Meet Trailblazer Le Yen Nguyen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Le Yen Nguyen.

Le Yen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For more than 30 years as the owner of the award-winning medical spa Ecobel Med Spa in Buckhead, Atlanta GA, I have helped thousands of Atlantans and people around the world experience and embody feeling beautiful from the inside out. My core insight into a life-long vitality and elegance evolved from a saying I learned from my parents as a child in Vietnam, and again while studying at the elite schools of esthetics in Europe: Pretty is what pretty does”

A graduate of 2 highly regarded skincare schools, the Ecole Internationale Des Estheticiennes de Direction (now know as Elysees-Marbeuf), and the Italian School Emmanuelle Rossetti, I received my French Board Master-Esthetician Certification in 1981.

Ecobel was voted Best of Atlanta in 2015. I was the recipient of the Uncommon Leadership Award by the Women of Wealth Magazine July 2018 and was featured in the magazine, July edition, in a 3-page editorial. I am certified in Anti-Aging Procedures by Empire Medical Training in 2016, involving the use of anti-aging medications and various interactions for chronic symptoms associated with aging and immune functions. I have trained with world renown Anti-Aging endocrinologist Dr. Thierry Hertoghe in Belgium in 2015. I am certified by CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology), a pioneering organization located in the United Kingdom. I am professionally endorsed and certified by Spas2b, an advanced spa training school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada since April 2015.

I believe education and training are the foundation that allows me to have scientific understandings to help people experience healthy longevity, life-long vitality, beauty, and elegance. However, none of my achievements would have come to fruition without passion and dedication. Whether to remove 20 years off a client’s face in 2 hours using dermal fillers (liquid facelift) or to restore internal homeostasis to reverse physical aging I am proud to say Ecobel Med Spa is The Anti-Aging Clinic of Atlanta.

I would like to point out that my journey to success in America sprouted from my personal journey. My upbringing in a blended culture (French and Vietnamese) in Vietnam, my 2 times start overs first in France and then in the US with all their challenges and adversities have molded me into who I am today, a strong yet gentle person, a tough businesswoman yet caring with a strong sense of community and service. My journey here today was not alone. Many people have supported me along the way, my family in France, my children’s unconditional love, my loyal staff, and last but not the least my customers and biggest fans.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, my journey to success came after periods of challenge and adversity. My career as a budding entrepreneur began while I was working as a manicurist in a hair salon during the day and assemble costume jewelry at home at night when I first came to the US. I noticed an unused empty room at the salon and decided to stake my claim of the American dream. I proposed to rent the room from the owner and invested 5000 dollars of my life-saving at the time to start my skincare business. Et voila, my skincare business was born.

I can sum up my challenges in 3 areas:
– Medspa is a competitive industry. It’s hard to compete against businesses that have low integrity, who drive prices to the bottom and make everything a cheap commodity. In order for us to provide excellent service, it costs money for training and the right staff
– The second challenge is the operational funds. Due to my very low start-up funds, I had to sacrifice my earnings for years in order to reinvest in my own company. I was lucky enough to have the support of my husband then and my children as well as my family in France who later invested in my company financially when I was ready to open my own spa in 1990.
– The third challenge is the staff. It costs time and money to find staff that embraces the company’s culture and retain them.

To young women who are thinking of starting a business or those who just started their journey, I would say “Plan”. A thorough business plan is a must. The second insight is to be ready to work harder than your staff but 100% worth it. Third advice is to set your goals really high. Most people are afraid to fail if they didn’t reach their goals, therefore they set lower goals. In my experience, even when I didn’t reach my unreasonable goals I still reached higher than the lower ones. Do not be afraid of failures; they build character.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ecobel Med Spa – what should we know?
We are a Medical Spa and Anti-Aging clinic.

We make people beautiful. We help people regain their vitality and youth.

We are known for our liquid facelift, Human Growth factor Microneedle to reverse physical aging of the skin, and anti-aging facials, We are also known for our anti-aging BHRT (Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapies) to restore bodily functions which reverse aging.

As an anti-aging clinic, our core philosophy is to support and inspire men and women, both young and mature alike to embrace beauty and elegance from the inside out via different sciences such as Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement, Medical Nutrition, IV nutrition, Cellular Detoxification,

As a brand we are proud of our culture which sums up into one motto:”Integrity, customers first, and impeccability in everything we do.”, and our mission to transform people to be beautiful from the inside out, one person at a time.

What sets us apart from others is that we treat the body as a whole instead of just a quick fix. The body like a garden needs nurturing, love and gentleness to blossom. However, if someone needs a quick fix we are proud to say that we are the only medspa who can take away 10 to 15 years off someone face in an hour and a half without surgery.

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
In my opinion, women in leadership roles and CEO positions are on the rise. There are more women running fortune 500 companies now than ever.

Forward-thinking companies are now putting in place gender equality policy, inclusive company culture, maternity benefits, etc. Companies also recognize that women’s soft skills and emotional intelligence are needed in the workplace as they foster empathy, trust, adaptability…

In my own experience, I have chosen entrepreneurship as my opportunity. I do believe we have the power to create our opportunities whether it is starting a business or strengthening our knowledge through higher education, etc…

Pricing:

• Our BHRT programs starts at 249.00 a month (including hormones and medical nutrition)
• Chemical and Cellular Detox 350.00 (including blood work), HCG weight loss 399.00 (including blood work)
• Microneedle treatments starts at 350

Contact Info:

• Address: 2996 Grandview Avenue
  Suite 224
  Atlanta, GA 30305
• Website: www.ecobelmedspa.com
• Phone: 404-960-0812
• Email: ecobeloffice@gmail.com
• Instagram: ecobel_medspa
• Facebook: Ecobel Med Spa
• Twitter: twitter.com/EcobelMedSpa

Image Credit:
Dr. Thuy Doan at Ecobel Med Spa

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.