Female-led start-ups are shaping Irish life today. This month we celebrate those inspiring and innovative leaders whose companies are the ones to watch in 2021.
Here, we speak to Kerry Hanaphy - aesthetician and owner of the Kerry Hanaphy Clinic in Dublin - about the treatments they offer, her skincare secrets, and the best piece of advice she's ever received.
What is the most popular treatment at your clinic, or one you most frequently recommend and why?
The obsession with perfect pouts has grown hugely in the last decade and is still showing no signs of slowing down. We still receive hundreds of requests each week from new patients looking to know more about our lip filler procedure – even during lockdown scenarios when face masks have become mandatory in public spaces.
Do you have any skincare secrets you can share?
A handy trick is to always keep a skincare cleanser in the shower. It’ll help you cut down on prep time, and the steam from the shower water will open up your pores helping dirt, oil or excess sebum to release.
What stands out as the greatest highlights in your business to date?
When I think about what I’m most proud of with the business, my sense of pride and achievement is rooted in my journey –going from a nurse to a businesswoman who is now in the driving seat of a recognised, successful and trusted aesthetic clinic. I am proud of what my team and I have built, and I am grateful for the clients who put their trust in us. We started as a small mobile clinic and now I’m proud to say we have two fabulous locations, with great staff and amazing customers.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
At the beginning of my journey, I was advised to invest in good branding and it served me well. As a business owner, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where the business is taking off and you are stuck with bad branding that you have to change midway through your journey.
What is the most challenging aspect of working for yourself?
I probably find time management to be most challenging. For me personally, I am involved in every aspect of the business, from the booking process right up to procedure and aftercare. I find it hard to switch off from the business and that’s partly due to the increase in demand that social media brings. Requests roll in 24 hours a day, seven days a week and being the business owner, it can get quite overwhelming as I strive to ensure everyone is looked after adequately.
As the owner of a successful healthand beauty business, do you feel personal pressure to always look good?
I don’t feel pressure, no. I have always had an interest in skincare and get great enjoyment out of looking after my skin from the inside out. It is a well-known fact that you will feel better when you look better and I’m also lucky that I have amazing friends in the hair and beauty industry who look after me. Investing back into yourself with a good skincare regime or aesthetics helps you look your best and put your best foot forward. Like many others, I like to do it for me, so I don’t feel pressure to ‘always’ look good.
We’re in the middle of a third lockdown – how has your business coped withthe pressure of the last year? Have you learned anything or changed your business in any way?
This time around we are much more prepared. We’ve learned from the previous lockdowns that we can continue to offer our services digitally through online consultations and prescribe skincare products from our online store, to help battle a multitude of skincare concerns. We used the downtime to work on the digital side of the business and that has been a huge learning curve. We have had to adapt our business due to the close contact nature of the services we provide. This has led to longer days that are fully booked. It’s definitely demanded more from us physically, but it’s also very rewarding to be able to overcome these challenges.
Web: www.kerryhanaphy.com
Ph: 086 771 6715
E: hanaphy.kerry@gmail.com
