Building Self-Esteem and Confidence with Charlotta Pettersson Owner of The Laser Image Company & MD Needle Pen
About this episode:
Charlotta Pettersson is a Medical Aesthetician and Business Owner of The Laser Image Company & MD Needle Pen in Los Angeles, CA. As an immigrant from Sweden, she took a leap to move to America and started a business that sells microneedling pens to medical and aesthetic professionals both nationwide and internationally. They also educate these professionals so they use it correctly for the best possible results.
Charlotta believes that our skincare is so important for our self esteem and can impact how we feel about ourselves both personally and professionally. She finds joy in helping women feel confident both inside and out.
Topics Discussed:
How and why Charlotta launched her businesses in the skincare industry
How she educates her patients on their individual skincare needs
Her thoughts on how the golden rule, or “treating others the way you would want to be treated”, is so important to her business
Why she finds joy in complimenting others
About Charlotta:
Charlotta has been in the beauty industry since 2000. She is internationally trained at the School for Estheticians and Cosmetologists in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a master’s in fashion, print, and beauty makeup. Her experience working with top plastic surgeons has led to the creation of new advanced skin and body treatments.
Read a raw, unedited transcript of this episode:
Thank you so much for joining us, Charlotta, to share with us how you became interested in becoming a medical esthetician and how you help your clients.
Thank you, for having me. I had some skin issues growing up, no one in my family was in this industry and my dad is a farmer and my mom is a chef and a teacher. I had some acne problems and I wish that I had someone to go to help me with my skin when I had those issues. My parents generation, it was more like, Oh, you have something on your face. What is that? So you felt so embarrassed because you couldn't really do anything about it and you didn't have anyone to ask, and what should I do to get rid of that? And your self-esteem goes down everyone to have something like that in their life, a small problem can be a big problem So that's why I got into it to help other people with skin issues that don't have anyone to ask for help. And I don't want them to be embarrassed about it something is quote unquote wrong, but it isn't, you just have to know how to tackle it.
We can feel like that today. There's so many things coming out all the time and it's how do you use the right creams on your face? How do you make sure you're doing the right treatments to look and feel your best?
Yes. I've been in the industry for now over 20 years. it's so easy for me. oh, doesn't everyone know this? And no, they don't. They don't.
They don't at all. When I meet new people both at our spa and also when I'm talking ito doctors and nurses all over the country with my other business that they don't know. t's mind blowing to me because I, I thought people knew. But of course, I didn't know from the beginning either. So why should I think that they do? And there's so many that like, oh, but I don't even use moisturizer. when I talk about what I do, it feels a little bit. Like, Oh, you must be so vain. It's all about the looks. No, it's not about your self-esteem. It's not too much about how you look, but how you're feeling about yourself. So, yes.
It's so true because when we present ourselves in the way we want to, we feel so much better about ourselves and that can be different for everyone. yeah. So tell us about your two businesses?
I have a one and microneedling business and that is for medical aesthetic professionals only. It's not for the consumer which sells microneedling pen and supplies to surgeons MDS, nurses, situations all over the country and internationally as well. And if they use in surgery or in their practices, so we have online classes for them.
And how can Microneedling help someone?
Mictoneedling does not hurt because you have numbing cream on there. So many people that come to me at our office in Redondo Beach and medical office saying, why didn't you tell me this before? I should just start a year ago. But you were reluctant because it's needles in the word microneedling. it helps your skin tremendously. It causes micro injuries and it's a controlled injury because it's different depth of the needles that go in that the practitioner decide because it's different for different skin issues. When you have an injury in your skin or in your body, the collagen and elastin rushes there. To you know heal that injury, you get skin tightening, you get fewer wrinkles, you get good skin texture. And we treat pigmentation both hyper and hypo and melasma and poor. So it's an all over good treatment for anyone, any skin condition but it's safe on old skin color.
How often will clients do this?
They come in every 4 to 6 weeks to do well and you do 30 some three or more. I do it every four weeks and I have done it for years. \And listeners, you can't see Charlotte but she her skin is beautiful.
Now I think you know I have to represent.
Tell us about your spa.
We have a location in Redondo Beach, California. And we've had it for 16 years. We don't really do any advertising, but it's word of mouth and it's a small community like all the beach communities are. It's a lot of competition around us, but we pride ourselves to educate our patients, to educate education, treatment results. That's our tagline because as I mentioned in the beginning, I didn't have anyone that educated me and what I could do. And as you mentioned, too, there's so many people that really don't know what to do with their skin or they think they're coming in, for one thing. But it's actually another thing with creams. There's so many commercials you buy over the counter. Everything is in a nice packaging and. Good, but it might not be great for your skin at all. What is your approach to management? It has to be so interesting running two very different types of businesses. One is the location where people come in, where you have staff. The other is more a product based business.
