maybe you're a veteran and you don't want to admit there's things that you don't know. Community really gives you about five things I can think of, right? Off the top of my head. So accountability, it gives you standards, it gives you support when you hit that weird skin situation, it gives you a reality check, and it really helps you with friendships and momentum and referrals. So every time I've gone to an industry event, I leave remembering that I'm not crazy and I'm just in the process. And that is priceless. I think sometimes we go to a conference feeling like, ah, I got this. What else can I learn? And or maybe like, oh, I remember in the very beginning, I thought to myself, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I don't want to admit that. So I'm gonna just sit in these classes and try to figure it out. That is what the baseline is for a conference, is just taking what you know, what you don't know, what you don't realize you don't know, and exposing it and helping you to learn and grow. I was so pleasantly surprised with the last conference. Um I just, I like said, I've been doing this a really, really long time. And there were things, and there were people that I had never met before that I'd only seen on sofals. There were companies that I'd never even heard of that were doing what we do. And that is really what this does, is it open your opens your eyes to what else is out there. So lots of us actually, you know, we are have just been doing facials, and now we're bringing sugaring on to our treatment menu. Lots of us are only sugaring. Like that's me. Like I stopped doing facials. I only sugar. And just when you think that, you know, you can't learn anymore, you absolutely do from a conference like this. So the community doesn't just make you feel better, it just makes you better. I know my team and I, uh, when we kind of regrouped and recapped after we got back from Cleveland, we were like, okay, that was the coolest experience that we didn't realize we were gonna have. You know, we just thought it would be like any other conference. And we left making more friends, having more laughs, and feeling more seen than we didn't, we even realized we were gonna have, right? Which is why my entire team wants to come back uh in August and and give back. So we'll be there um with a kind of a station of let us help you work on your technique um tables, and we'll be working with you live just so you can ask the ridiculous questions like, how do I do noses? You know, I was surprised. And there's a lot of people that don't know how to sugar ears. We're gonna help you. That's what we're gonna be there for. And there's gonna be classes and there's gonna be um just spirit and and I, you know, it's more, I got more of that out of SugarCon than I've gotten. And I go to a lot of trade shows. I speak at a ton of trade shows, and I got more personally and professionally out of SugarCon than I do at some of the big shows. Some of the big shows I feel lost in. Um, I could be speaking at a big show or leading in a booth, and I still feel kind of lonely. Like I can't really ask the questions I want to ask. And I didn't feel that. I felt like SugarCon was very intimate, and um, which is why I'm like dedicating this entire podcast series uh to it, because I really feel like it's that important. Um the other thing to think about is how a conference can change your career. So I found that I've I got quite a few things this year this last year out of the conference, and also that I I found that our education team, some of them are a little newer at this than I am, and I watched them experience clarity. Um, they kind of stopped guessing what it was to do next, or guessing if the product that they had in their hand was the best, um, or guessing what else is out there. Um, you I found that some of their skills really took a big jump because they were able to watch a technique class. And sometimes, you know, there were some um students, estheticians, sugar pros that came up to me and said, Yeah, I'm struggling with this. And I just adjusted their hand a little bit and lightened their pressure. And one correction just changed everything for that person. So that was really cool. I think it really resets your standard when you see other people that really, really know what they're doing. It really like makes you want to up your game, you know, it it helps you build that confidence. And there is just the best is when you get that connection and you meet your people and future opportunities. I mean, I met with some folks that were gonna be doing some partnership things, and we already are doing partnership pieces in some areas, and I introduced people that were in the same town, uh, which is very cool. And now I see them on socials uh working together and hanging out and helping to improve each other. And that was really wildly cool too. Um, and you come home with a renewed sense of energy and a plan. So a conference is really kind of like plugging your business into a charger. You didn't realize how low you were until you're back at 100%. And that's what I feel like we sh we needed in this industry because sugaring, there wasn't really anything for us. Like there was stuff for waxers and and facial