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ASCP Esty Talk
Ep 347 – Unlocking the Full Potential of Your Business with Erin Kuhn Bhansali
00:25:29
As a skin care professional, you juggle clients, treatments, business growth, and more. Qnity ensures that money doesn’t hold you back. In this episode of ASCP Esty Talk, president and CEO Les Sweeney speaks with Erin Kuhn Bhansali,...
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Transcript11 lines
- [00:00]
A
Foreign welcome and thanks for tuning in today. If you're expecting Alyssa, Ruth, Kristen, or Maggie or Ella, well, you're stuck with me today, and I won't be covering hyaluronic acid or working with the psoas muscle. I'm Les Sweeney, president of Associated Skincare Professionals and Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. Another one of my titles is CEO Professional Assist Corporation, or PAC, which is the umbrella organization for AB&P at ASCP along with their sister associations, Associated Hair Professionals and Associated Nail Professionals. Together, we serve more than 110,000 professionals and 30,000 students in the beauty and wellness fields of massage and bodyworks, skincare, hair and nails. In the course of this conversation today, you may hear myself or my guest refer to pac. And when you hear that, just insert the four associations rather than us running through all those letters for you. If you hear pac, think of the four associations. You're listening to me today because we have a conversation with a friend of ours who we're excited to share because we are starting a partnership that will provide valuable resources for our members. And if you're listening today and you're not a member, well, what are you waiting for? But let's talk to our friend about all this. Aaron Kuhn Bansali is the president of Cunity. And rather than me, explain what Cunity is and how impressive Erin is, I'm going to let her do the talking. Hi there, Aaron. How are you today?
- [01:42]
B
Hey, Les. It's so great to be here. I had to hold in a chuckle with your intro, but I love it. I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
- [01:52]
A
Aaron and I have now been friends for several years and been kind of noodling on this partnership for a while. But I wanted to start with letting people understand that what all that Cunity does in these fields and how you guys kind of came to be where you are.
- [02:09]
B
Yeah, of course. Well, we are so thrilled about this partnership. And this is really kind of the official public kickoff, really. I mean, you know, like you said, Les, we've been. We've been behind the scenes working on this. Probably what started as a vision, you know, several years ago, and now it's really become a reality and so just super excited about it. And, you know, for those of you who may or may not have heard about Cunity, we serve really just like Professional Assist Corporation and all the associations, we serve a wide range of stakeholders in the beauty and wellness industry. But I think it's best to really start with what we believe in and what we do, which is creating overall better financial wellness and financial health for members that are service providers, owners, leaders, students in the beauty and wellness industry. And so how we got started, and I'll talk a little bit about our divisions, is our founder and CEO, he's also my father, so we're family owned and operated business. But Tom started off in finance, right? He was a cfo, he was a certified public accountant. And then pretty quickly he moved into, in about a, I think it was like a three week transition period. He became co owner and president of an eight location luxury salon spa group. 400 employees, massage therapists, estheticians, nail techs, Estes, you know, cosmetologists and then managers at each location. It was a really beautiful, massive salon operation and, and very high service. And so it was really that journey from moving from finance into salon ownership and being exposed to being the employer for primarily a female dominant workforce or female identifying workforce for those who identified as healers and service providers and creatives and money and finance just really wasn't their preferred language or, or in many cases their preferred zone of genius. And so it was in his experience there where he really saw purely the financial problems but also the financial opportunities that come from working in the field of beauty and wellness. And so he served in that role as co owner of that salon group for about, I think it was six or seven years and then left and started what is now Cunity. And so Cunity, just like Professional Assist Corporation is also an umbrella, right? We have several divisions in the industry and it's really broken down by who we serve. Right. So our legacy division is called Cunity for Business and that's really for salon spa and med spa employers who really want to help create more sustainable businesses, more financially sustainable businesses and more opportunities for their team. So we've worked with thousands of salon and spa and med spa owners and leaders in that division, really helping the overall business transformation from a financial perspective. We also work with a ton of professionals that work within those, within those places of employment. So working with hairdressers, massage therapists, Estes, you name