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Melissa: Welcome to Side Note with Melissa, where personal stories spark deeper connections, conversations, and questions. Do you remember when you were younger and just thinking about all the things that you thought you might want to do when you grew up as far as jobs or careers? And really how that just changed as you got older? And granted, I've known some people who always knew they wanted to be a doctor or a teacher or a nurse. And that's what they studied and that's what they're still doing. And they're very passionate about it. But I would say most of us have these ideas about what we want to do when we grow up. But we try it, we don't like it, we change our minds, we change as people. ⁓ we figure it out later, or maybe we're still figuring it out. But think about when you were younger and the jobs that you thought you would go into and what you wanted to do. Because that's what I want to talk about in this episode. Welcome to Side Note. This is episode four. And in this episode, I do want to talk about one of those experiences that I had. in a specific career, but it really isn't necessarily about the career. It's about all the things that happened around it and sort of my narrative and how it helped me. ⁓ but it was one of the most meaningful and transformative ⁓ careers that I've had in my life. And I really like looking back at the kind of connections between things and how I get to certain places. Honestly, we might have to do a part one and part two on this topic because there's going to be a lot of side notes on this one. Again, this is one of my favorite life experiences. So I am a licensed. ⁓ Aesthetician. So, yes, I'm a lavender farmer, but I'm also a licensed aesthetician and have been for I guess about 21 years. So this is not about me wanting to be an aesthetician so I could own my own spa. No, like I said, it's not really, it is about being an aesthetician, but You'll see as I share my story, it's so much more than that. And again, how I kind of pull the meaning together and the connections together. Now, side note, I should explain what an aesthetician is. Now, that might seem funny to you because a lot of people know what it is, especially women, but there are still some people that don't know what it is. An aesthetician is somebody who is licensed to give facials. So you might work at a spa, you might work at a salon, at a medical spa, but it's somebody who's trained to give facials. But let's go back 21 years. I was about 29 or 30 and I was really entering into a decade that would be one of the most Transformative decades, that being my 30s. you if you've read my book, you know, and we'll get into that in different episodes, but it was a crazy 10 years. Good, bad, traumatic, ⁓ very eye-opening. And this was probably about 2006-ish. Now, here's another side note. I did it a little bit backward. And let me explain that. Most people, and when I say people, mostly women, okay, mostly women go in to be ⁓ aestheticians, but there are men who go into the industry. but they'll do it right after high school, right? It's considered a technical skill, a vocational skill. And so you don't have to have a four-year degree to become an aesthetician. Now, mind you, an aesthetician is different than a cosmetologist, right? A cosmetologist is somebody who does hair and nails, and they do have some training in skin, but an aesthetician is somebody who just specializes in the skin and removal of the hair. So No haircuts, no hair coloring, no perms, nothing like that. It's skincare. So people who go into this will usually go right after high school. Maybe they're not interested in going to college. They want to get a vocation and they wanna start working in a salon or a spa. And you can get this training done depending on the program and depending on the state within a year or two. and Most states require a licensure. So you have to go through the training and then you have to sit for a state license exam. Now there has been a trend in the last, I'd say 20 years, where a lot of women were going back a second career. So it was later in life. They were non-traditional students going in for S edition training. So they're not the traditional, you know, 19, 20 year old, ⁓ younger adult. ⁓ but I did it backward. Because after high school, I went right to college, a four-year program. I got my bachelor's degree. And then a few years later, still in my 20s, I went to get my master's degree. I went to grad school. And I'll talk about all of that on another episode because that is a whole other story. But I did undergrad and graduate. And it wasn't until I was finished with those that I had this idea, and I'll tell you why I had this idea, but I had this idea of wanting to become an S deficient. And so I went back To what a lot of people call beauty school, you know, if you want to kind of use an outdated term. ⁓ But why? Why would I want to do that? I mean, think about this. I had an undergraduate degree in liberal