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Welcome to Suite Independence, the podcast designed exclusively for established beauty professionals ready to transform their careers and build the salon business of their dreams. Hosted by industry veteran Kristin Kienzle, founder of Utopia Modern Salon Suites, this show is your essential guide to thriving independently in the beauty world.
Kristin, with over 34 years of experience, understands the unique challenges and incredible opportunities you face. She created Utopia to be a supportive, inspiring community where independent beauty professionals can flourish, and this podcast extends that mission directly to you.
Forget the styling tips; we're diving deep into the business and personal development aspects that truly empower your success. Each episode offers insight, inspiration, and clarity to help you succeed and build your career in a healthy way. Whether you're looking to grow your client base, refine your business strategy, enhance your financial literacy, prioritize your well-being, or ultimately own your own salon, Kristin shares the wisdom and actionable advice you need.
Join a community dedicated to empowering beauty professionals to reach their full potential, ensuring their businesses thrive and afford them the lifestyle they desire. Tune into Suite Independence and start building the vibrant career and fulfilling life you deserve.
Ep17
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[00:00:00]
From Tenant to Triumph
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Kristin Kienzle: So I think sometimes people think that when someone begins their business at Utopia and then uses it as a springboard to move on to something really big, that maybe I'm upset that I've lost a tenant, or I'm sad that that person did not stay in our space. But today we get to talk to Mackenzie Gorman of Meadow Aesthetics, and you'll find out that it is actually the opposite.
I love nothing more than being a part of someone's journey. we get to talk with Mackenzie, who grew her business at Utopia so well that she needed her own space,
So today we're in her new location, and you're going to hear how she made that journey
[00:01:00]
Meet Meadow Aesthetics
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Kristin Kienzle: Welcome back to the podcast. Today, I am here with Mackenzie Gorman, owner of Meadow Aesthetics. We are in her beautiful space. Her new, what is it? Six months old?
Six, seven months old brick-and-mortar space that she has built, and so I'm very excited to talk with her.
Mackenzie Gorman: Thank you for having me.
Kristin Kienzle: So this is really fun. This is cool to see you here. We met in 2022 when we were still building our first Utopia.
We were in the middle of construction. You came, walked through the construction site with your mom-
and maybe a baby on your hip.
Mackenzie Gorman: I think so.
Kristin Kienzle: And looked at the space. You were one of our first tenants at our first location, so I love that we go back. We're [00:02:00] OGs.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah, I think I walked through when there was, like, not even walls up yet.
So that's crazy.
Kristin Kienzle: Yes, and then it was really fun to see you coming in with... You still had a part-time nursing job, which you can tell us about that, what you were doing, and then you built your aesthetics business from the ground up. And for me, it's been really cool to see, and it's extremely exciting to be here sitting in your space.
I got to watch you build your space and watch all this come along and develop and get built and decorated and watch you be successful. So I've been excited about this podcast episode for a long time. So go ahead. You tell us how it all started for you.
Nursing to Injectables
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Kristin Kienzle: So I'm a nurse practitioner. I've been in the nursing field for about 12 years or so now, and I started as an ER nurse for 10 years, and then I kind of got to the point where I wanted to do something different.
I wanted to be, like, in a more advanced practice role. So I went back to [00:03:00] NP school with the intention to open my own business. I was in the middle... I was about to start ha- like, starting a family, and I was like, "You know what? These wrinkles on my forehead are really bothering me." And so I went and had my first Botox treatment, and it was a nurse that was giving me my injections.
And I was like, "Hey I think I wanna do this for a living." So that's kinda where the interest started for, like, doing injectable treatments. So, it was probably six months after that treatment that I went and got trained. And when I went to Scottsdale, actually, in Arizona, and did a two-week-long course on basic and advanced injectables, and came back.
I was living in Omaha at the time. So I've kinda, like, hopped a lot of different places. But I started my aesthetic journey in Omaha, and then we moved to Kansas City, had a job in Kansas City. Then I moved back to Wichita to be closer to family. And then, let's see, I finished NP school in 2022 and that's whenever I started- I didn't realize that.
