Sara Cheeney is a mother of two, a medically trained nurse practitioner, ZO Skin Health UK Trainer and owner of Pure Perfection Clinic. Utilising her experience, expertise and knowledge, Sara is now set to become a business coach for the aesthetic industry with new coaching company- Clinic Success. A venture created during the months of lockdown, in which Sara has been able to catapult Pure Perfection Clinic to an even bigger success.
Background.
The result of a psoriasis outbreak at a young age spurred Sara to want to help and heal others with skin conditions. After firstly being prescribed a steroid cream by a GP, a treatment that left her with noticeable, deep purple stretch marks, she was better advised to undergo laser treatment. This treatment not only helped to heal the marks, but also regain her confidence. This was the lightbulb moment. Upon realising there was a multitude of treatments available to treat skin conditions- Sara acknowledges this as the starting point of her journey. It was through her own personal experience coupled with her innate want to help others heal both physically and psychologically, that Pure Perfection Clinic was born.
Sara has been a nurse practitioner since 2003 and performs all the medical grade treatments from injecting to skin tightening and prescription skin treatments and peel. Since the beginning of her journey into the aesthetic industry, Sara’s emphasis since a young age has been to heal patients and help regain their confidence.
Covid-19 Lockdown.
When the lockdown was announced in March this year due to Covid-19 it created a challenging time for the aesthetic industry. The impact on Pure Perfection Clinic was huge. However, using her skincare expertise as a ZO Health Trainer, Sara was able to adapt services during the lockdown. She continued to provide consultations and skin reviews from home. This provided consistent support for patients who were suffering from an array of skin conditions such as rosacea and acne.
A postal service was also provided to deliver ZO skin care products to patients already on a skin journey and new patients who felt their skin was troubling them during lockdown. Sara was able to deliver skin care products with a full treatment plan directly to the client’s door. This saw a huge increase in sales and home care kits working effectively. Recorded training webinars were carried out for people both in the industry and patients with skin concerns. And on a personal level, constant support was given by Sara herself to all patients and her team through the effects of the pandemic.
“I have recorded training webinars for people within the industry, reached out to colleagues who need support, not only for patients with skin concerns, but also on a personal level to support them. One aspect I have really enjoyed is speaking online on many live talks. These were held both for patients with regards to skin topics and to industry professionals about treatment technology. More recently I have given advice on how to re-open safely post Covid-19.”
For Sara and Pure Perfection Clinic, the lockdown situation has pivoted the business towards a trajectory of success. With the continued support and ZO Skin Health products for patients old and new. This saw an incredible amount of £36k of retail sold in just over 3 months the business was closed. Sara chose to see this period as an opportunity to grow, to continue to help others and provide support not only to patients but also to fellow peers in the industry.
The months of lockdown enabled Sara to get organised, restructure clinic operations and update all the SOP’s to ensure that operating standard was to be even better than before. Having always handled her own socials, Sara also took the risk to invest in an independent marketing company, Quirky Frog. The agency has been able to generate organic leads and ensure all marketing looks professional and consistent within the branding for the clinic. As Sara is the head trainer in the UK for ZO Skin Health- the branding was changed from purple to a blue, white, and grey palette to connect to the ZO brand itself. During the lockdown, a new website was also launched.
“I have reached out to other clinics to offer my support by sharing my policies and procedures and email correspondence with patients, and I have spoken with clinics on the phone to offer support and reassurance. I have also been there for our patients, even by just checking in on the phone to say hello.”
Having always wanted to start a consultancy company, it was during this period in which Clinic Success officially began. Although still in its infancy, the coaching business is there to help others establish a safe ethical clinic with amazing patient care. With the experience, knowledge and expertise Sara has established over the years and utilising the period of lockdown to do the amazing work she has been carrying out- coaching is the natural path to take, to continue inspiring and helping others in the industry.
A huge congratulations to Sara for all her hard work and ispiration during the pandemic.