CanvasRebel Magazine
Meet Caitlin Shrader
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caitlin Shrader a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Caitlin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
The defining moment in my career was when I left the service industry to follow my passion in the beauty biz, not really knowing where it would lead me. After many years of waiting tables, and other various places of employment I found a job as a laser tech, and this is where the history of my aesthetic career began. I started working in a clinic as a laser tech while I was continuing to take my PRE – Reqs for Nursing school, all with the idea of becoming an aesthetic nurse provider. At this point most of my jobs had been in the service industry either- waiting tables or serving beers so I was unsure how this working in an office thing would pan out for me. However, I really was able to flourish in this role. I quickly began building a steady and loyal clientele while learning the ins and outs of the laser hair removal field. I advanced my laser knowledge and soon became a certified laser professional. These strides in my career motivated me to push forward and while working in this clinic my laser career bloomed. I was given an opportunity to really grow myself as a provider and that was a huge defining moment for my career because it gave me a wonderful foundation.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am an Aesthetic Nurse Injector who specializes in beauty services ranging from laser treatments to botox & filler AND everything in between! I have been working in this industry for many years. I started out as a licensed esthetician doing facials and other spa services, then I advanced my career and became a laser technician. Through this entire process I had already begun taking classes with a nursing degree on my mind, BUT it was a slow process because I was also a full time mommy and had to pay the bills. While taking pre reqs for nursing school I worked at a few dead end jobs waiting tables and really got a break when I was offered a job at a laser clinic MANY years into my career . As an esthetician I struggled because the pay was never great, and building a clientele was challenging. So I waited tables and bartended throughout many chapters of my life. When I was finally given an opportunity to advance as a laser tech my career exploded. I began meeting lots of people and building my brand. Once I graduated Nursing School my brand had a great foundation from many years of aesthetic spa services. My brand is about looking your best and being natural. Beauty treatments are meant to enhance your own natural beauty which Is what my brand stands for. I think aesthetic treatments get a bad rep but if done correctly it can soften the aging process, and make one feel good about themselves. This is something that I love to do. I absolutely love hearing my client testimonials regarding one of my services , and the biggest compliment has been referrals. This reassures me that my skills are amazing and people see the value in my work.
I am most proud of where I am today, It was never easy, and it still is not! I had and still have many challenges along the way, I am just happy my mom taught me to strap on my boots and push through the mud. This is how I have overcome many of the tough parts of life along the way.
Any advice for managing a team?
One of the most effective strategies for growing clientele is providing a great service ,and standing behind your work. I like to personalize all my services with phone calls to my clients after their appointments to follow up and make sure everything is good. I want my clients to know that the communication is open and that I do care about their outcome and treatment plan.
Any advice for managing a team?
I think managing a team can be very stressful because you have many personalities to communicate with which Is why I think team building exercises build morale and help teams grow closer. I think it is important to work well within your team because it allows everyone to prosper so by building each other up, the morale will continue to stay high. I also think effective communication and being direct are key components in managing a team.
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