Natalie Bulger (0:01)

In seventh grade, Gabbi Myers wrote down on a piece of paper that one day she was going to own a spa. Well, not too long later, she actually made it a reality. Building a spa from the ground up in a small town, and she'll tell you that self-care isn't a luxury. It's actually a habit. And this industry, it's a career for those who work in it. Today, we're talking about what it actually takes to build something real in a place that becomes your community. Here we go.

 

Natalie Bulger (0:38)

Hey everyone, welcome back to Motivation N'at I'm Natalie, your host, and this is where we take hot mess to high potential. Today I'm on with another one of our kind of won't you be my neighbor feeling sessions episodes, and it's with the owner of a salon that, full disclosure, I go to. I get my nails done there, my hair done there, I've had face and skin and all that kind of good care there, and so I can actually endorse the quality of the services we'll chat about today.

 

But it's going to be more than just talking about a salon in the sense that you think of salons. So Gabbi Myers, the owner of Bella Day Spa right here in Indiana, PA, is going to be chatting with us all about this self-care world, how you got started, how you got into this industry, how you're running the industry. It's going to be a great discussion. And if you're not in our general area, this is a great reminder to tap into the services that you've got in your community, because I guarantee you, you've probably got a Bella right down the road from you too. So Gabbi, thanks for joining today. Tell us a little bit about you. How the heck did you get into this industry in the first place and start to really build out what has now become a really kind of staple institute in our town?

 

Gabbi Myers (1:49)

Yeah, thank you for having me for one. I'm excited. I love doing things like this to introduce like self-care to everyone. A lot of people think it's just luxury and it's not. It's a little, everyone needs a little bit of Bella in their life. So I actually came up with this in seventh grade. Long story short, I had no idea that my senior year, my guidance counselor was like, you need to fill out the same paper you filled out in seventh grade. So we're all, you know, hurrying up and doing it. And they come to me and they bring it and it says, what do you want to do when you grow up? And it's like, I want to own a spa. And I put that in seventh grade and my senior year. And so was like, that has to happen. So I grew up with really bad skin. God bless my mother. She started taking me to get facials at a very young age. So I didn't scar and things like that. So that's where the passion came from is you know, I just enjoyed going and doing those things. So was like, I need to bring that here to Indiana because we really didn't have anything like that at that time. So I just wanted to bring a little bit of what I loved to everyone else in the area as well. We have 28 amazing female employees. I also work alongside my husband, who is our nurse practitioner on staff. So he does Botox and filler, IV infusions. He kind of runs our medical spa side for me because 28 employees is a lot. So he helps me on that aspect of things. But yeah, so we love our community and we're going on 10 years in June. So that's super exciting. And we have our event coming up for that, our anniversary called Bella in Bloom. And it is on May 30th from 12 to four open house style, but we'll have other vendors that we'll be promoting as well as ourselves.

 

Natalie Bulger (3:35)

Awesome. And I didn't know the back history of how you probably had your first facial. And I wish that my mom would have done that. I had like, literally, I was the pizza face kid for like three years in my school photo.

 

Gabbi Myers (3:48)

It just wasn't the norm for people to have that done. So I'm hoping we do a teen clean and I'm hoping like it encourages, and we do a ton of them, so I'm hoping it encourages like healthy self-care from a younger age because girl I was using, you know, oxy clean pads, you know. Nothing good on the skin until I got an esthetician.

 

Natalie Bulger (4:12)

Yeah, and, you know, it is a confidence piece. And we're going to talk about that because one of the things you think about is, you know, it relaxes you, gets you rested, it makes you feel good about yourself. But to your point, the scarring piece, I mean, I have one, I can see it as we're recording right now from I just picked it like nonstop for probably the whole year that was there. But you know, it's a preventative service. So like, when we think about it, a medical component, let's just start by busting a myth with Botox, right? Botox and Disport and all those other services are actually more preventative than they are responsive if you use them in the right way.

 

Gabbi Myers (4:49)

Correct and people are getting it done younger and younger, which is a good thing because when you relax those muscles, you're not making that motion that causes a wrinkle. Wrinkles are a scar, so underneath the skin it looks the same as a scar. So once you have it, it's very hard to get rid of it. So when you start younger on, you know, just a routine and a habit of taking care of your skin, you know that even helps with preventing skin cancer as well. If you're routinely using sunscreen and things like that, not going in a tanning bed, it just helps make a habit become a routine.

