DERMASCOPE Magazine's 40th Anniversary Issue

DERMASCOPE Magazine interviewed Dasha Saian for their 40th Anniversary issue, asking to share some business advice, as an industry expert. Here is the full version of that interview: 

Do you have any advice for newbies? What advice do you wish you had been given when you began in the industry? 

What I wish I had known is that building a brand isn't only about the quality of the product, but about the knowledge of the educators, and the language of the marketers. Keeping it simple and explaining it well is the key to success!

Tell us about your history with DERMASCOPE. Any great stories or fun facts readers would find interesting?

My first article, co-written with my mother, came out in the May 2010 issue of DERMASCOPE, and my first solo article came out in the July 2010 issue of DERMASCOPE Magazine - exactly 5 years ago! Ever since then, I have been blessed to be a part of this wonderful publication! I am so overjoyed and proud to have been able to start contributing at such a young age, and can assure you that I will never run out of content, topics, fresh information, and inspiring stories in the coming years! My work is my passion and pride, and I am committed and dedicated to share all my knowledge and experience with DERMASCOPE readers!

What product innovation do you feel paved the way for today’s must-haves in our industry?

Natural products without chemicals and parabens are among the most popular and revered in the industry today, and rightfully so! Health and beauty go hand in hand!

What do you feel is the one thing that has made the biggest change in the industry?

More and more professionals are now taking the time to research ingredients, to make sure they are choosing the right products for their clients. Gone are the days of relying on ads and promises - estheticians want results, and invest their time in finding the best products out there!

What is the one advancement that is needed the most going forward?

Education is the most important element which must be present to be able to advance! Taking workshop classes, watching tutorials, webinars, listening to podcasts, reading trade magazines such as DERMASCOPE, that's what it's all about! If you feel you know everything, you close yourself off from learning more.

Why People Tell Me I'm The Strongest Person They Know

Hi, my name is Dasha, and many people tell me I am the strongest person they know.

It all started on April 28th, 2013 when my mother had a seizure, and was unexpectedly diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor the size of an orange.  She was given 5 weeks to live, but I managed to pull myself together and prolong her life by two and a half years. Today, I sit in her bedroom, look at her face as she sleeps, and cry. She may even know it at this point, but the doctors say we have less than 3 months left together before she leaves me for good.

This is my story:

I have lived an average life, some would say. I came to the United States as a 12 year-old kid, after spending 5 years being raised by my father's mom, in my mom's absence. Mom was busy making money in Los Angeles, and sending every penny to me in Moscow. I was her pride and joy, and even when times were tough, I was taking English lessons, tutoring, vocal coaching and piano lessons. Our family motto was always "there's always something to do".

The first few years in America were strange, because I felt so disconnected from my "new" mom. We lived in a $300 single apartment on Fairfax, just below Wilshire. Mom worked all day, and I learned how to cook all on my own. Soon our grandma joined us, and we had to vacate the single apartment, because the landlord couldn't have 3 people in such a tiny space. With all the money we had saved up, we were fortunate enough to secure a down payment of $17k on a mortgage on a condo in the Hollywood Hills. At that time, in 1999, that beautiful place was $169k, prices that today are laughable. That condo is the most beautiful, and beloved space I have ever lived in, and it was our home for 12 years.

Did I mention that I lived an average life? It was a very busy life, and some may say I grew up too quickly. I started working at the early age of 14, and at one point, I was getting my bachelor's of science in Marketing, working as a receptionist at a spa, going to beauty school for my esthetician diploma, helping my mom launch the skincare brand, and dancing in a gypsy dance troupe at night on the weekends. In fact, we took such a long time to get the business off the ground, I had to sleep in a room full of cardboard boxes filled with cosmetic jars, lids, sprayers, and bottles for the first 3 years. Those first 3 years were the toughest - we literally filled bottles and jars all night, and in the mornings,  woke up at 5am, packed the car, and drive to a beauty school to do a demo. We often drove to San Diego, Lancaster, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and anywhere else they would allow us to do a demo. Some days we made $500, and some days $80, and that covered our gas and lunch... but we were always together, and every day was special and fun.  That' how we got our start, and met our very first clients. 

