My work isn't just what I do - It's what I've lived.

- Vanessa McDonald

For more than two decades, I've worked at the intersection of marketing and professional skincare. From my early days with Dermalogica and The International Dermal Institute, I saw how education, consultation, and consistency shaped the client experience.

But more than that, I saw how essential a customised approach to skin treatments was, not just for delivering visible results, but for building trust, retention, and long-term success.

When the treatment plan met the client's life, skin, and story, the entire business transformed. It was never about one facial. It was about seeing the whole journey, from the first consultation to complete confidence.

Over the years, I've supported thousands of clinics through roles with Dermalogica, Shortcuts Salon & Spa Software, and Professional Beauty Solutions, where I led the development of the Marketing on a Platter platform. I sat across from owners and managers who were brilliant at treating skin, but unsure how to market it. Year after year, I heard the same thing: we know how to deliver results, but we don't know how to market and sell them.

That's where my work began.

I went on to become one of the industry's first marketing coaches dedicated entirely to professional beauty and skincare clinics. Today, I'm known as the go-to strategist for client retention and skin journey marketing. I've helped clinics shift from scattered to consistent, from transactional to transformational, and from booked out to banked up, not through pushy tactics, but through structure that builds loyalty.

And I'm not just a strategist. I'm also your ideal client.

My own skin journey changed

the way I saw myself.

Over twelve months of commitment, consultation, and care, I experienced firsthand what happens when skin results are mapped to the reality of someone’s life. I have the before and after photos to prove it, but the real transformation was how I felt walking into a room. Clear, healthy skin shifts more than appearance. It rebuilds confidence. It softens self-judgment. And in our industry, we’re the only ones who can deliver those kinds of results consistently and professionally.

From the front desk to the boardroom, I've lived every angle of this industry.

And I'm here to show you what's possible when your clinic runs with a clear,

strategic marketing system - one that's been tested, proven, and built specifically to turn skin results into long-term loyalty.

“If there’s one person who’s truly owned the skin journey and client retention space in our industry, it’s Vanessa McDonald. Others have tried to enter the space, but Vanessa has always been the one leading the charge - not just with ideas, but with real, actionable strategies that work. What sets Vanessa apart is that she’s not just a thought leader - she walks the walk. You only have to scroll through any professional industry forum to see the amount of love and gratitude she gets from clinic owners and therapists alike. They know she’s the real deal. Vanessa’s work genuinely helps businesses thrive, and her passion for elevating the client experience shines through in everything she does.”