Kickstart your day with an early rise every day and I promise you will see grand steps forward in your creative productivity. You will have more hours in the day to both work and play.
Purvisha Patel MD, FAAD, FASDS, FACMS is the creator and the scientific talent behind Visha Skincare since 2014. Visha Skincare is rooted in a new technology from Dr. Patel called Illuminotex. Illuminotex is a patent-pending, proprietary skin-brightening complex that helps address skin aging and hyperpigmentation resulting from UV damage, as well as dark spots from previous skin damage and scars. It encourages a brighter, more even complexion.Visha Skincare is a dermatologist formulated, tested and approved brand that is hydroquinone free, paraben free, fragrance free and sulfate free.
Dr. Patel was born in London and raised in Wales, United Kingdom. She attended the University of Virginia for undergraduate and medical school and completed her dermatology training at The University of Tennessee. Dr. Patel continued her training to complete her cosmetic and surgical fellowship at The University of Louisville.
A board certified dermatologist, MOHS and cosmetic surgeon, and the owner of Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Associates in Memphis, Tennessee, Arlington, Tennessee and Olive Branch Mississippi, Dr. Patel noticed a need for simple, safe, multi-use skin care products that delivered results in preventing early signs of aging as well as the aging process itself to be made available to the general public.
To the delight of her patients, friends, family and the general public, Dr. Patel combined her dermatological expertise with her love of science and created Visha Skincare, a brand with two skin care lines that can be used to treat multiple skin issues, and are cost-effective and suitable for both women and men of all skin types.
Where did the idea for Visha Skincare come from?
When training to be a dermatologist and with my practice with Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Associates in Memphis, Tennessee and Olive Branch, Mississippi, I noticed that there was a need for simple products that deliver results quickly against the signs of early aging and beyond. With a true love for science, I decided that I should go into the lab and create my own technology that could be the backbone of a skin care line that would combat multiple skin issues with the least amount of products, is cost effective, and suitable for everyone. Out of that need, Visha Skincare was born.
Visha Skincare is a safe, cost-effective, cosmeceutical-grade line that addresses fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, scars, acne and sun damage. The Hydroquinone-free brand is perfect for all ethnicities and genders, and includes two lines – the Advanced line and the Mommy line (free of the retinol & caffeine found in the Advanced line and perfectly safe for pregnant/nursing moms and babies).
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
It’s always an early start for me, out of bed by 5am at the latest, and still no bags underneath the eyes. Fingers crossed.
If I want to have any time in the lab before I begin to see patients, I have to be up and out the door at 6am. I get to spend the first few hours of the morning concocting new and better technology for Visha Skincare. I am currently working of a moisturizer for the Visha Skincare Mommy while my practice still quietly sleeps and the sun rises. I work diligently with the hours that I get every morning in hopes to create the best skincare line for myself, my family and friends, patients and everyone out there that is in need of help.
Between 8 and 9am, the office begins to fill with the amazing staff of medical professionals that I get to work with every day. I am usually always pulled away from the lab and the Advanced Skincare formulas I’ve been brewing up, to answer operational or insurance questions, but some mornings I work on Visha Skincare technology up until the moment my first patient arrives
At 9am, I take off my inventor/scientist hat and I put on my Dr. Purvisha Patel coat to begin a full day of seeing patients. It’s the very best part of every single day because this is where I get to help the people of my community, but my patients in return help me. As I deal with each set of issues from each patient, I learn more and more about what is and is not working with the treatments. This helps me to consider and reconsider the formulas and the technologies being created for Visha Skincare.
When my last patient is gone for the evening, I finish up jotting down the notes and learnings of the day, I put them on the lab table to communicate with my team of chemists so I’ll have quick access to them in the morning, and I lock up my practice and head home.
My day is productive because I do all of the mental heavy lifting for Visha Skincare early in the morning when my brain is fresh and ready to invent and I always save the evening times after work for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation to be ready to go again before the sun comes up the next day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Trial and Error. Ideas must be put into test in the formulas I create, tried on those that need the skincare help and then made better from that research. My patients are the perfect test subjects for Visha Skincare formulations, always eager to give suggestions and report results. They see themselves get better and truly want the brand to succeed.