it, really helping them working within an place of employment achieve greater financial health for their own, for their own life. And then about three years ago we entered into the school space and it was really the question that we, we kept seeing coming up was how do we address this sooner? Right. You know, when we're working with employers and we're working with service providers, they're already out in the workforce. But the best place to teach about, you know, why we pay taxes, how to actually make more money behind the table, chair or stand. Right. Is before they actually enter the workforce. So they're really equipped to, to excel. And you know, it's kind of like those. Someone told me the best place to get marriage counseling is before you're married. Right. And it's one of those things. The best place to get some basic financial education is, is before you enter the workforce and start dealing with money. Right. So since then we've worked with about, or we actually work with about 200 schools across North America and have had 60,000 students go through our financial literacy curriculum. It becomes part of their tuition. And then we also have a couple other endeavors that we are partnering on, which is a new initiative for solopreneurs that has been an audience we've really, really wanted to help for quite some time. We've had tons of questions around this. And so that's a key part of our partnership as well with, with PAC and its associations. And then we also do quite a bit of research. And so, you know, the, the facts are pretty astounding, right? You know, people are really struggling financially. 70% we've done surveys with now over 10,000 professionals and students. 70% of those in beauty and wellness say they have some form of money anxiety, meaning they feel a sense of fear, angst or dread. Even talking about the numbers when it comes to students, 80% of them have had zero financial related education. Right. And many of those individuals, those students say they want to become entrepreneurs or business owners, but they're lacking some, some really foundational skills that are actionable that can help make sure they are really set up for success financially and beyond so they can really excel in the industry. So we're super passionate about it. We try to make things highly simple, highly visual, but leveraging on the credibility of our CEO who has, you know, the rigor of financial training and you know, I can speak to my own financial transformation. I know we've all, you know, we've all been there, especially right now with what's happening economically. It's, it's hard and it doesn't have to be hard if you have some of the right education and tools. So very, very happy to be partnering and bringing this to PAX audience. But I'll stop talking less back to you.
- [07:44]
A
Well, no, I think it's, I really appreciate that, Aaron. That's exactly, that's what I think of basically your description is what is in my head about Cunity is basically this is an organization first of all founded with experience and passion. You know, I first met Tom and you and was just really struck by the fact that this is something that really means a lot, certainly. And from him, starting with him just in terms of how can we help these professionals? And that was like we were singing from the same song sheet, you know, because I wish you had mentioned that thing about the marriage counseling, because I just celebrated 33 years. I, you know, I, I probably, Sarah probably would have said, I wish I had gotten an owner's manual before I got this guy. So. But yeah, when, you know, when I first started with abmp, way, way, way back when I would go visit schools and talk to students. And one of the things I would say is you chose this because you like it, you're really interested, you love in it. Now let's figure out how you can pay your rent or your mortgage. Because you didn't come here just for a hobby. You came here because you have a passion for it and you want to do it. And what can we do to help you be more successful in accomplishing that? And I always feel like it's a little bit like I'm working on this gigantic jigsaw puzzle. And occasionally I get a little insight or inspiration and a few pieces get put together, but the picture is not complete. And as I tell my staff here too, sometimes I'm like, well, look on the bright side. If you're frustrated, it's okay. I've been doing this for 31 years, so I haven't figured it out yet either. But the bottom line for us is how do we fundamentally. And this is what I impart and this is what I believe, which is how can I make life a little better for our members, for our practitioners? And that manifests in a lot of different ways. And this is an area where I feel like we all need to continue to build up our muscles. And that's why it's really resonated for me. When we first talked and you all demonstrated some of your coursework, I was like, this should be mandatory curriculum for every high school student. Because it's just literally the building blocks and the fundamentals of how I navigate life and also how it's going to apply to me in this deep field, in this practice. And you really touched on an important piece of it too, is a lot of people who practice in these fields are creative by nature. They're not analysts, they're not hedge fund managers. They're people who have a