 

Natalie Bulger (5:31)

So let's talk a little bit about what actually makes an esthetician because I think that there are again, some stereotypes, stigmas that are around, you know, going into the beauty industry as a job, but you just dropped some science knowledge on me that I didn't know. So tell me a little, what does it take?

 

Gabbi Myers (5:48)

So to be an esthetician, I did go to college first, but do I need a college degree to run a business? I'd say probably not. You know, it's a lot of trial and error, but I knew from the time I was younger, I was going to esthetician school. It's a three month program, that's it. It does not take long if you're going full time. Our local YCTC has an adult program that's either full time, part time, but you can get done in three to six months and be able to work now. You do need some hands-on experience and things like that. And I'm not opposed to hiring fresh faces because I was also a fresh face once. And it's a great way for me to train and educate people, the new estheticians on, you know, skincare. But it's a lot of self-teaching and research. I've done so much research. I've been an esthetician myself for 15 years and I'm constantly educating myself. That's how we grow here and we evolve and continuing education is required at the spa. So I do help my staff pay for continuing education every year and I provide continuing education every year because things are ever growing and evolving and that's why I wanted to bring my husband on staff too because he has that medical background and he can help with things that I'm not educated on or is beyond my scope of practice. But there is, like you said, a stigma around beauty school. A lot of clients will say to my younger girls, are you doing this while you're going to college? Well, honestly, they make more than they would with a college education. This is a career and that's what we're trying to change is people to realize like trade school is a good thing. And I hope more kids start going to trade school because college is not for everyone. It really isn't. Our world's ever evolving with our careers and things like that too in the workforce.

 

Natalie Bulger (7:43)

Well, and I love that point because if I could go back, I probably wouldn't jump right into an undergrad degree because it really didn't pay what I thought it would. You can in this beauty of education, right, you can go back at any time. You can get one of those degrees. There's so many more like adult learning components now online courses. And so the idea of, doing one of those kind of quick start trades and getting settled, getting, you know, in place and really testing, what do you want to do? I really found it interesting for what you did go to college for, which was like entrepreneurship and things like that. So talk a little, I've never even heard of that as a study focus, but I also was like, business is not my thing, ironically. So what did that prepare you for? What did it not?

 

Gabbi Myers (8:29)

So I didn't want to go to college, I'll be completely honest, but my parents had already set aside the money for me to go, which I'm so blessed that I don't have any credit or debt from college. But there was only two colleges locally that had that entrepreneurship program and I just knew I was a townie. I'm not leaving, you know, I left for a little bit, came back. I just was a homebody. So my mom's like, let's shoot for IUP. In that, no. I wouldn't say it didn't help me prepare. Like obviously I got to mature for four years and kind of get the basis of like the accounting, the background stuff that you need, the QuickBooks. I learned all of those things, which was helpful. And I had to write a business plan. You can't just start a business on a whim. It just doesn't work like that. Even though I did borrow some money from my parents to start my business, I had to, my dad made me create a business plan for him. They weren't just gonna hand me the money. They wanted to know what I had planned for the next five to 10 years and how I thought the profit would be and what the expenses would be. So I had to do all of that in school and also for my parents to be able to loan some money from them. And it was a good experience. I'm glad I did go to college to grow up, but I actually wish I would have went to esthetician school first so I could have worked as an esthetician through college.

 

Natalie Bulger (9:51)

So was that business plan, Bella, or was there an earlier iteration of it before you got to kind of what you have now?

 

Gabbi Myers (9:57)

There wasn't earlier. I also was a personal trainer for years and taught group fitness. So I originally thought I might open a gym. So that in college, my business plan was a gym. And then I did make a second business plan for Bella later after college.

 

Natalie Bulger (10:18)

So tell us a little bit about that development for Bella. So you have, you know, on your mission statement, and I love it so much, you are enough, come as you are, you know, it's safe to be yourself with us. And, you know, really important, not only for female clients, for male clients, because I've seen some guys getting their nails done in there, getting their manicures. And that's, again, something that you don't see all that often, but really important to say, no one's going to judge you when you walk in here. So how did that become a part of the Bella idea and then the expansion of the services?

