In case you haven't heard by now, the Skin Inc. team had the opportunity to attend IECSC. While there, we had the privilege of sitting in on professor, corporate trainer and Skin Inc. advisory board member, Sherrie Tennessee’s class, “Essential Steps for Solo Spa Success.”
Though your embarrassed editor rushed in a couple of minutes late (yes, with a telltale iced coffee) it didn’t even matter—Tennessee had every estie in the room on the edge of their seat. Her years of experience and knowledge only sharpened by her approachable demeanor and sharp wit, Tennessee packaged easy-to-follow (and act on) practical business advice in a compact, hour-long session.
While the industry itself hasn’t lost its appetite for learning, the post-pandemic years have changed the way we view education, accessibility and connection in a way that forces us to reckon with the gaps we’ve left in our institutions. Newer professionals may be lacking crucial networking and communication skills, while business and financial literacy have never had robust curriculums outside of a traditional economics or business degree. For pros who may view building their own businesses as one of a few available career paths, filling in this educational gap is essential for equipping industry professionals with what they need to excel, regardless of whether they go on to run a business or not.
Tennessee’s education builds organically on the values already foundational to those in the industry. Skin, spa and wellness professionals are well-known for valuing client education, and Tennessee shows her captive audience what rests over that horizon. “We can’t just educate on the table,” Tennessee urges, speaking to the importance in-person events can have on client retention. “‘Cause I’m tired and I’m drooling and I’m probably not listening to what you’re saying about what it is I need to do, and you need to get me out the door so you can see your next client. So having informational, educational sessions—again, that partnership, that network, getting creative and [knowing] who can foster those things [is crucial.]”
More of Tennessee’s insights for the spa professional can be found in her book, How to Open a Wellness Center, which was available for purchase at IECSC and continues to be available on Amazon.
