Looking into the eyes of our students on Orientation Day, eager to gain an understanding of the industry that is changing lives all over the world, I smile in gratitude and excitement. As a visionary for the bigger picture, I look out from the stage platform in our Campus Extension lecture classroom over the sea of women (and men) encompassed within our walls. Their faces are filled with many emotions from fear and anxiety - to thrill, excitement, eagerness; and an unequivocal connection to a personal journey that is connected to each of us. My mind rises higher and fast forwards to their graduation day, their personal lives, their families, and their careers. I see the lives changed, the smiles created, and the life journeys defined by a passion that has fueled my heart for years. I know the struggle and I know the peace. I understand the unknowing and I know the understanding. In these inspirational moments, as I share our story, these individuals are exponentially changed. The journey begins.

There are many things in my life that help me define success. Success is not about the possessions you have, the ladders you can climb, or even the statuses you hold. Success is a level of peace you feel and personal processes you display in your daily life that helps you perform to your optimum level with ease. Success becomes a habit when you inherently practice consistency; and consistency is had when you are able to see the bigger picture. When you visualize the outcome, you want to perform. Your daily walk with your actions is connected to every other action; and you happily understand the secret that is held in hard work. Success is yours.

1. Rise Early. 
They key to 'doing it all wrong' lies in hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock. The 'Five Second Rule' is a well-known system practiced by many that ensures that you simply GET UP, and not focus on the inherent mindsets of pushback, obstacles, and negative outcomes that our brains are trained to create. Wake up early with gratitude, focus on the excitement and opportunity a brand new day creates, and enjoy the little things about a quiet start to the morning - inclusive of hot cups of coffee and planning out your day. These little steps and moments of calm are truly key components of an extraordinary life. 

2. Multitask. 
In watching people struggle through their workdays and ultimately not connecting or succeeding in jobs they want to master, the commonality of disconnection is their inability to multitask. Multitasking is another example of the mind expanding and being able to look at the bigger picture. It's almost as if you have a mental visualization of an aerial view of your company and all of the processes and people that make it work efficiently. What can you do within your realm of influence to create a better experience for your culture, your consumers, and your supervisors? Multitasking is a mental confidence that allows you to choose an hour of your workday and accomplish more within that moment than your competitors. This is a true key to success - and those that do not practice and uphold this mental connection will simply be, and always feel, behind. Not only will life be easier overall, but you will be the employee in your company that is irreplaceable.

3. Computer Skills Basics. 
In teaching individuals a skill set in the ever-evolving beauty industry, we focus on specific sciences and modalities that create change in the skin. However, a true understanding of these common computer programs will assist you in office organization, inventory and budget controls, design and marketing, and much more. Gain a thorough understanding of platforms such as Google Docs (for document sharing and PDF creation) and Microsoft Excel (for spreadsheets for every occasion). Having the capability to quickly and efficiently create documents and communicate digitally will set you a part from the competition and always connect you to your clients. Additionally, simple graphic design skills through platforms such as Canva, for example, are very critical regarding anything from resume design, to logo creation, to menu design. The future is yours! 

4. Communication. 
One of my personal favorite skills to teach and allow students to practice consistently is public speaking. Being able to formulate your thoughts internally with a beginning, a middle, and a closing remark are critical in story telling. Story telling is key to work-based activities such as client consultations, meetings with supervisors, or group discussions within your culture. Additionally, being able to communicate this same format digitally through emails to your clients and vendors, official company letters with your letterhead, and professional proposals to a government entity or new contractor to propel your company forward is absolutely important - and a very critical piece of the puzzle that sets successful people apart. Are you set apart? How well do you communicate? Evaluate your skill set and always level up - in order to set yourself up for a higher, and easier, way of doing business. 

5. Practice You.
My favorite quote of all time is: "No one is you and that is your power." Wow! My power? Absolutely! In a world where we grow up realizing that Super Woman is actually very much within us, I love this quote even more. Complete confidence in who you are is something no one can take away from you. No one holds the power to pull you down or make you feel less than. Absolutely no one. When the light bulb finally comes on, and you realize you have had the POWER all along, it is truly life-changing and mind-altering. You can hold your head up high, in true confidence, that everything is always going to be ok - simply because you say so. And today, I am choosing my power. There is nothing more powerful, or successful, than that. 