The same clients are still with us today, almost 9 years later.

As I am typing this, tears roll down my eyes, because things will never go back to the way they used to be. I may never hear my mom speak to me again, and that is painful. My mom had the most beautiful voice in the world. She was a professional singer, and she has put out some incredible albums. Now music helps me... you know how? The first day we transferred her into the hospital bed, she refused to eat. She shut her teeth, and wouldn't allow me to feed her. After many failed attempts, I sat down on a chair next to her and, shaking in tears, started to sing. I sang all the Russian songs I knew, one after another, crying, but with a smile on my face...and she opened her mouth, and ate! Her head was rolling to the side, so I had to prop it up with my left hand while I spoon fed her with the right. That's how we still eat. She falls asleep sometimes while I feed her, and that scares me, so I have to quickly wake her or literally force her to spit the food out, so she doesn't choke... and it takes me a good hour to feed her like this, but it's the only way. While she eats, I tell her about my day at work, and even though it hurts, I tell her she needs to get well soon so she can come back to the office. I know it won't happen, and I'm sure she knows it as well, but she loves to be at work so much,  that I can see that thought literally breathing the life-force into her. It is a sense of purpose that makes life worth while, worth wanting to stay alive for. 

I sit like this with her, while she moans in confusion, unable to move or speak, and talk to her, sing to her, and feed her. I only stopped singing once - when I started a song we usually sang in a duet, and she realized she couldn't sing along. A tear ran down her cheek, and I understood this was painful for her, too.

Grandma is 85 now. She is frail, and using a walker after her recent fall and hip surgery. She can't be in the same room with mom, because the sight of mom being so sick is too much for her to handle. It's ok, I guess... different people cope in different ways. 

As for me, I don't have any other family - it's just me, mom, and grandma. I have promised myself to keep strong, and never give up, because for the past two and a half years I have been responsible for the lives of 3 people. In my hands lay the duties of running a corporation and providing enough business to keep my employees fed, taking care of my sick mom and elderly grandma, staying grounded, positive and healthy, looking youthful and radiant as the brand ambassador of a skincare company, and making sure I have no regrets.

Many people tell me I am the strongest person they know. Perhaps, and I'm sure life has a beautiful plan for me.

"You can't be everything to everyone."

I had a favorite marketing professor in college, who once said something that stuck with me, and resonated deeply within my being. "You can't be everything to everyone." I always repeat this affirmation when I am feeling lonely, down, not worthy enough, anxious, or disappointed. There are billions of people on this glorious planet, billions of beautiful, talented, intelligent, and successful people. No matter how famous, interesting, sexy, fit, talented, rich, popular, or successful you you are, there is someone who may have surpassed you in the eyes of another, and that is OK. 

When I remind myself of this, I feel a relief, as if a weight is lifted off my shoulders. How great it feels to know that I don't need to compare myself to others to feel good about myself! How easy it is to work when I know I don't need to be as big as some brands or as rich as some businesspeople, or as beautiful as a some women to be the center of my own thriving universe. 

I release any resentment towards those who didn't want to date me, I release any resentment towards those who didn't befriend me. Those who are with me are with me for a reason, and I am grateful for having this awareness, to keep me balanced, and alive!

See you at Orlando Skincare Show!

#Estheticians Join SAIAN Skincare at  Premiere Dayspa in Orlando for some amazing classes! Click for full program: http://goo.gl/bmLjTQ

Sorting Out Your Priorities

I'm always amazed at the number of people I constantly meet, who feel drawn to my ideas! I just returned from Miami, this weekend I will be teaching in NY, and everything I put my mind to is a success because of one simple reason - I have my priorities sorted out correctly. 

