The Co-Founders Bringing Heart, Hustle & the 1st Sciton Tribrid
to Australasia
Trish
Hello listeners, it’s Trish Hammond here from the Transforming Bodies podcast, and today I’m actually joined by this amazing girl, her name is Lo. Lo has just started with her partner in a new clinic, well they’ve been going for a little while, but they’re just about to launch this fantastic device and that’s how I got to meet her, and it’s called Aesthetica HQ and they are based in Gregory Hills, and today we’re gonna kind of get a bit of a story of how they started and why they decided to get what they have and a little bit about the clinic. So welcome Lo.
Lo
Hi, thanks Trish for having me. I’m so excited. I’m so excited to have the laser.
Trish
I’ll tell you, I am so excited to actually get you on here because we’ve been talking about this for ages, but first of all, let’s start with you, like, well, how did you girls meet and tell us a bit about how you met and decided to..
Lo
Our story is how we met, so basically me and Gina. We met at our former workplace and we both worked there for a long time. I started in about 2016 and she started in 2017 and I was fairly fresh in the industry. And then when she started, she was quite fresh too. She just, she was still starting her nursing. She was finishing her nursing degree, and I was working as an assistant nurse as I was a registered nurse from over like America. And so we’re both working there kind of growing into becoming a registered nurse and we worked for maybe at least 8 to 9 years together and we just sort of like. We became very close friends and we kind of saw how our work ethic was, and we just know like, we always had each other’s backs, like if someone needed to pick something up and help out, like we knew the other person was going to work out and be that person. And our friendship just grew and then we just decided, you know, like, after so long, you know, we started in the industry around 23 years old, and now we’re like, it’s been 10 years, and we just thought, you know, let’s, let’s see, like, because we know how hard each other works and we wanted to see like our dream was one day to open up our own clinic. And you know, whether it was going to work out or not, we wanted to pursue our dreams, and I think it’s going pretty well right now for just starting.
Trish
Absolutely, you guys are killing it, and, and so tell me, when you actually started your nursing degree, did you actually know that you wanted to get into aesthetics or was there a moment when you decided that that was the industry for you?
Lo
Yeah, not at all, like a lot of people who go into nursing thinking like I’m gonna be a cosmetic nurse, but, for me, it was so different. It was like, when I was 18 years old, I told my mother, like, I wanted to be a makeup artist, and she’s like, you know, she’s Filipino, typical, like Asian tradition, and all Filipinos are nurses, and she’s like, you’re going to be a nurse first, and then after that, you can do whatever you want. And I said, OK, fair. I was 18, didn’t know what I wanted, I just listened to her. So when I went to nursing school, it was a lot harder than I expected. And then after that, I was like, okay, my plan is I’m going to go, you know, work in a hospital, make some money and do something on the side. But because I went to Uni actually in the Philippines and my last year of nursing is when I met my husband now, and he’s from Australia. So my life kind of turned into a completely different direction. And so, you know, we just became closer, you know, he’s my husband now, so I moved to Australia because, you know, it’s like Australia sounds so amazing. And then I was trying to find a job, and then that’s how it came into my lap. That clinic was only like 2 minutes from my mother-in-law’s house.
And I was like, oh my God, let me apply, like, it’s like beauty, makeup, I wanted to be a makeup artist, and it’s like I still get to do like nursing and like care for patients, and having both aspects of like what I wanted to do and what my mom wanted for me. I was like, this is perfect and like that’s just how I came into it. I honestly had no idea about the cosmetic industry until I got that job.
Trish
Mama always knows best, hey.
Lo
Mama always knows best because of her. I met my husband, I got my job, I got my clinic, like I’m just so blessed.
Trish
So good. And you know it, it’s really funny because it’s almost like the perfect fusion cos like, You, you know, you went into nursing for the caring side, but then you always had that passion for makeup and looking good, so it’s like, it’s almost like that fusion came together perfectly, so kudos to you.
