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

Kelsey, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One big risk I’ve taken in my professional life was applying for and attending CRNA school. There are fewer than 130 credentialed CRNA programs within the United States, and acceptance rates for these programs can range anywhere from 15%-20% – and even lower for some of the higher ranked universities. Prerequisites for applying for these programs are grueling, often requiring additional coursework and certifications to simply get your application considered. During the review process, the top candidates are asked to travel to the prospective universities in order to conduct an in-person interview, and final selections are made from there.

I was just one year out of nursing school when I began working on filing applications with some of the CRNA programs that I was interested in attending. I worked at a level one trauma center in Seattle, so I was able to accumulate a vast amount of experience at a young age. By working extra shifts I was able to sit for my Critical Care certification earlier than average. After earning this certification I decided that although I was not at the two-year mark of working in the ICU – which is often the minimum requirement to even be considered by a CRNA program – that I was going to begin my application journey. I was not planning on being accepted into the programs that I was applying to. Mainly, I was hoping to be able to experience the interview process, which would have allowed me to be better prepared once I was able to check-off all the “requirements.” To my surprise I was accepted into all three programs that I applied for. My husband and I moved to Wichita, Kansas and began the grueling journey of CRNA school.

Another risk I’ve taken, specifically in the aesthetics industry, was my decision to make a large equipment purchase. At the time, I was injecting fillers and Botox via a mobile business platform. Business was steady, but I didn’t feel ready to take the big step of opening my own spa while I was only offering these injection services. I knew I needed to add additional services to my portfolio prior to expanding to a brick-and-mortar location.

I decided to attend an aesthetic conference for a vendor that produced lasers and other equipment that I knew one day I’d like to purchase. I had already done a tremendous amount of research on several manufacturers of this equipment, but this one specifically placed an emphasis on quality and natural techniques which really resonated with me. I knew the conference centered around sales and education, but my main focus for the weekend was immersing myself in an environment full of leaders in the industry and learning as much as I could.

I learned so much during the weekend about various treatments and devices, but one device stood out as one that would work perfectly for me in my current situation. I really liked that the device was fairly compact, had low consumable costs and offered a wide selection of treatments. The cost of the device was significantly out of my price range, but with financing available, I felt I could swing the monthly payments. I sat down, ran some numbers, and took a huge risk.

I purchased the device that day and received it several weeks later. Included in the device purchase was an 8-week program with the company’s marketing and growth team that centered on installing the new treatments and culminated with a launch party event for my clients. The night of the event was very successful. The launch event showed me that the advanced technology of these laser devices truly sells itself. While the sales were great, the event more importantly showed me that I had the support of friends, family and clients. The increase in revenue in addition to the first-hand support gave me the confidence to take another risk – opening Bella Pelle.

I recently attended the same annual Owner’s Summit. The marketing and growth team presented their services to hundreds of MedSpa owners and used the results of my launch event as one of the success stories from previous years. It was a proud moment for me. Risks are scary and sometimes have immense downsides, but I would not be where I am without taking significant, calculated risks.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Kelsey. I’m originally from the Seattle, Washington area, and attended Seattle University for my Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). Following college, I worked in the Medical-Transplant ICU at the University of Washington. I worked in the ICU until I was accepted to Texas Wesleyan University to pursue my Masters of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (MSN). I graduated as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 2019 and continue to practice as a CRNA today.

From a very young age I knew I was going to be part of the medical field, but as I grew older, I became aware of the aesthetics industry. This industry fascinated me, and the more I learned about it, the more I was drawn towards building a career in this field specifically – and owning my own MedSpa became a long-term goal. I never anticipated opening my own location would be a feasible short-term option, but I knew the first step in doing so was to learn and master the art of aesthetic injecting.

I began attending several basic injector training programs across the country to not only help me learn and build confidence in my injecting skills, but to also help teach me the ins and outs of the business – and to hopefully help me connect with others who started in similar positions and achieved the kind of success I was looking for. Unfortunately, things didn’t initially go as well as I had hoped. I did learn the basics of how and where to inject to get the results clients are looking for, but I couldn’t find anyone who truly taught the science behind injecting. Given my background in anesthesia, this was a big problem. It was a roadblock, and until I was truly able to understand the “why” and the “how” behind these processes, I was not comfortable to start independently injecting.

Several months after attending yet another training program, I came across Mary Ford, MSN, APRN, CRNA, of Smiley Aesthetics. I distinctly remember reading her story of how she was rapidly becoming a top injector. I reached out to both Carla Pierson, DNP, MBA, RN who manages the business aspects of Smiley Aesthetics, and Mary, and set up a training session with them for the following month. Their knowledge behind their skillsets aligned exactly with what I was looking for. Before I knew it, I had completed both basic and advanced trainings for neurotoxin and filler injections and felt confident to continue pursuing my goal of opening Bella Pelle.

