What I learnt from one of Australia’s most inspiring independent skin therapists.
By Will Fennell.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed something quietly changing within our industry. While much of the conversation has centred around bigger clinics, larger teams and investing in the latest technology, another movement has been steadily gaining momentum.
Across Australia, more skin professionals are choosing to work independently, building businesses that reflect their own values, creating deeper relationships with their clients and proving that success isn’t always measured by the number of treatment rooms you have.
That was exactly how I felt after interviewing Halima Dandan, founder of Dermaclear Clinic and the driving force behind the Solo Aesthetic Society. Halima was also a finalist in the 2026 ABIA Awards for Sole Operator of the Year, recognition that reflects the respect she has earned from both her peers and the wider industry.
I wanted to interview Halima because I admire what she has created. She has built a successful business with authenticity, humility and purpose, inspiring other therapists to create businesses that reflect their own values.
One of the first things that struck me during our conversation was that Halima never defined success by money, clinic size or social media followers. Instead, she spoke about people. About trust. About confidence. About creating an experience where every client feels genuinely cared for.
Like many therapists, Halima’s passion for skin grew from her own experience with cystic acne as a teenager. It shaped both her understanding of skin and her empathy for clients, becoming the foundation of a career dedicated to helping others feel comfortable in their own skin.
Her pathway into business wasn’t conventional either.
After becoming a mother, Halima found herself searching for a way to continue doing the work she loved while creating the flexibility her family needed. She began as a mobile therapist before eventually opening Dermaclear Clinic, not with ambitions of creating the largest clinic possible, but with a desire to build something that reflected the way she believed skin should be treated: personally, thoughtfully and without compromise.
Listening to her describe those early years reminded me how often our industry confuses growth with success. Halima challenged that thinking by building a business that worked for her life, rather than allowing her business to dictate how she lived.
As our conversation moved towards the realities of being a sole operator, Halima spoke openly about both the rewards and the challenges. There is enormous freedom in working independently. Every decision is yours. Every client experience reflects your standards. Every relationship is built personally.
At the same time, there is nowhere to hide.
As a sole trader, you’re the therapist, receptionist, marketer, accountant and business owner all at once. The work rarely ends and can sometimes feel isolating.
Rather than dwelling on those challenges, however, Halima spoke about the importance of creating systems that allow you to thrive. One of the biggest lessons she has learnt has been to stop trying to do everything at once. Instead, she time-blocks different areas of her business, setting aside dedicated periods for treating clients, creating content, business development, administration and, perhaps most importantly, making time to simply switch off.
The highlight of our conversation came when I asked Halima for advice for someone considering becoming a sole operator.
“One of the biggest pieces of advice I’d give is to stop treating your business like you’re just an employee and start showing up like the founder.
Early on, I was so focused on being the best skin therapist I could be that I forgot I was also building a business. Once I made that mindset shift, everything changed.
I started making decisions differently. I invested in myself, looked for opportunities instead of waiting for them and became more intentional about how I showed up, both within my business and publicly.
When you start showing up as the founder, you naturally build trust, credibility and authority. Clients don’t just choose a treatment. They’re choosing the person behind the business. They want to know who’s looking after them, what you stand for and why they should trust you.
The more I shared my knowledge, my journey and the values behind my business, the stronger those connections became. It wasn’t about being everywhere on social media. It was about showing up consistently and authentically.
People don’t just buy what you do. They buy into who you are and the vision behind it.
Rather than accepting that as simply part of being a sole operator, Halima began asking herself a different question.
What if independent aesthetic professionals had a community built specifically for them?
That simple question became the foundation of the Solo Aesthetic Society.
The more she described the Society, the more I realised it wasn’t created to become another networking group or another business venture. It was created because Halima understood that while sole operators make up a significant part of our profession, they often feel as though they’re navigating it alone.
Many choose to work independently because they value flexibility, autonomy and meaningful client relationships. They aren’t necessarily aspiring to manage large teams or multiple clinics, but businesses that reflect their own values and the lives they want to lead.
Yet so much of our industry still focuses on larger business models.
Education is often designed around teams. Business advice frequently centres on employing staff and expanding into bigger premises. Networking events can feel daunting when you arrive knowing no one, and many independent therapists quietly return home feeling as though they don’t quite belong.
Halima believes they do.
In fact, she believes they deserve to be recognised as one of the most important and innovative parts of our industry.
The Solo Aesthetic Society has been built on that belief.
Its vision is wonderfully simple: to create a community where sole operators feel connected, supported and celebrated. A place where therapists can openly share ideas, learn from one another, discuss challenges without judgement and celebrate each other’s successes.
She spoke about creating opportunities for independent practitioners to connect with like-minded professionals who genuinely understand the unique realities of running a business alone.
She also hopes the Society will become a bridge between independent clinics and the brands that support them. Sole operators often have different needs from larger clinics. They need flexible education, practical business support and genuine partnerships that recognise the realities of running a one-person business. By bringing those voices together, Halima believes everyone benefits, not only therapists and brands, but ultimately the clients they care for every day.
That same philosophy also inspired Halima to create Dermal Code, a professional range designed specifically with solo operators and boutique clinics in mind. As Halima explains, “Dermal Code grew from my own experience as a solo operator and from recognising a gap in the professional products and devices available to therapists. I wanted to create something practical, accessible and genuinely suited to solo operators and smaller clinics, especially where space is limited. Having no minimum orders or monthly spend requirements was important to me, because I wanted the brand to feel supportive of independent therapists, not restrictive.”
Listening to her describe the future, I felt excited by the possibilities. Networking events, collaborative education, mentoring opportunities and, ultimately, a national summit dedicated entirely to sole operators all form part of her vision.
I left our interview feeling genuinely inspired.
Halima’s story reminds us that success doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. For some, success is opening multiple clinics. For others, it’s building a single treatment room where every client feels known, valued, and genuinely cared for.
As our industry evolves, sole operators will continue to shape its future. If Halima’s journey teaches us anything, it’s that you don’t need the biggest clinic to make a meaningful impact. You simply need the courage to build a business that reflects who you are, to stay committed to your values, and to never stop learning.
Perhaps that’s why the Solo Aesthetic Society feels so important.
Sometimes the most powerful businesses aren’t the loudest.
They’re the ones built quietly, one client, one conversation and one act of genuine care at a time.
Until next time.
Will x
Will Fennell is an international BIODROGA trainer and the owner of BIODROGA Australia. He is so grateful to Halima for her time on this article. To find her, go to @halima.dandan
