Today we’d like to introduce you to Alayna Forsberg.
Hi Alayna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated with my bachelors in nursing in 2014 in Milwaukee, WI and after working in the hospital for 4 years on a neuro/med unit in Wisconsin and then a neuro/trauma PCU in San Diego, I jumped feet first into aesthetics in January 2019 and never looked back!
I’ve been involved in education and training at every job I’ve ever had and my current position at SDBotox is no different. After woking for 3 years at a big chain medspa with limited opportunities, I realized I wanted more growth and education and to provide my patients a much broader range of products. I started at SDBotox as an Aesthetic Provider in 2022, and quickly became the Training Lead. As Training Lead, I was responsible for the ongoing training and education of our providers as well as the development and implementation of Aesthetic Training Academy.
I’ve since transitioned into my current role as Associate Director of Medical Operations. I act as a bridge between the operational teams – finance, marketing, PR, management – and the clinical aspects of the practice. I work closely with our Medical Director, Dr. Alex. Roher, to ensure our providers are treating our patients with the highest standard of care.
Most recently, I was selected to be a National Speaker and Trainer for Allergan, the makers of Botox Cosmetic and the Juvéderm collection of Dermal Fillers. Being part of this group of industry leaders that I hold in such high esteem has been an unmatched opportunity for my professional growth and practice development.
Everything I do ultimately boils down to wanting the best for my patients. I want to deliver the best results so that they feel confident and ready to tackle on whatever life brings. Look good, feel good. Right!?
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?
Every road has some bumps, and mine has been no different. People think you can just get into aesthetics and make a ton of money right away but that’s so far from the truth. I took an almost $20/hr pay cut when I went from the hospital to aesthetics. It took some time to build my skills and build my books but the risk has more than paid off.
When creating Aesthetic Training Academy, the biggest hurdle was content creation. I spent over 9 months creating the content that goes into the learning modules and I’m still adding to it!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
First and foremost, I’m known as an educator. Creating Aesthetic Training Academy is the culmination of my years of experience and it’s my crowning achievement. There’s a bottleneck for injectors trying to break into this specialty: there are a hundred weekend Botox and filler courses where you get to inject maybe 1 or 2 people and then you get a certificate and they send you on your way, OR you beg a practice to hire you as maybe 1 day per week and hope you learn enough by osmosis and do enough self-promotion to get busy. It’s expensive for a small practice to hire a naive injector – the practice has to pay you an hourly wage, they have to pay for the products their training you on, they have to take time out of their own practice to do the training…it’s cost prohibitive. Everyone wants to hire experienced injectors, but no one wants to give them experience!
Our Comprehensive Course is the most extensive educational program available for new injectors starting with 4 weeks of online education, followed by 5 days of hands-on injecting with Botox and hyaluronic acid filler. Our students get hands-on training with over 30 models which is unheard of for an aesthetics training program. They also get training on consultations, assessment, social media, complication management, and all of the other skills needed to be a successful provider. By the end of the Comprehensive Course, our graduates are ready to start seeing patients and give them beautiful and safe results.
Life is too short to be burned out and unhappy, especially at work. When you love what you do it radiates to all other parts of your life and I feel so lucky to be able to give that to others.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Aside from my husband of 9 years who has let me shine and been in full support of anything I want to do, the team at SDBotox is what really propelled me to where I am. Dr. Alex Roher, our CEO and owner has created a company that prioritizes the patient, and a company that people want to work at! After Rachelle Harding joined the team in 2023 as COO, we started building Aesthetic Training Academy and she provided immeasurable guidance on all things operations and has helped me grow as a leader along the way.
I wouldn’t be half the injector or educator I am without the aesthetics community as a whole. In this specialty, education is everything and I have had the fortune of training with some of the most well-respected injectors in the country. The aesthetics community in San Diego is small, but I’ve found it to be welcoming, warm, open, and nonjudgemental. If I have a clinical question, I can reach out to any one of a long list of providers and know that I’ll get a sound response. This community is rooted in science, safety, and prioritizes patient outcomes. Plus, it’s full of awesome people!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aesthetictrainingacademy.com , www.sdbotox.com
- Instagram: @AestheticTrainingAcademy @alayna.np
Image Credits
Sophia Savage
