Meet Laura And Her Why

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My name is Laura Alger. I'm a master esthetician. I'm located in Leesburg, Virginia, and I do a lot of advanced modalities to work on problematic skin, and also I am a sugar artist as well. Wonderful. I can't wait to learn more about just everything you do. So Laura, for those meeting you for the first time, can you share a little bit about your background and what led you to become the proud owner of Forever Beauty? So growing up, I really wasn't, um... I didn't really know anything about aesthetics or kind of the beauty industry. Uh, I had very limited access to any type of like makeup, lashes, hair, all of that, and so I grew very, very much a tomboy And, um, unfortunately I was in a, a really bad car accident when I was pregnant with my son, and I ended up with having some, um, lacerations on my face. And, um, I just felt really un-beautiful. I, I, I just didn't feel myself, and I had a new baby, and I was injured, and, and it just was a, a really hard time for me. And, um, my, my husband encouraged me to find someone to to kind of help me through this journey of kind of fixing my face, you know, type thing. And I stumbled across, and I didn't even know that she was an esthetician, and, um, I walked in and I instantly felt calm. And she made me feel so comfortable, and, like, my issues, w- yes, they were complex, but they were something that could be fixed. And maybe she couldn't do all of it, but she could definitely help start that journey. And, um, I left with this sense of hope, which I didn't have before, and I went,"I wanna do that. I wanna be that person when someone's in a vulnerable situation and they feel like they have no options. I wanna be that person that gives those options and, um, help them, help them figure out exactly where they need to go in order to get the results that they want." So a lot of the times I refer out I'm like,"You know what? I can help you with this, but some- someone else will be able to help you with this part of your journey." So I, I like being able to be that kind of beacon of hope. Yeah. I was gonna say, it reminds me of just, like, that glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that you were just searching for. Um, and you're able to kind of get them on their path to, um, whatever it may be. You know, healing, getting that confidence. So I think that's wonderful. And you mentioned that that one appointment just completely changed your perspective, because someone finally made you feel heard and hopeful. How did that experience shape the way you now care for your own clients? Every person matters. It doesn't matter how someone walks in my door. I have a lot of people, and they'll come in for a, a smaller service, but through them questioning me, I know that they're really, uh, searching for something else. And it's just realizing that every person has an issue, and just allowing them to be able to talk through that problem and not feel judged. And that, that's really important to me, making every person feel like they matter, because they do. Absolutely. Everyone deserves to, to feel beautiful and to feel confident, like you said. Yeah. And it's, and it doesn't matter if it's a small service or a big service. Everyone should feel that way. Everyone should, should walk out of my office feeling confident and ready to take on the day. Yeah Oh, that's so awesome. To be able to create those impacts, too, improves the quality of life, for sure. It does. It really does. And I know you specialize in very niche services, you know, focused on scar tissue, hyperpigmentation, acne, and skin elas- elasticity. What drew you toward more of those kind of restorative, kind of transformational treatments? Can you say that one more time? Yeah, absolutely. So the services that you offer, you have some very niche ones, you know, focusing on scar tissue, hyperpigmentation, um, acne, and even skin, just elasticity. What kind of drew you towards those more restorative and just transformational treatments? Probably from, um, just my own personal experiences. A it's, um, one of those things where, like, going back to vulnerability, a lot of people don't want to go under the knife. They want other options that aren't as intrusive to their body. Um, I personally have an autoimmune disorder, um, so I can't do certain things even if I wanted to. Um, so I wanted to give people options that they can do that are not invasive, but you're still getting results. And, uh, so I've spent a lot of time, research, education on how to give people that, um, aren't necessarily wanting to do something more advanced, like a, like plastic surgery, um, but they still get really great results. Yes. I love that point you bring up, because it shows that there are other options than, like you said, having to go under the knife and have a very big, serious kind of, um, operation of some sort, that's awesome. And the name Forever Beauty has such a meaningful message behind it. Can you talk about what that name represents to you and your philosophy on beauty and just confidence? Oh, wow, okay. Um, m- you know, after I had my, my accident, I did not feel beautiful at all. I didn't feel that confidence within myself that I knew that I was beautiful. And through my journey and going through the things that I needed to do in order to kind of work on texture and the s- the scarring of my face, I realized that it doesn't matter even if it's, this is not fixed at all or it can't be 100%, because it's not. I am still beautiful. Me inside is still beautiful. How I, um, kind of choose to live life is beautiful. And so it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. Internally, what you are, who you are as a person is what really matters. Mm-hmm. Well said. Oh my gosh, I just love that. That is, like, the most inspiring thing I've heard like ever. Yeah? Oh, thanks. I appreciate that. Of course. Yeah.'Cause