Mika Toussaint, a renowned aesthetician from IMAGE Studios Dallas Galleria, has turned personal struggles into professional mastery. After battling hormonal acne and navigating profound personal loss, Mika developed Dallas Pro Aesthetics, a unique wellness practice that goes beyond traditional skincare by integrating nutrition, mental health, and personalized treatment plans. Her approach doesn't just heal skin, it empowers clients to create lasting, comprehensive wellness transformations.
In this inspiring podcast episode, Mika shares her journey of self-discovery, revealing how she became an acne expert and wellness coach by first healing herself. From creating a self-love journal to offering virtual consultations and developing game-changing green smoothie recipes, Mika demonstrates that true beauty starts from within. Her holistic methodology proves that effective skincare isn't about quick fixes, but understanding the intricate connections between diet, mental health, and skin condition, making her a trailblazer in the beauty and wellness industry.
Follow Mika on Instagram at @dallasproaesthetics
The VIP Suite is the official podcast of IMAGE Studios, created for independent beauty, health, and wellness professionals who want to grow their businesses and thrive in salon suite life. Hosted by Director of Education, Matthew Landis, each episode shares real success stories, marketing tips, and business strategies from top beauty entrepreneurs and wellness leaders.
This episode is sponsored by GlossGenius, the all-in-one salon software designed to help independent professionals book appointments, accept payments, manage schedules, and build strong beauty brands. Learn more at glossgenius.com.
Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Connect with us on Instagram @imagestudios360 and visit imagestudios360.com for more information about IMAGE Studios luxury salon suites. New episodes drop every two week. Subscribe to hear how beauty and wellness professionals like you are building powerful, independent careers.
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Episode Transcript
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Matthew Landis (00:00):
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Joining me today on The VIPSuite is Mika Toussaint at our
IMAGE Studios Dallas Gallerialocation. And her business is
(01:34):
Dallas Pro Aesthetics, and sheis a holistic Aesthetician and
acne expert. Welcome Mika.
Mika Toussaint (01:42):
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Matthew Landis (01:44):
I'm so glad that you're here. Now, can you tell
us a little bit more about yourbusiness?
Mika Toussaint (01:48):
Yes, absolutely.
So I am a Holistic aesthetician.
I do all the skincare things,but I also talk to my clients
about their nutrition and theirmental wellness.
Matthew Landis (02:01):
What inspired you to specialize in skin care,
especially this holisticwellness piece and the acne
specialty,
Mika Toussaint (02:11):
That's a great question. So this whole journey
started with my own acne,hormonal acne journey. I was
younger, and I had crazyhormonal acne, and I tried
everything, and I needed asolution, so I wanted to become
the expert. I went toesthetician school and come to
(02:31):
my knowledge, it all had to dowith internally, what was going
on inside first, and yes, welearned all the things about
skincare and how to help healthe skin and and, you know, just
make it better. But ultimatelyit was about what was going on
internally. And so after that, Ibecame a health and wellness
(02:53):
coach, because I wanted to gointo more of the nutrition. And
so I helped my clients withtheir nutritionist as well. And
then I just kind of put it alltogether. And then, yeah, I went
through a whole healing journey.
So everything that I wentthrough, I'm like, I'm gonna
help like, I'm gonna helpeveryone with the same thing.
That's my gift.
Matthew Landis (03:15):
Well, you are crushing it. I was, you know,
stalking you on Instagram, andnow your Instagram is absolutely
beautiful. Your social mediagame is on point, and there's so
many different aspects toexplore. So I'm really excited
for this conversation, becausepart of me is like, I don't even
know where this is going to go,because there were so many fans
on your website, so many peoplewith beautiful skin. There was
(03:38):
this whole wellness piece you'redoing sound baths and you're
talking about nutrition and skincare. I mean, you really are the
whole package. How do you manageall of that?
Mika Toussaint (03:49):
Thank you. One I'm I take that in, I receive
it. Thank you. How do I manageit? I'm learning that right now
in the face of my this phase ofmy business. So I'm here always
in the studio, but I'm I'm verycreative, and I love interacting
with people, new people, myclients. And so yes, I do the
(04:13):
healing in image studios here,but I'm like, I want to get out
in the world and and touch morepeople and do these things. And
so I've learned when I've cometo Dallas, I've had so many
opportunities to do wellnessworkshops and things like that,
and just kind of show a littlebit of what I do in studio, just
(04:35):
on a bigger realm.
Matthew Landis (04:36):
Well, I get a really clear sense of who you
are and what you're about, andthat doesn't come easy. How did
you arrive at that place?
Mika Toussaint (04:46):
Yeah, so, like I said, so I went through my whole
acne journey. It started asacne, but it was more so heal,
healing with food. And I feellike, you know we're we're not
really taught how to. Eat well,or necessarily prioritize taking
care of ourselves and thingslike that. And so that was my
(05:08):
journey. And then I I wentthrough a phase where my mother,
she ended up passing away, and Ireally, really needed a lot of
healing time. And I went toisolation, and I had to really
make a choice, whether it was tojust kind of let myself go and
let my life just kind of drownaway, or to really just nurture
(05:32):
myself back to, you know, thesunshine, right? And so that's
what I did when I was inisolation for about two years,
and I just nourished myself. Iworked out, I ate really well, I
studied, I just, I just tookcare of myself. And so a lot of
wisdom, a lot of a lot of wisdomcame to me at that time. I just
(05:53):
felt good, and i i It added onto like the missing piece, I
guess, right? So what I wasalready doing, and so I moved to
Dallas, just kind of to freshfor a fresh start. I just kind
of built from there. Andliterally, one thing that I'm
just so happy about because II'm just myself. I literally
just do what my lifestyle is,right? I love taking care of my
(06:16):
skin. I love taking care ofmyself. I've been plant based
for the past seven years now. Ilove working out. I love doing
all the things, and I lovemeditation and doing all the
personal and inner work. And mytribe literally just finds me.
They come to me, and my clientsare like my friends, and I get
to hang out with my girlfriendsall day, and we get to do all
(06:38):
these things. And so, yeah,yeah, they all just kind of
intertwine, and I'm so grateful.
Matthew Landis (06:44):
Thank you for sharing that. That must have
been so hard losing your mom,yeah, and I'm sure she's so
proud of you now to see whereyou've come and you do seem so
together and so clear, but thatcouldn't have been an easy
journey.
Mika Toussaint (07:05):
No, not at all.
