Over the last 25 years, licensed esthetician and solo founder Doran Poma has built Haute Beauty Guide into a boutique skincare destination in Monterey, California. Her journey began with her own skin issues, but quickly evolved into a business and community rooted in a philosophy of highly personalized, evidence based, and results driven aesthetics.
Doran has built a loyal client base through word of mouth, Instagram, and in-studio experiences. Doran’s services span through online guides, in-depth personalized consultation, and a variety of treatments, and she is always seizing opportunities to hone her skills and offer the highest level of care to her clients. Her clients return for the convenient memberships Haute Beauty Guide offers and for the long-standing relationships Doran has built.
The Role of Digital Payments
Doran was an early adopter of digital payments. Technologies and tools available through digital payments systems have supported her. Doran chose Square when traditional payment systems let her down. “Square solved my cash flow problems when traditional credit card machines were expensive and complex,” she explains. The user-friendly nature of digital payment terminals makes operations easier to handle for solo founders like Doran. The studio relies heavily on digital platforms to cover booking, invoicing, memberships, and QR-code payments.
Haute Beauty Guide has now embraced a cashless, fully digital model. The shift away from cash was accelerated by COVID-19, but Doran has continued to see benefits of digital payments. “It’s safer, faster, and less hassle for both me and my clients,” she says, and digital payments have boosted operational efficiency by improving cash flow and simplifying credit card acceptance. Digital technologies have also opened up new business opportunities, including reaching new customers through the Square Go app.
The Road Ahead
Amidst her success, Doran is concerned about the blind spots facing the beauty industry. Estheticians were shuttered during COVID-19 while med spas offering the same services stayed open. Contactless digital payments helped customers feel safe coming back to receive services after the pandemic, but the regulatory inequity caused confusion.
Tariffs on imported skin care also pose a challenge to the industry and to customers. Doran explains that most skincare is manufactured overseas. “With tariffs, I’ve seen three price increases in a year. Clients now buy less often, or turn to unsafe online sellers.” The rising costs of high-quality products like those Doran sources have led to the use of harmful counterfeit products. She hopes to champion fairer policies and practical digital tools that empower small beauty entrepreneurs like herself to deliver on the safe alternative.
Looking ahead, Doran is excited about Haute Beauty Guide’s move into a new, community-centered location. She is also exploring offerings including virtual consultations and product sales, using digital technologies as a path to deliver high-quality services to clients.