it's true. We all are. It really doesn't matter, you know. Absolutely. But we can definitely do things that make us feel confident. Mm-hmm. But that doesn't change who we are inside. Absolutely. It's all in here, right? It's all in here. It's all in here. And a lot of your business has been built almost entirely through referrals and word of mouth over the past 10 years. What do you think keeps clients coming back and recommending you to others? Um, the personal experience. Yep, I I make sure that, like I said, everybody that walks through my door, if we are working on a specific thing, you have a treatment plan, and I walk you through that so that we can get the results that you want. Um, it's very personal, and, um, I understand that for a lot of people, it's very emotional, um, because that, that... maybe they've gone through a traumatic event, or maybe they've had, they've had to go through Accutane, now they have scars. And I understand that I'm the last step of the journey, so I need to be positive and let them know that this is... after this, this is it. You know, your, your... all the, all the things, all the struggles that you've gone through I'm the last step. And, um, so it... that... I think that through the positivity that I have, and also I get, you know, my skills. Yeah. I, um, I... th- my work speaks for itself. So it... I ha- I have it all the time. I have, um... you know, I just had o- one of my clients, one of my new clients, and she was like,"Am I... Is my face gonna be all red? Is it... Am I gonna like... Am I gonna... Like, I'm going to, like, a girls' date, and I haven't seen them in, like, 10 years." And all of a sudden, I get all these bookings, and it's all of her friends. Wow. And she messages me, and she's like,"Hey, all my friends saw me, and they want, they wanna come see." Then they, they all came and see, saw me within, like, a week or so. Mm-hmm. And so that's, that's, yeah, I'm totally referral by mouth. I actually try and stay off the radar, but everyone seems to find me. They always seem to find you. Yeah. Yes. That's how you know you are just in, in the field that was meant for you. You don't even have to try. Yeah. Really. Yeah. And it, you know, and it's also too, it's one of those things where it's like, if you have a client that you really love, you're of- you're probably gonna like all the people they like, too. So it, it, it just... it kinda just works for itself. Absolutely. And kinda going into that, you shared that many clients come to you after maybe feeling unheard or discouraged elsewhere. How important is it for you to truly listen and understand someone's lifestyle before recommending treatments? I know that, uh, for a lot of my new clients- they find it probably annoying that I ask a lot of questions. I ask, like,"What type of detergents do you use? What type of fabric softeners? What type of shampoo?" Because sometimes it's a very simple fix. I have it, have it happen at least a couple times a year where all it is is that the person just is, they don't realize that they're allergic to, um, the laundry detergents that they're using, and it's just causing that filament on their skin, and that's what's causing their body acne. And they'll come in their, their next appointment, and they'll be like,"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. I've been working on this for years. I've gone to every, you know, every person I can think of to try and fix this, and how did you do this?" Mm-hmm. You know? And so, and then again, I get referrals from that. So, but yeah, most of the time just listening to somebody understanding their life is so important because, you know, you can, you can throw a lot of things at something, but if you're not finding out the source of what it is, then it's just gonna come back. Yep. I really like how you just kind of assess their whole situation, how they, you know, just live life on the daily.'Cause like you said, sometimes it could be something that we might overlook or not even think about, such as a detergent. So I think that's such great advice for anyone and everyone. Or a dirty backpack. Yeah. Yep, I've, I've had a couple of my teenagers teenage clien- clients, and I'm like,"How often do you wash your backpack?" Yeah. And because that's coming into contact with your skin, and th- that, it, it's just those type of simple fixes that make a huge deal. Absolutely. Wow. And kind of a pivot, what's one client transformation or success story that has just really stayed and stuck with you over the years? Ooh, gosh. Probably the, their personal reaction. Uh, I worked on a case with, um, we were breaking up scar tissue after a dog bite. And, um, she had some irreg- re- irregularity with her vermilion line, so around her lip line, and that was very noticeable. And afterwards, she was ju- she just burst into tears, and she just couldn't stop looking at herself. I actually had to call my next client and just let them know,"Hey, someone's having they, I need a little extra time." And, um, and that, that she sticks with me, for sure. Wow. Um, because that was very traumatic for her. And, um, just hearing her story, hearing her journey. But I've had quite a few of those kinds of... But just, she was very, she's a, a very, um, not theatrical, that's not a good word. What's a good word? She, she's got a, she's got big energy. And so seeing her reaction was just- It was beautiful. So full circle. Yeah. Such a full circle moment to be a part of, I feel like. Yeah, most definitely. That's awesome. Yeah. Wonderful. Wonderful for her. Yes. And you mentioned that skin wants to heal itself when given the right support. What are some common misconceptions people have about skincare and healing? Ooh. That we can do a 10-step routine, and that's the best thing t- for your skin. Your skin wants less. If y- and also another one is, is that, that cleanser really doesn't matter. M- uh, cleanser is probably the most important. It's