 

Gabbi Myers (10:50)

You know, I had very low self-esteem growing up for most of my early adolescence, maybe young adulthood. And I never felt that I fit in everywhere. So I always created a safe space for everyone around me to feel comfortable and safe and happy and whatever I could do to make them feel better. So I was like, when I create this spa, I know some people have this connotation of mean girl energy when they're going into salons and things like that and I was like that will absolutely not happen because everyone should come as they are and this should be the space where they can because they're vulnerable. Some of our services you're undressed and you're showing parts of your skin that you really wouldn't, or you don't have your makeup on. That's a big thing, people come in here and they're like I gotta leave I don't have any makeup on. I'm like, you are beautiful as you are and your skin is glowing now, that's the whole point of a facial. I want people to feel more comfortable in the skin that God gave them and that they're in. So that is my goal for even my staff because I know I have younger girls here and we all are self-critics, but we're all beautiful in our own unique ways and I think that we're all here to educate clients on that as well.

 

Natalie Bulger (12:04)

Well, and I don't know if you instill this in your staff, but I don't think there's any one time I've not walked in there and gotten a compliment from someone about something. And it's like random things. It's like, oh my God, I love how your grays are growing out. And I'm like, well, thank you, because that's the point. But it is this moment of you're maybe not expecting it. And it's that little tip you needed for the day. And all of a sudden, to the point of relaxing, you get in a space to be able to absorb those treatments. What are some of the services? It's not just nails, it's not just hair, you have all kind of other stuff. So walk through what makes a really good day spa and like medical transformation service.

 

Gabbi Myers (12:46)

Yeah, and I wanted to be a one-stop shop. So when we were in our old building, we obviously didn't offer as much because it was a smaller space. But I knew I wanted to create more jobs for more people in Indiana County and the surrounding areas. I have some staff that work, live in Greensburg and they drive here. I wanted to create an environment that it's worth driving to work for. And so we offer full skincare, waxing. I have six estheticians that do all of the waxing, the facial skin care, cool sculpting, which is like a fat reduction. That's on our medical side. We do Botox filler, laser hair removal, some laser facials, chemical peels. We have a full nail salon, pedicures, manicures. We have a full hair salon as well. It's a smaller salon, but it's a boutique. We have four stylists and they're all wonderful. We also offer full body massages that are not just your fluff and buff. It's also therapeutic and one of our massage therapists works on athletes and things like that as well. So we do a little bit of everything because I wanted to have a one-stop shop for our community.

 

Natalie Bulger (13:56)

And the thing that I think is important is, you know, some of these services are expensive at times, right? And it's really an investment in yourself. But your team is coached and curious. I hate to say not like take advantage, but if someone comes in and they go, I want all this filler, I remember your husband sat me down. He's like, here's the other options, and by the way, they were cheaper, you know, so it was great. Because we don't know what's best for us in some instances and need to rely on the experts. So what's your approach to finding what's right for the people that are coming in for a service?

 

Gabbi Myers (14:37)

I want to be trusted and respected in our community and we will never do anything that is not right for a client, even if they want it. Just like some people come in with lip filler and my husband will tell them no because their lips are already too big or just like they just don't look great. So he will recommend like, let me start you over. I know you're going somewhere else and they just kept giving you, kept giving you, kept giving you. That's not what we're going to do here because you need to be balanced. He explains the symmetry of the face, how like you can't have huge lips and no cheeks. So, you know, sometimes when people come in, they're thinking, oh, I mean, I want this done. He's like, actually, let's put a little in the cheeks to lift it up. And they're like, wow, I would've never thought that. So everyone here is trained to have a good consultation and that is a key to a good service. Because even with nail appointments, you may think that you want one thing, but our lead nail tech will say, you know what, I actually think this would be better. And they explain why. Not that they think it's better, it's the reasoning and the education that is behind that. So for example, we're having a nail training coming up. It's something they're already trained on, but why not get better at what you're already trained on? My husband's a master injector. He takes every single course that is offered through all of our companies because why not get better at what you do so the clients trust you and know that they're not just selling you something to make money? That's not what we're here for at the end of the day. If a client comes in and they have a suntan, I'm not going to do a facial on them. I'm also not going to charge them for my time. I'm going to say, how about we come back in two or three weeks when your skin's a little bit less angry and we'll go from there. Yes, did we lose money? Absolutely. But that client, we could have injured them. That's it, money's not everything at the end of the day.

