Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shonra Weiss. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shonra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

Aesthera started with just one employee in addition to me. As the owner-operator, I wore every hat imaginable: answering phones, managing scheduling, ordering supplies, handling banking, creating marketing content, managing social media, running point of sale systems—you name it. Those early days were intense, but they gave me an intimate understanding of every aspect of our business that has proven invaluable as we’ve grown.

As our space expanded and our patient community began to flourish, we grew deliberately, hiring one person at a time. Today, we’re proud to have 15 team members, including 6 medically licensed providers, 3 licensed estheticians, and dedicated support staff who keep everything running smoothly.

What’s perhaps most remarkable is our retention rate—we’ve successfully kept this talented team together through what I believe is our unconventional, values-based hiring approach. Rather than focusing solely on experience or credentials, we center our recruitment around three core values: hungry, humble, and emotional intelligence.

We have a deliberate values-based interview process that is based on the business book “The Ideal Team Player” by Patrick Lencioni. We look for people who are hungry—driven to grow, learn, and contribute meaningfully to our mission. We seek those who are humble—team players who can check their ego at the door and work collaboratively. And we prioritize emotional intelligence—the ability to connect authentically with both colleagues and patients.

Here’s what might sound unusual: we’re willing to train the right person who embodies all three of these qualities, even if they don’t have all the technical skills on day one. We’ve found that someone with the right character and mindset can learn the specifics of our industry, but you can’t easily teach someone to be genuinely caring or coachable.

Our interview process reflects this philosophy. Beyond standard qualifications, we spend significant time understanding how candidates handle challenges, work within teams, and connect with people. We create scenarios that reveal character, not just competence.

The foundation of this approach is our belief that a cohesive team starts with a clear definition of company culture, then hiring specifically to maintain and enhance that culture. It’s not just internal strategy—our patients feel the genuine camaraderie among our team, and that positive energy directly contributes to both patient satisfaction and retention.

If I were starting today, I honestly wouldn’t change much about our approach. The values-based hiring system has been transformational. However, I might have been even more intentional about documenting our culture and values from the very beginning, making it easier to scale our hiring process while maintaining consistency. The investment in getting the right people has paid dividends that go far beyond what any single skill set could have provided.

Shonra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey into medical aesthetics wasn’t planned—it was discovered. I began my nursing career in some of healthcare’s most demanding environments: cardiac critical care and preoperative nursing. These experiences taught me precision, compassion, and the profound responsibility that comes with caring for people during their most vulnerable moments. But about ten years ago, I made what I thought would be a small pivot into medical aesthetics “for fun.” I had no idea this decision would completely transform my life and reveal my true calling.

What started as exploration quickly became passion. In medical aesthetics, I found the perfect intersection of my clinical expertise, my eye for beauty, and my deep desire to empower people. The work wasn’t just about procedures—it was about helping individuals see and feel their best selves. I discovered I had a gift for this field, and once I recognized that, I was all in.

Recognizing that I wanted to serve my patients at the deepest possible level, I returned to graduate school in 2017 to become a nurse practitioner. This wasn’t just about gaining autonomy in practice—it was about developing a more comprehensive understanding of my patients’ health so I could provide truly holistic care. The advanced training opened doors to approach aesthetic medicine not just as surface-level enhancement, but as part of each patient’s overall wellness journey.

At Aesthera, we provide comprehensive medical aesthetic services delivered by our team of 6 medically licensed providers and 3 licensed estheticians. Our approach goes far beyond typical cosmetic treatments. We focus on enhancing natural beauty while addressing each patient’s unique concerns, whether that’s anti-aging treatments, skin rejuvenation, body contouring, or helping clients feel more confident in their own skin.

What sets us apart is our commitment to the highest level of clinical expertise paired with an unwavering ethical foundation. Every treatment recommendation is made with one question in mind: “What’s truly right for this patient?” We’re not here to oversell or follow trends—we’re here to provide honest, expert guidance that helps each individual achieve their personal aesthetic goals safely and effectively.

Our patients often come to us feeling disconnected from their reflection, frustrated by changes they see in the mirror, or simply wanting to enhance their natural beauty. But what they’re really seeking is confidence—that deeply personal, intimate feeling of being comfortable and radiant in their own skin.

We solve the problem of generic, one-size-fits-all aesthetic care. Every person who walks through our doors receives individualized attention, expert assessment, and a customized treatment plan. We take the time to understand not just what they want to change, but who they are as a person and what confidence means to them.

I’m proudest of the relationships I’ve built and the transformations I’ve witnessed—not just physical, but emotional. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone light up when they feel truly beautiful and confident. These aren’t just cosmetic changes; they’re life changes.

I’m equally proud of how I’ve empowered my team. Just as I’m committed to helping patients reach their fullest potential, I’m dedicated to fostering growth and excellence in every team member. Our values-based culture isn’t just good business—it’s a reflection of my belief that when people feel supported and valued, they naturally give their best

At its core, my work is about seeing the beauty in every individual who trusts me with their care. This isn’t about creating a standard of beauty—it’s about enhancing what makes each person uniquely beautiful. Whether someone wants subtle refinement or more dramatic transformation, my approach remains the same: listen deeply, recommend honestly, execute skillfully, and always prioritize their wellbeing above all else.

My patients know they’re getting more than a service provider—they’re getting a healthcare partner who genuinely cares about their confidence, their safety, and their satisfaction. In an industry that can sometimes feel impersonal or sales-driven, we’ve created a space where medical expertise meets genuine care, where advanced treatments meet ethical practice, and where every individual is seen, heard, and empowered to be their most confident self.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

It was during this graduate program that I met my two co-founders and partners—both primary care physicians who generously donated their time to my clinical rotations. What started as professional mentorship evolved into something deeper as we discovered common interests and developed mutual respect for each other’s expertise and vision. Our collaboration felt natural and inevitable, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

When Everything Almost Fell Apart: Launching During a Pandemic

Our initial plans to start Aesthera began in 2019. We were excitedly hatching plans to launch a beautiful space with a full staff in early 2020. But we all know what happened then. The world shut down with COVID-19, and I genuinely thought our business dreams were dead.
However, in that moment of despair, I came across an article about the benefits of starting a business during a downtrend. Something clicked. What if this crisis could actually work to our advantage? We pivoted to Plan B: launch in a smaller space, self-fund the operation, and prove our market concept before taking on the risk of a large business loan.
What we couldn’t have predicted was that the “Zoom meeting” boom would spark an unprecedented wave of aesthetic awareness and self-care focus. Suddenly, people were staring at themselves on video calls all day, every day, and the medical aesthetics industry experienced a surge in demand.
Because we had repositioned ourselves with low fixed expenses and a small, agile team, we became profitable almost immediately. That challenging pivot taught us invaluable lessons about operating a lean, intentional business from day one—lessons that continue to guide our growth strategy today. What felt like the near-death of our dream actually became the foundation of our success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aestheramedspa.com
• Instagram: @aesthera.aeshtetics, @shonraweissaesthetics
• Facebook: Aesthera
• Youtube: @aesthera

Image Credits

Studio III Digital Marketing, Photographer Rob Flate