Clear Complexions Co

Clear Complexions Co: Last year we brought in about $120,000.

Andrew: And that was the first full year?

Clear Complexions Co: That was the first full year.

Clear Complexions Co: And then this year, we’ve already hit like our high.

Andrew: This is Lauren, and she’s on track to hit over $200,000 a year in just her second year of business doing facials.

Andrew: She’s rubbing two balls on her face.

Andrew: Yeah, that’s how I feel.

Andrew: And it’s because she understands it’s more than just doing facials.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s not just the art of doing skincare or doing services, it’s how do you actually run a business?

Andrew: But to get to where she is now, her journey was not easy.

Clear Complexions Co: I was working five, six days a week and taking six clients a day each.

Andrew: Filled with a lot of obstacles.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s coming to that point where I’m like reaching my end, where like there’s just one obstacle happening after the other.

Andrew: Pushing her to her limits.

Clear Complexions Co: But no matter what you do, okay, I need a break.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughs)

Andrew: My name is Andrew, and today we’re exploring what it takes to grow a facial spa, and also what it feels like to get a facial.

Andrew: Lauren, what can you tell me about your childhood to help me understand who you are today?

Clear Complexions Co: I grew up with a lot of skin issues.

Clear Complexions Co: So I was actually born with eczema, to the point where I was using steroids every day, going to dermatologists every day.

Clear Complexions Co: And I would say it deeply impacted my childhood.

Clear Complexions Co: It was really to the point where I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do certain activities and all of that.

Clear Complexions Co: I grew up with so much health issues, skin issues.

Clear Complexions Co: I grew up with endometriosis.

Clear Complexions Co: I only got diagnosed like three years ago.

Clear Complexions Co: So I had debilitating pain like every single month once I started my period when I was about 12.

Clear Complexions Co: I would say I had a really happy childhood though.

Clear Complexions Co: I have a sister, I have my parents, and they’re just a fun bunch to be around.

Andrew: So I know you went to do marketing first, right?

Andrew: Is that right?

Andrew: At BCIT?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Andrew: But at the same time, you also went to Blanche Macdonald, which is a, is that like a beauty makeup school?

Clear Complexions Co: Yes.

Clear Complexions Co: So I actually started in the makeup program.

Clear Complexions Co: I did a six month program in bridal makeup.

Clear Complexions Co: So I did that when I was like 19 years old.

Clear Complexions Co: And I just did it for fun.

Clear Complexions Co: And I realized, you know, I don’t think it was just for me.

Clear Complexions Co: I don’t think I was kind of creative in that way.

Clear Complexions Co: It just wasn’t my thing.

Clear Complexions Co: So then I decided to go into the aesthetics program ’cause that was like a full year full time.

Andrew: You were doing Blanche Macdonald and then you actually started to work as an aesthetician at a studio?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Andrew: Or at a spa?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah, so I worked at a spa, it’s called Formula Fig.

Clear Complexions Co: Me going in, I was like, I was thinking of what could be beyond this.

Clear Complexions Co: So when I was there, like I was only 19 or 20, 21 at the time.

Clear Complexions Co: And I was taking in everything, like how management would treat their employees, how they would talk to customers, how would they solve things that things weren’t going right?

Clear Complexions Co: How would they figure that, figure those things out?

Clear Complexions Co: Because that’s part of the whole business too.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s not just the art of doing skincare or doing services.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s how do you actually run a business?

Clear Complexions Co: And I was trying to take in all that information and analyze everything around me.

Andrew: Were you always entrepreneurial?

Clear Complexions Co: You know, my parents say I was.

Clear Complexions Co: I didn’t think I was.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s a funny story, but in Blanche, I remember we had someone come in to speak about starting your own business and they were coming in for marketing type of stuff.

Clear Complexions Co: And they asked, “Who wants to own their own business?” I was the only one that didn’t put my hand up.

Andrew: Oh, interesting.

Clear Complexions Co: I was the only one that didn’t put my hand up because I still had that mindset of growing up of I want to have a nine to five.

Clear Complexions Co: I want to have health benefits.

Clear Complexions Co: I want security with my life.

Clear Complexions Co: But as an aesthetician, you don’t really make a lot.

Clear Complexions Co: So I think for me, it was mainly, like I wanted just to create a path for myself.

Clear Complexions Co: I wanted to see where it would go.

Clear Complexions Co: And my parents were like, why don’t you just start?

Clear Complexions Co: Luckily I had a room in my house where we had a private entrance.

Clear Complexions Co: I transformed that room into my spa room.

