I felt like I was dying....

Bibi Hernandez
Aug 7, 2025
2 min read

If you’re an independent nail tech, esthetician, lash tech, or any beauty professional working for yourself, you already know—we don’t have the same safety net as people who clock into a 9-to-5.

There’s no HR department. No paid time off. No short-term disability or sick leave.

When we don’t work, we don’t get paid.

It’s empowering to be self-employed. But let’s be real—it’s also risky. And unless we build in our own systems of protection, we are one emergency away from losing everything we’ve worked so hard to build.

My Wake-Up Call: A Kidney Infection

Last week, I was hit with a painful kidney infection. It came fast and hard—one minute I was fine, the next I could barely move.

Now, the self-employed mentality kicked in: "I can’t cancel clients. I can’t reschedule classes. I can’t afford to be down."

But my body said otherwise. And I had to listen.

Thankfully, I had already prepared for this moment—months ago. At the start of the year, I purchased Aflac short-term disability and hospitalization coverage.

So instead of panicking over missed income, I was able to focus on healing—because my backup plan was already in place.

Let’s Be Honest: Most of Us Aren’t Prepared

Too many beauty professionals are one illness, one accident, one emergency away from financial chaos. Not because they’re not talented. Not because they don’t hustle. But because they don’t have a plan for the unexpected.

I’ve seen it too many times:

A stylist breaks a wrist.
A lash tech gets into a car accident.
A nail tech develops severe back pain.

And just like that, no clients = no cash flow.

You Are the Business. Protect It Like One.

If you’re a beauty pro working independently, I need you to understand this:

You are not just a service provider—you are the business.

And businesses need structure. Strategy. Safety nets.

Here are just a few ways to protect yourself:

Supplemental Insurance: Companies like Aflac, Colonial Life, and others offer plans specifically designed for self-employed individuals. Look into short-term disability, hospitalization, and critical illness coverage.
Emergency Savings: Build a “downtime” fund to cover 2-3 weeks of income just in case you can’t work.
Client Communication Plan: Establish a method to quickly update clients and reschedule appointments if necessary.