passion. Most of them didn't go into it saying, I'm Going to go get rich. They went into it saying, I love this work. It either it influenced and helped me or I love what I do, I love helping others. But they, they're not born with a spreadsheet attached to their head that says, I know exactly how I'm going to make all this work. So these are the resources that are, that are essential. And it's also one of the things that. One of the things I would say to students is, you're going to learn more in the first six months than you did in school. And they've kind of gimme a funny look, but I'm like, that's called real life. That's, that's everybody. That's whether you just got out of college or you, or you got out of a training program or whatever, it's like, now you're going to actually, this is where the rubber hits the road. And part of this is these are what you will learn. And I used to say this related to massage. I would say there aren't very many people who didn't make it in massage because they didn't know their origins, insertions and actions. It wasn't like, oh, I forgot which muscle was which. It was like, I couldn't sustain a business. That's what happens. So to me, this is so essential and so important, and it's also not, maybe in many cases, everybody's favorite subject. And I acknowledge that it might be mine, but it's not everybody's. But what I love about what you all are doing is you make it presentable in a way that it's relatable, it's digestible, it's understandable, and it's actionable in that regard. So it's like, okay, hey, I don't want to sit around and think about all this stuff. That's okay. We've done the legwork, meaning you guys have done the legwork to help you better understand and embrace this and change your mindset or orient your thinking about it so that you can be successful in this field that you love doing? So it's like, hey, you love hairstyling, you love massage, you love skincare. Well, don't you want to be able to do it and reach as many people as possible and do so in as productive and efficient and profitable a manner for yourself then, so you can keep doing it. You obviously loved it enough to go to school. So let's do a little work around the fact that I can continue to do this and earn a living. And I don't think it's easy. I would never imply that it's easy, but I think you all have created a really useful framework to help people better understand it. It's like so many things in life, you're like, it seems daunting until you break it down into pieces. And I used to tell my sons when they were in school, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, right? That's how we're gonna do this. That's how we're gonna improve our muscles and our instincts and our resilience by doing these things. So I'm, I couldn't be more excited about this. I have been the champion for this internally, not just with you all, but, yeah, this has been one of my passions since we started developing resources for massage therapists in the 1990s, and we've continued to do that, and I think we've gotten better and smarter. But we it's nice when, you know, one of my favorite podcasters says, success is in the agency of others, and that's why we want to partner with smart people who are doing really good work. So that's what excites me about us working on this today. So let's shift our gears and get a little more specific, because I'm sure if someone's listening to, they're like, okay, Sweeney, that's been 10 minutes of you blathering on. Tell us exactly what happens with this new program with Cunity. So walk us through a little bit of that, Erin.
- [13:30]
B
Yeah, well, I mean, first of all, I agree with everything that you just said. And, you know, it's, I'm sure everyone can relate where you've seen talented people struggling and then less talented or maybe not the best killing it, right? Because they focus a little bit on the finance and the business side. And so it's really, you know, recognizing that money may not be the most important thing to you in life, right. But it becomes quickly the most important thing when you don't have it. Right. Or when you're struggling with it. And so our goal is to really just, just help give freedom around the topic of finance with some education. And, and the reality is, is regardless of, of if you're a business of one or if you're working in a, in a large organization or if you're an employer, you're going to have to deal with money in your personal life and business life. And so it's just really giving, giving the basics to ensure you're set up for success and hopefully making it a little more simple. And so I'M so grateful for our partnership lesson, for your belief in what we're doing here because we have resources and by this, by via this partnership with PAC and all its associations, they're making them available for free for, for anyone to experience. And it's really, really exciting. So I would just, you know, list it. Regardless. If you're a nail tech and SDM massage therapist, a cause there is a solution for you and it would really be divided in terms of how you are employed or how you earn a living, right? It's something we call preneurship, right? Which is just how do you engage with work? And so if you are a business of one, right? If you're a booth renter, if you're independent, if you are a freelancer, the best place for you to really go is