Andrew: You mentioned a blog post by Blanche Macdonald, and I’ll read it to you here.

Andrew: But quote, “I’m young, so if I try and fail, “then at least I can say I tried.

Andrew: “But I know myself too well.

Andrew: “Failure wasn’t an option.” Reading that, I was like inspired already.

Andrew: But were you always like that?

Andrew: Where did that sense of courage and persistence come from?

Clear Complexions Co: Probably my parents.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah, they’re very like, no matter what you do, I’m gonna tear up.

Clear Complexions Co: but no matter what you do, okay, I need to break.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughs)

Clear Complexions Co: I’m on my period too, it doesn’t help.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughs)

Andrew: Take your time, do you need water?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah, I’m just gonna grab water.

Clear Complexions Co: When I did the interview with Blanche, it was online, so I could like, and then come back.

Andrew: You could close it up.

Clear Complexions Co: Okay, I’m good.

Andrew: Yeah, take a breath, it’s okay.

Andrew: We got lots of time.

Clear Complexions Co: Okay.

Clear Complexions Co: The sacrifices my family had to make, especially being in that spare bedroom in our house, like they had to be quiet.

Clear Complexions Co: They had to be really quiet.

Clear Complexions Co: ‘Cause especially like in the kitchen or anything like that, like you had to be making sure that there was no noise.

Clear Complexions Co: So I think with that, that was a huge sacrifice.

Clear Complexions Co: ‘Cause that was about almost a year and a half that I was at home of working.

Clear Complexions Co: They have always told my sister and I growing up, it’s like, you choose what you wanna do, but you do it to the best you can, yeah.

Andrew: How did that first year of business go for you?

Clear Complexions Co: It was tough, you know, like, there were times of doubt for sure, where I was like, is this for me?

Clear Complexions Co: Is it even worth it?

Clear Complexions Co: Like all this stress that I was kind of going through, but I kind of just stuck with it and was like, let’s just see where it goes.

Clear Complexions Co: And I luckily have a huge community around me.

Clear Complexions Co: I have a lot of friends and family here.

Clear Complexions Co: I was a dancer, so I had a lot of friends in the dance community.

Clear Complexions Co: So I was able to build a community really quick and then Instagram played a huge part as well.

Clear Complexions Co: So I just stuck with it.

Clear Complexions Co: It was tough for the first six months ’cause you have maybe two, three clients a week sort of thing, but I put myself out there.

Clear Complexions Co: I made sure that I got help from other people who were better at things that I was better, or not as good at, and I just tried to get expertise.

Clear Complexions Co: And I still was taking classes.

Clear Complexions Co: They have online masterclasses that happen all around the world, and I was still continuing my education.

Andrew: So when did you start your business?

Clear Complexions Co: I started in April 2022.

Andrew: So 2022 was your first partial year, and then the first full year was 2023.

Andrew: Okay.

Andrew: You said your first full year, you made over six figures.

Andrew: Can you give me the rough breakdown of each year from 2022 to now?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Clear Complexions Co: So in 2022, it was only about from April to December.

Clear Complexions Co: that was like our full fiscal year.

Clear Complexions Co: That was like maybe, yeah, like 60, 70,000.

Clear Complexions Co: Last year we brought in about, I would say $120,000.

Andrew: Wow, okay.

Andrew: And that was the first full year.

Clear Complexions Co: That was the first full year, yeah.

Clear Complexions Co: And then this year we’ve already hit like our 120,000, 30,000 mark.

Andrew: We are at a facial spa, so of course, Of course I had to get a nice facial from Lauren here.

Andrew: Lauren has kindly offered to do a little treatment and a bit of a consult.

Andrew: We’ll see how it goes.

Clear Complexions Co: What are some things that you kind of want to work on?

Clear Complexions Co: Do you have any concerns with your skin?

Andrew: I have acne.

Andrew: I’ve actually, I’ve been on Accutane two times.

Clear Complexions Co: Okay.

Andrew: ‘Cause it’s always gone back.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Andrew: I don’t want to do it again.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Andrew: So I guess the concern is mainly the acne.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Clear Complexions Co: So like Accutane, kind of what we were talking about earlier with steroids, band-aid effect.

Clear Complexions Co: That’s why when you went off of it, it came back.

Clear Complexions Co: Usually for us, we like to take the holistic approach, do facials.

Clear Complexions Co: I go into diet with clients as well about what could be triggering it, like dairy, gluten.

Clear Complexions Co: But for today, we’re just going to rehydrate the skin because from what I see right now, it looks a little bit dehydrated, which is pretty normal for someone who has been on Accutane.