 

Natalie Bulger (16:23)

And it's that fine balance between health and safety, right? So it's, you're offering services that, you know, yes, you have to sign the consents and you have to do all those pieces, but we don't think of them as going, I go to a hospital for something like this. They're right in that in-between space. So that safety piece being really important. So you mentioned you have 28 staff, which is a big number of staff and especially in a smaller community. What is different between a spa that's in a community like this? Yes, we're a city town kind of thing. We have a university here. There's a decent population, but it's not like being in an urban setting. You're not going to one of the brand name kind of places that have these, you know, big areas or these very niche kind of posh setups in the city. What differentiates what you have here versus something like that that would be in our sister city in Pittsburgh?

 

Gabbi Myers (17:18)

I would say we have a clientele base that's regular, like we have a lot of regular clients. And in that we create such good relationships with those clients, like they celebrate our birthdays with us. We celebrate sad things too. Like we were there for each other, not just in that aspect, same with my staff. Like we're just very close knit. I think it would be quite different, because I did live in Pittsburgh for a while, so I had contemplated opening a location there when I was there. I just don't think it would be the same. I wouldn't have had the support that I have from everyone here that knew me and grew up with me. I wouldn't have that in Pittsburgh. So just think it's a little bit different. Same as resorts. So we obviously don't charge as much as a resort. And I always wondered why resorts charge so much because they're never like a quality service. I'm not saying it's not good, but when you're getting a $300 facial, you expect like a $300 facial. The last facial I got at a resort the lady didn't touch me for 30 minutes while my mask was on and I was like, this is weird. Because like when you're at Bella, you're getting touched the whole time and it's an $85 facial. And I think it's because they're not expecting that person to come back. It's a one time thing. They're coming on vacation. They're coming to the area for just a special day. Our clients come regularly. Like our facial clients that are regulars come every four weeks. Our waxing clients come every four weeks, our hair clients come every six to eight weeks. It's a routine thing and I think that that's what sets us apart from the urban communities because there's so many options. I am one of the only options for all the services. So I want to make sure there's value in that and that they don't just come here because we are the only option. They want to come here because we are the only option.

 

Natalie Bulger (19:06)

Well, and you know, I think about that and I remember my very first, so I moved out here two and a half years ago, three years ago. And my first manicure was right before I got engaged. So Jillian did my nails. We didn't know what was happening. I got them done. And then like my whole wedding planning was discussed with every nail tech. And then Val did my wedding nails and everyone got invested. They knew where it was going to be. They knew exactly the feel I was going for. It's been my funny story. I was like the first time I came in here, I didn't have a ring. Now I got two, you know, so it does create that atmosphere because you're in regularly. It's not like there's months and months that generally go between if you're keeping up with it. You keep pace with who's pregnant, who just had a grandkid, all of those pieces. So how do you keep your staff there? You've touched on a few of those things, the continuing education, the community feel, but this is a high turnover industry for most folks, I think, isn't it? Unless you're just kind of a one-off.

 

Gabbi Myers (20:03)

It's very high turnover. I try to create value in their position here. So when we can, we do quarterly bonuses. I try to, we have a chief fun officer. So they're in charge of like potlucks and doing fun things together. We try to do like activities together, like go hiking. We have a book club. I wanted to feel like a community here. Like this morning one of our staff is on maternity leave. So we're all like anxiously waiting for her baby to be born. So, you know, we're all like waiting for that text to come through. Just little things like that that we try to create a home here. I also pay my staff more than the industry average and I'm in a lot of blogs and chats and things like that and people think I'm crazy and how do you sustain that financially. I make it happen because I think it's important to feel value in what you're doing here. And underpaid staff are not going to stay. Obviously we still have turnover in certain departments, but it's hard on your body and your psyche too. Touching people all day is a lot. And especially when you're doing physical work, we all suffer some injuries and people don't really probably associate that with the industry. But you know, a lot of us get carpal tunnel. A lot of us get torn rotator cuffs and things like that. So I try to create a balance for them too, that they're not overworking themselves. Because I think a lot of people take on too much. So I'm very flexible with their schedules. I would never tell someone they couldn't take a vacation when they wanted to. I'm very flexible as an employer and I expect the same in return. And I think it's a respect thing. And I really deeply care about each one of my staff and their success here.

 

Natalie Bulger (22:02)

Well, and I think clients feel that, right? You can tell when you walk in somewhere and the morale is not what it needs to be. And there's just kind of that, and versus when you go in somewhere and the clients become to your point because they trust you, more flexible. If someone is out, it's like, okay, well, here, what's the pivot? Where do we go? And making that work. So let's talk a little bit about you and your experience and your balance and all of that. What are some of the maybe lessons learned, mistakes that if you go back, you're like, I don't know why I did that. Have you ever offered a service that didn't take off and you're like, scrap that, onto the next thing. What's that been like over these 15 years?

