Master Injector and educator Video 

[00:00:00] Darine: Welcome to this week's episode of Beauty Babble. Today we're talking to Monica Sandar. She's a master injector and educator with nearly a decade of experience, and she's also the owner of Beauty Lab Clinics and Training Centers in Edmonton and Calgary. Monica, welcome. Thanks so much for joining us today. 

[00:00:20] Darine: Why don't you tell us a little bit more about yourself?  

[00:00:23] Monica: Sure. . So I've been in aesthetic nursing for like, like you said, about a decade. I started dabbling into it in 2013. I was new to Calgary and I also have a background. I always was in, into cosmetics. So I did makeup and hair all through high school, university. 

[00:00:43] Monica: I worked at Shopper's Beauty Boutique in Sephora. I worked for L'Oreal. And so I was just had this interest in, in artistry, makeup artistry and, and skin as well. I, I did work for some of the drugstore skincare lines like La Roche Posay and Vichy. So I [00:01:00] was interested in this In terms of skin and, and makeup and Botox and cosmetic injections were such a new thing 10 years ago in our world, at least. 

[00:01:12] Monica: I mean, it existed in like Hollywood, but you just felt like it was such a far stretch. It wasn't something people talked about here. And when I moved to Calgary, it was just part of my life. Being new to the city, you meet new people, there's new conversations, and I was doing makeup on someone, and she had amazing skin, and so we started talking about her skincare, and she actually happened to be a manager of aesthetic practice, which was also like a medispa, it was a new concept as well and we started chatting, and she started saying to me talked about Botox and I was, I was already a nurse. 

[00:01:44] Monica: I was just doing makeup for fun. And and so we got to chatting and I was like, you know, I, I've been interested in this concept of like cosmetic nursing or like doing Botox. And she gave me her card and was like, Well, reach out to me. 

[00:01:58] Monica: We're looking, we are looking to fill [00:02:00] a similar position in our clinic to have a nurse that provides cosmetic injections. So that's kind of where my first introduction or conversation around Botox started. And then from that point on, I just started to do a little bit more research about it. 

[00:02:14] Monica: It was, it was very hard to find information because of nurses doing injections and Botox that at that was such a new concept to our market back then. So there wasn't a lot of information online and even contacting like our college. They didn't have a lot of insight on it at that time either. 

[00:02:31] Monica: It was quite new and their regulations weren't very clear yet as to like how to navigate that. But through that interaction with that person I ended up a few months later They called me in for a interview and had said that they were interested in pursuing that position And I was interested in also trying it out. 

[00:02:50] Monica: So I went and in the interview She had asked me if be interested in learning more than just injectables. I'm like, yeah, [00:03:00] I'm here for like, I'm like a sponge. I'll learn anything kind of. And I was doing part, I had a part time position at the time in the hospital in dialysis. And I, I went to casual so I could take on this other new job which was, it's like a dream for nursing shift workers. 

[00:03:15] Monica: It's like Monday to Friday, no evenings, no weekends. It was like, this is great. And I get to do something fun. That I would really enjoy in terms of cosmetic injections and I show up to the first day of the job and I kind of I got a little bit of a setup actually I was going to be leading their weight loss program, but it was like the, back then when HCG was such a big thing, the HCG weight loss program where people would inject fertility hormone and, and restrict calories and they would lose, in like, I think it was in three weeks you can lose, 11 pounds or 11 to 17 pounds and in six weeks you can lose 20 to 30 pounds. 

[00:03:51] Monica: So basically the person who was running this program at that clinic had it was leaving or had quit and And she had thought of [00:04:00] me to come do this job. So I I got hired for a job. I didn't know I was getting for in some capacity And so I had I was like, okay. Well i'm here now. I'm just gonna have to roll with it and One thing led to another. 

[00:04:14] Monica: Through that clinic I started to become more exposed to Botox for medical purposes. Because the clinic was medical on one side and aesthetic on the other side. And the physician would constantly be asking for like an extra hand. His, his Physicians that book 40 patients a day, 15 minute appointments, you know how those days go. 

[00:04:33] Monica: So, he was constantly pulling me to assist him in the medical side and so, I started to do his medical Botox for migraines, as well as for hyperhidrosis, and just, Through that one opportunity, I started to go to events that were provided by the aesthetic laser companies or the aesthetic injectable companies, like, like the dinner services where you learn, they have a speaker and you learn things. 

