Daily Inspiration: Meet Deborah Long

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Long.

Deborah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My business was born from one of the most difficult seasons of my life — my battle with breast cancer.

During that time, I experienced an overwhelming amount of generosity. So many people donated toward my wedding, and their kindness gave me something priceless: confidence, hope, and a positive focus when I needed it most. In the middle of fear and uncertainty, I was reminded that love and community can restore what illness tries to steal.

Already working in healthcare, I had always loved connecting with patients. But after cancer, I began to see confidence differently. I understood how deeply our outward appearance can impact our inner strength — especially after trauma.

That’s when my passion for aesthetics was born.

In 2018, I began building the vision for my business. I started Arabella Aesthetics providing microblading and then a year later obtained a job in a med spa; while working there I attended aesthetician school, and invested years into mastering my craft. I wanted to create more than just treatments — I wanted to create transformation.However, while working in the industry, I saw firsthand how often profit was prioritized over ethics, and how patient safety and integrity were sometimes compromised. At one point, my own licensure was placed at risk by people I trusted. That experience solidified something in me:
If I was going to do this, I would do it differently.

In 2023, I opened my own business — founded in faith, integrity, and a commitment to serve. Here, ethics come before income. Safety comes before sales. And people always come before profit.

Through my business, I have been able to:

Provide free facials to teachers
Host breast cancer facial events
Donate 100% of proceeds from select treatments to the Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer
Share my testimony with women who need encouragement and hope

Now, as I celebrate 10 years cancer-free, I am stepping into an even greater calling.

This year, I launched my nonprofit dedicated to women’s health advocacy and breast cancer awareness. And I will be competing in the Mrs. Georgia pageant to continue sharing my story, advocating for early detection and ethical healthcare, and empowering women to reclaim their confidence — inside and out.

Cancer tried to break me. Instead, it built my purpose.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting my business was not easy. In fact, it has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life — in a completely different way than cancer.

When I chose to stand up for what I believed was right in a previous med spa environment, My old boss tried to stop me from opening my business, I lost friendships and professional relationships. That was painful and even though I was hurting, I knew integrity has a cost — and I decided I was willing to pay it.

The aesthetics industry has become more saturated than ever and growing a business in that environment takes grit. When I opened in 2023, I put everything I had financially into it. I was the marketer, the receptionist, the social media manager, the accountant, the inventory manager — and the provider. I ordered equipment, met with reps, invested in continuing education, paid the bills, did the taxes — all while treating patients. I still wear these hats today.

There were moments of exhaustion. Moments of doubt. Moments where I questioned if I had taken on too much.

But entrepreneurship has refined me. I’ve learned how to lead. I’ve learned discernment. I’ve learned that not everyone who smiles at you supports you — and that’s okay. You build wisdom through experience.

Bringing on employees who align with my vision has been another learning curve. Culture matters deeply to me. I want a team rooted in ethics, compassion, and excellence — not just profit.

Over the last three years, I have grown tremendously — not just as a business owner, but as a woman. Cancer built my resilience. Entrepreneurship built my strength.

And today, I can confidently say: the hard seasons shaped the leader I am becoming.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own and operate a medical aesthetics, in Buford Ga. A practice founded on integrity, safety, and purpose. We specialize in corrective skin treatments, advanced facials, and customized aesthetic plans that focus on long-term skin health. I’m especially passionate about helping clients who have experienced hormonal changes, trauma to the skin, or life transitions through services designed to restore confidence — not create unrealistic beauty standards.

Because I come from a healthcare background and am a breast cancer survivor, I approach aesthetics differently. For me, it’s not about vanity — it’s about healing, education, and empowerment.

I’m known for doing things ethically — even when it costs more or takes longer, for being honest about what someone does or does not need. And I’m known for creating a space where women feel safe, heard, and valued — not sold to.

I’m most proud that my business operates with integrity in an industry that can sometimes prioritize profit over patient safety.
I’m proud that I’ve been able to:
Give free services to teachers
Donate proceeds to breast cancer advocacy
Create community and build something from the ground up after walking away from environments that didn’t align with my values. But above all, I’m proud that clients leave feeling more confident than when they walked in.

What sets me apart is that my business was born from adversity.
I understand how deeply confidence impacts a woman’s life. I don’t see aesthetics as superficial — I see it as restorative.
I combine: Putting God and my faith first, with, A healthcare foundation, Personal experience with trauma and healing
Strong ethical standards, And a heart for service. My goal isn’t just to improve someone’s skin. It’s to remind them of their strength.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about our city is the strong sense of community. People genuinely support one another, and I’ve experienced that both personally and professionally. What I see as a challenge is the rapid growth. Growth is exciting, but it requires intentional leadership to preserve the heart and integrity of our community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arabellaaesthetics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Arabella_Aesthetics_
• Facebook: www.faccebook.com/ArabellaEsthetics