Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Sharp
Hi Erica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m originally from Knoxville, and after graduating from UT, I went into pharmaceutical sales. After several years in sales, I decided I really wanted to get into the practice of medicine and went back to Nursing school. I have always loved this industry, and my father was an Internist at UT Hospital for almost 40 years, so I was always around medicine and was fascinated by it and wanted to be able to help people. I spent a few years in the Trauma OR at UT, but I really wanted to be in Aesthetic medicine, Dermatology, or Plastic Surgery, and have a little more say in patient care, so I went back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Everyone knows getting into this industry is a challenge. A lot of people want to be a part of it and it’s competitive, especially starting out. I had a hard time finding something right after graduation, and not a lot of practices were hiring. I eventually caught the attention of another Nurse Practitioner who was overseeing a large Aesthetics practice that was part of a Dermatology clinic. The only opening she had available was for a part time position, and it was a great way to get in the door. It was hard, but it ended up being a great way to start. She was a National Trainer for Allergan, and it was great getting the experience and knowledge from a National Trainer so early on. I eventually got a full-time position at a similar practice and just kept learning and trying to get better every day. I opened Arabella a few years later in November of 2019.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ownership has its challenges, and some days are smoother than others! Everything has been such a learning curve on the business side, and something always pops up. This industry constantly evolves, so we continue learning, training, and adding new tools to treat our patients best. Technology has been the biggest challenge, and using technology to provide a better patient experience is very important to me. Most of the past few years have been trial by fire, but we’ve built a great team here at Arabella, which has been extremely helpful in navigating all of the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Arabella Medical Aesthetics ?
At Arabella, we specialize in Aesthetic medicine and offer a full suite of injectable services, facial services, microneedling and we have some of the latest technology in laser services such as RF Micronnedling and skin resurfacing lasers. We put a lot of focus on the foundational aspects of Aesthetics which would be medical grade skin care, and we have recently developed our own Arabella skincare line, which we are incredibly proud of.
We all naturally have something that maybe we aren’t exactly happy about with our appearance, but one of the most important things we do is help our patients feel better about themselves, and that’s the part of Aesthetics that you can’t see. It’s not just helping provide a more youthful appearance, or correcting something that they are concerned with visually, but how happy it makes them feel once they see the result of their treatment. From the time a patient walks in our door, we want them to feel better, and have the experience of visiting with their friends.
I’m really proud of where Arabella is now, and where we are headed. When I started, it was just me, and it makes me happy to come to work and see our entire team and how hard they work to provide exceptional experiences for our patients, every day.
How do you define success?
Keeping the lights on and staying in business! Obviously, success is different for everybody. For me on a professional level, it’s making sure the practice and our team is delivering an amazing experience to our patients, each and every time. Whether the patient has been with us since the beginning of Arabella or if they are a new patient, I want them to feel special during their time with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Arabellaknox.com
- Instagram: @arabellaknox_
- Twitter: @arabellaknox_
Image Credits
Taryn Yager Photography
