💡 ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Gabbi Myers built Bella Day Spa around three words on her mission statement, come as you are, and spent ten years making sure every person who walked through the door actually believed it. In this episode, Natalie sits down with Gabbi to talk about what it really takes to open something from the ground up in a small town, from writing a business plan in college to outgrowing one building and betting on a bigger one, all while keeping a team of 28 people who actually want to stay.
Gabbi doesn't sugarcoat what this industry asks of you. She talks about turning clients away rather than risk injuring them, why her staff out-earns most college graduates without a four-year degree, and the new pressure AI-generated photos are putting on estheticians and stylists who have to look clients in the eye and explain what's real. This one is for anyone who has ever walked into a salon and felt like they had to show up as someone else.
🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
🔹 Self-care is preventative, not indulgent Botox, facials, and consistent skincare routines are medical habits, not luxuries, and starting earlier makes a real difference.
🔹 Trade school is an underrated career path Gabbi's estheticians completed their programs in three to six months and earn more than many four-year college graduates.
🔹 The consultation is the service Every appointment at Bella starts with understanding what a client actually needs, even if that means recommending something different than what they asked for.
🔹 Hiring slow protects the whole team Gabbi's biggest lesson over 15 years was waiting for the right person rather than filling a seat, because the wrong hire affects clients and culture equally.
🔹 Being present as the owner matters Gabbi is on site, providing services, and knows her clients by name. She built that in from the beginning because she'd seen what happens when owners disappear.
🔹 AI is changing what clients expect and not always for the better Staff are fielding requests based on photos that aren't real, and the gap between generated images and actual results is creating pressure across the industry.
🔹 Small town businesses run on relationship, not volume Bella's clients come every four to six weeks. They know who is pregnant, who just got engaged, and whose baby is due. That consistency is what sets a community spa apart from a resort or urban chain.
TOPICS
LEADERSHIP & CAREER
STRATEGIC THINKING
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
