We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Gracom and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I wish I could say I started my business with a lot of foresight and planning but it really came from a place of necessity. My home life was in shambles with an abusive and unstable spouse and the office I was working at had a unethical owner, pushing expired products with little care for client safety or benefit. I was trying to care for people in a soulless environment. I had no escape from stress and no peace in my professional or personal life.
I remember being in the kitchen at work when a staff member said to me “wouldn’t it be nice if we could work with just you and some of the staff at our own office?” That was what started it all for me. I needed to have some semblance of control in my spinning life and wanted to establish an environment that fostered good energy, peace, and hope. I wanted to WANT to go to work every day! It was also important to me to have control over how I worked. I wanted to be able to do what I felt was best for those that came to see me, and have more time to spend listening to what people need. Caring for a person as a whole and not as a body part or disease has always been my passion.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING IN YOUR INDUSTRY THAT OUTSIDERS ARE UNAWARE OF?

The skin is your largest organ. The health of your skin impacts your body as a whole and health of your body affects your skin. They are not separate from each other. Taking care of your skin does not mean you are frivolous or vain. Anti-aging and health applies to every organ.

RISK TAKING: HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT RISK? WHAT ROLE HAS TAKING RISKS PLAYED IN YOUR LIFE/CAREER?

I truly believe risk is a vital part of business. Now it can be calculated risk, but growth cannot happen without a leap of faith. I am a big believer in the principle of simply move forward and others will fall in line or move out of the way! It is impossible to move forward in life or business without risk. Now, don’t take that as me saying I am not scared of risk. It is always scary but often the reward outweighs the fear. I also had to train myself to be okay with failure. I have to often remind myself that if I fail at option A, I can always try again or even pivot and pursue option B. Failure is absolutely normal!

OTHER THAN WORKING FOR YOURSELF, WHAT WAS THE SINCLE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU MADE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR SUCCESS?

The biggest decision I have made that has contributed to my success may sound trite, but it was simply deciding that I can do it. That I am worthy of success. Our minds are so powerful. Having a mindset of fear or even having ceilings on your goals is more detrimental than we often know. I have daily affirmations and both short and long term goals that I set. (I also keep raising the goals on a regular basis.) I actually have alerts set on my phone that will remind me to stop and read back to myself these affirmations and goals so that I do not forget them throughout my busy day.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR BEHIND YOUR SUCCESS/THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BRAND?

The success of my business and brand is hands down owed to my passion for this industry and learning in general. I like to say that I do not have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) but that I am OCA (obsessive compulsive advantaged!) My attention to learning and detail is most certainly an advantage. I am willing to invest whatever time and money is needed to provide the best services to my clients.
The second reason my business has been successful goes back to why I founded it in the beginning. I needed a safe place that I wanted to come to spend time at. I extend that environment to every person that comes through the door. Each person is welcomed into our family and treated the way that I would want to be treated as an individual.

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION YOU’VE EVER HAD TO MAKE?

I have had a couple of difficult decisions in my life. The first was to leave my home in CA for college in New York. This may not sound incredibly hard. However, I was homeschooled and raised in an extremely conservative religion that did not condone higher education or careers for women. I was taught that as an unmarried female I was to stay in my father’s household until married and leaving home would open me up to harm. Moving to New York meant that I was rejecting a whole belief system, my family’s values, and starting over as an extremely naive adult without any support in a big city.
The second was when I started my business and left an abusive marriage within a few months of each other. I was afraid that I would not be able to do it all and support my children financially and emotionally. I was not sure that I was strong enough. However, both decisions were risks well worth taking and paid off tremendously in bettering my children’s and my life.

WORK LIFE BALANCE: HOW HAS YOUR BALANCE CHANGED OVER TIME? HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BALANCE?

