July 14, 2025 • 26 mins
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Couture Conversations Podcast
Couture Med Spa
www.couturemedspa.com
Diane Gillin never planned to revolutionize the med spa industry. A passionate trauma ICU nurse with dreams of "saving lives and changing the world," she reluctantly agreed to help a friend at a plastic surgeon's office for just one day. That single day changed everything.
What followed was a profound revelation—Diane realized she could transform lives without the emotional devastation of critical care nursing. "I can change lives," she recalls thinking, "and I don't have to put people in body bags." With encouragement from her father and a business partner who saw her potential, 27-year-old Diane took a leap of faith that would redefine her career and the aesthetic industry.
Starting in a tiny 8x10 room with just her sister-in-law as her first employee, Diane built Couture Med Spa on a revolutionary concept: "where luxury meets affordability." Rejecting the exclusivity she'd witnessed in the industry, she created a welcoming space where everyone could access quality aesthetic treatments. Within 90 days, her waiting room was so consistently packed that she was asked to find her own space—a telling sign of what was to come.
The journey hasn't been without challenges. As a female entrepreneur, Diane faced barriers her male business partner didn't experience: "It's ten times harder to get a yes being a woman." Nevertheless, she persisted, handling everything from hiring to inventory while maintaining her hands-on approach—something she continues today, even answering phones and calling leads between podcast recordings.
Thirteen years later, Couture Med Spa operates seven locations across Florida, New Hampshire, and Virginia, with ambitious franchise expansion plans. But Diane's greatest pride isn't the business growth—it's watching her team members evolve, purchase their first homes, start families, and grow professionally. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? "Surround yourself with positive people that complement you" and recognize when relationships no longer serve your growth.
Ready to experience the difference at Couture Med Spa? Visit www.couturemedspa.com or follow us across social media to learn how we're changing lives by making aesthetic treatments accessible to everyone.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome to Couture Conversations.
Today's episode is a reallyspecial one because we are
chatting with the boss herself,diane Gillen.
So Diane is the founder ofCouture Med Spa and we are going
to be talking about how shetook big dreams by starting in a
tiny room by herself and hasturned it into seven locations
(00:38):
across three states.
So get ready for some behindthe scenes scoops on how it
started, the highs, the hurdlesand what keeps her pushing
forward.
We love a good success story,and Diane's is amazing, so let's
get to it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
All right, thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Thanks for having me.
Yes, so we'll just jump rightinto it.
So tell us a little bit kind ofyour background.
Before, what were you doing?
Before Keturah was even athought.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah.
So I went to nursing school inGainesville, florida, go Gators,
um and I was.
I remember going through thewhole nursing program and being
like, oh my gosh, I hate all ofthis.
I went to every rotation peds,orthopedics and I was like this
(01:26):
all is awful.
And then I had my ICU rotationand I was like, oh, it was my
last rotation.
I was like thank goodness.
And I was like this is it, thisis my dream.
I want to save lives, this isit.
So I um graduated there and Istarted at Shands in the level
one trauma center and I workedthere as a trauma ICU nurse and
(01:47):
I fell in love with the savinglives changing the world.
I was young and I wasdetermined that I was going to
save as many lives as possibleand be a light for people in
dark times, and so I immediatelystarted going for higher
(02:10):
education while I was workingthere and I became an acute care
nurse practitioner.
So yeah, that's kind of mybackground.
I came from a totally differentindustry.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
So what would you say ?
What was kind of the, what wasthe shift in switching from ICU
and what you were doing there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So it was actually a complete accident.
Um, or, I guess there's no, nosuch thing as accidents.
Uh, I think it was divineintervention.
Um, I believe everything inlife happens for a reason, but I
think oftentimes it's easier tosee that after the fact.
So I think, you know, there'sdefinitely something bigger in
place and someone bigger inplace kind of shifting things in
(02:52):
the direction.
But I was an ICU nurse at thispoint.
I was working at Winter ParkMemorial Hospital, as it was
called, in the ICU and I had afriend at the time that I had
grown up with that was workingat a plastic surgeon's office,
and one day she called me in apanic and said you know, this
(03:14):
doctor needs an OR nurse.
And I was like, well, I can'thelp you, I am not an OR nurse.
And she was like he said if youcan do ICU nursing, you can do
anything.
So please save me, help me forone day.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So I was like, okay, I guess I'll go.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So I went and I did the I, I, um, was the RN during
the surgery that day and um,then I got asked back the next
day and the next day and thenext day and um, so I kind of
fell into that world of plastics.
And um, during that time I wasin school to become a nurse
practitioner and the plasticsurgeon was like you have a
(03:53):
knack for this, you should dothis, you should switch and do
this.
And I was like, absolutely not,this is vanity, this is vain.
I am, I'm an ICU nurse, I'm atrauma ICU nurse and I'm going
to change the world, one patientat a time, and I need to save
lives.
And I remember working therefor a couple months and then
(04:15):
having this epiphany one day andbeing like, wow, I can change
lives, um, and I don't have toput people in body bags and deal
with the death and destructionand devastation.
