Tucked away inside a small office in the Hairworx Salon is Yelm’s newest medical spa, Aurora Aesthetics and Wellness.
Led by nurse practitioner Megan Wollitz, the business opened last week at 205 N. First St. and offers wrinkle reducers, dermal fillers, microneedling and chemical face and body peels. Wollitz, originally from Florida, moved to Yelm in August from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she worked for Aurora’s sister business, Borealis Med Spa.
She brings 14 years of medical experience with her, six years as a nurse practitioner and over two years in aesthetics. Wollitz earned a doctorate in nursing practice from the University of North Florida in 2018 and eventually became a family nurse practitioner there. Wollitz dove into the aesthetics field after working as an intensive care unit nurse and looking for something different.
“I was just looking for something that was not so sad. Then, when I started working as a nurse practitioner, I was working with people that were sick or that were not that happy to see you,” she said.
While working at Borealis in Alaska, Wollitz learned the skills necessary to satisfy patients’ needs and also built the confidence to create her own clientele and run the business in a different state.
“At Borealis, our ultimate goal was patient results and patient satisfaction. I think those things just correlate positively with each other. Your sales go up because your patients trust you because you’re recommending the right things,” she said.
One thing that separates Wollitz is her ability to build rapport by putting aside her desire for sales in order to find what works best for every customer.
“People can tell when you’re yanking their chain. I try to be very transparent about what I’ve had done,” she said. “If somebody comes in and they say, ‘This thing is bothering me,’ instead of listening to them with my clinician eye, I try to be very intentional to address what they’re saying is their primary concern because they look at themselves every day.
Wollitz admitted that business has been a little slow since she opened her books last month, but she is excited for the opportunity that Yelm’s supportive community presents, especially operating within Hairworx.
“My husband and I have been really dealing with culture shock since moving to Washington,” she said. “This seems like it’s in a pretty decent spot. It seems pretty walkable from some of the other small businesses, which I really like. I’m still making myself available 30 to 40 hours a week even if my books are empty because I don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. I think this is a great place to find those opportunities.”
Wollitz has teamed up with Hairworx for a holiday market from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, that will highlight other local vendors. Aurora Aesthetics & Wellness also offers complimentary consultations as well grand opening specials.
To learn more about Aurora Aesthetics & Wellness, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568768318920 and its Vagaro website at vagaro.com/auroraaestheticsandwellness.