[00:04:58] Monica: I started networking with other people [00:05:00] outside of that clinic. One thing led to another, one opportunity after another. Some were like dead ends and some were like interesting experiences. And so it just, Slowly started to grow my skills and just my own self learning around injectables at home to get more Insight on like what I could learn from what was available online at the time and I don't even know if there was really much for like Injectable training locally. 

[00:05:26] Monica: That was advertised at the time or available as readily as education is available now around injectables. I feel like you can find a weekend course almost everywhere now around injectables, which wasn't a thing back then. And I I actually had a unique opportunity where I was, I was I think it was on LinkedIn, maybe. 

[00:05:45] Monica: I don't remember now, but LASIK eye surgery. They used to have a aesthetic component. They it was called refresh md and they were all across canada So in their LASIK offices, they would have a room that was set up for injectables and [00:06:00] They were hiring nurses for that one clinic in calgary at the time and this isn't this is like unheard of now But they basically do it on the job training for an injector, which nobody does that anymore Now you have to train yourself and get ready and then get hired and continue Being trained on the job and not get paid for that part. 

[00:06:18] Monica: So it's very different, very unique. And I was lucky enough to have that opportunity, which Their interview process was quite extensive. They had an exam where I had to know do muscles and anatomy Which I studied on my own quite a lot thankfully and then the product knowledge So you you pass that first exam and then the second exam was an injecting interview And I'm someone who's not a regular injector at all But they wanted to see kind of I guess your rapport with patients and your confidence with the syringe whether or not you don't You know Botox thoroughly is not really what they were worried about I guess You In hindsight and so then I yeah, I succeeded in those two two phases of the interview and the the rest of it The trainer came down from montreal. 

[00:06:59] Monica: We're actually still [00:07:00] really good friends We always when we run into each other at conferences. I always call her my injection mom because she trained me And she calls her me her injection, baby but she's from montreal and she came and they did like I think it was like a Two week comprehensive training where they would offer family and friends right to the staff of the LASIK eye surgery department And then we would it was myself and there was another injector actually a colleague of mine here in Calgary He's a lone clinic too now and he also got hired at the same time and we both kind of learned at that at that opportunity and that's Kind of I feel like where I got the the gist of my initial experience, but everything in the last 10 years has been a lot of self study, self motivation, a lot of self investment or investment in other trainings around the world to get more and more experience. 

[00:07:49] Monica: Aesthetic Medicine is so great. It's still very new. As one of the, one of the specialties. So it's constantly evolving. There's constantly new new, new anatomy findings or new product [00:08:00] findings. So we're, we're still adjusting to a newer, newer science. And I think that that self study is so important for anyone of any level of experience. 

[00:08:09] Monica: I don't think that I know it all even to this date, even though I am well equipped and well experienced, I constantly love. Taking a few days a month where I just like stay home and I shut off and like Study things new think new articles or review things from conferences. I've been to I think that's super important And that's that's the kind of commitment that is required for someone to really be successful in in any any field, but especially this field whether you're an esthetician or you want to be an injector there's just so much with the human body and human anatomy and skin That is so intricate And I don't think that doing a weekend course or doing one, one conference is going to be enough to make you really, really stand out from the other providers and be successful. 

[00:08:56] Monica: So I don't know if I answered your question or I just went on a tangent there, but I [00:09:00] guess that's how I started and this is where I am. And through my journey, I was, I was always looking at when social media became such a thing education, I would see like These companies that would have these nurses that were injectors were also educators for them. 

[00:09:16] Monica: And it was like, in my mind, it was like, Oh, one day I want to be an educator. And I would just like, I didn't think that would happen. So kind of early in my career, I was, I started working for one of the companies that makes dresses called wrestling to sport. They're called GALJERMA. And. In, I think it was 2017 so three or four years into being an injector they had headhunted me to be an educator for them for Western Canada. 

[00:09:41] Monica: So my role was to go to clinics and show them how to use our products or our brand of neuromodulator or Botox. sister company like Dysport, which is now well known enough that people understand that Dysport is also a neuromodulator, before it was [00:10:00] just Botox, and also Restylane, which is one of the oldest fillers on the market. 

[00:10:05] Monica: So my role was to go in and train doctors and nurses in different provinces all the way up to Manitoba on how to use the gel or the other medication, but I would always find that Oftentimes I was teaching people how to just inject because they weren't well trained or they didn't have enough experience in the training. 