Clear Complexions Co: So we’re going to get started with our first cleanse.

Clear Complexions Co: So we like to mix relaxation with results.

Clear Complexions Co: That’s something that I really didn’t like growing up is either you went to a spa where it was all relaxation and they’re just putting whatever on your face or a place that’s so result-oriented that there is no relaxation.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s very in and out.

Clear Complexions Co: So that’s why we have the holistic side, but we also have the medical side like with our lasers and our technologies.

Andrew: I’m very relaxed.

Clear Complexions Co: I know, I can tell.

Clear Complexions Co: Usually about 95% of our clients fall asleep.

Clear Complexions Co: Like full on sleep apnea snoring.

Andrew: I can’t even.

Clear Complexions Co: And it’s the best compliment I ever get when they fall asleep.

Samson: You look so beautiful.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughs)

Clear Complexions Co: So this is an exfoliation.

Clear Complexions Co: So this one has like papaya and pineapple, which is really good for exfoliating the skin without it being too harsh.

Samson: This is actually the only reason why Andy started this business interview series.

Samson: So yeah, he brings stuff.

Andrew: I guess you guys don’t have to keep rolling.

Samson: Oh, we’re rolling.

Andrew: Oh, okay.

Samson: It’s funny.

Samson: This is funny?

Samson: Yeah, this is all content.

Clear Complexions Co: Okay, so we’re gonna let it sit for about, we’ll just do it for a couple minutes.

Clear Complexions Co: Your skin is glowing already.

Andrew: When did you get your two employees?

Andrew: The first two.

Clear Complexions Co: January. So I was actually still working at home and I got them to work out of my home for a little bit because it was a private entrance but then I knew it wasn’t like sustainable long-term. I just like I couldn’t keep up with demand and I knew the pace that I was going at with me working all the time it just wasn’t sustainable. We had to hire more because we’re just getting a little bit busier and I’m wanting to take a bit more of a step back as well.

Clear Complexions Co: Is it feeling okay?

Andrew: Yeah. What’s this?

Clear Complexions Co: So this is a mask.

Clear Complexions Co: This is going to help with the breakouts.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s also going to help calm the skin and help with any dehydration as well.

Clear Complexions Co: So we’re going to put the LED on.

Samson: She’s sending you to TRON.

Clear Complexions Co: So LED, there’s two different colors on here.

Clear Complexions Co: So there’s blue LED, which is good for any inflammation.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s good for acne bacteria, so it helps kill all the acne bacteria, and the sebum, which is your oil production.

Clear Complexions Co: And then red is really good for promoting collagen and elastin, so it’s more for like anti-aging.

Clear Complexions Co: Do a little bit of a massage while the mask sits.

Clear Complexions Co: You sit at a computer all day long?

Andrew: Can you tell?

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah.

Andrew: Oh no.

Andrew: Why can you tell?

Clear Complexions Co: Definitely like in your traps, it’s pretty bad.

Samson: Is getting facials like a female like connotation around it?

Samson: like do masculine men like start getting a facial.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah, I think now, like society’s kind of changing around beauty standards with males and they see it as just self care rather than beauty now.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s more of just taking care of yourself.

Clear Complexions Co: And honestly, when I was a girl, I think it’s kind of attractive when guys are like, I want to take care of myself.

Clear Complexions Co: Like it’s like a, it’s a very normal thing.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s not anything that’s very feminine or anything like that.

Clear Complexions Co: And honestly, the male clients have come in, they’re great.

Clear Complexions Co: Like they’re just very low maintenance.

Clear Complexions Co: They lie on the table, they don’t really request much.

Clear Complexions Co: But I still think, you know, the most males who come in, they come in with their girlfriends ’cause they feel a little bit more comfortable coming in that way.

Clear Complexions Co: But then later on, they end up just coming in on their own.

Clear Complexions Co: Okay, it’s gonna feel a little cold.

Clear Complexions Co: (gentle music)

Clear Complexions Co: This is just gonna help any inflammation on the skin.

Samson: She’s rubbing two balls on his face.

Andrew: Yeah, that’s how I feel.

Clear Complexions Co: So we’re just gonna put your finishing products on.

Clear Complexions Co: We’re just gonna go in with some toner.

Clear Complexions Co: Your skin looks good!

Clear Complexions Co: It’s glowing.

Samson: Oh, wait.

Samson: You’re actually going to be just gonna be very impressed.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughing)

Andrew: Did you have any setbacks or what were some of the largest problems you ran into and how did you overcome it?

Clear Complexions Co: I’m going through that right now, honestly.