Not at all. I'm like, I said itreally took, it took a lot of
time. You know, there's alwaysseasons, right? It's like, I
actually, you know, what's sofunny is, right, before all the
things happened to my mom, I hadtook this spiritual journey to
Egypt, and I was like on thehigh of my life, and then it was
like, completely low, and I wasquestion. I used to question,
(07:33):
why, right, why? But that, thatspiritual journey, the
connection that I had withmyself at that time. It was what
I needed before the journey, thenew journey that I was about to
take with my mother, and it heldme. It held me to my other
chapter when I was in isolationand needed to take all of the
(07:55):
things that I was learning aboutself care and healing. And
what's so funny was actuallyduring COVID, right? So we could
have made many choices duringCOVID, but that was, that was
the journey for me, and I had toreally take the time to study
and get to know myself, right,and really understand what made
(08:16):
me happy and moving forward, andit's actually the title of my
book, creating my happy, becauseI wanted to understand myself,
and I wanted to create my happythis new life, this I had my own
death and rebirth.
Matthew Landis (08:34):
Tell me about your book.
Mika Toussaint (08:37):
My book is a self love journal. It is. It's a
15 month journal. And, you know,sometimes people want to
journal, they don't know whereto start. And so in the
beginning of each month of thejournal, there are prompts that
help start the dialog. Andthey're actually journal entries
that I had when I was goingthrough my own healing journey,
(09:00):
and I use them to put in eachmonth, and then each following
week is a scripture thatcorrelates with the prompt to
kind of help keep the mind ontrack and keep the soul
connected.
Matthew Landis (09:13):
Where can people find out more about you, and
where can they buy your book?
Mika Toussaint (09:18):
Well, they can find more about me at Dallas Pro
Aesthetics on all platforms, andmy book is on Amazon, you just
literally have to put creatingmy happy and it will pop up.
Matthew Landis (09:31):
So what was that process like in writing the
book?
Mika Toussaint (09:34):
Honestly, it was about, it was about a year and a
half because I was, I was takingthe prompt, I mean, the entries
from my journal, and piecingthem together. And I was because
it's a journey the journal istakes you through a journey.
It's just not just just placedin there, strategically,
intentionally, so that there isa clearing and a healing. And so
(09:59):
it took some. Time, and it justit brought me back. And I was
like, Okay, I needed this sothat this person can feel this
and things like that. So it wasreally cool. It was really cool.
Matthew Landis (10:09):
You have mentioned time a few times and
how important that is, takingthe time. And I think sometimes
we want to rush things, andpeople want to get to the end.
People want to rush through theprocess. And it sounds like you
have been through a lot, and youhave taken the time, and you've
(10:30):
been through a lot of processes.
Do you ever get impatient andwanted things to move faster?
Mika Toussaint (10:36):
Not anymore, not anymore. Well, one, because I
help my clients through theirjourney, and that takes time.
Yeah, not anymore. I know thatevery step, every brick,
matters.
Matthew Landis (10:51):
I saw something on your Instagram about the
process of better skin andbetter living, and how it is a
process. So how do you educateyour clients on that process?
Mika Toussaint (11:06):
Right? So during our consultations, we kind of go
over everything, what productsthey're using, what they're
eating, literally, day to day,step by step, each meal, each
snack. No judgment. I need tocollect all the information and
then I educate them, and talk tothem about the skincare one, the
(11:27):
cycle of the of the skin, sothey can understand the science
part about it, but I break itdown in a way that is very they
can understand, right, not usingall The science and technical
terms. And then we talk aboutthe products medical grade
versus over the counter. Andthen we also talk about
(11:49):
nutrition. And you know, I havesome clients that eat things
that are, you know, a little bitchallenging for the body, and I
do have clients that are alreadyeating healthy, but we go into
detail about processed foods andpreservatives and things like
that, and just talking about howeven adding a green smoothie,
like that's my thing. I alwaystell everyone, add in that green
(12:12):
smoothie. And just becausesomething's so simple as just
that green smoothie, becauseit's raw, it's raw, fruits and
vegetables, and they hold somany nutrients. A lot of the
foods that we eat is cooked toohigh of a heat. It takes all of
the nutrients out. And somethingjust that simple, when my
(12:32):
clients literally implement thatthe month that they come in, the
next month, or the next timethey're like, I see it. I see it
and I feel it, and I'm like,That's it. And so we're locked
in. We're locked in after that.
Matthew Landis (12:46):
What's the recipe? But real quick for the
green smoothie? What's in it?
Mika Toussaint (12:51):
So there's so many, but the the crowd favorite
is the pina colada smoothie,right? Because everyone loves
Yep. So we literally get frozenpineapples or fresh pineapples.
Banana you get coconut milk. AndI always tell everyone, go to
Trader Joe's or the Asianmarkets, the cultural markets,
(13:13):
because they have coconut milkwithout any additives in it. And
then you get some spinach, andyou get some hemp seeds, or hemp
hearts, a little agave as asweetener, and then blend,
blend, blend, you've got a pinacolada smoothie.
Matthew Landis (13:30):
Oh my gosh, it sounds amazing. So what are some
of the biggest mistakes peopleare making when it comes to
their skincare?
Mika Toussaint (13:39):
So I think that some of the biggest mistakes
that people are doing when itcomes to skincare are one, not
knowing their skin type,overdoing it. They'll be using
all types of like 10 millionproducts from whatever they see
on Tiktok or over drying theirskin. I have a lot of acne
(13:59):
clients, and so I think whenthey use, I think they think
that when using, like, a lot ofacids and drying out the skin,
or washing their face a lot,drying it out will help, but it
actually is hurting it more inthe process. And even just like
when I explain this, the skincycle to them, and they
understand that there's a lot oflayers of dead skin. There's no
(14:23):
product absorption. So itdoesn't matter how many products
they're layering on top andusing all of these things that
it's not having penetration, andthen it just kind of clicks. And
there, I use a lot of visualswhen in my consultation.
Matthew Landis (14:37):
What would you say the most essential skin care
products would be okay. So
Mika Toussaint (14:43):
It depends on the skin type. Everything needs
to be customized to their theirskin. But you literally clients
only need, I tell them, you needfive products. You need your
cleanser. You need your serums,whatever serums that are
customized or for you, that aregoing to help you with your. Or
concerns you need a moisturizerthat is for your skin type, SPF,
(15:05):
SPF, 30 and above, and then ascrub that they'll use about two
to three times of weight,because exfoliation is key.
Matthew Landis (15:12):
Thank you. Yeah.
So how do you handlemisinformation? Or when clients
come in with these things thatthey've seen on Tiktok and
Instagram, how do you combatthat misinformation?
Mika Toussaint (15:23):
Yeah, I just one with grace, because there's no
judgment here and there's noshaming. But I do, I just kind
of explain to them thedifference, right? So a lot of
them will tell me, Oh, I've beenusing this and I've been using
it for this long. And I simplyask them, you know, how long? Or
(15:44):
have you seen any change oranything? And they'll say, Oh, I
did for a little bit, and thenit kind of stopped, or not so
much. I just, I've been using itfor this long, so yes. And so
now we get into the details,because I'm very thorough in my
consultations. And so we talkabout how the things that
they're fine they're buying atthe brand stores, the
(16:05):
concentration level of the mainingredients that they're buying.
