Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Rabe.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi, my name is Ashley Rabe. I grew up in Columbia, IL and currently reside in Ballwin, MO. The infamous STL question-I went to Columbia High School (IL). I was an athlete most of my life and played basketball at Maryville University, which is where I received my bachelors in nursing. I have been a registered nurse for 17 years, with the last 12 years working in pediatric neurology at Washington University & St. Louis Children’s Hospital. During the pandemic, as a nurse, the ever changing dynamic of the health field, regulations and overall challenges took a toll on me. It was the first time I felt “burnout” in my career. As an outpatient nurse, I was able to work from home part time, which made life more flexible, but also made me realize this is not what I want to do for the next 20 years; sitting in front of the computer 8-5 and having my life under the control of someone else. I was at a loss of what else I could do to continue to serve others and serve my community. That is when the aesthetic side of nursing peaked my interest. I personally started taking measures to improve my own skin health. I realized the importance of taking care of the largest organ we have, our skin! I had struggled with acne intermittently as a teenager and throughout my adult life. I also was in the era of “the darker, the better” and tanned quite a bit throughout my teenage years and was starting to see the effects of sun damage. I wanted clear & healthy looking skin. Overall, I wanted to look good, be healthy and feel confident. I have struggled with low self-esteem a majority of my life and I did not want to live that story anymore. That is when I decided to not only start an aesthetics business, but also health coaching. I wanted to help others feel good from the inside out and to be able to do that at affordable rates. One of my philosophies is; self care is how you take your power back. I am here to help individuals look & feel their best in a safe space and without judgement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would definitely not say a “smooth road”. Starting up and owning my own business was a completely different wheelhouse than what I was used to. I have no business background and have been in the health field & employed by a large hospital my entire adult career. The logistics of the business side of things was quite the learning curve. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and felt completely lost. Small tasks took me 10 times longer than they probably should have because everything felt and was so foreign to me. I have been at my current nursing position for 12 years. I am comfortable, knowledgeable and an expert at my current nursing job. Starting a new business you are new, starting at ground zero and everything seems scary and overwhelming. I am still learning and have been networking as much as possible with boss babes that have been entrepreneurs for years to learn the tricks of the trade. I think establishing a community of like-minded individuals that help you grow as an individual as well as a business has been key for any success I have had thus far. I have to keep reminding myself of my “why” to keep me going in the right direction because there are definitely days where my ego wants to take over and says, maybe we should just stick to traditional nursing and what you are already an expert at. Learning new things and growing is uncomfortable and it’s always easy to run back to comfort.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
AR Aesthetics specializes in TOX, Fillers, and skin treatments to achieve natural looking results at affordable rates because you deserve it. I wanted to create a space that was warm and welcoming. My office is currently in my home and I want you to feel like you are going over to your best friend’s house. You can expect to feel welcomed with no judgement, become educated on your skin care needs and likely a lot of laughs and good conversation. I remember the day when I first went into a med spa to get a consultation for a skin care regimen and Botox. I was terrified and felt very out of place. I had no idea what to expect. I honestly walked in and thought to myself, I do not belong here and felt like I was being judged. I also did not like that I had no idea what prices were and afterwards had sticker shock at what I had to pay. I want everyone to know prices upfront and to feel comfortable discussing prices and what you can and cannot afford. I could not afford the prices at some of the med spas and I remember that feeling of embarrassment. AR Aesthetics is here to make you feel your best and will do so within your budget. AR Aesthetics was created because I love connecting with individuals and I want everyone walking around with their head held high. This stems from my 17 years of nursing, compassion and empathy for others and also from many years of having low self-esteem and just wanting to feel better about myself. I wanted to look in the mirror and have positive thoughts, not tear myself down for every imperfection I saw. My mission in life is to help individuals live their best life in all forms health-wise; physically, mentally and emotionally. When we feel our best, we can give our best version of ourselves to others. AR Aesthetics is not based on vanity as some may portray this type of field, this is improving one’s life by helping them feel the best version of themselves, increasing confidence and empowering individuals to know it’s okay to want to slow down the aging process and not feel judged for it.
What does success mean to you?
To me success is having the resources to design a life around what matters most to you and in doing so, being able to give back and serve your community in a way that comes from the heart. I also feel like “success” will be an ever changing definition for me as years pass. I already feel a sense of extreme pride and success that I have opened AR Aesthetics. Opening a business is scary and takes vulnerability. I have wanted to do this for some time and had always come up with an excuse why it would not work out for me or just wasn’t the right timing and here I am! Currently, my long term goal of “success” is being able to retire from the corporate world of nursing and not have a 9-5 and my schedule run by someone else. I want to control my schedule and my life. I have two best friends that are nurses and started an aesthetics business as well and we want to collaborate in the future and have our own space together! I’m new at owning a business, but I also believe as I said earlier, success in a small business or any business means having many ever changing goals, meeting those goals and continuing to grow as an individual and as a business. I don’t really truly know what to expect in my first year as a business owner. I am just hoping to continue to serve my community and put a smile (a plumpier lipped smile ; ) ) on everyone that walks through my door! Cheers to 2024, living our best life and doing what is most important to us!!
Pricing:
- Tox = $11/unit (Botox,)
- Tox = $10/unit ( Dysport, Jeuveau)
- Lip flip= $60
- Filler (Lip, cheek, chin)= $450/syringe & $250 for 1/2 syringe
- Medical grade peels= $150+
- Dermaplane = $40
- B12 injection $40 or B12 add on service $25
- Consult = Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://justglostl.com/ashley-fasciola/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/araesthetics_byashley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094585331750
Image Credits
Blake Thien
