Dr Naomi Interview with The French Luminaries Beauty Academy

Dr Naomi McCullum
Dr Naomi McCullum

Dr Naomi – can you tell us your story from the very beginning? Why did you choose a career in Medicine and subsequently pursued the dermal industry as your focus?

I was 17 and chose medicine. TBH I can’t remember why. Maybe security.

This might sound so sad, but shouldn’t at all. I always felt I had a LOT of flaws to fix

on my body. I had moles removed when I was really young. It was always a

focus, but it could have been fashion or architecture. Anything to do with design

and beauty.

You have built and combined a successful medical career and luxury cosmetic clinic brand- can you share your journey of how you started The manse

It all started from being obsessed with changing people’s lives and helping them

achieve, personally, romantically, occupationally. And just being focused on

design. I started in Cosmetic Medicine in 1999 and after about 12 years I got into

social media back in 2011, when I started a blog which became really popular.

From then I fell in love and wanted to do social media full time.

I had always wanted to share information about treatments. There used to be an

incredible lack of transparency in my industry in the past. It has improved a lot

since then.

I also noticed that there were a lot of good injectors who didn’t have enough

patients, and a lot of patients who didn’t have good injectors, and I knew that I

had a rare skill of marketing in this, so I found a way to help more patients and

also the industry by opening The Manse,

In the process, I found I lost my love of social and discovered a love of business.

What becoming better at business showed me was that I could have a greater

impact on more lives, then this became addictive.

Now your other job – is a content curator! Your social media platform is incredible. You’ve certainly got your hands full in speaking to this incredible audience. You’ve said in other interviews you’d like content creating to be your main profession? Can you tell us more about this?

Well I did already achieve that goal 🙂 So now I am onto the next, as I have

found a new goal.

Who inspires you on social media at the moment?

I love memers, what can I say. They’re modern day philosophers. Helping us with

the pain of existence.

Technology is moving so rapidly – what treatments or procedures do you think we’ll be doing to our faces in 20 years time. Are there any treatments that will stay? What do you think we’ll move away from?

In the last few decades, there have been very rare “revolutions”. The only ones

have been antiwrinkle injections, then fillers for lines, then fillers for volume. Ablative laser was a

revolution, as was high quality IPL, also fractionated laser. I’m not sure, anything

that gets us closer to the holy grail of making us more beautiful with less

downtime, less risk, less expense.

How has Covid changed our industry and how will it change the way we operate not just for now but for years to come?

Where do I even begin on this one. I think it has made us lower our expectations

and be grateful. When you have to shut your business 100%, that is damn

confronting.

What advice would you give your 20 years old self?

I would just say, you are one wild person and your thinking and your stamina is

going to take you to some unbelievable places, enjoy 🙂

Naomi – I want to share with our student a section from your website around how you select your team. It resonated so mych with me as we have developed a very special program within our Academy specifically for our students, so that they are able to apply for the best jobs in industry upon graduating. This is our incredible Service Excellence Program. Many of the items you’ve listed here is what we teach in this program at The French and I was so so excited to see someone in Industry putting their values in writing and committing to this, I just love it – can you share more about this philosophy.

We choose our doctors and team at The Manse by the following measures:

  • Excellence at their craft
  • A tireless focus on safety above all (this is a small statement which requires a lot to back it up, including time, effort and ethics)
  • Those who strive for continuous improvement in their skills and knowledge.
  • Those with empathy for their fellow humans.
  • An obsessive focus on the details of beauty and service.
  • A positive and grateful outlook.
  • A focus on striving to be the best, but with humility.
  • Those who have respect and gratitude for all positions on our team, from our cleaners to our star injectors.

What is one of the major areas that all staff could improve on to be successful?

I find the people who are the most successful look at the bigger and the long term picture. Take yourselves above the short term pettiness.

I think a focus on service is important, also working on having an abundance mentality

Staff need to work on improving 3 relationships ie with clients, team and the business.

What is your favourite treatment or procedure to perform on a client?

Face design and anything that makes them happy, really.

What is it that you look for in a talented dermal therapist/staff member?

  • Ethical
  • Kind
  • Focused on excellence
  • Humble but confident
  • Grateful
  • Service focused
  • Hard-working
  • Lifelong leraners
  • I like people who are a bit “out there” and non-conformists, and I also love nerds. I guess I just like when people let their true natures out and go with it

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

The transformations of patients and the way they live their lives.

Seeing my team members grow and achieve success, this is wild.

Dreaming up the next project!

What aspect of business lights you up the most – what aspect drains you?

I like learning, solving problems and strategy, Also anything that is creative. We were working on my skincare over weekend and we were naming the ranges and choosing icons. I was having the time of my life.

What drains me is negativity in people. Lack of gratitude.

What people or brands do you think are leading the way in our industry and how are they inspiring you? Who would you consider to be a Luminary?

I’m inspired by those who are working toward improving safety in the industry.

  • The Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia (my college). The current board work so hard to help the industry.
  • Researchers on the ground who are studying the details in our field so that procedures can be done more safely.
  • Educators

I’m grateful to all of those people devoting their time and lives to these goals.

DR NAOMI RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

Your favourite movie and book?

Business books and spy novels. I read too much. I like such a variety, I like Tom Wolfe and espionage novels eg Tom Clancy, I like other thrillers by Michael Connelly. I like Jack Reacher, that type of book.

Your favourite song/music

Favourite all time song might be Thugs Mansion Tupac

Your favourite perfume/scent

Lemon Myrtle

Your 3 favourite things to do?

  • Read
  • Eat my mum’s cooking
  • Have a coffee with my daughter

Your favourite city?

NYC for the vibe, Honolulu, that’s my peace

How do you like to indulge? What’s your own personal favourite beauty treatment?

Filler for injections, BBL for an energy based device.

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?

Paris is beautiful

Where is the space in the world you feel most at peace.

Anonymity in New York and chilled out relaxation in Waikiki

Quote/ Philosophy you live by?

I love Napoleon

“Imagination governs the world”

“Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances”

“Victory belongs to the most persevering.”

“More glorious to merit a sceptre than to possess one.”

Lastly.. If you could invite any 3 ppl living or deceased to a dinner party, who would you invite and why + what would you cook them?

Joan Rivers, jeff bezos, dr brandt tom wolfe,Tom clancy

I didn’t cook anything for about 15 years until COVID happened. Then I started cooking

for my kids, it hasn’t been great. I’d have to cook these guests a BBQ or Tacos as that’s the only thing

that I’ve attempted to make that is not horrible.

THE MANSE