We recently connected with Carissa Levin-epstein and have shared our conversation below.
Carissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
The biggest risk I have ever taken was starting over. In 2019 I moved across the country and away from everyone and everything I have ever known. I was 26 years old and I still had no direction in my life. I had my first job in a spa at 19 in 2012. I worked there as a front desk, to key holder, then eventually assistant manger. I knew that the med spa industry was where I belonged, I just did not know exactly how. I watched as all of my friends went to college, graduated college, and began their careers. Back in 2013, 2014, and so on, nobody was on social media talking about injectables or the industry in general. I felt like my only growth was working the front desk, even though the spa I worked at won “Best Day Spa” in Central Florida multiple years in a row. I had no sense of community and nobody to look up to. In 2018 I knew I had to leave. I knew that I had to experience life and at this point the med spa industry was beginning to get more popular. It wasn’t as taboo as it used to be. I applied everywhere. I applied to spas in Washington, Louisiana, Massachusetts, NYC, and eventually..California. I was working at a franchise spa at this point, I had only been there for a few weeks and when I applied to one of the franchises in California, I landed the position. I left for California a few short days later. I arrived in California with nothing. Just my car, my TV, and some clothes. I was here. I was here in the state where the possibilities would be endless for me. I knew I needed to get back into the med spa industry and I did. I found a med spa who would eventually end up hiring me as a front desk receptionist. This med spa had been around for a long time. It had quite the reputation and very successful injectors came from it. I was very quickly promoted to assistant manager, and not too long after that, location manager. I blinked and I was surrounded by endless opportunities and successful women. I kicked butt and took names there. I found myself and I found my purpose. I ran a successful clinic, I had incredibly talented injectors under me, an affluent patient list, and more networking than I could have imagined. I knew that I wanted more though. I knew I had reached my limit and I knew that if I took just ONE MORE risk, I would succeed. I had found Aluma Medical Aesthetics when they first launched. I kept my eye out and I applied in 2021, 2022, and 2023. I knew I belonged. Each time I reached out, there wasn’t anything available for me yet. Finally, in 2023 I get the “Yes, we have something that just opened up and it’s perfect for you”! I had quit my med spa job a few days prior. I now work as a Business Manager for Aluma Medical Aesthetics. I have an extensive territory! I cover OC/LA/IE. I no longer work for a med spa. I work with injectors who go on their own and partner with Aluma Medical Aesthetics. I have finally found my tribe. I am able to use all of my skills I have developed over the years to help hardworking, independent, injectors. We believe community is way cooler than competition and it most definitely is! I am forever grateful for my risk, my risk of moving to California 6 years ago.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am an aesthetic injectors BFF! I work as a Business Manager for independent injectors who partner with Aluma Medical Aesthetics in OC/LA.IE. I am there to ensure you run a profitable business. I help with clinic flow, best practices, patient retention, and to apply my 13 years of experience to an injectors clinic. I also train their assistants to help manage their clinic.. I have often been called “an injectors #1 cheerleader” or “injectors BFF:. Working with Aluma has changed my life and it has changed the way I see this industry. Not only am I in the clinic with injectors, but I am there beside them at trainings, work events, and even community building workshops! It can be so scary to go out on your own and start a business. I get to be there with these injectors through it all. They gain a whole team behind them who cares just as much as they do about their success. We all come from the toxic med spa life, in a way we trauma bond. We tell ourselves never again. Never again will we not have the best work life balance. Never again will I feel obligated to make a sale just for a sale. Never again will I work where I am not surrounded by love and support. Aluma has a motto which is “Community is way cooler than competition” and it most definitely is!
Any advice for managing a team?
Morale. my favorite! Well to start, I truly believe smiles are contagious. No matter what is going on in your life or someone else’s, if you greet them with a smile they will smile back. My biggest advice for maintaining high morale is to ALWAYS lead with truth and assume positive intent. When I changed my mindframe to assuming positive intent within others, I prevented a lot of miscommunication. I had to instill this in my team that I was leading as well. Generally we all want the same thing, to be successful. Sometimes we just have different ways of how we expect to get there or different ways on how we communicate it. I never say never to someone on my team. Im always the “We can do it” type of leader. I believe in celebrating small wins, small wins to get you the grand prize! Recognition goes a long way. We all like to feel recognized or special. It costs nothing for me to do that to someone and make them smile, and like I said earlier smiles are contagious.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
We aren’t above anything. We aren’t above starting from the ground up to grow your business. One of my favorite ways to grow clientele for my clinics is my simply getting involved in the community. I love this because there are SO many ways you can get involved. Whether you have a booth as a vendor at a local market, go network at the local realtors office (they know EVERYTHING about the people in the community), or utilizing social media! Social media is great for posting, but to really get involved with communicating with others in the comments. You would be shocked at how many people visit your profile just by you following them or liking their comment on someones post!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alumamedicalaesthetics.com
- Instagram: carissaexplainsitallll