Why I Quit My Corporate Job and Launched a MedSpa

We’ve all been there – starting another workday where the coffee just isn’t strong enough to compete with the to-do list waiting at your desk. Not that the tasks at hand are particularly tough, but the motivation to get them done is lackluster at best. That was me. A woman in my early 30’s working in a global financial services firm in New York City. Don’t get me wrong, the job wasn’t the issue. In fact, I was quite happy with my firm – they were progressive, provided me with a flexible job and allowed me to take 6 months leave after my son was born. By most accounts, I should have been happy.

But I wasn’t. Well, I was happy, but I wasn’t fulfilled. I wanted something bigger, and climbing the corporate ladder, one rung at a time, just wasn’t cutting it. I pondered, “What’s next?” and thought back to the Strategy classes I took while getting my MBA at New York University. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but that alone is never enough. One of the golden rules in B-school is, before starting a business, ask yourself two questions: Am I truly passionate about this endeavor? and Does this solve a problem? This is how Aesthetica MedSpa came to be. 

I’ve always been intrigued by makeup and care for my skin and body. I pay attention to how I feel and look. Being of South Asian descent, however, my specific skin and body concerns weren’t always “common” or easily tackled by estheticians. When I went in for Laser Hair Removal on my legs, for example, of course I wanted to bid adieu to shaving, but my main catalyst for the appointments was to clear my legs of the “black strawberry dots” – a.k.a ingrown hairs trapped underneath the skin. This unsightly condition is very prevalent amongst South Asian women as our skin tone is caramel, but the hair follicle is dark. This contrast in color makes any ingrown hairs prominently visible. While at my appointments, I saw women tinkering with the mammoth laser machine, trying to decipher settings that would work for my skin tone. 

People often think, the darker the skin tone, the “tougher” it is. That it’s somehow more durable and less sensitive than lighter skin. In reality, brown skin is one of the toughest skin types to work with. Why? Simply put, we can burn, hyper-pigment and scar very easily. Lasers, chemical peels, and photofacials can be somewhat straight forward for a light skin client, but it’s precarious territory for many of us. Photofacials in particular can almost always be ruled out for dark skin tones because we absorb too much heat given the melanin in the skin. Similarly, there are high potency chemical peels that are ruled out for dark skin clients because it’s ultimately unsafe. 

At this point, I met my soon to be Partner, Dr. Debra Ibrahim - sassy, zealous, and of Middle Eastern descent. We spoke about our shared aesthetic struggles and a common goal soon emerged. We set out to provide self-care for the modern woman and to serve a niche of the aesthetic market whose needs are often unmet. The magic lies in the fact that Dr. Ibrahim and I represent our typical client - a no BS working mother, who demands excellent aesthetic care. 

Aesthetica Medical Spa, based in Paramus, New Jersey delivers a curated menu of treatments that is suitable and inclusive of all skin tones. It is truly a privilege to serve our diverse client base. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my darling husband. He was the first person to encourage me to explore the medical spa industry. Ladies, when you find a man that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, know that you’ve found the one.