Joanna Vargas, Celebrity Aesthetician

What is your role?
I always tell clients that my job is to figure out a fix for their skin in spite of their busy schedule. I ask any new client "What inspired you to come in?" because I find that women always have a goal. I try and meet expectations in the first visit and give advice on how to get the best results from their skin.

What was your first job/break in the industry?
My first job as an aesthetician was at a day spa in Manhattan. The rest of the staff were old-school European aestheticians who did classic facials with glycolics and masks that would harden on the face.

What is your best advice for someone seeking a similar position?
I get contacted by girls in beauty school and first-time business owners all of the time. My best advice is to do as many facials as you possibly can. Nothing can replace experience, and the more faces you touch, the better you will be. Second, always listen to the client. They will always tell you what they are looking for -- all you have to do is deliver! It's the best way to build a client base.

What's the best part of your day?
I love so many things about my job, but at the end of the day, I love knowing that I made a client feel confident.


 What has been the highlight of your career?
The most rewarding part of the job by far is when I develop a trusting relationship with a client. I love that people turn to me for advice and trust my opinions on decisions. It's truly an honor.

What are some common misconceptions people have about your job or working in beauty?
I think a lot of people think I come to work every morning and get treatments all day. Nothing could be further from the truth. I do get treatments, but I spend most of my day giving them.

Tom Bachik, Global Nail Designer for L'Oreal Paris

What is your role?
I have a couple different roles that keep my job new and inspiring every day. Though I don't work in a salon, I do have personal clients. I travel to them; sometimes in various locations, such as a salon or at an office, but most times it's at their home. I have an agent who books my jobs for photo shoots, TV and film. Lastly, I am the Global Nail Designer for L'Oreal Paris. I work closely with L'Oreal Paris' creative teams to develop new trends, colors, collections and looks, as well as creating techniques for women to easily recreate these looks at home.


 What was your first job/break in the industry?
I was creating some avant-garde runway looks for a photo shoot when the makeup artist on set said she loved my work and asked who my agent was. I asked, "Agent? You can get an agent as a nail tech?" I thought it was way too L.A.! That makeup artist was Francesca Talot (who has done everyone from Beyonce to Cindy Crawford). She insisted I get an agent and set me up with her agency ... and the rest is history.

What is your best advice for someone seeking a similar position?
Work hard and don't worry about the competition -- only worry about being the best you can be, and you'll never go wrong.

What's the best part of your day?
The best part of my day is my whole day. I get to work on set or location -- hang out with celebrities, work with good people, eat good food, and they pay me to be there. How amazing is that?


 What has been the highlight of your career?
I've had so many. Winning the WINBA (World International Nail and Beauty Association) competition, creating my own product lines, growing the most amazing celebrity clientele, becoming the first manicurist to have a contract with Chanel and becoming part of the strategic direction and development of the world's largest cosmetics manufacturer, L'Oreal Paris. I can't wait to see what happens next!

What are some common misconceptions people have about your job?
That it's easy. So many new session techs come into the industry only to quickly fall out because they didn�t realize the demands that are expected from anyone on the top glam teams.

Elizabeth Dehn, BeautyBets.com

What is your role?
As the editor-in-chief of BeautyBets.com, I write and work with an amazing group of contributors, all of whom have a beauty/wellness beat that they feel passionate about. In addition to creating content, I spend a ton of time on social media. Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram are such creative outlets for Beauty Bets and allow me to engage with readers in a constantly changing way.

What was your first job/break in the industry?
I was a lifestyle editor for several years for a magazine in Minneapolis. This opened doors to writing about beauty and connecting with people in the industry. It also gave me a forum to talk beauty on TV and radio. When I started the blog, I had a fantastic foundation and readership built in, which made it easier to gain momentum out of the gate.

What is your best advice for someone seeking a similar position?
Find any outlet you can to share your love of beauty, or whatever topic gets you out of bed in the morning -- you don't have to have a job in that field to participate in it -- and start positioning yourself as an expert. Volunteer, freelance and talk to like-minded people, and it will start to come together.