S.P.A. Business Podcast

If you've ever sat across from an ads manager, scrolled through your meta dashboard, or tried to follow along in a marketing conversation and felt completely lost, this episode is for you. Amanda sits down with ads expert Pamela to break down the most commonly used meta ads terms in plain language, no jargon, no overwhelm. From campaigns and ad sets to impressions, CPM, and click-through rates, yo...

Sixty-five spa owners answered this question in a Facebook group and almost all of them got it wrong. Not because their answers weren't valid, but because they were focused on the wrong thing entirely. Equipment, marketing, education, mentorship, those can all be great investments. But if you're not auditing what you've already spent, you're just throwing money at problems and hoping something sti...

In this quarterly check-in episode, Amanda pulls back the curtain on exactly what happened inside her spa in Q2: what she implemented, what surprised her, and what she's building toward in Q3. From finally raising her prices (and why literally nobody complained), to launching Monday morning huddles that her team actually looks forward to, to creating a hybrid esthetician-support staff role she's n...

If your books feel inconsistent month to month, the problem probably isn't your marketing, it's your retention. In this episode, we break down a distinction that changes everything: total client retention versus new client retention. These two numbers tell completely different stories about your spa business, and most owners are only looking at one of them, if any. You'll learn what healthy benchm...

You've been here from the beginning or maybe you just found us. Either way, this episode is for you. This week marks the final episode of Bougie and Boring and the official launch of the SPA Business Podcast. Same host. Same philosophy. Same commitment to the systems that build profitable spa businesses. But the new name? It means something. SPA stands for Strategy, Profit, and Automation, the thr...

You've made it through 90 days. Now what? The way you close this reset matters just as much as how you opened it. Today we're covering the three possible outcomes, how to tell the difference between genuine improvement and someone who just performed well for 90 days, and how to close the conversation with integrity no matter what happens.  You'll learn: The three possible outcomes of a 90-day rese...

You had the conversation. Your team member nodded and agreed. They seemed genuinely motivated. And then two weeks later, nothing changed. Everything is exactly the same. Here's why: a conversation without structure is just a conversation. It doesn't create accountability. It doesn't create clarity. And it definitely doesn't give your employee a roadmap to follow. Today, we're building the structur...

Do your team members actually know what's expected of them? Not in a general sense, but specifically and clearly in a way they can act on every single day? If you're dreading walking into work because you're dreading seeing your team, this three-part series is for you. Today, I'm introducing the 90-Day Employee Reset, one of the most powerful leadership tools I use in my spa.  This is Part 1 of a...

You just launched your first meta ad campaign. Week one passes. Nothing happens. Week two passes. Still nothing. You start panicking: "This isn't working. I'm wasting money." But here's the truth: ads don't work like viral posts. In this episode, Pamela Howe is back to walk us through what the first month of meta ads realistically looks like and why patience is your biggest asset.  You'll learn: W...

  Things feel slow. Clients are canceling. There are gaps in the schedule. But here's the truth: I don't believe people aren't getting spa services anymore. A meaningful portion of spa owners I work with are hitting all-time highs in profit, revenue, and bookings. So if your spa is slow, don't chalk it up to the economy. Treat it like a data point. Something in your business has a crack, and when...

Things feel slow. You just hired someone and payroll went up, but it feels like everyone's canceling or no-showing. Your books are slower than they've been in a long time. Sound familiar? In this episode, I'm breaking down the only three ways to fill your books: build it, borrow it, or buy it. And why trying to do all three at once is watering down your results.  You'll learn: The three ways to fi...

For years, I've been tracking profit using something I call a Profit Protection Number (PPN). It's helped me stay grounded and protected. But there were still weeks when my PPN would drop to an uncomfortable level, and I couldn't figure out why. Then I learned about cash flow. You have a healthy profit margin. Revenue is up. So why does your bank account still feel tight sometimes? I recently star...