um and facialists, but there really wasn't anything for just us. There wasn't even an apron that we could have that said I can sugar that. There was all the wax stuff. And so now we even have swag that has, you know, things for us on it. So uh let's talk about the education, right? And I was, I was really excited that all the education was for us in one place. You know, I go to a big trade show and a lot of times I'm the only sugar class. And that's really hard because you want it, you want more. You want more than that hour, right? But you know, you have to learn about all these other things, which is great for some of you that do all those other things. Uh, but this really helps to make you well-rounded in sugaring and then using accessories, derma planing, um, uh, oncology um aesthetics as it relates to sugaring and hair removal, uh, you know, the br the barrier skins barrier, you know, you're gonna learn other things in addition to just mold and flick, which is which is really, really cool as well. So um, you know, instead of taking these, you know, random classes um scattered across the year, a lot of times the only thing you can get is an online class. And this is live in person. Uh, people like myself and Sarah and and Shana Rich and various others that are teaching that get to wrap their arms around you. And it's really concentrated, which I I really appreciated and enjoyed last year was just how it was just a deep dive into all things that relate to you, not just sort of relate to you. Um, you can compare uh approaches, you can watch someone who holds their hand a little differently, and you can be there to personally ask them, hey, how am I holding my hand? I notice you do this different. Um, you know, why am I doing what's what's up with the flick? How come this, these products don't work for me? Um, let's talk humidity. Like there's so many things that you can be talking about that'll really, really help. And, you know, you can really recalibrate once you get your questions answered, which I absolutely love. And, you know, it's really hard for us to level up when we're only learning lits and little bits and pieces or maybe trial and error on a client, right? Uh you you might do something a little different and go, oh, look, that worked. But if you would have gone to a show like SugarCon and, you know, learning that from one of these amazing educators, you could have saved yourself a lot of time and your clients, you know, would really, really benefit from from that change. Um, let's talk about budgeting for a once-a-year conference. Um, you know, and and I want this to be normal and what you put in your budget, because if you are a serious skincare professional, you budget for your education like you would budget for supplies. And it is absolutely critical that you make a priority sugar con. Because if you don't, and you just put this on a credit card and throw it, you know, to the wind, um, you will find that your books will really, really feel it. I will love that you'll be educated and that'll be wonderful. But we don't want to put you in any sort of debt to get there. Um, and those who are right now budgeting and putting a little bit aside, um, put your tips aside, put a percentage aside so that you can budget and really, really have a lovely experience. You trust me, it'll you'll be so much better off. So I really want you to invest in your future self this year. And, you know, even if it's just 50 or 100 bucks, if it's, you know, one or two services that you can put aside and save, um, you know, create a little like conference envelope, right? That you can transfer money into a separate account. You know that you can do that with your bank account. You can, you can add uh aside savings and just auto-transfer weekly, you know,$25,$50,$100. And soon you'll have everything saved for and you won't need to put it on a card. Um, and use it only for your education and your travel. Okay. Um, and this way you can go and not stress and really enjoy yourself and know that you've earned it. Right. So maybe you add a couple of bucks if you're not quite sure how you'll make any more money to get to a conference. Um, add a small little education bump to one of your services. Like if you're constantly doing Brazilian maintenance, you know, instead of 55, charge 60, right? And that little$5, every single service will add up. Um, do a conference fund week, you know, and and shamelessly plug, hey, I'm trying to get to this conference. You know, I would love it if you you can support me by upgrading your services and really get people to be a part of it because it benefits them, right? It benefits your customers if you get better. And I want to see you engaging your clients and understanding that your clients want you to do better so that they can have a better experience. So maybe get them involved. Um, maybe you save your retail commissions for a couple of months, or maybe you skip a non-essential subscription, like that FitFab Thumbbox that you always get. You know, instead of getting that for a couple of months, you know, use that money towards towards this conference because it is that good. And I'm promising you, it is that worth it. So with one repeat client, you can pay for