Esthetician Unlocked

Your spa business should not collapse the second you need a day off. Unfortunately, many do. In this episode of Esthetician Unlocked, host Elaine Sterling sits down with Daniela Woerner, Founder and CEO of Addo Aesthetics, to talk about the operational chaos hiding behind so many successful-looking beauty businesses. Daniela reveals why spa and salon owners keep running six and seven-figure businesses from memory, what an AI employee actually means, why systems protect the client experience and why “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” might be the most important business filter you ever use.

A brush is not just a brush. And if you can buy 50 of them for $10, Anisa Telwar Kaicker has questions for you beyond just the brushes. In this episode of Esthetician Unlocked, host Elaine Sterling sits down with Anisa, Founder and CEO of Anisa International, to talk about what it takes to build a global empire. She gets into the importance of cosmetic brush quality, ethical manufacturing, leadership evolution, philanthropy and why beauty professionals need to understand the tools they put in their hands. Anisa also reveals how a chance opportunity became a global beauty business, why quality beats cheap volume and why sometimes the smartest move is walking away from something good so you can protect what matters most.

Beauty marketing loves a shiny ingredient. Krupa Koestline loves a formula that actually makes sense. In this episode of Esthetician Unlocked, host Elaine Sterling sits down with Krupa Koestline, award-winning cosmetic chemist and founder of KKT Innovation Labs, to talk about clean beauty, custom formulation, biotech ingredients, what melanated skin really needs, exosomes, salmon sperm and why skincare brands need to stop pretending one product can do everything. Krupa brings the science without the scare tactics, the skepticism without the snobbery and a very clear reminder: ingredients need context.

Skincare is not the cute little add-on at checkout. It is the foundation of the client relationship, the result, and the margin play. In this episode of Esthetician Unlocked, host Elaine Sterling sits down with Kathy Walton, CEO and Founder of Inspira Skin, to talk about her 25 years in aesthetics, private label skincare, client education, TikTok trends and why slapping your logo on a bottle does not magically build a brand. Kathy gets into why providers need to stop thinking in one-off treatments and start building complete client journeys that include skincare, education, trust and a real plan.

Trends, client orders, and the latest machines didn’t build Candace Marino’s reputation. Her hands-on authority did. In this episode of Esthetician Unlocked, host Elaine Sterling sits down with Candace Marino, founder of The LA Facialist in Beverly Hills, to talk about building a skincare business on authority, customization, retail and actual hands-on skill. Candace gets into why she walked away from HydraFacial, why clients need what their skin requires (not just what they ask for) and what building true expertise outside of Instagram posts actually takes.