SALON REVIEW
Family
VALUES
Many businesses say they’re ‘a family,’ but few come as close as Jeannie Burke and her team at cult-beauty destination Venustus, Paddington. Jeannie and her therapists have worked together for over 20 years. She talked to Ruby Feneley about training and retaining the people who bring your beauty business to life.
The Venustus philosophy: Clients who have visited Venustus find it hard to describe the experience. One Google reviewer writes: “An incredibly special space that cannot be described as simply “a spa” or “salon,” the staff give so much of themselves to heal their clients.” Staff training at Venustus goes beyond beauty therapy: they practice reiki, aromatherapy, remedial massage, hot rock, shiatsu and crystal healing – and work with shamans on a regular basis. None of this is covered in a dermal or beauty therapy diploma, all of it is taught by Jeannie herself – interdisplinary training that takes years for each team member. Jeannie Burke has built a business focused on healing the physical, mental and spiritual. A trip to Venustus starts with a consult in which Jeannie works through pain points in your life, the way a physio might target knotted muscles. Jeannie said when she received her first facial, she realised the power of beauty therapy to shift emotions. This is what she wants to achieve for her clients, “I wanted to make people feels that good!” Venustus’ offering draws from practices found all over the world. Jeannie’s approach to the beauty business came from an unexpected place: a steak and onion sandwich. She says: “I grew up in a very traditional family. On the weekends we sold steak and onion sandwiches at Flemington markets. But around us were all these different stalls: Lebanese food, Greek food, people from all different cultures selling flowers and oils.” She then travelled to Europe where she was enamoured with the holistic, and dynastic approach to trade and agriculture. She says: “In Italy you see generations of families who work as bakers, and when you have that intergenerational accumulation of time and knowledge – they are
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JEANNIE’S TIPS FOR CONNECTING POST-COVID: •
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Speak mindfully: “Conversation is so overrated – you don’t need thousands of words. It’s about reconnecting, and doing treatments is our connection to people. If you’re going to speak, make it count. Assess afresh: “In terms of clients, I’ve told my staff to treat everybody like a new body. Don’t do what you’ve done before. Everybody will have dealt with the lockdown differently.” Connect with nature: “We work with shamans a lot, but they’re simply there to remind us to get out in nature. Are you out under the sky? Being in nature helps heal, whether that’s the ocean, the forest, the grass. Whatever you can land on.” Practice gratitude: Every day, I run gratitude. “I am grateful I can hear; I am grateful I can see, I am grateful I am a free woman – because half of the world is not. Find what works, but running gratitude starts your day differently.” Create space: “Think about how you can be your best self for yourself. “It’s not about doing more work. It might be opening my son’s door to let the puppies in to wake him up instead of yelling at him! It creates a happier moment.”
incredibly gifted at what they do.” However, in the beauty industry, where turnover is high, this accumulation of knowledge can seem unachievable.
The “people problem” The beauty industry “talent shortage” has been brought into sharp focus during the rush to clear bookings following four months of lockdowns. Wendy Michetti, Director at HABA says, “Everyone is screaming out for staff.” Pandemic border closures have cut off the supply of British and Irish beauty therapists on working Visas. Meanwhile, increased specialisation has made positions in full service businesses harder to fill: “The therapist answering a job application may only want to specialise in skin, brows or lashes – so your pool of applicants is reduced,” says Michetti. Jeannie tackled this issue early in her career: “Everyone is shocked when I say I’ve had the same staff for 20 years” she laughs. Initially, like many business owners, Jeannie had a two to four year turn over. As her