So everyone knows a retinol,yes, right? They're like, Oh,
retinol this. So I explained orsomething brightening, because a
lot of clients havehyperpigmentation, right? And I
explained to them, like, Okay,if you just, if it's like, if
you go to your kitchen and get alemon some turmeric, and then
(16:26):
you go on online and buysomething else to make it
brightening, and you put whip itall together, then sell it for
$100 that's kind of what it is.
But it's a lot of fillers inthere to give that brightening
effect. And then it kind offades, or it works real quick,
and then it goes away. But whenyou're when they purchase
something from someone that'sbeen a big license, the
(16:47):
concentration levels aredifferent. And I even show them
just even with a one productthat I have, that I love, that
it's sore, it's my power, mysuper power player here, and
they use it, and I just put onthere one time, and they see
such a difference. And I'm like,That's it. That's the
difference. So a lot of proof.
(17:07):
Even with my Instagram, like,it's a lot of social proof. So I
could search results.
Matthew Landis (17:12):
Well, looking at your Instagram, I have seen some
incredible transformations.
Like, it your magic. You Youdefinitely have something. You
know what you're doing, and youhave these incredible fans, and
even just seeing what you'vedone and listening to them,
you're you, you, you're the realdeal. What is one of your most
(17:34):
profound or favoritetransformations that you've been
able to see.
Mika Toussaint (17:43):
Wow, that's a tough one, just because they're
I love them all right? Andthere's a few of them, a lot of
them. There's a few. So how? Alot of acne clients. And then I
also do a lot of DPN and skintag treatments, and those are
the mole treatments. What isDPN? They're basically moles.
They're moles and skin tags, andthey're they're very common in
(18:06):
the African American community,Latina community and Asian
community. And I've been doingthem for a while, but they kind
of blew up for me last year in2024 and so I've become more of
the person to to go to in Dallasto do that treatment, those
(18:27):
transformations, even for me,and I've seen like, you know,
some of those times are thick.
And, you know, I've had a lot ofclients that come and they grew
up with them, and they wouldtell me that they got picked on
because of them, and they justwant them off. The fun part
about it is, when I get themoff, when, when they take them
off, and then they go home, andthey're like, oh my gosh, is
(18:47):
this gonna heal? How is thisgonna happen? And a week later,
a week and a half later, theytext me, or they call me, and
they're like, it worked. Oh mygosh. I can't believe it, you
know, and that that iseverything for me.
Matthew Landis (19:04):
Well, that was one of the coolest things I saw
on your Instagram. Was one ofthose before and afters, and it
was pretty amazing.
Mika Toussaint (19:11):
Yes, thank you.
Thank you. I mean, even my acneclients, like, you know, we do a
lot of chemical peels, and ittakes time. I've had clients
that have had acne since theywere 15, and they've tried
everything, same as my story,right? And I'm like, don't
worry. I got you trust me. Andyou know, also, too, I'm helping
(19:31):
them. I want to make sure thatthey're responsible clients as
well. So we start off slow andbuild, build, build, and they
they get to watch their journey.
They see the difference, so Idocument it. I take pictures,
and every time they come in, soI'm teaching them how to to love
(19:52):
themselves more and eat properlyand make better decisions when
it comes to their body, theirmind and. And they're growing,
right? And so the the skin is,no matter what, it's going to do
its thing, it's going to heal,but it's the internal change and
the internal progress that iswhat's the key. And once the
(20:14):
transfer on that, the externaltransformation happens, it's
just a whole new, whole newthing. So those are
transformations are amazing.
Matthew Landis (20:23):
I see that. Let me ask you, this, is there a
client or an experience thatyou've had that has transformed
you?
Mika Toussaint (20:32):
Those ones, those clients, those
transformations. I mean, I've,I've had clients come in and
tell me they've had, they'vetried everything, or they've had
certain things on their skin forso long. I've connected with
some of my I literally, I'mconnected to so many of my
clients. There's, I don'tthere's not one particular one,
yeah, all of them.
Matthew Landis (20:55):
It's always hard to choose, right? So what
message would you have forsomeone who is feeling
embarrassed or hopeless abouttheir skin, whether it be acne
or some of these other, youknow, pigmentation issues, or
just really any sort of skincare issue,
Mika Toussaint (21:13):
that they're not alone. And it does take time,
but there are solutions. Thereis a there's I can definitely
help them. They just have tomake the first step right in the
right direction, in the rightdirection. But they're not
alone.
Matthew Landis (21:32):
And where would you recommend they you know, if
a lot of people in Dallas,they're going to be calling you,
but if they're not in Dallas,how do they find somebody with
your knowledge and experience,or what kind of books? Or what
can they do?
Mika Toussaint (21:46):
Yeah, well, they can actually book a
consultation, a virtualconsultation. I have a lot of
clients that are not in Dallas,and they're we do treatments or
certain products and things likethat, help them with their
nutrition all over and they havetransformations so they can just
book a consultation with me.
Matthew Landis (22:06):
Mika, I did not know this. This is incredible.
You are amazing. I'm just soblown away. I'm so glad we're
having this conversation. I justYeah, so let's switch gears a
little bit, because you aredoing this incredible work you
and you're able to reallyshowcase it. And I do business
coaching and marketing coachingfor a lot of professionals. And
(22:28):
it seems like the hairprofessionals, they're because
it's so visual, they they kindof there's a whole universe out
there. But I do have a lot ofestheticians and massage
therapists and other people thatstruggle with their marketing,
struggle with their Instagramand in Tiktok and other, you
know, platforms because ofprivacy issues, because of other
(22:51):
issues, what are some ways forthem to market themselves,
whether it be social media andother places that have really
worked for you, because you haveyou're clearly successful at it.
Mika Toussaint (23:05):
Thank you. I think that what's helped me with
my marketing is social proof andclient reviews and so and not
just the written client reviewsactual like interviewing my
clients, it doesn't have to belong, just so that they can just
kind of talk about theirexperience. Those add up, and
(23:30):
when other people from socialmedia see that, it's building
trust, right? What's the thingwhere it's like, like, no trust
or what is what's the you know?
Matthew Landis (23:43):
I have no idea, really, oh my gosh. I'm sure
once you tell me, I'll be like,Oh yeah, that.
Mika Toussaint (23:49):
There was a marketing thing that I heard
where they have to, like, trustor know, and then trust you.
Yeah, it's like that. So yourpeople on your social media have
to like you, right? Because thenthey see you, they're like,
Okay, I like her, and then theyhave to trust you, to build
trust, and then, oh no, no, theyknow you. First, I'm someone
(24:09):
know you, and then trust you.
Sorry, my apologies. So one, Ithink just by being yourself,
your tribe will like you, right?
