Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carla Pierson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carla, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I think imposter syndrome is a key component of what is making me successful, and I hope to never lose some symptoms of it. The reason being is because it instills in me a healthy sense of doubt. By doubting myself, at the correct levels, I will seek out help, reassurance, advice, and other methods of education to both learn and ensure I am leading us down the right paths. When the day comes that I feel like I know everything, and I am no longer faking it until I make it, there will be some negatives to that day that will need to be addressed.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My identical twin sister, co-founder, and co-owner, Mary Ford, and I started this business in February 2022. In just under a year, our business reached one million dollars in revenue. A lot of people have asked us how we scaled so quickly, and I think the answer is unique. Instead of a commonality of going all in or taking a big risk, we did the opposite. By starting slow, and starting small, and figuring out the gaps and holes and the needs within our business first, we were able to layer onto a strong foundation, a self supporting model. By not dumping a bunch of money into unneeded things, and by letting things grow and happen, naturally at first, the business and the model grew itself. Now, we have a self sustaining model, and a scalability that almost cannot be stopped. It also runs itself in so many ways. Operational efficiency, and adherence to quality are two key components to our success in scalability.
As far as the actual story, it goes something like this. Mary asked me in later 2021 if I would want to do some mobile Botox in Nashville. She had the other pieces needed for legality and compliance, and all I had to do was say yes. I was skeptical at first, as I was in a demanding position in corporate healthcare, but ultimately, saw the value and opportunity. Even if it was to just make a little extra “on the side”. After about two months, I was completely saturated in Nashville, and the idea to “hire someone” came to us. We also realized quickly that our training was so poor, and if we were going to put our name behind someone, we needed to make sure in person that they were the right fit, and they were going to uphold the level of quality and safety we were expecting of ourselves.
We brought on our first “mobile, independent” injectors in May of 2021. Since then, it has been a day-to-day growth of the training program, the medical professionals who work with us, and the services we offer. The story is truly that simple. Drawing on Mary’s clinical expertise in medical aesthetics, my background in healthcare business, operations, and leadership, and our third partner, co-founder, and co-owner’s legal expertise in the space, we started figuring it out. Addressing each obstacle as it came with scaling and growing quickly, while also using those experiences to lay an even thicker foundation to the company as a whole.
We are proud of our unique model and of the culture we are building in the aesthetic’s community that is truly different than any before it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three areas of skill and knowledge that I feel have been most impactful is attention to detail, efficiency, and emotional stability as it relates to business. For attention to detail, in starting a business and creating a strong foundation, attention to detail is critical. You often feel like you do not have the time, or you are doing 100 things, but if and when you scale, you will not be crushed by the cracks in the foundation. Often, I feel businesses fail at the point of scaling or growth because all they cared about in the beginning was sales and money, and then they could not handle it when they grew.
From an efficiency standpoint, I am able to use every moment of every day when I am working and focus and produce. Not everyone is able to do that but keeping focus is critical, especially when you are starting out and you are the one doing everything. By being efficient you are able to be a CEO, Mom, Wife, Sister, and everything else and be a business owner. It can be done.
Finally, emotional stability when it comes to business might be the most critical. It is an up and down roller coaster of emotions. If you ride that wave too hard, you will never make it. Staying cautiously optimistic all the time helps control the big ups and the hard falls. It is okay to be stressed and it is okay to spend some time celebrating the wins, but overall, stay flat and stable.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Liz Jazwiec’s series of workplace books are great. But the Service Excellence is as easy as PIE (Perception is Everything) has stuck with me through all the years, because in truth, she is exactly right! In all aspects of your life and work, perception is everything! Even if your effort, intentions, motivations were all pure as gold and your best effort, if people do not perceive it that way, then it does not usually matter. There are times this is not true of course, but in business and with employees and customers, it usually is the case.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smileyaesthetics.com
- Instagram: @csmileyinjector
- Facebook: @SmileyAesthetics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-pierson-dnp-mba-rn-193793a9/
Image Credits
I have the rights.
