Clinic of the Month - Interview with Sarah Collins

I can’t wait to introduce our June Clinic of the Month, Sarah Collins R.H.N. from Nature’s Way Holistic Health Centre, located in Fort St. John BC! Sarah is a registered holistic nutritionist, metabolic balance coach, virtual gastric band therapist, certified aesthetician & massage practitioner.

How did your career get started, and what inspired you to open Nature’s Way?

It's been a journey! It all started about 20 years ago when I went into the skincare field to become an aesthetician. I had struggled with my own skin health issues as a teenager, so I was trying to learn what I could do to help myself and my skin, and be able to help others.

I worked as an aesthetician for about 15 years, but I knew that there was so much more I could offer my clients that went beyond just the external skin and health, I wanted to focus on internal health as well. So, I decided to go back to school to become a holistic nutritionist.

That opened up my eyes to many different realms of health. Since then, I have become a metabolic balance coach, a virtual gastric bypass hypnotherapist, and a rubimed therapist. Here at Nature’s Way, I've been able to bring everything together under one roof. I knew when I graduated that I wanted to open up a healing centre that brought other practitioners forward to be able to offer our clients the best service we possibly could and be able to play off of each other, help each other out, and help our clients out because I truly believe that there's never just one modality or one thing that's going to help somebody. It takes a holistic approach of many things to get true healing.

Can you tell us a little bit about why you decided to bring Dermaviduals into Nature’s Way during COVID?

I wasn't worried about bringing Dermaviduals in. I was very confident in it because my holistic nutritionist uses the products herself and has had unbelievable results with it. As a nutritionist, she was doing everything she knew how internally to treat what was going on with her skin, but she was missing that link, which was the external skincare. As soon as she pieced that together, her skin... Wow. I was blown away. I just knew that this was what I needed for my clients.

Dermaviduals really amped things up for us. It's that key piece for that particular client that has tried everything, the one that has spent $1,000’s of dollars on different skincare procedures or skincare in general, and was to the point of giving up. Now I'm giving them hope. Once you get them on that product, within a matter of weeks, they're already starting to notice a difference. It's been truly amazing and such a wonderful fit into the clinic. To be able to help those clients with those extra skincare concerns that truly need it makes me so happy.

In addition to your nutritionist using the products, was there a standout moment that made you decide to make the jump to Dermaviduals?

What I liked about Dermaviduals is the customization. That was my “aha” moment, knowing that it wasn't just one size fits all. Not to mention, my nutritionist was really impressed with the fact that when she had a consultation, the practitioner understood that her skin was deficient in essential fatty acids and B vitamins. Because of that knowledge, they were able to customize the product specific to her skin. When I heard that, that’s what made me realize why the products worked so well.

Since bringing in Dermaviduals, what has the impact been like on your business?

It has made a huge impact. I've always wanted to work towards having a special niche in skincare, and Dermaviduals has fast-forwarded it for me because of word-of-mouth. When you have one client achieve amazing results, they talk to a friend and another friend, and the next thing you know it has completely exploded.

What has the impact been like for your clients, and what was the transition like for them?

I would say that 90% of my clients had no problem giving it a shot, and I think it was largely because of my confidence in the product. But it's brought them confidence as well. I can hear it in their voice, I can see the excitement on their face when they come in to see me, and they're just so happy inside that they have finally found that product that is actually working for them. That in itself just makes me so happy for them.

For the client, Dermaviduals brought them complete confidence to feel better in their skin. That, in turn, impacts all aspects of their health such as emotional health and physical health, so you just see them light up and start beaming.

Were there any surprises that came up when you brought Dermaviduals in?

I'd say there weren't a lot of surprises at all. But it has changed my outlook on one thing.

In my career as an aesthetician, we focus on chopping off the first layer of skin and worrying about what's underneath. Now, with Dermaviduals, it's a different school of thought, and it makes complete sense to me. We actually want to repair our skin barrier, and we want to protect that first layer of skin. By making that first layer of skin so healthy, you don't have to worry about the rest, things start to fall into place. So that was a bit of a surprise, but it was really neat.

That is what we're trying to do with Corneotherapy as well, is allowing the skin to function the way it was designed to by protecting it.

Did Dermaviduals or Dermal Systems impact you as an entrepreneur or change the mechanics of your business?

I'm always looking for the best route and what is going to help my clients the best, so I just knew that this component in skincare would be that. It’s hard to have a specific skin health program, because as much as I would like to have one program that everybody follows, each individual is so different, and they need a customized plan. Now I am able to narrow it down enough that I can put together some basic pieces for everybody. I also feel that it's going to be huge to be able to put together a program that includes both the Dermaviduals and my gut health protocol, and then see what else needs to be customized for the individual client.

What advice would you give somebody who is thinking about bringing Dermaviduals into their business?

Just do it. Just like Nike says, just do it. It's a no-brainer, it really is. What we've seen, we can't unsee. It just works.

What advice would you like to give your younger self? 

I would say to slow down and enjoy the journey. I have always been a workaholic, no matter what. From day one, I’ve been go, go, go. I'm now starting to realize it's not a race, and that when things are meant to be, they will fall into place. The neat thing is that you will continue to keep evolving as you go.

It's important to slow down and enjoy all the little moments and not get caught up in constantly needing to reach that far-off goal, but to enjoy getting to that goal as well. Having my go, go, go attitude has benefited me greatly on one hand, but it has also affected my health. So you need to take it all in and enjoy everything.

As a business owner, what do you do to create balance in life and stay grounded?

That has taken me some time to learn, but definitely shutting stuff off for a while. You have to, because otherwise, it's easy to get caught up in answering all the emails, answering all the questions, and doing all the work. You need to shut it off and realize it'll be there for you in an hour. Take that hour for yourself. Breathe. I do a lot of meditation and yoga, and I also love to get massages and facials, those help me relax. I’ve tried to make that a priority this year.

What does Nature’s Way Holistic Health Centre look like in 10 years?

I hope that it will become a household name here in our community and that people will know that if they are suffering from any type of skin disorder, this is the place to come. I would also like to expand. We're still in our beginning stages right now, but I’m confident we will evolve a great deal in the next 10 years.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I just want to thank you for this opportunity. I am so grateful to have had this fall into place for me. I've loved working with you. That was another reason that really made me say “Yes, I want to go with this particular skincare.” A lot of it had to do with you yourself, just because of who you are, and the education you bring. I could tell that you were a very involved person, it wasn't that you're just setting me up for skincare and then rushing off to the next. You're there for me if I need help, and that has a lot to do with it. So, I would just like to say thank you and that I appreciate everything.

We're a community and we all grow stronger together. Thank you so much for sharing. 

I’ve loved watching your journey of growth for Nature’s Way and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for your future. If you want to reach out to Sarah or learn more about Nature’s Way Holistic Health Centre, be sure to check out their Facebook, Instagram, and website today!