“IT’S not really just serving someone’s vanity but more like making a difference in a person’s self-esteem. You help them feel better about their physical appearance and ultimately about themselves. I fell in love with the profession of being indirectly involved in changing a person’s lifestyle but somehow directly changing their life on a deeper level.”
Such beautiful words by Ms. Imee Ong-Maghanoy. Imee is an established aesthetician, a business owner and a managing partner for Image Spa MD. She talked about how she started in the aesthetics industry and how she loves her job, but more importantly, she gave me a whole new perspective on beauty and image.
Imee Ong-Maghanoy has a degree in Biology and Doctor of Dental Medicine. She works for a corporation/partnership that is founded by a known plastic surgeon. Their spa is now one of the most reputable medical spa facility in LA and has branches in Rancho Cucamonga, Encinitas and West Hollywood.
Imee has been in the aesthetics industry for 20 years. She started in the Philippines, which paved the way for her to learn the practice. She also believed it was at that time that she realized it’s what she wants to do for the rest of her life.
“Honestly speaking, it was more like a product of my own experience growing up. I had acne when I was younger, and because of that, I am always around dermatologists and skincare specialists. I became exposed to the practice and familiar with conversations about skincare. Knowing firsthand how it feels to have your skin treated or pampered, as well as feeling better about it made me love this practice. And that’s when I realized that this is where my heart is. When I was a patient at Marie France in the Philippines, I was very attentive during consultation sessions, so when I applied as a staff some years later and got the job, I knew then that this is definitely the industry I belong to.” Imee said when asked what influenced her to become an aesthetician.
For Imee, it was a revelation that took years in the making.
“I took BS Biology and pre-med courses and shifted to dentistry but only until I started working for a spa facility that I found my calling. Something I didn’t expect – I even thought (they) – don’t exist.” she continued.
“When I moved to the US as an immigrant, I ended up working for a Canadian company for a few years, then I got into this partnership for the spa I’m connected with now It was around early 2000 when the medical spa era has officially made its debut. So the timing was right.”
Imee also handles the marketing side of the business and is involved in training the staff. She’s made an impression to most of her clients because she focusses primarily on customer care and making her clients feel satisfied.
“When clients walk into your spa, we take each of their concerns to heart. That is when you get to know clients, what their concerns are or their problem areas and our job is to really listen to their needs and customize the plan of treatment to their needs. We give recommendations and motivate them,” Imee added.
“I have a client for ten years, who was my client back when I was in the Philippines. She was sitting next to a new client at the lobby and I heard her telling the new client that I have taken care of her for ten years and she’s really happy with us. She was vouching for us without me telling her to. And that feels great when your performance speaks for itself, she happily recalled.
I’m always excited when clients walk in and and knowing that can be part of the solution to their concerns. Being part of the process is an exhilarating and rewarding experience – seeing the improvement and the joy it brings to your client.”
Imee is married to Richard Sarte Maghanoy who is an electronics and communications engineer. Despite their busy schedules, they make it a point to spend quality time over the weekends. They have a daughter named Shannen, who is taking up nursing at the University of California in Irvine. Bonding for Imee means driving out to Irvine on the weekends to visit Shannen and catch up with her over some great food. When asked if her daughter has expressed a desire to continue her legacy, she sweetly answered, “My daughter is so passionate about her studies and what she does. She may someday think she wants to continue the family business, or maybe she won’t but whatever it is, we always support and encourage her.”
As a parting advice, I asked her to share some words of wisdom to those who want to follow the same path:
“If you really want to pursue your passion, you do everything it takes to make it work. You take risks, and you learn from your experiences. Also, don’t forget to look back. Cherish the people you meet in your journey. I’ve always been grateful to my past employers. They took a chance on me and that means a lot. You should also see your competitors merely as opportunities or options to help more people. Some (spas) are better in certain areas, so that makes it a win-win for everyone in the industry; it means more people to help and more people to provide help.”
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected]