[00:10:25] Monica: They did a weekend course and maybe there was 10 people in the group and they all got to do one, like one portion of the face and not multiple times. It's just like one little poke and then step back in the next person. And I think the other detriment to those trainings is that if, If you are someone who's really shy, or someone who doesn't just jump in, you hinder your learning experience because then you don't get your hands dirty as much as maybe the rest of the people. 

[00:10:53] Monica: And sometimes in the combination of like doctors and nurses, I think that doctors can still be more overpowering just by their [00:11:00] existence, not that they're trying to be. And nurses pull back because there's doctors in the room. And they, that also expands Affects their learning outcomes. So yeah, I was finding that I was constantly teaching people how to do the service, not just use the product, which wasn't my role. 

[00:11:14] Monica: It was supposed to be like, here's how you use the gel, but it's like, here how, here's how to inject. So there was a lot of that I was finding across from BC all the way to Manitoba. And then in my mind I was like, one day I want to do my own training program, but I didn't again think it was gonna happen. 

[00:11:28] Monica: I was thinking like five years down the line. Kind of thing. I didn't imagine it to happen as quickly as it did. And my, my goal with education was I didn't want to Compromise the quality of the training. It wasn't for, it wasn't for the monetary outcome. For me, it was like, I want people to have a very comprehensive training. 

[00:11:47] Monica: training experience. And so I don't do group trainings and to this day we still hold that, that value. We don't train multiple people. We don't do group weekend trainings. It is a one to one experience for each [00:12:00] of our students, physicians, doctors, nurses whoever wants to train, we, that legally can in Alberta. 

[00:12:06] Monica: We do take them on and The one thing is it's one on one. The second thing is we do a screening call for anyone that's interested in education just so that they Know what they're signing up for because this is not a side hustle This is not something you can dabble in lightly and be successful so we do have a Initial phone call with anybody that's interested in becoming an injector to let them know the realities of the industry before they make that large investment and know what they're signing up for before we sign them off for any, any additional training. 

[00:12:41] Monica: And we set those expectations right from the beginning. So that's how the Academy came to be. And now we've been doing the Academy for almost six years, and I've been practicing as an injector for about 10 years. I would say. I think I've really gone really [00:13:00] long with your question. I'm so sorry.  

[00:13:03] Suzanne: No, it's great. 

[00:13:04] Suzanne: I think it's awesome. That's a detailed journey, which I think is important to see how much you've invested in your own time for this. Is amazing. So, you know, yes, that's an applauding moment. I think people don't realize that. And you're, you're right. I mean, there's, we've heard and seen in this industry when things go wrong. 

[00:13:28] Suzanne: And. It comes down to training, like you said, that it's important to understand that just because you're a nurse or whatever, that is, you're able to do the injection. Should you be doing it? What type of experience do you need? And I, it could just be a society thing we're in now. I find that a lot of people don't quite understand what's involved in it. 

[00:13:50] Suzanne: And I think it's pretty easy to do. And maybe that's part of it. And that seems to be other than if you need some sort of a licensing aspect, then. You know, to be a nurse or to be a [00:14:00] doctor. Yeah, I think  

[00:14:01] Monica: that social media has been like, for a lot of people, personal and professional, it's a double edged sword. 

[00:14:07] Monica: There's the positives of social media and there's the negatives, I think, or the pros and cons, I would, not necessarily negative, but I think some of the cons when you see aesthetic providers on social media and you may be maybe a nurse working at the hospital or someone who's doing shift work or doesn't really love acute health care anymore, you see this other side and you're like, well, they have All this free time looks like they make their own schedule. 

[00:14:30] Monica: They, you know, have, have they look like they're financially doing well. And it looks like it's fun, but that's why we do that initial phone call to say, like, first of all, you have to be on social media. So if you're someone who doesn't. Think that's capable of, you're capable of that. You probably shouldn't even sign up for this training because everything's on social media. 

[00:14:52] Monica: Now your plumbers are on social media. Like all of these service providers, you're looking for them on, like, nobody is going to the internet as much as they are on [00:15:00] Instagram to find services like bakeries and, and cake makers. And anything is like more on Instagram than I think people go on yellow pages or, you know, Google per se. 

[00:15:10] Monica: So that's the one thing is like, you have to be okay with people Being on social media and putting yourself out there and if you're not then that's one detriment to your success the other thing is like it is not what you see like We all everyone always says instagram is the highlight reel of your life. 

[00:15:25] Monica: So it's not what you see on social media There's so much on the back end of it that you have to Be okay with investing and putting that in that you have to have that grit and that experience that willingness To do all the back end stuff in order to get what you see on the highlight reel. Can you elaborate  

[00:15:41] Suzanne: on that a little bit, Monica? 