the first thing that comes into contact with your skin, and if you don't have a good cleanser, then everything else is not gonna do what it needs to do. Uh-huh. Uh, so, like, if f- say you have the wrong cleanser, and it completely strips your barrier, c- you know, uh, and, and then you're putting other things on there that's just gonna cause a reaction. It can k- make you have reactive skin, and then everyone thinks they're sensitive. Mm. When in actuality, we just have the wrong cleanser. Um, so it's... There's lots of, there's lots of different things that people just don't realize. Yeah. And, um, that's why I like going step by step and going,"Send me a picture of everything that you're using, and and we'll figure this out." A lot of people wanna come in, and they wanna just buy an entire uh, skincare line, and I'm like,"No. We're not doing that.""We don't wanna do that. That's gonna overload your skin. Let's start with this one thing. Keep your entire skincare that you know you have that works for you and that I think is, is right, and then we'll slowly start to make those changes for the things that you want to work on." I'm not about doing... Uh, which is great, you know, like, other people can do that. That's perfectly fine, but I've just found that our skin, our skin wants to slowly transition into a new process, like anyone. Yeah. You know, we don't wanna, we don't wanna be suddenly bombarded with a bunch of things, and our skin's the exact same way. Yeah, a very gradual process, personalized, gradual, gradual process. And I like how you mentioned, too, about just having just a nice clean base, too, with a cleanser that works for you. I think that's so important, too, just after listening to everything you said. Y- you don't wanna try to fine-tune things when your base isn't- Exactly the way it needs to be. Yes,'cause your skin will just react to that before- Mm before you even start. Yes. And the beauty industry is constantly evolving with new products and trends. How do you personally filter through what is truly effective versus what is simply maybe great marketing? I think that any good esthetician realizes that they are never the best And they always have to have a mentor, somebody that is has their, you know, nose to the ground knowing the industry, and so you can bounce back ideas. I have people that I reach out, mentors that I reach out to all the time, and I'm like,"Hey, what do you think about this machine?" And they, they know what I have, and they go,"No, you, you're good. You... This is, this is perfectly fine." Or,"Oh, hey," they'll message me and go,"This is the next new thing." Mm-hmm. And then I'll do my research. It's good to have a community. I th- like I said, any good esthetician has a good kind of community of other estheticians that we can kind of bounce ideas back on and also,"Hey, have you seen that? What's, l- have you, have you done any research on this?" Or,"Hey, I came across this case. What do you kinda think about this?" Um, and then we can give ideas on that. So yeah. Yeah. No, all the time. Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Yes, exactly. Yeah. I love that you're able to kind of bounce ideas and just research with, the people who are in the same industry as you. I think that's awesome. And going into that, I loved hearing how much research and testing you personally do, um, before ever recommending something to a client. Why is that level of integrity and education so important to you? Because I don't want to be someone that... Okay, so by the time a lot of people that have, because I'm b- mostly referral, a lot of people have already gone through a lot of different things, and they haven't worked for them. And so I want to be as honest and trustful as possible. So when I'm assessing someone's skin and I'm... or any service, I want to be able to tell them,"This is what's going to happen," or,"N- let's maybe curve our expectations a little bit until we can get there." But I just wanna be able to give them the results they want honestly, and not, and n- not give an expectation that is, um, unrealistic. But I don't know. Am I saying that right? Yeah. No, I completely get what you're saying. Being able to provide that transparency and see how we can get to realistic results. Yes. I think that that is, that is so wonderful. Yes. And it's very reassuring to know that too, I'm sure, as a client coming in and maybe not knowing, you know, what to do, where to go from. You're there, and you're there to kind of help them along that path. Yes, and also being able to kind of show them. So I do case studies throughout the year, and, uh, one that I'm gonna be doing is the, on the GLP-1. People that have started it- And then people that are completely done. And so it's going on elasticity and how cold plasma and 660, the red laser, can How it is affected before you start, and you're kind of working with me as you're going through the process of GLP-1, and then clients that have finished, and they see that elasticity. What is the difference between that, h- if starting or stopping, or starting or before or after is better for keeping that elasticity as best as possible. That's so fascinating. Yeah. Oh, my God. I'm, I'm excited. So I'm gonna be starting that next month. Okay. Yeah. Very cool. Very cool. Yeah, I'm constantly doing that type of stuff. People are like,"How do you do all the things you do?" I'm like,"'Cause I love it." Yeah. And I also wanna be able to give people honest answers. Because if someone comes in and they have Are like,"Hey, I lost a lot of weight," or,"I, I s- I wanna start losing a lot of weight. Should I start before or after?" I can give an honest answer."Look, it's actually better if you do it as you go," or,"Let's wait and do it c- when you're completely lost all the weight." I wanna be able to definitively say that, and those types of things are important to me. Yeah, absolutely. And I think also just meeting