I used to try and do it all and live up to this perfect image of a working mother. That all changes one day when I read an article interviewing a successful female businesswoman and what she said made a huge impact on me. She said that in life something is always on fire. One simply cannot do it all so stop pretending. You need to choose what is on fire when. As a single mom and business owner, I choose to focus on what is before me. So when I am home, I am with my kids 100% and perhaps something in my business is on fire. In the same way, when I am at work, I am focused 100% on our clients even if something in my home life is not going well. I think that is the key to balance is doing your current task well and don’t let yourself be distracted by how much you have to juggle overall.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE OR AFFIRMATION? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU/WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

“ I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung

This quote is so liberating to me! It reminds me to let go of any shame from how I was raised, any pain from abuses suffered, any opinions of what or who I was told to be, and create the life that I want. We all have the power to become what it is we desire to be.

WHY DID YOU PURSUE AN ARTISTIC OR CREATIVE CAREER?

I love having an artistic job as it allows me to give a little piece of myself to each client. I can combine my passion and love for science & learning together with my desire to better the lives of others. This allows me to invest in people not only in physical way, but also emotionally.

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE? WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOU?

I want to be remembered for the impact I made on people’s lives. I want people to feel like I invested in them personally. I want my children to see that they too can create the life that they want no matter where they find themselves or what life throws at them.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At Complete Care Medical Spa I treat the person as a whole. My approach to cosmetic and anti-aging treatments start from the inside with nutrition, hormonal balance, and wellbeing, then extend to the skin with facials, lasers, Botox, and filler. Most people don’t realize that your skin is your largest organ. The health of your skin impacts your body as a whole and health of your body affects your skin. They are not separate from each other. I pride myself on being at the forefront of education and technology. The success of my business and brand is hands down owed to my passion for this industry and learning in general. I like to say that I do not have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) but that I am OCA (obsessive compulsive advantaged!) My attention to learning and detail is most certainly an advantage. I am willing to invest whatever time and money is needed to provide the best services to my clients.
My route to owning a business and being successful has been circuitous. I founded my business in haste and under duress in both my personal and professional life. However, in my need to establish a career that I was excited to be a part of, I was able to create place of safety, hope, and peace for my clients and myself. I think this sense of authenticity is what has grown my business to where it is today. Was this as easy as it sounds? Absolutely not! I have had many times that I was ready to throw in the towel, but I believe in living without regret. Every time I wanted to give up, I would think about what I would regret more, quitting or failing. I knew I would regret more if I ever quit. The reason I am here today is because I always persisted without fail and had an indomitable spirit.
If I could impart one thing to everyone I meet, it would be that you too can create the life that you want no matter where you find yourself or what life throws at you. Be true to who you are, invite others into your circle, and treat them the way you would want to be treated.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love live music so finding a waterside concert at a venue like The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego would be ideal. The view is to die for at sunset and then pair that with great music and I am in heaven! On the way to San Diego, I would also stop off to eat amazing Mexican food in Old Town San Diego. Perhaps there would be time to relax at the beach in La Jolla or take another day to spend at Balboa Park in San Diego. Near my home, I like to visit Laguna Beach for food, shopping, and beach time. I love a good walk or hike so walking Salt Creek Trail in Laguna Niguel or Hiking Top of the World in Laguna Beach is a great way to unwind.
I can never turn down the LA Zoo. It holds so many great childhood memories for me along with the Farmer’s Market LA. It is so fun to explore and sample an amazing variety of foods there. These are definitely a nostalgic duo for me.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have a few friends that have been a source of strength and inspiration through thick and thin. The first is Karyn Thompson at Team Thompson Auto Body. She always has encouraged and inspired me along my journey. I also wouldn’t be where I am without Stuart Haskin of Get Safe USA. It was through him that I learned personal safety, and self confidence. He has also been a fabulous mentor and can dole out some great business advice. Lastly, my office manager, Kristi Jolliffe is the thread that holds the office together. She works tirelessly for both the client and the business. I am grateful for my village!

Website: www.completecaremedicalspa.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/themedspamaster/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/completecaremedspa/

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