[00:15:43] Suzanne: Can you elaborate? What does that actually mean to, to, if you can give an example maybe, or?  

[00:15:49] Monica: One, like, simply just, Having a social media page is one part, but going on it every week, you know, at least a story and a post every week, if not more, [00:16:00] that's your commitment. Constantly, the algorithm is always working against us in a lot of ways. 

[00:16:08] Monica: So like constantly trying to work with the algorithm. So you're trying to like put out content that isn't, you know, with being creative, I guess, and with, with the information you're trying to deliver versus just. Just like I'm gonna put a bunch of before and afters of Botox, which everyone knows what Botox does now. 

[00:16:26] Monica: It takes away the wrinkles. It's not new information anymore. If you put a before and after of someone's forehead looking wrinkly and then smooth, everyone knows what Botox is gonna do. But what, what are you doing differently than the next provider? How are you educating your, your, your target market for them to want to come see you versus the next person. 

[00:16:46] Monica: So it's not a matter of just being on social media. It's also being more creative and tapping into the right market that you want to tap into as a provider so that you connect with your people. So that in itself, like social media in itself is a job. [00:17:00] So wanting to do that and be passionate about it and not just getting on there and throwing something half assed. 

[00:17:08] Monica: Making a post or using AI or using, you know recycled content and just repeating what everybody else is doing is not going to make you successful. And then people, people constantly butt heads with themselves. They're like, I'm doing it, but I'm not getting anything. And it's like, but you're not doing it a hundred percent. 

[00:17:24] Monica: You're doing like, you know, a 50 percent job and expecting an a hundred percent outcome. And it's like, consistency matters. Frequency matters, quality matters, and so that's one part of, like, the job that people get frustrated with or they don't know enough about and they think that they'll be, they'll be okay. 

[00:17:43] Monica: Some people are successful without social media because of the network and that, that is not for everyone, though. Like, some people have a huge community and they don't need to be on social media as actively as the next person but that's not everyone. You're not going to get. Your books fold just just [00:18:00] organically unless like for myself, I I will say now that i've been doing this for a long time I don't feel the pressure to I mean I have to make a post I have to be on social media Because i've built a reputation around my experience experience enough that I don't rely on social media heavily to build my books, but that comes with time. 

[00:18:21] Monica: So that any new provider, whether you're an esthetician, hairstylist, any service provider has to know that they, they need to put that upfront commitment. You almost have to, if you're like, I would advise someone who's considering any of these service provider types of careers to plan to have an X amount of hours a week, that's dedicated to your social media and to your brand. 

[00:18:46] Monica: And like be passionate and excited about it. Don't just think of it as a chore because then you're not going to enjoy it. You're not, then you're going to produce not great quality posts or content, [00:19:00] and you're not going to get great quality results. So that's one thing I think and the other thing is like Education like it's not going to be one weekend course. 

[00:19:09] Monica: It's not going to be one webinar. It's going to be constant learning and you have to commit financially and time wise and also like Enjoy the learning process. Those are the two biggest things I would say that can hinder someone's success as a provider and, and treating it as a side hustle. 

[00:19:27] Monica: That's the third thing. Like, I can appreciate it. Initially, people were not. Leaving the hospital fully to become an injector because you have to build your build your books build that financial stability but if you're coming into the mindset, like I love my hospital job But I just want to do something fun on the side. 

[00:19:44] Monica: This isn't a fun side thing These are people's faces you're working with medical Medication and medical implants like filler is considered a foreign implant. So it's not just a It's not like you're doing, you know, nail, nail salon [00:20:00] stuff that you can do it casually and not, and not have, you know, negative outcomes. 

[00:20:04] Monica: It's something that requires, I would say, 100 percent commitment if you're going to do it. And I can appreciate, like I said in the beginning, that you might need to do, you know, a 70 30 split between your hospital job and this. And then over time, that, that ratio should change if your end goal is to be a successful aesthetic provider. 

[00:20:25] Darine: That's awesome. When you were talking about social media, I was like, yes, that's what I keep saying. I a hundred percent agree with you, like, and I think it's interesting that that is part of your screening for. People who are considering taking the course because it is really important and we've encountered a lot of times estheticians or different Beauty pros that really just see social media as kind of like the side thing Or they put up a post and like you said, why isn't it getting engagement? , but What what else I heard you say was that you know? [00:21:00] Finding what makes you unique, like why you to be to set you apart. Can you, can you tell us, like, about your own journey with social media? Like, did you start doing your own and now have somebody else that does it? 

