I recently attended the 50th Anniversary Business Conference for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), of which I am a member of the Greater Raleigh Chapter. Attending the NAWBO Women’s Business Conference in Washington, D.C. was nothing short of exhilarating. It was also empowering, uplifting, and eye opening.

The weekend kicked off with a powerful day of advocacy on Capitol Hill. Alongside fellow women business owners, I had the opportunity to visit the offices of members congress on both sides of the aisle to advocate for changes in federal policy that directly impact women entrepreneurs. It was empowering to sit across from lawmakers and share real stories—our challenges, our growth, and what we need to thrive. I was reminded that this work didn’t start with us. Women have been showing up, speaking out, and fighting for change for decades, and NAWBO has been leading the way for over 50 years. They’ve been a tireless advocate for women business owners, helping shape policy and build a community that supports leadership, growth, and resilience.

Throughout the conference, I met women who had built a wide range of businesses—some leading a single employee, others managing teams of hundreds. They were running everything from small startups to large enterprises. Some were succeeding, others were rebuilding after setbacks, and many were somewhere in between. Hearing the stories of these fellow women business owners was incredibly powerful. They shared both their wins and their failures. They opened up about their struggles—stories I could instantly relate to. No one glossed over the hard parts. They talked about betrayal, starting over from nothing, and the emotional toll entrepreneurship can take. And yet, here they were: leading companies, serving on boards, and mentoring the next generation.

Finally, there was the dancing. I loved the dancing. It was such a beautiful reminder that joy is part of the journey too. To watch a room full of strong, accomplished women let loose, laughing, spinning, celebrating each other was exactly what I needed. Sometimes we get so caught up in fighting to be taken seriously, to push forward, to rebuild, that we forget how important it is to just have fun. That joy is just as radical as resilience.

Being part of this community of bold, driven women gave me energy and reminded me of the importance of developing community, advocacy for ourselves and our community of women business owners, and of remembering to have fun along the way.

As science and society evolve, so, too, do we need to prepare for change in the electrology industry. Advancements in technology, mental health awareness, and shifting healthcare landscapes continue to affect how we deliver electrolysis and how we care for our clients. In these areas, electrologists have the opportunity not just to "keep up" but instead to lead. Skin care science is moving quickly, and breakthroughs in understanding which ingredients are truly beneficial vs. which ones should be left behind keep coming. Scientific technology is already beginning to create personalized skin care routines tailored to individual biology, and the study of the skin microbiome is offering new possibilities for safer, more effective skin treatments. Electrologists have the chance to integrate this knowledge into their practice and provide smarter, evidence-based pre- and post-care for clients. Technology is also affecting the electrolysis landscape with constant innovations in epilator design and probe construction, all with the end goal of making treatments more effective and accessible. 

Mental health has been in the spotlight since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the way we talk about and understand mental wellness is changing with natural consequences to how we talk about hair removal. As electrologists are generally aware, electrolysis is essential care, not just cosmetic. This is especially true for those dealing with gender dysphoria or conditions like PCOS. Insurance policies and government regulations had recently began expanding to acknowledge this, and in the event that that trend continues, electrologists will benefit from understanding how to advocate for clients and navigate these systems effectively. The more that electrologists embrace their role as allied health professionals, the more they can influence policy and access to care. 

When it comes to transgender care, we appear to be at a cultural and political crossroads. While some regions are holding firm and expanding access, others are imposing restrictions. Electrologists are often on the front lines—helping transgender clients get the documentation and support they need for procedures like gender-affirming surgery. Staying informed on best practices and speaking up for equitable care has become part of the job for electrologists who work with transgender clients..

Regulations and licensure remain inconsistent globally. In the U.S., for example, some states still don’t require electrologists to be licensed. That lack of structure can limit professional credibility and client safety. Organized electrologists and associations continue to push for unified standards, potentially leading to changes that could open the door to easier insurance reimbursements and greater recognition within the medical field. The definition of "medical hair removal" continues to evolve. More physicians are recognizing the medical necessity of electrolysis, and whenever possible, electrologists benefit from greater contact with physicians and collaborating on treatment planning and compliance protocols. Electrologist can be an integral part of the care team that supports for patients during their healthcare. 

Electrologists who stay informed, organized, and open to change will be the ones shaping it, not just reacting to it. Let’s keep moving forward together, with professionalism, compassion, and a shared commitment to care.

145 years before Dr. Sara Paisner purchased the assets of The Instantron Company and Instantronics International LLC was born, a young hairdresser in Providence, RI, took a chance on a five-year-old technology that allowed permanent hair removal, and the longest continually running epilator manufacturer was born. What follows is an abbreviated version of this quintessentially American story.

