Entrepreneurial Spirit: Shannon Reilly

Shannon Reilly is the owner and  esthetician-on-duty at Charm City Skin in Hampden. We’ve been friends for several years and fB friends for  about one. Shannon’s recent status update caught my eye and I knew I had to feature her on my blog. That eye-catching quote, “ I love what I do!”

How’d you get started on this path? 

Six years ago Shannon decided to go to school to be an esthetician. “I had a college degree from Towson to which I was putting to good use by bartending. :) I was feeling like I needed a usable trade-one which didn't involve me getting drunk."
She took a 7-month course, at the end of which she began teaching what she'd learned to other would-be estheticians. Teaching allowed her to grow increasingly comfortable with the concepts learned in the classroom.

How’d you decide to make the move?

Fast forward five years, Shannon was working as a professional in a spa in Baltimore. "I was gaining a pretty big book where I worked, but I was disheartened by the way the spa was run. My clients would make comments like 'the only reason I come to this place is to see you.' My efforts to make suggestions fell on deaf ears; I knew that something had to give.  Finally I had the confidence to branch out on my own. It wasn't easy, and making the move did lose me clients at first."
However, she  continued to work hard to build a new client base and provide excellent service to the people who stuck with her.

And today…"my business has grown exponentially." Shannon is so busy, in fact, that she is on the verge of hiring a new employee. She loves what she does and puts that passion into every service that she provides. Something to keep in mind when you're getting your full Brazilian, fellas!!

Thanks Shannon! You’re an inspiration!