And then building trust, butvisually showing that like how
your clients experiences, youknow? So if I'm showing my
facials and my clients areenjoying it, you could tell when
(24:31):
a client is really enjoying it,right? And then with their
reviews, visually showing theirreviews, you could tell they're
they're honest, and then that'swhen clients really get to, you
know, trust you.
Matthew Landis (24:44):
How do you go about asking them to
participate?
Mika Toussaint (24:49):
You know, sometimes I don't have to. They
want to, because all of myclients are superstars, you
know, and they they want to.
Showcase them, treatingthemselves, and it's a luxury
experience, you know what Imean? And so I and I think just
the vibe, but my the experiencethat I give them, you know,
(25:11):
it's, um, I'm I grew up, I'mvery customer service oriented
and very solution oriented, andso I catered a lot of my
clients. And so I think that'swhat's kind of helped me a lot
in my career. I used to work forSkechers corporate office in
Manhattan Beach, and I was anadministrative assistant for the
(25:33):
customer service department. Andso I did everything from getting
bagels and coffee, to doingreports, to making sure this and
this is every single thing. Andso I just love taking care of
people. So I love taking care ofmy transition here to taking
care of my clients. And sothey're happy to tell the world
(25:54):
how amazing they feel, andwanting to share me.
Matthew Landis (26:01):
How do you manage the social media and
marketing and do all of theother things? I think that's one
of the biggest challenges forour pros is I have this gift. I
I'm sharing it with the world.
I've spent a lot of time, moneyand energy perfecting it. Now I
have to sell it. Now I have tomarket it. Where do I find the
time to do that and run abusiness?
Mika Toussaint (26:24):
I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm trying to master
that myself right now. I try tomaster that myself right now.
What I do is, what helps me is Ibatch a lot of content. I have a
lot of clients that come in, andthey're back to back. And so I
have a camera set up, or I havemy whole camera holder set up.
(26:47):
And so whether it's me catchinglittle clips, different things
like that, I kind of batch allof it, and then I'll take a
certain day or certain hours andI'll edit all of it, and just
kind of have it set up, set up,set up, set up, set up. And then
I kind of like that, butbatching helps. I had to learn
to literally take the time tostart editing and doing things
(27:11):
like that. Yes, it's still achallenge for me, though.
Matthew Landis (27:16):
I love hearing that, because you make it look
so easy. And so I love hearingthat it's a challenge and that
you have to really think aboutit, you have to take the time to
do it. You you batch, which Ilove. I think that's such a
smart way to to plan your socialmedia strategy. So I think
that's important for people tohear, because people can see
(27:37):
your your social media andthink, Oh, she's so perfect. And
you know, she does it so easily,because you do, you make it look
really easy. So it's nice tohear that, that it isn't easy.
Mika Toussaint (27:52):
But one thing I will say that I did do really
well is I built my email list. Itook time at the end of the year
last year, and I planned out allof my emails for the whole year,
for all of 2025 and I hadsomeone help me. I we went
(28:14):
through. We took a whole day. Weliterally went through every
single detail of what to do,what to put and she just set it
up in my MailChimp, and they'reall scheduled. So whether I am
posting or not, it's that goesout every week. I have a large
email list in some people Idon't see all the time, so I'm
(28:36):
able to still keep stay incontact and keep connected or
so, they can visually see me andknow that I'm here every week.
Matthew Landis (28:44):
So tell me about an email list, because I think a
lot of pros are we're often sofocused on one platform, where
we're focused on Instagram, andyet, I have interviewed so many
people that have built theirbusinesses in so many other
ways. And so tell me how youutilize that email list.
Mika Toussaint (29:04):
Yes. So when I do vendor events, have a way
that everyone writes theiremails down what services they
like. Anywhere that I go, I'madding someone to my email list.
All my clients that I've hadtheir emails. Email is inputted
into that list, and I literally,like I said, just set up the
(29:26):
newsletters. It's just a way tokeep it constant. So, like, just
it's any social media. So ifthere, let's have clients that
are not on social mediasometimes, or that are only on
Tiktok and not on on Facebookand not usually on Instagram. I
do use Instagram the most, butsometimes they won't be able to
see, oh, if this special isgoing on, or I have this event
(29:49):
coming up, but through thatemail list, no matter what
they're they have a heads up, orthey know that they're keeping
updated with what's going on.
Matthew Landis (29:58):
That makes perfect sense, because that.
Also feels more intimate andpersonal, and I'm getting a
direct message from you versuslike, you know, I talk a lot in
my marketing class and in mycoaching about passive versus
sort of assertive marking and Imarketing, I think that email
and newsletters can be moreassertive, and Instagram and
(30:20):
social media is more passive.
You're just hoping people willsee what you put out there, and
in this case, you're putting itin front of them and saying,
Hey, I'm thinking about you.
Most new clients still come fromreferrals, and so it's really
important to stay incommunication and keep your
existing clientele excited andget referrals from them, and the
(30:42):
referrals will then go to yoursocial media to see what you're
about, see if they like you, seeif they trust you. Right,
exactly, but it's really youhave to keep marketing to the
people that already love you,and you need to remind the
people that love you why theylove you, and keep those people
coming back, and then they'llstart doing the marketing for
(31:04):
you. And I think this is such agreat way to do that. It's so
smart. Yeah, I could talk to youfor ever and ever and ever, but
let's you know, unfortunately,that would be the longest
podcast in the history ofpodcasts who inspires you, like
who really has influenced youand made you the person that you
(31:24):
are today.
Mika Toussaint (31:26):
Well, my mother, for sure, for sure, my mother,
she's She's everything. She justher lightheartedness, the way
she nurtured me and the way shewas my best friend and really,
really implemented hard work andjust love, you know? And I think
(31:51):
that that's what really fuelsme. Because if I'm coming from a
place from of love, everythingthat I do is going to be good,
right? And whether I fail or Imake a mistake or anything like
that, I have love within myself,and it's acceptance. And I'm I'm
not too. I'm always hard onmyself, but I'm not too. I could
(32:12):
forgive myself, you know, forthings like that, or just have
compassion with my with myclients. And so coming from a
place of love or doing thingswith love. I learned that from
my mother, and that always keepsme inspired.
Matthew Landis (32:25):
What other parts of your life bring you joy and
happiness,
Mika Toussaint (32:28):
When I take care of myself, when I take care of
myself, when I do workshops,like I just had workshops this
past weekend, and I was playingthe sound bowls, and I did a
full workshop where, with myfriend, she's a therapist, and
it was so healing. I learned somuch about myself through
(32:49):
helping others. It's it'stransformative, like personal
development as a business owner,when you're dealing with
clients, you know, and stress,because you have to show up. It
takes a lot of energy to showup, and you're, you're setting
the tone for everyone, right?
But when I am able to fill mycup that, no matter what, it's
something for me, yeah, a rest,rested. Mika is a happy Mika.