I thought you finished long before that. [00:04:00] Interesting.
Mackenzie Gorman: No. So I, I started having kids in 2019. That was also, like, right before COVID started. And so I left the ER once I had my daughter, Denver, in 2019. And then I didn't really necessarily wanna go back into the hospital setting, so that's when I went and did my training in aesthetics.
And then we moved back to Wichita. know, six month old, another pregnancy. So I just never went back into the hospital setting after that. And I had a job here in Wichita, and I think it was a great opportunity for me to learn in, like, working in other places.
I learned a lot of valuable information, like, as an injector Or just as an injector, I learned a lot of, a lot of things business-wise, how to run a business, how not to run a business in some of the places that I worked. And that kind of, like, put a fire under my butt- to be like, "This is, this is- I wanna do this and I wanna be, like, the owner of a place and create a culture that people are wanting to work in."
Starting Small at Utopia
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Kristin Kienzle: [00:05:00] So you knew you wanted to be a business owner and do things your way, and you were already a nurse practitioner. What took you from there to leasing a suite and actually starting that business?
Mackenzie Gorman: It was a really hard decision for me. I kind of always had a vision that I wanted to have my own practice. It was a scary decision. I w- have been working part-time as a nurse practitioner in urology, like, totally unrelated to aesthetics. And my biggest question I was thinking to myself is, do I want to build out a, a huge build-out like this, or should I start small?
And I have several friends in the community that also own and operate med spas, and so some of their biggest advice was, like, "Don't take on too much overhead." Like, really, like, "If you wanna start this, start really small." So at the time I just kind of looked into salon suite options, and it happened to be the same time that you were opening Utopia, and it just was kind of a perfect sign of maybe this is where I should start.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, I think that was [00:06:00] smart because then you were able to build your client base and, which obviously you did really well, and then progress just in under three years to this.
Do you feel like that was the right way to go? Is that the advice you'd give someone?
Mackenzie Gorman: I would. I- Opened Meadow Aesthetics in November of 2022. And at the time I was still working part-time in... I was working part-time in urology, still building my family at home, and then also doing part-time aesthetics too.
So I think it was good for me to just be at the salon suite on Mondays and Fridays for, I did that for about a year until I was booked Mondays and Fridays. And then once I had my third kid, I was like, "Oh, okay, well I have three kids in daycare. I'm working part-time in urology. I'm working part-time in aesthetics."
You know, I was paying myself just as much through my business as I was in urology. So that's kinda when I decided, "Hey, I think I could leave my urology job and just do aesthetics full-time." And [00:07:00] then I continued to stay at Utopia, just myself full-time for another year and a half or so before we built out a new space.
Going Full Time Leap
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Kristin Kienzle: I gotta say, I remember that phase. I remember when you had Beau, and he was with you a lot at the salon. He was kind of our salon baby. He was so cute. Love it. I wish-
Mackenzie Gorman: He was... I had his little bouncer there, and I was, like, bouncing him in the bouncer as I was injecting people's foreheads for, like, four months.
Kristin Kienzle: And you had plenty of us willing to carry him around or get him out of your room if you needed him. But I do remember you working through that transition, and I remember all of us knew. We believed in you. We were like, "Leave your urology job." "You need to be here doing this full-time," 'cause we could see your demand.
And so anyway, that was just fun because I remember we all pressured you- to do that. And so then it was cool and good thing that it worked out the way it did.
Then a lot of us would've been responsible if it hadn't, but-
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah, it wa- it was still, like, a scary step for me, like, going from- a [00:08:00] corporate, like, healthcare position-
Kristin Kienzle: Safe ...
Mackenzie Gorman: in, like, a hospital-based clinic setting- versus, like, being the boss and making my own schedule and, like, being like, "This isn't just a side gig. Like, this is what I'm doing for my career." So it, it was a big step, but,
Kristin Kienzle: It's a lot
Mackenzie Gorman: ... I still think it was the right decision for me.