So many people live their lives in constant stress, because money is their main priority. Getting more money, spending more money, having money only to help others, having money only to show your status, spending money on others because they have spent on you, believing money is difficult to come by, etc. 

Are you allowing yourself to have fun with your money? Why not? It's just a means of exchange, that's all it is. This constant stress is what I feel, has created cancer in my mother's perfectly healthy and beautiful body, and (adversely) has helped me realize how to set my own priorities. For the past 2 years that I have been taking care of my mother and grandmother, while running a corporation, I have realized that prosperity thinking has nothing to do with marketing, making money, or having any special system of living. Prosperity comes when we realize that we are stable and have all the wealth we need when we know our next breath is provided for us. Just in the same matter, if your bills are paid, and you are safely asleep in a comfortable bed at night, trust that your stress will not aid you to make more money. 

I am completely aware that I don't have the ability to cure my mother's cancer, and this doesn't mean I have to break down and mourn her illness. Having my priorities sorted out, means that I take care of my family first, uphold the integrity of my business, take care of my own mental state by releasing anxiety, engaging in positive activities, helping the less fortunate, and doing my best not to project into the future. Who knows what is going to happen next? Just make the best of the time and sort out your priorities.

Why I Dislike the Word "Follower", and You Should, Too

As a business person, and a lifetime student of mentors and influencers, I often think about simple marketing flaws that companies make, and completely miss their mark because they underestimate the size of their audience. All messages that come out of your account, be it twitter, Facebook, blog, YouTube, Instagram, or Pinterest speak to MILLIONS of people, even if the majority of your audience seems to have a very small following. Many companies and public figures refer to their audience, customers, and fans as simply "followers". I dislike the word "followers", and make sure it doesn't creep up into my lexicon. 

Let's look at twitter. My biggest mentor and influencer, Gary Vaynerchuk, for example, has 126K tweets • 1796 photos/videos • 1.12M followers, and follows 7,624 people. I am one of his 1.12M followers, and (amazingly so) he is following me back. In fact, Gary Vaynerchuk and I follow each other on Twitter  since I met him at his #jjjrh book signing. My personal twitter has 1.3K subscribers, and my business twitter has 10.5K, but I don't like to call these people "followers", I prefer to call them "like-minded people". Every time you say a word, or write something, you are connecting to "like-minded people", who gravitate towards you because something you believe in resonates with them. I don't see a reason anyone would subscribe to my blog, Pinterest, or Twitter, other than receiving information they believe will resonate with them, and that is why these connections matter. 

Businesses and public figures who connect with their audience on a human level are always more successful and more influential than those who send out generic messages to "followers" and never reply to fan comments and questions. We are all people, when you connect with like-minded people, they will feel compelled to re-tweet, re-post, or otherwise share your content with their group of like-minded people ("followers"). Someone finds out about your philosophy or product from a friend, or someone they are subscribed to on twitter, they like it and re-post to their network, and all of a sudden you are exposed to a whole community of people who think what you have to say is valuable to them and their audience. This is how things work on social media - it's just like the old concept of "word of mouth", but this time, you are reaching millions of ears and making valuable connections no ads can rival with.

How To Become The Biggest Small Company

Trade shows are always wonderful, because my team members and I get to connect with other skin care professionals and vendors. Even though I have been participating in trade shows for the past 8 years, they never annoy me, or wear me out. Sometimes I hear vendors say they don't do trade shows anymore, because they feel they have outgrown shows, and don't want to spend the time and money. I don't agree with this philosophy, because as a professional brand, we owe it to the industry to show up, and give support to the estheticians. Isn't it great to receive free training, samples, discounts, demos, get answers to your questions, compare products, or just get to know the company philosophy and team? I think personal interaction is the best advertising, and maybe this is the reason my brand, SAIAN Natural Clinical Skincare,  is often referred to as "the biggest small company"! I want to give you some advice that will help you better understand what it means to be "the biggest small company", and how this will work for your advantage!

