Shannon Caesar is the owner and operator of A Touch of Good Karma Massage and Esthetics. She has almost 10 years of experience in the spa industry and as a Licensed Esthetician providing clients with custom skincare treatments and regimens that will work for their skin. She is also a Licensed Massage Therapist who specializes in overall relaxation as well as therapeutic and prenatal massage techniques.
" I was not always the driven and hardworking woman I am today. It took time, effort, dedication, and a lot of growing up to become confident in me and my capabilities. It is my mission in this life to provide services to my clients that allow them to escape from their everyday struggles and stresses. Being able to help my clients relax, even for a short period of time, will ultimately keep them healthier both mentally and physically. I have chosen to dedicate my time to helping others both feel and look their absolute best and I cannot wait to be able to provide the same for all future clients."
After working for a few different spas where each one had their own way of running their business, Shannon quickly realized she wanted to take all that she had learned and apply it to her own successful business.
"Everyone has their own way of running their businesses. In my experience, the Corporate way of running the spa industry is highly appealing to consumers but simply doesn't pay well enough for the ones providing the services. I have worked for a big corporate franchise, a matter of fact, it is where I started my career in this industry. I was offered sixteen dollars an hour, which, at the time, sounded like a great amount of money compared to what I was making at my minimum wage retail job. I soon found out that sixteen dollars an hour simply wasn't enough to support myself as well as my family especially since there was no guarantee that clients would book. In this industry, if you don't have a client on your schedule you don't make any money.
"After realizing that I wasn't making enough as well as becoming a single mother very suddenly, I knew I had to move on. I needed to find a spa that I could make more money. I wasn't sure if I could afford my rent or my bills, so I decided to work for a privately owned spa.
"Working for a privately owned spa is an incredible experience. I had the freedom to learn more about this wonderful industry and there were significantly less 'scripted' ways of performing my services. Basically, I was able to be a little more creative with my services and techniques. This is where I really started to come into my own. My confidence as an Esthetician and Massage Therapist grew immensely and I found myself yearning to learn more. I wanted to learn more about product ingredients, better massage techniques, new modalities that could be offered, and anything else I could get my hands on to increase my knowledge and my clientele. When I wasn't working with a client, I was on my phone or computer watching informational videos, reading articles online or in magazines, writing ideas down, and talking with coworkers to brainstorm about what more we could do to make our spa stand out amongst all of the others. I threw myself into the world of social media. I made it a goal to post at least once a day whether it be 'before and after' photos, fun facts about the industry or services, or even cute quotes to inspire people to take care of themselves.
"The unfortunate downside to privately owned businesses is that every owner, every manager, every boss has a different personality and a different way of doing things. There are no set guidelines or protocols therefore you can be told one thing from one person in charge and the next person tells you something completely different. Decisions on how to handle things would be made and then a day later it would be different. Some managers talk too much about coworkers and other managers don't speak to you enough. I am sure that this can take place in any type of environment, but in a business, it simply does not help things run smoothly.
"I found that my ideas would get dismissed, my concerns were blown off by excuses. I wanted to grow, but there was not an opportunity to do so. There were 'favorites' amongst the employees, there was a constant stream of gossip and moments of people being 'thrown under the bus'. I even had management take things I said and twist it to somehow fit their own hateful agendas, putting words into my mouth that I had never spoken.
I knew after only a short time working for this company, that no amount of money would ever be enough to put up with the negativity being spread. I vowed that I would never allow myself to be a part of that type of situation ever again. I vowed that when I had an opportunity to run my own business that I would never run it in a manner similar to the way that this place had been run.
"After all of that being said, I must give credit where credit is due. If it wasn't for the rollercoaster of an experience that I had with this company, I never would have made the decision to start my own business. The lessons I have learned from every place I have worked at since I was sixteen years old are the most valuable opportunities and experiences. I wouldn't change any of it."
After making the decision to leave the last place that she had worked for, Shannon made the risky decision to begin her own business. She knew that there would be many trials and tribulations, but this was her destiny. She has learned from the successes and failures of not only herself but of others and will continue to grow and prosper with every success and failure she must undergo.
"The spa industry is ever-changing especially now that we have to deal with the consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of us had to reinvent ourselves while also still remaining true to ourselves and I am no exception. As long as the industry keeps changing and growing, I must also do the same so that I can keep up. Honestly, I look forward to every exciting twist and turn and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store."
When Shannon is not focused on furthering her knowledge and career, she spends time at home with her beautiful little boy and her two loving and faithful dogs. She devotes herself to her family and friends as often as she can because she firmly believes that they were given to her as a gift to help guide her through this life. She also enjoys reading a good book, writing short stories, watching anything scary or Halloween oriented.
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