We recently connected with Catherine Ngo and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

From the early days of my career as a bedside nurse, I was always drawn to the medical aesthetics industry. I shared my hope of opening a med spa with my husband, but at the time, he wasn’t very interested in the idea.

Fast forward years later, and things changed! I became an aesthetics nurse, and my husband took a new job working for Allergan, which specializes in aesthetics. Our paths aligned, and it felt right for us to create something of our own.

Starting the business was basically my husband and me pushing a huge boulder up a mountain. Our biggest hurdles were a lack of knowledge and a limited network. We didn’t know much about the medical aesthetics business, let alone how to run a small business. It was tough to find clear information because there wasn’t a step-by-step guide for opening a med spa. On top of that, we didn’t have any mentors to turn to.

It felt like the problems never stopped. New problems would appear after solving a previous problem. One of the best decisions we made was reaching out to other med spa owners for their help. Their kindness and advice were invaluable. To this day, we’re so grateful for the support we received, and we are devoted to paying it forward by helping others who are just starting out.

For anyone considering starting their own practice or business, my biggest piece of advice is to balance working ON the business with working IN the business. Serving customers and fulfilling their needs is rewarding, but it’s just as important to step back and focus on things like marketing, building your brand, leading your team, and setting up systems. These are key to helping the business grow and succeed.

Catherine, 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?

Hi, my name is Catherine Ngo, and I’m a Nurse Practitioner with a love for medical aesthetics. I’m also the co-founder of Calista Aesthetics, a medical spa based in Orange County, California. At Calista, our purpose is to support women (and men!) as they embrace the natural changes that come with aging. We’re here to offer personalized solutions through injectables and skin treatments, helping our clients feel confident and look their best.

Since we’ve only been in business for less than two years, we’re still defining what truly sets us apart from other med spas. But one thing we hold onto is our belief in our values. At Calista, we place truthfulness over sales, authenticity over fads, and education over pressure. These principles guide every decision we make and every interaction we have with our clients.

What we want people to know most about us is that we will always be on your side. Your best outcome is our focus. We believe in building relationships based on trust, honesty, and transparency, even when it impacts profits. Rather than chasing trends, we rely on treatments that are proven and backed by experience. And above all, we’re here to educate you, empowering you to make informed decisions without feeling pressured or rushed.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

In our business, we value creating an environment of trust and autonomy. We believe this is key to attracting and retaining high performers. Within our team, we center everything we do around our core values: Ownership, Humility, Self-Development, and Trust.

Ownership: We encourage everyone to embrace responsibility. Before passing a problem to someone else, we reflect on how we can address it ourselves. This mindset fosters accountability.

Humility: We believe in staying open to new experiences, opportunities, and knowledge. There is always something to learn from everyone, no matter their role or stage in life.

Self-Development: Growth is a journey, and we strive to continually improve our abilities and creativity. If we feel a little uncomfortable, it often means we’re stretching ourselves in the right direction.

Trust: Transparency and honest communication enable the right conversations to happen. This builds trust and creates a space where everyone feels understood and valued, without fear of repercussions.

High morale starts with creating a space where everyone feels their contributions matter and their growth is encouraged.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met my business partner during my freshman year of high school…and eventually, I married him! We’re what you’d call high school sweethearts.

Don’t be fooled, though, our relationship has seen its fair share of challenges, just like any decades long partnership. But much like running a business, we never gave up on each other.

Early in our relationship, our career paths took us in different directions. Surprisingly, those paths eventually converged, and now we get to work side by side every day. Over time, we realized how much we share the same drive, ambition, and work ethic.

Having a business partner has been instrumental to our success. We complement each other by using our different strengths to balance out our weaknesses. It’s been a fulfilling journey so far, and I’m excited to see how far we can go as we continue building this dream together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.calistamedspa.com
• Instagram: calista.aesthetics.oc
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/calista-aesthetics-costa-mesa?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)