How old are your kids and how long have you lived in the area? I have two girls; Analisa is 12 and Simone is 9. We moved to Southport from Rowayton 7 years ago and have loved the transition.How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? I have been practicing as a Physician Assistant for 21 years. Prior to joining New Beauty and Wellness, I had been working at a busy dermatology practice for 13 years. I have also been working for Allergan as an injection trainer for 11 out of my 13 years in Connecticut. My passion falls within the cosmetic arena and New Beauty and Wellness allows me to direct my focus on just that.
New Beauty and Wellness is a diamond in the rough and there is nothing like it in Fairfield County. The staff here are passionate about creating a unique experience for their guests. It’s not just about the time spent in my chair. The patient experience begins from the minute you walk in the door until the minute you leave. There is a tranquil, intimate, and luxurious feeling about it’s space and a demand for excellence to be the best at what it does.
Wellness is something I realized that I needed to incorporate more in my own personal and professional life. I had been seeing 30-40 patients a day at my previous practice and not only had very little left at the end of the day to give to my family, but I had lost sight of why I fell in love with medicine in the first place. My energy tank is now filled every day I walk into work which has allowed me to be more creative than ever before. I am not pressed to see as many patients in a day and I am able to spend the time to develop treatment plans that are well thought out and executed with precision. The best medical providers are those who have the time and the emotional bandwidth to practice with empathy and compassion. I am so grateful that so many of my long term patients have found me here. They can sense the calmness I have regained. I am thrilled to have found my new home at New Beauty and Wellness.
What was your best memory from the last year, a strange year we know…Definitely watching my parents learn to live life to its fullest again after being vaccinated.
What are you looking forward to this year? Checking things off my bucket list. Life is too short as we have all learned.
What book are you currently reading? My eldest daughter is a historical fiction fan. She has convinced me to start one of her favorite recent reads… Lovely War.
What’s your favorite app right now – for you- for your kids. Instagram – although it’s a love/hate relationship. We have yet to allow our children to have one.
What’s one food you could not live without? I can’t lie – CANDY and everyone who knows me well will agree. I now only need a few pieces a day with an occasional splurge on an entire box (okay or two) of HOT TAMALES.
What is one thing people are surprised to know about you? I once, like a fool, owned and rode a motorcycle.
If you weren’t doing what you are today, what do you think your career path might have been? I never had the skill, but I would have loved to have been a dancer. It’s by far the most moving artform for me to watch. Good dancers can tell a story with their movement and it can frequently bring me to tears.
If you had 24 hours to do what ever you wanted to do what would it be? Successfully change the opinion of an ignorant thought.
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? By far the visits to Syria to see my in-laws and extended family. The culture and history is rich and the Syrian people are so warm, so loving, and so hospitable. Some of my fondest memories have been created there.
What is the best white lie you have told your kids? That I had a hidden camera in every room of the house. It’s how I used to catch them with their own white lies. My youngest, who is sitting next to me, has dropped her jaw in disbelief as I type. I have been found out!
Are you a morning person, or a night owl? How does sleep fit into your life? Definitely a morning person but historically an insomniac. Hence the need for expanded Wellness in my life.
What thing has surprised you most about being in the suburbs? How easy it is to find and submerge yourself in nature.
What is the first thing you do when you walk in the door after a long day? Kiss my children and head to the bathtub.
Who in your life was – or is- your greatest inspiration for what you’re doing today? I built a strong patient following over the last 13 years at my previous location and was intimidated to make the change. My father was the one who convinced me it was the right choice for both my children and my family. I have not been this happy in as long as I can remember.
QUICK THIS OR THAT?
Cake or Pie – Cake
Pancakes or Waffles – Pancakes
Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee? Tea
Beach or Mountains? Preferably both
Puzzle or Board Game? Board Game
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Reading or Writing? Reading
Watch or Play Sports? Play (unless it’s Michigan Football- then for sure watch!)
Winter or Summer? Summer
Comedy or Drama? Comedy