Hulnara Castellon shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hulnara, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I always laugh a little when people ask me what a normal day looks like — because in my world, there’s really no such thing. My days are full, unpredictable, and, in many ways, nonstop. I’m a mom to two amazing girls and the owner of a growing medical aesthetics practice — both of which are living, breathing parts of my life that constantly need attention. I often joke that I don’t clock in and out; I just switch roles.
My mornings start early — before my girls wake up, before the emails start piling in. That quiet time is my chance to gather myself before the day begins. Once the kids are up, the energy shifts completely — breakfasts, school prep, the morning rush. It’s a beautiful chaos that I wouldn’t trade for anything, even though it’s sometimes the most exhausting part of the day.
Once I walk into Uplifted Medical Aesthetics, the pace picks up immediately. The moment I open the door, I’m not just a provider — I’m a leader, a problem-solver, a decision-maker, a mentor, and sometimes even the emotional support for my team. My employees are like my family. I care deeply about them — their well-being, their growth, their stability. I feel a tremendous responsibility knowing that their livelihoods depend, in part, on the choices I make. That’s not something I ever take lightly.
Throughout the day, I’m constantly shifting gears — from performing treatments and consulting patients to managing operations, ordering supplies, creating new protocols, planning events, responding to vendors, and strategizing marketing. It’s a constant flow of movement and decision-making. There’s always something that needs my attention. Always. And while I thrive in that environment, it also means my mind rarely rests.
By evening, when I finally get home, I try to focus entirely on my girls. We do homework, dinner, bedtime — all the small, grounding rituals that bring me back to what really matters. Those hours are sacred to me. They remind me why I’m doing all of this — why I push so hard, why I built this business from the ground up.
But when the house finally goes quiet — when my girls are asleep and the day should, in theory, be over — that’s when my second shift begins. I open my computer again, and I dive back into the work no one sees. I’ll be updating treatment protocols, plugging numbers into spreadsheets, researching new technologies or skincare innovations, or refining our systems so everything runs more smoothly. I’m always learning, always improving. Some nights I’m reviewing finances; other nights I’m rewriting forms, reading new studies, or brainstorming the next phase of the business. There’s always something to do, always something to build, always one more idea I can’t leave for tomorrow.
It’s demanding, yes — but it’s also deeply fulfilling. I’ve accepted that this chapter of my life isn’t about balance in the traditional sense. It’s about integration. My business, my family, and my dreams all coexist — sometimes messily, sometimes beautifully — but always with purpose.
There are days when I’m exhausted to my core, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m building something meaningful — not just for my clients and my team, but for my daughters, who get to see what dedication, grit, and love look like in real life. They see me working hard, they see me showing up, and I hope one day they understand that every late night and early morning was part of a bigger dream — to create something that uplifts others, while honoring the life I’ve built for them and for myself.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hulnara Castellon, and I’m the founder of Uplifted Medical Aesthetics in Redondo Beach, California. I like to think of what I do as more than medical aesthetics — it’s confidence restoration. It’s about helping people reconnect with themselves, feel comfortable in their own skin, and leave a little lighter than when they came in.
My journey started long before the business ever existed. I immigrated to the United States from Belarus with a dream to create a life of purpose, independence, and impact. I didn’t want to just build a career — I wanted to build something that reflected my values: integrity, compassion, and excellence. After years of working in the medical field and seeing what people truly need — not just treatments, but care, understanding, and trust — Uplifted Medical Aesthetics was born.
What makes my brand special is the intention behind it. Every part of the experience is designed to feel elevated, personal, and real. We combine advanced medical technology with an empathetic, human-centered approach. My clients know they are never rushed, never sold to, never treated like a number. They are seen, listened to, and guided toward results that look natural and feel empowering.
Our space is modern and professional, but it’s also warm — a place where people can exhale. My team and I treat our clients like family because we genuinely care about their journey, not just their results. That authenticity is what makes Uplifted different. We don’t chase trends — we focus on education, ethics, and long-term beauty and wellness.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding our wellness side — bridging the gap between internal health and external beauty. We’ve introduced a wellness membership that includes medical weight loss and aesthetic benefits, which has been an amazing way to support our patients from the inside out. I’m also passionate about creating more opportunities for community connection — local collaborations, educational events, and partnerships that bring people together around empowerment and self-care.
At the heart of everything, I’m still guided by the same belief that started this journey: that beauty and confidence should feel authentic. Uplifted Medical Aesthetics isn’t just about transformation — it’s about helping people feel seen, supported, and uplifted, inside and out.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Without a doubt, my mother. Everything I know about work ethic, discipline, and resilience comes from watching her navigate life during some of the hardest times imaginable. I grew up in Belarus, and when the Soviet Union collapsed, everything we knew — our economy, our stability, even our access to basic necessities — disappeared almost overnight. I was young, but I remember the hunger, the uncertainty, and the quiet strength my mother carried through it all.
She never complained. She just worked — with dignity, with grit, with this unshakable belief that things could get better if you kept moving forward. She taught me early on that no one is coming to save you, and that the only real security you have in life is the one you create for yourself through hard work, education, and self-reliance.
My mother was incredibly resourceful. Even when we had very little, she made sure we had structure, that we studied, that we carried ourselves with pride. She always said, ‘Money can disappear, opportunities can disappear, but what you know — what’s in your head — no one can ever take away from you.’ That lesson shaped me more than anything else.