Public Announcement
7.27.2018

Southeastern Esthetics Institute has been approved as an entity to own medical records as of July 20, 2018, by the South Carolina LLR Board of Medical Examiners.

​Southeastern Esthetics Institute takes great pride in providing exemplary service to clients, patients, and students alike; and continues to strive for excellence in all areas of ethics, rules, and regulations.

Physicians & The Esthetician
by Courtney G. Freeman, Licensed Esthetics Instructor 
PUBLISHED IN DERMASCOPE MAGAZINE

In today’s modern and ever-changing world of cosmetic technology, Estheticians are required to understand skin from a cellular and scientific perspective. Estheticians and consumers alike understand the advanced changes that can be made within a medical setting - and physicians are realizing the supportive role that Estheticians can bring to their practices. There are many serious laws and regulations that must be taken into account when combining medical procedures with esthetics services, along with many specific protocols and processes that must take place in order to treat patients in a methodical manner. Estheticians are required to enlist specific personal and professional skill sets to work underneath physicians. Respect for the physician and the regulations of a medical practice are critical, while also understanding the Esthetician’s scope of practice. Working in a medical setting as an Esthetician can be both rewarding and beneficial for both yourself and your clients alike. Understanding the nature of advanced esthetics and the branches of knowledge needed are paramount to success in the evolving and popular medical spa arena. 
The skill set required of an Esthetician within a medical practice is multi-faceted and complex. The level of education and the mindset required to work alongside physicians and nurse practitioners is exceptionally important - with a clear focus on cellular change, anatomy, hormones, and scientific methods being a critical need of the individual. The firm understanding that Estheticians are unable to title themselves as “Medical Estheticians” is an important focal point, as it does not have any legal value and misrepresent’s the license originally obtained. Estheticians must understand their place in a medical setting - which is to provide esthetics services directly underneath the physician. With esthetics technology such as microneedling, dermaplaning, and cosmetic laser skin rejuvenation being at the forefront of esthetics services in 2016, Estheticians are required to understand the knowledge and skills required for the competitive advantage of assisting their clients with changes at a dermal level. With the supervision of a skilled, board certified physician, Estheticians can assess and perform the services necessary to assist clients in achieving real change. Respecting the skill set and scope of practice for the supervisory staff and physicians, along with performing only what is contractually within the job description of the Esthetician position is exceptionally important. Esthetics practitioners within any advanced setting should obtain certifications underneath their license for each individual advanced procedure. Specific courses for cosmetic lasers, for example, are crucial to add to the esthetics portfolio, in order to showcase added training beyond that of the esthetics fundamentals course. Estheticians looking to gain a competitive edge will not only obtain as much outside education as possible, these individuals will also build their skill set of public speaking, professional development, HIPAA compliance, OSHA regulations, and much more. Having a thorough understanding of the dermatology and plastic surgery procedures, in addition to all new and modern cosmetic procedures on the market, is critical in assisting your clients in answering questions. Constant continuing education and training on advanced techniques is paramount to the success of any Esthetician within a medical setting.
A thorough understanding of state laws and regulations, through constant monitoring of any changes with state board regulatory agencies, is a critical tool that must be taken seriously as an Esthetician in today’s market. Each state possesses specific requirements for Estheticians within their own board as well as laws under the state medical and nursing boards. Overall, Estheticians must always assume that the physician is the lead authority in any protocols for patients that are requiring an advanced procedure. Estheticians must obtain written permission and treatment plans through the physician overseeing the practice, with monitoring by the physician of all notations within patient charts, products and modalities used, and any other thought process made throughout the duration of treatment. Proper communication is exceptionally important between the physician and support staff when treating patients in a medical setting. Having daily and weekly communication when dealing with patients receiving treatment is critical. Thorough organization of charting systems, patient and employee safety and sanitation practices, and consistent monitoring by supervisory staff is the key to medical spa success. 
