Celebrating 5 Years of Glo

We are starting the year will celebrating 5 years of Glo.

Let's take a sweet stroll down memory lane to see how we came to be!

The Year: 2019. 

Covid was still happening. 

I was working as a Primary Care Provider for a mobile office seeing patients who could not get out of their home or care facility easily. These patients were very sick, vulnerable and many had severe mental health problems. I was commuting for approximately 3-4 hours a day in Seattle traffic. I was charting every evening when I would get and almost the entire days on Saturday and Sunday so I could keep caught up to get to work on time I would wake up at around 4 am every morning. I was on call answering phones throughout the night, constant faxes to complete as well as never ending refill requests. 

I was a slave to work. 

I cried almost daily and felt that I wasn’t “living”. I was exhausted. I started to feel weighed down by the overwhelming stress, the unhealthy habits because I was so afraid that I would get behind in work and just couldn’t keep up which meant zero time for me. No working out, no cooking, no self-care. I felt that I lost myself during that time. I was in constant pain from the non-stop charting and driving while holding the steering wheel for hours/day. 

Something had to change. 

I felt getting my masters degree and becoming an FNP was the biggest mistake of my life. What had I done? My creativity was being smothered. I was losing myself. 

I was always a creative person, a happy person, someone who loved to be with people, go outside, adventure. That was gone. 

I met a chiropractor while I was living in Olympia who wanted to expand her clinic to bring in joint injections and neurotoxin. I went to several courses and learned how to do this and worked on the weekends once or twice/month to make this a reality in her clinic. I was looking for community and looking for change. Looking for something I could pour my creativity into and maybe find my “niche”. She believed in me, that I could head a department and that I could learn those techniques. I am so glad she did. Even though I was exhausted, working there those few hours/month gave me some joy. 

Over the years I became close with another NP I worked with at my PCP job, we would talk on the phone and commiserate together re: how much we were dying inside. I had shared with her that I was meant for more, that I loved the idea of aesthetics + practicing my creativity in some manner in relation to still helping people but using my degree. She shared with me that she had her own Medspa under wraps and that if that is something I had an interest in, to go for it. Why not? She mentored me, took me under her wing and helped me to take the leap and believe in myself. I was so afraid to start, didn’t know where to start and for her I will forever be grateful.

During Covid, we had some visits via telehealth. This gave me back some of my day re: charting as I wasn’t having to drive all the time. During these few hours - I looked up how to start an LLC, how to start a business bank account, made an instagram - hmm, what is the perfect handle? Thinking about where to locate and how to gain a clientele and voila… Glo was born in December of 2020. I did it! Me. I became a business owner. 

January 2021: I found a room in Battleground, WA to rent inside of a hair salon. It was a small room. I had never been to Battleground, WA before. I searched, but there were no medspas in that area. Let’s see where this goes. In January of 2021 I opened my doors to start seeing patients a few hours a week, these patients included my best friend, my mom… that was where it began. 

Initial Services I brought into Glo: Toxin, IV hydration, Vitamin Boosters. I started small. I made flyers, went door to door visiting local businesses, passing out my flyers at Harvest Days to the BG community and joined women’s networking groups. I collaborated with some of the other girls that rented space in the hair salon I was renting at and cross referred clients, did promos etc. After about 6 months -  I was able to quit my PCP job and move to a part time job performing joint injections focusing on regenerative medicine in the local community. 

I was hungry for knowledge, after about 6 months I brought in ZO skin Health. I wanted to make sure my clients were getting well rounded treatment and protecting their investment. My first “big” purchase was a SkinPen Microneedling device and centrifuge to perform PRP. I took additional education to learn how to inject PRP into the face for aesthetic purposes and perform hair regeneration services. After about 9 months I brought in first device an InMode Optimas platform that offered Morpheus8 (RF Microneedling), Laser Hair Removal and IPL.

I was SOOO AFRAID you guys.

This would either make or break my business, the investment was HUGE and I joked with my clients this is either going to be great or I am going to be homeless and sleeping in this chair if it doesn’t hit. It was a hit <3 Within 1 year I was able to go full time at Glo. 

I continued educating myself. Filler was a HUGE request at the time, but I wanted to be 100% safe and fully understand every part of facial anatomy and how to perform filler before I brought that into Glo. I took many courses and have trained with some of the best injectors in the industry over the years. But I wanted to be very sure in my abilities and continue to do so before I bring any new services to Glo.

Slowly that second year I brought in filler - first lips, then learning cheeks, nasal labial folds moving on to lower face, then the art of facial balancing and later more advanced techniques like tear trough and temples. 

I continued to learn and my service list grew. We now offer over 40 services at Glo. 

I value continued education and so many ask, "How did you do it? Where did you start? Can you teach me?" etc.

This is where I 100% would recommend invest back in yourself, find those that inspire you, that are the best at techniques you want to learn and master, business minded injectors who can teach you and help you learn and be a mentor to you.

I have poured at least 50K back into myself to get to the level I am today, if not more. It is something that is constant and the industry is always changing. I want to bring the best and make sure that my techniques are advancing with the way of medicine to be the safest and best for you guys. 

Some injectors I have trained with over the years are: Julie Horne, Erika Barry, Tox Josh, Dr. Rajani, Waseem Garcia, Dr. Subbio, Julie Bass Kaplan, Shelby Miller, NP Britt, Dr. Arthur Swift, Injector Kenz… and those are just to name a few. I have learned so, so much in the last 6 years - but still have so much to learn. 

Over the years I have worked on expanding my team - this was a hard one for me! I know for a fact that I have stunted the growth of Glo out of fear, out of trouble giving up control, out of me wanting to still live and not ever go back into the old patterns of my previous experience as a PCP.

Thank you all who have stood by, supported me, showed me patience and kindness during a time of growing pains. You will never know how much I appreciate you. 

I think growing something on your own, learning to trust others to believe in your business as much as you is no small task. I have gone through a few bad apples to now have a small team of women I truly believe in and are doing an amazing job! Jess, my master esthetician has been with me for over a year now and her schedule is also almost full. I am so happy to watch her grow and shine! 

Not to mention I have grown my family through all of this. During a time of massive growth for Glo when I was still a one woman show, my partner and I wanted to try for a baby thinking it would take time - and it didn’t. I wouldn’t change a thing. I was so sick during my pregnancy and thought I was bringing in a really solid team member and ended up getting left high and dry pretty much during the time I was giving birth.

Becoming a mom to Mateo has been the best thing of my life. I will say though, I don’t want to miss it. So trying to learn how to balance becoming a mom, a business owner/CEO, an injector, a partner and me has been a whole new experience. Some days I questioned things, if I was meant to do this, if I could do this but fast forward to now and I’m so, so thankful I stuck with it all.

Jess came to me shortly after this - and I was able to train her up once I was back from maternity leave. We have added more and more skills to her tool box over the time she has been with me. She is becoming a laser master and I couldn’t be more proud. 

I have many dreams and goals for Glo. I envision a beautiful and thoughtfully designed Medspa someday where we can continue to serve this amazing community. I hope to continue to find the perfect fit “dream team” members to continue to add life and love to Glo and to our clients.

I so enjoy being a part of this community and dream of continuing to help people feel their best from the inside out and I hope that this is just the beginning!

There are so many new things in the works already for 2026 and I couldn’t be more grateful. 

Stay tuned. 

Cheers to the next 5 years! 🥂