Matthew Landis (33:19):
Hey, our job is to make other people happy. We
got to be happy. And I love thatyou you got to take care of the
the mind, you got to take careof the body. You got to take
care of the soul. Yes, you gotto take care of all of it. Well.
Mika, this has been such anincredible conversation. I have
really enjoyed it, and I lookforward to having more
(33:41):
conversations like this with youin the future.
Mika Toussaint (33:44):
So do I? Thank you so much for having me.
Matthew Landis (33:46):
Well, thank you for being here.
Thank you for tuning in to TheVIP Suite. If you love this
episode, don't forget tosubscribe and follow us on
Instagram @instagram360 for moreinspiration from our community
of independent beauty andwellness pros. Interested in
renting your own luxury studioor becoming a franchise owner?
Visit imagestudios360.com tolearn more and take the next
(34:09):
step toward building your dreambusiness. Until next time,
here's to beauty, health andwellness and building the life
that you want you
Welcome to The VIP Suite, the podcast for Salon
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Joining me today on The VIPSuite is Mika Toussaint at our
IMAGE Studios Dallas Gallerialocation. And her business is
(01:34):
Dallas Pro Aesthetics, and sheis a holistic Aesthetician and
acne expert. Welcome Mika.
Mika Toussaint (01:42):
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Matthew Landis (01:44):
I'm so glad that you're here. Now, can you tell
us a little bit more about yourbusiness?
Mika Toussaint (01:48):
Yes, absolutely.
So I am a Holistic aesthetician.
I do all the skincare things,but I also talk to my clients
about their nutrition and theirmental wellness.
Matthew Landis (02:01):
What inspired you to specialize in skin care,
especially this holisticwellness piece and the acne
specialty,
Mika Toussaint (02:11):
That's a great question. So this whole journey
started with my own acne,hormonal acne journey. I was
younger, and I had crazyhormonal acne, and I tried
everything, and I needed asolution, so I wanted to become
the expert. I went toesthetician school and come to
(02:31):
my knowledge, it all had to dowith internally, what was going
on inside first, and yes, welearned all the things about
skincare and how to help healthe skin and and, you know, just
make it better. But ultimatelyit was about what was going on
internally. And so after that, Ibecame a health and wellness
(02:53):
coach, because I wanted to gointo more of the nutrition. And
so I helped my clients withtheir nutritionist as well. And
then I just kind of put it alltogether. And then, yeah, I went
through a whole healing journey.
So everything that I wentthrough, I'm like, I'm gonna
help like, I'm gonna helpeveryone with the same thing.
That's my gift.
Matthew Landis (03:15):
Well, you are crushing it. I was, you know,
stalking you on Instagram, andnow your Instagram is absolutely
beautiful. Your social mediagame is on point, and there's so
many different aspects toexplore. So I'm really excited
for this conversation, becausepart of me is like, I don't even
know where this is going to go,because there were so many fans
on your website, so many peoplewith beautiful skin. There was
(03:38):
this whole wellness piece you'redoing sound baths and you're
talking about nutrition and skincare. I mean, you really are the
whole package. How do you manageall of that?
Mika Toussaint (03:49):
Thank you. One I'm I take that in, I receive
it. Thank you. How do I manageit? I'm learning that right now
in the face of my this phase ofmy business. So I'm here always
in the studio, but I'm I'm verycreative, and I love interacting
with people, new people, myclients. And so yes, I do the
(04:13):
healing in image studios here,but I'm like, I want to get out
in the world and and touch morepeople and do these things. And
so I've learned when I've cometo Dallas, I've had so many
opportunities to do wellnessworkshops and things like that,
and just kind of show a littlebit of what I do in studio, just
(04:35):
on a bigger realm.
Matthew Landis (04:36):
Well, I get a really clear sense of who you
are and what you're about, andthat doesn't come easy. How did
you arrive at that place?
Mika Toussaint (04:46):
Yeah, so, like I said, so I went through my whole
acne journey. It started asacne, but it was more so heal,
healing with food. And I feellike, you know we're we're not
really taught how to. Eat well,or necessarily prioritize taking
care of ourselves and thingslike that. And so that was my
(05:08):
journey. And then I I wentthrough a phase where my mother,
she ended up passing away, and Ireally, really needed a lot of
healing time. And I went toisolation, and I had to really
make a choice, whether it was tojust kind of let myself go and
let my life just kind of drownaway, or to really just nurture
(05:32):
myself back to, you know, thesunshine, right? And so that's
what I did when I was inisolation for about two years,
and I just nourished myself. Iworked out, I ate really well, I
studied, I just, I just tookcare of myself. And so a lot of
wisdom, a lot of a lot of wisdomcame to me at that time. I just
(05:53):
felt good, and i i It added onto like the missing piece, I
guess, right? So what I wasalready doing, and so I moved to
Dallas, just kind of to freshfor a fresh start. I just kind
of built from there. Andliterally, one thing that I'm
just so happy about because II'm just myself. I literally
just do what my lifestyle is,right? I love taking care of my
(06:16):
skin. I love taking care ofmyself. I've been plant based
for the past seven years now. Ilove working out. I love doing
all the things, and I lovemeditation and doing all the
personal and inner work. And mytribe literally just finds me.
They come to me, and my clientsare like my friends, and I get
to hang out with my girlfriendsall day, and we get to do all
(06:38):
these things. And so, yeah,yeah, they all just kind of
intertwine, and I'm so grateful.
Matthew Landis (06:44):
Thank you for sharing that. That must have
been so hard losing your mom,yeah, and I'm sure she's so
proud of you now to see whereyou've come and you do seem so
together and so clear, but thatcouldn't have been an easy
journey.
Mika Toussaint (07:05):
No, not at all.
Not at all. I'm like, I said itreally took, it took a lot of
time. You know, there's alwaysseasons, right? It's like, I
actually, you know, what's sofunny is, right, before all the
things happened to my mom, I hadtook this spiritual journey to
Egypt, and I was like on thehigh of my life, and then it was
like, completely low, and I wasquestion. I used to question,
(07:33):
why, right, why? But that, thatspiritual journey, the
connection that I had withmyself at that time. It was what
I needed before the journey, thenew journey that I was about to
take with my mother, and it heldme. It held me to my other
chapter when I was in isolationand needed to take all of the
(07:55):
things that I was learning aboutself care and healing. And
what's so funny was actuallyduring COVID, right? So we could
have made many choices duringCOVID, but that was, that was
the journey for me, and I had toreally take the time to study
and get to know myself, right,and really understand what made
(08:16):
me happy and moving forward, andit's actually the title of my
book, creating my happy, becauseI wanted to understand myself,
and I wanted to create my happythis new life, this I had my own
death and rebirth.
Matthew Landis (08:34):
Tell me about your book.
