We were lucky to catch up with Wendy Pickett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wendy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

I was working as an ER nurse and feeling the pressure and burnt out from taking care of high needs patients and a colleague literally called me while I was on my shift and offered me a position as his “botox nurse”. I wasn’t sure what that meant, how to get training, how it might impact my career but a fire was lit and I pursued it! My colleague ended up declining the offer to buy an existing medical spa but we had figured out that we could still have a foot hold in the med spa industry on our own!

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 I am a long-time registered nurse with over twenty years of experience in the emergency department. In 2012, I entered the field of aesthetics part-time while continuing to work in the ER. In less than one year, I became co-owner and primary injector at a successful medical spa. My passion for aesthetic treatments has evolved over the decades, and I now train healthcare providers all over the US in the wonderful world of aesthetics. I offer a wide variety of expertise in aesthetic treatments, including Botox, fillers, PRF, and skin care. My favorite treatment is the cutting-edge PDO threads!

My biggest reward is instilling confidence in patients and inspiring other healthcare providers to pursue their passion!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The most helpful bit of wisdom for succeeding in the med spa/aesthetic industry is to keep overhead low. So many businesses dive in and spend millions or go into debt for millions of dollars, spending the first three years trying to dig themselves out of that debt. It’s an easy business to get suckered into sales pitches from industry reps that promise you the moon and the stars for purchasing their very expensive pieces of equipment. Most of these devices are not necessary, and the bottom line is that you can buy everything, but unless you hustle your ass off, you’re not going to be busy! Hustle, passion, and determination to be successful are the biggest factors in actually becoming successful! Loving what you do is a key indicator for long-term success. The businesses that fail are those that start with a lone desire to make a ton of money. It doesn’t work that way in this business or any other. You have to have passion, drive, and uniqueness. I tell my business colleagues that owning your own business is not for the faint of heart. And if it were easy, everyone would do it. Some months I’m rich, and others I’m poor. If you can learn to be comfortable with that uncertainty, then being a small business owner might suit you.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I would absolutely choose this profession over and over again. My only regret is that I didn’t recognize my entrepreneurial spirit sooner. Traditionally, nurses are not business owners, but now there are so many options for not only nurses but all healthcare providers, whereas previously we were only employable by a hospital or other large companies. I had no idea I’d have more professional fulfillment and personal fulfillment in this field than the feeling you get when you save a life! But we’re helping people in a way that is more sustainable and creating long-term relationships, which is something that I was really missing in the ER.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pdxinjex.com
• Instagram: @completeaestheticstraining @pdx_injex
• Facebook: Wendy Pickett
• Linkedin: Wendy Pickett , https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-pickett-7b7219b2/
• Other: @toxtrainerwendy on TikTok

Image Credits

Leah Clancy Photography