VoyageLA Magazine Interview
Hi Dani, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been fascinated with the world of beauty at a young age. I was born and raised in Dubai and surrounded by the luxury of glamour and fashion. I had an eye for aesthetics at a young age and loved seeing the glamour of the world. Beauty, cosmetic offices, and fashion surrounded the Emirates, and it was hard to turn an eye from it all. I would sit in my room and draw pictures of fashion and facial portraits at a young age. Drawing faces was calming to me and disconnected me from the outside world. I would watch old films and would be beyond mesmerized by the beauty of the old Hollywood stars and would focus on their facial anatomy and fashion.
Later on in life, I moved to California, and I knew I wanted to do something within the field of beauty. My passion for it all grew more and more. I was able to draw full-face portraits in detail at the age of 14 and got better as the years went by. During high school, my teachers had my drawings in their classrooms and even at small museums in cities near me. FIDM caught my interest, leading me to believe I wanted to do something with art or fashion. I embarked on my fashion journey and wanted to bring confidence to people through wearing it. However, I felt as though I could do more. Working front desk at a small medical spa during nursing school helped me familiarize myself with aesthetic procedures. I landed my first aesthetic nursing career quickly as a new nurse and fell in love with it.
As the years went by, I wanted to obtain a higher degree for more autonomy and skill. While working as a full-time aesthetic injector under a plastic surgeon, I attended my Nurse Practitioner program full-time. After completing my program, I was offered training positions by the biggest aesthetic companies in the world – in which I began training other providers nationwide on injectables. Through my journey, I’ve been able to brand myself, along with known personal trademarks nationwide under my belt. I’ve treated many big-name celebrities and built beautiful work relationships with them. My patient base has been with me for almost a decade now and continues to grow. The journey has been humbling and truly makes me thankful that I get to do what I love every single day.
Alright, 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?
Is any road worth taking smooth? I like to look at each of my struggles as a cobblestone that builds the path that I’ve taken this far. One of the biggest hurdles early on in my aesthetic journey was trying to find a balance between my professional career and my scholastic career. Juggling a full-time front office position and being a full-time nursing student, I had to make many sacrifices in my personal life as cutting out valuable time with my family and friends. As we all know, this is a temporary situation, and by putting my head down and working hard, I prevailed and was able to build the professional network that I had dreamed of for so long.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m a board-certified nurse practitioner specializing in aesthetic medicine. Along with injectables (Botox, Fillers, lasers, threadlifts, and other cosmetic procedures) – I am an elite aesthetic trainer. Many factors set my brand apart from others. I have developed my own techniques throughout the years and have trademarked them in the aesthetic field. I have trained other practitioners throughout the states and internationally utilizing my signature techniques. My brand focuses on refined aesthetic treatments to harmonize the face while yielding the most natural yet impactful results. Because I am both a national & international trainer, I am exposed to the most advanced treatments on the market. This allows me to provide elevated techniques to my patients that others may have yet to learn. My greatest pride is growing with my patients and being apart of their lives – seeing them flourish in life from the beginning of my career until now is priceless. I would like the readers to know that the brand, Refined by Dani-Michael™, is not only a fully functioning skincare line but also represents me as an aesthetic provider, international trainer, and national speaker.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
In the beginning of my career, support was far and few between. Because of my personal experience, I know the challenges that entail in getting a business off the ground. Incorporating other small or new businesses into patient appreciation events is a great way to help these businesses grow. This is my way of offering the helping hand that I wish I had offered to me in the beginning.