Mika Toussaint (08:37):
My book is a self love journal. It is. It's a
15 month journal. And, you know,sometimes people want to
journal, they don't know whereto start. And so in the
beginning of each month of thejournal, there are prompts that
help start the dialog. Andthey're actually journal entries
that I had when I was goingthrough my own healing journey,
(09:00):
and I use them to put in eachmonth, and then each following
week is a scripture thatcorrelates with the prompt to
kind of help keep the mind ontrack and keep the soul
connected.
Matthew Landis (09:13):
Where can people find out more about you, and
where can they buy your book?
Mika Toussaint (09:18):
Well, they can find more about me at Dallas Pro
Aesthetics on all platforms, andmy book is on Amazon, you just
literally have to put creatingmy happy and it will pop up.
Matthew Landis (09:31):
So what was that process like in writing the
book?
Mika Toussaint (09:34):
Honestly, it was about, it was about a year and a
half because I was, I was takingthe prompt, I mean, the entries
from my journal, and piecingthem together. And I was because
it's a journey the journal istakes you through a journey.
It's just not just just placedin there, strategically,
intentionally, so that there isa clearing and a healing. And so
(09:59):
it took some. Time, and it justit brought me back. And I was
like, Okay, I needed this sothat this person can feel this
and things like that. So it wasreally cool. It was really cool.
Matthew Landis (10:09):
You have mentioned time a few times and
how important that is, takingthe time. And I think sometimes
we want to rush things, andpeople want to get to the end.
People want to rush through theprocess. And it sounds like you
have been through a lot, and youhave taken the time, and you've
(10:30):
been through a lot of processes.
Do you ever get impatient andwanted things to move faster?
Mika Toussaint (10:36):
Not anymore, not anymore. Well, one, because I
help my clients through theirjourney, and that takes time.
Yeah, not anymore. I know thatevery step, every brick,
matters.
Matthew Landis (10:51):
I saw something on your Instagram about the
process of better skin andbetter living, and how it is a
process. So how do you educateyour clients on that process?
Mika Toussaint (11:06):
Right? So during our consultations, we kind of go
over everything, what productsthey're using, what they're
eating, literally, day to day,step by step, each meal, each
snack. No judgment. I need tocollect all the information and
then I educate them, and talk tothem about the skincare one, the
(11:27):
cycle of the of the skin, sothey can understand the science
part about it, but I break itdown in a way that is very they
can understand, right, not usingall The science and technical
terms. And then we talk aboutthe products medical grade
versus over the counter. Andthen we also talk about
(11:49):
nutrition. And you know, I havesome clients that eat things
that are, you know, a little bitchallenging for the body, and I
do have clients that are alreadyeating healthy, but we go into
detail about processed foods andpreservatives and things like
that, and just talking about howeven adding a green smoothie,
like that's my thing. I alwaystell everyone, add in that green
(12:12):
smoothie. And just becausesomething's so simple as just
that green smoothie, becauseit's raw, it's raw, fruits and
vegetables, and they hold somany nutrients. A lot of the
foods that we eat is cooked toohigh of a heat. It takes all of
the nutrients out. And somethingjust that simple, when my
(12:32):
clients literally implement thatthe month that they come in, the
next month, or the next timethey're like, I see it. I see it
and I feel it, and I'm like,That's it. And so we're locked
in. We're locked in after that.
Matthew Landis (12:46):
What's the recipe? But real quick for the
green smoothie? What's in it?
Mika Toussaint (12:51):
So there's so many, but the the crowd favorite
is the pina colada smoothie,right? Because everyone loves
Yep. So we literally get frozenpineapples or fresh pineapples.
Banana you get coconut milk. AndI always tell everyone, go to
Trader Joe's or the Asianmarkets, the cultural markets,
(13:13):
because they have coconut milkwithout any additives in it. And
then you get some spinach, andyou get some hemp seeds, or hemp
hearts, a little agave as asweetener, and then blend,
blend, blend, you've got a pinacolada smoothie.
Matthew Landis (13:30):
Oh my gosh, it sounds amazing. So what are some
of the biggest mistakes peopleare making when it comes to
their skincare?
Mika Toussaint (13:39):
So I think that some of the biggest mistakes
that people are doing when itcomes to skincare are one, not
knowing their skin type,overdoing it. They'll be using
all types of like 10 millionproducts from whatever they see
on Tiktok or over drying theirskin. I have a lot of acne
(13:59):
clients, and so I think whenthey use, I think they think
that when using, like, a lot ofacids and drying out the skin,
or washing their face a lot,drying it out will help, but it
actually is hurting it more inthe process. And even just like
when I explain this, the skincycle to them, and they
understand that there's a lot oflayers of dead skin. There's no
(14:23):
product absorption. So itdoesn't matter how many products
they're layering on top andusing all of these things that
it's not having penetration, andthen it just kind of clicks. And
there, I use a lot of visualswhen in my consultation.
Matthew Landis (14:37):
What would you say the most essential skin care
products would be okay. So
Mika Toussaint (14:43):
It depends on the skin type. Everything needs
to be customized to their theirskin. But you literally clients
only need, I tell them, you needfive products. You need your
cleanser. You need your serums,whatever serums that are
customized or for you, that aregoing to help you with your. Or
concerns you need a moisturizerthat is for your skin type, SPF,
(15:05):
SPF, 30 and above, and then ascrub that they'll use about two
to three times of weight,because exfoliation is key.
Matthew Landis (15:12):
Thank you. Yeah.
So how do you handlemisinformation? Or when clients
come in with these things thatthey've seen on Tiktok and
Instagram, how do you combatthat misinformation?
Mika Toussaint (15:23):
Yeah, I just one with grace, because there's no
judgment here and there's noshaming. But I do, I just kind
of explain to them thedifference, right? So a lot of
them will tell me, Oh, I've beenusing this and I've been using
it for this long. And I simplyask them, you know, how long? Or
(15:44):
have you seen any change oranything? And they'll say, Oh, I
did for a little bit, and thenit kind of stopped, or not so
much. I just, I've been using itfor this long, so yes. And so
now we get into the details,because I'm very thorough in my
consultations. And so we talkabout how the things that
they're fine they're buying atthe brand stores, the
(16:05):
concentration level of the mainingredients that they're buying.
So everyone knows a retinol,yes, right? They're like, Oh,
retinol this. So I explained orsomething brightening, because a
lot of clients havehyperpigmentation, right? And I
explained to them, like, Okay,if you just, if it's like, if
you go to your kitchen and get alemon some turmeric, and then
(16:26):
you go on online and buysomething else to make it
brightening, and you put whip itall together, then sell it for
$100 that's kind of what it is.
But it's a lot of fillers inthere to give that brightening
effect. And then it kind offades, or it works real quick,
and then it goes away. But whenyou're when they purchase
something from someone that'sbeen a big license, the
(16:47):
concentration levels aredifferent. And I even show them
just even with a one productthat I have, that I love, that
it's sore, it's my power, mysuper power player here, and
they use it, and I just put onthere one time, and they see
such a difference. And I'm like,That's it. That's the
difference. So a lot of proof.
