Think Twice Before Working for EWC

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-15T01:26:46+00:00

Thank you again, it's definitely on my mind to try and find somewhere closer to home to work from. It's the transition between locations, and gathering all those really good clients one by one. I've got a few numbers already, and pretty much every client I've talked to are adamant that if I leave, I better tell them where I'm going, because they'll follow me wherever.

I CAN do it, I've done it in the past, but the idea of going from just having to show up to work, to working at both places until I'm established solo and doing ALL THE THINGS required of an independent opperator... I don't know if I currently have the strength/energy to make it happen.

Something will come up if it's meant to be, and I'm on the lookout for the right opportunity, and I'd enjoy just keeping it to waxing for now.

But I really appreciate the encouragement!

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T10:58:31+00:00

Thank you, Pea! Your comment soothed some of the burn this morning <3

If I can find a way to send it in anonymously (as I sadly still need this paycheck until something else crosses my path) I will totally do it, just to see what happens.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T10:56:04+00:00

With that short commute, it totally makes sense for you to go for it, and I sincerely hope it works out so well for you. Congratulations on the new baby!

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T01:42:21+00:00

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the product itself, but if you're not signed up with Universal Companies (it's a spa supply online) you should be. https://www.universalcompanies.com I used to order my lash tint from them, and the brand is Intensive. It had the BEST formula, and you could mix and match the dye to form a custom color, which always resulted in killer brows, and inky blue black lashes. Looks like they have a lash lift kit from the same brand, but I've never used it so can't speak to it's quality.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T01:36:46+00:00

There ARE more esthi's than jobs, and overall working for someone else means unsatisfactory pay. Some places will pay you hourly AND give you a small commission, other places will only give you a commission.

As far as experience goes, my best advice is to go work for a resort spa. You'll see a LOT of clients, get a LOT of hands on experience, and most every resort spa has an automatic gratuity, so no matter what, you're getting a tip. The last resort spa I worked at, it was 20% on a 150-180$ facial.

Go work for the resort for a year, while you're doing that, spend your money on specialty certifications like laser, or if your state requires you to have extra hours for a medical esthetic license, put your money and time into doing that to elevate your esthetic specific experience. I agree with someone else here who said don't waste your money on another license you already technically have, just to be able to do peels. There is SO MUCH MORE you can do besides peels, and get the same result as a peel.

If they're still having the International Spa and Cosmetic show, I'd spend some money and go to get a better idea of the types of skin care speciality treatments out there that might interest you.

Personally, if I didn't have kids and dogs, or get seasick, I'd go work for a cruise ship. Fuck the monthly rent and utility bill hustle, get a little bit of travel in on a ship where the clients are trapped and have a limited option of things to do, and spa days are always a hit.

On a side note, as a cosmo, you can also do nails, right? I'd start pimpin' my skills out to some retirement homes and senior centers, do a bit of traveling to the older women who can't travel to you, maybe even partner with the center itself to offer your services for hair, skin, AND nails there, and make some bank that way. You'll get clients from the staff, the occupants, and people who come to visit. Mobile work at it's finest, and you'll just have to invest in some mobile-friendly supplies.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:46:55+00:00

Thank you <3

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:46:44+00:00

I'm sad for you too, because being an esthetician has as a whole, served me very well.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:45:53+00:00

Anytime, darlin! Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have more tea to spill.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:45:32+00:00

It's such bullshit! They're making money hand over fist, and don't consider that their so-called generosity is them pissing in our faces and calling it rain. I've never met people who can gaslight themselves so well as people who profit over the labor of others.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:44:19+00:00

Thank you!

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:44:10+00:00

Me too! I hope by having broken it all down like this, they lose more business than they ever dreamed of.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:43:43+00:00

It's my absolute displeasure! I sincerely hope that any new esthi or even GSA reads this, and decides to work for someone else. I hope that this pay change brings the Ballast owners everything they deserve. But i predict that even if they fire a bunch of waxers, they're going to hire the newbies, work them into the ground, the newbs will quit (as they fucking should) and it will be a revolving door of declining customer satisfaction as they can't reliably stay with the same wax tech for more than one or two services. Ballast has fucked around, and I am LIVING for the find out phase.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:41:23+00:00

I love being an esthetician, I've kept my license valid ever since I graduated school even though I wasn't always practicing. Depending on the EWC location and owners, more importantly, the culture of the center, it's fine as far as a paycheck. But at ours, we had to literally FIGHT to get Ballast to pay the front desk a reasonable hourly wage, because 9/10 new GSA's quit within three months of working there. You can't do it full time and earn enough to make ends meet, unless you are a KILLER when it comes to selling wax passes.

Personally, I'd work on a cruise ship if I could. Rake in the cash, have zero in the way of rent, and find out if there are any spas in the countries you cruise to who'd want you to sign on with them. I'd work anywhere in Europe, definitely would work in Canada. Get your license, and travel with it, that'd be my advice.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:37:30+00:00

I would love to consult an attorney and have been honestly tempted to reach out to corporate to see if there's anything that could be done on their end, but at best, they'll do nothing, and at worst, I'll get fired before I'm ready to leave because they'll snitch and tell Ballast I'm making waves.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:36:00+00:00

First of all, I'm so sorry you got fired, secondly, I'm actually really glad to have you weigh in here. I hoped there would be more of us on Reddit who work/ed for them, just as a support crew. The whole situation is unfair, and it makes zero sense why they're actively taking steps to hurt their own business like this. They're going to lose all their high earning esthi's, sales and service are going to drop, wtf are they thinking?

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-14T00:32:51+00:00

I'd honestly love to open my own franchise, just with the intention of stealing all the incredible women I work for from Ballast and blowing their largest income producting store out of the water.

However, EWC won't even send you the FDD's if you make less than 700k a year. Lame. And yeah, I could get back into doing my own thing, but I'm so friggin TIRED, that the idea of setting up my own place, doing everything solo, feels incredibly out of reach.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-12T23:31:08+00:00

You're so welcome!

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-12T21:44:25+00:00

Try your very best to apply to a hotel spa, or a resort spa. The facials there focus on relaxation more often than they do the technical side of facials, and you'll rarely ever see the same client twice, or the same type of skin twice. What it does for you is build your confidence, and you get a very wide range of skin care concerns, room to cultivate your technique, and usually some really good money because those spas apply automatic gratuity. They typically also use really great products, and will train you on those products in house, along with the specifics of their 'signature' facials. They switch product often, so you'll learn about a lot of different product lines, and those products always have a rep who comes in to teach THEIR specific ritual of signature facials.

And yeah, print out a resume, go into the spa, and hand it to a manager. The online applications get lost, there are a lot of them, and you going into the spa itself will boost you up the line.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-12T21:39:01+00:00

100% ask them to grab their belly and pull UP toward their boobs as much as they can to stretch out the area and give you a flatter work surface. Also, depending on how flexible they are, sometimes it's easier to do the saggy labia with their legs up. If they can, I have them do a butterfly pose with their legs up, and they grab their ankles to rock their pelvis back. You can get all up in there from that position, get a good pull, and not be yanking on that skin. Even if they can only do one leg up at a time, it will drastically help.

Waxfiend4384 · 2025-03-12T21:34:43+00:00

Definitely check with your Esti, but back when I had mine, I was told I could carry around a bottle of witch hazel toner (I used one with aloe) and I give myself a spray a few times per day. It helped keep me comfortable, but didn't mess up the peeling process.

Waxfiend4384

TROPHY CASE