[00:21:13] Darine: Or what does that look like for you now? And how has it evolved?  

[00:21:17] Monica: So, when I first started, like I was, Instagram was, like, you start, you start Business Instagram started like to blow up kind of like I guess Luckily around the same time I was becoming an injector So that was really nice for me in that way that I was like also growing with instagram As a provider and like it was still very new this concept of like business And like selling yourself on online but I like, and it's funny, my manager always tells our staff and even like students, like she, because she, when she took over like our clinic page, she's like, there's still memories that come up from years ago where it's just me on the phone just talking about, Hey guys, I'm going to microneedle myself, like, watch me do this and like, Talk about all the benefits and like, [00:22:00] constantly I was on, my face was on screen. 

[00:22:03] Monica: And you just have to get out there. Like, I know there's like, I'm not a, I'm, I'm not a big extrovert, contrary to what a lot of people believe, but I actually am an introvert. But I, on social media, you almost have to like, Fake it till you make it and just show up because people people want to see you not like an Stock image of microneedling and then a long essay about microneedling. 

[00:22:26] Monica: They can just google it They can read it online if they really want to read things they want to connect with The type of person you are, they want to connect with like how your energy might feel to them. Are you super nerdy or super medical and that might that might scare them away? Do you come across as you know what you're saying or you know what you're doing? 

[00:22:46] Monica: Can you take care of them? If there was a negative outcome, they want to feel reassured by how you show up. And I think that like in the beginning I did a lot of that. And there was no rules with social media back then there was no [00:23:00] algorithms and no like Reels and all these like canva wasn't a thing back then like everything was just like you just made it and you ran with it It was didn't have to be pretty. 

[00:23:10] Monica: So I I can appreciate where the people have this like apprehension to get online because they're like, oh, what if my my reel isn't clean enough or what if my Branding isn't like perfect enough to like match whatever everyone else is doing out there, but that just comes with time and over like over time i've evolved i've learned How to make proper content Whether it's myself or my social media person doing it for me. 

[00:23:38] Monica: I mean, I will say like a lot of my feed is more curated because she does most of that. I still go on my stories because I still want to connect with my people. So I, I don't want to lose that. There was a bit of period of time where it was so busy between like the clinics and education that I wasn't online as much. 

[00:23:55] Monica: Personally and so I fell off in terms of like coming on my stories and [00:24:00] talking as much as I used to I still did And now now I have more space out of the way Like we've kind of settled our business and organized kind of the units we now have I have space to be Online more be more present And I I do I can't say I love being online. 

[00:24:16] Monica: It's not like I I love it, but I do it and I do get really good feedback I I randomly did like a get ready with me skincare thing when I was on the road trading in winnipeg a couple months ago and oh There's all these people that are so informational. I was talking about like Skincare and products and ingredients or something and and I was like, I should probably do that more often And sometimes you just like get in a rut and life happens you you fall off But you just got to pick it back up versus like being hard on yourself. 

[00:24:44] Monica: Like I need to have it perfect I don't did it. I didn't do it for three months. People probably forgot about me. You just got to get out there I think that's the biggest thing is we get in our own way a lot of the time Comparing to other people that that skin [00:25:00] person or that injector has such perfect Reels or her information is so well curated all of that stuff is just you're just getting in your own way you're going to connect with your people and your people are always going to find you It's not, I mean, I don't think there's such a thing as competition I think that you will find your people and your people will find you in terms of your clientele, in terms of your, you know Students your colleagues, whatever you're what you're seeking online if you show up authentically that's the biggest thing is when you try to so hard to be something You're not that also shows up online very easily, too so I think that for me, it's just like I just did it because there was like, like I said, there was no rules. 

[00:25:38] Monica: There's no comparison. There was no templates back then and then that's That was a blessing in disguise probably compared to what it is now where there's all this like All this pressure almost to have like the perfect feed and the perfect content and the all the right things I also think that social media has grown so much and there's the negatives of it where like, you know, there's a lot of maybe like [00:26:00] comparison where or like a lot of people might You judge or have have Have their own opinions of you know someone who's like if I was saying My view on let's say an injectable service and there's going to be 10 up 10 people that probably don't agree with me And some people will become Be be more Open about their opinions and then that can that can be a detriment to someone who wanted to show up on social media as well so I think like the reality is we all have our own style of injecting or being a skin provider or whatever we're doing We all have hopefully Are practicing ethically and safely. 