And you know, I actually canprobably change more lives in
this industry than I could, um,in a different industry.
(04:39):
Um, and so my now businesspartner, um, came, uh, he, he
and I had met because I hadanother childhood friend and I,
um, uh, we, we were friends andshe worked for him in his first
business and I needed a demo umto practice on some of my
(05:01):
injections at my job.
And she was like oh yeah, my,my boss would love to do that.
And so we met and he's like we,you should, we should do this,
like you should do this, we,let's start a business.
And I was like Hmm.
I don't think so.
And then things didn't work outwith the place that I was
working and I was just going tofind another job in another
(05:23):
plastic surgeon's office and youknow, he approached me again.
I was like no, let's do, let's,let's do this, let's, let's
start this.
And again I was like no, I'm anurse practitioner or a nurse
trying to be a nursepractitioner.
Uh, I think at that time Iguess I was a nurse practitioner
and I was like, um, I'm not abusiness person.
(05:44):
And my dad was like heconvinced me.
My dad was like, hey,opportunities like this don't
arise very often.
What's the worst thing that canhappen?
You know you'll never hit thesuccess in life if you don't
take the risks.
So he's like just try it.
If you don't like it, you canalways go back and work at the
hospital or work for anothersurgeon or do your own thing.
You can always go back and workat the hospital or work for
another surgeon or do your ownthing.
(06:04):
And so I tried it and 13 yearslater didn't look back.
And now we're franchising.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
How old were you at the?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
time I was about 27.
Okay, yeah, 26, 27.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, that's awesome, yeah, so what were the first
steps?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So once you guys decided, okay, we're going to do
this, what were kind of yourfirst steps?
So it was really quick and itall kind of happened really
quick.
And so the first thing we didwas we found someone.
Actually, the first thing I didwas find a medical director who
is still our medical directorhe's amazing, dr Jorge Gonzalez.
Um, we, um, I think he'llprobably be on a future podcast
(06:53):
at some point.
Um, but we found him.
And then, um, through I don'tknow how, but we rented a room I
can't remember the exact, butwe found a little 8x10 room and
I hired my first employee, whowas actually my sister-in-law
and she had just had a baby, andit was just me and her in an
(07:15):
8x10 room injecting and doinglasers.
And that's how we started.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
So what were just in that little 8x10 room?
What services did you offerwhen you first started?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So we started with doing Botox and fillers.
And then we had one laser thatwe had purchased.
It was a Starlux laser and soit did IPL and fractional.
So that's how we started andthen we grew really quick.
(07:48):
Um, I remember that we wererenting a room from other people
who did um med spa services andwithin the first 90 days, um,
they didn't want us doing itanymore because our the waiting
room that was a common waitingroom was full of our clients and
it didn't rub them the rightway, and I remember we quickly
(08:12):
had to find another spot becausewe're different, we are, we're,
we believe in our wholefoundation of couture and
starting it, our our logo ormotto, is where luxury meets
affordability and we wanted toprovide these services to
(08:33):
everybody, not just to, not justto the wealthy and not just to
people.
Um, that historically got theseservices and we found that
historically, like, noteverybody, but there was a lot
of like snobby people and meanpeople.
I mean it got to a point whenwe were really busy and we were
(08:56):
young and I was 26, 27, and mysister was younger than me and I
remember she got pregnant againright away and she was nine
months pregnant going to use therestroom and the people that,
um, we were using space for toldher she could drive to 7-Eleven
and use their restroom becauseshe wasn't welcome to use the
community restroom and it justwe were like we don't, we don't,
(09:19):
that's not what we want, wedon't want to be associated like
that.
Like we want to grow theindustry, we want everyone to
feel welcome and everyone tofeel good about themselves, and
like we just don't want to beassociated with that Um.
So we quickly found a spot, um,and we moved out on a Friday
and into the new spot and we'reseeing clients by Monday and, um
(09:42):
, it was a little um.
It was in Waterpark, Florida.
It's the location that we'recurrently in.
It was the 1,300 square feet atthe time and we've since
expanded into the space nextdoor.
But then we got more lasers andbody contouring services and
body contouring devices and wejust learned and grew and we did
(10:06):
things good and we did thingsnot so good and we brought on
services that were like yep,that doesn't work, but it was
fun and it still is a fun,evolving growing process, but
yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
What would you say were the feelings that you had
when you so moving from thatlittle room that you had to even
just your first space, evenwith the original Winter Park,
with even with, you know, theoriginal winter park, with being
, you know, as small as it was,I'm sure, going from that room
that it was in to what it was atthat time, with multiple rooms,
what was that feeling like foryou?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Terrifying, um, I think, for me again, um, I'm
lucky in that I have a verysupportive business partner.
He's very non-traditional, heis just a different person.
He beats to his own drum, buthe was very supportive.
(11:01):
So there is no such thing as amistake.
If I made a mistake, I almostgot praised for the mistake as
it being a learning curve and alearning process that I could
grow from.
But the one thing he didn't see, because he always treated me
as an equal but he didn't seethat the world doesn't treat
women as equals.