Estheticians must understand and uphold a high skill level in documentation and notation skills. Through the initial consultation with clients, the understanding of medications listed, immune system dysfunctions, stress levels, ingredients in products used, and past procedures performed on the client are important to assess. The Esthetician must also obtain the skills and knowledge needed to piece together proper Patient Care Plans within a medical setting that consist of combinations of needed procedures such as: chemical peels, microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, microneedling, cosmetic lasers, and more. The physician overseeing the practice must sign off on and give permission to the Esthetician performing the procedures. The correct use of medical terminology is especially important when it comes to medical charting. Dependent upon the medical charting system of the practice, the Esthetician must frame his or her language in the most objective terms possible, steering clear of any biased phrases that could be misinterpreted. Diligence and accuracy in record keeping is essential, and should be a very important part of the day-to-day activities of an Esthetician. In addition to daily charting, supervisory and management staff must check behind all service providers daily and/or weekly to make certain charting is being performed to the level needed for the practice. The charts must then pass through the physician overseeing the practice, in order to obtain the correct signatures, documentations, and authorization needed to move forward in treatment. Patient and client follow-up after procedures should be documented within the charting systems as well - and must be approved in terms of communication methods with the patient and documentation of the interaction. 
A complete understanding of liability insurance is exceptionally important to an Esthetician in this setting - as the supervisory physician must include these individuals within the malpractice insurance. A separate liability insurance policy on the practice as a whole, with policies on each individual practitioner, is also an added protection umbrella. All service providers within a practice should obtain copies of insurance policies that pertain to their performance for their own understanding. Seeking insurance providers that specialize in medical spa businesses and procedures is an absolute must. The option for these insurance providers is more prevalent today than recent years, as many individual procedures such as microneedling, permanent makeup, or cosmetic lasers are added to policies specifically. All persons approved by the physician for the performance of such procedures must be listed by name. At any moment that a new service provider is added, the insurance policies must be updated. Viewing these policies quarterly, not only yearly, is important for all supervisory staff to oversee. Maintaining complete compliance with both national and state regulatory agencies is an important factor. If there were every a setting that insurance was most important, it is that of a medical spa. Liability insurance not only covers the facility but each practitioner on the policies, with a specific focus on individual procedures within the practice. When adding a new medical esthetic procedure, it must be additionally added to the policy. Both the general liability coverage of the practice, in addition to the malpractice insurance of the physician overseeing the clinic must be updated to match all standards. All records in accordance with liability insurance standards of a medical spa office must be held at a high level of importance, as it is the basis of administration and authority within the safety parameters of the patients within its care. 
The office culture in a medical esthetics setting can be significantly different from any other business or spa environment, for the purposes of being OSHA and HIPAA compliant. From the front desk receptionists to any supporting staff member, all employees within a medical spa practice must be in tune with state regulations and compliance. A complete system must be in place per office, for the role of every action within the practice. From the time a patient walks into the office, to the manner in which they are spoken to at the front desk, to the escorting staff taking them into the treatment room, to the physician consultations, to the procedure itself, and to the conclusion and follow-up methods - all processes must be systematic in nature, in order to create a specific and defined flow that meets all requirements. The understanding and respect for organizational hierarchy exists in any office, but no more than that of a medical office. When independent thinking is encouraged in many salons or spas, the medical practice often adheres to a strict top-down human resource methodology. The understanding that an Esthetician cannot “over step their boundaries” is crucial. The freedom of customization and changing of protocols can be somewhat limited, which is an important factor to take into consideration when assessing goals for esthetics careers. Regardless of these processes, many individuals find the advanced setting of a medical practice more to speed with their own goals. Harnessing the qualities needed to advance in this setting are pieces of a puzzle that can take many years to perfect or obtain. Estheticians truly should seek out employment in a spa setting immediately after graduation, to obtain several years of experience treating the skin before implementing the idea that a medical setting is their ultimate goal. Job experience, additional education, and life experiences make a medical spa position that much more fulfilling and successful for both the practitioner and the business itself. 
To be competitive in the current esthetics market, practitioners must obtain consistent continuing education in advanced esthetics. The relationship between a physician and a supporting staff member such as that of an Esthetician must be respected from every angle. The level of professionalism of all team members of a medical spa practice must be held to the highest of standards, along with excellence in areas such as sanitation and medical charting. Compliance in the realm of liability and malpractice insurance is exceptionally important - and should be in the top priority list at the beginning of any medical spa business. The esthetics industry is exceptionally rewarding - assisting clients with not only their physical care but their emotional health and personal confidence as well. By changing the lives of our clients, we ultimately change our own. Living and breathing the spa industry is an experience only the select few are lucky enough to embody. Treating your career as an art, and ultimately respecting the laws and regulations which encompass that craft, are an important aspect of any endeavor in the advanced esthetics field.