Oh, and this is me being interviewed by the amazing team of SpaBooker about my company's social media success! Which brings me to my first major piece of advice: 

Pay It Forward

This is a simple, yet majorly underestimated, and underutilized way of doing things, and you know what they say: "how you do anything, is how you do everything". It cost me absolutely zero dollars to mention SpaBooker in my blog, and give you a link to their site http://www.booker.com where you can sign up for scheduling services for your spa, salon, vet's office, or any other appointment-based business, and they paid me absolutely zero dollars to do this. Why did I just give them exposure? Well... you may also wonder why they interviewed me about social media, if I paid them nothing, and  they got nothing out of it but content. Content gets out there, people click on photos and videos, and do further research on things that they deem interesting and useful. It just so happens that some of their fans and customers may see me and become interested in what I have to say, and many of my readers will click on this link and see what awesome services SpaBooker can offer for their business. Magical, isn't it? Quite!

Respect Your Competition 

When we were little, we have always heard our parents and teachers say: "respect your classmates, play fair, etc.", but what happened to some of us once we grew up and established our own companies? Sadly, many people still don't believe in "playing fair", and outwardly put down other brands' philosophy, ingredients, practices, or anything else that they can think of, only to look better on that dirty background. Don't go down that drain, I beg you! Respect is something we owe to each other, as competitors in the same field. You surely feel how hard it is to wake up every day and go to work, try to make your current customers happy, gain new ones, spend money on ads, put out social media content, send a million e-mails, have issues with engineers or chemists, deal with UPS, pay the bills, make sure employees are saying the right things over the phone, and a plethora of other things we, as business owners, do. Respect your competitors as human beings, and that is all. Human beings who are also trying their best to succeed in a world of competition.

Offer Amazing Customer Support

We have friendly personnel in the office M-F 9am-5pm, ready to take your phone call, greet you with a delicious cup of cappuccino, or send you an e-mail signed with a happy face, and when the day is over,  another nice person is ready to answer your questions live on our site http://www.saian.net. Why is this important? Why do we keep answering your questions, even after you have placed the order, and completed the transaction? Why do we walk you through the steps of a collagen facial for an hour, even if you haven't completed the transaction? Human reasoning - when you know you're not alone, you feel empowered to use the product! You have help, you have support, and you know you're not a number. Our staff gets to know the customers, and remembers their preferences, and their favorite items. It's amazing to see our regular customers at the trade shows, and get to take photos with them! Several women have told me they always try my quinoa recipes, and love them! What a wonderful way to be a someone's favorite brand - teach them the way you eat, and they will always remember you, even at meal time! 

Don't Sell Out

I know it sounds quite ugly, but the message is plain and clear - if you wish to stay cozy and small, there is no need to become a giant conglomerate. Everyone wants financial freedom, the ability to place bigger orders with vendors, more global distribution, an easy and beautiful life, going to the bank and depositing money. That's great, but what is your passion? Mine is every single one of my products. They proudly bear my mother's last name, and that is what makes them my biggest passion... I don't want my passion on the shelves of Walmart, or a copy of my passion in Luohu mall in Shenzhen, somewhere between the fake MAC mascaras, and plastic spray-painted J'Adore bottles. I will stay small, stay true, and stay authentically professional forever. This is my promise to my mother. 

I hope you will find your passion, too, and I will support you 100%!

Peptide Combinations in Skin Care

—Which formulations/combinations is your company currently exploring and why (how they work, skincare benefits, etc)?

We love peptides, and the best combination that we have found to work well against wrinkles has been Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline®) with Matrixyl ™3000. Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline®) improves wrinkle depth, wrinkle volume and roughness. Matrixyl ™3000 minimizes crow’s feet and laugh lines, and prevents from further damage and wrinkle formation.