Kristin Kienzle: Isn't it a pretty big investment? You know, you've gotta buy-
Mackenzie Gorman: Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: Not only are you paying rent, but you have to, you're responsible for everything.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah. It wa- I mean, I, when I was just me and I was starting out, I was doing social media. I was doing administrative work. I was doing, I was being the clinician, like, doing all the treatments, answering the phones, like, doing everything all at once.
And I, some things I still do myself, and some things I have hired out to do, but it was still, I think, the best decision for me at the time.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, yeah.
Finding the Perfect Space
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Kristin Kienzle: So tell us about how you chose this space and a little bit about how this came about.
Mackenzie Gorman: So I looked for a space [00:09:00] for about a year and a half before I actually found this space.
I knew... Like, I don't, I, my goal has never been to be the biggest med spa in town. Like, I don't wanna be the biggest med spa. I want our-
Kristin Kienzle: You might be You could end up that way.
Mackenzie Gorman: Maybe. I have the intention of, like, giving the best quality care to people- with a small-knit team. So that's always been my vision with Meadow Med Spa and Aesthetics from day one.
And so trying to find a space that was, you know, 1,000 to 1,600 square feet in a reasonable and, like, desirable area in Wichita was very difficult. I had found several places and, you know, contracts had fell through and couldn't get signed leases. And I'm so glad that that happened that way- because then I wouldn't have found this space, and this space is absolutely perfect for us.
Kristin Kienzle: It's perfect. Yes.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: Great location, beautiful building, all the things. Yeah, it's perfect. And you built it out so beautifully.
Mackenzie Gorman: Thank you.
Kristin Kienzle: I know people watching, if they're watching, can't see, [00:10:00] but I mean, even just the beautiful wallpaper in this space and
all of your rooms have different wallpapers. And it-
Mackenzie Gorman: Yes. I did this wallpaper myself, actually.
Um,
but yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: It's pretty.
Branding the Meadow Vibe
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Mackenzie Gorman: And so I know we're in this room but part of, like, our brand and culture here at Meadow Med Spa is, like- Part of how I came up with Meadow is because even though I'm from a small town in Oklahoma, like we are in the middle of Kansas, and I want, I wanted to instill like a Kansas-based spa-
Kristin Kienzle: I love that
Mackenzie Gorman: in Wichita. And so my whole idea and like branding idea and concept has been around like Kansas-inspired, like na- natural beauty. And so we have a sunflower room, and we have daisies in a room, and like different kind of wildflowers that are associated with Kansas history, so.
Kristin Kienzle: I never knew that.
That's so cool.
Mackenzie Gorman: I had the idea to like name each room different names, but they, they aren't really named. They're just have different wallpapers in all of them, so.
Hiring and Team Growth
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Kristin Kienzle: So tell me about your [00:11:00] team building. I know you started building your team while you were still in your tiny little suite at Utopia. You made that work really well.
And then you've got a little bit bigger team now, and I'm curious to know how that all came about because from what I can see, you got really lucky with your hires, and- your team seems amazing.
Mackenzie Gorman: We have a great team. So right now it's me. I'm the nurse practitioner and owner. I still do a lot of injectable treatments and weight loss consultations.
And then Delaney started with us. Actually, it'll be a year it's a year this July. So, she started with me in July of 2025, and she is a licensed esthetician, so she does all of our chemical peels, microneedling, facials. At the time, because I was still working part-time at Utopia, like Wednesdays have always been my administrative days.
And so it, that role was real- that was my first hire, but it was a really difficult role to fill because I had the intention of moving into a bigger [00:12:00] space. But at the time, like I was still doing injectable... Like, I was still doing treatments for my clients at Utopia. And so there w- it was a difficult position to fill because I needed someone that could only work part-time for an, an extended period of time, and then transition into a full-time role.
