Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1278890
find your dream career! ascpskincare.com/career-toolkits 23 beautybuzz ESTY TALK Tough Decisions Have you considered leaving the esthetics profession this year? Why or why not? VIA FACEBOOK I did. I thought about closing for a year, but then I got a PPP loan that motivated me to keep going. Victoria Prinzo Yes, because employers don't want to pay what you deserve and rental spaces charge too much! Angela Simmons My esthetics career started the same time as COVID. I am the only esthetician in my small town, so I've actually started getting busy these last two weeks. At first, I wanted to give up because I spent over $2,000 to get my room set up, and I wasn't making any money. I'm so glad I waited it out because I'm fully booked this week and filling up next week! Charlotte Hilding Absolutely not! I love what I do and how I make people feel. I've worked too hard to turn back now. Angelique Andrews-Hayden I've been contemplating a career change, which is unfortunate because right before the shutdown, I was booked out three months in advance and was no longer accepting new clients. I've been back a month, and I'm grateful that my books are four weeks out. But if we go back to Phase 1 and I get shut down again, I'm done. Kimberly Locklear Yes. I actually did close my business. I had rent to pay (landlord required payment regardless), and we were closed for so long, it made a major impact. Deana McConnell Yes. I, unfortunately, already have. I decided to take a step back for my safety. No job is worth my life. I have a friend who tested positive one week into returning back to her esthetician job. I will certainly return once it's deemed safe, but it's too risky now. Makenzie Gilson No. I actually left my part-time job and decided it was time to really go it alone. I have seen a shift in my customers wanting to support small businesses, and I felt that, even during a pandemic, now was the time to jump. I've never worked harder, but I've also never been happier. Regina Kurtz It hasn't crossed my mind to stop doing what I love! Have I wondered how my small business will survive? Absolutely! There are so many struggles that come with this field, but as long as I'm able to recover and continue, I will. We will need this human touch and interaction even more so when all of this slows down. Lori Cadett Comen No way! Our jobs go beyond skin, into mental health. Some women need the hour away to shut everything out, to decompress, to have someone to talk to about things they can't or don't want to tell anyone. I love what I do and all of my clients. I can't imagine leaving this industry! Brandy Swecker I think about it sometimes. People basically sneeze into our eyeballs. But I'd be devastated if I couldn't do skin care. Kelly K. Mueller VIA INSTAGRAM No! It might be tough at the moment, but I refuse to let this stop me from working in a field I love so much and am so passionate about. I own my own skin care studio and it's been hard, but acne will always be here, skin will always be here, and people will always want to feel pampered and get their skin in order. Therefore, the clientele will be there once this is all over. We just have to push a little harder and find other ways to make income outside of the treatment room at the moment. I will not give in to this pandemic. @uriaesthetics No, I am not leaving my career in esthetics this year. I've worked too hard and made too many sacrifices to walk away. Instead, I have shifted gears in my business. I've taken this time to gain more education, promote virtual consultations, and focus on retailing more products. As an esthetician, my job is to be with clients beyond the treatment room, and that's what I am doing. @28skincare