them where they're at also really comes into play, too. This is where you're at, and this is where we wanna go. Exactly. Awesome. Yep. And you also specialize in sugaring, which has become increasingly popular as a natural form of hair removal. Can you explain what sugaring is and why you decided to focus on that service? So I used to offer all types of waxing. Um, I did hard wax, soft wax, soy, and sugaring as well. And what I was finding is that I was having less irritation with with sugar, and that's because it's literally just sugar, water, lemon. That's it. That's all it is. And it's an, it's a natural antibacterial. And you get better ability to be able to pull those hairs from the root. And so I went,"Hey, everybody. I know I've been doing this for a long time, but we're not doing this anymore." And I lost a few clients because they were like,"I only do hard wax. I only do soft." And, but I gave them the, the option of like,"Hey let's try and see." And they just Some didn't like it, but that's okay. That's okay. Because that's what I believe in, and I believe in just doing just sugar because I know that that's, that's the best option. Um, I know that, that if there's gonna be any, um I'd, I don't have to worry if somebody's gonna have an antihistamine reaction because there's no, there's no- nothing else that they could be allergic to Because it's just sugar. So interesting. I remember when we were first talking about it, and I was like,"I have to learn all about this." I think that is so neat. Yeah. It, it, it's really fun. It is. It's a lot of fun. Um, but I started that, uh, I started sugaring probably about four years ago. But two years ago is when I really made the decision of, um, of, of not offering any other types of waxing services. Got it. And you described sugaring as one of the more fun and lighthearted parts of your business. Why do you en- w- what do you enjoy most about those reoccurring appointments and relationships with clients? Oh, gosh. They're a hoot. They're so much fun. Um, they're always fast appointments and they appreciate that. They always tell me, you know, that I'm so fast. Um, which is, which is great,'cause sometimes it can be uncomfortable, I'm not gonna lie. Um, but I, you just buil- you, you build these bonds with people, and it's just these... They might only be for five to 10 minutes, but you totally look forward to it. You know, if you know if you have certain people on there, you're like,"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," and you catch up, and before you know it, and your chitchat's over, their service is over, and they're on their way, wow. So it's lighthearted in that we're not dealing with things that are heavy. We're just, we're having fun. And then they get to go and, you know, about their day. Absolutely. Super convenient. What an awesome service. Yeah, I really like it. Also, too, b- because of the fact that I spray tan, my spray tan is sugar-based, so I was finding that I had a lot of my hard wax and soft wax clients, they were like,"Oh, hey, well, so I want a spray tan." I'm like we can't. We can't do that." So changing completely over to sugar made it so that I can sugar you, and then we can spray tan right after, and it just it's a lot easier. Perfect. Get it all done in one stop. Exactly. I was gonna say, you probably built a lot of friendships along the way. Oh, gosh. Yeah,'cause I, I still have my original cl- my original client. So, she always jokes around. She's like,"I'm, yeah, I look younger than when I first met you." And I was like,"Oh, that's because of me." Like a little, little pat on the back. Yeah. Oh, no, she always gives me the credit. She's awesome. But, yeah. Oh, that's wonderful. And you've built Forever Beauty around helping people feel confident, confident, comfortable, and hopeful in their own skin. What would you want someone to know before reaching out to work with you? That they're in a safe place, that you're in good hands, and that if I can't, if I don't believe that I can help you- I have so many referrals and I'll make sure that you're in the right place. And that's i- that's important to me is, is trust and honesty, and making people feel comfortable is really, really important to me.'Cause a lot of the times, you know, I come across cases where people are... They tell me about, someone was really hurtful to them or made them feel less than, and that really bothers me, yeah. It really, it really upsets me when I have somebody go,"I had this really bad experience and I'm really scared to see you, but my best bud told me that you're awesome." And so I take that very seriously. I, I want you to have a good experience because one of my clients referred you to me, so I'm gonna make sure that you feel comfortable. Mm-hmm. They'll be in great hands either way. Yeah. Same. Awesome. And for anyone listening who wants to learn more about your services, book an appointment, or just connect with you, where can they find you? That's gonna be, um, Forever Beauty LLC, and that's through Gloss Genius. If you search me on Google, I'm not tooting my own horn, but I, I'm up there. Definitely toot it. So you'll definitely... Yeah. You'll, you'll find me. So yeah, Forever Beauty. Yeah. And and then through, uh, through, uh, Instagram it'll be foreverbeautylt. Perfect. Multiple ways to reach out. Yep. As we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on today? I don't think so. I think we've pretty much touched base on, on everything. And I'm... Yeah, no. Awesome. I feel like we covered a lot and- Yeah, we did. We did I got to learn so much. Yeah. Thank you so much, Laura, for joining me on the podcast today and sharing your knowledge, creative passion, and just inspiring story with us. I wish you the very best in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you for featuring me. I app- I appreciate it. This, um, this has been a lot of fun and yeah, thank you for reaching out. Of course.