AmSpa Founder, Alex Thiersch, interviews Founder and Operator of Rejuvenate Med Spa in Oak Brook, IL., Christina Imes, about how she opened her med spa after attending one of AmSpa's Med Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps.

Get to know Rejuvenate Med Spa Founder, Christina Imes

"When I was a little girl I loved to play board games all the time with my friends. Before they would arrive I would take all the pieces out of the box, and have the game ready. I'm not one for reading directions entirely, so each time we played the game would be different. I basically made it up as we went. Each slide, marble and ball trap in the Mouse Trap game representing whatever I wanted for that day. Each little carload of pink and blue pegs in the game of Life meaning something different every time we played. Of course, some of my friends had played these same games at their homes, and they did read the directions thoroughly. I was typically able to convince my friends that my way was better, and besides I was in charge.

Not until recently had I thought about how much one can learn about their personality from owning and running a business. Many of my employees would be able to tell you for example that I make decisions quickly (very impatient); I have a hard time admitting I'm wrong; and I'm much more of a big-picture thinker. Oftentimes personality traits are divided into good and bad. I realize that sometimes traits can be described as bad for some and good for others.

In the 2 ½ years that Rejuvenate Med Spa has been open I will tell you that impatience and the need to be right all the time are not so great for my business. Impatience led me to purchasing a $3,000 software program before totally doing my due diligence. The software turned out to be garbage, and the investment was a waste! I hired an esthetician not long ago even though my business partner told me he thought it was a mistake. "No, no I said. You wait and see. She will be great." I too had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to work, but my ego got in the way. Fortunately I did fire her after only a couple of months. However, once again money wasted. Weaknesses are hard to run from when you own a business. They weave themselves into every aspect of your business if you're not careful, and become glaringly obvious when they affect the bottom line.

With 2017 just ending, I was writing down my goals for the med spa. I began to look back at the mistakes I made in 2017, and realized they all stemmed from my individual, distinctive character. My class at Goldman Sachs pushed me to hire people who are good at things that I find challenging or unrewarding, but I need constant reminders to be conscious of these behaviors that can be detrimental to my business. Personality traits define us and can be very challenging to change. Some psychologists believe personality characteristics largely stop changing around the age of 30.

I surround myself with friends and employees who hold me accountable, and feel comfortable enough to come to me when I do something they don't love. I won't say I always agree with them, but it definitely helps knowing I have people in place who care about the success of my business as much as I do. Revenues in 2017 were up 40%, so we are doing something right! Yoga and meditation have also been excellent tools for me in learning to release the patterns of the past.

I hope my fellow scholars are able to find tools that allow you to stay focused on your strengths. I also wish that your businesses continue to prosper no matter how many little pink and blue pegs are in your car."

Get the LIVE tour of Rejuvenate Med Spa Here!