(11:22):
So it was hard and it still ishard.
But you know, I've grown andI've learned.
You know that I have to put mybig girl pants on and I have to,
you know, fight.
But, um, it's 10 times harderto get a yes um being a woman
than it does being a malebusiness owner.
And to this day, sometimes I'llget no, no, no, no, no and I'll
(11:43):
just add my male businesspartner on a group text and all
of a sudden I get a yes withouthim being part of it because I
added him.
So it was terrifying, it washard, it was gut-wrenching, it
was a lot of time and energy and, um, I had my business partner
and I had my sister and I had ateam, but it was it was still a
(12:06):
lot of feeling alone on anisland for a bit, in that, you
know, at the beginning it was meand my sister and a couple of
our first team members, but Iwas doing everything.
I was doing the hiring, thefiring if we had to,
unfortunately the, the ordering,the inventory, the paper
charting and a new charting, andit was me and my sister doing
(12:28):
everything, the marketing andyou know we had help from my
business partner, but 90% of itwas me and her just hustling and
grinding and you know he wasstill very actively involved in
his super successful firstbusiness.
So it was me and her justfiguring it out and you know it
was huge and it grew reallyquick and it was it, was it?
(12:53):
Was terrifying, it was exciting, but it was scary.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
One thing that I can tell you never stops about Diane
is she still hustles and shestill gets on the phone and
still calls.
Just this morning, before westarted, she was on the phone
calling leads getting themscheduled for appointments.
So that's something of thatdrive and that ambition that you
have never stops, and I knowyour team appreciates that as
well, because you you wouldnever ask your team to do
(13:20):
something that you wouldn't doyourself.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I scrub toilets , I take out trash.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, lead by example for sure, so what would you say
?
So I thought how long were youin just your one single location
before you opened?
I think it was less than a year.
Okay, I believe.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Oh, yeah, so once you had, so that was um 20, so we
were in the freestandinglocation um for about two years
before we opened Oviedo andOcoee and they opened within a
month of each other.
Not by design, we thought itwas going to be about a year,
but some of the one of thecities, the permitting and code
(14:04):
and all that building stuff andall that took a lot longer.
So we ended up opening thosetwo locations within a month of
each other.
And then about two years laterwe opened Lake Mary and then a
couple of years later we startedour first franchise and second
franchise and they actuallyopened within a month of each
(14:25):
other too.
And then in the past six monthswe've opened our third
franchise in Virginia.
So we're in New Hampshire,virginia, florida, and then the
Virginia franchise is going tobe opening five locations in the
next year or two.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
So super exciting.
It was really exciting.
I mean we get clients all thetime that are constantly like
when are you going to open one?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
here.
When are you going to open onehere?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
because there really is there's.
There's nothing like itanywhere else, like we get
people that drive from tampa,that people drive from.
We have people flying in to getservices done.
So it really is cool justseeing what.
What is that feeling like toyou to see where you started, to
see that small room that you'rein to now, knowing that there's
(15:16):
seven Couture Med Spas outthere that are thriving and you
have all these teams that arebehind you?
What is that feeling to you?
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's surreal, it's awesome.
To me, the best part is seeingthe team.
So seeing you coming um, youknow, not fresh, but pretty
fresh from.
SD school and now you knowseeing you grow and now you're,
you know, elite esthetician,training all the new
estheticians and you knowrunning your own podcast and
(15:48):
seeing, um you know, my regionalmanager start as a client care
coordinator and get promotionafter promotion after promotion
and um, just seeing the growthin the team to me is is, to me,
the most rewarding.
Um like watching lives changeand seeing people buy their
first home and get married andhave kids and buy cars and or
(16:11):
you know, their first car andand being able to provide for
their family, go back to schooland I can't I don't know how
many people went to nursingschool and then um used us as a
reference and the providers, umyou know that have been here for
four, five, six, seven, eight,nine years and them grow and
(16:34):
their families grow and now seethem build and grow and now
wanting to open their ownlocations.
And so to me that's cool.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
What advice would you give someone who is wanting to
I don't know if they start theirown med spa, but start their
own business Like someone who isjust kind of, oh, that'd be
cool Like, but it hasn't reallyhad that push.
What's some advice that youwould give to someone?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I would definitely great question, I would say to
surround yourself with positivepeople that um compliment you.
So you know, I know mystrengths and I know my
weaknesses and I feel like theteam that surrounds me makes me
(17:22):
better because they are betterat me than almost everything
that I am good at.
They're better better at methan almost everything that I am
good at.
They're better Um.
So I love that.
I love that.
I think it motivates you, itmakes you be the best version of
yourself and they complimentyou in the areas that you need
help on and it makes you grow asa person and become even better
(17:44):
in the areas that you're goodat.
So I think just surroundingyourself with positive people
and positive energy and learningthat there are times in life
that you have to say farewell topeople that are toxic um in
your life and that are no longerpositive energy and I've had to
do that, I've had to saygoodbye to um.
