Speaker 1 (00:07): You are listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.

Monique Ramsey (00:14): Welcome everyone to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast. I'm your hostess, Monique Ramsey. And today I have one of my favorite people in the studio, Charity. Charity is our, well, first of all, charity started what, four years ago now. I'll let her confirm. But she's been in our med spot. She's one of those people who is super fun to be around and she is such a team player. She'll just jump in wherever she's needed and do whatever it is other than injecting Botox in your face. She won't do that, but she'll prep the Botox. So anyway, she is our new practice manager for our Carlsbad location, which is about to open. It will be opening in just the beginning of March we're hoping. So, welcome Charity.

Charity (01:00): Thank you. I'm so excited to be back. I remember when we first started to do these podcasts. I think I was one of the first ones to talk with you and it was so fun and it's so exciting to see how far we've come since that first podcast and that now we're opening a brand new meds spa in Carlsbad and it's just so exciting to be a part of.

Monique Ramsey (01:20): So, tell us a little bit about the evolution of Charity through the Med Spa and then a little bit about your current role.

Charity (01:28): It's been such a fun time growing with the company. I personally actually started at the front desk at La Jolla Cosmetic Med Spa, and I had experience in the med spa industry, so I knew I had a passion for aesthetics. I just was trying to find a home with a company that I felt was the right fit for me, had the right passion for patients, patient care, just a really good fit. And so, I fell in love with the La Jolla Cosmetic when I started to work for them. It was a match made in heaven and just naturally I grew with the company from being at the front desk. I then started to patient coordinate, and so I would help patients schedule their treatments with providers, help them along with their consultation process, just really be their advocate and kind of that language and communication barrier between the provider and the patient when the providers aren't available.

(02:21): Which I loved because it's amazing to help patients achieve goals for their aesthetic looks that they're wanting to do and just be a part of that. And then full circle to see their results, have them be really happy with it, and then to come back and everything is just, it's really fulfilling to go through that whole process with patients. And then from there, just kind of organically, I was promoted to be the manager at the La Jolla office here. So, I've been doing that for a couple of years and it's been a blast.

Monique Ramsey (02:52): And give us some sneak peek, give us some intel on this Carlsbad location because we're just starting to kind of tease it in our social media as we're getting ready to open. So, tell us give something behind the scenes that nobody knows.

Charity (03:10): Well, I think this is one thing that we haven't told everyone yet that I think a lot of patients might be excited to hear is that we will have Lauren Amico coming and she'll be working with us a couple of days a month. I know she's been a really amazing provider. She's a national trainer for injectables with Allergan, and she's just amazing to learn from. She does trainings in other med spas and everything, and so she's going to be there treating patients with us, and I just think that that's an amazing thing to have her kind of come over and be a part of that and to learn from her. I don't know if that's necessarily a secret though. So, I'll start, I'll keep thinking of it, but.

Monique Ramsey (03:52): So, it's up in Carlsbad, it's on El Camino Real in the Beacon Shopping Center, which if you guys know where the Equinox Fitness place is, it's in that same center. So, we're right next to Lofty Coffee, which if you're a San Diego, you know how great that is. And so, we're right next door. And so, El Camino Real and La Costa Ave is kind of that intersection that you'll be heading for. And so, Charity, do you live up that way?

Charity (04:25): Not yet. For a little bit I'll be commuting just to kind of get used to it and everything, but I definitely plan on making a move that way to be closer to the office. We're going to have pretty amazing hours available to patients that I'm excited about. We're going to be open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and on Saturday is about nine to five. So, I really want to be able to be close and be available and just for those kind of lengthy hours. But I'm really excited to be able to offer patients those outside hours before and after work, so they can come in and we can accommodate that.

Monique Ramsey (04:59): I love that. I love that. And that's something that we've really never been able to do in La Jolla because the building closes down by seven and you can want to come in, but the lights are off, and the elevators aren't going to take you up to our suite. So, that's wonderful that Carlsbad will have those longer hours. And as you mentioned, Lauren will be up there and which other providers are we having up as a superstar injector?

Charity (05:25): Yeah, that's another exciting part is we do have a nice mix of familiar faces that you see when you come into the La Jolla Med Spa, Brittany Haley, our National Sciton Laser trainer will be there. She's going to be treating patients on Wednesdays, so she'll be there a few times a month as well. And then we also have Anne Bridgewater, our PA here in La Jolla, she's going to be full-time over in Carlsbad, which I'm so excited about. She's amazing. And her patients here just love her. I've already talked to a few letting them know, come March we're going to start scheduling her patient's appointments in Carlsbad because that's where she'll be.