 

Gabbi Myers (22:46)

So I'm never afraid to try something new and my staff all knows that too so like if they see something they want to try, heck let's try it as long as it makes sense. But of course some things don't take off and maybe it's partly that we didn't do a great job of marketing or you just never know. I don't take that as a loss, I take that as a learn and then the next time we try to add something we'll say, do we think this is gonna flop like the other thing? I feel like the most mistakes I've made is through the hiring process. Sometimes I hire the wrong person because, and this is back in the day, I would hire people because I needed a body. And now I hire someone because I want them here. So I will wait until the right person. I could go six months without hiring a position, but that's okay. Because you need the right person. Because I've made the mistake of jumping the gun, being like, let's come on staff. And then they just aren't the right fit for the clients or for the team for that matter, because everyone needs to, I mean we're all women so obviously there are times we don't all get along, but they have to fit in and feel like it's a home for them too. So if they're not happy here I'm not happy with them there. So that is probably the biggest lesson I've learned over the years is to pump the brakes, wait until you find the correct person for that position, because otherwise it's gonna have another turnover there and we don't want that.

 

Natalie Bulger (24:09)

What are some of the skills that you find? So right before we hop on, you tell me, Wi-Fi went out. I had to bring my router from home. I had to set up. You're kind of on call from that perspective. What do you feel has set you up well to be able to do that? Because that'll throw someone else off completely and definitely as a quality of a good business owner to be able to be responsive and critically think and problem solve. What are some of those experiences? What do you think kind of attributes to being successful with that?

 

Gabbi Myers (24:39)

I think having ADHD helps. I just feel like I've always been able to juggle one million things and I always am like, oh my God, I'm so stressed, how can I get through this? And then I look back and I'm like, you were way stressed like two months ago, you'll be fine. So I just learned to just go off the wall and I'll figure it out. My mom has always told me, if I ever tell you you can't do something, I just know you'll do it. So like, I think as a child she would say, I don't think you can do that. Just to get me to do it. I'm like, okay, reverse psychology. But it still works to this day. It literally works that my parents didn't want me to buy a bigger building. They were like, you're so successful in that little building. I don't think you should do it. And I was like, I'm doing it anyway. So I bought this building and they were scared for me because it was an investment. And a year later, they were like, we were wrong. I'm glad you didn't listen to us. And I was like, I don't listen to anyone. I do what I want. So I'm very good at working on the fly and figuring things out as I go. That's how you learn. You have to, you can't be scared to learn something new. Like, is my wifi working here? No, but we'll figure it out. It'll all be all right. And clients are usually understanding when we have hiccups and things like that, because like we're not robots, we're people. And I go on the fly with every aspect of my life. So it stresses my husband out.

 

Natalie Bulger (26:00)

We're gonna talk about his support for you in a second. You're also physically on site, you still provide services, right? You're hands on, you're not a business owner that got this and then said, all right, go ahead, like it'll run itself kind of thing. What's the importance of being there, being present, being, you know, a part of the team on the success journey of really developing this and growing it over time?

 

Gabbi Myers (26:27)

That's actually something I made sure of from the get-go that I will always be here. And people wonder why. And I'm like, because I've been in lots of other businesses that don't do well because they're not there. And I have a good example. My dad has run a business since way before I was born and he is always there. Even as he's retired, he sold the business, he's still going into work. I'm like, dad, I think it's time you can walk away. He was like, no, they might need me. And that's okay. I think it's important to see the owner. And I have given feedback to other businesses I've managed. When I did an exit interview, I worked at a place that the owners were never there. And I was like, the clients need to see who you are. Your staff needs to see you get along. There was two owners. I just think it's very important for clients to know who I am. And it is sometimes funny, I'll be at the desk and my mom will also be at the desk and they'll say to my mom, you're the owner. I'm like, just because she's older doesn't mean she's the owner. I'm like, no, it's me. She's here a lot though. My mom's very helpful. But I do think it's important and key for me to be here because even though my staff is wonderful and they love my business and they love their clients, no one is going to care for it as much as I will because this is my reputation. This is my livelihood. This is how I care for my family. So it is important for me to be here all the time.