I think I went through, like, 40 different interview processes-
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, geez
Mackenzie Gorman: ... to try to find the right person, and I'm so glad that Delaney found us because she's been a great addition to the team.
Kristin Kienzle: How did you find her?
Mackenzie Gorman: Actually, I think I ended up messaging her. I contacted Eric Fisher and got some of the contact informations from former students.
And, um, this was her first position as an esthetician.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, I didn't know that. That's crazy, because I know someone who sees her who just raves about her. Who's always been a good client to estheticians, always top on her, on her self-care, and she raves about Delaney's facials.
Mackenzie Gorman: She is very meticulous and thorough- with things. Like, if you get a dermaplane from her, I promise you will not have a [00:13:00] single hair left on your face after that appointment. Wow.
Um,
But yeah, she has been great.
Um-
Kristin Kienzle: You're so lucky.
Mackenzie Gorman: She's been great. So she transitioned from part-time to full-time whenever we moved into our new space.
And then at the old space, like- on a, on my admin days, like she knew that those were her days to work. And then it also allowed me to kind of be, have more time with my family. And so I allowed her to have Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and then all day on Wednesdays as her part-time opportunities.
And then now she's, still has Mondays off, but now she works Tuesday through Friday here.
Mackenzie Gorman: So. And then Addison is our newest team member. She started with us in November. And we did not move into this space until just, like, mid-December, so there was a good, like, month timeframe of all three of us in one little tiny salon suite.
So we-
Kristin Kienzle: In 112 square feet maybe.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah. Yeah. And so, ... that was a, a difficult few weeks for [00:14:00] us transitioning. But at that time she was kind of just shadowing me and kinda learning like, how we do treatments and treat people and how we create the culture here at Meadows so that she can be successful when we move into our new space.
Kristin Kienzle: Is she a nurse practitioner or an RN?
Mackenzie Gorman: She's a nurse. So her background was labor and delivery- and then she also used to do, like, health and, like, hormone replacement- kind of treatments. And then she joined us in November. And so she offers, she's a nurse injector as well.
She offers the same kind of injectable treatments that I do, the same lasers that I do. And then she also do- runs our, like, wellness and peptide therapy program. So she does all of our wellness, weight loss follow-ups, and peptides.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, I've enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Addison and Delaney as well. They were a joy to have around the salon in the brief time they were at Utopia.
And I know I said you got so lucky, you have a great team, but then you [00:15:00] said you had to interview over 40 people to get there. So what was your criteria? How did you know exactly what you were looking for? How did you come from talking to 40 people to ending up with these two?
Mackenzie Gorman: A lot of it was just, like, the logistics of I need someone that is available part-time right now, but will be open to a full-time transition- in a few months. Or I guess it was a really a six-month timeframe at that point. So that was probably the biggest thing. I had a lot of people apply that could only work full-time or could only work part-time, and so that eliminated a lot of things. But I also had a very, like, thorough interview process, and, like, Delaney can vouch for this too.
But I did two rounds of interviews, and then I had the people that were able to do that part-time to full-time transition, and they had to come back and do, like, a mini consultation. Because, like, I value a lot of, like, continuing education and, and just educating people. Like, I feel like that's what makes us stand out as a [00:16:00] med spa is like- we take the time to educate people on, like, why their skin isn't healthy or what concerns they have with their skin, and then give them solutions for that. And so being able to see the interviewees, like, do a consultation in person was a really big key deciding factor on who got the position and who didn't.
Kristin Kienzle: I bet that was so scary for them. I can't imagine doing that.
Mackenzie Gorman: I mean, I wouldn't like to do that.
Kristin Kienzle: I wouldn't either.
Mackenzie Gorman: I would not have liked to do that as-
Kristin Kienzle: No,
but that was smart ... but you know. How did you come up with that idea?
Mackenzie Gorman: Actually, I think my business coach at the time had asked me to do that.
