Q&A with The Esthetician Mentor

Today we're talking all things Lori Crete!

I recently had the privilege to sit down with Lori Crete, The Esthetician Mentor, to have a conversation with her about how she got to where she is and what keeps her going. What I love most about Lori is that she still practices in her treatment room while helping other estheticians at the same time. Lori recently presented in the ASCP Skin Care Summit on the 3 S's of Successful Marketing and has been a longtime friend of ASCP. She is also an ASCP member herself! It's easy to put our industry leaders on pedestals, but with a little Q&A, we find they really are just like us. Read on to learn more about Lori Crete!

You have a very interesting story about what inspired you to become an esthetician. Can you tell us about the events that pushed you into creating a career in skin care?

Very long story, but I will give you the Cliff Note version. I had been a flight attendant for American Airlines for 14 years and—as for many—the morning of September 11, 2001 changed my life forever. I could have been on one of the American Airlines planes that was used that day. For a very long time, I had been thinking about a change and that day I thought to myself, “This is your opportunity to do something you love. What is it you love? What is it you would love to spend your days doing?” The rest is history. I left the airline industry and started esthetics school on November 2, 2001.

What inspired you to consider mentoring estheticians?

A business betrayal that hurt me deeply made me realize that although I was hurting, I wasn't broken. I had developed some great client-attraction skills that would work for almost any beauty biz practitioner who was willing to do the hard work. The betrayal actually happened a few times before then, and something inside told me that if I didn’t figure out what the message behind the hurt was, that it would just keep happening.

One day I was on the treadmill and the message surrounding what I had to do hit me like a ton of bricks! It seriously felt like a calling. I knew I was being pulled to teach others how to succeed in this amazing industry that is packed full of opportunities. It really all goes back to what happened to me on September 11th… many of life’s opportunities are handed over to us in a way that feels like a tragedy. I learned so much from the betrayal, and I actually look back and am thankful that it happened. I love that I get to help others build a professional practice that feels like a gift, and I might not have had this opportunity had it not been for hurt along the way.

How do your clients benefit from a business coach?

There are endless benefits that one receives from coaching; here are the ones I find to be the most helpful:

Success leaves clues, and when you work with a coach who truly understands the beauty industry and is willing to share their systems and trade secrets, it speeds up your journey.
Accountability. Many of us know what do to, but we just don’t take the time to actually implement the necessary steps. A coach will check in and be sure that you are on track and creating momentum.
Support and camaraderie. The treatment room can feel like a lonely place, and being around someone who believes in your success is one of the best investments a solo practitioner or a beauty biz owner can make.

Even though you’re very busy coaching clients, what keeps you coming back to the treatment room?

I look at my spa as a gift. I look at my clients as a gift. I hear so many others saying, “I just don’t want to be in the treatment room anymore,” and these words sounds like a foreign language to me. I always say I am moving from the treatment room right to the retirement home. I also feel that the real-life experience allows me to teach others in a very genuine and authentic way.

What are you most proud of when you look at your professional life?

The average yearly income for an esthetician is around $28,000, and this has never felt right to me, as the beauty industry as a whole is a multi-billion-dollar industry. I am proud to say that I am on a serious mission to elevate this number. I am also proud that not only I have I busted through industry norms, but I am helping so many others do the same thing. Many of my coaching students are now in hitting the six-figure mark and having a blast creating this level of success.

Describe a typical day in the life of Lori Crete…

LOL! I get asked all the time: “Lori, how do you do it all?” The answer is systems and rituals. I also am a firm believer in the old saying, “The early bird gets the worm.”

I get up at 4:00 every morning and create content for my coaching programs, my blog, and my podcast. I go to the gym at 6:30 a.m. for about 45 minutes, and I know this gym time is what keeps me sane.

Monday and Tuesday I record the podcast, I do one-on-one private coaching sessions with fellow practitioners, and I see two–three VIP clients at a private studio. Thursday through Saturday I am in the spa for about 10–12 hours a day and will usually see 8–13 clients per day.

I am proud to say that within the last year I have starting investing in more self care and actually take time for lunch each day. Oh … did I forget to mention that I live in two places? I literally split my week, so half the week I am in Los Angeles and half the week I am two hours away in the desert. The two hours that I spend (each way) in my car I use wisely to invest in my knowledge and listen to lots of business books on the drive.

How do you stay grounded?

Family, friends, a 10-minute guided morning mediation, and an occasional massage.

What advice do you have for struggling estheticians reading this?

Do not give up. Instead, put on your beauty biz bravery hat and show up in a professional way. Invest in business skill sets that allow you to confidently attract clients, engineer referrals, and most important, that help you develop the mindset that you deserve to be successful.

For more information about Lori, you can check her out at TheEstheticianMentor. Lori actually has a 60-day challenge coaching program starting soon. If you join by 2/6/17, you can save $50.

Yours in service,
Lauren

Lauren Snow is a licensed esthetician and ASCP member.