Meet Sara O’Neill, an esthetician at our Midtown Crossing location and our new Bridal Concierge! Her passion and drive make her such an incredible part of our team! Continue reading to hear her story.
How long have you been at Garbo's Salons and what made you want to work here?
I’ve been a full-time esthetician at Garbo’s Midtown Crossing since March of 2019. I was always drawn to the company as I had friends who worked there that loved the environment and culture. I regularly had my hair done at Garbo’s Midtown well before working there, so I already knew that I loved the vibe. I was lucky enough to interview and be hired at Garbo’s before I even finished esthetics school!
Why did you choose to be an esthetician and why do you love it?
I chose to enter the esthetics field after working several jobs throughout my early 20s and never feeling fulfilled professionally. I had taken off with makeup as a theatre major in college and done freelance makeup work for several years.
I finally decided to take the leap at 27 and go to esthetics school to learn everything I needed to make my passion my career, and it was definitely the right choice! I pride myself on my ability to build relationships with my clients. I’m genuinely interested in their lives and love to chat and learn about whatever they want to share. Making those connections also helps with building comfort in the treatment room. I have several clients who I have met working at Garbo’s that will be lifelong friends.
What would you consider to be your specialties when it comes to your job?
All of the services I provide have a special place in my repertoire, but I especially love waxing and makeup. Both have such a noticeable, satisfying result! Makeup in particular can be so rewarding; I love helping someone feel like their absolute best self for important occasions in their life.
What is the biggest challenge you encounter as an esthetician and how do you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I have found that I face working in this industry is definitely “imposter syndrome”. The looming fear of not being good enough or knowledgeable enough, or deserving of accomplishment is hard to ignore. But remember that I wouldn’t have the support, position, or clientele that I do if I hadn’t worked hard for it always helps remind me of my worth.
In your opinion, what does it take to become a successful esthetician?
In my short time working in the beauty industry as an esthetician, I have found that the easiest way to fuel your own success is to always be open to ask for and accept help.
Remembering that you may not know everything can be hard to admit sometimes. Peers in the salon and industry, in general, have a wealth of information from their own professional experiences, their own trial, and error, and are almost always willing to share!
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
In addition to providing services in the spa at Midtown Crossing, I have also taken over the newly created position of Bridal Concierge for the entire Garbo’s company!
Our president Darcy saw the potential for providing brides and their parties with a more personalized and attentive experience with booking their weddings and created an entirely new program around that idea. I work with all potential Garbo’s brides to help schedule any and all beauty services they need for their big day, at any of our 5 locations, or on-site. It’s been incredibly rewarding getting work with so many brides, especially since Covid caused so many couples to postpone or cancel their weddings. Since our Bridal Concierge initiative is brand new, it grows and changes every day, and has been nothing but successful thus far!
Sara is so passionate about her work! If you’re interested in booking an appointment with her at our Midtown Crossing location, you can schedule any service by calling (402)933-9737 or booking online.
