In this episode of HealthCert's The Aesthetic Shift podcast series, Kelly Beasy speaks to Kelly McChord about her journey from solo practice to multi-clinic ownership and the lessons learned in building a sustainable aesthetics business.
Kelly McChord is a Nurse Practitioner with 15 years' experience in the aesthetics industry, who is based in Perth and who has a special interest in cosmetic medicine and women's health. She shares her inspiring story of building a thriving aesthetics career, from starting out as a solo practitioner to soon opening her second clinic. Her path into aesthetics was shaped by her background in emergency and resuscitation care, where she realised that health isn’t just about survival, but also about confidence and quality of life. That insight eventually led her into aesthetics, where she found new ways to help people feel their best.
Over the past 15 years, Kelly has grown from performing her first wrinkle relaxer treatments while raising four children, to establishing a busy clinic that now needs more space to meet patient demand. Along the way, she has navigated the challenges of working alone, building a client base, hiring staff, and expanding services with carefully chosen devices.
In this conversation, Kelly Beasy and Kelly McChord share their practical lessons for clinicians considering a similar path:
Build your foundation first. Focus on training, competence, and developing a loyal patient portfolio before scaling.
Know when to expand. Hiring a second injector, investing in devices, or moving to a bigger clinic should be driven by patient demand and return on investment.
Value your time and team. Setting boundaries, delegating effectively, and supporting staff are essential to sustainable growth.
Invest in skills, not just equipment. Patient trust and confidence in your expertise are far more powerful than any device alone.
Their best advice for newcomers? Don’t rush into buying every machine or offering every service. Instead, invest in yourself, your training, and your clinical skills first, because patients ultimately choose the practitioner they trust.
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The Aesthetic Shift series
The Aesthetic Shift podcast is for cosmetic practitioners looking to evolve, diversify, and future-proof their aesthetic practice. Each episode explores core cosmetic topics to help you broaden your offering and build a more resilient practice! Host Kelly Beasy is a Nurse Practitioner, clinic owner, and cosmetic medicine trainer at KB Aesthetix with 20 years of nursing experience and 10+ years’ experience in the aesthetic industry. She also offers a 1:1 mentorship program for clinicians.
Listen to the previous episode: How to manage complications in cosmetic medicine
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