Truth Talk: The Skin Therapy Niche With René Serbon

Today’s “truth talk” orbits around the skin therapy niche… and features the esteemed René Serbon!

Over the past few years, René has stepped up to the plate to support fellow skin therapists: this was especially true throughout COVID-19, which brutalized many businesses within the spa industry and prompted skin therapists to begin focusing on other sales tactics like online sales and skin coaching.

René and I discuss her background in the spa industry, the trouble with spa industry transitions, and business tips for skin therapists and spa owners alike.

Spa Industry Expert René Serbon

René is a skin therapist, electrologist, corneotherapist, Pastiche-recognized industry educator, public speaker, and self-professed “unquenchable skin enthusiast”.

“What my focus is is really helping clinics build their business in sustainable ways and have them think about things in an empowering sense vs. a competition sense. I think our industry is extremely guilty of having trains of thoughts like, ‘I need to keep up with the Joneses by having all the fads, all the equipment, all the treatments… all while struggling with impostor syndrome. So my role has come to grow into helping other people see their own genius, trusting themselves, and figuring out what area they want to specialize in (instead of trying to do and be all the things!)”

René and I align in our goals of wanting spa leaders to walk taller, shine brighter, and learn how to advocate for themselves in a way that helps their business grow. For all the education, time, and training that spa owners and skin therapists put into their business, we all too often see the following:

• Spa leaders and skin therapists trying to take on too much and be in too many niches
• Not trusting in themselves and their business decisions
• Going out for too little money
• Hampering their own marketing endeavours due to a lack of confidence and direction
• Burning out

The day René opened her appointment book and saw 10 hours of what she calls “backs, sacks, and cracks”, she turned to her own mentors (Florence Barrett-Hill and Advanced Skin Analysis) to not only hone in on her own niche within skin therapy, but help other spa business owners implement the same growth strategies.

The Trouble With the Transition From Service Provider to Spa Owner

The fact of the matter is that, for many of us in the spa industry, we started out as hands-on service providers in the treatment room: we were used to working long hours, pouring a large amount of both time and money into our training, connecting one-on-one with our clients, and getting fully absorbed in the nurturing aspect of a spa business. 

However, what causes friction within our industry is the transition from service provider to spa owner. For René, who came from an academic family of medical professionals, this transition was difficult due to not initially being a “big vision” person: as someone who studied business, human resources, and beauty therapist at university in New Zealand, she came into the spa industry well-equipped with myriad people skills, marketing how-to, and a good grasp on the beauty industry at large… and quickly became known as “the meanest wax in town!”

Gaining that reputation quickly, however, seeded a concern within René that she didn’t expect: despite all of her advanced training and natural talent, she found herself frequently wondering if waxing and nails would be all she would do for the rest of her life. This self-doubt and unhappiness is a common feeling for service providers, and is one that I even coach my single coaching clients about: what was pivotal for René specifically was taking a deep breath, taking a step back, analyzing what was working (and what wasn’t!) in her spa biz, and get granular about what she liked doing.

This journey of self-discovery guided René to the many speaking engagements and coaching opportunities that she orbits around today, 11 years later!

The Skin Therapy Niche (and How to Make Niching Down Easier on You and Your Spa Biz!)

“Niching down” can feel like a big ask, especially when spa owners feel that they are strong across the board. (Which many are!)

“It’s scary to let go of something, especially if it’s doing good,” says René. “But it’s doable and it should be done if you don’t like doing it. It’s a throttle, not a switch: there needs to be a transition process behind it.

“This became even more important during COVID-19. Did you know that the average spa owner’s income was $50,000 (gross) in 2020? Minus a minimum of 30% from that for staff payments, equipment, and rent, and it’s below minimum wage. I thought to myself, ‘How are people making ends’ meet?!’ It was really heartbreaking. It was then that I knew that I needed to go full throttle on helping people establish sustainable business practices and growth strategies to break that cycle.”

To accomplish this, René has dedicated the past year to adventurous industry movements like corneotherapy (to interlink beauty and science) and helping spa owners and skin therapists better connect with their consumers in a meaningful way. During COVID-19, consumers became more savvy than ever when it came to their skin… and yet, alongside this, they were introduced to more misinformation than ever. On top of the many other spa industry-related struggles introduced in 2020, this has been a large talking point for René and her clients (just like how spa systems have been a big talking point in my spa owners-only Facebook group, Spa Business Mastery!)

A Final Business Tip for Skin Therapists and Spa Owners

“Know your numbers!” René says. “I love ‘Profit First’ by Mike Michalowicz. I wish I knew about that book when I started. It’s such a great read for those learning how to make sure that they get paid first and have growth systems in place. ‘Run Like Clockwork’ is also great!

“I highly recommend a coach like Kirsten as well,” she continues. “Just like how I have a leadership coach and a money coach, spa owners and skin therapists need that high-level guidance to stop just spinning their wheels and actually grow. My final tip is: ask for support! We are all followers and leaders at any point in the process.”

Are you looking for support while honing in on your skin therapy niche, spa owners? Reach out today for hands-on support.