But looking back, like, I think I would do that hands down-
Kristin Kienzle: That's smart
Mackenzie Gorman: ... every time. I know it was very nerve-wracking for all of them to do that. But it really helped me to see, like, how they interacted with people. How they do skincare products and, like, skin recommendations, skincare product recommendations, and things like that.
So that was probably, like, the most crucial piece of finding the right person.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, I think you and I know a lot of people in common. A lot of your clients are friends or [00:17:00] coworkers or something of mine. We kind of run in the same- circle, and I've always heard about you. People just trust you and feel comfortable with you, and I, it seems like you've figured that out.
You valued that, and that's what you wanted to project or make sure you're bringing in, in other people. So that was... I don't know, it says a lot about you and that you're able to attract people who have the same- approach and values that you do.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah, and I think, I mean, I really think it's, like, your team will stay if you create the right culture- in the environment, and that's, like, that is what I have learned from other places that I have worked. And, like, people leave if you don't have the right culture- and you don't value your employees, and so that's something that I really, really try to iterate in my business.
Kristin Kienzle: Do you plan to grow any more and hire more team members, or are you good where you're at?
Mackenzie Gorman: Right now I'm still doing all of the administrative work, which is a lot. And so I do think we'll still grow a little [00:18:00] bit. I think the next role will more than likely be some kind of administrative or practice manager role.
And then potentially a front ex- front desk position. Whenever we-
Kristin Kienzle: That'd be a fun job
Mackenzie Gorman: ... whenever we get to the point of, hey, all of our schedules are full and we can't answer the phone. So I think those two roles, and then potentially another provider at some point, too. But right now we like being the three of us, so.
Culture and Client Trust
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Kristin Kienzle: So I love that culture is extremely important to you. I think, as you know, that's also my biggest pride point to some degree, and the, something I focus strongly on. I'm super aware of who we bring into the suites and how it affects everyone else who works there.
And so my goal is always to make sure everybody loves coming to work, which obviously you're of the same mindset with building your team. But can you define like what, what is your culture that you're trying to, to accomplish? Do you want people to feel like they have good work/life [00:19:00] balance? Or I don't know, what, what stands out as far as your pillars of building your perfect culture?
Mackenzie Gorman: I think there's a lo- a lot of things that go into like the culture of my business. That's something that I've been very clear, and I've made, like held myself accountable to like maintaining that culture even when I was just solo by myself. And then I feel like it got emphasized even more whenever I started growing and adding team members that were all creating the same environment for people.
I want this to be a like safe and welcoming space for any client that walks through the door. And that's really important to me. I, have three different degrees, and so like education is like upfront our biggest thing, like education and patient safety. And so like I do my best to send our team and us to trainings and conferences and things like that to...
Because aesthetics is an industry that changes so rapidly that it's important to like stay at the upfront of like all the new like cutting-edge technology and [00:20:00] techniques and safety protocols and all that kind of stuff. And so like education is huge. Patient safety is huge for me. And then just creating that welcoming environment for people.
I, I don't ever want someone to walk in here and be like, "They just were trying to sell me a huge package." Like, I Try to have the client's interests up, like at the forefront of my mind. And so I have no problem being very honest and upfront with my clients.
And I, I can tell them the things that I can offer them. But I'm also not afraid to be like, "I think that you need a surgical intervention and need to go see plastic surgery down the road- because I don't want you to spend $8,000 with me when really this is the result that you're looking for." And I think people, like, really appreciate the honesty- that we provide here. And we get told all the time that, like, our consultations are very thorough, that no one's explained to them, like, what Botox does and how long it lasts. And all, like they, they ha- really appreciate how thorough we are with [00:21:00] our education and our consultations.
Kristin Kienzle: So you're not salesy. You're definitely working for their best interest.
That's the key to success, I think- is to be focused on those kinds of things rather than the money you could potentially make. I think the money comes. I will say just walking into your sal- your spa, it's not intimidating at all.
I've-
I haven't walked into a lot of med spas. In fact, I don't know if I've ever been to any. But I think pulling up in the parking lot I'd be nervous like, "Okay, they're probably gonna look at me like, girl, you need it all."