 

Natalie Bulger (27:52)

And it's a great note. I mean, coming from a larger health care industry, the number of times that you hear people say, the importance of walking around and being on the floors. And yet you ask, when was the last time you saw the CEO? And they're like, I don't even know who it is. And so if you're not there, then it becomes the very separate kind of conversation of, that's the business and this is the service and they don't intertwine. So love that that connection piece happens. Didn't realize that was your mom at the front sometimes.

 

Gabbi Myers (28:22)

She is at the desk a lot. She does not touch the computer though. That is not her strong suit. She says she'll do the laundry and the cleaning and stuff like that and runs the errands for us, but she's always been a great help though.

 

Natalie Bulger (28:34)

Hey, know your talents and know your skill and know what not to touch and break. So you mentioned a few times, your husband provides the injection services, some of those other medical components, and he also gets stressed for you. What is that balance and dynamic look like between working together, raising a family together, you know, you're probably really involved in each other's lives more so than other couples that may not have that business personal overlap piece. What's that been like? What's the good, bad, the ugly, the beautiful components?

 

Gabbi Myers (29:10)

Yeah, I was a little nervous to like have him on staff because like we from the time we met he worked full-time was in school. I was working a lot so we don't, we didn't have a lot of crossover. And I'm like, oh gosh, we're working together. He's so type B and laid back and I'm so type A that we just like perfectly balance each other. And honestly, I'm not usually here the day he's here. We kind of work opposites, especially with childcare, like we switch off, but he also works full-time at an urgent care setting. So he works a lot. He works like six days a week and he does that because he wants this to thrive and he is just a workaholic just like me. So that is also where we connect. But he runs everything here medically, like he orders all the things for me, which is so helpful because I don't know. I know about Botox and filler obviously, but I don't perform the service, so I don't know what he needs. So he does all that for me to take that off my plate, but he's also very handy. So when things break here, we're like, Jason, you need to come fix the shelf that fell down and he will come with his tool bag and fix it. So it's very helpful to have him here. And he also is like a calming force for all of this estrogen that we have going on. He's good at like, listen, he will help with any issues the girls are having. He's a great addition to have on the team. And I feel bad for him sometimes, he has to deal with all of our hormones.

 

Natalie Bulger (30:39)

How do you take care of yourself through all of this? You mentioned you're a workaholic, you mentioned kind of, you know, you're the type A personality and yet you're over this whole, you know, industry effort of taking care of you. So how do you put that into practice?

 

Gabbi Myers (30:56)

I'm not the greatest at it, I'll be honest. I'm always like, don't do what I do, do as I say. I do work out a lot. That is my like hour a day that I, even if it's just a walk, I do try to do that. I have recently picked up reading. That's why one of the girls started a book club and I was like, you know what? I need to do that. So I joined our book club and I'm reading, but I'll be honest, I'm like the last person to get services because I have all the other things going on. But I do try to get a massage and facial and I get my hair done regularly. But I will take myself out to get a client in if they need it first because I think that is important. So I will do better at self care. I just, you know, try to help everyone else first. But you're right. If your cup isn't filled up, you can't help other people.

 

Natalie Bulger (31:49)

Well, and people in healthcare are always the worst patients. So we know exactly how that is. When you're in it, you don't always prioritize it in the same way. Do the girls get nervous when they're the one doing the service on the boss? Are they like, I gotta get this right?

 

Gabbi Myers (32:03)

I think the first time, because when I interview people, they have to do a physical service on me. They need to massage me, they need to give me a facial, they need to blow out my hair, whatever. I think that makes them nervous, but then once they get to know me, they're like, well, she's so laid back, it's not a big deal. I love getting services. I always hop around to the different girls too, because I don't want anyone thinking I'm favoring anyone, and I learn new things from them. You know, I really just do laser hair removal now and microneedling and chemical peels, whereas I was doing all the facials and things like that. So it reminds me of why I started this and it's great to connect with them because I'm not the person that gets a facial and I'm quiet. No, I want to know about their dog and their boyfriend and I want to catch up because when they're in a room, I don't get to see them all day. So when I get a service, I get to catch up with their life too. And that's important to me as well.

 

Natalie Bulger (33:00)

Yeah. So how have you seen this industry change over time? We've had, you know, since the 10 years that you've had Bella, a huge push into the influencer world. That has been a lot. And I'm sure that that impacts good, bad, different ways. But are you seeing demands for different things? Are you have there been any concerns like we're moving in a weird direction, or what does that 10 years look like for the industry itself from your perspective?