[00:26:36] Monica: So Your, your patients are not going to be the same patients as the next injector and that's totally okay. We're not, we're not here to take from each other. It's like there's a lot of room for everyone to grow if you, if you genuinely and authentically want to grow and you do put in all the work like in the back end, like I've said, the social media, the ongoing studying, just the, the true passion for it. 

[00:26:59] Suzanne: I love that that you [00:27:00] said there's room for everyone. I do have a question for you, because there's a lot of people coming into the industry as a service provider at all different levels. Some are aspiring to have their own medical spa one day, but they're not medically trained. They're not a nurse, right? 

[00:27:16] Suzanne: They're not a doctor. They're an esthetician who's So when someone is taking their courses and trying to get to that level, they know they need to have someone like yourself hired in or contracted in. Is there any advice that you would give them on? Like, what does the steps look like to, to aspire to that one day if you wish so that it becomes reputable? 

[00:27:37] Suzanne: Because I would say, don't do it.  

[00:27:41] Monica: Just be a service provider and enjoy your craft. You know, it's not as exciting as it sounds. So do you think  

[00:27:50] Suzanne: that it's just from, you know, the social media and the big look of it all that it looks so fun and fancy that they're being attracted  

[00:27:56] Monica: to that  

[00:27:57] Suzanne: or?  

[00:27:58] Monica: Yeah, I think that they're, I mean, [00:28:00] like, you know. 

[00:28:00] Monica: Being a, being an entrepreneur, being self. Self employed, not being, not having a corporate job, like, those are things that are becoming more and more mainstream. Like, I remember when I went to, when I was in high school and everyone was like, So what's next for you? Like, what are you doing? I'm like, I want to be a cosmetologist. 

[00:28:16] Monica: And she was like, there's no way. You're going to do some random job. That's not your career. Go get a real job. And so, it wasn't even recognized as a thing. So I, then I went and got my nursing degree. Now I can do whatever I want, as she says. Now, like cosmetology is like an actually recognized career path for people. 

[00:28:36] Monica: It's not like it was just like a side fun thing that you just dabbled in. So I think those, all of these factors make it favorable to maybe have a brick and mortar own something or say something is mine and be proud of it. But you could do really well. Just being a service provider in a small studio at a small scale without all the the stress and the [00:29:00] intricacies and the issues of like overhead and staff management and All the all the costs that come in like it takes a long time for a Break and mortar clinic to actually be profitable and that's what I think people also don't realize is like the first like It's not this is not the case for everyone, but for a long time I would say like at least a year or two if not more You're probably gonna maybe break even or maybe make some money You're also coming in a market that's saturated. 

[00:29:30] Monica: The reality is there are, there are a lot of providers out there, a lot, a lot of clinics. And patients are also getting smarter. Clients are also getting more well informed to select certain providers. They're not just going anywhere for Botox anymore. They're not just going anywhere for a facial. 

[00:29:48] Monica: They are, they are getting more educated, more empowered to seek the right provider. And so these, you know, Random shops that keep popping off because they [00:30:00] can they're not necessarily going to last through like it's like going to be survival of the best or survival of the fittest and over time We're going to see a shift in the in in the beauty industry where if you're not doing it Ethically, you're not doing it enough. 

[00:30:14] Monica: You're not doing it authentically Those things are going to show up in your business or your practice and you are going to fall off That's just going to happen. That's the natural evolution of beauty Where I think things are going to go so I I don't know if it's I I I might be biased to say that Because it sounds like I have clinics and I wanted them, but I didn't that's another story. 

[00:30:35] Monica: But I would rather if you know If it's all up to me I would have one little studio for myself and see my people and educate people and just do my thing solo I love my team. I love my staff. They're great people this one thing to know about Being a aesthetic provider or clinic owner in any capacity esthetician Or skin clinic injection clinic, whatever you are hair salon There's always going to be staff turnover [00:31:00] and you have to be okay with that. 

[00:31:01] Monica: People are going to come, they're going to spend some time with you. They're going to learn some things. They're going to go and do their own thing. Cause everyone will see it off from the inside of like, Oh, it seems like this is easy. They seem like they're making good money here. Let me go do it myself. 