arts with a concentration in psychology. I had a master's degree in Higher education, counseling, and administration. So basically working at a college campus in either counseling or administrative stuff, like being a dean or a director. Why would I want to become an aesthetician? Did I want to give facials after all that? Not necessarily. But Let's talk about also why I moved to Santa Barbara. Now, this is again another side note. Well, there was this kind of a California dreams mentality. I had these goals and dreams, and a lot of that had to do with writing and just the California way of life. If everybody's free spirited and you can pursue your dreams and anything's possible. And that's kind of how I saw it. And and that's in many ways, that's what it was and what it is. And if you're a small town girl from Colorado moving to Santa Barbara, you have this idea of like, wow, I'm gonna live where dreams come true. It sounds silly and cliche, but that's how I felt. And so This
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went along with this whole idea of ⁓ me wanting to be a writer, me going to graduate school, and looking for opportunities, okay? Just kind of keeping aware and staying in tune to what was happening around me. Now, stay with me here. I have always been really good. At noticing trends and what's up and coming before other people. So and this is back in like 2005, 2006. And I had read some articles about how spas were one of the fastest growing industries. And it was kind of funny, even at the time, I would could have this conversation with somebody. And even back then they were like spas. What do you mean? Like jacuzzies? No, like spas, these places where you would go and get treatments and body treatments and facials and massages and then you had different categories of spas. So you know resort spas, skincare spas, medical spas. I could see that this was an up and coming industry. And of course I was living in Santa Barbara, California, which seemed like a place where it would be a hub for these lovely, dreamy spots. And it certainly was. And so I had an idea, this this bright idea, this good idea of becoming. A spa writer and reviewer. Now it pretty much was as dreamy as it sounds. But I'm gonna give you some perspective here. So the good side is, and if you've listened to enough of my stories or podcasts, you kind of get this idea that that I am an idea person, I act on it, and and I thought, okay, well, I'm a writer. That was my main goal. Still is my main goal in life. I am a writer. I have always been a writer. I wanted to pursue this dream. And after graduate school, sure, there were things that I was going to do and work on, but all of a sudden there's this idea with spas. So I decided to create a website called Spa Defined, as in defining what Spa is. And at the time it was really, okay, the definition of spa or spaing is health and wellness and relaxation and rejuvenation and all of those words kind of that go along with spas. And I started reading some of the magazines, the Spa Finder and Spa magazine and spas of America. And they were starting to do directories. Online and in print directories, and nobody else in Santa Barbara was doing this. So I tapped into this and I approached the spas that were starting to open in Santa Barbara, and I basically said, I'm a spa health writer and a reviewer. And if you give me a spa treatment, I will write about it and review it and I will put it on my website. And so that's what I started to do. I would go to these spas throughout Santa Barbara and do treatments and then write about it. ⁓ and then there was a guy, ⁓ he's still there today. His name's John Dixon. And boy, back in the day, he was so smart to get the domain Santa Barbara.com. Now this was back in the day where still getting a domain, you know, people weren't like on it as much as they are today. But back then he got Santa Barbara.com and he started listing all of the places that visitors could go, mostly restaurants. I think he was known as the restaurant guy. ⁓ the Santa Barbara restaurant guys, and it was helpful because you have visitors coming from all over the world and they would go to Santa Barbara.com. So I approached John and like I have done with many of people through the years and approached him, said, This is who I am, this is what I'm thinking, what do you think? And I pitched him an idea and he said, Yes, up for it, let's do it. And I had to explain to him what spas were. And this idea and how they were starting to open throughout Santa Barbara. And of course, it was going to enhance his website and bring more traffic to his website. So that's what I did. So then my spa listings were on Santa Barbara.com, which was even more appealing to the spas. So then I started after I had a pretty good directory. Then on my website, Spa Defined, I started charging them an annual fee. Now, again, this wasn't changing my life financially. This was just kind of a little thing on the side. And had a little tagline that said