FEATURE
Making Everyone, Feel Like Someone. By Louise May
Meet Karen Geiszler, the visionary owner of Karen Geiszler Hair & Beauty Laser & IPL Clinic, in regional Queensland, who clinched the coveted 2023 Australian Beauty Industry Award (ABIA) for Sole Operator of the Year. With over 30 years in the industry, Karen seamlessly runs a thriving one-woman salon alongside a national aesthetic training venture. Her secret to success? A passion for continuous learning, ensuring her clients receive the latest and safest treatments. Beyond offering an extensive array of services, including specialised laser treatments, Karen’s unique approach extends to personalised client care, from tailored treatments to ‘Silent Appointments’ for those seeking a quieter experience. Her commitment to building deep client relationships goes beyond beauty, as she offers free treatments to cancer survivors seeking to remove radiation marks. Despite being based in a small Queensland town, Karen’s salon draws clients from far and wide, a testament to her exceptional skills and personalised approach that sets her apart in the ever-evolving beauty industry. Beauty Biz editor, Louise May, chats with Karen about her journey, success, and recent recognition as the 2023 Australian Beauty Industry Award (ABIA) Sole Operator of the Year.
What inspired you to begin in the beauty industry?
I had struggle with grade 3 acne for years and my dad had spent thousands of my skin as he was so concerned that I would end up with scarring on my face , it was really bad a one point , that were I meet a beautiful lady name Kim would had a clinic in Hurstville and I would see her once a fortnight to help clear up my skin, it changed my world as I had always covered my acne with that much make up so no one would see it and she help me get my confidence back ,and I remember that feeling of looking in the mirror and actually loving my skin and I wanted to be able to give women this feeling every day. So, at 19, whilst I was hairdressing, I enrolled in my CIDESCO Diploma Of Beauty Therapy at About Face Academy in Five Dock NSW with Shirley Strickland , I attended the college 3 nights a week for 2 years. They said you can be anything you want to be …… “I wanted to BE that kind of person that made EVERYONE feel SOMEONE …So, I became a Hairdresser & Beauty Therapist.
What specific moment or accomplishment stands out as the turning point that defined your success as a sole operator in the beauty industry?
I think the specific moment that was my turning point was my dads 1 non-negotiable that I had 26
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to do a small business management course, this set me up to not only run a business at a young age but showed me how to know my numbers and run a profitable business.
Clients travel considerable distances to visit your salon. How did you establish such a dedicated clientele, and what strategies do you employ to maintain their loyalty?
Deep and trusting relationships with clients are very important to me, and I believe one of the keys to my success. I have a very personalised approach to every individual and am genuinely invested in their lives - not just in their amazing treatment results! I cater my treatments, my communication style, and my practices around my clients’ personal preferences as much as possible. This includes my ‘Silent Appointments’, which I created for my clients who are anxious, autistic, tired, sensory-sensitive, mentally drained, or just don’t want to chat that day. I also offer free treatment to cancer survivors wishing to have radiation marks removed. It’s so rewarding to give back in this way, it makes such an incredible difference to their lives, launched skin memberships in the clinic, which are paid weekly or monthly, guaranteeing regular income to the business. This concept has been around in the industry for a long time, but I don’t believe it has been very successfully executed by many. It is a great fit for my type of regional clientele, as they are committed to seeing me. They receive better value from the membership structure, and I achieve better client satisfaction as their results are significantly better when their skin is treated regularly - memberships give them the opportunity to see that first-hand.
Your recent initiative, the Long Lunch series, aims to connect regional salon owners and therapists with industry experts. Can you tell us about this and what inspired this idea? The Long Lunch series was designed to give education and networking opportunities to regional salon owners and therapists who often cannot travel. I find it a privilege visiting regional clinics across Australia but heard the same sentiments over many conversations with therapists. That was, “We miss out on so much as we can’t travel to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane to go to training, attend conferences or