[00:31:13] Monica: No, no bad blood, nothing against the people that come and go, but that's just the That is the reality that you have to be okay with if you're going to open any sort of a clinic, spa, hair salon, is that you are going to be at the mercy of your employees or contractors at all times. And if you're okay with that, there are people who are through and through passionate, like, I want to be a leader and I want to lead people, and that is, that is That, that is my M. 

[00:31:36] Monica: O. and I, that makes me feel fulfilled. Then I would say, go ahead, open a clinic. But if you're constantly going to be stressed about like, she's going to leave and then what am I going to do now to find another person? And, and, and it's, it, for some people it starts to feel personal. Like they're like, my staff don't like me. 

[00:31:52] Monica: They, they're leaving all the time. That's not going to bode well for you long term, and I would not go down that journey then, at that point. I would, [00:32:00] I would say be a solo provider.  

[00:32:02] Suzanne: Right, so that leads me,, to another question then. So let's say, you have someone who is going to just stick to doing their aesthetics and they do it well, but they want to learn more from someone like you so that they can supplement, meaning help their skin, help through this. 

[00:32:21] Suzanne: What would you recommend if I was an aesthetician and I want to work with my clients who are getting these services done from you, let's say, how can I do better in my treatment room to support the services that they're getting from you? Let's say,  

[00:32:34] Monica: I think, I don't know what aesthetic training is like. I mean, I think it's a very good on the spectrum of like nothing to very comprehensive as, as I discussed here. 

[00:32:44] Monica: I don't know what component of Injectable services is covered in the aesthetic training, if any. Oh, sorry, not  

[00:32:51] Suzanne: for them to do injectable. It's like if I have a client coming in for facial treatments waxing, or maybe  

[00:32:58] Monica: In aesthetic school, do they even [00:33:00] cover like, what is Botox? How does it work? How does it work with inject Yeah, that's what I'm saying. 

[00:33:04] Monica: It's like, I don't It's only,  

[00:33:05] Darine: it's only covered as like a, what not to do if somebody has Wait two weeks, or whatever.  

[00:33:11] Suzanne: Contraindication or be aware of kind of idea. So much more devices and equipments and things like that, that they're putting into their services, microneedling and nanos, the nanoneedling, the stamping, the lasers, the, because estheticians can get ahold of these machines to a certain level. 

[00:33:33] Suzanne: If it's not medical, like there's, they're, they're very good at having equipment for everybody at a doctor level to an esthetician level. So, you know, they're, they're doing all types of treatments, if you wish, even like I said, with equipment. So other than, I guess I'm saying, because you want to be educated. 

[00:33:54] Suzanne: So how does it support their current treatments? Like, is there some advice? I know we've mentioned [00:34:00] it.  

[00:34:00] So I think if you're going to be a solo provider and you want to get, be more holistic and be more well informed for yourself and for your patients or clients one is to seek that extra education around injectables and lasers and skincare and skin products. 

[00:34:18] Monica: And two is maybe consider if you don't want to fully open up like a full clinic clinic But there are a lot of solo injectors out there as well that you can maybe partner up with and like maybe you guys Room share or studio share together or you just have a working relationship where you openly can refer to each other Patients and clients and say okay. 

[00:34:40] Monica: I trust so and so like I do this in cali. We have We don't have lasers in our clinics. You And so I I collaborate with a clinic here in Calgary and we they do a fully lasers. They don't do They only do botox. They don't do filler. And so we have a like a co creation opportunity there where I will Send them clients for like RF [00:35:00] microneedling or like IPL or any kind of laser that I think would be beneficial to my patient and with that again There's a underlying, you know program where they get certain savings as a result of being a beauty lab client and so That's something that I think I would advise someone who's a skin therapist to a consider looking For out for more education, maybe we'll do this together with Beauty Bevel. 

[00:35:24] Monica: And or Beauty Cult and or also partnering up with like, you know, maybe you have an instructor that you go to and you really love them. And so work with them and say, hey, do you want to co create and collaborate and let's, let's take our patients results to the next level. That would be probably my advice to, to really get your patients the best outcome. 

[00:35:43] Suzanne: That's great advice. I think that's something that we've tried many times in our conversation, especially through Beauty Babble is, is how do you work with everyone and together? And like you said, there's room for everyone, but again, finding the right establishment that kind of meets the same, [00:36:00] you know, journey that you're thinking or, or what your business mindset is, or, you know, you're the whole thing. 

[00:36:07] Suzanne: I love that.  

[00:36:08] Suzanne: Do you have anything else, Darine, that you want to share or ask?  

[00:36:11] Darine: I'm going to go back to the social media thing. 