Lo
I know it’s so good and my mum just is so proud of me now, she’s just like, she was like, oh my God, my whole nursing career like would never imagine like, you know, cos no one in our family is like business owners, so this is obviously a new learning curve for me as well, but, like just to see her proud, she’s just like what, wow, like all the things I tell her that I’m doing, she’s like oh my God, wow, what?
Trish
She must be blown away and so proud of you, look, yeah. And so tell me, tell me about the, the vision behind Aesthetica HQ like where did the idea begin, like what gap was it that you saw in the industry that made you say like we’re going to do this differently because I know that you guys are very passionate about the way you want to do business.
Lo
That’s correct. So like, you know, the industry is competitive as it is already, but we just thought in our area, you know, we don’t really see that sort of lux, kind of like high-end vibe looking clinic, but still giving that high, like care, like that safety, you know, like, because there’s a lot of clinics that can look nice, but also giving that right, like, you know, patient care and actually understanding and listening to the patient. So I feel like we had that, you know, I feel like we could have, we could make the place look good. We give good care to patients and we’re kind people. We always want to do right by our patients and tell them if they don’t need something.
And then just have a nice space for people to feel comfortable, for people not to feel rushed, for people not to feel like a dollar sign. That’s sort of like the care that we wanted to give to our patients. And I feel like it does reflect a lot in our patients that come and they notice that they see it or like if patients see us or meet us for the first time, I think they can see that in our work and how we talk to them.
Trish
Yeah, it’s so true. I mean that’s something that I noticed about you guys, you can see that like, number one, you’re passionate about what you do, you’re both a little bit edgy as in like, you know, you’re sort of different, but uber professional, so I don’t know, and you definitely make people feel at ease, so I can understand why the business is going really well, and, so just, do you want to just tell us a little bit about the feeling or the philosophy of your clinic, like what do you want every patient to experience when they walk through your doors?
Lo
So basically what I want my patients to feel when they walk through the doors is I want them to feel, I want the moment they walk in, even if they haven’t seen us yet, is to feel at ease and feel comfortable just with the color tone that we have and how it’s set up. I wanted them to step in and feel at ease. And then when they get to that point when they speak to us, that they feel more comfortable and feel like they’re being taken care of. Like, the mission and the goal is to provide our patients with a great result, be honest, be genuine, and understand that, you know, we’re going to be there for them, you know, and support them, sort of like the whole way through, if that makes sense. Whatever is their skincare journey, we will be there as much as we can, like every step of the way. But then also, you know, in like achieving a high level of safety standards, if that makes sense.
Trish
It totally makes sense, and I guess that’s going on from that, I guess that’s why you’ve actually pretty much bought the best device, so you’re the first in Australia to buy the very best device that’s ever been in the industry, the Sciton Tribrid, do you want to tell us a little bit about that because I know it hasn’t actually arrived yet.
Lo
Yes, been in the planning, you’d be the first one in Australia to have it. I’m so excited, Trish to get this laser.
Trish
Your clients are so lucky, I’ll tell you, they’re so lucky.
Lo
And that’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to be different and give them something different and like I have a background in lasers too, so it was really hard to decide which laser that we were going to give to our patients that was going to see them, you know, like what we would find that would be the most effective, and a lot of people, like, not everybody has this laser, which I like, I mean, nobody has this laser here, but in with this technology, this laser is just going to be something else different, even though it is quite new, but the technology has been there forever and just something that sets us apart to anywhere else, and I love the philosophy behind Sciton brand so it kind of aligns with what we stand for as well.
Trish
Yep, oh, no, that sounds fantastic. I absolutely can’t wait to get it as well because I will be there at the launch. But tell me, with your, with working together, starting a clinic together is a big leap.
How do you guys balance your, strengths and personalities of business partners cause it’s really funny cause like, when I met you both, I mean of course you’re both different people, but you are, there’s you and and there’s not you, you know there’s the two of you, there’s Gina and there’s yourself, but then there’s the two of you together which is a separate entity and it just fits really well.
