In a small shopping center in Newport Beach, near a Gelson’s grocery and a Nekter Juice Bar, I attended the opening of Illuminate Face and Body Bar. Illuminate is a luxury med spa that combines medical services and wellness rituals that help clients feel beautiful from the indie and out. Oh look… a kombucha bar. And crystals! This already felt different from other med spas I’d visited. As I wandered through the treatment rooms, I saw the latest med spa technology and was greeted by the friendly and knowledgeable staff.
There were many people at the opening, so I was fortunate to actually meet Founder and Co-owner Jeff Seery. He took time to chat with me about how he got the idea to open a med spa. And here he was 5 locations later with a 6th one on the way. I made a mental note that night to do a longer interview with Jeff. So here we are, a few months and facials later.
Meet Jeff Seery, the man behind “Illuminate Face and Body Bar.” This is the first story in my Entrepreneur Series.
MARCIE TAYLOR (MT): Tell me about yourself and what you did before opening your business, Illuminate Face and Body Bar?
JEFF SEERY (JS): I worked the early part of my career working for large fortune 500 companies primarily responsible for strategy, planning and mergers, and acquisitions. Subsequently, I used the skills developed in the corporate world to start investing in and helping start-ups effectively realize their goals.
Last year, my wife, Deanna, my 10-year-old son, Grayson, and I moved from Las Vegas to Newport Beach. We are extremely happy in Orange County!
MT: How cool! Welcome to OC!
MT: What challenges do you face as a small business owner and how do you overcome them?
JS: The biggest challenges I face as a small business owner are effectively differentiating Illuminate Face & Body Bar from other medical spas in the marketplace as well as creating the right client experience in each and every one of our six locations.
We are very happy with how we have differentiated ourselves through the focus on “beauty from the inside out” and the integration of holistic health attributes into our client experience. The combination of strong medical aesthetics with wellness offerings such as our complimentary in-room meditations and aromatherapy and energy crystal pairings really resonates with our clients and has created success as we continue to create an elevated client experience.
MT: What are you excited about in the near future, in the field of wellness, and the future ofIlluminate?
JS: The future of the wellness side of the business is incredibly exciting and ever-evolving. We’re in the process of implementing a new branded meditation series and are potentially integrating a life coach aspect to what we are offering our clients in addition to developing more in the nutritional space. Everything we do and think about ties back to how we can help our clients be as confident and happy in their lives as possible.
MT: THANK YOU for your time, Jeff!
Illuminate Face & Body Bar is a luxury beauty destination whose mission is to help clients rediscover their most radiant selves. They offer non-invasive beauty and wellness services, Beauty, after all, is much more than skin deep. Check out their locations in Brentwood, Calabasas, Newport Beach, Las Vegas and Santa Clara. One to note: Illuminate365 which is their monthly membership program. It’s pretty cool. You can learn more about it here.
