Meet Angie Kim, MD | Owner and Founder of Glow Up MD

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angie Kim, MD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angie, how do you define success?
What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

The thought process was pretty simple. I knew I had a passion for helping people feel and look their best, so I finally decided it was time to get uncomfortable and take a chance on myself. Since I was a teenager, I’ve constantly been coming up with new ideas and I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of trying to make a new idea happen. You learn so much by going through the process yourself. I love that I now get to combine my passions for medicine and entrepreneurship.

Also, last year, I came to the realization of what is important to me in life. I loved the work I did as a physician but hated that I had no time freedom or even creative freedom. Hours worked were brutal and I sacrificed many holidays away. My time is extremely important and I don’t want to waste it arguing with insurance companies. By saving time in that area, I can spend more time with my family and my dogs. I’d be able to catch up on sleep, eat better, exercise – a lot of basic necessities. The ability to have full control over your time and what you can do is so worth it.

Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?

Being an employee in a hospital system really shed light onto all the things that are wrong with our healthcare system. The rampant social irresponsibility we’re seeing in society, especially in healthcare, angers, saddens, and frustrates me. By being a fully physician-owned and operated practice, I hope to be able to educate patients on who to trust and what to look for when seeking help for their medical concerns.

Additionally, our treatments can boost people’s self-confidence and improve their quality of life.
Growing up wearing poorly fitting and mismatched hand me downs, I often wanted to hide. I didn’t want to volunteer for anything or stand out in any way because I felt ashamed and had no self-confidence. My childhood experiences gave me a deep understanding of how much your appearance affects your confidence. I’m a firm believer that when you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you do good. My mission is to help those in my local community feel better about themselves, empowering them to go for that next opportunity or that dream job interview with confidence. I believe confidence gives you courage, and it’s time to stop hiding behind that baggy hoodie and go for what you want.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
In my opinion, risk taking is very important and goes hand in hand with success. Growing up, my parents were very risk averse. I watched them contemplate buying a house for 10 years before finally going for it. I was automatically shut down whenever I wanted to try a small business idea. I felt stuck and couldn’t wait to grow up and make my own decisions. I vowed to never be like them. I want to take chances and learn from the failures, so I can further my growth. I believe taking risks leads to a more fulfilling life and much better rewards. At the same time, I also know the importance of making sure the risks I take are well-calculated.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
Perseverance and resourcefulness – Starting a new business is never easy. I faced many unexpected challenges and changes in the initial phases of starting the medical spa, but I chose to be open-minded and adapt to these changes instead of throwing in the towel. I’m always seeking out new opportunities and ways to improve, even from unconventional sources. But that’s what makes this whole challenge so rewarding. You learn to come up with alternative out-of-the-box solutions to the problems you encounter along the way.

Also, don’t be scared to ask for help. Many people think you have to do everything yourself, but reaching out to mentors, friends, and family for advice can alleviate some of the stresses you may encounter on your journey to success. This isn’t cheating or taking the easy route. The people around you are resources you can tap into to ensure success.

How to know whether to keep going or to give up?
I have a personal rule that if I start something, I need to give it a year before deciding whether to continue or give up. The first year of business is always going to have its ups and downs, and more likely than not, you’re going to end up putting in more than you get out of it; so it’s really hard to predict success or failure. I refuse to let setbacks and challenges get in the way of my goals. If you really want it, put your all into it. Success will follow.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?

Building a successful business requires dedication and long hours, and I’m no stranger to this. My work-life balance was essentially nonexistent as a hospital employee and during medical school, with very little control over how I spend my time. I told myself I wouldn’t do that to myself again but here I am doing it again. It’s hard to resist a good challenge! But I know work life balance will get better once we’re all set up and open. Even though I’m tirelessly working to ensure that every aspect of Glow Up MD is of the highest quality, from the services offered to the customer experience, my balance is still much better than it used to be. I don’t feel as exhausted or burnt out right now, and I have been spending a lot more time with my family.

