Podcast Summary: The Treatment Room Episode 163 – Elevate Your Esthetics Business + Retail Online with Pomp Beauty

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Hosts & Guests:

• Tess: Licensed esthetician, double-certified acne expert, NASM health + nutrition coach, and skincare brand founder.
• Shannon: CEO and Founder of Pomp Beauty.

Introduction to Pomp Beauty

In the first episode of 2025, Tess welcomes Shannon, the CEO and Founder of Pomp Beauty, to discuss how Pomp Beauty is transforming the esthetics industry by empowering estheticians to elevate their businesses and streamline retail operations online.

Tess introduces Pomp Beauty as a crucial tool that has significantly benefited her own business:

"POMP is software built to elevate estheticians and it has just been so instrumental to my business." ([01:08])

Shannon's Journey to Founding Pomp Beauty

Career Backstory: Shannon shares her non-traditional career path, marked by resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.

"I never felt like, oh, I'm going to be a CEO of a beauty startup company... I always wanted to work, I always was trying to just figure, figure things out." ([02:52])

Graduating during the 2008 recession, Shannon navigated through various jobs—from selling custom lampshades to working as a chef—before finding her footing in the beauty industry. Her experience as one of the first hires at multiple startups honed her skills in business development and e-commerce strategies.

The Genesis of Pomp Beauty

Inspiration Behind Pomp Beauty: Shannon discusses the personal and professional motivations that led to the creation of Pomp Beauty.

"I was struggling with really bad adult hormonal acne... my frustration came in was why aren't more people getting skincare advice from licensed professionals like yourself." ([06:59])

Her personal battle with acne and dissatisfaction with the impersonal nature of mainstream beauty retail inspired her to create a platform that bridges the gap between estheticians and consumers. Pomp Beauty was developed to support estheticians by providing a curated selection of professional skincare products without the burdens of inventory management.

Empowering Estheticians and Enhancing Consumer Experience

Supporting Estheticians: Shannon emphasizes how Pomp Beauty alleviates financial and logistical pressures for estheticians:

"Retail should be a bigger, you know, a bigger and growing portion of your income." ([12:57])

By offering a vast catalog of over 35 brands with approximately 2,000 SKUs, estheticians can recommend tailored skincare routines without the need to hold extensive inventory. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for new estheticians who may not have the capital to invest heavily in retail lines.

Enhancing Consumer Experience: Pomp Beauty enhances the shopping experience for consumers by providing access to expert-recommended products in a user-friendly online platform. Shannon points out the importance of personalized recommendations:

"It's like you're not selling Pomp because you don't have to sell them directly... it's just another tool to help with your retail offering." ([16:02])

Consumers benefit from curated product selections vetted by estheticians, ensuring that recommendations are based on professional expertise rather than fleeting trends.

Features and Benefits of Pomp Beauty

Comprehensive Product Selection: Shannon highlights some of her favorite brands available on Pomp Beauty:

• Hydrinity
• Jan Marini Clinical
• Color Science: Specifically praises their under-eye flecks and tinted SPF.
• Face Reality: Ideal for clients with acne, rosacea, or fungal acne.

"I love color science... it's my absolute new favorite tinted SPF." ([28:29])

User-Friendly Tools: Pomp Beauty integrates seamlessly with existing booking and payment systems, such as Square, enhancing the estheticians' ability to manage their businesses efficiently.

Financial Incentives: The platform offers a profit-sharing model, providing up to 35% commission directly to estheticians, enhancing their revenue without the complications of traditional affiliate programs.

"We pass along up to 30, 35% profit and commission directly back to the esthetician now." ([15:51])

Subscription and Payment Flexibility: Upcoming features include integrations with Afterpay for payment flexibility and product subscription services, allowing clients to receive regular shipments of their favorite products at discounted rates.

Building and Leading a Successful Team

Team Development: Shannon describes the evolution of her team from part-time developers to a robust support system focused on esthetician and brand partnerships.

"We are constantly getting recommendations from you and other estheticians on what product lines that they want to work with." ([15:03])

Hiring Philosophy: Shannon and her co-founder, Nicole, prioritize thoughtfulness and genuine communication during the hiring process, believing that these qualities contribute to a harmonious and effective team.

"Whenever we interview someone and they write us a thank you email back... we have worked so well with has been just kind of this thoughtfulness." ([20:47])

Challenges and Growth as a CEO

Fundraising Difficulties: Shannon candidly discusses the challenges of securing capital and managing investor expectations, particularly when investors may lack industry-specific knowledge.

"Expectations from investors that unfortunately don't necessarily know the industry." ([22:10])

Imposter Syndrome and Personal Growth: Navigating the complexities of leadership without a technical background has been a significant hurdle. Shannon emphasizes the importance of mentorship, executive coaching, and leaning on her network for support.

"I've never been a CEO. There's a lot of imposter syndrome." ([22:34])

Decision-Making and Leadership: Shannon shares key lessons learned, including the necessity of making swift, tough decisions and maintaining objectivity to prioritize the business's best interests.

"You have to separate your personal feelings... and make sure that you're doing what's right for the business." ([24:14])

Favorite Pomp Beauty Products

Shannon reveals her go-to products from Pomp Beauty, which she personally uses and highly recommends:

• Hydrinity
• Jan Marini Clinical
• Color Science: Under-eye flecks and tinted SPF.
• Color Science Face Reality: Essential for treating specific skin conditions.

"I love color science... they're so responsive. They're so helpful." ([28:29])

These products not only cater to various skin needs but also support estheticians in providing comprehensive care to their clients.

Future Developments and Exciting News for 2025

New Brand Partnerships: Pomp Beauty is set to introduce several new brands, enhancing the platform's diversity and product offerings.

Integrated Partnerships: Collaborations with ASCP and Square are in the pipeline, providing estheticians with streamlined booking and payment solutions directly within the platform.

Enhanced Customer Support: Continued emphasis on live training, education, and responsive customer service to ensure estheticians can maximize the platform's potential.

Subscription Services: Introduction of product subscriptions and flexible payment options like Afterpay to accommodate clients' financial preferences and encourage consistent skincare routines.

"We've added product subscriptions... making that skin care purchase easier for your clients as well." ([36:02])

How to Join Pomp Beauty

Shannon invites estheticians to join the Pomp Beauty platform by visiting pompbeauty.com. She encourages potential users to reach out directly via email for personalized assistance and demonstrations.

"Email me directly to reach out if you have any questions or if you want to do a demo with me." ([38:13])

Additionally, Tess mentions that a referral link will be available in the show notes, offering an easy way for estheticians to connect with Pomp Beauty.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with both Tess and Shannon expressing mutual appreciation for the collaboration and the value Pomp Beauty brings to the esthetician community. Shannon reiterates her commitment to supporting estheticians through innovative solutions and excellent customer service.

"We want to come alongside estheticians more on that retail front... to support your additional retail needs." ([15:51])

Key Takeaways:

• Pomp Beauty serves as a vital tool for estheticians to enhance their retail offerings without the burden of inventory management.
• Shannon's Leadership emphasizes support, education, and financial incentives for estheticians.
• Future Enhancements promise more integrations, product lines, and flexible customer solutions to further empower estheticians and delight consumers.

For estheticians looking to elevate their business and streamline their retail processes, Pomp Beauty offers a comprehensive and supportive platform tailored to the unique needs of the esthetics industry.