Today we’d like to introduce you to Kikue Misite.
Hi Kikue, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Nursing is an incredible profession. Working through COVID as a hospital nurse gave me invaluable experience with complex treatments and safety protocols, but I also saw how broken our healthcare system can be – and how much of our health can be influenced before someone ever ends up in the hospital. That pushed me into preventative care, where I worked in both primary care and sports medicine. Eventually, I combined my medical background with something I had always loved: self-care and beauty.
It was the perfect combination of science and art and ultimately led me to build Fiora Aesthetics. I’ve gotten here through hard work, persistence, and an incredible support system. People always say, “Don’t tell your friends your goals, aspirations, and successes – they’ll get jealous.” I believe the opposite. I believe if you surround yourself with good people who genuinely want to see you win, asking them for support and advice is the best way to succeed. And if you don’t know people like that then you need to find new people, because who you surround yourself with matters.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest obstacle was changing my mindset from employee to entrepreneur. As an employee, you’re taught to value stability and have systems nicely (or sometimes not-so-nicely, lol) laid out for you. But as an entrepreneur, sometimes the best choice isn’t the safest one. It’s higher risk higher reward, and if you’re a huge “rule follower” like me, you have to rewire your brain.
I still work on that mindset every day. I’ve learned that the most successful people aren’t necessarily fearless – they’re just willing to take calculated risks, fail, learn, and keep going until they succeed, despite feeling fear along the way. As Brene Brown says – when others are vulnerable it looks courageous, but when we see vulnerability in ourselves it looks weak. I personally don’t think we’re born that way, I think most of us were conditioned to think that way. So next time you take a risk that makes you feel vulnerable, know that you are courageous and not weak.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in helping people feel refreshed, elevated, and more like themselves when they look in the mirror, never like a different person. Although I specialize in various aesthetic injectables, I’ve unexpectedly become known for lip enhancement and facial balancing, and I’ve had several patients travel from across the country for this. I never planned for those to be my signature treatments, but they’re my favorite ones to do so it makes sense.
What I’m most proud of, though, is being part of an industry shift toward more natural, thoughtful aesthetics. My philosophy is that you should get treatments because you love yourself, not so you can love yourself. There’s a huge difference. When aesthetics (or any personal care) comes from a place of self-love, we can enhance what’s already there while still honoring the person in the mirror. I’m very intentional about who and how I treat because the goal is never looking like someone else…it’s choosing the right treatments for natural results that help you own who you are with confidence.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would give new entrepreneurs two pieces of advice: first, make sure you value the process, not just the idea. Motivation is always exciting in the beginning, am I right? But it fades…and building a business is all about the long game. It requires taking risks, working through uncertainty, creating your own systems, and continuing when motivation fades. Entrepreneurship isn’t inherently better than being an employee; they simply require different personalities. Know yourself well enough to choose the path that actually fits you.
Second, if you’re starting a service-based business where you provide the service, be prepared to be the face of it at least in the beginning. As an introvert, I definitely underestimated that part, ha! I do enjoy representing my business and connecting with people, but being “on” and extroverted so often can also be draining, because I genuinely care about being present with you – in person and online. But it’s 100% possible to balance putting yourself out there with making time to recharge. Even if it’s not your natural comfort zone, you can grow to really appreciate that what grows your business also grows you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fioraaesthetics.com
- Instagram: @fiora_aesthetics
- Facebook: Fiora Aesthetics