Q1 is done. Whether it was challenging, good, or somewhere in between, it happened. Now let's talk about what worked, what didn't, and what I'm focusing on in Q2. In this episode, I'm sharing my wins, my learnings, and the exact questions I ask myself at the end of every quarter to stay clear and focused. You'll learn: What happens when you step back into the client experience and how it can shift...

Your spa is making money. Clients are coming in. Your team is booked. So why are you barely paying yourself at the end of the month? If you're bringing home less than minimum wage while generating $30k, $40k, or $50k a month, this episode is for you. Let's talk about what's actually happening to your money and how to fix it. I'm speaking from experience here. I didn't pay myself a penny for years....

For years, I didn't pay myself a single penny from my business. Not one penny. Then I talked to other spa owners who were bringing home well into the five figures every month, and I realized: I can do that too. In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly how to reverse engineer your finances so you can pay yourself what you deserve.   You'll learn: Why you need to treat your own pay like an e...

If you've ever spent money on Facebook ads and wondered where it went or why it didn't work, this episode is for you. I'm sitting down with Pamela Howe to demystify marketing funnels, explain why boosting a post doesn't work anymore, and walk through what it actually takes to bring someone from never hearing about you to laying on your treatment table. You'll learn: What a marketing funnel actuall...

Let's talk about something nobody wants to admit resentment about. If you've ever watched your team clock out and head home while you're still there with two more clients, a supply order to place, and payroll coming up, this episode is for you. Resentment isn't a character flaw. It's data. And it's almost always pointing to a financial problem. You'll learn: Watching your team clock out and head h...

If your spa can't function without you, if you're answering the same questions all day long, or if mistakes keep getting repeated, you don't have a team problem. You have a systems problem. In this final episode of the hiring series, I'm breaking down why Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the key to freedom, consistency, and growth without burnout. You'll learn: What an SOP actually is: a s...

Someone just accepted your job offer. Congratulations! But here's the hard truth,  how you onboard them will decide if they succeed or struggle. In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact onboarding documents I use to set new hires up for success from day one, including how I get them paying for themselves by their third day of work. You'll learn: A clear guide covering expectations, dress...

Your inbox could be the hidden bottleneck slowing down your entire hiring process. If resumes are buried between client confirmations, product orders, and marketing emails, you're hiring from a place of chaos instead of confidence. In this updated episode, I'm showing you exactly how to organize your inbox so hiring feels effortless, not overwhelming. You'll learn: Why you DON'T need another email...

You've written the job description, saved your payroll cushion, and you're ready to hire. But here's the problem. if nobody knows the job exists, none of that matters. In this episode, I'm breaking down where to post your job and the strategy behind each placement so you attract the right esthetician, not just anyone. You'll learn: • Why a Google Form is essential and how it helps you quickly narr...

Thinking about hiring your first esthetician? Before you post that job listing, there are four critical steps you need to take first. Skip these and you'll end up stressed, burned out, or back to solo six months later. In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly what to do before you ever write a job post. This is Part 1 of a five-part hiring series. If you're a solo esthetician who's constan...

In this episode, I'm breaking down what "bougie" actually means, why it doesn't come naturally to me, and how intentional choices (not expensive ones) create the elevated experience your clients remember.  We talk about the difference between luxury and high-maintenance, how your energy as an owner shows up in your client experience, and why bougie is a skill you can learn, not a personality trait...

What if growth doesn't come from adding more, but from refining what already works? In this episode, we break down why "bougie and boring" businesses are often the most profitable and sustainable. We talk about the hidden cost of chasing trends, how chaos impacts your team and clients, and why predictable systems create calm, trust, and repeat revenue. You'll learn: Why constantly adding new servi...

Staring "tons" applications and have no idea who's actually worth your time? Tempted to just hire the first person who looks decent on paper because you're desperate for help? Hold up, let me save you from a very expensive mistake. I'm walking you through the exact job application system I've perfected over nine hiring cycles that filters out the wrong people  before they ever hit your inbox. This...