My name is Karen Albright and I’m the founder of BodyLase® Med Spa. Thank you for coming to the BodyLase website to learn about our mission to help our clients feel beautiful and confident!
I love to tell the story of how BodyLase started because it shows how a tiny company can grow into a leading organization with such a positive impact on so many people.
In 2002, my sister Joanne, who lives in Chicago, told me all about the new laser technology that eliminated hair permanently—and how it was taking Chicago by storm. She told me all about the proliferation of laser hair removal centers in Chicago, the long wait lists at each one, and the buzz this new technology was creating. I was excited to get laser hair removal treatment myself but when I looked for a laser center in Raleigh, I couldn’t find any. That’s when the idea started—I would bring this new technology to Raleigh and start a business.
My husband Dan (who is a physician) and I purchased a laser hair removal device, hired a nurse, rented a small office and jumped into creating BodyLase, the first stand-alone “medical spa” in Raleigh (although back in 2002, no-one knew what a medical spa was!).
Those early days were challenging, and I found myself answering phones, doing consultations, keeping the books, running the lasers, acting as the janitor…you get the picture! I also had three small children, aged 5, 7, and 9 when we first launched. So, I was juggling raising my kids, starting a business, and running a household all at the same time. Looking back at that time, I wonder how I managed!
During those early years, I wondered if it was all worth it. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and faced an incredibly steep learning curve. Earlier in my career, I was a practicing attorney and had never taken a single business course—so I was far from my comfort zone. Gradually, though, I began to see the wonderful impact we were having on our clients’ lives. One of our first clients, a woman who struggled with facial hair all her life, called herself the “Bearded Lady” and was terrified to leave her house without a razor. After her laser hair removal treatments, she cried tears of joy and told me how this treatment had completely changed her life. Her confidence level soared and she began to travel, something she was afraid to do before. More and more people told me stories of increased confidence and life-impacting results. I began to realize we were having a truly positive impact on so many people. It was then I knew all of the stress and sacrifice was indeed worth it.
I gradually grew my company and my team over the next twenty years. We now have two locations and over 40 team members, many of whom have been at BodyLase for more than ten years. I love that we have provided the opportunity for women to grow and develop their careers at BodyLase. We invest heavily in our team members by sending them to advanced trainings, conferences, and courses, which is one of the reasons our clients have such amazing results.
We have been privileged to serve thousands of women and men over the years. Every day, we get to watch BodyLase clients walk out with increased confidence and feeling better about themselves. What an honor it is to know we are making our world a better place by positively impacting so many people.
I invite you to visit our warm and welcoming medical spas and allow my highly talented team to pamper you and help you feel amazing! You deserve to feel beautiful and confident every day!