Owner and Founder of Manhattan Laser Spa
According to you, what makes one an empowering woman? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?
The word empowering above all means enabling one to contribute to a common goal, while proportionately rewarding such contribution.
I have found – through my own work experience and trial and error of sorts – that a proper reward is the best motivator for a team member, and I hope I adhere to these values at Manhattan Laser Spa.
What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?
My earliest memory of a leader would be my mom. I was the oldest of four children in a single mother family. We have had the unfortunate privilege to witness the demise of the Soviet Union, accomplished by a total collapse of any sort of social safety net along with vanished job security, so satisfying even our very basic needs such as food and clothing would have to become a creative act, usually involving short term “gig” type jobs.
What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the beauty and cosmetics industry?
Having spent my early teenage years in the United States, I have noticed that what works for me works for others at times, and so the idea was to provide services to others that I would myself want, which lead to my career as a business owner within the beauty and cosmetic industry.
What is the approach followed by Manhattan Laser Spa to ensure optimal client satisfaction?
Manhattan Laser Spa’s mission is to provide the most advanced minimally invasive results-oriented laser aesthetic treatments and cosmetic services in a safe yet luxurious environment with an exceptional level of customer service. We ensure that we are providing clients with an unparalleled level of personalized care every time they step through our doors.
What does a day in your life look like? How do you ensure work-life balance?
Wake up shortly after sunrise, get oxygen going on a 1/2hr run, prep the breakfast for my boys and after a little “me-time” attend to the business matters. Fortunately, we are not in the early bird business, so I can really enjoy the mornings.
The flip side is that we stay open late – past 8pm, so quiet often I must be withdrawn from the family evening routines.
Looking at your journey, what would you do differently if you were to start again?
When looking at my journey, a couple of things I would do differently are tactical moves to avoid certain pitfalls on things like lease language, equipment maintenance contracts and so on. Strategically, I think I’d do the same, but manage timing better.
What would be your advice for women entrepreneurs and leaders struggling to take that leap of faith?
I don’t believe in taking a leap of faith. At least in my experience, building an enterprise is a slow and methodical process coupled with a great degree of uncertainty. Believing in own ability isn’t enough – the idea must be accompanied by a verifiable plan – including the back-up plan – and only then luck kicks in.
Finally, what does the future look like for you and your brand? What are you most excited about?
We just opened a new location in Miami – a new state and new market for us, so my future looks pretty split between New York and Miami for the observable future. My main goal for the brand is consistency – any client walking through Manhattan Laser Spa doors should not know the difference in the quality and availability of services whichever city they find themselves in on that day.
About Mila Alishaev
Mila Alishaev is the owner of Manhattan Laser Spa, a renowned medical spa that boasts years of experience serving New York City in Manhattan, the Upper East Side and Brooklyn as well as Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. The spa specializes in a variety of services, including medical aesthetics, IV therapy, fillers, body contouring, micro-needling, cosmetic injectables, and more.
After coming to the United States from Israel in 2000, Mila graduated with her bachelor’s degree in business administration. Mila and her mom became interested in the beauty industry and began to build Manhattan Laser Spa in 2005 to what it is today, as two female entrepreneurs.
It started with only laser services, and now they have grown the brand exponentially into a medical spa that offers a variety of services to clients including CoolSculpting, IV Therapy, Injectables and much more. Throughout all the work Mila has done in her career, she continues to stay consistent and always strives for more. She is constantly looking for new services to offer at the medical spa and is always looking for the next potential location to open.
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