The Curated Beauty Podcast

In this episode we’re joined by certified hormone specialist and women’s weight loss specialist Karen Martel. Karen’s mission is to disrupt the outdated narrative that it’s normal for women to suffer through the shifts of perimenopause and menopause. Reliable information can make all the difference in equipping you with the tools you need to take control of your hormone health.

After Karen had her daughter, she experienced a cascade of health problems she’d never been through before. Even though she hadn’t changed her routine, she was experiencing insomnia, weight gain, and gut issues. Eventually, she sought help with a naturopath who tested her hormones—and that’s where she found the answers she needed.

She had a similar experience when perimenopause hit even though, at this time, she was working in the wellness space. Karen’s story is proof that you can “do everything right” and still experience health problems. What she found is that women are often given old information or outright dismissed when it comes to their health.

These hormone shifts can have a huge effect on your life, including your sleep, your mood, and your stress tolerance. It can change the way you make decisions, and make you feel like a different person with your kids or your partner.

More women need to be educated on hormone replacement therapy. HRT can be incredibly powerful in increasing a woman’s quality of life by reducing the symptoms associated with menopause. All women deserve to know about the tools they have in today’s world to support them.

Shop at https://karenmartel.com/shop/ and use promo code BC10

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Today we’re diving into a topic that’s making waves in the industry: the use of semaglutide. Semaglutide is a peptide that can be taken orally or through injection. You may have heard of it in terms of weight loss and diabetes, but today we’re going beyond glucose metabolism to break down the true benefits of this substance in transforming our health.

537,000,000 people worldwide were diagnosed with diabetes by 2021, and these numbers continue to rise. A condition like diabetes can influence or coincide with other conditions too. It’s connected to insulin resistance, hypertension, and systemic inflammation.

So how does semaglutide work, and how can it help? Semaglutide mimics the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone, which is important for regulating glucose levels. GLP-1 receptors are found throughout the body, and when activated by semaglutide, there can be a cascade of effects. For one, it can slow gastric emptying and reduce appetite.

Semaglutide has also been shown to have an interesting influence on adipose tissue. It may reduce epicardial adipose tissue and lower the risk of cardiovascular complications. Not only can it reduce fat cells, but it can also alter the function of fat cells too—making your body more efficient and reducing inflammation.

When losing weight, it’s difficult to maintain muscle. However, some studies have shown that semaglutide can help with the preservation of muscle mass. This is incredibly beneficial for overall health and mobility. Semaglutide can be helpful for multiple interconnected systems and therefore can be a powerful tool against the issues that plague our modern society.

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In this episode we’re joined by Kaeli Lindholm, the CEO of KLC Consulting and Founder of the POP Aesthetic Leadership Academy. Whether you need help with growing your business, building your team, or personal branding, Kaeli’s coaching style is incredibly inspiring.

We change and shift so much over time in our lives, and our businesses are no different. That’s why it’s so important to stop and take inventory every few years and ask if what you set out to do is still resonating with you. If you feel friction in your business, it’s time to reflect on if the direction you’re going in is really right for you.

What does it actually take to build and scale a company past $10 million and beyond? Once you have to start showing up as a leader, there is so much work you have to put into your own growth. You also have to learn to make sacrifices—and learn to trust the people you’ve brought on board to grow with you.

As a business owner, the difficult things you go through are actually stepping stones to becoming the person and leader you need to be. You have to believe in your worth and stand up for your values, even when doing the dirty work required in leadership.

The best things you can do for your business take time. Hiring for values, for instance, can take longer than hiring the skills you’re looking for. But, in the long term, it’s a worthwhile investment. The ecosystem you build inside your business is just as important as the services you provide to your clients.

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Leadership isn’t just about being in charge and making decisions. It’s about having the privilege to pave the way for a team, but it isn’t always easy to find the courage to take that on. When you’re a leader, you have to make tough calls and decisions that you are willing to stand firm on.

Most people are not born leaders. Becoming a leader is truly something you step—or even evolve—into. It also places a responsibility on you to create core values in your business, and these values withstand whether you are in the business or not.