(06:02): And a few of them told me that they're just going to follow her over there, whether you know it's closer or not. So, I'm really excited for her to have her patients kind of go along this journey with her. And then Cameron Bessie our esthetician is going to be coming over a couple of times a week, and then as well as Brittany Abud, another esthetician that's here in La Jolla. So, we'll have a really nice mix of some familiar faces, some new faces. It's just going to be a great, great time.

Monique Ramsey (06:31): Oh, nice. And that's all under your purview, which is super fun. It must be super exciting for you to graduate into this role and you seem so well suited for it, so I love that. So Charity, let's dive into you and all about you and tell us about your background and what led you to aesthetics in the first place.

Charity (06:54): Definitely. So, I've now been in the aesthetic world for about 10 years. I really wasn't aware that medical aesthetics was necessarily a thing back then. I actually found a job for a med spa on Craigslist, and that started my journey just in the industry. That's actually where I met Juliet Jowett, our PA that works with us and that has for several years. So, I worked with her at a different med spa for a couple of years and then just moved on and then circled back after several years, found my home at La Jolla Cosmetic here. And then just naturally, again, organically the practice needed a really good physician assistant. And I recommended Julia from my years of experience with her and her amazing skills with our laser devices. And just one thing led to another, and now she's a PA here with us and has been for the past, I think four years or so.

(07:51): So, that part for me was really special. We became very close. I learned from her professionally, medically she taught me a lot. I think that is a huge part in aesthetics is just education. The providers are amazing when they're able to look at somebody's anatomy and explain things. And so, she was able to just kind of be that for me. And while I managed another office, she really helped me. And so, having her come over to La Jolla Cosmetic was almost just like a friend or family member coming over. And so, it's been really great to grow with her as well and to see her spread her wings and now she does all treatments. She's a master in old therapy, injectables, laser treatments, you name it, she can do it all now. So, I'm very proud of her as well. So, it's kind of been a little special time for me in this industry.

Monique Ramsey (08:40): And what's your favorite part about coming to work every day?

Charity (08:44): Definitely the people. The staff that we have are amazing and our patients are amazing. I can say that confidently because of what we had to go through with COVID. We didn't have to be apart for very long, but life was just different. Things were slowed down, we spread apart. We had people working offsite. We had patients coming in one by one. And so, it was just different. It wasn't the interaction that we're used to. And so again, the staff that we have is just amazing. They're all here to take care of patients, but to really try to make it fun and relaxing, and the patients just make the day amazing as well. So, the people are definitely my favorite part of coming to work every day.

Monique Ramsey (09:21): Nice. So, tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? How did you get to San Diego if it wasn't San Diego?

Charity (09:29): Yeah, so it's actually kind of funny. I'm from a little town called Joshua Tree, and a lot of people would probably recognize that now. But when I first moved to San Diego, that was probably about, it's 2023, about 12 to 13 years ago. It was 2012 when I moved here. And I would tell people that I was from Joshua Tree and they'd be like, where's that? I don't know where that is. And then I don't know when the switch hit, but I would say, let's say about five years ago, I started to answer the question and then everyone would say, oh my gosh, you're from the National park.

(10:03): And so, I think it got really popular with hiking and just the interest in national parks in general. So, they definitely get a lot of more tourism and everything. But it was interesting to grow up in a really small town before it was popular. And I decided to move to San Diego just for more experience. There wasn't too many opportunities in a small town, and I knew that I really had a passion for the medical field in general. I wanted to somehow be a part of caring for people. And so, moving to San Diego just seemed like a really natural fit for me.

Monique Ramsey (10:37): And what do you like to do outside of the office if you're not at the center, which you are all the time, what is Charity doing?

Charity (10:46): My favorite place to be when I'm not at the office is at the beach. I think that's one of the things that kind of gravitated me towards living in San Diego. I used to vacation in San Diego every summer. As a kid, we would go to SeaWorld and the zoo, and so it just holds a really special place in my heart. And so, being near the beach just really puts me in a happy place. But reading, going on hikes, we have such pretty landscapes and scenery here in San Diego, you can go anywhere from the ocean to almost having desert views depending on which hike you're looking for. So, there's so much to do, but definitely being outside and enjoying our scenery around us for sure is my favorite thing to be doing.

Monique Ramsey (11:27): And where's your favorite place to hike?

Charity (11:29): That's a tough one. I would say anywhere again, by the ocean. I do love the trails. It's not necessarily a hike, but the trails over by Torrey Pines I would say is definitely one of my favorite places to walk with the views that you get to see over there. And then of course, over here in La Jolla, there's a couple spots that you could go that aren't too bad of hikes, but it's definitely got some pretty views.

Monique Ramsey (11:52): Now what advice would you give to somebody who's coming to La Jolla Cosmetic in Med Spa, let's say for the first time?

