Life & Work with Morgan Schaaf of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Schaaf.

Hi Morgan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in esthetics has really been shaped by a love of education, a desire to keep learning, and a belief that our industry deserves to be recognized as a highly skilled profession.

I began my career as an esthetician, and as I gained experience, I found myself becoming increasingly interested in the science behind what we do—understanding skin physiology, ingredients, treatment modalities, and why certain approaches work for one client but may not be appropriate for another. That curiosity pushed me to continue my education far beyond the requirements of initial licensure and eventually helped shape the direction of my career.

As I grew professionally, I transitioned into a leadership role at Boss Gal Beauty Bar, which gave me the opportunity to expand beyond working directly with clients and become more involved in developing other estheticians. Leadership allowed me to see the industry from a completely different perspective. I became passionate not only about providing great treatments, but also about helping estheticians strengthen their knowledge, build confidence, develop professionally, and understand the responsibility that comes with caring for someone’s skin. That transition played a major role in realizing that education and mentorship were where I could make an even greater impact.

Continuing education has always been extremely important to me. I became a CIDESCO Diplomate, earning one of the most internationally recognized qualifications in the beauty and esthetics profession. I also became NCEA Certified, which is the highest voluntary esthetics credential in the United States and represents advanced education and professional standards beyond entry-level state licensure. Pursuing these credentials was important to me because I believe that, as professionals, we should never stop learning simply because we have received a license. Our clients trust us with their skin, and I think we have a responsibility to continually deepen our knowledge and raise the standard of care within our industry.

My passion for education eventually grew into creating educational resources and advanced training opportunities for other professionals through Advanced Esthetic Training, LLC (www,estitraining.com). My goal has always been to make advanced esthetics education approachable, practical, and rooted in understanding the “why” behind what we do. I never want someone to simply memorize a treatment protocol. I want them to understand the skin well enough to think critically, make informed decisions, and confidently adapt their approach to the individual client in front of them.

Education has also opened doors I never would have imagined when I first entered the industry. I co-host The Skinstructors podcast with fellow master esthetician and educator Joely, where we have the opportunity to dive deeper into skin conditions, treatments, ingredients, industry trends, myths, and the realities of being an esthetics professional. I have also continued developing online education and certification programs that allow estheticians to expand their knowledge and skills beyond what they may have received during their initial schooling.

When I look back, my career has evolved from being solely focused on providing services to becoming a leader, educator, mentor, course creator, podcast host, and advocate for higher professional standards in esthetics. None of that happened overnight. It has been a gradual process of continuing to learn, taking opportunities that challenged me, and recognizing where I could use my experience to help others.

What continues to motivate me is the ripple effect that education can have. When you help one esthetician become more knowledgeable, confident, and intentional in their practice, that knowledge ultimately impacts every client they serve. Being able to contribute to that growth—while also helping elevate the standards and perception of the esthetics profession—is what I am most passionate about and what I hope to continue building on in the years ahead.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. One of my earliest challenges as an esthetician was building a clientele. When you are first starting out, it can take time to build trust, create consistency, and develop the kind of relationships that lead to long-term clients and referrals. That experience taught me patience, persistence, and the importance of creating a client experience that makes people feel genuinely cared for.

As I moved into leadership, the challenges changed. One of the biggest lessons has been learning how to navigate interpersonal relationships and understanding that everyone responds to leadership differently. Coaching is not one-size-fits-all. Some people need direct feedback, others need more encouragement, and some need space to work through things before they are ready to make a change.

Learning how to meet people where they are while still maintaining expectations and accountability has been one of the most important parts of my growth as a leader. It has pushed me to become a better communicator, listener, and mentor.

Those struggles have ultimately shaped how I lead today. They have reminded me that growth—whether you are building a clientele, developing a team, or growing as a professional—usually comes from learning how to adapt, stay consistent, and keep moving forward even when the path is not straightforward.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work has evolved far beyond providing esthetic services. Today, a large part of what I do centers around leadership, education, mentorship, and helping other professionals grow. At Boss Gal Beauty Bar, I have had the opportunity to grow into leadership and help develop both estheticians and other leaders within the organization. I also continue to stay deeply connected to education through Esti Training, The Skinstructors podcast, and the advanced credentials I have pursued as both an NCEA Certified Esthetician and CIDESCO Diplomate.

What I am most proud of, though, is my journey into leadership. I view myself as a servant leader. To me, leadership is not about having a title or being the loudest person in the room. It is about asking what your team needs from you, helping remove obstacles, giving people the tools to succeed, and creating an environment where they feel supported while still being challenged to grow. I genuinely enjoy developing people and helping them recognize strengths in themselves that they may not see yet.

That passion led me to create LeadHER, a training program designed specifically for spa managers. Moving into management can be difficult because being an excellent service provider does not automatically teach you how to lead a team, coach different personalities, navigate conflict, communicate expectations, or have difficult conversations. I wanted to create something that helps other spa leaders develop those skills and become the kind of leaders their teams deserve.

I think one of the things that sets me apart is that my desire to help people extends beyond the esthetics industry. In my spare time, I created The Good Kitchen, another project rooted in something that has always been important to me: helping people who are in need. Whether I am educating an esthetician, coaching a manager, supporting a team member, or working through The Good Kitchen, the common thread in everything I do is service.

At the end of the day, I hope I am known not only for what I know, but for what I do with that knowledge. I want to use what I have learned to make someone else’s path a little easier, help people become more confident in what they do, and leave the people and organizations I am part of better than I found them. That is probably the accomplishment I am most proud of.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I definitely haven’t gotten here on my own. I’ve been fortunate to have people throughout every stage of my career who have encouraged me, challenged me, and helped shape the professional and leader I am today.

One of those people is Joely, who has been an incredible peer, collaborator, and cheerleader. There is something really valuable about having someone in your industry who understands the work, celebrates your successes, challenges your thinking, and genuinely wants to see you grow. We share a passion for education and elevating the esthetics profession, and our work together through The Skinstructors has given us an opportunity to learn from each other while hopefully helping other estheticians along the way.

I also give a tremendous amount of credit to the managers and leaders I have worked with throughout my career. Before esthetics, I worked in retail merchandising, and every manager I encountered there—and later throughout my career in the esthetics industry—taught me something about leadership. Some showed me approaches I wanted to emulate, while other experiences taught me the type of leader I never wanted to become. I think both are equally valuable.

Every one of those interactions helped shape my leadership philosophy and ultimately my belief in servant leadership. They taught me that people need a leader who listens, communicates, provides clear expectations, holds them accountable, recognizes their strengths, and understands that not everyone can be coached in exactly the same way.

Those experiences have molded me into the manager I am today and, more importantly, into the kind of manager I believe people need. I want the people I lead to know that I am invested in their success—not just because it benefits the business, but because I genuinely want to see them become more confident, capable, and successful in their careers.

And of course, I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside talented teammates and professionals who continue to teach me something every day. Leadership may mean that I am responsible for coaching and developing others, but I never want to reach a point where I think I have nothing left to learn from the people around me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.estitraining.com
• Instagram: @estimorgan and @estitraining
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvEstiTraining/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganschaaf/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSkinstructors