Katie Belle Glendye: Founder of The Skin Society

Katie Belle Glendye has been a licensed aesthetician for a decade. Throughout her career, she has worked with various organizations across the skin health industry. Being immersed in the dermatology sector for six-plus years, she has been exposed to many different skin concerns and diseases, which has given her a unique understanding of the skin. It’s also led her down the path of medical aesthetics.

During Katie Belle’s time working in the dermatology office, she performed many different aesthetic treatments varying from mild to invasive. She found that patient after patient was more satisfied with their non-invasive treatments, i.e. HydraFacial’s, micro-needling, and chemical peels. That’s when she decided monthly non-invasive treatments were crucial to consistent healthy skin, cue The Skin Society.

Katie Belle started The Skin Society at my house in Peachtree City, Georgia, and over a year, she was able to grow her clientele to more than 500 people. Sixteen months later, she opened her first storefront in Fayetteville, Georgia, right down the street from Pinewood Forest. She did this intentionally, knowing she would be moving to Pinewood Forest Town Center a few years later.

The Skin Society is a little over two years old now, and they have grown from a single (Katie Belle) provider to three providers, two first impressionists, and the cutest shop dog, Greta, that you will ever meet.

Learn more in our interview with Katie Belle below!

Our Interview with Katie Belle Glendye, Founder of The Skin Society

What should people know about The Skin Society?

Between the ages of 17-21, I was an avid tanning bed layer, so much so that I even worked at a tanning salon. By the age of 22, I was starting to see significant aging in my skin compared to others my age. This was terrifying, and I decided to do something about it. I started seeing an aesthetician, and with her help and knowledge, I started seeing the changes in my own skin. It was a light bulb moment. It made sense. I wanted to share this with everyone. Healthy skin was obtainable for everyone, even someone who had neglected it for years.

This is the foundation of The Skin Society, making healthy, happy skin obtainable to everyone who wants it. It is not a luxury only available to the elite. I have made it affordable and convenient. We have a membership-based program that allows people to take $50 off their monthly treatments, making it affordable. We are open seven days a week and ready to serve our community even on the weekends.

Easy. HYDRAFACIAL! This non-invasive, no downtime treatment is hands down the most unique treatment I have ever given or received. With propriety blended serums and a one of a kind exfoliating system, this treatment delivers consistent REAL results month after month. From 13-year-old acne skin to 89 (I am not kidding 89) year old wrinkle dehydrated skin HydraFacial allows me to customize each treatment to target every kind of skin and condition. No. Lie.

What are a few tips for better skin that everyone should follow?

Apply sunscreen every single day. That hot ball of fire up there in the sky is responsible for 90% of our aging. SPF 15 will not do it. You need to apply an SPF of at least 30. There is no need for more than SPF 70 every day of your life.

How has the COVID-19 climate affected business? Have you had to pivot or rethink your strategy at all during this time?

I consider The Skin Society my baby, so raising a two-year-old during a pandemic has not been much fun, and it’s been very challenging. With a business that is 100% hands-on, literally my hands are on people’s faces constantly.

During a pandemic where we are encouraged not to touch our faces, you can imagine it’s been difficult. I have been fortunate to have several things work in my favor though.

  1. 1. My husband, he has been the most constant reassuring cheerleader. On my worst days during the shelter in place, he was my rock and supporter. He challenged me daily to think outside of the box and find new ways of making The Skin Society relevant.
  2. My patients. I can’t even count how many calls and messages I received from our patients who either wanted to buy a gift card or offer a word of encouragement for us to keep up the hope of getting back to normal. My relationship with my patients is so much deeper than our monthly hour spent together. There are true connections that are made and friendships that are built. I can honestly say these relationships are what kept me going, and having their support was key.
  3. Indoor house plants. Yep. We retail indoor house plants at the suite and have been for close to two years. I was encouraged by my business developer to retail something other than skin health products and decided house plants were the answer. I currently have around 50 indoor plants, and this is a low number compared to other times in my life. Indoor house plants are a passion. I have my license thru the department of agriculture and source all my plants from a greenhouse down in South Georgia. Having this outlet of hand-picking plants, potting them in unique pots and selling them via Instagram during a time where I was unable to see my patients at the suite was clutch. It gave my hands something to do and my mind a place to work. I am forever grateful for this passion; it helps keep me sane during a scary time in my career.

What does your day-to-day routine look like – and what you love most about what you do?

I start my day with a cup of water, followed by coffee, sometimes multiple cups of coffee. I really enjoy waking up slow. Early in my work career, I found that I did not function at my best early in the morning, hence why we open at 10 a.m. I thrive on goals and a schedule, even if they are not the same every day.

A perfect day would be seeing six-to-eight patients and being back home by 6:30 p.m. The best part of my day is talking with my patients and hearing their success stories and struggles. Helping them find solutions to their skin concerns is so rewarding.

Another awesome part of my day is my kitties. Yep, along with being a crazy house plant lady, I am also completely obsessed with my kitties. Mr. Marv and Carrots are the cutest and sweetest animals on the planet and bring me a lot of happiness.

Katie Belle Glendye: Founder of The Skin Society

What does success mean to you?

If I never saw another patient at The Skin Society (I would be so sad), but I also would be okay. I feel like, even in this short amount of time, I have been successful, because my patients have seen so much success in their skin health goals. I base my success on theirs.

How do you practice self-care?

For me, self-care comes in a ton of different forms. I feel like the trendy response is, “I work out, eat healthily, and take time for myself,” and yeah, those are all very valid answers.

My self-care looks a little different just about every day. Somedays, it’s a third (don’t judge) cup of coffee with my mom because we just can’t stop talking. Others, it’s snuggling with Marv and Carrots on the couch binge-watching Gilmore Girls, or lifting weights with my husband and our rotating cast of workout partners, lounging on a beach chair with my sisters in complete silence (because we don’t always have to be talking), or getting 10 extra minutes of foot massaging while getting a pedicure with my best girlfriends.

Also, you can add with a glass of champagne to the end of all those activities, and you wouldn’t be too far off.

In moments of uncertainty or doubt that you have in yourself or what you’re doing, what do you do to keep yourself focused and build yourself back up?

It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I became able to truly trust myself and the process. I still struggle sometimes, sure, but I always go back to my WHY. Why I started The Skin Society. It was to help others achieve their goals. I find so much structure and focus in remembering my WHY.

If you could go back and give yourself three pieces of advice when you first started your business – what would you tell yourself?

Dear KB,

  1. Practice rolling over speed bumps. This road is anything but smooth, but don’t worry, you’ll get really good at going over them. Don’t focus too hard on the issue or speed bump at hand. The big picture doesn’t change.
  2. Trust your instincts. They haven’t been wrong thus far.
  3. Work as much, and as long as you can, you get an 11-week unpaid vacation in 2020, and you can’t leave your house.

What’s next for you both and for The Skin Society?

PINEWOOD FOREST! I started pursuing the dream of opening The Skin Society in the Town Center at Pinewood Forest in 2017. Three years later, I am just months away from seeing this dream come to fruition. I have some pretty big ideas of franchising and opening multiple locations in the next several years. However, right now, Pinewood Forest is my focus.

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Emily Sprinkle, also known as Emma Loggins, is a designer, marketer, blogger, and speaker. She is the Editor-In-Chief for Women's Business Daily where she pulls from her experience as the CEO and Director of Strategy for Excite Creative Studios, where she specializes in web development, UI/UX design, social media marketing, and overall strategy for her clients.

Emily has also written for CNN, Autotrader, The Guardian, and is also the Editor-In-Chief for the geek lifestyle site FanBolt.com