Lo
Yeah, that is so true. I think we’re not the same, but then we are the same. It’s like we have different vibes like. Gina is, she’s very, she’s direct, but she’s very friendly, but then she’s very like, you know, very business-minded in her brain, still with a science background, but she’s very like that in that way. And then for me, I feel like my, what I bring to the table is I’m a lot more like, you know, maybe I’m not, I don’t want to say I’m more outgoing, but I’m gonna like, I’m more outspoken, maybe, but she could be outspoken. Look, this is a hard question to say, but I would say with her, she’s very business-minded. Like, when, with anything with money, I’ll just ask her, like she’s more the money person, and like for me, I feel like I’m more like the social media, like the talking to people, the networking, like we’re both sciencey, but I feel like we’re both everything, but that is more my strengths, is like, you know, the science behind things and all that, like lasers, you know, different ingredients, different things, you know, stuff like that, and then her is more financial business minded.
Trish
Yeah, so, is one of you the visionary and one is more about the details?
Lo
I think, oh my God, I don’t even know how to answer this. I feel like we’re both, but in my perspective, I feel like she can see. What it could be as the business, and then I can also see it too, but this is the thing, I am a little bit more skeptical, like she’s the one that wants it here, wants it now, wants it done, and I’m like, wait, hold on a second, let’s look at this, like look at that, like let’s take it back, so without her, without me, she might just jump into everything so quickly, and then without her, I might never make the jump, if that makes sense.
Trish
11:30: Yeah, yep, 100%, 100%, and, on that as well, what do you reckon’s been the most rewarding part of you guys bringing Aesthetica HQ to life so far?
Lo
Oh my God, the best part I think is just being able to see like when the patients come in, just seeing like, the light in their face when I can see that they feel like they’re being heard and understood and like I feel like that makes me so happy, that drives me like with my work and then just like when they fully just kind of like understand what’s happening in the processes and why things are the way they are and they listen to me, like that makes me, that drives me actually. And another thing is like the fact that we were able to build this place and like, give that., what am I saying?
Trish
The quality, the service, like, the quality and the service, like actually that’s correct.
Lo
So a lot of patients tell me that like, you know, there are other clinics out there that they just come in, come out, it’s so busy, take their money or whatever special like the quality of care is very, like reduced, if that makes sense. And I just want to maintain that quality of the care and I, when I see the patients, see that quality of the care that drives me.
Trish
Yeah. Well, it’s funny cos when I met you girls at Skin CEO this year, you guys hadn’t made up your mind about the, oh actually you guys didn’t even know which device you wanted, and you are now the first clinic in Australia and in fact the the entire Asia Pacific that will be bringing Sciton’s new Halo Tribid, you know, into clinic. What, what was the final thing that made you guys decide to lead with that technology?
Lo
So the reason, yeah, because we were bouncing back and forth. It was such a hard thing. Do we go for Moxi and BBL? Do we go for this? Do we just get one platform? It was like so hard every day we’re thinking, which one do we get? Which one do we get? And we just thought, we decided on this platform. Because it had the range, it had the range from treating the pigmentation and the capillaries, the whole body and really fast and then being able to target like doing resurfacing, you know, doing a full resurfacing. So that’s what I really liked and it was hard to choose it because like, we feel like, we could have, because everyone tells you, you know, you just started a business, like don’t get any devices yet, this and that. And you know we, we hear people’s advice, but I feel like the one thing that me and Gina have compared to other people is like, even though a lot of people say one thing, like I feel like we kind of like to go against what they say. I mean, we still listen to everything that people say, but we like to prove like we’re going to make it, we’re going to make it work and it’s going to be amazing, that sort of vibe. And I feel like this laser, just has everything all in one pigmentation, resurfacing and everything, and I think that’s all we need. We don’t need to get like a bunch of like 10 different devices where this is going to target everything, different levels. That’s why we decided to get this one. So I’m super excited to get it. I just want it now and also like I’m so excited to treat my whole body, like everything after I have babies, I’m going to laser my whole body.
Trish
Did you buy this just so you could use it on yourself?