(18:05):
You know friends that I've beenfriends with in since childhood
and you know I've had to partways with people um that just
don't have the same common lifevalues and the drive and, you
(18:25):
know, just don't bringpositivity um to the company or
to my life anymore and to me,that was the hardest part is,
just because someone's been inyour life for a long time
doesn't mean that they'resupposed to be in your life
forever.
You know, people have seasonsand just continuing to evolve as
a person is just continuing tosurround yourself with those
(18:48):
people, and the people that aremeant to be in your life will
grow with you and the peoplethat aren't um, you know, it
doesn't have to be an uglyfalling out.
It can be amicable.
So, for me, just surroundingyourself with positive people
that can help you, because it'shard to do it alone.
So I've been very blessed onhaving a team and having the
(19:11):
retention that I've been blessedwith and, um, having you know
the team that makes me want tobe better and makes me want to
go to work every single day and,um, you know, continue to bring
in cool new services andthey're pushing me like, hey,
have you seen?
Seen this?
And let's try this and let's dothis, and you know that that,
(19:31):
to me, that's like the coolthing looking back, is there
anything that you would havedone differently?
hmm, um, I would say it's alwayseasy to look back and, you know
(19:53):
, I have the type of personalitythat I'm never happy with where
I am.
I always want to get better anddo better and grow better.
But I also think that all thechallenges that I've faced have
helped me become the person thatI am today and the business
woman that I am today and theleader that I am.
And you know all of thestruggles and all of the things
(20:16):
that I have failed on havehelped me become better.
So I don't know that I wouldchange them.
I think that I would definitelygive advice to other people to
learn from my mistakes, which Ido.
Don't do things the way I didmy mistakes, um, which I do.
um, don't do things the way Idid them, or, oh, I tried that
it didn't go so well for me notsaying don't do it, but this is
(20:37):
the way I tried it.
Maybe maybe you have adifferent approach to it and if
you do, let's share it and andgrow.
But, um, I don't know that Iwould change anything, um.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think I took away from you know
, what you were saying too isthat you just you learn, use it
as a learning experience.
It's something that youwouldn't change it, because it
helped you grow and it helpedget Couture to where it is now.
So it's supposed to happenright.
Made it to what it is now.
So what would you say?
(21:11):
What's your, what's your vision?
What's your, what's your ideasor plans for the future of
Couture Mets?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
So my goal is to continue to allow everybody to
feel good about themselves fromthe inside out and, I think, by
doing that, making theseservices accessible to everyone.
So I would love to continue togrow the industry and provide
these services and expand andshow people and really change
(21:40):
the definition of beauty, and bythat I mean beauty is in the
eye of the beholder, so what Isee as beautiful might be
totally different than what yousee as beautiful.
And making everyone feel goodabout themselves from the inside
out and really just lovethemselves, and by doing that I
(22:03):
think we can kind of change,change the community and change
the world.
As silly as that sounds likeone person at a time, by feeling
good about themselves and maybeovercoming an insecurity that
they have.
And I think doing that isreally, you know, being able to
provide these services provideweight loss to people that
wouldn't be able to afford itotherwise.
(22:24):
Provide facials to teens thathave struggled, struggled with
acne.
Provide um services to peoplethat have scars that have
disfigured them that we can helpget rid of, and, you know, so,
just continuing to be able togrow and change.
Um, you know what the, thetypical definition of what a med
(22:48):
spa is and what?
What beauty is.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I think going back to you in the beginning, saying
that you're what you loved aboutbeing a nurse and going to
nursing school and finding thatand like trauma, being able to
change lives.
You know, save people.
You're doing that, like you'redoing that in this industry.
I know you've talked aboutbefore.
Um, you've had people thatyou've done filler on, like
(23:13):
you're doing that in thisindustry.
I know you've talked aboutbefore you.
Um, you've had people thatyou've done filler on, like
you've done nose filler orcertain things, and they just
start crying right away becauseit's something that has been
such an insecurity to them.
It's something that's botheredthem for so long and you and the
providers that you know thatare at all of our locations,
have been able to do theseservices for clients and change
(23:34):
their lives and make a bigdifference and do it affordable
to where they can get theseservices done and then they are
being able to have their liveschanged and not having to worry
about I'm gonna have to take aloan out to get this done.
um, I think that that's reallywhat couture has put out there,
and you've done a great job atbringing that vision to life.
(23:58):
I think it's really cool.
Thank you, you're very welcome.
So, yeah, I mean watchingCouture grow and where it was,
even from.
You know, when I first started,we just had, you know, the
three locations and we opened,like Mary, when I started in
helping training, growing thosefranchises, being able to spread
(24:18):
the mission and the journey ofcouture throughout the United
States, I think has been reallycool to to see.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
So, yeah, there's definitely been a lot of
interest.
Like you said, our clients arelike oh my gosh, I can't wait
until my sister can have thisdone and I can't wait for this.
So really seeing how we havechanged so many lives and those
clients want to.
They want to grow this and belike oh my gosh, this is such a
great, amazing thing that you'redoing for people and we can't
(24:49):
wait until this is everywhereand know that we are part of the
journey.