Learning my craft was important, but the additional knowledge that Smiley Aesthetics has shared has been invaluable. They have built a community of injectors that freely share experiences, knowledge, successes and failures, and who are always available to help one another. Before I knew it, I began taking clients and offering services via a mobile business and from a studio inside my home. Suddenly, this long-term goal of opening my own MedSpa seemed achievable in the not-so-distant future.

My client base began to grow as I continued to focus on building my brand and adding additional services to my menu. As everything else has seemed to have happened exactly when needed throughout this process, another opportunity came my way. My friend, Jenn, who has been doing my nails for years, shared that she was planning to open a new luxury nail salon in an up-and-coming part of our town. She really wanted this salon to be a service destination and asked if I would be interested in leasing out space for my med-spa, Bella Pelle. I jumped at the opportunity, and in July of 2024 Bella Pelle opened its doors for the first time.

We currently offer Botox and filler injections, various laser treatments, microneedling, vitamin injections, collagen supplementation and medical-grade skincare. Within the next couple of months Bella Pelle will continue to expand service options, by adding an esthetician to the team, hair restoration services and a weight-loss program.

I’m proud of the hard work I’ve put into building a healthy level of trust with my clients. I focus on teaching the science behind the treatments I’m suggesting, while also taking the time to assure I provide them with an adequate amount of knowledge about the products – which allows them to make informed decisions when it comes to their individualized treatment plans. I’m clear and thorough when describing what they can expect during the treatment, as well as what they can expect to experience during the post-treatment phase of this process.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The aesthetic industry is growing exponentially year after year, so to set yourself apart from other injectors is challenging. However, I would say that the main trait that differentiates me from others and has allowed me to build my reputation within the market is my desire to provide and support natural beauty.

I have done extensive research and education to assure that my clients receive only the best products. While Botox does not have a “natural” option, I only offer Botox, which is a product of Allergan. Botox is the gold-standard within the botulinum toxin injectable world. Offering the best product on the market to my clients is one of my top priorities.

My favorite treatments to provide include microneedling with exosomes and lasering. Microneedling is beneficial because it can provide some of the results that clients are looking for with Botox and fillers, but does so by stimulating the clients natural collagen to help decrease wrinkles and volume loss naturally. All of my microneedling treatments start with a 5-day pre-treatment which preps the skin by hydrating and initiating the signaling to the body’s building blocks to start reproducing. During the treatment, 100% plant-based exosomes are injected directly into the skin which amp up collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production. The post-treatment supplements the exosomes that were injected along with speeding up the healing process. While the results from microneedling are not as immediate or drastic as Botox or filler, the glow, evenness and reproduction of collagen from microneedling is evident – all just by stimulating the client’s skin.

Lasering is my other favorite service. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser services are always exciting because of the drastic changes that the client visualizes almost immediately. IPL is a treatment for hyperpigmentation, or sunspots. Coupling IPL with microneedling results in both the visual glow-up from having an even tone, along with the decrease in fine lines and wrinkles from both the heat and collagen stimulation.

Along with these services inside of the treatment room, I educate clients on the importance of taking collagen and using medical-grade skin care. I have done extensive research to assure that the products I recommend truly are the best and know that by providing clients with these products their natural beauty will glow.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I were to go back I would absolutely choose to become a CRNA and get into aesthetics again. While providing anesthesia in the operating room (OR) seems to be the complete opposite of providing aesthetic services, there are a lot of similarities. First, I’m able to take care of people and help them feel better – whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. While the clients that I treat at Bella Pelle all want to be there, unlike the majority of patients who are about to undergo surgery, the process is very similar. The pre-op phase of when I meet my patients prior to surgery is the same as the initial consult of an aesthetic client. I complete a full health history in both settings prior to developing an individualized treatment plan. The intra-op phase of when I am caring for my patient during surgery mirrors the time that I am completing the actual aesthetic treatment on clients. I am consistently checking in and communicating with my clients so that they know what I am doing and assessing for any potential side effects. I then check up on my clients 1-day, 3-days, 5-days after treatment to check on results, similar to how I check on my patients once they are awake from surgery. From the surface one would not think that providing anesthesia and aesthetic services are very similar, but after being the provider in both circumstances I am very thankful for the overlap between the two. It has allowed me to become both a better CRNA and an injector. It has taught me the importance of being detail oriented, but most importantly it has made me extremely vigilant of knowing the how and why behind everything that I do. I feel this trait sets me apart from other injectors and I am grateful that I am able to offer this skill set within the aesthetic industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bellapelleict.com
• Instagram: bellapelleict
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellapelleict

Image Credits

Lyndi Mishe

lyndimishephotography.com