Helen Ali

I attribute my success to having a growth mindset and being resilient. Things don't always go the way you want, or they might take a detour, but I think the strongest asset and value that keeps me going is the fact that failure is part of success. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own mind and do it again, because you didn't come this far just to give up. I love having that growth mindset - it's really fostered even where I work at the school, because it's part of the culture there. I try to always be optimistic, and even when things get bad, I ask myself, what's the silver lining? There has to be one, because that's what keeps us going and makes us get back up and try again.

My biggest advice would be to stay humble, open-minded, and work hard. I think it's important for nurses to get the experience and critical thinking that they need to help mold their professional career, because there's so much to learn from in the healthcare field. A lot of nurses are jumping into aesthetics because they think it's this glamorous world, and it really isn't. Social media can be so one-sided - it doesn't show the struggles people go through. I think just staying humble at the end of the day, staying kind, and showing your grit will open many doors. When you really want something, go for it, but also understand that sometimes when things aren't meant for you, that's okay. If you give it your best try, it'll settle right with your heart. Always learn something from each opportunity, no matter what the outcome. Reflect and just use it to be better.

The biggest challenge I face right now as a small business owner is trying to manage more than one hat. Until we get to grow a little bigger and can hire team members, I am my own social media person, my own booking person, and everything else. Trying to keep it all running seamlessly can be challenging sometimes, but I actually enjoy being busy. Life isn't balanced, but you just try to run it all as smoothly as you can. I hope to make the med spa my full-time focus once I finish my nurse practitioner degree at the end of the year.

The values most important to me are compassion, caring, and resiliency. Resiliency is one of the strongest assets I have - things don't always go the way you want, or they might take a detour, but you have to understand that failure is part of success. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own mind and do it again, because you didn't come this far just to give up. I love having a growth mindset, which is really fostered where I work at the school. I try to always be optimistic and look for the silver lining, even when things get difficult. That's what keeps us going and helps us get back up and try again. I also value staying humble, being kind, and showing grit. I think being a kind, respectful person who works hard will open many doors. And I always try to learn something from each opportunity, no matter what the outcome.