So to me, like yeah, I can'twait until you know there's a
couture in every city and and wecan just continue to enhance
people's lives and make themfeel good about themselves and,
um, you know, evolutionize, youknow the way that the beauty
(25:10):
industry is, and being able tobe more inclusive, yeah, Well,
thank you, thanks for sharingall of that.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
It is, it's inspiring and I think, just seeing how
far you have come, how farKeturah has come and it's really
just beginning we're kind ofkeeping growing, keeping
changing lives, so I think it'sawesome.
Yeah, just scratching thesurface, here we go.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So I think it's awesome, yeah, just scratching
the surface.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Here we go so well.
Thank you, um, anyone who'slistening, and you want to learn
more or you want to book avisit?
You can check us out atwwwkattormedspotcom.
Don't forget to follow us onall of our social medias.
We have a YouTube Instagram.
Tik TOK, tiktok all the goodthings coming up.
So if you love this episode,share it with your friends and
family and join us next time forour next tour conversations.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Have a good day.
Welcome to Couture Conversations.
Today's episode is a reallyspecial one because we are
chatting with the boss herself,diane Gillen.
So Diane is the founder ofCouture Med Spa and we are going
to be talking about how shetook big dreams by starting in a
tiny room by herself and hasturned it into seven locations
(00:38):
across three states.
So get ready for some behindthe scenes scoops on how it
started, the highs, the hurdlesand what keeps her pushing
forward.
We love a good success story,and Diane's is amazing, so let's
get to it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
All right, thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Thanks for having me.
Yes, so we'll just jump rightinto it.
So tell us a little bit kind ofyour background.
Before, what were you doing?
Before Keturah was even athought.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah.
So I went to nursing school inGainesville, florida, go Gators,
um and I was.
I remember going through thewhole nursing program and being
like, oh my gosh, I hate all ofthis.
I went to every rotation peds,orthopedics and I was like this
(01:26):
all is awful.
And then I had my ICU rotationand I was like, oh, it was my
last rotation.
I was like thank goodness.
And I was like this is it, thisis my dream.
I want to save lives, this isit.
So I um graduated there and Istarted at Shands in the level
one trauma center and I workedthere as a trauma ICU nurse and
(01:47):
I fell in love with the savinglives changing the world.
I was young and I wasdetermined that I was going to
save as many lives as possibleand be a light for people in
dark times, and so I immediatelystarted going for higher
(02:10):
education while I was workingthere and I became an acute care
nurse practitioner.
So yeah, that's kind of mybackground.
I came from a totally differentindustry.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
So what would you say ?
What was kind of the, what wasthe shift in switching from ICU
and what you were doing there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So it was actually a complete accident.
Um, or, I guess there's no, nosuch thing as accidents.
Uh, I think it was divineintervention.
Um, I believe everything inlife happens for a reason, but I
think oftentimes it's easier tosee that after the fact.
So I think, you know, there'sdefinitely something bigger in
place and someone bigger inplace kind of shifting things in
(02:52):
the direction.
But I was an ICU nurse at thispoint.
I was working at Winter ParkMemorial Hospital, as it was
called, in the ICU and I had afriend at the time that I had
grown up with that was workingat a plastic surgeon's office,
and one day she called me in apanic and said you know, this
(03:14):
doctor needs an OR nurse.
And I was like, well, I can'thelp you, I am not an OR nurse.
And she was like he said if youcan do ICU nursing, you can do
anything.
So please save me, help me forone day.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So I was like, okay, I guess I'll go.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So I went and I did the I, I, um, was the RN during
the surgery that day and um,then I got asked back the next
day and the next day and thenext day and um, so I kind of
fell into that world of plastics.
And um, during that time I wasin school to become a nurse
practitioner and the plasticsurgeon was like you have a
(03:53):
knack for this, you should dothis, you should switch and do
this.
And I was like, absolutely not,this is vanity, this is vain.
I am, I'm an ICU nurse, I'm atrauma ICU nurse and I'm going
to change the world, one patientat a time, and I need to save
lives.
And I remember working therefor a couple months and then
(04:15):
having this epiphany one day andbeing like, wow, I can change
lives, um, and I don't have toput people in body bags and deal
with the death and destructionand devastation.
And you know, I actually canprobably change more lives in
this industry than I could, um,in a different industry.
(04:39):
Um, and so my now businesspartner, um, came, uh, he, he
and I had met because I hadanother childhood friend and I,
um, uh, we, we were friends andshe worked for him in his first
business and I needed a demo umto practice on some of my
(05:01):
injections at my job.
And she was like oh yeah, my,my boss would love to do that.
And so we met and he's like we,you should, we should do this,
like you should do this, we,let's start a business.
And I was like Hmm.
I don't think so.
And then things didn't work outwith the place that I was
working and I was just going tofind another job in another
(05:23):
plastic surgeon's office and youknow, he approached me again.
I was like no, let's do, let's,let's do this, let's, let's
start this.
And again I was like no, I'm anurse practitioner or a nurse
trying to be a nursepractitioner.
Uh, I think at that time Iguess I was a nurse practitioner
and I was like, um, I'm not abusiness person.