(17:07):
Even with my Instagram, like,it's a lot of social proof. So I
could search results.
Matthew Landis (17:12):
Well, looking at your Instagram, I have seen some
incredible transformations.
Like, it your magic. You Youdefinitely have something. You
know what you're doing, and youhave these incredible fans, and
even just seeing what you'vedone and listening to them,
you're you, you, you're the realdeal. What is one of your most
(17:34):
profound or favoritetransformations that you've been
able to see.
Mika Toussaint (17:43):
Wow, that's a tough one, just because they're
I love them all right? Andthere's a few of them, a lot of
them. There's a few. So how? Alot of acne clients. And then I
also do a lot of DPN and skintag treatments, and those are
the mole treatments. What isDPN? They're basically moles.
They're moles and skin tags, andthey're they're very common in
(18:06):
the African American community,Latina community and Asian
community. And I've been doingthem for a while, but they kind
of blew up for me last year in2024 and so I've become more of
the person to to go to in Dallasto do that treatment, those
(18:27):
transformations, even for me,and I've seen like, you know,
some of those times are thick.
And, you know, I've had a lot ofclients that come and they grew
up with them, and they wouldtell me that they got picked on
because of them, and they justwant them off. The fun part
about it is, when I get themoff, when, when they take them
off, and then they go home, andthey're like, oh my gosh, is
(18:47):
this gonna heal? How is thisgonna happen? And a week later,
a week and a half later, theytext me, or they call me, and
they're like, it worked. Oh mygosh. I can't believe it, you
know, and that that iseverything for me.
Matthew Landis (19:04):
Well, that was one of the coolest things I saw
on your Instagram. Was one ofthose before and afters, and it
was pretty amazing.
Mika Toussaint (19:11):
Yes, thank you.
Thank you. I mean, even my acneclients, like, you know, we do a
lot of chemical peels, and ittakes time. I've had clients
that have had acne since theywere 15, and they've tried
everything, same as my story,right? And I'm like, don't
worry. I got you trust me. Andyou know, also, too, I'm helping
(19:31):
them. I want to make sure thatthey're responsible clients as
well. So we start off slow andbuild, build, build, and they
they get to watch their journey.
They see the difference, so Idocument it. I take pictures,
and every time they come in, soI'm teaching them how to to love
(19:52):
themselves more and eat properlyand make better decisions when
it comes to their body, theirmind and. And they're growing,
right? And so the the skin is,no matter what, it's going to do
its thing, it's going to heal,but it's the internal change and
the internal progress that iswhat's the key. And once the
(20:14):
transfer on that, the externaltransformation happens, it's
just a whole new, whole newthing. So those are
transformations are amazing.
Matthew Landis (20:23):
I see that. Let me ask you, this, is there a
client or an experience thatyou've had that has transformed
you?
Mika Toussaint (20:32):
Those ones, those clients, those
transformations. I mean, I've,I've had clients come in and
tell me they've had, they'vetried everything, or they've had
certain things on their skin forso long. I've connected with
some of my I literally, I'mconnected to so many of my
clients. There's, I don'tthere's not one particular one,
yeah, all of them.
Matthew Landis (20:55):
It's always hard to choose, right? So what
message would you have forsomeone who is feeling
embarrassed or hopeless abouttheir skin, whether it be acne
or some of these other, youknow, pigmentation issues, or
just really any sort of skincare issue,
Mika Toussaint (21:13):
that they're not alone. And it does take time,
but there are solutions. Thereis a there's I can definitely
help them. They just have tomake the first step right in the
right direction, in the rightdirection. But they're not
alone.
Matthew Landis (21:32):
And where would you recommend they you know, if
a lot of people in Dallas,they're going to be calling you,
but if they're not in Dallas,how do they find somebody with
your knowledge and experience,or what kind of books? Or what
can they do?
Mika Toussaint (21:46):
Yeah, well, they can actually book a
consultation, a virtualconsultation. I have a lot of
clients that are not in Dallas,and they're we do treatments or
certain products and things likethat, help them with their
nutrition all over and they havetransformations so they can just
book a consultation with me.
Matthew Landis (22:06):
Mika, I did not know this. This is incredible.
You are amazing. I'm just soblown away. I'm so glad we're
having this conversation. I justYeah, so let's switch gears a
little bit, because you aredoing this incredible work you
and you're able to reallyshowcase it. And I do business
coaching and marketing coachingfor a lot of professionals. And
(22:28):
it seems like the hairprofessionals, they're because
it's so visual, they they kindof there's a whole universe out
there. But I do have a lot ofestheticians and massage
therapists and other people thatstruggle with their marketing,
struggle with their Instagramand in Tiktok and other, you
know, platforms because ofprivacy issues, because of other
(22:51):
issues, what are some ways forthem to market themselves,
whether it be social media andother places that have really
worked for you, because you haveyou're clearly successful at it.
Mika Toussaint (23:05):
Thank you. I think that what's helped me with
my marketing is social proof andclient reviews and so and not
just the written client reviewsactual like interviewing my
clients, it doesn't have to belong, just so that they can just
kind of talk about theirexperience. Those add up, and
(23:30):
when other people from socialmedia see that, it's building
trust, right? What's the thingwhere it's like, like, no trust
or what is what's the you know?
Matthew Landis (23:43):
I have no idea, really, oh my gosh. I'm sure
once you tell me, I'll be like,Oh yeah, that.
Mika Toussaint (23:49):
There was a marketing thing that I heard
where they have to, like, trustor know, and then trust you.
Yeah, it's like that. So yourpeople on your social media have
to like you, right? Because thenthey see you, they're like,
Okay, I like her, and then theyhave to trust you, to build
trust, and then, oh no, no, theyknow you. First, I'm someone
(24:09):
know you, and then trust you.
Sorry, my apologies. So one, Ithink just by being yourself,
your tribe will like you, right?
And then building trust, butvisually showing that like how
your clients experiences, youknow? So if I'm showing my
facials and my clients areenjoying it, you could tell when
(24:31):
a client is really enjoying it,right? And then with their
reviews, visually showing theirreviews, you could tell they're
they're honest, and then that'swhen clients really get to, you
know, trust you.
Matthew Landis (24:44):
How do you go about asking them to
participate?
Mika Toussaint (24:49):
You know, sometimes I don't have to. They
want to, because all of myclients are superstars, you
know, and they they want to.
Showcase them, treatingthemselves, and it's a luxury
experience, you know what Imean? And so I and I think just
the vibe, but my the experiencethat I give them, you know,
(25:11):
it's, um, I'm I grew up, I'mvery customer service oriented
and very solution oriented, andso I catered a lot of my
clients. And so I think that'swhat's kind of helped me a lot
in my career. I used to work forSkechers corporate office in
Manhattan Beach, and I was anadministrative assistant for the
(25:33):
customer service department. Andso I did everything from getting
bagels and coffee, to doingreports, to making sure this and
this is every single thing. Andso I just love taking care of
people. So I love taking care ofmy transition here to taking
care of my clients. And sothey're happy to tell the world
(25:54):
how amazing they feel, andwanting to share me.
