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

Alright, Merrill thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Our mission is to have our patients feel like their best selves. To walk out our door feeling and knowing that their Aesthetic provider has their back. We are not only in the business of enhancing our patients’ outward appearance, but also healing what’s inside. As RN’s patient advocacy and education is not something we take lightly. In this industry, we believe it is important to educate and make sure that we offer our patients what is uniquely best for each one. This is not the same for every patient as it takes a little time and empathy to truly get to know who they are and what their goals are in life. This is meaningful to us because in this industry, there can instances where it doesn’t become about the patient. It’s about business. We created our business for the love of our patients.

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?

I decided to become an RN after the 2008 crash when my position in media was “eliminated”. I had thought about it in the past, but wasn’t sure I had the discipline to get through the education or if I would be able to stomach it. It was the best decision I made career wise looking back. I got my degree from Scottsdale Community College with the best instructors around. I highly recommend their program. I have always had a love for the beauty industry and when I was offered a position in Medical Aesthetics one year after graduation and being able to stay at home with my first daughter, I took the opportunity and it began from there. Makeup is a dear love of mine and I have always been obssessed with it. After being in the industry on and off for years and growing my family, I decided to open up my own place after Covid. I was injecting, providing skin care, and makeup. It was a dream come true. Then after a year, I went into business with my now partner, Tasha Wright, and we created Rouge and Wright Medical Aesthetics. We have been a successful business for over 1 year now and we are very proud of what we have achieved. I think what sets us apart from the industry is how much we care about our patients. We take our time to get to know them and will never offer a treatment that isn’t suitable for them. I also, don’t offer any treatments that I have not tried myself. We have a very special medspa located in the heart of Uptown Phoenix and decorating and creating our space was an absolute dream to create it the way we wanted to. We wanted to create a welcoming and warm environment so that our patients want to be here. I think we accomplished that.

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

I met Tasha Wright while working at another medspa about 5 years ago. At first, I was a little threatened by her, as I wasn’t sure why another injector was hired. However, as soon as I met her and got to spend time with her. I just fell in love with who she is. She is a strong, indepenent woman who has had more than her share of heartbreak and trauma. Yet, she is resilient and is thriving. She is probably the best mother I know to her two adorable children and I have come to love them very much. We had talked about doing this together one day. The timing was never right and I had gone ahead and started my business and she was there to support me. I got a call one day and she said, “It’s time, let’s meet up.” It took off from there over time we developed a business plan and the universe had our back. We were blessed with the opportunity to come into a brand new space that was designed just for us next to our dear friends of Firefly Salon. We knew we were close at the start of this, but after this past year, I honestly feel and know that she is family. The process of starting this business was and still is very challenging. To be able to work side by side with your best friend, be successful, and grow from each other is an absolute gift.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A big lesson I have learned and am still learning is setting boundaries. It is so easy to say yes to so many opportunities. When I was solo, I may have made some decisions that were not best for my practice. For example purchasing a $10,000 device that didn’t end up serving me very great results was a problem. When you are in this industry there is usually a gate keeper to help you prioritize, when you run the business you are the gatekeeper. I would say that for my whole life I have been very quick to trust people and believe that they have the best intentions for you. Unfortunately, this is not always true. It is really difficult for me to say no as I am a “people pleaser”. I like to make everyone happy around me. This can be a strength and a weakness. My advice is don’t make a decision about your business right away. Take some time to think about it, no matter how amazing it sounds. I wish I had had a business consultant from the beginning. Now, I have my partner who grounds me, but loves my creativity and spontaneity. I can thrive being me, but have learned to pause and to trust my gut.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rougeandwright.com
• Instagram: @rougeandwright @rougebeautyaz

Image Credits
@carlee_jean_photography Carlee Jean Photography @skern3 Stephenie Kern Photography @shannonleephotoaz Shannon Lee Photography