Opening the door to 991 Reading Rd #3, Kara Day preps her business for another busy morning at her medical spa, Adorn By Day. Though she manages the spa, Day still makes time for every one of her clients. She makes sure her client relationships are her top priority, and reassures them by always being their only nurse.
“I like to tell clients, ‘you’ll always get me’,” Day told Spark. “They don’t want to go into a place and see different providers. They like seeing the same person every time.”
Day offers a variety of cosmetic treatments at her spa, including botox, filler, microneedling, and weight loss shots. Her clientele ranges from ages 16 to 80, and Day said it is vital that she helps with their confidence without changing how they look. She tells her clients that she is “just here to fix the things that bother them,” without modifying their facial structure or look.
Adorn By Day client Jessica Sweeney has been with Day since she first opened her spa. She is always impressed with Day’s work because she stands out from other businesses. Sweeney remarks on Day’s ability to get to know each of her clients well, and to make every treatment look natural and “youthful without overdoing it.”
“[Kara] didn’t act like she knew better, she genuinely listened and cared,” Sweeney told Spark. “[She] always lets me know about her newest and greatest procedures and I’m always excited to try them out. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone. She is absolutely amazing.”
Before Day was a business owner, she worked at The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in direct patient care, as well as an outpatient surgeon and a travel nurse. She wanted to do more because she found this was not her passion. With the help and support of her husband and their three children, Day was able to open her medical spa.
Day had the inspiration for her business about three years ago while working at the hospital. According to Day, creating the name of her business was a struggle. She wanted the name to be creative and fun, and describe her spa in the best possible way.
“I wanted to have a play on words between my last name and a day,” said Day. “Since adorn means to make something better, the name would mean I’m enhancing and improving something in one day.”
Day also recalls the difficulties of starting up a business in the competitive beauty industry. She was worried that she would not be able to find a way to stand out from the similar businesses in the area. She joked saying the competition is “like Starbucks,” with a medical spa “on every corner.” She found that getting to know her clients and forming bonds with them helped them feel more comfortable in her spa.
“There’s no pressure and I don’t charge them for the consultation,” said Day. “I want them to feel comfortable, and I want them to get as much information they can, since these procedures are very invasive and in-your-face.”
Erin Reese, another customer and supporter of Day’s services, said she appreciates the subtle changes from the treatments. Reese also enjoys how family-friendly the spa is. In fact, she, her husband, and her daughter have all been clients of Day for over a year.
“Scheduling appointments and picking up items is easy and her spa is beautiful, professional, and meticulously clean,” Reese told Spark. “It’s a pleasure to go to Adorn for everything I need.”
In the next few years, Day would like to expand her business to be open five days a week instead of three, which would allow her to have more appointments and time for her clients. She would also like to have a few employees to help out with the business. Day does not care to be the top in Ohio. She does it because this is her passion and something that she has enjoyed doing for a long time.
“I’m really doing this for fun because I love it,” said Day. “Clients and client satisfaction matters more to me than making a ton of money. I really enjoy what I do, and I really want people to feel better about themselves.”
This story was originally published on Spark on November 18, 2024.