So it speaks to you and your business acumen to be able to run both businesses, because I'm sure running one of them is very different from running the other.
Yes. And the laser image company where we have staff and patients coming in, look better, but also feel better. And they trust us. you have to nurture that so much more and a different way. you can become very close to the patients. they like it in a way because it's not a big spa we know them, we know their history and they open up and it's it's nice.
It's great that you help your clients to not feel like a number, that would make me want to come in instead of just going to a place where no one knows me.
And I say that to the girls and the guys, how do you want to feel when you go somewhere?
Especially with something so intimate as your skin and often your face.
You mentioned being from Sweden. Tell us about your leap to move to the United States.
I grew up on a farm outside of Stockholm It's called that awesome little town I'm from. It's very small. My dad has a farm and my mom is a chef and a teacher. When grow up on a farm, it's kind of a tradition that one of the kids take over. My parents opened a barn also at the farm to become a restaurant. So they had the farming and also the restaurant I was supposed to take that over and I just felt it's not me I just felt like something else is out there. and I needed to experience it. So that's when I got into skin care I went to an expectation school in Stockholm and work at a spa Then I was supposed to take over our business, my parents business, the restaurant, and I just can't. And I was so sad. I was upset and they're like, no, it's fine. But they didn't expect that, of course. I love that you trusted your instincts and made the leap. And you and I have a very similar story. I know. I didn't know anyone. And my family, are farmers, they moved here from Norway. We have a farm in our family today. And my mother was a teacher, I had someone say to me as I was going to move out, everyone I know that moves to L.A. moves back within a year. And I remember thinking, that's not going to be me.
And all of those things had to help you so much with overcoming resistance to anything.
Anything.
In your life.
Definitely, yeah. Your skin gets thicker. And if you can handle that, it feels like almost you can handle anything. It's a challenge and. It was a challenge for sure. I didn't know how big of a challenge. But when you're in it, you're in it.
And good for you for deciding to make that leap, for trusting your instincts and, following your heart and your passion to come here. And how good is it going to feel when you do become a citizen? You have to call me and I'll celebrate with you.
I now have dual citizenship that I will never give up my Swedish. I will have to push for it. So you just flag an American flag. And I love it. Yeah, we just built the house three years ago. And the first thing that my dad sent he signed a Swedish flag that I had to put up, on our house, in the backyard. I don't have it in the front because I'm not that patriotic. I had to film it when my fiancée put it up and we have the Swedish flag here, I'm representing and I'm like, oh my God, this is hilarious.
That I love it.
Yeah.
It's so much joy. Speaking of joy, I asked this question at the end of every podcast episode because I believe it's so important to intentionally bring joy into our lives. Every day. Magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business that brings us joy. What is the one tip that you can leave with us today about how you find and live your joy?
With the business I always, as I mentioned, give people a compliment. It's such an easy thing. Even a stranger like at the grocery store, if you feel like, she had a beautiful life or I love his shoes or, you know, whatever it is. Like, do that. Take that little step and be brave to give them the compliment because it feels so good to get one yourself \So that gives me real joy when I can see someone smile and in my private life. Joy is like sitting on the sofa watching murder something. Something on TV with my pups, or, like, reading a good murder book. Like, it relaxes me. I'm weird, but I love it. Do you think it's solving the crime that you like? It's the complexity of figuring out the situation?
Yes, most definitely. I don't read too much horror, but there are some. Some of them are gnarly. And my I give them back after I read them to my fiancé. Then he's like, how can you how can you read this? And I'm like, No, it's so relaxing. He's like, No. And he's like, I have to sleep here with one eye open. And I'm a man.
I know he's dreaming about someone breaking into the house or something. I have like, you.
No, he asked me who are you? Like, you're really who you are. And I'm like, I don't know. No, no, no. I'm not saying anything.
That's so funny. After my twins were born, I went through every crime show possible. And I realize at the end of 45 minutes, something in my day had been solved. I think that's the reason I went in that direction.
Yeah. No, it's. Yeah, it feels satisfying. And then if you write it to figure it out, I'm patting myself on the back.
I love that. Yeah. Thank you so much for joining me and us today. Yes, find me at www.theLaserImageCompany.com and www.MDNeedlePen.com