 

Gabbi Myers (33:36)

Social media has changed quite a lot and I know you know, because we all have social media. Having to like keep up with marketing is like awful actually. I'm like, I miss just posting once a week and people being like, I saw your post. Now nobody sees our posts. But we are a little bit different where people actually read our emails and I'm like, that's awesome. I don't know if it's like the generation or like the average age of what we have, but people actually look at our emails. But I don't think things are changing in a bad way. I just hope that the younger generation realizes that like, their self-esteem shouldn't be based on what they're seeing online, because that's not real. So I do know my staff is having trouble with clients bringing in AI photos of like hair and nails and skin. It's like, that's not their skin, that's not their hair, that's not their nails. So I just hope that the boost in AI doesn't affect people's self-esteem even more. You know, just like the trend of everyone wants to be skinny and all these things and it's like celebrities can be sometimes toxic so I think us being real people with real skin problems and clients come in and like, well, Gabbi doesn't have perfect skin. I have good skin, but like, you know, I don't have perfect skin, just like everyone else, you know? So I hope the social media kind of dies down a little bit in that aspect, but you know, people love seeing us do silly things on social media too. So I'm like, I guess I'll start being in TikToks. I don't know. So it is fun, but it's also like a lot.

 

Natalie Bulger (35:22)

And you put, I mean, so first it was filters, now it's AI, which is like, it's not even, I mean, filters will change my whole face structure, but the idea of creating something from basic scratch that's based off of an imagination is very much as an illustration would be. And that's, it's a great point about realism and putting that kind of back on the perspective that we take into any of those industries, just for our expectation, honestly.

 

Gabbi Myers (35:49)

Well yeah, because there's a lot of pressure on a stylist to look at a photo and be like, I can't make that happen because it's not real, but the client doesn't understand it's not real. Like, the older generation doesn't understand that that's not a fake photo. They just think, why can't I have this color hair. I'm like, but your hair's black and that's platinum. We can't do that. Not today, maybe eventually, but.

 

Natalie Bulger (36:15)

Yeah, and it's a good gut check for all of us, especially because we all do the scroll, we all get into those components. But also a good reminder that if you're not seeing something in your algorithm, it's not because it's not there. There's all kind of weird things behind the scenes. So I know when we get to the wrap up portion, you'll tell us how to find information on Bella for those that are interested. But it's important to remind and search and not just rely on what kind of is thrown at you either because what you may need might not even be what you found just yet. So let's talk about a little advice for someone that might be thinking about this. You mentioned, hey, if you love this kind of stuff, maybe trade school is the right first step. But you've also gone through this launching an actual business, moving the business. And you've talked about a business plan being really critical. But what else, especially if we're looking in a community that we're in, right? We have a need for this thing here. What are the steps to really determine? Can I do it? Should I do it? And would you have done anything differently?

 

Gabbi Myers (37:22)

I honestly don't think I would do anything differently. I think God put me in a path that I needed to be in and I kind of just went step by day. I think you should never look too far into the future. So I don't think about year 15. I'm thinking about now in the present and what the next month looks like because for example, we had a really great quarter and then my AC went. So, you know, there's $6,800 down the drain. You just have to be prepared. So when I talk to younger people about like them wanting to start businesses, I always remind them that you may not get a paycheck for the first one to five years. I've been very lucky. I've always had a paycheck. You may be very slow. I mean, the first year I sat around and did not a lot of things, but I hustled. You have to go out and you have to want it. You have to find the clients, but also a little blurb for the community, support your local businesses. Give them a chance. You might not have had a great first experience, but it's a new business. This is their heart and soul. Try it again. Or give them feedback. We're very big on feedback. So every client that comes in here gets an email, and I want to know the feedback. We text every new client the day after they've been here to make sure they're happy, if they have questions, concerns. And I feel like that's what sets us apart too, is we really want, and we will fix something. Like if you come to me and you say, Gabbi, I really didn't like that this happened. And I'm like, oh my gosh, like let's correct this. Because if I don't know, I can't make things right. So I think when starting a new business, you need to be okay with corrective criticism. I think a lot of people don't know how to take that. But I want to be open to that. But yeah, I don't think I would change anything. I think you just have to take it day by day and figure out what works best. But you do need to figure out if it can be profitable. There's many, many business ideas I've had and I haven't followed through with them because they're not worth it financially or my time. But it does take a lot of thought before you jump into something new.