Charity (12:01): Definitely. So, if it's your first time coming to La Jolla Cosmetic, we are kind of aware of that. We know that it's your first time coming into the office, whether you had a Zoom consult ahead of time or not. So, we try to pay a little bit more attention to that, give you a little bit more directions with parking. We do have a parking structure over here. But then once you make it in, we do hope that you're walking in to welcoming faces and you should expect to be brought back for your appointment within five minutes of arriving. And then the provider will come in and you should have a really nice conversation about what your plan is for the day, what you were wanting to get out of your appointment.

(12:39): The medical assistant is there to help everything go along very smoothly, assist the provider if they need anything. And then when you're all done, the front desk girls are there to help make sure everything is squared away, make sure you have all your coupons attached, all your Glam Fam discounts, and then to schedule your next appointment. So, hopefully it's pretty quick, relaxing, a little fun, and just an overall seamless appointment, and you want to come back to see us again.

Monique Ramsey (13:07): So, give us a, like insider behind the scenes tip of something that maybe we do in the med spa that people don't necessarily know about. Is there a procedure that's maybe one of your favorites or, I mean everybody knows about Botox and fillers, but what else is there that you love to see patients take advantage of?

Charity (13:30): One of the things, I know it sounds not as exciting sometimes, but it really makes me excited when I see providers recommending skincare that goes along with treatments that patients are doing. So, if you're coming in for Botox to relax the wrinkles in your forehead, what are you doing at home for your homework to help that result that you get for that beautiful new line-less tight forehead that you're having now or without smile lines? If you're having a laser, how are you maintaining that result, this beautiful new resurfaced skin, what's happening as your homework at home? And so, just seeing providers recommend the next step including skincare for patients, and then patients actually kind of following through with that because I've seen so many happy patients with their results when you do listen to the provider's advice when it comes to those kinds of things.

Monique Ramsey (14:23): I think that's a really good point. And something that Cameron, and we can put a link in the show notes. We've done some podcasts with her talking about skincare, and her analogy is so perfect, which is like you go to the dentist maybe once a quarter, twice a year, so that you could liken that to your Botox appointment once a quarter. But then if you never brushed or flossed your teeth in between those dentist visits, how do you think your teeth are going to look? And so, I love that analogy because this is medical grade skincare that really does perform and is worth the investment, and I like the way that you put that, investing in yourself and making the most or maximizing the results you're having from whatever treatments you're getting.

Charity (15:06): Yeah, definitely. And then one thing that's really exciting, I don't know if it's a secret, but behind the scenes that I'm just specifically excited for Carlsbad is the Morpheus8 device. I won't go into it too far because I still need to do all of my training and get to the bottom of everything, but it is going to be a new laser device that we're offering in Carlsbad. We don't have it here in La Jolla, and I know that our laser gurus, Brittany and Julia are just waiting to get their hands on it and to play with it and everything. So, we're really excited to offer that in Carlsbad as well. So, that'll be really fun.

Monique Ramsey (15:43): Okay. That's a hot tip. Nice. And then I'm sure you guys are coming up with some grand opening things, so we'll have everybody stay tuned for that. We'll probably do a podcast about that, about special happenings. But I know you mentioned earlier Glam Fam and maximizing points, and I think can you just give a 30 second talk about what Glam Fam is?

Charity (16:10): Absolutely. Yeah. Glam Fam is one of my favorite things. It's our loyalty membership. It is $120, and what you get in return is for one year you'll receive discounts pretty much on everything that you would purchase in the office, skincare treatments, really anything. And then it also makes you valid for any future specials that we would have. For example, if we were to have a Valentine's Day special, as long as you're a Glam Fam member, you would be able to take advantage of that extra discount. So, as of right now for skincare you get 15% off, for Botox you get 10% off, and for filler you get anywhere between 15 and 20% off.

(16:51): One thing I don't think patients know enough of is that if you purchase two or more syringes of filler at one visit, you get a 20% discount instead of your regular 15% discount. And so, the medical assistants, yeah, usually explain that in the room when they're kind of giving you the pricing and the recommendation of what your provider's wanting to do for that day's treatment. That is something that I think that not maybe everyone is fully aware about. And so, it definitely helps for cost and it also helps you get the results that you're really wanting to get if you need to add that extra syringe for whatever we're trying to treat.

Monique Ramsey (17:27): Yeah, we've been doing our Glam Fam this loyalty program for over a decade now. I have to go back in my archives to figure out when we started it, but it was a long time ago. It was like 2010 maybe that we started with that concept of a loyalty program and really trying to reward the people who are part of it. And we've had people who've been members like the whole time. So, it's one of those things where it definitely pays for itself. And if it doesn't pay for itself, we'll give you your money back. So, there's no downside at all. So, last question for you Charity is our brand promises where dreams become real. So, tell me about a dream of yours that has become real.

