From Survival to Purpose: Building Freedom, Stability, and Support Through Entrepreneurship

Free Agent Podcast with Meg Schmitz – Guest: Samantha Somsak – Founder/Owner of Skinship Esthetic Spa

Meg:
Welcome back to Free Agent with Meg Schmitz, your place for inspiring stories of real people who took the leap into business ownership, franchising, and freedom.

If you know there’s more to life than a desk job and you’re ready to take control of your destiny, this is your podcast. After all—why work for the boss? Be the boss.

Now let’s join today’s episode of Free Agent.

Meg:
Hello and welcome to the Free Agent Podcast. It’s great to have you here today. Why don’t you tell our audience your name, the name of your business, and the services you offer?

Samantha:
My name is Samantha Somsak. I’m the founder of Skinship Esthetic Spa. We offer head spa services, facials, intimate waxing, and intimate lightening. Depending on the service provider, we’re able to offer certain services based on whether they’re estheticians or cosmetologists.

Meg:
Do you take insurance?

Samantha:
No, we do not take insurance. Some of us are estheticians and some are cosmetologists, so we’re able to do different things depending on credentials.

Meg:
The podcast is called Free Agent because all of us, at some point in our lives, become a free agent. We break free from working for someone else or in a shared space. What inspired you to become independent and self-employed?

Samantha:
There’s definitely a lot to it. The last three years of my life really changed everything. I had a brain tumor and underwent brain surgery last year. I also work in healthcare, and I lost two loved ones during that time.

It really put things into perspective.

I didn’t want to work in healthcare and also be the patient while feeling depressed all the time. I realized I wasn’t the person I used to be.

Samantha:
I actually have a background doing nails, and that was when I was truly happy. I loved meeting women, uplifting each other, having meaningful conversations—things I just didn’t experience in the hospital.

I knew it was time to look for something else. I had always wanted to go into aesthetics. When I was fresh out of high school, I told my dad, and he said, “No—you need to go to school, go to work, get insurance, and take care of yourself.”

Meg:
Those corporate trappings can feel like golden handcuffs—comfortable, but hard to leave.

Samantha:
Yes. I listened, and I’m grateful for that background. I have a retirement account and the things my dad wanted for me. But something switched.

One Saturday morning before work, I cried. Healthcare has been extremely difficult, there’s a huge staffing shortage, and I have a young daughter. I was trading my time for money and couldn’t be with her.

Samantha:
You once mentioned on your podcast that your son didn’t even realize you worked because you were always there. I want that.

That’s what makes this emotional for me.

Meg:
This journey isn’t for everybody. Becoming self-employed is scary. What makes this emotional for you?

Samantha:
Not being able to see my daughter.

For her entire second year of life, I barely saw her. I worked third shift and then went straight into my first-shift job. I only got to nap with her. I thought I’d be at that job forever—but I quit.

That was the moment I realized I couldn’t do it anymore.

Samantha:
Healthcare mandates meant we were constantly short-staffed. If you didn’t volunteer to pick up shifts, you were mandated. The job owned you.

I had great managers and coworkers, but it still wasn’t enough—because at home, everything was falling apart.

Meg:
What ultimately made you open Skinship?

Samantha:
It wasn’t just for myself. I wanted to help other entrepreneurs in my position have an end goal.

My goal is to set up retirement plans for myself and my staff. A lot of entrepreneurs don’t have insurance or a retirement plan—we’re expected to work forever.

I want my employees to have stability.

Samantha:
Skinship is a cashless business. My staff are W-2 employees, so they can qualify for loans, buy cars, and build real lives. You don’t need a partner just to have insurance. You can be independent.

I’ve always been the “big sister.” People look up to me. If I can create something that helps others succeed, that’s my purpose.

Meg:
You’re building future entrepreneurs—and that comes with stress, but also incredible reward.

Samantha:
It really does. It’s stressful, but I love it. I’m good at it. And when I listen to your podcast, I feel like I can truly relate.

I was running away from pain, but now I know what I’m running toward. I finally have a vision.

Samantha:
I realized I can’t do this alone. I have mentors, support, a marketing agency, and the leadership at IMAGE Studios. They weren’t just landlords—they were entrepreneurs who had walked this path.

That made all the difference.

Meg:
What’s the best thing about being self-employed?

Samantha:
Being where you need to be when you need to be there.

Money doesn’t matter as much as time. The people you love won’t be here forever.

Meg:
Thank you so much for being here and sharing your story. Every time someone shares this podcast, they could be changing someone’s life.