Or something. Or just be very I guess I would perceive walking into a med spa that they're all going to be perfect and-
maybe a little judgy. But there's something about walking into your space, it never feels like that. It always feels very welcoming, no matter who you encounter first. If it's you or one of your team members or just the space itself, it just feels very warm and welcoming and not intimidating at all.
Mackenzie Gorman: Well, that's always our goal,
Kristin Kienzle: so. Well, you're doing a good job of meeting it. [00:22:00]
Mackenzie Gorman: Thanks.
Build Out Lessons Learned
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Kristin Kienzle: So I can imagine that going from the studio space to a full brick-and-mortar had a huge learning curve.
You're educated in all things medical and aesthetics, and, I'm sure to get this done you had to learn all kinds of new things. What, what were some big things that you didn't maybe see coming or that you weren't prepared for or had to learn on the fly?
Mackenzie Gorman: A lot. I would say, you know, I went to nursing school to learn how to be a nurse, and I went to-
nurse practitioner school to learn how to be a nurse practitioner, and so there... We're still struggling with growth pains, being in a new building after six months. But it's taken a lot of business courses. I had been working with a business coach Lee. Yes. And she's fantastic. Honestly, I don't think I would be in this space without her.
Kristin Kienzle: I know I wouldn't be where I am without her.
Mackenzie Gorman: Don't make me teary.
Kristin Kienzle: No, I, I know.
Mackenzie Gorman: But I, I do think that she pushed me to be like, "Hey, you know, if you have a business and you're the only person in [00:23:00] your business, like, what kind of business do you have?" And so, like, that kind of r- made me think, like, "Okay, 15 years down the road if I wanna end up selling my business, like, how am I gonna do that if I'm the only person here doing
all of the stuff?"
Kristin Kienzle: Well, I know she gives you tasks and holds you accountable, and she would always rave to me about you, how, "Mackenzie just does all the work." You do the work. She-
Mackenzie Gorman: I do. You give me homework ...
Kristin Kienzle: you complete the assignments- ... and you do them well. A+ student.
Mackenzie Gorman: You give me homework, and I will, I will do it. I'm a very big checklist person, and-
I mean, my checklist is ongoing, but I, if I have something to do, I will get it done when I say it'll get done.
Kristin Kienzle: But I think that's- ... a huge key to your success.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: But anyway, go on. I cut you off. I'm sorry.
Mackenzie Gorman: But I mean, with all of that said, I, you know, I had to do a build-out. I'm like, "I've never built a house.
I've never built a business," so I didn't know what all that would look like with construction and having to pick out all the things, and like, I-
Kristin Kienzle: Leasing-
Mackenzie Gorman: ... I've ne- I don't have a business background, so-
Kristin Kienzle: Leasing a space. I remember when I was [00:24:00] leasing my first space, and even my second and third I continued to learn.
You learn terms and words. I remember- words being thrown at me, I'm like, "I don't know what that is."
Mackenzie Gorman: Well, and like thankfully you had done this before me and so-
Kristin Kienzle: It was fun to help
Mackenzie Gorman: ... I know, I know I had to like contact you a lot and be like, "Hey, what do you think about this?" Um,
so.
Kristin Kienzle: No, that was super fun.
That's something I wanna say too. I want you to get back to it, but I think that sometimes maybe people wonder, I don't really hear it a lot, but I think, you know, do people wonder if I was ever upset that you built your business at Utopia and came here? And I love when I get posed with that question because absolutely not.
That is the coolest thing ever to see. It is, it is so exciting. I was always happy to help you, always excited for you, because I can lease your suite, that's easy. But watching you succeed is a million times more gratifying than leasing one suite.
Mackenzie Gorman: And it was nerve-wracking to tell you that. I was just like, "Oh, I hope Kristin doesn't hate me after this."
