59 Years of Lessons: Growth, Risk, and the Beauty of Starting Over

With my 59th birthday less than a week away, I’ve found myself looking back at the journey that brought me here. Milestone birthdays have a way of doing that, and it felt like the perfect time to share a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.

If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s this: Anyone, at any time in their life, can make a life-altering decision and build their own version of success. I was 50 years old when I decided to become an esthetician. Right from the start, my dream was to own my own business. I wanted the freedom to set my own schedule so that I could be fully present for the grandchildren I hoped would eventually come along.

Looking back, if I had to do it all over again, I would have initially found a job working alongside other estheticians. In school, you are required to complete anywhere from 750 to 1,200 hours—but there is only so much they can pack into that time. There is an absolute wealth of real-world knowledge you only get on the job. Thankfully, nothing bad happened when I jumped straight into business ownership, but things easily could have gone wrong, and I could have lost everything. Working for someone else first would have given me the time, the refined skills, and the confidence to safely build my clientele.

Please don't get me wrong, though—I completely love how it all unfolded.

I deeply adore all of my clients. And yes, I mean all of them! I have been incredibly fortunate to have phenomenal clients right from the get-go. Many of them still come to see me today, even after navigating the uncertainty of the COVID shutdowns. While my military clients have naturally moved on over the years, an amazing 90% of my original clients are still with me today.

Being a business owner in this ever-changing aesthetics world has taught me so much. Over the years, I’ve added services, taken services away, and completely evolved how things are done. I’ve learned to truly tune in and pay attention to what my clients are asking for, rather than wasting money on a trendy new machine for a service no one actually wants.

I’ve also learned a lot about myself. For one, I’ve realized that self-help books just don’t work for me. I absolutely love to learn, but I thrive when I'm actively taking a structured class or a professional course.

Most importantly, I have learned that self-care is vital for every single person—and I make sure to prioritize my own regularly. I am so honored to help others find that space for themselves. Sometimes self-care looks like a customized facial that you completely sleep through. Sometimes it looks like a safe space where you just need to vent and be heard, not "fixed." Other times, it looks like a hair removal service or an advanced clinical skin treatment—which, let’s be honest, can come with a quick sting, but leaves you feeling confident and cared for.

I’m still growing, of course. For instance, I'm still actively learning how to keep my mouth shut and not interrupt people—a stubborn habit of mine that I am determined to break!

But that’s the beauty of getting older and wiser. We are all beautifully unfinished. Thank you all for being such a massive, cherished part of my journey. Here’s to my 60th time around the sun; it’s going to be fun!