If you’ve identified a problem in your business, as a leader you must discover the source. If it’s value-based, your answer will come with greater clarity because your values are your ultimate guide. If it’s a will problem (for example, if a team member lacks the will), you have to decide if you can ignite them again or not. If it’s a skills issue, it’s something you may want to work on with the team member.

The right people on your team will embrace their responsibilities and acknowledge their part of a larger whole. The wrong people will see their role as “just a job.” Your confidence in the right people should grow over time. If someone isn’t a great fit for your team, you might feel a lack of trust.

If you’re not sure if someone is a right fit for your business or not, ask yourself this: how would you feel if they walked out tomorrow? If you feel relieved, your answer is clear. Be honest and courageous enough to make the right decisions. If you don’t have that in you, then you aren’t exercising true leadership.

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Today we’re joined by one of my own team members, Lauren Bokuniewicz, who is the Lead Aesthetician at Beauty Culture. She originally started in the beauty industry with a focus on brows and eyelashes. From there, she found a passion for treating skin, especially acne-prone skin.

Lauren sees a wide range of clientele, from kids who are focusing on skin health before problems arise to older clientele looking to rejuvenate their skin. Transforming the health of the skin truly takes a combination approach, and at Beauty Culture, Lauren has all the tools at her disposal to improve your skin with precision and safety.

Laser therapy can be very effective on the skin, and there are different types of lasers available too. Some are safer for specific skin types, so this is important to note before you move forward with a procedure. Non-ablative lasers can give you a maximal result without the need for any downtime.

If you really want to restore volume and fill in wrinkles, you’re a great candidate for HALO. HALO is an ablative laser that has a customized perioral treatment option which can fill in deeper lines around the mouth. It is also helpful for acne scarring, melasma, and more. You can expect some downtime with HALO, but the effects are worth it.

If you want to see significant improvements in your skin journey, the most important thing you can do is commit to it. With Beauty Culture’s membership program, you can get greater value for your services while also staying accountable to your skin goals.

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Lauren on Instagram: @lauren.b.beauty

Virtual Treatment Builder: https://treatment-builder.com/beautyculturespa

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Doctors across America see patients for fatigue on a daily basis, but a root cause is very rarely investigated or found. Being tired is seen as acceptable and normal, but living with fatigue every day is no way to truly live. Because the underlying cause isn’t uncovered, patients lose steam when it comes to advocating for themselves.

Thyroid insufficiency commonly occurs as we age (as hormone levels fluctuate and decline), and this could be a cause of fatigue. This is often overlooked, especially in women who are experiencing menopause. Hormone replacement therapy that considers thyroid hormones can be quite beneficial if this is the reason you’re feeling exhausted.

It’s possible to test in the normal range for hormone levels and still feel unwell. The truth is that what’s considered normal may simply not be enough for you. It’s important you emphasize your needs with your health professionals, especially if you’re feeling symptoms of depression alongside your fatigue.

Your thyroid produces important hormones that have very important uses in the body. Replacing these hormones is quite technical and should be considered on an individual basis. You deserve to find answers and find relief for why you’re feeling the way you do.

If you are on thyroid replacement therapy and you’re still experiencing unwanted symptoms, it’s possible that the hormones you’re on aren’t the right fit for you. It’s important to get your thyroid hormone levels to optimal levels, not just normal levels. Find a provider who will listen to your concerns and implement a plan specific to you.

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In today’s episode we’re joined by Danielle Oyasu, the CEO and Founder of Beautifully New, which is a comprehensive medical spa in Park Ridge, IL. Danielle’s business and mission is about so much more than aesthetics—she really cares about bringing wellness to the forefront of her business.

Danielle first tried hormone replacement therapy with testosterone several years ago. After experiencing her first hot flash and other symptoms of menopause, she decided it was time to commit. At the time it was, and in many ways still is, an important tool that’s clouded by misjudgment. All women will go through menopause, but that doesn’t mean we have to suffer with it.

Most of the women that come to Danielle’s med spa that end up on testosterone replacement start the conversation themselves. Prior to this, Danielle was referring her clients to another person—but this person had ever-increasing limited availability, so she identified the opportunity to start offering it to her clients directly.