Lo
Maybe.
Trish
So tell me, like you mentioned, results matter as one of your core values, which is great because that’s exactly what Sciton is about and like, I mean I know that, well, how do you think Tribid aligns with that philosophy? I mean we’ve kind of spoken about it anyway, but what you’ve seen so far, like the results have obviously been outstanding.
Lo
I just find that like there are a lot of other skin treatments and laser treatments, but I think the Tribrid will bring it to the next level, like in terms of like longer-lasting results too and like a real big change, and a lot of people don’t want to come in to do 3 or 4 different sessions, which they still could, they could break down, you could break it down with this laser, do a few sessions, but I just like that. You can just get to that next level of resurfacing with this laser, and the technology is so precise that you don’t need local anesthetic injections, like you just need some numbing cream. Obviously doctors can do the local anesthetic, but I just love how the technology is so precise that like I’ve had it myself at the Skin CEO and it was a little bit spicy, but it was so tolerable, yeah.
Trish
Yep, that sounds amazing, and, and tell me if you could describe what Tribid would mean for your patients in one word, like, I know it’s a bit to think about, but what, what would it be?
Lo
Oh my God.
Trish
I’ve gotta think about a word for myself as well.
Lo
I’m like, well, the one thing that came to my brain, but I don’t know if this applies, but I would say, I don’t know, revolutionary, I don’t know, it’s like revolutionary rejuvenation, like it’s so different, I don’t know, it’s own kind, it’s unique, it’s genuine, it’s, yeah,
Trish
Yeah, there is definitely nothing like it. So I was gonna ask you, because aesthetics is such a personal field, like what’s been your most memorable patient experience so far? Like I know, I know that we haven’t got that device yet so I’m sorry, I’m sure you’re gonna get a whole lot more, but so far, what, what’s been your most memorable patient experience? I kind of think I know what you’re gonna say here, believe it or not.
Lo
I mean, I have a few, but there’s this one that I thought was so cute. She was so sweet.
She was like, she came to me for doing like skin treatment with her PIH and whatnot, like pigmentation, and we’re doing skin treatments, we’ve done a few sessions, and I’m trying to get to know her, like, you know, what does she want to do in Uni, she’s taking a break, and she was jumped from being a lawyer or this and that, and then the last session, she just was like, last session I saw her, she’s like, oh, I think I’m gonna do maybe something in the medical, maybe nursing, or I’ll take up medicine, something like that because you really inspired me. I was like, what? I was like, that’s so beautiful, like it’s so sweet, like she gave, she had this look in her face that was like she was very inspired and it just was so beautiful to see that like she’s young and she wants to, and like I inspired someone like that.
Trish
Yep, and you know what, someone probably inspired you as well, you know, like not necessarily nursing but to take that next step and so what keeps you guys both inspired every day, cos it’s hard having your own business, you know.
Lo
Oh my God, it’s so true. What keeps us every day, I think what keeps us everyday is just to remember the fact that we have this opportunity to do this, and like not everybody has this opportunity to do what we did, and I think it just drives us to like work harder every day, and some days it can feel draining and like there’s so much things that you have to do, but at the end of the day, like there are some, it’s all worth it because some days I’m like so happy. Like I can’t believe I get to do this with my best friend, have a beautiful clinic, like, go to work, functions together, learn together, like do this, and then some days I’m like, oh my God, this is so hard.
Trish
That’s good cos it was easy all the time, it wouldn’t be worth it, you wouldn’t be learning.
Lo
Yeah, I remember the first day, I, I mean the first few weeks, I told my husband, oh my God babe, this is too hard, I can’t like, I need to show up but I’m like this is so hard, and then he’s like, if it was so easy, like everyone would do it, and I’m like, yeah you’re right.
Trish
And what about when you guys aren’t in the clinic, how do you guys recharge or or find balance?