Kristin Kienzle: Oh gosh, no way. [00:25:00] No, it was fun. It was cool Like I th- I guess I feel like probably like Lee, your coach, our coach also, I kind of felt like I'm part of your journey, and that's super- humbling.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah. I mean, I called Utopia home for two, two years or so.
Kristin Kienzle: Was it three?
'Cause 22 to 25. The end of 22 to the st- yeah. Yeah. It was exactly three. Three. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But anyway, go b- So- I'm sorry, go back. So you're talking about construction, so you're learning how to build out a space.
Mackenzie Gorman: And, you know, there's just growth, like, you know, like Addison was a new employee a month before we moved into this space, and so like I'm, you know, in the middle of training her, I'm being admin too, and then, you know-
Kristin Kienzle: And you're taking clients
Mackenzie Gorman: and taking clients. And then trying to move into a new, like scalable space. That was difficult, and we're still kind of doing that as we go a little bit. I do feel like we're settled into our space now- and so now we [00:26:00] can take t- take the time to like really focus on the things that we need to do to grow the business more and growing Delaney and Addison's clientele and things like that.
But it's-
Kristin Kienzle: Don't you think that's pretty fast? Seven, I guess now it's July, so you're seven months in and you feel like you're stabilized. That's really good.
Mackenzie Gorman: I do. But it's, it's taken-
Kristin Kienzle: I think it probably takes people two years ...
Mackenzie Gorman: and I know my employees can vouch for this, but I, I'm a ER nurse at heart.
Like I live in chaos- at all times. I have three kids, three puppy- three dogs. Like I'm alwa- I, I'm always doing something and we love to travel. I travel a lot. And so I'm just all over the place- all the time. And so it's-
Kristin Kienzle: You juggle a lot
Mackenzie Gorman: ... it's been challenging to grow my business too. But we kinda just go with the flow and get things done as we need to get things done.
Delegating to Scale
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Kristin Kienzle: So now you're stabilized, you're here, and you've s- mentioned that through this whole process you've had to...
You used to do it all. You [00:27:00] used to do the treatments, call the clients, do all the bookkeeping, all the social media, all the advertising, all the things, and you've slowly been offloading some of those jobs onto other people. How do you decide what to keep control of and what to hire out?
Mackenzie Gorman: That's a great question.
Um, I'm still kind of figuring that out a little bit as I go, but I, like, g- I go back to the reason of why I started, and it's like, I love seeing clients and, like, injecting people and making people feel beautiful. So, like, I don't think I'll ever, like, give that up fully. Um-
Kristin Kienzle: That's good ...
Mackenzie Gorman: but the things that take up-
Kristin Kienzle: A lot of people will like to hear that.
Mackenzie Gorman: Um, the things that, like, take up my time-
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm ...
Mackenzie Gorman: that I'm doing at home, like, and not- being able to spend time with my kids because I'm working on emails or doing, like, all the behind the scene kind of stuff. So, like, if I notice myself doing that, then I put that on a list of something that I can delegate and have somebody else do.
And right now, I feel like that's mostly [00:28:00] administrative kind of things.
Kristin Kienzle: And don't you find that when you delegate a task, like administrative jobs or your social media, that whoever you delegate it to does actually a better job than you were doing anyway?
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: I always find that interesting, ' cause as business owners we're control freaks, and we think we do everything better.
And then every time I offload something, I think, "Oh- should've done that a long time ago."
Mackenzie Gorman: And like, and social media was one of those things for me. Like, I do not enjoy, like, posting on social media or, like, just... I just don't enjoy social media, to be quite honest. And so, like, that was one of the first things that I hired out for somebody else to take over. And, like, I... I still, like, will get on my social media and be active and involved, but-
Kristin Kienzle: Sure ...
Mackenzie Gorman: I don't have to control all of the scheduled content, like, stuff. And that has taken a lot off of my plate. Because whenever I did have a newborn three years ago, and I was awake at 2:00 AM from 2:00 to 4:00 with a crying baby, [00:29:00] like, I had the time to create content.