What makes you happy? Why?

I love a good challenge and the elated feeling of accomplishment after completing a challenge. What I discovered I love more is using my skills to help others reach their goals and tackle their challenges, so that they can feel that as well.

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?
While working as a physician in a hospital, I realized there was no room for creativity, even as a surgeon. There are so many rules and protocols and techniques we have to follow, I felt like a robot with no room for growth. I came to the realization that being allowed to exercise creativity was what was lacking in my life, and this was a major motivating factor for me to break out on my own. I didn’t want to sleepwalk through life anymore. Going into medical aesthetics is the perfect transition because I get to combine all my passions into one.

How do you define success?
Being able to do what you love while having fun doing it and also being able to make an impact at the same time.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Glow Up MD medspa is all about giving you the confidence to step out of your comfort zone and achieve your goals, whether it’s landing your dream job or getting that promotion. Your appearance plays a big role in how you present yourself, and we want you to be able to put your best foot forward.

We offer a variety of nonsurgical aesthetic treatments to help prevent and reverse signs of aging, aid in weight loss, improve your quality of life, and improve your skincare routine! We treat multiple skin conditions such as brown spots, redness, fine lines and wrinkles, loss of volume, acne and scarring, and poor texture or tone, that cannot be treated at all or as effectively by a traditional aesthetician at a day spa. Injectables (such as Botox and dermal fillers), microneedling, and deeper chemical peels should only be performed by professionals who have been trained exclusively in these procedures.

What sets us apart from other nonsurgical aesthetic clinics is our unparalleled customer service, our flexibility, and our transparency. We are also one of the very few fully physician-owned and operated medical spas in the greater Houston area. Dr. Kim performs all procedures on her patients to ensure her patients receive the best quality care.

Dr. Angie Kim, MD is a two-time Ivy League graduate from Cornell University. After graduating with a Bachelors and Masters from Cornell, she obtained her medical degree from Rutgers University and attended surgical residency in New York. She is certified in Advanced Aesthetic Medicine by the American Board of Aesthetic Medicine.

With a keen understanding of surgery and aesthetic procedures, Dr. Kim founded Glow Up MD to help you look and feel your best. Dr. Kim owns and operates all aspects of patient care at Glow Up MD because she strongly believes in quality over quantity. She does not hesitate to spend extra time to ensure you receive the highest quality care. She believes in making subtle changes to help you look better but not obvious or overdone. Her extensive training gives her the confidence to help you glow — even without makeup.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take her to Katy Asian Town. There are so many places to eat and drink and new restaurants and stores are popping up every week. I think Katy Asian Town is hands down the most exciting place to visit right now. It’s always crowded, so you can always meet some new people. Andretti Indoor Karting is right across the street. And there is also Popstroke, designed by Tiger Woods, that just opened a couple weeks ago!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband definitely deserves a lot of credit and recognition as well. I’m not sure if I could have made thist happen without him. I think our skillsets compliment each other really well.

Whatever I was lacking in, he was more well-versed and vice versa. It’s common knowledge that doctors are bad at business because we don’t receive any training in it. My husband has a better understanding of business and finances and works in IT, so he set up all the business aspects, insurance, and technologies. He’s also the muscles behind the business and assembled all the furniture and redid the flooring while I was better at shopping for the furniture pieces.

I think we both have entrepreneurial mindsets and have always enjoyed sharing new ideas with each other. We spent many car rides throwing ideas at each other regarding all aspects of Glow Up MD, including design, marketing, and financial/business matters.

Glow Up MD is as much his as it is mine. He has been fully supportive throughout this whole journey ever since the idea crossed my mind. He is as determined to make this a success as much as I am.

Of course, I can never forget the tremendous amount of help we received from the new friends we made here along the way as well!

Website: https://www.glowupmdspa.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowupmdspa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glowupmdspa

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/glow-up-md-katy