Andrew: Oh, really?

Clear Complexions Co: The licensing, coastal health approval, they’re really tough here.

Clear Complexions Co: When I was in Burnaby at home, I got it done in a week.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s been since February that we’ve been dealing with issues, but I kind of have that mentality of, I don’t give a fuck anymore.

Clear Complexions Co: And I kind of have to think that way, because if I don’t, I need to keep myself sane.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s coming to that point where I’m like reaching my end, where like, there’s just one obstacle happening after the other, especially ’cause we moved into the commercial space.

Clear Complexions Co: I just think that the reward at the end will be worth it.

Andrew: When it comes to, I guess, opening your own commercial space and having a facial spa business, what are the typical expenses and costs?

Clear Complexions Co: Pretty much buying double of everything of what we needed.

Clear Complexions Co: So like two beds, two steamers, more facial products.

Clear Complexions Co: I probably spent about, I would say 40 to 45K building everything here.

Andrew: You actually don’t just do facial treatment anymore.

Andrew: You actually do a lot of things.

Andrew: You teach people, you do workshops, you offer mentorships and you’re also a supplier of products.

Andrew: Can you tell me a bit more about that?

Andrew: Is it important to be having all these different branches in your business?

Clear Complexions Co: I think having multiple streams of income in any type of business is huge.

Clear Complexions Co: So I distribute to other professional clinics.

Clear Complexions Co: So I sell to clients and stuff, but I sell to other businesses, so like a B2B.

Andrew: Oh wow.

Clear Complexions Co: Yeah, and then with my mentorships, I teach a lot of other business owners, hands-on training or the marketing side of things and kind of how to elevate your business and just learn how to scale.

Andrew: If someone watches this and they see you and they’re just impressed by your business prowess, how do they start opening practically?

Andrew: What would you tell them?

Clear Complexions Co: I would tell them to start small.

Clear Complexions Co: It’s okay to start small in the beginning.

Clear Complexions Co: I think a lot of estheticians who I help now with their business and like, you know, I do mentorship classes and all that is you don’t have to have the nicest machine or the nicest equipment in the beginning.

Clear Complexions Co: Like it’s okay to start small and to work your way up.

Andrew: During the show, I have a tradition where I will ask you a question that was asked by the previous owner that I interviewed.

Andrew: So I’ll play the question for you here.

Fish Market Studio: It definitely is something that I’ve struggled with in this business, so just curious to see what they would say, is how you got over the self-doubt of opening a business and what helped push you to start?

Andrew: There you go, what’s your answer?

Clear Complexions Co: Okay, so maybe when I first started, the doubt that I was having, something actually my boyfriend would always tell me is, if not you, then who?

Andrew: Oh wow.

Clear Complexions Co: And I think now I’m thinking, you know, when I still, I still have those self-doubt.

Clear Complexions Co: I think every business owner kind of goes through those phases of self-doubt.

Clear Complexions Co: I’ve made it this far, so where can I take it within the next five, 10 years?

Clear Complexions Co: Because it’s only been two years.

Clear Complexions Co: So that’s kind of the mindset that I have.

Andrew: What question do you want to ask the next business owner that I interview?

Clear Complexions Co: So the next question that I will ask the next business owner is, since I’m in the skincare and the wellness in the health industry is what do you do to take care of yourself and to make sure that you’re keeping sane within your business?

Andrew: That’s a good question.

Andrew: Thank you, Lauren.

Andrew: This was super fun.

Andrew: Look at my skin.

Andrew: It’s just so clear and it just feels, it was so relaxing as you saw.

Andrew: I was like falling asleep.

Andrew: So if you want facial treatment, spa treatment, or just a relaxing time, come to Clear Your Complexions Co. here on East Hastings.

Andrew: And um, you’ll meet Lauren and her four employees, her four other employees now.

Andrew: That’s amazing.

Andrew: If you found this video helpful, entertaining, drop a like, comment down below any questions you have for her or for me or any other business owners.

Andrew: Do you want

Andrew: Uh, you might want me to interview and subscribe because we’ll have more videos coming very soon.

Andrew: Bye.

Clear Complexions Co: Am I psyching myself out where I’m like, did I start my business in 2022 and not 2021?

Clear Complexions Co: Can I check my phone really quick?

Clear Complexions Co: Oh my God, am I?

Andrew: Too busy making money.

Clear Complexions Co: I know.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughing)

Andrew: Yeah, too much money.

Clear Complexions Co: (laughing)

Clear Complexions Co: I started in 2022.

Clear Complexions Co: I didn’t start in 2021.