Meet Traci Daly-Smith, Licensed Esthetician, Licensed Massage Therapist, Esthetics Instructor, oncology-trained skincare and massage professional, nonprofit founder, and Compassion Judge for The Skin Games.

With more than 26 years in esthetics, more than 20 years in massage therapy, and over a decade in education, Traci has built a career centered on care, service, and helping others feel supported through some of life’s most difficult seasons.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Traci shares the client experience that changed the direction of her career. When a longtime client was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, Traci found herself searching for better information about how to safely continue providing skincare and comfort during treatment. That experience led her into oncology esthetics, oncology massage, and eventually to founding A New Daly Beginning.

Traci talks about what skilled compassion really looks like, why caring for clients affected by cancer requires both heart and education, and how one relationship grew into a larger mission serving cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

We also talk about her journey with The Skin Games, what judging has taught her about the courage and commitment of Players, and why the Compassion category holds such meaning for her.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for a candid conversation about service, education, professional purpose, and what can happen when compassion becomes action.

Learn more about Traci Daly-Smith and A New Daly Beginning:
https://anewdalybeginning.org/

Learn more about The Skin Games and register:
https://www.theskingames.com/register/ref/kelly@wishesthetics.com/

Meet Trinnie Lefevre, licensed esthetician, educator, consultant, business strategist, and founder of TL Aesthetic Solutions.

Trinnie’s career has taken her through the treatment room, education, brand and distributor relationships, trade shows, consulting, and business development giving her a broad view of what estheticians need not only to become better practitioners, but to build stronger, more sustainable businesses.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Trinnie shares what first drew her into esthetics, how her work expanded into consulting and strategy, and why understanding the “why” behind products, protocols, pricing, and business decisions matters so much.

We also talk about her experience entering The Skin Games as a Player, moving to the judging panel, and how seeing the competition from both sides changed the way she evaluates professional growth, critical thinking, and treatment planning.

Trinnie also shares why she believes strong estheticians need more than technical skill alone and how education, business structure, and better decision-making can help professionals build careers that actually last.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about esthetics, business, competition, and the professional journeys behind The Skin Games.

Meet Lynn Laporte, Licensed Esthetician, Esthetics Instructor, Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, Nationally Certified Reflexologist, oncology-trained skincare professional, Color Code Certified Trainer, and Expert Judge for The Skin Games.

With more than 20 years in the skin and integrative self-care industry, Lynn has built a career around one central idea: skin does not exist separately from the person living in it.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Lynn shares how her work expanded from traditional esthetics into nutritional aesthetics, reflexology, Reiki, personality-based communication, and a more holistic approach to client care.

We also talk about the role of connection in the treatment room, why understanding how a client communicates can be just as important as understanding their skin, and how Lynn uses the Color Code personality system with both clients and students.

Lynn reflects on her work as an educator, what newer estheticians need beyond textbook knowledge, and how her whole-person philosophy influences the way she approaches judging for The Skin Games.

She also shares why The Skin Games is about more than results alone, what she looks for in a Player’s thought process, and how competition can become part of a larger professional growth journey.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about holistic esthetics, education, connection, and the professional journey behind The Skin Games.

Take the Color Code Personality Test here: https://www.colorcode.com/choose_personality_test/

Meet Angela Eklow, skincare professional, educator, ingredient and modality expert, multi-award-winning Skin Games competitor, Judge, and Lead Judge for the Acne category.

With more than 40 years in the skincare industry, Angela has built her career around one thing that has never changed: a deep curiosity about how skin works and how to create meaningful, lasting results.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Angela shares how her own skin experience at 18 helped spark a lifelong interest in skin health, what she learned from working internationally, and how building her clinic in Åland shaped the practitioner she became.

We also dive into the part of Angela’s work she is especially known for ingredients, cosmetic chemistry, modalities, and treatment planning. She explains why understanding an ingredient list is very different from simply recognizing a “hero ingredient,” and how deeper knowledge helps estheticians make better decisions in the treatment room.

Angela also reflects on entering The Skin Games after decades in the industry, what competition revealed about her professionally, and how that experience ultimately led her from Player to Judge and Lead Judge for the Acne category.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for a candid conversation about curiosity, expertise, competition, education, and what it really means to keep learning after more than four decades in esthetics.

Meet Jessica Cooley, licensed esthetician, instructor, entrepreneur, product creator, and international award-winning skincare professional.

