Making Aesthetics Less Cutthroat and More Compassionate by Mariesa Porter

Leading with empathy, integrity, and teamwork

Greetings! I’m Mariesa Porter, a nurse practitioner with a passion for all things aesthetics. After years working with plastic surgeons and dermatologists and learning about the different facets of the industry, I opened Elite Aesthetics in New York City in 2017. What started as a one-room shop — and then a mobile medspa during the COVID-19 pandemic — is now a thriving business with a full team of skilled providers and experts.

Like most self-care business owners, I’m always thinking about how to elevate client experiences, particularly in the cutthroat world of aesthetics. Here in NYC, everything is fast-paced and extremely competitive, but my approach is a little different. When I opened Elite Aesthetics, I set out to make a safer, more positive space in the industry; seven years later, I’m still committed to those values. Here’s how I found my passion, built a successful business, and showed clients and employees alike that true beauty begins with empathy and compassion.

A passion that’s more than skin-deep

My journey in the self-care industry began in 2013 when I worked as a perioperative RN in plastic surgery operating rooms. As an OR nurse, I cared for patients before, during, and after procedures like face lifts, breast augmentations, and rhinoplasties. From there, I moved on to dermatology and began learning more about the nonsurgical aspects of the industry, such as lasers and topical treatments. That’s when I realized my true calling.

It sounds strange, but from the first time I held a needle, I knew I had the skills for aesthetic injections. It just felt so natural in my hand! I continued to take courses and hone my skills in various medspas, but I knew I’d found my path. I wanted to help my clients enhance their natural beauty so they could feel more confident in every aspect of their lives.

Of course, we can’t ignore that society has its own beauty standards, and trying to measure up can lead to a lot of negativity. But rather than approach clients with a clinical standpoint about ratios and proportions of lips to cheeks, for example, I treat beauty as something that’s deeply personal. My client relationships start with detailed consultations, and I’m there to listen with empathy and help them get their desired results naturally.

For example, I might have a consultation with a client in their fifties who’s concerned about their smile lines. Rather than reaching for the filler, I would explain that as we age, the fat pads in our medial cheek and under-eye regions diminish, which in turn leads to harsher smile lines. By plumping up those areas more, we can achieve a more natural-looking result.

Ultimately, trust is everything between providers and clients. When you’re letting someone inject something into your face, you have to trust them! That’s why I never recommend something I wouldn’t do myself. I tell my providers to talk to the clients like it’s their mothers in the chair — a person, not just an appointment. Those values are what makes Elite Aesthetics the positive self-care environment I’d always envisioned.

Twin pillars of education and collaboration

In the self-care industry, we always talk about the importance of client relationships, but you can’t maintain those relationships without the right team in place. When I’m hiring, whether it’s service providers, the front desk, the marketing team, or others, I’m always looking for people who align with Elite Aesthetics’ core values of excellence, leadership, integrity, teamwork, and empathy. From there, I spend a lot of time onboarding new employees and ensuring they can make clients feel comfortable.

In this industry, there’s always something new to learn. Even now, we’re seeing emerging techniques on injections, different ways to dilute products, and other advancements in aesthetics, and it would be a disservice to my clients if I weren’t up to speed. The same goes for my team: I encourage them to attend aesthetics conferences, master classes, and training, and I’m always providing new learning material.

I think my approach to continuing education is part of what makes Elite Aesthetics special. We’re not just chasing trends, we’re always looking deeper. I want my employees to be the best, and to do that, they need to know their stuff. When you have a knowledgeable team, it only serves to improve the client journey. Communication is key, so I make sure to schedule regular meetings where we can discuss what we’ve learned and go over best practices. That way, we’re all always growing.

Finding the balance

If there’s one mistake I’ve seen a lot of aspiring medspa owners make, it’s assuming this business is all about the glitz. You can be passionate about aesthetics, but you still need to balance that passion with the business aspects, and it’s not always glamorous. I like to say get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Running a medspa takes more than a flair for injections; it’s a lot of consistent dedication and hard work.

My secret is strong time management skills. I dedicate specific times to work with providers and non-providers on all aspects of the business, from perfecting injection techniques to going over the latest reports. We have daily and weekly meetings for marketing, social media, financials, and all the less-glamorous aspects of running a business. These strategies won’t just fall into place; you have to carve out time and make them happen.

Of course, you should take advantage of any tools that make your life easier. At Elite Aesthetics, we used to use complicated booking software that ended up causing more work for the front desk team. Once we switched to Boulevard, we were thrilled at how much simpler the self-booking process was — and what a difference it makes when you have software that was actually built for your business model.

For example, you can find plenty of booking and payment processing software out there, but few of them are going to have features like Boulevard’s forms and charts. Because clients can fill out their medical forms ahead of time, that saves everyone time — which is so important in fast-paced New York City. With charts, we can take photos, quickly upload them to clients’ profiles, integrate their medical histories, and make notes as needed. It might sound small, but when your day-to-day is as hectic as mine, you’ll appreciate any opportunity to streamline your processes. That time is better spent with clients, not paperwork.

For newcomers to the industry, the best advice I can offer is that you should never stop learning. Know your market, speak with other professionals, and continue your education. You also need to establish a strong foundation with a clear mission and values. If you go in armed with knowledge, an open mind, and a strong sense of what you want to accomplish, you’ll be amazed at what you can pull off.