Meet Katie Caschette | Medical Aesthetician & Certified Laser Technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Caschette and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The week I turned sixteen, I began working in luxury retail, an industry that has been dealt blow after blow since the Great Recession of 2008. I eventually left the fashion world for the beauty industry and dedicated ten years to a national beauty distributor as a Sales Director & Educator. My position, which required me to be on the road full-time, ceased to exist at the outset of COVID. Large-scale beauty conferences, national trainings and events, and flying across the country to meet buyers in person and present seasonal product launches for now are a thing of the past.

I left San Francisco and returned to my hometown of Denver to save money and assess next steps. I knew I wanted something I had never had, choosing a career that secured my livelihood during economic downturns, and that meant doing something I’d never done, starting my own business that catered to ongoing demand. It was a risky proposition, but as a single female I needed job security and reliable income. I also sought to build something that not only gave me the freedom for my creative expression, but something that was meaningful to myself and others; something that had an impact. I returned to school to obtain my Advanced Esthetician Certification and Laser Tech Certification and decided to open my own laser hair removal business.

Since the LHR (laser hair removal) business is already oversaturated and dominated by national providers, I knew I needed to specialize in a niche service. I had to identify a problem and a solution, and ultimately create a target audience that I felt was underserved in some capacity. An audience in which the problem existed, but the solution, for whatever reason, was limited.

During my certification which spanned over multiple accredited institutions and programs, a particular experience left me very troubled. One of the educators asked me if I would like to stay late one evening to get some extra hours in. This was a first-time client who identified as a trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female. One of the benefits of having aesthetic treatments done at an esthetics school is receiving a substantial discount in price. I overheard the exorbitant amount that they were being charged and watched them pay in cash. I immediately felt this individual was being taken advantage of.

This client was ushered into the treatment room and instructed to disrobe so we could begin the session. The educator made no indication that we would be stepping out while they undressed which is standard practice. The client was given no towel or sheet to cover themselves while we discussed the treatment procedure. The overwhelming discomfort I felt on behalf of the client was palpable and all – consuming. I could see that they were anxious, overwhelmed, uncertain, and completely vulnerable in front of two complete strangers.

I knew that this person deserved so much better from us.

I decided at that very moment that one of my niche services would be to offer LHR treatments to the transgender and gender expansive community. I wanted to create a safe space where these clients could come and feel heard, respected, and cared for. Transition – social, gender, or otherwise is very expensive and I wanted my services to be accessible. If my prices were still too high, I would work with the client based on the budget they could allocate.

For clients whose goal is to receive GAS or Gender Affirming Surgery, they are currently encouraged to allot a period of two years for full hair removal treatment as not doing so raises the possibility of long-term post-surgical risk.

My door and services are open to anyone seeking laser hair removal. I have dedicated a great deal of time educating myself on LHR services for other communities who may have been overlooked as it pertains to knowledge, experience, and most importantly, safe and efficacious treatments. My outreach efforts have also been focused on persons of color, for which LHR has not always been safe but after incredible advancements in technology we can now administer without risk of adverse side effects, and women with PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Political activist Dorothee Sölle said, “To be content with the world as it is is to be dead.” That statement really resonated with me as the founder and visionary of NOVALUNE LASER. It has been terrifying to leave everything I know and launch a startup in my mid-30s, success is not guaranteed, but I’ve come to realize that you are always allowed to start over. Difficulties are opportunities to better things…. they are steppingstones to a greater experience.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Today more than ever, people are seeking nonsurgical or minimally invasive cosmetic procedures with less downtime. Unfortunately, in this highly fragmented and competitive market, the quantity of businesses who offer aesthetic services has superseded the quality of the treatments themselves and the professionals who deliver them.

How is NOVALUNE LASER different from my competitors? First, my state-of-the art laser works on ALL skin types. I create a tailored treatment plan and provide each client with the one-on-one attention that larger businesses just can’t offer. If you have a specific budget allocated, I will work with you on personalized pricing. I am a strong believer in full transparency; it just isn’t my business model to lock customers into contracts and take their money if they don’t wish or are unable to continue. Just jump on social media and read customer reviews for large national med spas and franchises. There are a lot of unhappy people out there who feel they have gotten locked into contracts that are impossible to get out of and their money has been spent on packages or memberships that don’t deliver results.

I am very proud to share a workspace with multiple female practitioners, each of whom has their own independent business and offers their own unique services. NOVALUNE LASER is located inside Signal Skin Science in Denver’s uptown neighborhood. Signal offers a full suite of medical, skincare, and wellness services tailored to each client through a holistic approach. We are a one-stop-shop and plan a lot of exciting seasonal events and promotions!

The most effective method of removing unwanted hair is laser hair removal. Driven by the tenet that my clients should not only look their best but feel their best, my business is built around the highest standards of service and level of personal care. I believe that modern world beauty should be accessible to everyone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a Denver native (yes, really!!) and a proud alumna of the University of Colorado at Boulder. A loyal CU football fan, you can find me at Folsom Field for every home game. I think Colorado has some of the best live music venues in the country: Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Mishawaka Ampitheatre, Bluebird, Gerald R. For Ampitheatre, The Fillmore, and Telluride Town Park Stage to name a few. What some would consider a hole in the wall, I love going to El Taco de Mexico for crunchy ground beef tacos. When the weather is nice, I always enjoy sitting on an outdoor patio in Denver’s LoHi and RiNo neighborhoods with a glass of rose or a spicy margarita. Denver is a very dog friendly city and, rain or shine, I look forward to taking my boxer Norman on his afternoon walk every single day. You wouldn’t expect it, but Colorado also hosts some great classic car shows which I really enjoy. Plus, the people watching is paramount!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The pandemic had a colossal effect on the beauty and fashion industry and once it hit, most of my colleagues that I had spent a decade plus building relationships with were furloughed and eventually laid off. The most challenging part was deciding what to do next for employment. Hold on and hope that the industry rebounded or start from scratch in an entirely different industry altogether?

I received an immense amount of support from this professional network I had built, and I’d like to attribute the majority of the credit to the women whom I worked alongside at my previous company. My work family has been integral in my decision to launch my own brand and, although a lot of tears were shed on my behalf, they all told me to keep going.

These women encouraged me to be resilient, to adapt to the situation as it is now, rather than how it was. Through those conversations, I discovered an unshakable determination and strength within this community that meant so much to me.
I also watched as they each pressed forward, despite the difficulties that arose. We all forged different paths, but with their support I never stopped feeling that I was a part of something, and not the whole of it. I knew I was never alone.

Website: https://novalunelaser.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/novalune-laser

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