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

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

In medicine, we work with a wide range of professionals, from other healthcare providers to pharmaceutical companies. One of my former supervising physicians gave me invaluable advice: never burn bridges with another medical provider. You never know when you might cross paths with the, need their help or collaborate with them again. This lesson has stayed with me throughout my 18 year career as a Physician Assistant. It’s easy to react emotionally, especially when faced with a difficult boss or a physician who does not value non-physicians. However, to maintain respectability, it’s always best to take the high road. Acting with integrity and professionalism is never the wrong choice.

In my specialty – dermatology and aesthetic dermatology – this principle has been tested many times. I’ve found it just as true with our pharmaceutical partners. Over the years, my sales representatives have helped me in countless ways, from finding new job opportunities to connecting me with providers and managers who have become close friends, colleagues, and even business partners. Networking is essential in this field of medicine, and maintaining good relationships has been key to my success.

The aesthetics field can be highly competitive, often marked by cattiness and cutthroat behavior. My approach, shaped by the advice I’ve received, is to rise above the ruthless dynamics, drown out all the noise and focus on building relationships with like-minded colleagues. By supporting one another, sharing ideas, and providing mutual encouragement, we create a collaborative environment, where we can all thrive, even during challenging situations.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

This choice to practice dermatology and aesthetics likely stemmed from my lifelong curiosity, rooted in my history as a gifted artistic child. Although I excelled in both art, music and science, I ultimately chose to pursue science as a more practical field with many career options. Over the years in practice as a Physician Assistant in dermatology, my passion for the aesthetic side of this specialty grew. Some physicians and managers I worked with recognized my interest in performing fillers and neurotoxins and encouraged me to treat more patients seeking these procedures in our clinics. With my initial training and artistic eye, I noticed that my clients were achieving great outcomes and were consistently pleased with their results. I worked in the med spa space and started seeing colleagues in California successfully running their own practices. This realization, combined with legal guidance, gave me confidence to seek the path of business ownership. It was not long after my first meeting with attorneys that a trusted friend and colleague, working as a regional sales director for a Southern California start-up helping medical providers launch their own med spas, reached out. It felt like a sign to take the leap!

Our goal at Etoile Aesthetics SD is to create a trusting and supportive relationship with our patients. We focus on achieving natural outcomes with non-surgical aesthetic procedures by enhancing one’s inherent beauty with a conservative, thoughtful and artistic approach. Ultimately our objective is to help clients boost their confidence so they can live their best and most fulfilling lives. We aim to respect the unique anatomy and goals of each client while ensuring a comfortable and safe experience. We prioritize the needs of our patients without any sales pressure or quotas. Etoile Aesthetics SD has a team of a highly qualified Board Certified Dermatologist as director, an accomplished esthetician, and a highly skilled and personable clinician (me!) to best serve our clients with expertise and compassion.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective way I’ve grown my clientele has been through word-of-mouth referrals and partnerships with other small businesses that share a similar demographic. Etoile Aesthetics SD is a boutique med spa focused on delivering personalized, natural results with expert care you can trust. Trust plays a major role in both acquiring and retaining clients. As consumers ourselves, we understand that clients do their research before booking an appointment. They check online reviews, seek advice from their friends and family, and consider factors like fair cost and location. We prioritize quality clients who align with our practice philosophy, and we are committed to avoiding the path of becoming a bargain botox mill.

Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?

Traditionally, starting a med spa involved taking out a business loan, securing a storefront or building a space, hiring staff, and purchasing costly equipment like lasers right from the start. Often, these ventures are funded and managed with the help of a wealthy spouse or physician. In my case, my spouse is an engineer and not involved in my business. The traditional route, with its significant upfront debt, can be intimidating and discourages many from pursing entrepreneurship. I can attest that these factors, along with complex state laws of practice ownerships as a physician assistant, kept me from even considering business ownership. I was fortunate to qualify as a high-quality practitioner to join a start-up platform that helped me launch my med spa without any capital. They provided me with essential support, including a virtual patient coordinator and an electronic health record system. I did not have to hire any employees or invest in any expensive devices to garner business, and I was profitable from day one. After a year and a half, I was ready to take the next step toward becoming a more independent business owner. I gradually began expanding our treatment offerings as well as hiring an esthetician as the practice grew.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etoileaestheticssandiego.com
• Instagram: @etoileaesthetics_SD
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-cot%C3%A9-6921b6195
• Other: tik tok: @etoileaestheticssd

Image Credits

Izabela Sekowska