(05:44):
And my dad was like heconvinced me.
My dad was like, hey,opportunities like this don't
arise very often.
What's the worst thing that canhappen?
You know you'll never hit thesuccess in life if you don't
take the risks.
So he's like just try it.
If you don't like it, you canalways go back and work at the
hospital or work for anothersurgeon or do your own thing.
You can always go back and workat the hospital or work for
another surgeon or do your ownthing.
(06:04):
And so I tried it and 13 yearslater didn't look back.
And now we're franchising.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
How old were you at the?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
time I was about 27.
Okay, yeah, 26, 27.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, that's awesome, yeah, so what were the first
steps?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So once you guys decided, okay, we're going to do
this, what were kind of yourfirst steps?
So it was really quick and itall kind of happened really
quick.
And so the first thing we didwas we found someone.
Actually, the first thing I didwas find a medical director who
is still our medical directorhe's amazing, dr Jorge Gonzalez.
Um, we, um, I think he'llprobably be on a future podcast
(06:53):
at some point.
Um, but we found him.
And then, um, through I don'tknow how, but we rented a room I
can't remember the exact, butwe found a little 8x10 room and
I hired my first employee, whowas actually my sister-in-law
and she had just had a baby, andit was just me and her in an
(07:15):
8x10 room injecting and doinglasers.
And that's how we started.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
So what were just in that little 8x10 room?
What services did you offerwhen you first started?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So we started with doing Botox and fillers.
And then we had one laser thatwe had purchased.
It was a Starlux laser and soit did IPL and fractional.
So that's how we started andthen we grew really quick.
(07:48):
Um, I remember that we wererenting a room from other people
who did um med spa services andwithin the first 90 days, um,
they didn't want us doing itanymore because our the waiting
room that was a common waitingroom was full of our clients and
it didn't rub them the rightway, and I remember we quickly
(08:12):
had to find another spot becausewe're different, we are, we're,
we believe in our wholefoundation of couture and
starting it, our our logo ormotto, is where luxury meets
affordability and we wanted toprovide these services to
(08:33):
everybody, not just to, not justto the wealthy and not just to
people.
Um, that historically got theseservices and we found that
historically, like, noteverybody, but there was a lot
of like snobby people and meanpeople.
I mean it got to a point whenwe were really busy and we were
(08:56):
young and I was 26, 27, and mysister was younger than me and I
remember she got pregnant againright away and she was nine
months pregnant going to use therestroom and the people that,
um, we were using space for toldher she could drive to 7-Eleven
and use their restroom becauseshe wasn't welcome to use the
community restroom and it justwe were like we don't, we don't,
(09:19):
that's not what we want, wedon't want to be associated like
that.
Like we want to grow theindustry, we want everyone to
feel welcome and everyone tofeel good about themselves, and
like we just don't want to beassociated with that Um.
So we quickly found a spot, um,and we moved out on a Friday
and into the new spot and we'reseeing clients by Monday and, um
(09:42):
, it was a little um.
It was in Waterpark, Florida.
It's the location that we'recurrently in.
It was the 1,300 square feet atthe time and we've since
expanded into the space nextdoor.
But then we got more lasers andbody contouring services and
body contouring devices and wejust learned and grew and we did
(10:06):
things good and we did thingsnot so good and we brought on
services that were like yep,that doesn't work, but it was
fun and it still is a fun,evolving growing process, but
yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
What would you say were the feelings that you had
when you so moving from thatlittle room that you had to even
just your first space, evenwith the original Winter Park,
with even with, you know, theoriginal winter park, with being
, you know, as small as it was,I'm sure, going from that room
that it was in to what it was atthat time, with multiple rooms,
what was that feeling like foryou?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Terrifying, um, I think, for me again, um, I'm
lucky in that I have a verysupportive business partner.
He's very non-traditional, heis just a different person.
He beats to his own drum, buthe was very supportive.
(11:01):
So there is no such thing as amistake.
If I made a mistake, I almostgot praised for the mistake as
it being a learning curve and alearning process that I could
grow from.
But the one thing he didn't see, because he always treated me
as an equal but he didn't seethat the world doesn't treat
women as equals.
(11:22):
So it was hard and it still ishard.
But you know, I've grown andI've learned.
You know that I have to put mybig girl pants on and I have to,
you know, fight.
But, um, it's 10 times harderto get a yes um being a woman
than it does being a malebusiness owner.
And to this day, sometimes I'llget no, no, no, no, no and I'll
(11:43):
just add my male businesspartner on a group text and all
of a sudden I get a yes withouthim being part of it because I
added him.
So it was terrifying, it washard, it was gut-wrenching, it
was a lot of time and energy and, um, I had my business partner
and I had my sister and I had ateam, but it was it was still a
(12:06):
lot of feeling alone on anisland for a bit, in that, you
know, at the beginning it was meand my sister and a couple of
our first team members, but Iwas doing everything.
I was doing the hiring, thefiring if we had to,
unfortunately the, the ordering,the inventory, the paper
charting and a new charting, andit was me and my sister doing
(12:28):
everything, the marketing andyou know we had help from my
business partner, but 90% of itwas me and her just hustling and
grinding and you know he wasstill very actively involved in
his super successful firstbusiness.