Oh, gosh. And now I don't have the time to do that, so that's-
Kristin Kienzle: Your time is better spent- with your clients- and managing your team.
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah.
Advice and Wrap Up
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Kristin Kienzle: So if you could rewind five years and knowing what you know now, go back and tell yourself what to worry about, what not to worry about, things you should do, mistakes you could avoid, or if you were talking to someone who's where you were five years ago, what would you say?
Mackenzie Gorman: I would say to start small. Like, I feel like that was the biggest advice that was given to me, and I, I could not have imagined, like, going into a big space like this- and having team, like a team, and having devices that cost hundreds of thousand- Like, I could not imagine taking that-
Kristin Kienzle: And building your own client base.
Mackenzie Gorman: I could not imagine doing that from day one. So I think the best advice I have is to start small. Like, start with the most minimal overhead that you can. And even if that [00:30:00] means part-time, like, to grow your business. And I just think going slower ends up being quicker. Like, I have done this build-out with- without taking a loan, which is, like, unheard of.
Like, I just could not have done that from day one-
at all. And then also, I think kinda going back to, like, knowing your vision and knowing your culture, like, knowing what you w- are wanting to build from the beginning is so key. Like, I can't stress that enough of, like, just knowing what kind of business you're wanting to create, and then staying true to that throughout the whole process.
Kristin Kienzle: I agree. I love that. I, um, tell people, like yesterday, I had a tour of Eric Fisher Academy students come through one of our salons, and they asked me a question similar, and that's always my advice too. Like, know exactly, figure out what you're about and who you want to attract because none of us are for everyone.
And I think that when you really define who you are and who you want to attract as, [00:31:00] as clients, you get successful faster without, and smoother and- everybody's happier.
Mackenzie Gorman: Absolutely. And I mean, to add onto that a little bit, like, I know that I'm not the right injector for everybody. Like, that's part of my business mindset too, is like, we're, we're not the most aggressive med spa, and, like, we are very conservative.
Like, we do lighter treatments because, like, people don't want that, like, negative connotation with injectables. And so it, it is important that people are happy with their results, even if they're subtle changes because- and that's not what everybody looks for necessarily. So I do think it's important that people, like, look around at other different places and look at before and afters and see, like, the kind of results that they can get at different places because that can make a big difference on choosing who's injecting your face and who's not injecting your face.
And I think a big important part of- Being an injector and being able to assess people's faces is like being able to tell people no [00:32:00] too. Which is not always a bad thing. Like, and I know you probably know that as, like in the hair-world too. That like you have to be able to tell people no sometimes too.
Kristin Kienzle: This won't have a good outcome, trust me. But I think- that's where you've built and established a really good sense of trust with the people who come to you. That's, that's probably what I hear the most about you.
Mackenzie Gorman: Thank you.
Kristin Kienzle: That's what people say behind your back.
Mackenzie Gorman: Thank you.
Kristin Kienzle: You're welcome.
Mackenzie Gorman: I love that.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, thank you so much for taking the time to do this with me. I know it was hard to coordinate our schedules, and you were nervous, but I think we can both agree it's been really fun, and I've learned things about you that I didn't know.
I thought I knew everything, but I didn't.
So if someone's listening and wants to get ahold of you and visit your med spa, how would they find you?
Mackenzie Gorman: So we are on social media. We are on Instagram at Meadow Med Spa, on Facebook, Meadow Med Spa and Aesthetics. You can also visit our website.
It's www.meadowaesthetics.com. And then you can always call or [00:33:00] text us or send us a DM on social media. Our phone number is 316-302-4744.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, good job.
Mackenzie Gorman: And but yeah, we're always available to... Or you can just drive by. We have some people who just walk in too.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, great.
Cool. Well,
Mackenzie Gorman: I'm so glad that you had me. I'm so glad that we did this, so,
Kristin Kienzle: Was it more fun than you thought it would be?
Mackenzie Gorman: Yeah. I'm glad we did it.
Kristin Kienzle: Me too. [00:34:00]