our partnership through solo and that is launching next week. It is super exciting. You're going to be able to get access to 50 plus free videos all on the most important topics around money. So again, that is made available fully for free in sponsorship and partnership with pac. So please take advantage of that because it's for you to consume and listen to and watch. There's also tools in there and additional content that you can take advantage of. That is our solo option. There is also, you know, if you're a solo and you're like, hey, I really feel like I need one on one support. There's also a premium option where you can join us for weekly coaching. So weekly coaching plus digital tools and weekly content updates. But I would always recommend, you know, start off with, with what's available to you through Pack, which is the free version and it's available and accessible to you at the time of this podcast. So, so that is great for solos. If you are employed in a large employer, so you work in an existing structured business, the best place for you is our option for employees. And that is really something called Money Pro. That is a very, very robust curriculum that really helps give you the tools as something we call or we refer to as an intrapreneur, right? Someone who has a business within the structure of an existing business. So it's different conversations around money and it's different things that you need to think about comparative to a solopreneur or a business owner, also called an entrepreneur. So it's really accessible for you to drive your business within the structure of an existing business, understand your paycheck, understand what moves your paycheck and how you can increase your earnings, understanding budgeting and all of that good stuff. And Then lastly is our option for students which we're super excited about. So PAC has a large population of students in schools. We do as well. Again, we're in about 200 schools and that company offers a curriculum that is a robust up to 40 hour curriculum, teaching all the foundational elements. It's quite robust of financial wellness for students before they enter the workforce. So really educating on all of their options. How to get a job, how to understand what salon spa and med spa profitability actually looks like. Understanding the basics of what it means to run a profit and loss statement. So really solid business building education there too. That's for students. But we have a pathway very specific for pack with several core videos that are really, really compelling, which is how to build your business before you graduate, which is really, really compelling. Using one of our tools called the Inner Circle. And then also understanding some of the common myths and traps that students and professionals fall into. So those are also available fully for free for PAC members too. So really we wanted to create something and kudos to you and your leadership, Les. You wanted to create something that was accessible and available for anyone to take advantage of. So our hope is that this really, really helps support you on your journey wherever you're at. And we're here along with PAC to continue the support if you need it. But I do promise you there's so many amazing results that we hear. You know, I just, I just posted, posted out a podcast with one of our team members. She actually started as an administrator in schools and so she was working with schools on this program and she watched the program seven times because she's like, wow, I can really, I can really learn from this. And in one year she's now going to be debt free. She just bought, I think I'm butchering the acres, six acres of lands. She had never had any savings before. She was a single mother, raised her three boys and her financial journey is totally transformed. And another member on our team, Corinne, she actually is very involved in this partnership behind the scenes. She was a recent professional who came to us and was, had kind of dabbled with being a solopreneur and also working in an existing business. And she came to us and she was about to leave the industry and she took some more financial curriculum and she increased her income in one year by $42,000. Right. She was able to put her son in private school. She was able to pay for fertility treatment with her and her partner. So you know, I hope those stories, those are just two top of mind recent examples but you can change your certain circumstances. And so I would say to anyone, regardless of where you're at financially, maybe you're like, hey, I love numbers, I want to learn more. I'm jazzed, I'm in a good place, but I want to grow. That's great. There's a place for you. And if you're struggling and if you're listening to this conversation and getting like that angsty feeling, right, to me that is a calling for you to lean into that, right? Because the common reaction when you fear something is to avoid it. And if it is a language and the number and the language of finance and money isn't something that you are accustomed to or, or maybe you just were told you were not smart at it, right? That's what I hear from a lot of our students. They're like, I wasn't good at math, that's why I wanted to do my craft, right? But lean into that because once you overcome that initial avoidance, you'll move into knowledge. And knowledge is power.