—Are delivery systems (into the skin) an issue? How is that addressed in your formulas?
Usually, peptides are best absorbable when used in a water-based serum, with the addition of low-molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid. This is the formulation behind SAIAN Active Renewal Serum.

—This topic can easily get confusing for even the most well-versed esthetician: what advice can you give for ways to sort through all their peptide product options, and to interpret labels?
As we all know, ingredients are listed on the label starting with the most prevalent to the least prevalent. It’s important to choose a product which is water-based, and has peptides in the beginning of the ingredient list – this way you can be assured of the amount of peptides in the formula. You may also consult the manufacturer, and ask what percentage of a given peptide is used. Usually, 10% of each peptide is sufficient to give great results, if there is a blend of 3 or 4 peptides in a formula. Our serums have 6 peptides!

—Which peptide/peptide or peptide/other ingredient combos do you think should be avoided and why?
Avoid peptide combinations that are mixed with hydroquinone, parabens, and other toxins that can irritate the skin.

—What do you envision for the future of peptides in skin care?
The future of peptides most likely lies in skin-repairing copper-peptide complex, and in all natural paraben-free combinations.

20 Minute Activities That Will Nourish Your Body and Soul

As a business woman, writer, and an EXTREMELY simple person, I have developed (purely by accident) some easy-as-pie strategies for showing yourself love and support! These 20-minute activities will give your body, mind and heart, the emotional boost to release tension, think more clearly, make rational decisions, and balance your life. Here is a short list of activities that will be beneficial to you. Whenever you have trouble throughout your day, do one of these, or a few!

1. Read a book. A good book!
2. Stretch your body. Don't neglect your neck. Massage your tense shoulders.
3. Write, be creative, start a blog, a book, and commit to it!
4. Draw something! Anything! Use your imagination!
5. Take a walk outside.
6. Learn a phrase in a foreign language you can use daily. Next time learn a new one! Keep going!
7. Dance it OUT! Put on some music and jump!
8. Prepare a beautiful and healthy meal. Focus on the small details, plate it like you're on Iron Chef, and it's judgement time!
9. Clean the closet and let go of the things that no longer serve you, and would be more useful to someone else. Donate directly to those in need, or take to the midnight mission. Remember, good will sells the donated clothes, and ships them to Africa for resale. You want your things in the hands of the ones who need them, free.
10. Ask who needs your help. Helping others is our birthright and responsibility.

Book review of "Rework" by Heinemeier and Freed

Flip the pages of "Rework" and you will be pleasantly surprised by the black and white drawings that grace every other page. It is a bit unusual for a business book... When you start reading, you will realize this is an unusual type of book, giving unusual advice. Did I mention it is great advice, because I truly believe so!

"Rework" takes business outside of the box by making it available to everyone. One of my favorite concepts is getting rid of the word "entrepreneur", because it is dated. The writers suggest throwing away traditional ideas of what a business person looks and dresses like, and just making and selling a product or service YOU would want to buy. The book mocks workaholism, and gives many reasons as to why anyone can be successful by working normal hours.

The writers emphasize the importance of doing what works for your business, as opposed to doing what everyone else does to get ahead, ie: hiring more people, spending more on ads, acquiring more territory. You can't please everyone, so make sure you know what you're selling and who your customer is, and you will do great.

The most wonderful advice anyone doing any kind of business will benefit from, is to become educators. Let's "out-teach" the competition! Anyone can sell you a scarf, but the companies that take the time to make a video and show you 20 ways to tie it really stick out of the crowd. This is a brand that creates fans! This is the way I have done business for the last 8 years. Educating not only shows my professionalism and knowledge, but encourages customers to try to copy my technique and treatments to do better and make more money! A wonderful example of this in the book is comparing brand educators with chefs who openly publish their recipes and secrets. 

I love this book, it was a quick and pleasant read, and surely, very informative. I would definitely rate it as one of the year's best in business.