So it was me and her justfiguring it out and you know it
was huge and it grew reallyquick and it was it, was it?
(12:53):
Was terrifying, it was exciting, but it was scary.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
One thing that I can tell you never stops about Diane
is she still hustles and shestill gets on the phone and
still calls.
Just this morning, before westarted, she was on the phone
calling leads getting themscheduled for appointments.
So that's something of thatdrive and that ambition that you
have never stops, and I knowyour team appreciates that as
well, because you you wouldnever ask your team to do
(13:20):
something that you wouldn't doyourself.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I scrub toilets , I take out trash.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, lead by example for sure, so what would you say
?
So I thought how long were youin just your one single location
before you opened?
I think it was less than a year.
Okay, I believe.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Oh, yeah, so once you had, so that was um 20, so we
were in the freestandinglocation um for about two years
before we opened Oviedo andOcoee and they opened within a
month of each other.
Not by design, we thought itwas going to be about a year,
but some of the one of thecities, the permitting and code
(14:04):
and all that building stuff andall that took a lot longer.
So we ended up opening thosetwo locations within a month of
each other.
And then about two years laterwe opened Lake Mary and then a
couple of years later we startedour first franchise and second
franchise and they actuallyopened within a month of each
(14:25):
other too.
And then in the past six monthswe've opened our third
franchise in Virginia.
So we're in New Hampshire,virginia, florida, and then the
Virginia franchise is going tobe opening five locations in the
next year or two.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
So super exciting.
It was really exciting.
I mean we get clients all thetime that are constantly like
when are you going to open one?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
here.
When are you going to open onehere?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
because there really is there's.
There's nothing like itanywhere else, like we get
people that drive from tampa,that people drive from.
We have people flying in to getservices done.
So it really is cool justseeing what.
What is that feeling like toyou to see where you started, to
see that small room that you'rein to now, knowing that there's
(15:16):
seven Couture Med Spas outthere that are thriving and you
have all these teams that arebehind you?
What is that feeling to you?
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's surreal, it's awesome.
To me, the best part is seeingthe team.
So seeing you coming um, youknow, not fresh, but pretty
fresh from.
SD school and now you knowseeing you grow and now you're,
you know, elite esthetician,training all the new
estheticians and you knowrunning your own podcast and
(15:48):
seeing, um you know, my regionalmanager start as a client care
coordinator and get promotionafter promotion after promotion
and um, just seeing the growthin the team to me is is, to me,
the most rewarding.
Um like watching lives changeand seeing people buy their
first home and get married andhave kids and buy cars and or
(16:11):
you know, their first car andand being able to provide for
their family, go back to schooland I can't I don't know how
many people went to nursingschool and then um used us as a
reference and the providers, umyou know that have been here for
four, five, six, seven, eight,nine years and them grow and
(16:34):
their families grow and now seethem build and grow and now
wanting to open their ownlocations.
And so to me that's cool.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
What advice would you give someone who is wanting to
I don't know if they start theirown med spa, but start their
own business Like someone who isjust kind of, oh, that'd be
cool Like, but it hasn't reallyhad that push.
What's some advice that youwould give to someone?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I would definitely great question, I would say to
surround yourself with positivepeople that um compliment you.
So you know, I know mystrengths and I know my
weaknesses and I feel like theteam that surrounds me makes me
(17:22):
better because they are betterat me than almost everything
that I am good at.
They're better better at methan almost everything that I am
good at.
They're better Um.
So I love that.
I love that.
I think it motivates you, itmakes you be the best version of
yourself and they complimentyou in the areas that you need
help on and it makes you grow asa person and become even better
(17:44):
in the areas that you're goodat.
So I think just surroundingyourself with positive people
and positive energy and learningthat there are times in life
that you have to say farewell topeople that are toxic um in
your life and that are no longerpositive energy and I've had to
do that, I've had to saygoodbye to um.
(18:05):
You know friends that I've beenfriends with in since childhood
and you know I've had to partways with people um that just
don't have the same common lifevalues and the drive and, you
(18:25):
know, just don't bringpositivity um to the company or
to my life anymore and to me,that was the hardest part is,
just because someone's been inyour life for a long time
doesn't mean that they'resupposed to be in your life
forever.
You know, people have seasonsand just continuing to evolve as
a person is just continuing tosurround yourself with those
(18:48):
people, and the people that aremeant to be in your life will
grow with you and the peoplethat aren't um, you know, it
doesn't have to be an uglyfalling out.
It can be amicable.
So, for me, just surroundingyourself with positive people
that can help you, because it'shard to do it alone.
So I've been very blessed onhaving a team and having the
(19:11):
retention that I've been blessedwith and, um, having you know
the team that makes me want tobe better and makes me want to
go to work every single day and,um, you know, continue to bring
in cool new services andthey're pushing me like, hey,
have you seen?
Seen this?