 

Natalie Bulger (39:39)

Well, and that idea of not looking too far out in the future, I mean, I just think back and I'm like, you guys were open during COVID. And I don't think anyone saw that coming. So talk about a pivot point. And I would love kind of how did you navigate that whole thing? Because that massively impacted.

 

Gabbi Myers (39:57)

That was wild, yeah. That was a wild time where actually my husband and I had discussed if the spa didn't come back and be successful, we were actually thinking about moving out of state. Just because we're like, why not? I mean, but actually the spa was so busy that that's when I decided we needed a new building. So I had been looking. So we've been in this building, it'll be four years in August. I had been looking for two years after COVID, from 2020 to 2022, for a larger building because we were getting so many clients, I think because everyone was cooped up and they weren't getting things done that they were like, oh my gosh, like I need a YOLO, let me go do things. And as soon as we were allowed. But we took a financial hit. We were lucky to be able to get an SBA loan through the COVID act or whatever, and but I lost all my inventory, all my back bar. We ended up having to repurchase about $30,000 worth of back bar products because they expired. You know what I mean? So like when you're not using it, I never thought that would have been part of that whole aspect, and I had employees that didn't want to come back because they were making more at home. So that was something I had to navigate, but through the end, COVID was not a hindrance on us. It was for a little bit, but I always take things in a positive light. Like that was meant to happen. I was meant to stay at home with my toddler while I was pregnant. Early on I was sick, so it was like, it kind of was nice for me. I got to spend time with my little one while I was growing a baby and came back and no one knew I was pregnant and I had a big belly. But it was an interesting time to be alive, right?

 

Natalie Bulger (41:46)

Yeah, and I was just gonna put that framing on there, that was perfect. It actually showed an incredible opportunity and maybe gave that push to do the risky thing that you hadn't really wanted to dive into previously. So it's nice to look back on some of those really traumatic moments and see all the silver linings that are hard to see when you're living in it at that point in time. So Gabbi, as we move to kind of the wrap up portion of things, you've mentioned kind of the 10th anniversary is coming up. What is in store for Bella over the summer? Where can we find information about it? And what should people who don't live here, because they've got listeners in other states and things, what should they look for in their community services if they're like, well, I can't come into Bella, but I want to do something. I want to support my local salon. Let us know those pieces and we'll make sure to get it all in the show notes too.

 

Gabbi Myers (42:47)

So when you're looking for a quality salon, one thing that's big is if they have consultations, because that means they care and they want to know what you're about and what you're looking for. Also having paperwork. People get so annoyed that we make them fill out paperwork, but it is so important that we have it because I need to know everything about you before you even come in. That way we can give you the best service and places that don't have paperwork might not be insured. Those are little questions you have to ask. Also look at their Google reviews. We have a ton of Google reviews and I actually have a lot of businesses reach out and ask how we get them and I'm like, I don't know, we just get them. My staff is wonderful and they're good at their job and clients really want to show their expression of their service as well. As for where to find us, we are right on Philadelphia Street in our town. It is called Heritage Run Road, but we also have a website, bellaspaandbeauty.com. On our specials page, we list all of our events that are going on, any specials we have. You can online book with us. We also have an Instagram and a Facebook where we post pretty regularly with our openings and our specials as well and some fun little videos too.

 

Natalie Bulger (44:11)

Awesome. And I know if you go on their Instagram, you can, if you see one of the hair posts or nail posts or things, you can usually find the actual providers are tagged there. So then you can follow them and get some of the, what they do. So talk about ways to find good ideas. That's a way to find really realistic, good feedback. Gabbi, thanks so much for joining today and talking us through this. It's been a rapid fire, quick kind of 45 minute discussion, but I think it's really important. This is an industry I didn't know a whole lot about, a regular utilizer, but maybe there's even more ways to tap into it, to bring your real self to the table and enhance it in ways that make you feel good about it. So any last kind of closing thoughts for the listeners?

 

Gabbi Myers (44:57)

No, I'm just so excited that I got to chat with you. I mean, we get to chat on a regular basis, but not like this. So this has been fun. I appreciate you having me on.

 

Natalie Bulger (45:06)

Of course. And if you're listening, make sure if you run into a business owner right in your town where you are in a restaurant, in a service industry, have a chat with them, learn a little bit about them, about what they do, about what that company or that business means to them. And I guarantee you may make it feel even a little more close to home. So Gabbi, thanks for joining. Thanks for listening everyone. And we hope you chat again soon on another episode of Motivation N'at.