If you are in the beauty industry, it’s pretty safe to say that you are a giver and I’m sure you show up for your clients as a heart-centered, passionate caregiver and that is simply awesome. In fact, it’s probably a big reason you chose this industry in the first place.

But, what happens when you give, give, give and don’t take the action needed to take care of you?

I’ll tell you what happens, you will start to feel overwhelmed, resentful and sometimes taken advantage of. You will burn out and that’s not good for anyone. Imagine yourself for a second as a glass of crystal clear, nourishing, refreshing water. Each time you are giving to another, you are pouring from your beautiful glass into another’s. If you think of it like this, it’s pretty easy to envision what will happen if you don’t get your glass filled back up somehow. Your glass will become empty and you won’t have more to give.

However, just by tweaking a few things you can get keep your positive energy flowing strong and stay in a better and much more lucrative place!

Here’s how…

1. Book time to regroup between appointments – Book your treatments with both you and your clients’ best interests in mind. What does this mean? It means to make sure you block off the proper amount of time in between client appointments so you’re not running late, looking frazzled or unorganized or not showing up 100% focused because you’re trying to do 12 things at once.

This type of planning allows you to serve your clients’ best. Clients will notice your energy – and remember energy is contagious (good or bad). The last thing you want is your client leaving your treatment room feeling anything but relaxed and rejuvenated.

True Story: I became aware of this when a client arrived and I was trying to finish up a few quick phone calls, a bit of paperwork and a broken spa bed. I greeted her and said, “I will be with you in a minute.” About 2 minutes later, I brought her in to the treatment room and started doing her eyebrows. Suddenly she looked up at me and said, “What’s wrong with you today? You are making me nervous.”

Yikes! Trust me when I say it does not feel good to have this said to you. HUGE lesson learned for me!

2. Be clear in your communication – It is more than ok to let your clients know what you need from them to keep your day running smoothly.

Clear communication is the KEY here.

If a new client has a consultation form to fill out tell them to show up 15 minutes early and explain why. I explain showing up early will ensure they get their full appointment in the room with me rather than spending the first 15 minutes of their scheduled time on paperwork.

Don’t assume they already know spa etiquette!

For my clients who tend to run late, I call them the day before their appointment and gently remind them of the importance of being on time. I tell them, “I am really booked tomorrow so please be here at your scheduled time (if not a few minutes early) so you don’t miss out on any part of your appointment because I want you to get the full benefits and results that you’re paying for.”

Commit to communicating clearly to your clients (and staff if you own) as this will remove a lot of crisis and chaos from your daily routine.

3. Set strong boundaries and keep them – Yes, customer service is SO important, but know where you have to draw the line in order to stay in a healthy mental and physical place. Clients and customers always have to be respected but they do not always have to be ‘right’ – that’s old school thinking and serves no one well.

It took me a long time to create this in my business because I was always kinda scared to say, “no” or to tell my clients that I wasn’t available at the exact time they wanted. I guess I was scared they would run away if I didn’t give them everything they wanted EXACTLY the way they wanted it – so I said, “yes” to EVERYTHING. And, it was exhausting!

I ultimately realized that I couldn’t work that way because I wasn’t showing up for a lot of my clients from a place of service. It felt more like I was operating from a place of sacrifice and I’m here to tell you that martyr energy sucks for everyone involved.

I was nervous to tell my clients that I was cutting my hours a bit but I can honestly say that I haven’t lost a single one and I know they are getting a better quality of service from me now.

4. Schedule down time when you need it – You have to take the time needed for the care and keeping of YOU. I know this one is hard because for many of us, ‘down time’ feels like ‘no income time’. And in one sense it is that way. However, you can set your pricing and manage your finances in such a way that you’ve accounted for this time and won’t be set back because of it.

The real truth here is that when you take time to fill your glass back up, you’re actually far more productive, efficient and energized for your clients and that is something that shines through brightly for everyone you come in contact with.