She also instilled in me the importance of saving — not just financially, but emotionally. To always be prepared, to think ahead, to create stability for yourself and the people who depend on you. When you grow up seeing scarcity, you understand the value of every effort, every dollar, every opportunity. That’s where my discipline comes from — from those early years of watching her stretch every resource with strength and grace.
Even now, as a business owner and a mother myself, I hear her voice in the back of my mind every day. When I’m tired, when I’m facing challenges, when I feel the weight of responsibility for my team and my family — I think of her. I think of how she managed to hold everything together with so much less, and it gives me perspective and gratitude.
She taught me that work isn’t just about survival; it’s about integrity, pride, and the example you set. Everything I’ve built — my business, my work ethic, my resilience — is a reflection of her. I’m proud to say that the foundation of who I am professionally came from the lessons of a woman who had nothing, but gave me everything.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. More than once, if I’m honest. Building something from the ground up while being a mother is one of the hardest balancing acts there is. There were many nights when I questioned whether I could really do it all — be the kind of mother my daughters deserve, and at the same time, the kind of leader my business needed.
I’ll never forget one evening in particular. It was during the early stages of building Uplifted Medical Aesthetics, when I was working around the clock — fourteen-hour days, endless responsibilities, constant pressure. I rarely made it home before my girls were already asleep. My husband and my parents were my support system, keeping our little world running while I poured everything into the business. They were the ones who fed, bathed, and tucked in my children when I couldn’t. It broke my heart, but at the time, it felt like the sacrifice I had to make to build something lasting for them.
Then one evening, I made it home earlier than usual. I walked through the door just as they were sitting down for dinner. My youngest, who was only three at the time, ran up to me, wrapped her tiny arms around my knees, and shouted with the purest joy, ‘Yay! Mom is going to eat with us?’
That moment stopped me cold. I felt this wave of guilt and love hit me all at once. I smiled, but I couldn’t stop the tears from coming. Because in that innocent question, I heard everything — the exhaustion, the longing, and the realization that while I was busy building a dream, my babies were growing up without me at the table.
That night, after they went to bed, I sat in the dark and asked myself if it was worth it — if I was losing too much of what really mattered. For a brief moment, I truly thought about giving up, about slowing down, about walking away.
But then I thought of why I was doing all of this. I thought of the example I wanted to set for my girls — that they can dream big, work hard, and create something meaningful, even if it takes sacrifice. I thought about the women who come into my practice, trusting me to help them feel confident and whole again. I thought of my team, who believed in my vision.
So I didn’t give up. I adjusted. I learned that sometimes success isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing it with intention, about being present where it counts. I still work long hours, and the business still demands everything from me, but I carry that dinner memory as a reminder to pause, to look up, and to remember why I started.
That little moment — my daughter’s voice, her joy — was both my breaking point and my turning point. It reminded me that building something great means nothing if you lose yourself or the people you love along the way. So now, no matter how busy things get, I make sure there are moments — real, present moments — that belong only to us.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes — absolutely. What you see is what you get with me. I don’t know how to be anyone else, and I’ve never wanted to be. I’m very honest by nature — sometimes maybe too honest — but I believe that authenticity is one of the most powerful things a person can bring into any space, whether it’s business, friendship, or family.
The version of me that people see at Uplifted Medical Aesthetics is the same person my kids, my team, and my friends know. I might wear different hats — provider, leader, mother — but the core never changes. I’m straightforward, I care deeply, and I take everything I do to heart.
In my industry, it’s easy to hide behind perfection — behind curated images and flawless results. But that’s not me. I share the real side of what it takes to build something meaningful — the long hours, the doubts, the sacrifices, the small wins that no one sees. I believe people can feel when someone is genuine, and that’s why I never try to polish myself into something I’m not.
The real me is a mix of strength and vulnerability. I’m proud of what I’ve built, but I’m also not afraid to admit that it’s hard sometimes — that I get tired, that I have moments of doubt, that I’m still figuring things out just like everyone else.
So yes, the public version of me is absolutely the real me — driven, honest, imperfect, and passionate. What you see online or in my practice isn’t a performance — it’s my real life, my real energy, and my real purpose.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I think my clients would miss how I make them feel — not just how I make them look. Of course, the results matter — the smooth skin, the lifted features, the glow — but what truly connects us is the experience, the trust, and the energy I bring into every interaction.
So many of my patients tell me that coming to Uplifted feels different — that it’s not just another med spa, it’s a place where they feel seen, understood, and safe. I take that to heart. When someone sits in my chair, I want them to feel that they’re not just getting a treatment, they’re being cared for — genuinely, thoughtfully, and without judgment.
I think they’d also miss the honesty. I’m very transparent — I’ll tell someone what they don’t need just as quickly as I’ll tell them what they do. My clients know I’ll never recommend something I wouldn’t do myself or that doesn’t align with their best interest. That integrity has built a lot of trust and long-term relationships.
And honestly, I think they’d miss the connection. The laughter, the deep conversations, the little therapy sessions that happen in between lasers and injections. I’ve seen people through milestones — weddings, pregnancies, heartbreaks, new beginnings. My clients become part of my extended family, and many of them have been with me since the very beginning.
So if I retired tomorrow, I think they’d miss the atmosphere we’ve created together — one built on authenticity, warmth, and compassion. And maybe, they’d miss that little spark of confidence they leave with every time — the one that reminds them they deserve to feel beautiful and cared for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.uplifted-aesthetics.com
- Instagram: @uplifted.aesthetics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uplifted.medical.aesthetics?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Yelp: N/a
Image Credits
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