And let's try this and let's dothis, and you know that that,
(19:31):
to me, that's like the coolthing looking back, is there
anything that you would havedone differently?
hmm, um, I would say it's alwayseasy to look back and, you know
(19:53):
, I have the type of personalitythat I'm never happy with where
I am.
I always want to get better anddo better and grow better.
But I also think that all thechallenges that I've faced have
helped me become the person thatI am today and the business
woman that I am today and theleader that I am.
And you know all of thestruggles and all of the things
(20:16):
that I have failed on havehelped me become better.
So I don't know that I wouldchange them.
I think that I would definitelygive advice to other people to
learn from my mistakes, which Ido.
Don't do things the way I didmy mistakes, um, which I do.
um, don't do things the way Idid them, or, oh, I tried that
it didn't go so well for me notsaying don't do it, but this is
(20:37):
the way I tried it.
Maybe maybe you have adifferent approach to it and if
you do, let's share it and andgrow.
But, um, I don't know that Iwould change anything, um.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think I took away from you know
, what you were saying too isthat you just you learn, use it
as a learning experience.
It's something that youwouldn't change it, because it
helped you grow and it helpedget Couture to where it is now.
So it's supposed to happenright.
Made it to what it is now.
So what would you say?
(21:11):
What's your, what's your vision?
What's your, what's your ideasor plans for the future of
Couture Mets?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
So my goal is to continue to allow everybody to
feel good about themselves fromthe inside out and, I think, by
doing that, making theseservices accessible to everyone.
So I would love to continue togrow the industry and provide
these services and expand andshow people and really change
(21:40):
the definition of beauty, and bythat I mean beauty is in the
eye of the beholder, so what Isee as beautiful might be
totally different than what yousee as beautiful.
And making everyone feel goodabout themselves from the inside
out and really just lovethemselves, and by doing that I
(22:03):
think we can kind of change,change the community and change
the world.
As silly as that sounds likeone person at a time, by feeling
good about themselves and maybeovercoming an insecurity that
they have.
And I think doing that isreally, you know, being able to
provide these services provideweight loss to people that
wouldn't be able to afford itotherwise.
(22:24):
Provide facials to teens thathave struggled, struggled with
acne.
Provide um services to peoplethat have scars that have
disfigured them that we can helpget rid of, and, you know, so,
just continuing to be able togrow and change.
Um, you know what the, thetypical definition of what a med
(22:48):
spa is and what?
What beauty is.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I think going back to you in the beginning, saying
that you're what you loved aboutbeing a nurse and going to
nursing school and finding thatand like trauma, being able to
change lives.
You know, save people.
You're doing that, like you'redoing that in this industry.
I know you've talked aboutbefore.
Um, you've had people thatyou've done filler on, like
(23:13):
you're doing that in thisindustry.
I know you've talked aboutbefore you.
Um, you've had people thatyou've done filler on, like
you've done nose filler orcertain things, and they just
start crying right away becauseit's something that has been
such an insecurity to them.
It's something that's botheredthem for so long and you and the
providers that you know thatare at all of our locations,
have been able to do theseservices for clients and change
(23:34):
their lives and make a bigdifference and do it affordable
to where they can get theseservices done and then they are
being able to have their liveschanged and not having to worry
about I'm gonna have to take aloan out to get this done.
um, I think that that's reallywhat couture has put out there,
and you've done a great job atbringing that vision to life.
(23:58):
I think it's really cool.
Thank you, you're very welcome.
So, yeah, I mean watchingCouture grow and where it was,
even from.
You know, when I first started,we just had, you know, the
three locations and we opened,like Mary, when I started in
helping training, growing thosefranchises, being able to spread
(24:18):
the mission and the journey ofcouture throughout the United
States, I think has been reallycool to to see.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
So, yeah, there's definitely been a lot of
interest.
Like you said, our clients arelike oh my gosh, I can't wait
until my sister can have thisdone and I can't wait for this.
So really seeing how we havechanged so many lives and those
clients want to.
They want to grow this and belike oh my gosh, this is such a
great, amazing thing that you'redoing for people and we can't
(24:49):
wait until this is everywhereand know that we are part of the
journey.
So to me, like yeah, I can'twait until you know there's a
couture in every city and and wecan just continue to enhance
people's lives and make themfeel good about themselves and,
um, you know, evolutionize, youknow the way that the beauty
(25:10):
industry is, and being able tobe more inclusive, yeah, Well,
thank you, thanks for sharingall of that.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
It is, it's inspiring and I think, just seeing how
far you have come, how farKeturah has come and it's really
just beginning we're kind ofkeeping growing, keeping
changing lives, so I think it'sawesome.
Yeah, just scratching thesurface, here we go.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So I think it's awesome, yeah, just scratching
the surface.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Here we go so well.
Thank you, um, anyone who'slistening, and you want to learn
more or you want to book avisit?
You can check us out atwwwkattormedspotcom.
Don't forget to follow us onall of our social medias.
We have a YouTube Instagram.
Tik TOK, tiktok all the goodthings coming up.
So if you love this episode,share it with your friends and
family and join us next time forour next tour conversations.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Have a good day.
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