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/

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Brenda Hogsett and Kelly Wolcott sit down with Nichelle Mosley, an international award-winning esthetician, corneotherapy specialist, educator, author, and longtime member of The Skin Games community.

Nichelle shares the experiences that shaped her more than 26-year career, her commitment to barrier-first and culturally responsive care, and the evolution of her work through The Skin Barrier Academy, THE SKIN REMEMBERS™ by WHOLE Beauty Impact™, and the CIDESCO-endorsed Global Majority Corneotherapy™ Certification.

Her TSG journey began as a finalist in 2017. She returned in 2019 with greater clarity, stronger strategy, and lessons learned from that first experience, ultimately earning first place in Age Management. She also reflects on her continued involvement as a Judge and the role TSG has played in her growth as a practitioner, educator, and industry leader.

This is a conversation about seeing the whole person, building the education that was missing, and using knowledge, compassion, and lived experience to create more inclusive care.

Learn more about Nichelle: https://theskinbarrieracademy.com/home491196

Register for The Skin Games: https://www.theskingames.com/register/ref/kelly%40wishesthetics.com/

In this episode of TSG’s Director’s Cut, Brenda Hogsett and Kelly Wolcott sit down with Holly Brown, founder of Looking and Feeling FAB and longtime member of The Skin Games community.

After experiencing a severe skin reaction during her own chemotherapy treatment, Holly recognized a critical gap in supportive skin care. That experience led her to become oncology trained and, in 2013, establish Looking and Feeling FAB, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people manage the skin side effects of cancer treatment.

Holly shares how her personal health journey became a professional mission, the challenges of building a nonprofit, and why education, research, and compassionate care remain at the heart of her work. She also reflects on nine years with The Skin Games, her leadership in the Compassion category, and receiving the TSGX Awesome Award for her dedication to the community and her contributions to elevating the industry.

This is a conversation about turning hardship into purpose, creating the care you once needed, and using your experience to make the path better for others.

For more info on Holly and Looing and Feeling Fab, check out https://www.lookfeelfab.org/

Register for The Skin Games:

https://www.theskingames.com/register/ref/kelly@wishesthetics.com/