Mary Dealy, NP, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years of clinical expertise from some of Massachusett’s most prestigious hospitals. Mary has worked in many clinical settings, from Emergency Departments to intensive care units to outpatient clinics. She has taught medical students and nurse practitioner students and has traveled to third-world countries to care for people who lack access to health care. In 2017, she launched BeautoxEtc, a Nurse Practitioner owned and operated cosmetic dermatology practice located in Medfield, Massachusetts.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Professionally, I have been very fortunate to work in an industry that gave me many opportunities to follow my passions. I have been a Nurse Practitioner for close to 30 years and have practiced in many different settings - most recently in Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. About 6 years ago I became interested in the emerging field of cosmetic dermatology. I learned that this would be a great opportunity for me to practice independently and open my own business. I started with one local training that turned into years of ongoing training both here and abroad to hone my craft and become an expert. I started my business offering Neurotoxin and dermal fillers, gradually adding other products and procedures. Over the past 5 years the practice has grown and now offers neurotoxins and dermal filler treatments as well as a complete line of medical grade skin care, chemical peels, and microneedling.
What inspired you to start your business?
After a long career working in roles that became more and more autonomous, along with the current healthcare climate where Nurse Practitioners are working more independently, I realized that starting an independent practice as a Nurse Practitioner was well within my reach. As my passion for aesthetics grew I learned more and more, and before too long it became my living and breathing passion. As I researched cosmetic businesses, I became inspired by other Nurse Practitioners, primarily women, who have started businesses and are making them successful.
Where is your business based?
BeautoxEtc is located in Medfield, MA - a suburb west of Boston. We service Medfield as well as the surrounding communities.
Who is your business role model?
I have role models from the business end and role models from the clinical end of the business. Regarding the business end, I have to give credit to @LexRx, a cosmetic dermatology practice in Boston. They started a Nurse Practitioner owned and operated cosmetic dermatology practice that is hyper-focused on injectables and skin care. This really resonated with me and after following their progress and success I felt confident to start my own business.
Regarding the clinical procedures, I give credit to @PA-Nicola, who practices out of California. She is very knowledgeable and generous with sharing her cosmetic injectable knowledge on social media. She posts things like “Anatomy Sunday” and “Friday Feels - treatment of the week” that highlight specific treatment areas. She explains them in depth and gives some great information. She is also available to answer questions about procedures and products. I really have learned so much from her.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness about your business?
When I first opened BeautoxEtc, I was located inside a day spa. That gave me some visibility in the community, however not as much as I would have liked. After 2 years I was able to move to a beautiful building in the center of town. My signage with my logo was large and had lots of visibility. That was very helpful. Also - my demographic is primarily on facebook, so facebook ads were helpful as well. SEO is also vital in any industry - people tend to look at the first thing that comes up when they google. Along those same lines, client reviews are a MUST! I recently learned a shortcut with the Google my Business APP where I can send a text to clients to place a review - this makes it easy for them. I generally do this with clients before they leave the office.
How did you start the business? What were your first steps?
The very first thing I did was to learn the trade. I enrolled in a basic neurotoxin and dermal filler two day course. This gave me a good fundamental knowledge, however I did not feel ready to perform the procedures. I then asked in the aesthetic community where the best training was and I was directed to Derma Medical in London - so I traveled to London to take the course.
I then had to find a medical director. At that time, NP’s did not have full practice authority as they do now. As the actual neurotoxin and filler products are prescription, I needed a medical director in order to have an account in the state of Massachusetts. I reached out to SO MANY physicians on Linked in to see if they would be willing to do this. I was able to partner with a medical director who was an anesthesiologist and worked with her for one year. I then decided that a plastic surgeon would be a better fit. I viewed the websites of local practices and found my current MD, who I have been with for 4 years.
What have been your biggest challenges in running a business?
Although there is A LOT to learn when running a business I would have to say that the biggest challenge for me is marketing. It is so complicated! Facebook ads, Instagram, Google, SEO, website analytics, and now tik tok and reels! It’s just not possible to keep up with everything from a marketing perspective. My advice to other entrepreneurs is to find a person that you can afford and trust and hire them to do this for you.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
That’s easy. BeautoxEtc is NOT a med spa, but a concierge, boutique cosmetic dermatology practice. There are no machines in our practice - no lasar, coolsculpting, or PRP. We offer the latest expertise in cosmetic injectables and medical grade skin care and skin evaluation only. We are not a jack of all trades - and our hyper-focused approach makes us the best at what we do.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
I would say that the road of a business owner is all about learning, learning, and learning. As a business owner the learning curve is steep and constant. You must of course learn your trade, keep current with it, practice it, and read about it every single day. You need to know your clients, your customers, how they shop and what they need. You need to learn about marketing and what specific platforms work for your demographic. You need to be constantly watching your competition in the industry and adjusting your business as needed.
How do you balance work and life?
I am at a point in my life where I have raised and launched 4 children. My business is like another child to raise and is an integral part of my life. My clients have become my friends - I know about their families, jobs, difficulties. My business is also one of my favorite hobbies and I never view it as “work”. The flexible schedule of a business owner always leaves time for my other passions, which include travel, pickleball, dinners and drinks with friends, hanging out with my husband and my German Shepherd Rosie, and all things outdoors.
How do you stay focused?
When you are so passionate about something it’s easy to stay focused! I have a great scheduling software system that alerts me when a client books or changes appointments so I always know what my schedule looks like. I can order products that are delivered the next day so that makes it easy to keep track of inventory. I also book in lots of downtime at my office to get the housekeeping things done.
What’s your favorite business tool?
I would say it is my wordpress website - it is packed with so much information and can do so many things it has been a game changer. That being said, I hired a marketing professional to manage, tweak, and update it as needed
I also recommend Quickbooks. It integrates nicely with my bank accounts and square accounts. Makes monthly reporting and tax time so easy!
What is your favorite way to decompress?
Meditation and Yoga. While I am by no means an expert on either - quieting my mind for that brief period of time is healthy for me. I also play a lot of pickleball which is great exercise and very social.
What do you have planned for the next 6 months?
Strategic planning for BeautoxEtc is definitely focused on bringing more clients in the door. I will have a heavy focus on facebook marketing and analytics as well as website analytics to track my website visitors. I also have plans to integrate email marketing to my social media in order to increase my email client list.
How can our clients connect with you?
www.BeautoxEtc.com
Gmail: mary@beautoxetc.com
Instagram @beautoxetc
text or call - 508-734-9529.