Women, especially moms, deserve to take time for themselves, yet they rarely do. Moms often take on the bulk of the mental load when parenting, and this can cause tension in a relationship. Danielle shares how she navigated this in her own life early in her career, and also how she’s preparing to transition to having a child-free home with her husband.

As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest takeaways Danielle has had is that it’s not about what’s best for her or anyone else on the team. What it really comes down to is what’s best for the business. Having systems and procedures in place helps make this much clearer, especially when difficult situations arise.

Beautifully New: https://beautifullynew.co

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I recently read a book called The Self-Managing Company by Dan Sullivan, and in this episode, I’m going to share the key aspects I took away from it. This book is for entrepreneurs who need to be hands-off in more aspects of their business, but it’s also great for people who want to work on delegating in their personal lives too.

Freeing yourself from the nitty-gritty tasks in your business frees you up to look at the big picture and focus on growth. Every entrepreneur wants a self-managing company, but you can’t build one if there’s no one to do the work—which means you have to bring people into your business and create a culture around that too.

Think of your ABC activities: activities that become annoying, boring, or ones that captivate you. Your role should shift to doing less A and B activities and more C activities. Delegating and automating as much as possible is crucial to making this transition. Considering how you price your services is also important if you want to scale.

You also want to consider your ideals versus your goals. Ideals can’t be measured—and therefore, they can’t be reached. That’s why making goals is so much more important. Wishes illuminate your path, but making SMART goals is how you actually get there.

What’s amazing about being an entrepreneur is that you get to organize your system from scratch. Identifying the unique abilities of others and hiring a diverse team can help round out your support. It also means that you get to operate within your unique abilities.

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Testosterone isn’t something we tend to think of when considering hormone replacement therapy for women—but the truth is that testosterone is important for females too. Without the right balance of testosterone, women will notice significant shifts in their libido and other aspects of their lives too.

Testosterone is produced in the ovaries—a fact that helps us appreciate just how significant of a role it plays in women’s health. Women in the prime of their sexual wellness tend to have more optimal levels of testosterone. The adverse effects of testosterone that give some people pause only happen when one is taking way above and beyond optimal amounts of it.

The sooner you can initiate hormone replacement therapy, the better your results will be. Current studies have shown that there are no adverse side effects when dosed within the proper ranges. Yet, when looking for support for their mood, libido, or other health issues, women are often not offered testosterone as a possible solution.

Testosterone naturally falls over time, and for women this starts in their twenties. This causes a significant decrease in sex drive. However, many women won’t bring this up to their doctor unless probed to. Those women who do feel comfortable talking about it and end up taking testosterone experience renewed sexual desire.

Hormone replacement therapy with testosterone does not introduce something new to the body. This hormone was once present in much larger amounts than any doctor will prescribe. Just because it’s normal for your testosterone to dwindle doesn’t mean it’s optimal. You deserve better.

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In this episode of Curated Beauty our guest is Dr. Lauren Fitzgerald. She is a functional medicine doctor who’s on a mission to help women optimize their health—and avoid getting stuck in a medical system that keeps people sick. She’s in the business of helping people get healthy, happy, and feeling beautiful from the inside-out.

Your body is your home, so investing in your health is incredibly important. There are so many baseline health aspects that are free to take advantage of, such as sleep. Getting exercise, as simple as walking, is also a great place to start. Showing up for the little things on a regular basis is what pays off in the long term.

There are also things you can use to jumpstart getting to your goals. Peptides can be powerful tools to push you towards greater wellness. Hormone replacement therapy may also be another option, especially if you’re a woman going through menopause. There might be an easy solution to your suffering, so don’t be afraid to seek support.

Dr. Fitzgerald has treated over 1,000 people in her weight loss program. She encourages her patients to drink lots of water, especially if they’re on semaglutide. All people looking to optimize their health should try and hit a daily protein intake goal. Living a healthy lifestyle is an incredible gift you can give yourself and share with your family too.

Whenever you’re making a change, the fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. Don’t let it hold you back. Dr. Fitzgerald would love to bring together like-minded providers so together they can help make tools for health more accessible. A significant part of being happy is being healthy, and she sees herself being a part of that change in the world.

Dr. Fitzgerald on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlaurenfitz

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