Hidden Gems: Meet Jade Williams of The Skin Lab Esthetics

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Williams

Hi Jade, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Thank you for always allowing me to share my story and journey on this platform. I always find it very self-motivating to look back in retrospect on these articles and see the evolution of myself and my brand. Some of you may have heard my story a few times before, but this time i would like to view my story from the lense of passion that led to profit that led to purpose.

THE PASSION

I have always had a passion for beauty since I was a young girl. In 2012, I created a YouTube channel for makeup content and began to build a presence within the makeup community.

THE PROFIT

I started my beauty career in 2013 as a self-taught makeup artist. While obtaining my bachelor’s in chemistry I began to build my clientele in Kansas City and surrounding areas. In doing so, I started to visualize the opportunity for expansion in my business by creating products to use during the makeup application that my clients could purchase at their appointments. I knew that I wanted to both understand and be involved in the process of creating the products I would be using and selling. In 2017, I started a masters of cosmetic science program while simultaneously building my cosmetic line, Heiress Cosmetics. In April of 2020 I launched an e-commerce store and in November of 2020 opened a storefront location; the first cosmetic store inside the Hy-Vee arena. As a makeup artist and cosmetic chemist, i felt that it was very important to understand the very thing that i was applying products to and developing products for; the skin. In 2022 I started esthetics school and became a licensed esthetician in May of 2023, introducing my skincare business; The Skin Lab Esthetics. But, while in esthetics school I was introduced to a whole other level of the beauty industry; cosmetic injections. So here I am, currently pursuing a bachelor’s in nursing to become an aesthetic nurse injector, bringing medical aesthetics to The Skin Lab.

THE PURPOSE

This current season of my life is focused on living in my purpose. Through this journey I have found that my purpose as a well-rounded professional in the many facets of the beauty industry is to lead, inspire, innovate and educate. My passion that turned to profit was just the vessel that would allow me to live out this purpose. It’s really a full circle moment because I initially entered college the first time with the intent of becoming a medical professional but then modified my path to enter the beauty industry. I believe that it is in my purpose to bridge the expanding gap between medical and beauty professionals in the aesthetic industry. I have always had a passion for beauty and plan to make a number of contributions to the industry through innovation and mentorship.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I truly believe that anything worth having will not be easy to obtain, otherwise, everyone would be doing it. This journey that I have been on has definitely not been easy but it’s all about perseverance. Just as a human being in general, life comes with no manual. I think life is often glamorized to the point of us thinking that you are supposed to have everything figured out and just do the work to get from point A to point B. Simple right, but no. In actuality it is far from being that easy. One of the general obstacles for me was simply figuring out my purpose and where I fit. And in that, it has cost me time, money, sleep, etc. I have gone to school thinking I wanted to become a doctor, then school for cosmetic science, then esthetic school and now back to school for nursing. All of these things cost time and money, which are both very expensive. I find myself thinking, IF only I had KNOWN from the beginning what it was that I truly wanted to do, I could have cut out some of these pit stops along the road. However, that is just a part of the journey. Sometimes you have to experience the many bumps along the road in order to navigate to the finish line.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Within The Skin Lab Esthetics, I specialize in transformative skincare treatments and waxing. I believe what sets my business apart from others is the experience I provided. People are drawn to two things; what you can do for them, which would be the results of the treatment and how you make them feel, which would be the experience. The branding of my business is built around providing a luxurious self-care experience; skincare is self-care. The thing that I am most proud of brand wise is its authenticity. This isn’t a revolving door business in which I am trying to reach the most clients to maximize profit. I am very selective of my clientele and value quality over quantity as I focus on building an actual relationship with them; making them feel seen, heard and understood rather than just a money grab. For this reason, The Skin Lab Esthetics has reformed to a membership only business model, becoming the home of exclusive self-care memberships. By doing so, we are able to more effectively develop the interpersonal relationships with our clients to help them achieve their goals, while limiting access to only those that closely align with the model and vision of our business while simultaneously aligning with the goals they have for themselves.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Astonishingly, I have never had a physical mentor. However, that is actually what drives my purpose; to be able to give to the next what I didn’t have or what I wish someone would have told me. The source of my “mentorships” has been indirectly through social media or podcasts. I follow people on social media who closely align with the goals I have for myself, and my business and I study them. I also subscribe to a number of podcasts related to my industry in which individuals who have years of experience provide valuable insight and education to their listeners. I know this may not work for everyone and having a physical mentor could have helped me in the early years of my career and still could. For this reason, I have created The Beauty Blueprint: A Student Mentorship which is designed to help upcoming beauty professionals navigate through the beauty industry. Currently, this series of the Beauty Blueprint Mentor Program is available to only high school students and college freshman, as I believe this is a pivotal point in our lives to receive guidance on the prospective path before us.

Pricing:

• The Beauty Society Membership: $250/month
• The Beauty Seminar – Virtual Makeup Class: $295
• Virtual Skincare Sessions: $250
• The Beauty Blueprint – Student Mentorship: Limited Free Sessions

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theskinlabesthetics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskinlabesthetics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theskinlabesthetics
• Other: https://www.linktr.ee/theskinlabesthetics