Why Beauty Therapy is About More Than Technique – An Interview with Maria Young
From starting with mobile treatments straight out of college to building salons, treatment rooms, and training systems, Maria Young has shaped her career around one clear idea: beauty therapy is as much about people as it is about technique.
Her work sits at the intersection of hands-on salon experience and practical education, with a focus on helping new therapists move beyond qualification and become truly client-ready.
In this exclusive Brainz Magazine interview, she shares what the early days taught her, where beauty education can improve, how she standardizes care without losing its personal touch, and the mindset that has kept her moving forward.
Maria Young, Beauty Salon Owner, Beauty Course Creator
You started your business straight out of college doing mobile treatments – what did those early days teach you that still shapes how you work today?
They taught me that you just have to put yourself out there, and doing what might scare you a little bit is actually the thing that helps you to grow the most. I was a young girl travelling around, going to people at home and constantly interacting with so many different people, it obviously helped me develop my people skills and my confidence and just understand people more. I think that has grown more constantly since starting out, and it is such a huge part of being successful in this sort of industry. Building connections with your customers is one of the most important things, and being able to take care of people no matter what age, gender, or concern.
You’ve built both salons and training systems – how does running a real salon change the way you teach therapists?
I think having the real salon experience and knowledge means I can combine that with my skills and give training that truly comes from experience, and also from having seen the gaps that can happen between training and being completely industry-ready. Putting the knowledge and experiences together means the training isn’t just standard training; it's created with so much more care and passion.
What separates a therapist who is “qualified” from one who is actually ready to work with clients?
Doing a standard course and getting a certificate is one thing, but being confident, professional, aware, and truly ready requires a little more attention to detail and an understanding of what is important when taking care of people and creating experiences. My courses provide that, and the proof is in the success of my learners and my salon. All of my staff have completed the courses and are so amazing! Any learners who have completed courses with me are also doing so well, which is so great to see!
You spent years pushing for the opportunity to open inside a hotel – what kept you going when most people would have stopped?
The belief I guess, because I just knew it would work and I would make it amazing. I had a really strong vision and a huge amount of drive. I think if you combine vision with drive and passion, you can’t go far wrong!
Where do you think the beauty education system is currently falling short for new therapists?
It’s not falling short as such, but I think we could always improve and upgrade things. I do think what would really help is making people really think about their why and really understand what this job means. It’s not just about doing treatments; there is so much more to it, and I don’t think, as a new learner, you really understand that part of it. Perhaps initiating that thought would enable new therapists to find their passion within it a little more and really see what this industry provides for people – wellbeing, self-care, time out, connection, routine, health, etc. A lot of people go into beauty college from school thinking it will be easy, but actually, there is a lot of theory, you have to be good with people, you need to understand so many things to be successful and do well with it.
You’ve turned “pampering” into something you can train and standardize – what does that actually look like in practice?
The online courses are in modules and broken down into easy-to-follow lessons, making it a convenient way to learn. All of my learners have said how it gives them time and they love that they can go back to lessons and really take it in and learn without pressure. It does mean they absorb things more. Sharing the tips and techniques and so much advice (because I have learned so much over the last 16 years myself) means it’s helping them to understand why we do things, not just that we do them, but the actual why.
For someone just leaving college, what are the first three things they should focus on to build real confidence in the salon?
I would say the top 3 things to focus on initially to ensure they are really ready would be to:
Invest in additional courses to help elevate skills and better prepare you for the real environments (awareness, etiquette)
Work on people skills constantly and meet new people, so it becomes natural
Practice treatments as much as possible and use those skills right away
How do you maintain consistent service quality as your team and treatment rooms continue to grow?
I make sure we have regular team meetings and I send team letters out to ensure we are all on the same page, as well as regular training days. I also send the girls new courses I create and make sure they complete them, so we are all constantly improving and elevating! I will also try to get myself in for treatments to experience the girls' services, but actually, it is becoming harder as we get busier and the business grows!
Looking back, what belief or mindset has made the biggest difference in everything you’ve built?
I think the main thing that’s influenced the amount of growth is actually down to the amount of passion. Actually loving and believing in what you do pushes that drive and belief so much that I couldn’t stop if I wanted to, haha. It was just there. But also, I think when people doubt you or put you down, that helps me; it makes me more determined to succeed. You can let it pull you back, or you can let it be the catapult and push you to do more.
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