Right now, I really focus on the skincare of the pregnant woman clientele that comes through my office as I am specifically working on the Mommy Skincare line moisturizer every morning. I listen to the results of my patients, make note of successes and bigger successes and I make certain that I use what they teach me to focus the technology for Visha Skincare line that I am creating in the moment.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I love the idea of the skincare monthly membership trend. At Visha Skincare we call it our Advanced VIP Club. It’s only $160 for every Advanced Skincare bundle of Visha Skincare products that are sent to you in the mail every six weeks. Everything that you need to keep your skin fresh and vibrant is prepackaged for you and shipped every six weeks. The Advanced Visha Skincare bundle comes with everything from correcting serum to Advanced Sugar Shrink Body Rub and buying it altogether saves you $15 off the retail price. It is preventative care for your skin and it will make certain that you stay looking youthful and vibrant and so will your bank account. Given the success of the Advanced VIP Club, Visha Skincare has expanded the program by offering a Mommy VIP Club for $160 as well.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I wake up before the sun. All of my best scientific thinking and technological creations for new skincare lines happen first thing in the morning while my head is clear, I’ve had a great night full of sleep, the lab is quiet and I can reshape and hone the Visha line to make certain that it is the best skincare line on the market today.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Start now, Purvisha Patel. Don’t wait a day to begin developing formulas and ideas and shaping the thoughts you have in your head. I could have started this scientific research back in medical school. I knew that there was a need for a simpler skincare product for all people back then and I wish I had just jumped in with both feet back when I first saw the need. I had to create my Visha Skincare team to make this brand happen.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Wearing sunscreen everyday might be the single best thing that you can do for your skin. Yes, cloudy, rainy, sunshine and snow, sunscreen should be work on your exposed skin 365 days of the year.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I know it’s a recurring theme in the interview, but WAKE UP EARLY. I can maximize my productivity and get so much more productive work done in the morning hours than I do in the evening when I am exhausted from a full day’s work. Kickstart your day with an early rise every day and I promise you will see grand steps forward in your creative productivity. You will have more hours in the day to both work and play.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Market yourself and your products. If you don’t have the time to do the legwork to get your name out there, get a team to help you do it. I have an amazing team at 5W Public Relations who have propelled Visha Skincare into the limelight, gaining visibility across so many different social and media platforms. They have opened doors for me to tell the world about the best skincare line and my sales see an uptick every time I guest on a morning television show or my products are featured on leading news websites.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
One Failure. Try 3,971 failures and that might be me estimating a little low. Failure is the only way for you to find success. Understanding your strengths and weakness is important to overcoming failures. Watch carefully to see what is working and what is not working for your brand. Every time a certain technology does not respond to the skin the way I envision, I get to put that in the ‘I already tried that’ pile and I get one step closer to finding the best formula for the best skincare line on the market. I overcome failure by learning from my mistakes and never giving up on finding THE formula.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A school for adults that teaches them the healing capacities of so many of the plants that grow on this earth. All medicines are made from natural derivatives at some point. Visha Skincare uses known powerful natural ingredients to bring out the natural glow in the skin. So many people run straight to synthetic chemicals to address their skin issues, but you would be surprised to know how many natural elements I use in my skincare lines. Sometimes the simpler the ingredients the fewer side effects there are.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
At the farmer’s market near my home in Memphis, you can find fresh, natural and locally grown foods from farms in the area. All of these products will land on my dinner table over the next week and each ingredient will be evaluated with my chemists to see if they can be implemented Visha Skincare.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Creating my blog at Blogger.com was the best thing that I could do to create an index of all of the knowledge that I have gathered throughout my career and want to share with my patients. Now, it’s all filed away neatly by month and year for anyone to access.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Skincare and Cosmetics Ingredients Dictionary – It’s always good to know what it is that you are putting on your face.
What is your favorite quote?
Fear nothing. Do what you want to do, but be educated and intelligent and confident about it.
-Idris Elba (from her Twitter)
Key learnings:
- Wake up early – you can be the most creative and productive in the early morning hours when your mind is fresh
- Start Today. If you have an idea that you believe in, don’t wait one day to start taking productive steps forward toward your goal.
- Wear Sunscreen even on the darkest, coldest winter day of the year. Your skin will thank you.
- A failure is just a step forward on the path to success.
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Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.