We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Shaffer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents and I moved here from Russia when I was only 6 years old. It was the end of communism and complete anarchy in the country. We were chosen to be brought to America as refugees. My parents had prestigious jobs in Russia. They were both head engineers. The rest of my family was also there but everyone was struggling. People lost jobs, there was rioting and looting. My parents made the difficult decision to bring their young daughter to America to start a new life. They gave up everything they had and moved here practically with just the clothes on their backs. We didn’t get to pick where we moved and were sent to Tucson, Arizona because that was the accepting city at the time for refugees.
We moved here without knowing a single word of English. My parents started working immediately and I was sent to kindergarten the first week we were here. Calling it a struggle is an understatement. My parents are much older and were forced to do physical labor to support their family. My father worked 10 hour days 5 days a week at a factory mass producing windows and window frames. My mother was a caregiver.
They always stressed the importance of going to school and getting a degree so that I don’t have to struggle like they did. I have always been in awe with that level of sacrifice and selflessness. I saw them work hard but still provide a good life for me. I watched them continue to give back to others, even though they themselves did not have much. I strive to live my life in their footsteps and remind myself where I started, how far I’ve come, and appreciate everything I have. My parents taught me true gratitude and love. I continue to carry these values in my personal and professional life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been a Nurse Practitioner for almost 10 years. When I first graduated, I worked in primary care for about a year. I left and transitioned to working at an urgent care. The hours were better and I had more time with my kids. While at urgent care, I began wanting to do something more creative. I enjoyed treating patients but I did not enjoy the urgent care being a revolving door for many avoidable conditions. I realized that our healthcare system is not set up to promote health and wellness. Many patients relied more on pills than changing their diet and lifestyle. It was during that time that my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I witnessed our healthcare system truly fail him. He was not treated or cared for as a whole person. The focus became killing the cancer. He did not receive holistic care and his lifestyle, mental health, and nutrition was never addressed. That sparked my interest in health and wellness even further. After his passing, I enrolled in the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine to learn more about holistic care that involves mind, body, and soul.
I ended up transitioning from urgent care to working for a plastic surgeon in the medspa. I also assisted with minor surgical procedures and learned a lot from other nurse injectors in the medspa. I finally found my creative outlet. While I loved what I was doing in the medspa, I wanted to blend integrative medicine, health promotion, and aesthetic treatments and stumbled upon a wellness clinic that was looking for a Nurse Practitioner to do all these things. I got the opportunity to start and grow the aesthetic services as well as treat patients dealing with weight gain, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain. After 4 years at this wellness clinic, I wanted to take the reins and venture out on my own to start my own practice where I could balance aesthetics with wellness. In December, I opened my practice called Allure Avenue Aesthetics here in Tucson, Arizona. I value health promotion, self-care. and enhancing my patients’ natural beauty. I am so excited about what the future holds and I’m looking forward to expanding my health and wellness services as time goes on.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe that being passionate in what you do and finding your niche is the foundation to a great career in medical aesthetics and wellness. Also, trying different ventures and finding the one or two things that you are really good at and allowing those skills to blossom.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Word of mouth is always the best way to grow a medical aesthetics practice. I am a true believer in taking care of each patient. If you take care of your patients, they will remain loyal to you. They will also find any chance to talk about you to their friends and family because they trust you wholeheartedly. Sometimes that requires some tough love, too. I sometimes tell my patients no but I always explain to them why what they are asking for is not always in their best interest. I truly believe people appreciate that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.allureavenueaesthetics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allureavenuaesthetics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allureavenueaesthetics
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/allure-avenue-aesthetics-tucson?osq=allure+avenue+aesthetics

Image Credits

Photographers:
lauryn Ashlee photography
Lemmon+sage photography