Charity (18:14): Well, not to sound too cheesy or corny, and to relate it to work. I think even as a manager doing interviews, a question that I ask our interviewees is, where do you see yourself in 10 years or what career goals do you have for yourself? And that's a really hard question to answer for yourself when you truly don't know sometimes. And I think that being at La Jolla Cosmetic, I've been able to make that decision that I truly want to stay a part of the aesthetic world forever. I have such a passion for being involved in helping patients achieve their goals in the safest and best way possible with some of the best providers that I have seen in this industry. And I truly am so grateful that I get to come to work every day and just have fun. I think that that is something that's so valuable and priceless, and that definitely is a dream come true. I don't think a lot of people, I don't think everyone can necessarily say that about their job, but I feel very lucky and blessed that I can.

Monique Ramsey (19:13): Yeah, I think when they say, "If you're doing what you love, you're never working a day in your life." And while all of us do, it is a job at the end of the day, it is so much more fun to be in an industry that you love. And of course, we all partake in this industry as well, being able to have those Botox appointments in between lunch and going back to work. But I'm really excited for your Charity with the new location with Carlsbad opening in March, like we said, March 2023. And we really encourage everybody, look in the show notes, we put links to anything we talked about today. And some of the providers that you mentioned will also will have links to our social media because on our social media, especially our Instagram, we are doing little sneak previews of that Carlsbad location. So, patients who have been to La Jolla Cosmetic before, is there something that they might be surprised about in the Carlsbad location?

Charity (20:15): I think the location itself is just so different. It's going to be really refreshing driving into, it's got ample parking spaces, there is no parking structure. You don't have to pay for parking. So, lots of space and just really relaxing, walking in, the spa's bigger, lots more room. And so, I think just the fresh, brand new aesthetic to it is really going to surprise and welcome in patients definitely, and I think they're going to be really pleased by seeing that. I'm definitely very excited about everything that's going into it. It's so special. There's a mural that's going to be hand painted on the wall, and so many tiny details are going in to make it extremely special.

Monique Ramsey (20:54): Oh, nice. I can't wait. I'm really excited. I saw it when it was completely empty, nothing had started yet and I haven't been back since. So, I can't wait till I go from that vision all the way to completion. All right. Last question. I know I said that last time, last question. It's another last question before we wrap it up. So, everybody who's our listener on the podcast, we will give you $25 off of $50 or more of any treatment or any product if you mention that you are a subscriber of the podcast. And so Charity, if we were giving you $25 off of $50 or more, what would you spend it on and why?

Charity (21:36): If I were going to get 25 off of 50 or more, I would spend it on SkinMedica TNS Advanced Serum, definitely hands down all the way, no questions asked.

Monique Ramsey (21:50): That's one of my favorites too.

Charity (21:51): It is. It is. And if you're a Glam Fam member, it's 15% off in the office. But I do also like to always tell patients that on Brilliant Connections, you can log into your Alle account and you can set up auto shipments and they'll actually give you a 20% discount every time you get your auto shipment. And it's free two-day shipping, just like Amazon and everything. So, if you are an avid user of, we like to call that product the Beyonce of the office. If you are a user of that skincare product, then that's definitely a way to save an extra 5% every time you purchase it.

Monique Ramsey (22:24): Yeah, we'll put a link in the show notes, but shop.ljcsc.com is our store, and then you can click through to that SkinMedica link and it will take you into our little branded SkinMedica store. I love that you brought that up because nobody seems to know about it, and I feel like it's like the biggest hidden secret is that the $25 or excuse me, 20% off shipping auto coming to your door. So, the very first shipment you do won't be, it's once you're subscribed and then you can pause it, you could say I want it every 45 days or every 60 days, and you can put it on pause if you end up with too much of something, which nobody ever does, but you can. But also, what's something that not a lot of people know is that you can get any of the SkinMedica products on that site, whereas what we might carry in the office, we have limited space.

(23:21): We don't have every single product in their portfolio every day in our office, but online it's everything. So, if you love their gentle cleanser and that's not something we carry in the office, you can get that as well. And like you said, you earn Alle Points as well, so you're going to get a discount, plus you earn Alle points, and if you have any rebates or you have any free money to use, you can apply it towards your order. So yeah, I love, yeah, TNS Advanced+ Serum. That's a good one. That's a good one. So thanks again, charity for joining us today. It was fun to have you back on the podcast because like you said, it's been a while. You are on one of our very first ones and now you're back. So, thank you again for joining, and we will see you guys all next time. See you next time.

Speaker 4 (24:17): Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment, or mention the promo code PODCAST to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I5 San Diego Freeway in the XiMED Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus. To learn more, go to ljcsc.com or follow the team on Instagram @ljcsc. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of the Axis, the axis.io.