Sounding boards, advice centres, motivators – mentors offer guidance and clarity when times are tough and boost you when your business is booming.
A lot of people look at the beauty industry and see the hustle and bustle of a salon and the peace and calm behind closed treatment room doors. What they don’t see is that running these businesses can be lonely and isolating at times, with everything from money worries to staffing issues (if you have a team) to business growth weighing heavy. “Many beauty business owners are what I call ‘accidental entrepreneurs’ – we train to care for skin and clients but very few of us are taught how to run a sustainable business,” explains Maria Rylott-Byrd, The Corneotherapy Consultant and industry mentor. “Mentorship offers support, perspective and guidance from someone who understands both the emotional and practical realities of working in this industry.”
Most mentors have been in the business for years, if not decades and it’s the ‘been there, done that’ experience that makes their advice so invaluable. They have real-industry insight that you can trust rather than having to take a trial and error approach which could damage your business, your bank account and your mental health. “After nearly 40 years in the industry, including almost 20 running my own successful clinic, therapists naturally began reaching out for advice, reassurance and support. Over time, that evolved into more structured mentoring and helping people grow in confidence, find clarity and build businesses that align with who they are,” continues Maria.
Why is mentorship so important in the beauty industry?
There are some large gaps in beauty education and a lot of it centres around confidence, says Andrea Simpson, BABTAC Facialist of the Year winner and founder of The Facial Mentor: “Many therapists are technically skilled but not always emotionally or commercially supported. Knowing how to perform a treatment is one thing; knowing how to build a sustainable business, communicate your value, set boundaries, avoid burnout and create longevity is very different.”
There’s also the pressure of keeping up to date. Beauty is one of the fastest growing industries and whether it’s new technology, new trends, new ingredients, social media, changing regulations, there’s a huge pressure to stay on top of everything whist not comparing yourself to others. “Mentorship can be so valuable for these very reasons, and it can help people to stay grounded whilst developing confidence in their own identity, values and direction,” continues Andrea.
For Jamie-Lee Jones, owner of B. Unique Beauty, having a mentor helped her avoid overwhelm. “There was a point in my business where I was working over 60 hours a week and despite the effort there was little to no profit to show for it,” she says. “I knew something had to change but I didn’t have the headspace to figure out what. That was when I reached out to a mentor and it finally helped to give me clarity. When you are deep in the day-to-day running of your business it becomes difficult to step back and see what is really going wrong and a mentor brings perspective, structure and direction when you need it most.”
It's never too late
Proving that it’s not just those starting out in the beauty industry that need help, as Maria points out, “we all have blind spots”. Mentors can therefore help anyone who might feel fatigued in the industry to find a new energy and reconnect with their passion. “Seeking mentorship is not a sign of weakness; some of the most successful people in business still have mentors around them,” adds Andrea. “I currently work with two mentors on an ongoing basis and I also seek guidance from different specialists and experts in all areas of business. No matter how experienced you become, there is always room to learn, evolve and refine.”
For Jamie-Lee, the right support meant she could completely restructure her business and within two years she increased her turnover by 244%. “I now work part time in my salon while mentoring others in the industry. I’d never be in this position without the mentor I had and I still have a mentor now,” she adds.
What can mentors help with?
This will vary depending on your business and personal needs as everyone is different and requires bespoke support but as a broad oversight this can include:
- Identifying the USP of your business
- Building confidence and overcoming self-doubt
- Improving the client journey and client experience
- Pricing structures and understanding profit margins
- Visibility, marketing and brand positioning
- Creating a business aligned with personal values
- Developing clarity and direction
- Accountability and decision-making
- Facilitating a better work-life balance
- Helping with awards and long-term career sustainability
Is it expensive and how do I find a mentor?
Most people see mentoring as an investment – in themselves and their business and as a means to make better choices that won’t impact their income negatively in the future. However, in monetary terms, the actual cost of mentors varies significantly and will depend not only on the experience of your mentor, but also the plan or programme you decide to invest in.
Some mentors like Emily Hodson, founder of Skin Sentials Shrewsbury, offer a curated plan over 4-6 weeks which costs £320. Called ‘The Clarity Programme’ it begins with an initial consultation to assess your business and where you’d like to get to and then includes two virtual zoom sessions as well as clear and actionable steps over the time period which vary depending on the desired goals.
Others have regular calls and check-ins, and the relationship continues on an ongoing basis. There might be a year of big change when you need more support and guidance and then a few ad hoc years where you need less check-ins. But that’s the beauty of mentors as they are relationships formed on mutual respect and understanding. You don’t always have to stay with the same mentor throughout your career either, but it is important that whoever you choose, you have a rapport with.
“There needs to be a genuine resonance between mentor and mentee which is why I offer a no-obligation discovery call,” says Maria. “You also need to understand that it’s a collaboration and whilst I’ll absolutely hold your hand and guide you, mentors don’t do the work for you – the goal is independence, not dependence. The growth comes from making confident decisions and developing your own voice. It can also be a positive thing to outgrow a mentor because it means you’ve evolved.”
As for qualifications, while this is at the heart of BABTAC’s philosophy, when it comes to mentors it’s more about experience and the ability to guide, listen, communicate and empower others – traits that not everyone has. “For me, mentorship is not about positioning yourself as having all the answers, it’s about helping someone develop their own path within the industry,” says Andrea. “I did actually graduate with a teaching degree but it’s the years of experience teaching globally with some of the world’s most prestigious spas and across salons and clinics of all sizes within beauty, spas and aesthetics sector that has given me the lived experience and shared industry knowledge for me to become a mentor.”
Finding a mentor often comes from word of mouth and if you’re on the lookout, definitely ask for recommendations – they tend to be far superior to glossy social media campaigns. Andrea suggests BABTAC (or other) industry events where there are networking opportunities and trusted educators within the industry. Or, if you have a certain speciality, you could home in on that too. “Because I’ve niched into corneotherapy, skin science education and solo beauty business mentoring, my mentees value that I understand the nuances of this specialism and the realities of operating a clinic,” says Maria.
The right mentor will be one with experience, integrity and authenticity on their side, as well as an unfaltering passion for beauty. Combine that with trust and respect and you’ve found yourself a mentor match. Hold onto them!
Words: Becci Vallis