indulging in health, really kind of promoting spas as something that was a necessary self-care. and so I was doing Spa writing reviews. Now, at the same time, remember, I had just finished graduate school. And so I'd gotten a job using my master's degree. and so I was working in admissions at the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine. That's what it was called at the time. And SBCom. And so I was actually combining that with a spa health writing because that also included wellness type topics. So I was just a small town girl from Colorado. When I first moved to California, I thought acupuncture was a bunch of woo-woo stuff. And it wasn't until I got a job at that college that I learned. That because I was admitting students who were applying for a graduate program in Eastern Medicine. So I learned a ton, but I not only was using my graduate degree and having a a ⁓ job, like a regular nine to five job where I was able to pay my bills for a short time anyway. but I was also utilizing that knowledge and wisdom in the spa writing world. So I was just sort of building ⁓ credibility, this reputation as the spa writer. That's what people were starting to know me as, is the spa writer. And then just was pitching it to other websites. Space of America was another one. and then I started getting requests instead of me pitching magazines, I was getting requests to write for magazines. But side note, I was not making a lot of money doing this. I mean, it was really fun. And in my the early 30s, I was the spa health writer and reviewer, and I was getting free treatments, and I was going to all of these amazing spas in the area. ⁓ but it certainly wasn't paying the bill. And I had the job at the acupuncture school as Sort of the admissions counselor and marketing person. ⁓ And then I just thought to myself, I really like this, but it is up and coming. And I know there's going to be other people who are going to start being spa health writers and reviewers. And I
want to be ahead of the game. So at that point, as a writer. I was writing from a consumer perspective. Now I was going to the spas, I was getting my treatment, and then I was writing about it, but I thought now how can I put myself ahead of the other people that might want to be spa writers? And I thought, you know what? I need to be able to write from a technical perspective. I need to go to aesthetician school. I need to be able to interview these practitioners, massage therapists, aestheticians, medical spas, and I need to be able to ask them the technical questions, whether it's about ⁓ Botox that was up and coming, or fillers, or chemical peels, different kinds of facial treatments, all of the good stuff. I had to understand that from the technical perspective. That Is why I decided to go to aesthetician school. I had the day job, and so I had to go at night part-time. So I worked ⁓ during the day and then I went to school part-time for a year. Now, side note, to become an aesthetician in the state of California, it's state governed, so it's different in different states. But you have to go for vocational training and I think it's anywhere between eight hundred and twelve hundred hours. I can't remember exactly. And you have to get those hours in both practical, like hands on, and in theory. And then after you get those hours in practical and theory, you have to sit for state boards, this the licensure exam. And if you know, you know, whether you're a cosmetologist or a nail person or an aesthetician, you know the stayboards are this weird thing that you have to prepare for that is you can really over prepare, but then you just don't know what to expect until you go through it. It's just like this crazy thing that you have to go through. Just ask anybody who who's had to sit for state licensure. It's bizarre. ⁓ so I sat for once I gone through the training, I went for the licensure exams, practical hands-on. We had to do a stateboard exam on they're doing it now on doll heads, but back then I had to find a friend to come with me and they had to be my model. And then you also have to take a theory test. And I passed both and I became a licensed aesthetician in the state of California. But I have to also say that I mean that's the reason I became a an aesthetician, but you've heard me say in other episodes, options are security. I think for especially us women, options are security. So I was already feeling this kind of undercurrent of jobs coming and going and Stability and no stability. And I just thought, I need a backup. Every good woman has a backup plan. I need a backup. And so even though I had a master's degree, I thought, you know what, with this esthetician license, I can always get a second job as an esthetician. I can work for a spa, for a salon, for a dermatologist's office. I can open my own practice, whatever it is. It's another skill that I have. And so options are security. And you know what? Also, I was in my early 30s and living in California. And, you know, things were changing