A typical working day…
When people ask me if I’m a morning person, I say I’m an ‘always’ person – always ready to go! Whether I go to sleep at 10pm or 4am, I’ll always be up at 6:30am on the dot, which is both a blessing and a curse! I start my mornings listening to LBC on the radio with a bowl of fruit (but I treat myself to a croissant on Fridays) before heading to clinic.
My clinic staff and therapists arrive at work at 9am, but I start about an hour before them. I’m fortunate enough that I live within walking distance of my clinic Bank Medispa in Cheshire, so I can enjoy the fresh air on my way in. I arrive nice and early with my much-needed americano in hand, and go through my patients and their treatments for the day before the doors open.
We offer a range of treatments in-clinic, but we have an injectables focus. I perform all the injectables treatments, and I have a nice mix of returning and brand-new patients throughout my day. Performing so many injectable treatments works for me, as they’re 100% my favourite treatment to perform. A lot of my patients are looking to address ageing concerns, and injectables can provide them with the infrastructure which massively helps with that, and they can see the difference instantly.
Because I have so many treatments to perform, my lunch break almost always disappears, even though I always try to schedule one. I do get peckish, so there’s always a stash of chocolate in my cupboard to get me through my afternoon appointments! I typically leave clinic around 7pm-8pm, then head home to see the kids, walk my two Labradors Daisy and Milo – arguably the highlight of my day as I’m sure fellow dog owners would agree – and wind down before starting all over again in the morning. My weekends are typically a mixture of watching movies and doing very little because my weeks are so busy, but I’m very committed to constantly learning more about aesthetic medicine, so extra research and commitments often creep in.
Other work commitments…
I realised during my career as an anaesthetist in the NHS that shared training, teaching and mentorship is something I’m passionate about, and people tell me I have a flair for it. I think it comes naturally to me because I truly believe that you learn by sharing knowledge rather than just reading about things. My main focus is my clinic, but I teach whenever I can through courses and mentorship schemes where I can share my experiences. In future, I’d love to establish a more formal academy-style set-up so I can dedicate more time to sharing what I’ve learnt.
I also work with Allergan Aesthetics and Lynton Lasers as a key opinion leader, which are both roles I see as being education-focused. I had good relationships with my manufacturers from day one – I was keen to learn from them, and now I’m lucky to teach on their behalf. Sometimes, I take time out of clinic to attend masterclasses with them or speak at events and conferences.
I also dedicate some extra time to the associations in the specialty – I’m a member of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine and I’m going to be speaking on complications at their conference this September. Complications are a particular area of interest for me, so I make sure to do some reading into this in the evenings as I’d love to teach and present more on the topic soon.
I make sure to take the time to attend events like ACE and CCR to catch up with my peers and stay up-to-date with the latest treatments and techniques which I can take back to my clinic, including the business advice which is crucial. Working as a lone practitioner can be quite isolating and it does get lonely, so meeting up with colleagues and making new connections at industry events can be beneficial in so many ways.
Most memorable day in aesthetics…
It would have to be the day I signed the lease for my own clinic. I started out in aesthetics working in other clinics, and the goal was always to establish my own, so I could create my own patient base and build those lasting relationships. I felt like that day was the beginning of my dream becoming a reality, and it just keeps getting better.
Your advice for new practitioners…
If you have a dream, go for it! Don’t think small, think big, but don’t forget to be practical.
Career if you weren’t a practitioner…
I’d love to be an airline pilot. I’m taking classes, and hope to get my licence one day!
Something you geek out on…
Superhero comics and movies – I have a room in my house dedicated to memorabilia!