Jessica’s career has moved through corrective and oncology esthetics, education, leadership, entrepreneurship, and product development. After beginning in retail management, she transitioned into esthetics, where her father’s stage IV melanoma diagnosis helped shape her interest in oncology esthetics and the kind of professional she wanted to become.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Jessica shares how one opportunity led to the next, from building a solo practice and becoming an instructor to stepping into a Director of Education role and creating the award-winning Skin Wand Pro during the 2020 shutdown.

She also reflects on the decision to sell Skin Wand Pro in 2026, what it meant to step away from the treatment room and teaching, and what this season has taught her about identity beyond professional titles.

Jessica takes us back through her Skin Games journey as a five-time finalist, Spirit Award recipient, and award-winning competitor, including third place in Compromised Skin and second place in the Open category in 2021. She shares what competition taught her and what stayed with her long after the event itself.

And she gives us a glimpse into the direction of her new chapter.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about growth, reinvention, letting go, and making room for what comes next.

Around 25 minutes, give or take a really good story.

Meet Tori Herrera, better known throughout the industry as The Waxing Queen, esthetician, educator, mentor, beauty school owner, competition veteran, and Skin Games Judge.

Tori has built a career around specialization, education, competition, and community. From becoming known for her expertise in waxing to teaching future professionals, mentoring estheticians, and helping break the stigma surrounding Brazilian waxing, her journey is a strong example of what can happen when you commit to mastering your craft.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Tori shares what first drew her into esthetics, how waxing became her specialty, and what it took to become recognized as an expert in the field.

She also reflects on her long history with beauty competitions, her journey to The Skin Games, earning multiple titles and recognition as Waxer of the Year, and what competing taught her about professionalism, preparation, and growth.

We also talk about the opportunities that followed, including education, mentorship, contributing her expertise to Milady, and her transition from competitor to Judge.

Beyond the treatment room, Tori shares why giving back to her Bakersfield community remains such an important part of the career she has built and how success, for her, has always meant more than titles alone.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about expertise, competition, leadership, community, and the professional journeys behind The Skin Games.

Around 15 minutes, give or take a really good story.

Meet Dominique Brandt, Master Esthetician, educator, coach, consultant, Air Force veteran, and former Skin Games Esthetician of the Year.

Dominique’s professional journey didn’t begin in the treatment room. Her career has taken her through military service, the corporate world, business and hospitality, esthetics, education, competition, and now international consulting and coaching.

In this episode of TSG’s Director's Cut, Dominique shares what led her to make the transition into esthetics, how her previous careers influenced the practitioner and educator she became, and why critical thinking, strong systems, and understanding the “why” behind treatment decisions have remained so important throughout her career.

We also talk about her work with mature skin and Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra, the shift from practitioner to instructor and mentor, and what competing in The Skin Games revealed about her professionally.

Dominique reflects on becoming Esthetician of the Year, how that experience evolved into coaching and education for other estheticians and Skin Games Players, and why winning was never meant to be the end of the story.

Now living in Germany, Dominique is entering another chapter, consulting and coaching estheticians while bringing together everything she has learned from business, treatment, education, leadership, and competition.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about the experiences, lessons, and unexpected turns that shape a professional journey.

Around 15 minutes, give or take a really good story.

Meet Aggie Singh, an internationally recognized esthetician, educator, author, clinic owner, and Judge for The Skin Games.

With more than 20 years in the beauty industry and over 3,000 hours of advanced study, Aggie has built her career around understanding and treating complex skin concerns, including pigmentation, acne, rosacea, sensitivity, eczema, and compromised skin. Her professional journey has also included two years working alongside a surgeon in the UK, an experience that helped deepen her clinical understanding of the skin.

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Aggie shares what first drew her into the beauty industry, how extensive education shaped the practitioner she became, and what working with challenging skin conditions has taught her about restoring client confidence.

She also reflects on discovering The Skin Games, competing across multiple categories, becoming 2023–2024 Esthetician of the Year, and why she chose to return as a Judge.

We also talk about professional growth, continuing education, critical thinking, and the inspiration behind her book, Winning Over Skin Conditions, which shares real client journeys and the lessons behind their transformations.

Join Brenda Hogsett, Director of Player Experience, and Kelly Wolcott, Director of Judges, for another candid conversation about the people, lessons, and professional journeys behind The Skin Games.

Around 15 minutes, give or take a really good story.

Register for The Skin Games here: https://www.theskingames.com/register/ref/kelly@wishesthetics.com/