as far as quote unquote aging gracefully. And I was like, okay, I want to know how I can take care of my skin. And It was something that was always interesting to me, but it was never anything that we talked about a what where I grew up. And a side note, I'd mentioned this in another episode about the first time I saw a lavender field, and we didn't see things like that where I grew up, and it wasn't until maybe I saw it in a magazine or a movie, but it wasn't until I moved to California that I saw it. It's kind of the same thing with spas, right? Like this isn't going to a spa and getting a facial is like a special thing to do. And that's not even something that was on my radar till I went to college. And even when I went to college, I remember the first time I went into an Aveda salon. And I remember thinking, I think I was twenty, twenty-one. I was in Fort Collins. I My first year in college, I wanted to get my hair colored. And I went into an Aveda salon and I thought it was the fanciest thing I'd ever seen, which is kind of funny now, but it really was at the time. And I remember looking at the menu and it had some options for facials. And I thought, ⁓ my gosh, like this is so amazing and fancy. And like I could get a facial and ⁓ I Don't even think I ever got a facial until years later, when I moved to California. But I remember that was the first introduction to something that, you know, that was kind of that was kind of fancy. but it wasn't just it wasn't something that I grew up with. But this idea of understanding skincare and aging, I was like, okay, well, what are chemical peels and what's this and what's that? That really Fascinated me. And I like learning about new things. So this was, I had just finished graduate school and that was all theory on higher ed stuff. But now I was doing something more practical and nurturing and helping people and consulting in science. And I really liked that. So I'd gone to esthetician school, I became licensed, and then wow, I mean, the places that I got to go as a spa health writer and a reviewer. I mean, I went all over California. And again, I was using, remember, I'd gone to Santa Barbara because of wanting to pursue my dreams, but I knew, even 20s, I knew that. Santa Barbara was this place that people thought about. Like, wow, you're from Santa Barbara. Like people knew about it. So when I pitched ideas to magazines, that was part of the pitch. I'm a spa health writer from Santa Barbara, and it worked. And so I got to review spas that were in the Spa Finder magazine, which is a big deal in the spa world. You know, they were ranked top spas in the United States. So Ohio Valley Inn was one of them. That was practically in our backyard, but I did several reviews with them. even came to Lake Austin a couple of times, which was dreamy. went to Arizona, went to Hawaii, just spas all over. And I usually wasn't getting paid. I was just getting
free treatments. once in a while the magazine would pay me. So it was more of a fun thing, but it was how people saw you. So I would even go to the spas and they would just roll out the red carpet. I I mean I would get the best spa treatments. And if it was at a s resort spa that included sauna, steam room, lounge room, pool time. And most of them, if they were were resort spas, Then I would be spending the night in hotels that I would never have been able to afford to stay at. So it was really kind of a fun gig. So now I was just looking through some of my old articles as I was prepping for this podcast. ⁓ if you Google Melissa Broughton or Melissa Millot, which was was my married name before I went back to my maiden name. So Melissa Mullot, Melissa Broughton. Spa writer, you'll see all of these different articles on spas and spa treatments. ⁓ and it was a fun gig. then a twist happened. So I was working at the acupuncture school. And I had been there for I think only a couple of years. And All of us staff got notice that the school had been sold. Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine SBCom had been sold to Keycom, which was specific college of oriental medicine in San Diego. And so in my episodes that I talk about all these different career changes and job changes, this was a theme living in California. And so here I was, you know, not too far out of grad school. and I had a job with my master's degree working in a college. And wasn't there very long until we got this notice that the school is being sold. So you can keep your job if you want to move to San Diego. Otherwise, you're going to lose your job. Well, at the time, this was at the time of my life where I was right in the middle of my love affair with Santa Barbara. And ain't nobody gonna get me to leave there. That is where I wanted to live for the rest of my life. I didn't care what I had to do as far as how many jobs I need, that's where I wanted to live. And so I wasn't about to move down to San Diego. Even though it would have still been California, it still would have been beautiful. Santa