We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Crosby and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Michelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was exploring ways I could better serve my aesthetic patients. I was learning about functional medicine and how it relates to aesthetics. I love to teach and much of my feedback and reviews state how well I am able to explain things to my patients. The idea for an app was the conclusion that I could engineer something to help more women more efficiently for less money than speaking individually in consultations. I created the app as a starting point for all my patients. Like when you have to fill out forms at your doctor’s office, but different. The app tracks patterns of daily life, searching between the norms to find the optimal, from the inside – out. Luckily, I am married to a tech savvy man who believed he could build it, and then did so in 4 months.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe this app is a full circle event for my career. I started out as a janitor for a plastic surgeon while in college on a teaching scholarship wanting to become a biology teacher. That surgeon mentored me, trained me to be both a medical assistant and a surgical assistant and encouraged me to change paths into nursing. When I graduated, he begged me to do anything BUT plastic surgery so I went into critical care for almost 10 years, much of the time as a travel nurse, treating primarily the elderly population. Eventually, the heaviness of death was too much and I sought out plastic surgery again. 15 years and about a dozen specialty surgeons later, I knew surgical administration was not the path I wanted but the clinical aesthetics looked really fun. I met Dr Eric Ahn and made a deal with him to staff and certify his surgery center if he taught me aesthetics. That was 6 years ago. The emergence of longevity medicine pairs very well with my field of aesthetics and the science behind it is fascinating. The app is a speedway to the goal.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a beach girl at heart. I have spent so much of my life inside a hospital or an operating room, being outside in the fresh air with sand in my toes and the sounds of waves is everything I need for a nervous system regulation reset. I live in the SouthBay, and I ride my bike everywhere! I often have my guests jump on the back of my bike (if they aren’t comfortable riding their own) and take them up and down the strand from the Redondo pier to Manhattan Beach Pier, stopping for snacks, drinks, music, volleyball, and the best local shopping boutiques. I recently grabbed a new bag at Hammitt with my cousin visiting from NYC before dinner at Brewco Social. Another favorite of mine is Waverly Boutique in Manhattan Beach for the cutest beach living outfits that are comfy and great quality. If you need a place to stay, Portofino hotel at King Harbor feels very VIP without the attitude and breakfast at their Baleen Kitchen is an amazing hidden gem (get a Vanilla Cappuccino and avocado toast with chicken apple sausage). Live music never disappoints at the Lighthouse in Hermosa and if you would rather laugh than sing or dance, an evening at the Comedy and Magic Club will always keep you smiling. I am grateful to live in such a vibrant and fun area.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my husband of 27 years, Jack Crosby, an audio engineer with the courage to create this app for me. He never coded one thing in his life before building integratedHER. He turned my brain into an app and we are stillhappily married. Also Shout Out to my mentor, Dr Eric Ahn, for patiently teaching me all things aesthetics after my 15 years in plastic surgery as a surgical nurse. It certainly helps to know what is happening under the skin, but assessing and treating in the clinic is very different than in an operating room. He has always supported me professionally and as a great friend. He allowed me to say “no” as many times as I needed to be comfortable and confident as an aesthetic provider.
Website: https://Integratedher.com
Instagram: @integratedher, @michellecrosbyrn
Facebook: @integratedher
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