Meet Jennifer Withee | Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner

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

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During the pandemic, I was working from home and seeing patients remotely. I was grateful to still be able to help others via telemedicine and still have a job security, but I was beginning to feel restless and missed being able to interact with people in real life. That’s when I started brain storming. I guess you could say that lack of real human interaction drove me to finally take the plunge into starting my own aesthetics practice. It was always something that I wanted to do, but I guess the preservation of my mental health is what drove me to take the plunge. I have zero regrets.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My aesthetics business is something that has evolved from a passionate hobby, to somewhat of an obsession.

I have always loved helping people and making an impact on how people felt about themselves. Being in healthcare, this is something that you have to be passionate about naturally, because it is hard work! But I didn’t always grow up thinking I wanted to be a nurse. Everyone around me thought I would grow up doing something artistic or creative, but being a single mom at a young age, this wasn’t the most realistic professional choice.

I knew I loved anatomy and thought, heck, why not nursing? I enjoyed the fast paced environment, interacting with people, and the hands on clinical skills like starting IVs, and placing catheters. Fast forward from 2007 to 2016, I decided to take additional courses to become certified as a nurse injector. This is where my love for nursing, medicine, and art finally fused together into aesthetics.

The concept of what is beautiful or aesthetically pleasing can vary from culture to culture. I have struggled with my own indoctrinated notions of what traditional beauty standards comprise of. It took me a long time to appreciate that the things that are unique about me are actually what sets me apart. That is a mindset that I want to pass on to my clients. Seeing the boost in confidence in my clients after they’ve sat in my chair is so rewarding. My goal is to enhance one’s natural beauty. When we feel good about ourselves on the outside, I truly believe it affects how we feel on the inside. Kulture Aesthetics’ vision is to find the beauty in every face and highlight that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Arizona since the 4th grade and grew up in Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa. Some of my favorite places are in my own backyard. For a low key place to catch up and have a drink with an old friend, I definitely recommend The Sleepy Whale in Downtown Chandler. It’s a great place to start the night and it’s dog friendly (bonus!), but if you want to turn it up a bit and listen to live music, The Stillery is just a short walk from there–amongst other great pubs and restaurants.

One of my favorite things to do in the cooler months, is hiking on South Mountain, which has stunning views of Phoenix at the top. Some of the best pictures to take with the city skyline in the background. Tempe Town Lake is another great outdoor activity and I love stopping by Morning Squeeze for some brunch and mimosas.

For anyone who loves to shop, there’s lots of great places to go thrifting and hunting for unique finds, especially in Downtown Mesa. The murals there are also Instagram worthy and make for a colorful impromptu photo op. I actually got married in Downtown Mesa at Tre Bella near the Mesa Arts Center and the urban artistic vibes of that area is what drew me in to the venue!

There are so many great places to eat, explore, and do in the Phoenix area that it’s hard to choose. It’s been fascinating to watch the Valley grow and evolve into one of the most popular places in America. I’m lucky to live in such an interesting place that has so much to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As an entrepreneur, nurse practitioner, wife, and mom, it has not been easy juggling everything in my life all at once. There are times that I feel burnt out and overwhelmed, but somehow I’m able to push forward and follow through in the end. I’m fortunate enough to have an amazing circle of family and friends who support my goals, ideas, and sometimes fixated visions of what I want to accomplish.

I think I was always meant to be a business owner, but the fear of letting go of a conventional position working for a private practice or large healthcare organization always pushed that idea onto the back burner. I had been talking about starting my own aesthetics practice for years, but just didn’t know how, or know where to start. My brother, James, who is also a business owner, really helped motivate me to follow my dream and take the plunge into entrepreneurship.

I also believe that the culture of social media also influenced me in a positive way. I see so many female business owners sending out a message of positivity and following their stories and seeing their ambitious drive really helps keep me in a boss mentality of “I can do this, you got this.”

Instagram: instagram.com/kulture_aesthetics

Facebook: facebook.com/kulture_aesthetics