Welcome! My name is Mary Peyton, also known as The Manifesting Esti 🦋. I’m a solo esthetician and educator passionate about helping skin care professionals build intentional, profitable businesses.
Let’s kick 2026 off with a clear plan and path to success. As a skin care professional, your goals aren’t just personal—they impact your income, your confidence, and the results you deliver to your clients. Yet many Pros set goals once a year, write them down, and never revisit them again. This year, it’s time to change that.
Whether you want to grow retail sales, book out your treatment room, refine your expertise, or prevent burnout, intentional goal setting is the difference between hoping for growth and creating it. Let’s break down how to set goals that actually move your business forward—and how to take action starting today.
Why Goal Setting Matters for Estheticians
In the treatment room, results don’t happen by accident. Skin improves because of a plan, consistency, and accountability. Your business works the same way. Without clear goals, it’s easy to:
- Stay busy but not profitable
- Plateau in income or confidence
- Feel overwhelmed instead of focused
- Miss opportunities for growth
Goal setting gives you clarity. Clarity creates confidence. Confidence creates momentum.
Step 1: Define What “Success” Looks Like for You
Before setting goals, get specific about what you actually want—not what you think you should want. Ask yourself:
- Do I want more income, more flexibility, or fewer working hours?
- Do I want to specialize (acne, aging, barrier repair) or offer broader services?
- Do I want to grow retail sales or focus on treatments?
- Do I want to feel less stressed and more in control?
Action Step: Write down one sentence that defines success for the next 90 days. Keep it realistic and personal.
Step 2: Set SMART Goals That Drive Action
Vague goals lead to vague results. Instead, use SMART goals:
- Specific: Clear and focused
- Measurable: You can track it
- Achievable: Stretching, but realistic
- Relevant: Supports your bigger vision
- Time-bound: Has a deadline
Instead of: “I want to sell more retail.”
Try: “I will increase my average retail ticket by $15 per client within the next 60 days.”
Action Step: Choose one business goal and one personal/professional growth goal to focus on this quarter.
Step 3: Break Goals into Weekly, Doable Actions
Big goals fail when they feel overwhelming. Momentum happens when goals feel manageable. Ask:
- What can I do weekly to support this goal?
- What actions are within my control?
- What systems can I improve instead of working harder?
Examples:
- Practice one retail recommendation “script” per week
- Feature one Skin Script product weekly in the treatment room
- Follow up with 5 past clients every Friday
- Rebook every client before checkout
Action Step: Write down 3 weekly actions tied directly to your goal.
Step 4: Use Education as a Growth Tool
Confidence fuels consistency—and education builds confidence. When you understand why a product works, recommending it becomes natural. When you trust your protocols, you stop second-guessing yourself.
Leverage:
- Ingredient education
- Protocol refreshers
- Retail pairing strategies
- Skin barrier fundamentals
Action Step: Schedule one educational touchpoint per week—a blog, training, or product deep dive—and apply one takeaway immediately in the treatment room.
Step 5: Track Progress (Not Perfection)
Progress isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being aware. Even small wins matter. Momentum builds when you acknowledge growth. Track:
- Retail averages
- Rebooking percentages
- Client feedback
- How confident you feel making recommendations
Action Step: Check in weekly: What worked? What didn’t? What will I adjust next week?
Your Next Move Starts Now
You don’t need a full business overhaul to see results. You need:
- One clear goal
- A simple plan
- Consistent action
Choose one goal. Take one action. Build momentum. You’ve got this.
About the Author
Mary Peyton, also known as The Manifesting Esti, is a solo esthetician and educator dedicated to helping skincare professionals turn passion into profit. Through education, strategy, and mindset work, Mary empowers estheticians to confidently go solo, scale their services, refine modern marketing tactics, and build a sustainable six-figure business—without burnout.
With a deep understanding of the treatment room and the business behind it, Mary provides actionable roadmaps that help Pros move from overwhelmed to organized, from inconsistent to intentional.
Because when your business has clarity, your confidence—and results—follow.
Learn more about the Esthetician Roadmap at https://estheticianroadmap.teachable.com and follow Mary on TikTok and Instagram.
