We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenn Cathers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jenn, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
No matter what you do in life, there will always be nay-sayers and haters. Whether it’s jealousy, a lack of confidence, or just someone being an ugly person… it’s out of your control. I cannot control what anyone else thinks of me, I can only control my response to it. 9 times out of 10 I do not respond to it, because it means nothing to me. The haters aren’t paying my bills, filling our schedule, or giving us business advice… so there’s no benefit in me addressing their hate.
I focus on our patients and developing relationships with them. I focus on creating a happy work environment for everyone. I focus on setting goals and crushing them. If you focus on the negative chatter, it takes time away from whats actually important.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am so obsessed with the career path I’ve gone down. I started my “big girl” life off as an EMT, paramedic, and then a nurse. In 2008 I also got started in photography, and I found I had a passion for helping women feel more confident and powerful. In 2017 I opened my first boudoir studio in Gainesville, GA (Mirrored Images Boudoir) and we’ve been able to help 100’s of women reignite/find their inner diva every year. By 2021 my studio was operating full time and I had spent 18+ years in emergency medicine. I wanted to continue being a nurse but I wanted a change, I needed a change.
Aesthetic nursing was something I was interested in and seemed like a similar mission as my photography, so I dabbled in it. Almost immediately, I decided to dive in and learn as much as I could. I’ve trained with some of the most sought after injectors/trainers in the United States, I’ve made friends with incredible mentors and other injectors, and I’m constantly doing continuing education to make sure I’m providing the best and safest treatments to our patients. I cannot believe I found a form of medicine that actually helps empower women (and men) to feel better about themselves. It’s incredible!
In 2022 my business partner and good friend Dr Stephen Crabtree & I opened Shameless Aesthetics in Cumming, GA. We started in a single salon suite offering cosmetic injections (Botox, Dysport, filler, microneedling) and in less than a year expanded to our own facility with 4 treatment rooms. We brought on an incredible esthetician, Heather, who has the same passion for helping women as I do. Together we’ve brought on multiple new services such as hydro facial, radiofrequency microneedling (Morpheus8), advanced peels, exosomes, growth factors, and more.
My approach, at both businesses, is to offer as much guidance and support throughout their experience as possible. It’s important to me that our patients feel important to us, because they are. Our concierge aesthetic experience will be different than any aesthetic experience you’ve had before.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Without resilience, a strong support system (my husband and friends), and the ability to wear multiple hats I would have never become successful. I believe that part of my journey had to include the “grunt” work to get to the top, so that I could fully appreciate my success. Nothing was handed to me, I don’t come from money, and although it may look easy from the outside looking in… it’s not.
If you’re passionate about something, don’t take no for an answer. If you believe in what you’re putting out into the world, keep pushing yourself until you’re able to make the impact that you want to. Lean on those who love you for support and encouragement when you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Make time for small vacations, allow yourself to unplug and enjoy life. Recharge your battery.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love networking with other women in business. We often do contests and/or events where I try to include as many women owned businesses as possible. It’s important to me that the business carries the same mission as ours, and that the collaboration is beneficial for everyone.
Anyone who wants to connect can reach out via IG: @shameless.aesthetics
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shamelessga.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shameless.aesthetics
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shamelessga
Image Credits
Photography by: Aries Media & On Trend Creative Studio Makeup & Hair by: Jamie Kimbrough & Nessa Apostol