Barbara was my dream. And so I lost my job. And so early 30s. I definitely pulled a Melissa. Again, this is a theme throughout my life that has shaped who I am and my stories and everything that you'll hear me talk about. But I would say at that point, a lot of people would say, okay, just lost my job. but I have a master's degree and I also am a licensed aesthetician. So no biggie. I'll find another job. ⁓ no, at that point, I think I was just still very much in that mentality that I had been in since I'd moved to California. ⁓ and is a theme pretty much throughout the time I lived there. And that was that what else do I want to do in my life while I'm young? I was always so aware of time. continue even to this day, so aware of time and that it does not stop. And we have to keep going to achieve. And I was always aware of that. So I just thought, what else do I want to do in this life while
I'm young and I've just lost my job and I probably should be looking for another job. But no, I I don't think I'm going to do that. I'm going to take the retirement that I've earned in the last couple of years, which wasn't very much. I think it was a few thousand dollars. And instead of saving that and rolling it over to the next job, I decide to take it out and I decide to go to Italy. And this was a goal I had had for myself. But I think it was probably something I I would do maybe when I turned forty, turned fifty. And so but at the time I just thought, what do you have to lose? And maybe this could be the last time you can do it because maybe you're gonna get a full time job. And once that happens, it's gonna be hard to take off work. So ⁓ I took the few thousand dollars that I had out of the retirement fund and I decided to go to Italy for three months, which is what you can do on a passport. Now, side note, I do want to offer some perspective here. In these moments, I like to say what what else can I do? What other dreams do I have? I want to pursue them, et cetera, et cetera. But I truly didn't have a lot to lose. And that that's part of my pep talk to myself often is what do you have to lose? What's the worst that can happen? And in that moment it was as well, you don't have a job. And I didn't have a special person that, you know, made me want to stay. I didn't have kids, I didn't have a mortgage, so Offering some perspective here, it was easier for me to say I didn't have a lot to lose because I didn't, and that was a good thing for me because it allowed me a lot of freedom. And so and I went to Italy. And it was kind of funny when I went to Italy, I'd never been out of the country, except for Mexico for my honeymoon, but kind of didn't count. But Moving to California for me was like at the you know, my twenties from where I'd grown up was like another country. It r it truly was. And it was what I wanted and what I needed. And also very much ⁓ who I am, I'm not really a planner. And so I kind of wing it. For me personally, if I plan too much, it's getting so Caught up in the details. And if I think too much about the details, I might get nervous and change my mind. So I knew that I needed a place to go right when I got there, and then I would figure it out. So I decided to take language lessons, and I decided to live in Tuscany. But The other thing that I did was, okay, if I'm going to go to Italy, I'm going to visit spas. And so before I left, I did a bunch of research on the best spas and resorts throughout Italy. And I sent an email to them and I said the magic words. I'm a spa health writer and a reviewer from Santa Barbara, California. And that opened so many doors. And when I got to Italy, I lived there for three months. I took Italian lessons and I visited SPAS. And just that experience in those three months is a whole other episode or more. but the point in this episode is that. That was part of my journey in gaining more experience in spas around the world and treatments in Italy that were so different. And that was important when it came to what was going to come up next. So thank you for listening to part one on why I became an aesthetician. And be sure to listen to part two because as dreamy as it was, being a spa health writer and then traveling to Italy and reviewing spas there, the best part about being an aesthetician, I will talk about in part two. Thank you so much for listening to Side Note with Melissa. If these stories resonated with you, please share this episode with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and feel free to leave a comment. You can also follow and connect on my Instagrams, Side Note with Melissa, or June Bloom Lavender. And I hope my crazy convoluted stories made you laugh, smile, and even reflect on your own chapters. This podcast is brought to you by June Bloom Lavender, a Lavender speakeasy in the Texas Hill country. June Bloom specializes in handcrafted lavender gifts and a premium skincare line made with lavender harvested each summer by owner Melissa Broughton, that's me, in Santa Barbara County, California.