For Dana Franzen, Esthetics Educator at The Salon Professional Academy Maplewood, esthetics has always been about more than skincare. It’s about confidence, connection and helping people feel good in their own skin.
After eight years at TSPA Maplewood, Dana has had the opportunity to share her knowledge and experience with countless students—and watching those students grow into confident professionals continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of her career. Dana
A Personal Connection to Esthetics
Dana’s passion for esthetics started with her own experience as a teenager.
After struggling with acne, she began seeing an esthetician who helped her with her skin. That experience made an impact far beyond skincare—it inspired Dana to want to help other people gain confidence in their own skin, too. Dana
That desire to help others ultimately became a career, and today Dana gets to multiply that impact by teaching future estheticians how to do the same.
Eight Years of Educating at TSPA
Dana chose TSPA Maplewood in part because of her close relationship with the school’s owners, and over the past eight years she has become an important part of the TSPA community. Dana
What does she enjoy most about being an educator?
Sharing her knowledge and experience and getting to witness those “ah-ha” moments when something finally clicks for a student.
In fact, Dana says they call her an “Esti breeder!” And after years of helping new estheticians enter the industry, the nickname seems pretty fitting. Dana
Building Confidence—One Student at a Time
One of Dana’s favorite parts of working with students is watching their confidence build.
She enjoys listening to their concerns, helping them find solutions and seeing them begin to trust themselves and their abilities. Dana
And while technical skills are an important part of becoming an esthetician, Dana hopes her students leave TSPA understanding something even bigger:
What matters most is how you make your clients feel and the relationships you build with them. Dana
That lesson reflects Dana’s own reason for entering the industry. Esthetics may involve skincare, waxing, facials and products—but at its heart, it’s a people business.
Her Favorites in Esthetics
After years in the industry, Dana definitely has a few favorites.
Waxing is her favorite service to perform, while facials are her favorite service to teach. And when it comes to Dermalogica products, her answer is easy: Antioxidant HydraMist—“by far!! Top tier.” Dana
Those preferences fit perfectly with what Dana loves about education: combining hands-on skills with the opportunity to help students understand the “why” behind what they are doing.
From Educator to Studio Owner
Dana’s impact on the industry extends beyond the classroom.
One of her proudest professional accomplishments has been opening her own studio and having a successful first year.But right alongside that accomplishment, she lists the students whose future success she has had the opportunity to be part of.
Her experience as both an educator and business owner gives her students someone who understands that graduating is only the beginning. There are so many directions a career in esthetics can take.
Her Advice to Future Estheticians
For someone considering esthetics school but wondering whether they should take that next step, Dana keeps her advice simple:
“Take the leap, get through it and you’ll be so happy you did this for yourself!” Dana
Learning a new career takes work, but Dana has spent years watching students come into TSPA, build their skills and confidence, and eventually step into the industry themselves.
If her students had to describe her in three words, Dana believes they would say:
Inspiring. Compassionate. Understanding. Dana
When She’s Not at TSPA…
You’ll probably find Dana outside.
She loves hiking trails with her dog, kayaking and yoga. Her ideal day off involves hitting the trails with the dogs, AirPods in and plenty of fresh, open air. Dana Dana
Could Esthetics Be Your Next Step?
If you love skincare, helping others and the idea of building a career where you can make people feel more confident, esthetics may be worth exploring.
At TSPA Maplewood, educators like Dana bring their real-world experience into the classroom while helping students build the technical skills, confidence and relationships that can carry them into their future careers.
And who knows? You might just become one of Dana’s next “Estis.” ❤️