Lo
Yeah, so that’s the one thing that we’re working on right now. Not really, but like, because we work 7 days a week, we’re trying to build the business up, but, you know, some days if there’s not that many bookings, we’ll take some time off or take the afternoon off. What we like to do is like we kind of like to de-stress, we like to do things like sauna cold plunge things, like I’m just obsessed with those, or we like to go for walks or we like to exercise, just de-stress. Like I realize when I go a week without exercising, and then the one day I go exercise, my day is set for the rest of the day, like I’m, I feel so good.
Trish
And you eat the right food and you feel better, yeah, I’m the same.
Lo
Yeah, you don’t realize how much that really does help.
Trish
Oh, it totally does, and look, if you could give any advice to anyone dreaming of opening your own clinic, their own clinic, what would you say to them?
Lo
Oh my God, I would say. What would I say? I would say, you know, it’s definitely not easy, but I think if you have the discipline in yourself, if you can see that, then go for it, because I feel like for me, I feel like I was, I was a little bit skeptical, but I was confident, like, if I’m able to do what I do in the last 9 years and still show up everyday, then I can do it, so if you know that you can show up everyday for something, then go for it.
Trish
Amazing, I am so looking forward to, you know, seeing where you are, oh actually I’m gonna ask you this question, what do you hope, Aesthetica HQ will be known for in a year from now?
Lo
Oh my God, yeah, you’re telling, you’re asking me the hard questions, like you’re really getting me to look into it. I hope Aesthetica HQ is known to be, like, no, I don’t want to sound like up myself, but I hope in one year we can be known as, like some, a clinic that’s of elite service. Like we don’t mess around with fluff, and we just, if you know you want to get something done right, they’re going to come see us, sort of vibe. And I know we don’t offer other services like with doctors and stuff, but we have the right advice to give, even though we don’t have all of that I guess, just that’s what I see I guess like something somewhere where people know that they can trust us and they come to the clinic and they know from us versus the rest like, we know what we’re doing and we’re honest and we’re going to tell you about it.
Trish
Yeah, and you know what, even just for the fact that you’ve invested in probably the most expensive thing apart from a home that you’ll ever buy in your life, yeah, you know, it’s a testament to your commitment to that as well, do you know what I mean, like that, you know, speaks for itself, but, so tell us, just to finish off, how can people connect or follow or visit you, and find Aesthetica HQ? Give us a plug.
Lo
Oh, yeah, so you can follow us on aesthetica_hq and we also have our website at aestheticahq.com.au. We also have Facebook, and then, yeah, you can just search us up and you can also type in Nurse Lo or Nurse Gina at Aesthetica HQ. And yeah, and now we can purchase gift vouchers online now, which is awesome.
Trish
Great. Fantastic, awesome, look, I look forward to it cos I reckon, you know, I can’t wait to see the growth with you guys or the difference even just seeing you at the next conference, and the next one. I can’t wait.
Lo
What’s that?
Trish
I’m looking forward to seeing you up there speaking at some point.
Lo
I know, you know what, that gives me drive too, whenever I see all these people on stage talking, I’m just like, that’s so amazing, that’s like my next dream.
Trish
Yeah, totally. Look, I, I’ve seen it myself, I’ve seen people just start with, you know, the ones Sciton device and then you know, a few years later or not even sometimes less than a few years later, adding another one, another clinic, another clinic and and like the lady that you would have heard speak at that conference where you know dermal therapist and then and she started off with one laser and now she’s got 6 clinics I think across South Africa, anyway, she’s mind blowing so I know she is, she’s so inspiring and it can be done. Well look I I’ve gotta say thank you so much for joining us today.
Lo
Thank you so much Trish.
Trish
And I look forward to seeing you at the launch.
Lo
I know I’m super excited.
Trish
Awesome.
Lo
I look forward to seeing you too, Trish.
Trish
Fantastic. And listeners, look, if you do want to get in touch, you know, seriously don’t think twice, you can contact Lo or you can contact Gina at Aesthetica HQ down in Gregory Hills. So thanks a lot for joining us today, Lo.
Lo
Thank you so much, Trish.
Trish
Thanks heaps, bye, bye.