Arthur "Dan" Mahler began his career as a hairdresser before becoming the first professional electrologist in Providence, RI in 1885. By 1895, he was teaching electrolysis courses and selling equipment, first as a reseller of products made by McIntosh Co (Chicago) and Chloride of Silver Dry Cell Batter Co (Baltimore) and soon after under the moniker of The Mahler Company which specialized in electrolysis machines. Mahler's innovations propelled electrolysis equipment into the mainstream, laying the foundation for modern electrolysis practices. Notable innovations include the following: 

• 1880s - 1920s:   Dan Mahler sells  and manufactures Galvanic epilators.
• 1880:   The Mahler School of Dermatology opens in Providence, RI.
• 1934:    Dan Mahler dies and sons Arthur and Harold assume leadership of the business.
• 1946:   The first thermolysis epilator to be manufactured in North America was introduced and named Instantron to reflect the "instantaneous" epilation possible with this short-wave machine. 
• 1969:   The Mahler Co changes its name to The Instantron Company to reflect its popular name brand epilator, and additional notable epilators follow, including the T-69, SS69,  Blendtone, the VP500, the Elite, the SS99, and the Elite Spectrum, among others. 
• 1992:    Skip Mahler becomes the President of The Instantron Company where he continues the history of innovation begun by his grandfather.   (Source: Principles of Electrology and Shortwave Epilation; 1986; Ed. Harold Mahler..)  Skip shared the following when discussing his family's legacy in a Hairtell forum post in July 2012: "My grandfather produced straight Galvanic machines starting in 1880 and gave the first Electrolysis Course in 1890, teaching in many states and inviting students to his Mahler School of Dermatology in the Providence area. Thermolysis machines were produced by him in 1946, with the first automatically timed “Instantron”-named epilator, for “instantaneous” epilation. Various machines were produced over consequent years, the T-69, SS69, Blendtone,VP500, Elite, and now the most refined machine we have made to date, the Elite Spectrum which is fully computerized, extremely fast, gentle, and effective, as well as quite affordable in comparison to some other equipment on the market... Choose your manufacturer wisely, and call for the facts before you buy. Compare service and longevity in the industry...." Source: https://hairtell.com/forum/t/instantron-company-epilators/38611 [Ed. for typos]   

• 2023:    The Instantron Company's assets  are purchased by Dr. Sara Paisner who founds Instantronics International LLC. Bringing her deep roots in the electrolysis industry to bear,  Dr. Paisner begins plans to build on The Instantron Company's legacy of excellence in epilator manufacturing while bringing innovation and new ideas to the Spectrum Elite line of electrolysis machines. In her words, "We are honored to continue the tradition of excellence seen most recently in the Elite Spectrum epilator, and we will both continue our support of past products as well as innovate for the future, bringing new ideas to the Elite Spectrum line of electrolysis epilators."

Entrepreneurship is about starting a business. When entrepreneurs are asked to put together a business plan, they are asked a series of questions to determine if their idea has merit. 

Figure out your arena:

First you want to figure out the world you’ll be working in, a great analogy here for those of you who play sports, is the “playing field”. This includes you as the company, your customers, your competitors and collaborators (people who might help a company be successful). For electrologists, the company is the Electrologist herself. Is she qualified? Where did she train? Can she do the job properly and safely? Since you are starting a new Electrology clinic, you clearly believe the answer is yes. For the customers, you as the Electrologist need to decide who your customers could be in order to decide who you will choose to target. Your competitors will matter as well. First of all, who are they? Other Electrologists? Laser hair removal clinics? Most likely before starting your clinic you checked to see where or if other electrologists are around. Setting up an Electrologist clinic right next to another Electrologist would likely not be as successful as setting up somewhere with a dearth of electrologists. As you set up your clinic, you also need to think about people or businesses that can help you grow your business, such as the local community group, or a salon that can refer clients to your clinic. 

Before you started your Electrology services you thought about all these questions to ensure you would be successful in your business. Welcome to entrepreneurship!

Find your audience

Once you decided where to start the clinic, and what type of clinic you would have, you had to think about how to target your selected customer base. In order to decide which customer base to target, you had to segment all possible electrolysis customers into groups and decide who to go after as customers. Did you want to focus on female clients? Clients going through the transgender process? Male clients? Young or old? Local to your town or wider? People from your own community/culture or from all cultures? These decisions are made by electrologists whether actively or subconsciously as these decisions determine the positioning you decide for your clinic. Do you show images of young or older people in the advertisements? Do you show flags supporting clients going through the transgender process in your clinic? Do you have images as part of your marketing that are broadly welcoming or only welcoming to a subset of the community? 

Once you have decide who to target out of the segments you have divided potential clients into, and have decided how to position or clinic within the selected segments, then you have to decide what services to offer (ie what products or services), how to price them, where to advertise, and how to promote services via advertising, promotions and branding. 

Determine pricing

Pricing is a key aspect of developing a new business. For an electrologist, the hourly rate is the first pricing decision you make. The second pricing decision is how to break up pricing for shorter or longer chunks. If one hour is $100, is a half hour $50? Or is it $60? Is 15 minutes, $25 or $40? The pricing strategy can help guide the length of clients sessions. Pricing and positioning also play a role in what add ons are sold in the store. Is the client base able to afford a $30 product? Or a $60 product?  Finally, as an electrologist, you have to decide how and where to advertise. On instagram? Facebook? The local newspaper, whether digital or in paper. Flyers? Are the flyers sent to a mailbox or posted on the windows of local businesses. Are they shared in a business group such as a chamber of commerce. 

All of these decisions went into your decision on where and how to open your clinic. Did you consciously think through the above details? Maybe not, but all of these questions affected your choices in starting your business, and the decisions you made still affect you today. As you move forward with your business, as an entrepreneur, remember to periodically check to see if the assumptions and determinations you made when you first started your business may have changed.