[00:36:13] Darine: Do you provide training for people in your program? When they speak it. Yeah, so that's a  

[00:36:18] Monica: component of our training is they do get with my social media manager, they get a I think it's one, two 45 minute Zoom calls which help them lay their groundwork. You know, like, this is the apps you should be getting, like, you should be on Canva, you should get PicsArt for your before and afters. 

[00:36:36] Monica: This is kind of like a template you can follow to create a bio. So we, we do try to set them up for success in that way, but like, Social media as you guys know and everyone knows now is social media is a job in itself. So you either have to want to either pay somebody to do it if you don't want to do it and just be okay that you're gonna have to invest in that or take the extra time to learn it. 

[00:36:59] Monica: And those [00:37:00] are really the two ways and the only ways to to grow on social media is do it or self or get some pay someone to do it, but just don't don't not do it.  

[00:37:08] Darine: Basically. I like that though, because I think I mean, when I took my training, It was people weren't doing social media like it is now, but I wonder if even aesthetic programs if they do offer social media training because it like you said at the beginning, it's such a big component of just be it should be part of like your business plan is how you show up on social media. 

[00:37:33] Monica: Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I can't speak about other programs. But that's something that I've always added in our program. Like our training is, is, is one on one. You have a mentorship program and you have social media insights. That's something that three components that make us stand out from the others. 

[00:37:52] Monica: We also have more of a weekend course. They may or may not have an internship. We also take pride in bringing our students back to just [00:38:00] do the follow ups of their models that they treat in training. They, we've actually had such a high demand of patient, our students come from other programs like weekend trainings to the point in the last three years we've had hundreds of calls and we created a whole program called the refresher program. 

[00:38:16] Monica: Program for anyone else who's taking a training elsewhere and now needs more help because They they were like we're lost. We don't know what to do We're not ready to pick up a needle and poke someone's face But we don't want to give up because we started this. We i'm passionate about Finishing this journey that I started on and so there's been such a huge demand for that which i'm not going to say anything about the other programs But I think it just that in itself reflects like, you know, the quality and the differences of of training in the market so I think doing that research is so important to see what you're getting out of training. 

[00:38:50] Monica: Things to look for is how much, how many people are, are going to be in the training? How much are you going to be injecting? What is there after like follow up offerings or a follow [00:39:00] up after two weeks that you can see the patients you treated? Do they have an internship? Do they have social media components? 

[00:39:06] Monica: Can you contact your educators afterwards for advice? Can you, is there business support? There's so many elements that need to be addressed and I don't think they are. I've definitely made it like a. Intentional effort to make sure we do that through and through every single time and i've also like birthed kind of a newer element to my business called monica method and in that whole realm I do business consulting for Aesthetic providers who want to start on this journey For anybody who wants to open a clinic and they they don't know where to start like what kind of licensing do I need? 

[00:39:43] Monica: What kind of policy procedures do I need? What kind of contracts do I need to hire? What do I pay my people? What are the skincare products I should be ordering? Where do I get these things? Where do I get my consumables? So if if you know if you are Truly interested in going down that road like we can do a deep dive of your [00:40:00] business and how to make you a successful business I've been through hundreds of clinics across like Western Canada. 

[00:40:05] Monica: I've seen what works what doesn't work I constantly see all the things that they lack It's not my job to tell them because that's not what I'm there for but I come home and I'm just like oh I wish I could help them. I wish I could tell them like this is where you get your supplies This is how you should set up your room Like they're running around looking for gauze in different rooms and like, yeah, it's it's Sometimes so chaotic like the workflow is there and I'm like this could be so much better if I could help you But I don't ever want to overstep in someone else's business Everyone's business is their own right so it can I don't want it to ever feel like I'm attacking anyone So I never openly divulge into like you should do this and you should do this, but I wish I could  

[00:40:44] Suzanne: Yes, totally understand what you're saying there. 

[00:40:48] Suzanne: This has been great. That's great. One  

[00:40:52] Darine: last thing is just if anyone wants to get a hold of you or connect with you, how can they reach out?  

[00:40:59] Monica: They can [00:41:00] go through our, my website. So it's themonicamethod. ca or they could hit me up on Instagram at the dot Monica method. If anyone's interested in services beautylab. 

[00:41:10] Monica: av is our clinic side and our academy is beauty lab academy. So those are kind of all the different elements.  

[00:41:17] Darine: Fantastic. And I'll have all those links in the show notes as well. Thanks so much for joining us today..