Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anita Abdeshahian, Co-Founder of Javan Wellness, located in Washington, DC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Javan Wellness is a luxury aesthetic, and wellness medspa envisioned from the perspective of a patient and a physician. We recognize that everyone has their own vision of beauty. To us, beauty is indestructible – it evolves as we age and is conditioned by a persistent desire to improve our mental and physical well-being. Beauty doesn’t require reinventing or drastic changes. It just takes a little reimagining and enhancing what is already there. Our patients come to us because this is the vision they see for themselves in achieving their aesthetic and wellness goals.

Our licensed professionals offer the latest non-surgical, anti-aging treatments to keep your face, skin, body, hair, and health forever young. We pride ourselves on the ability to treat any skin type, gender, or age. Our medspa is truly where artistry and advanced technologies in medicine meet. Javan’s talented providers have mastered the latest techniques in aesthetic medicine with advanced wellness treatments, including Hormone Replacement Therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), IV Hydration Therapy, and more. We go beyond simply reversing the physical signs of aging and specialize in regenerative medicine to keep you in your prime.

Tell us about yourself

I’ve lived in two very different professional worlds. One centered on my entrepreneurial spirit in aesthetics, and the other supporting America’s bravest, forward-deployed in the most hostile environments abroad. Some people may think it’s hard shifting from the world of botox and fillers to the War on Terror, but I find it oddly complementary and even a release from one set of stresses vs. the other. Ultimately, each affords me a different way of helping people fight an enemy - whether it’s the aging process or militia. Goes to show there is an adversary in every story. It’s weird, I know. But I wouldn’t trade it!

People always ask how and why I stepped into the aesthetic world. Being a patient for over 20 years with my share of good and bad experiences drove me to create something different. My brother, Dr. Ehsan Abdeshahian, and I teamed up to create an environment that harmonizes medicine and luxury. Javan now has 3 locations in the Washington DC area and one opening this fall in Dallas, Texas.

Though I have a wide range of stresses and challenges like any other business owner, I’m motivated each day knowing I’ve created job opportunities in a positive work environment for deserving, hard-working people. Seeing our patient’s results and, more importantly, receiving feedback with their stories of boosted confidence and overall health has been especially rewarding.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I knew little about business and grew up learning the power of hustle from my father, who owned an auto mechanic business. I think I earned an MBA through countless hours and months of sleepless nights studying the industry and making plans for how I could improve it. I’ve been told I don’t belong in this industry as a business owner because I’m not a physician or an aesthetician. I think that’s ignorance. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. You listen to smart people, and as a leader, you make the right decisions.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I love my staff, and we have such a great relationship - but sometimes it becomes hard to discipline the people you love.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Embrace your failures because you won’t learn anything from success. Failures build character, make you work harder, and learn many points for refinement.
  2. Be firm in your vision but flexible enough to evolve.
  3. Understand the state laws surrounding your business as thoroughly as possible.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

To my fellow and future entrepreneurs: The idea of being a ‘boss’ is so distorted. I get frustrated when I hear people say, ‘You can do it all!’ with the expectation that you can be successful, look perfect, be supermom, get a full night’s rest, and have a great work-life balance. Sounds great, right? It’s not reality. As a business owner, things go wrong, and you make sacrifices - and that’s okay! Don’t be hard on yourself when you miss gym time or didn’t make it to dinner. Hey, you’re building something here, and occasionally that happens. If it’s a daily occurrence, reevaluate what’s important. But don’t be hard on yourself if things are not perfect.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://javanwellness.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/javan_by_anita/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anahitaf/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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