your education. And a better skill set can pay for your entire year. Think about that. If you just say to yourself, I am I I'm I'm worthy of this, budgeting shouldn't be about restriction. It should be a permission to go do something that will better your skills. And again, it will better them too. So um, I'm gonna get off my high horse. You know, I love sugarcon. We're gonna talk about how much I love sugarcon, but we are gonna talk about, we're gonna talk with the speakers and sponsors that will be there so that you can get a good idea of who you're gonna see and gather your questions. And over the next few episodes, I am gonna bring you those conversations with the people that really are helping to raise the standard. They are the educators, the sponsors, the leaders. And you can start to learn what's possible and start planning your growth intentionally. Okay. So you're gonna see Mabel Bachabunga Butler, you're gonna see um Sarah Herbst, of course. You'll see my entire team, you will see uh Jarrett from Kiko. There's so many amazing humans that will be there and all on one roof, under one roof, and spending their time with you. So um, we're gonna talk about men's services, we're gonna talk about corrective care in this season, we're gonna talk about business planning and what you need right now. So I encourage you to, I'm I'm gonna make sure that the episodes are relatively short and sweet so that you can listen to them um just on a quick dog walk. It doesn't have to be something that takes three or four, you know, trips in the car to get through. Um, I want you to have access to some ideas about what you should be looking for at SugarCon. Um, some little tasters of the speakers that you will be experiencing. Armando Gualtieri on our team is going to be there talking about men's corrective care, men's care. And he is one of the most special humans in our industry. And I'm really excited to share him with you, even more than we already have. Um, and there's lots of people that will really just open your heart about this industry. Um, I want to speak really quick about Cleveland. Cleveland. When when I first found out that last year's SugarCon was going to be in Cleveland, I was like, are you sure, Sarah? But of course, that's where Sarah lives. So it makes sense because she's putting this whole thing together with her heart, her soul, her brains. I mean, she put together the most beautiful, the most well done first time event I think I've ever seen executed in our industry. I will give you that, Sarah. Uh, and we'll talk about that in the next episode. But I want to talk about Cleveland because I really didn't know that Cleveland would be like a place that I would find to be cool. And it had the coolest Airbnbs. It's right by the water, which no one even like suspected. There were so many fun little spots to go. And we were like, we left that experience and thought, I actually love Cleveland. And it's just not a city I ever thought I'd ever visit. And I think that if you can wrap your heart around new experiences, like what a cool thing to say. Like, you know, I hurt Cleveland. Like, who would have thought? Like, we all go to New York, we go to, you know, Southern California, that's overdone. We go to, you know, Texas and it's, you know, I don't know, like where it's lots of shows that you can go to, right? But Cleveland was actually more fun than I ever thought. So I'm really glad she's having it back there, actually, because I really enjoyed it. And I think we all kind of felt like that when we left last time. So kudos to you, Sarah, for making Cleveland sexy and sweet. Okay, so I'm not here to pressure you. I want to make sure that you are expanding what you believe is possible for your career. Um, if you have ever thought, you know, I want to be better at this, or I want to make some money without burning out because I'm really tired. I've been doing this a really long time, then, you know, this season is for you, newbie or veteran. Doesn't matter. The season is for you. I want you to subscribe and stay with me. And again, I will uh keep the rambling to a minimum and we will get down to chatting with these guests. So, my sweet, sweet friends, I want to make sure that you are as educated as possible. Reach out to us, reach out to Sarah Herbsteel, meet her in the next episode if you haven't already. Uh, follow each one of these speakers, follow their Instagrams. We'll put that all in the show notes. We'll we'll let you know how you can get in touch with them. They're gonna give you a little taste every episode of what they're all about and what they're going to teach you. And open your mind and of course your heart to what is possible for your career. It's again, not just about the mold and flick, it's about everything else around it. So, my sweet, sweet friends, I hope you enjoyed that. And I look forward to sharing the speakers and sponsors and leaders in the next few weeks with all of you. All right, sugar tribe, that's your sweet success takeaway for today. And if this episode helped you, do me a favor, subscribe, leave a quick review, and send it to a Sugar Pro friend who needs a little extra confidence behind the table. We're getting Sugarcron ready. See you in Cleveland.