Matthew Landis (26:01):
How do you manage the social media and
marketing and do all of theother things? I think that's one
of the biggest challenges forour pros is I have this gift. I
I'm sharing it with the world.
I've spent a lot of time, moneyand energy perfecting it. Now I
have to sell it. Now I have tomarket it. Where do I find the
time to do that and run abusiness?
Mika Toussaint (26:24):
I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm trying to master
that myself right now. I try tomaster that myself right now.
What I do is, what helps me is Ibatch a lot of content. I have a
lot of clients that come in, andthey're back to back. And so I
have a camera set up, or I havemy whole camera holder set up.
(26:47):
And so whether it's me catchinglittle clips, different things
like that, I kind of batch allof it, and then I'll take a
certain day or certain hours andI'll edit all of it, and just
kind of have it set up, set up,set up, set up, set up. And then
I kind of like that, butbatching helps. I had to learn
to literally take the time tostart editing and doing things
(27:11):
like that. Yes, it's still achallenge for me, though.
Matthew Landis (27:16):
I love hearing that, because you make it look
so easy. And so I love hearingthat it's a challenge and that
you have to really think aboutit, you have to take the time to
do it. You you batch, which Ilove. I think that's such a
smart way to to plan your socialmedia strategy. So I think
that's important for people tohear, because people can see
(27:37):
your your social media andthink, Oh, she's so perfect. And
you know, she does it so easily,because you do, you make it look
really easy. So it's nice tohear that, that it isn't easy.
Mika Toussaint (27:52):
But one thing I will say that I did do really
well is I built my email list. Itook time at the end of the year
last year, and I planned out allof my emails for the whole year,
for all of 2025 and I hadsomeone help me. I we went
(28:14):
through. We took a whole day. Weliterally went through every
single detail of what to do,what to put and she just set it
up in my MailChimp, and they'reall scheduled. So whether I am
posting or not, it's that goesout every week. I have a large
email list in some people Idon't see all the time, so I'm
(28:36):
able to still keep stay incontact and keep connected or
so, they can visually see me andknow that I'm here every week.
Matthew Landis (28:44):
So tell me about an email list, because I think a
lot of pros are we're often sofocused on one platform, where
we're focused on Instagram, andyet, I have interviewed so many
people that have built theirbusinesses in so many other
ways. And so tell me how youutilize that email list.
Mika Toussaint (29:04):
Yes. So when I do vendor events, have a way
that everyone writes theiremails down what services they
like. Anywhere that I go, I'madding someone to my email list.
All my clients that I've hadtheir emails. Email is inputted
into that list, and I literally,like I said, just set up the
(29:26):
newsletters. It's just a way tokeep it constant. So, like, just
it's any social media. So ifthere, let's have clients that
are not on social mediasometimes, or that are only on
Tiktok and not on on Facebookand not usually on Instagram. I
do use Instagram the most, butsometimes they won't be able to
see, oh, if this special isgoing on, or I have this event
(29:49):
coming up, but through thatemail list, no matter what
they're they have a heads up, orthey know that they're keeping
updated with what's going on.
Matthew Landis (29:58):
That makes perfect sense, because that.
Also feels more intimate andpersonal, and I'm getting a
direct message from you versuslike, you know, I talk a lot in
my marketing class and in mycoaching about passive versus
sort of assertive marking and Imarketing, I think that email
and newsletters can be moreassertive, and Instagram and
(30:20):
social media is more passive.
You're just hoping people willsee what you put out there, and
in this case, you're putting itin front of them and saying,
Hey, I'm thinking about you.
Most new clients still come fromreferrals, and so it's really
important to stay incommunication and keep your
existing clientele excited andget referrals from them, and the
(30:42):
referrals will then go to yoursocial media to see what you're
about, see if they like you, seeif they trust you. Right,
exactly, but it's really youhave to keep marketing to the
people that already love you,and you need to remind the
people that love you why theylove you, and keep those people
coming back, and then they'llstart doing the marketing for
(31:04):
you. And I think this is such agreat way to do that. It's so
smart. Yeah, I could talk to youfor ever and ever and ever, but
let's you know, unfortunately,that would be the longest
podcast in the history ofpodcasts who inspires you, like
who really has influenced youand made you the person that you
(31:24):
are today.
Mika Toussaint (31:26):
Well, my mother, for sure, for sure, my mother,
she's She's everything. She justher lightheartedness, the way
she nurtured me and the way shewas my best friend and really,
really implemented hard work andjust love, you know? And I think
(31:51):
that that's what really fuelsme. Because if I'm coming from a
place from of love, everythingthat I do is going to be good,
right? And whether I fail or Imake a mistake or anything like
that, I have love within myself,and it's acceptance. And I'm I'm
not too. I'm always hard onmyself, but I'm not too. I could
(32:12):
forgive myself, you know, forthings like that, or just have
compassion with my with myclients. And so coming from a
place of love or doing thingswith love. I learned that from
my mother, and that always keepsme inspired.
Matthew Landis (32:25):
What other parts of your life bring you joy and
happiness,
Mika Toussaint (32:28):
When I take care of myself, when I take care of
myself, when I do workshops,like I just had workshops this
past weekend, and I was playingthe sound bowls, and I did a
full workshop where, with myfriend, she's a therapist, and
it was so healing. I learned somuch about myself through
(32:49):
helping others. It's it'stransformative, like personal
development as a business owner,when you're dealing with
clients, you know, and stress,because you have to show up. It
takes a lot of energy to showup, and you're, you're setting
the tone for everyone, right?
But when I am able to fill mycup that, no matter what, it's
something for me, yeah, a rest,rested. Mika is a happy Mika.
Matthew Landis (33:19):
Hey, our job is to make other people happy. We
got to be happy. And I love thatyou you got to take care of the
the mind, you got to take careof the body. You got to take
care of the soul. Yes, you gotto take care of all of it. Well.
Mika, this has been such anincredible conversation. I have
really enjoyed it, and I lookforward to having more
(33:41):
conversations like this with youin the future.
Mika Toussaint (33:44):
So do I? Thank you so much for having me.
Matthew Landis (33:46):
Well, thank you for being here.
Thank you for tuning in to TheVIP Suite. If you love this
episode, don't forget tosubscribe and follow us on
Instagram @instagram360 for moreinspiration from our community
of independent beauty andwellness pros. Interested in
renting your own luxury studioor becoming a franchise owner?
Visit imagestudios360.com tolearn more and take the next
(34:09):
step toward building your dreambusiness. Until next time,
here's to beauty, health andwellness and building the life
that you want you
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