- [20:12]
A
As you said, it's not just these fields, but these fields obviously have this challenge. Just like so many Americans, so many people in our society who just kind of want to shield their eyes and say, I'm not going to think about that, maybe it'll go away by itself. But it reminds me of like when I started, when I went to massage school, you know, you, and you're taking A and P and you're like, oh my God, I have to learn all these systems and all this stuff. And so many people freak out about it because it's more didactic, it's more typical, you know, book based knowledge, like it takes you back to biology class or whatever. And it's like everything else, if you break it out into digestible, approachable pieces, you start to master, understand it. And now most people, that's their second language when they're, when they're practicing and we're not, you know, this is not a coaching system to get you to become a day trader. This is a system and an approach to help you slay one of the dragons that bothers you, that keeps you up at night or makes you worry about stuff. And you know, it sounds, it sounds a little Pollyannish. But you know, our, our view is, you know, our, our job with our organizations and with our members is to help them lead their best life. And if that means, you know, whether we develop content to help them so they better understand in the treatment room any conditions they may encounter, things like that or can help them Figure out how to buy six acres of land. It's whatever, you know, whatever it takes is kind of the way I look at it, which is like, what. What can ABMP or ASCP or HP or A and p dot com to make it so that you go, these guys are great. They make my life a lot easier. And I. I'm better off for the relationship because of what they bring to the conversation. And this, to me, is just. We've just added another really valuable tool in the tool belt for our members. And I. I couldn't be happier about it because this is my orientation. Like, one of my favorite things I've gotten to do over the years is when I talk to members and just talk to them about their practice and say, how's it going? What's your issue? Or any challenges you face? And I'm not an expert, but I've been hanging around here long enough that I've absorbed some information, and so I try to certainly work with people in that regard, and that gives me as much satisfaction as anything. And it's the same with our teammates, my team here. It's like, if I can help them in any way, that's what gets me out of bed every day. So my feeling is this. I couldn't be more excited. And I'm. I hope anybody who hears this says, I want to give this. I want to check this stuff out. Because, you know, success to me in this partnership is just massive utilization by our members and students who say, this is really good for us. And I appreciate. You know, appreciate the opportunity for the exposure. And some handful of them will go, this is awesome. I'm into this. I'm going deeper. I'm going to sign up. I want the coaching. I want to be involved, so et cetera. But my goal is that we have a healthy number of people who say it's time. I've been kind of ignoring this. These guys have laid this out in a way that's going to be so much easier for me to approach it, and I'm jumping in. So let's keep our fingers crossed between hopefully spreading the good word out there and educating our members about the fact that it's here. One of the things. I talked to a guy a long time ago, and he said. He said, I think if we just bring people to the. It was a program they were suggesting. I was like. He said, they'll do it. And I said, well, you got to make sure people understand that not only that they'll lead the horse to water, but remind them that they're thirsty. And it's like, don't be afraid to ask these questions. Don't be afraid to take a look. And you know, there's a reason why he's just depressing as it is, when I get on the scale, I pay attention to it, right? And it's like what gets, you know, one of my, one of my repeat things on repeat is what gets measured, gets managed. And whether that's your weight, your calorie intake or your spending or your bookings, if you pay attention to it, if you start measuring it, you're going to manage it. So it's, this is an easy and a user friendly way to measure so you can manage it so you can be more successful. And that's the nice thing about it is if you embrace this, it's just going to be a reward. You're going to get rewarded for the work. It's not like, oh, I did this and it didn't work out. It's like, no, we. You have plenty of examples that you get rewarded for this work.
- [24:37]
B
To me, this is about freedom, right? This is about freedom for everyone listening. Freedom to be able to do more of what you love and focus on your craft and not have to stress about, you know, money. Because it's not fun to stress about money, right? We want you to do more of what you love. So I'm super grateful that you're making this available and we're just really honored about this partnership. It has been in the works for a while and we are just about ready. And when people are listening to this podcast, it's available for, for all pack members. So I can't wait for you all to experience it.
- [25:06]
A
Amen. Sister Erin, it is so much fun to work with you and I'm so delighted and I get to see you in the not too distant future. So we will toast the good work that we hopefully are bringing to our members.
- [25:20]
B
Amazing. Thank you all so much.
- [25:22]
A
Thanks, Aaron. Talk to you soon.