Inspiring Conversations with Nicole Gregory of The Urban You, PichGig, Urban You For Me

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Gregory.  

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Entrepreneurialism was highly encouraged in my family; my parents and grandparents on both sides were business owners. My mother founded her own abatement asbestos business, which was really cutting edge for the time, especially for a woman. I watched her transform from being a stay-at-home mom to a national sponsor of the Women’s Business Organization so that greatly inspired me. I really admired her successful career and the fact that she balanced it with raising my family. When it came to starting my own business after graduating college and working in tech, real estate, and marketing for 20+ years, I looked at my personal life, the things I love, and any gaps I could find in those areas. I found it difficult to locate one place where I could get all of my beauty needs met. Traditional services like brows and lashes were in one salon, but most aesthetic treatments, like filler and Botox, were only available at plastic surgeon’s offices and medical settings. COO Barbra Homier and I came together to create The Urban You – a wellness hub that combined traditional and aesthetic beauty services. We wanted guests to have access to aesthetic services in a way that felt luxurious without breaking the bank. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Women-led startups only receive 3% of all venture capital investments, so we were in an uphill battle as far as funding went from the get-go. That number has not moved in about 10 years, so it isn’t unique to The Urban You; all female entrepreneurs have to tackle that obstacle. Similarly to how I find gaps in the market and work to close them, I persevered and worked around those barriers that seemed unavoidable. I knew that no matter how many people said no to funding us, somehow, I could maneuver and work to get a “yes” eventually. The mentality I’ve always had is, “I’m going to figure this out, even if you say no.” 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve spent decades building relationships and respect in the aesthetics industry. I’m the CEO of The Urban You, a #1 ranked medical spa that offers everything from brow waxing, filler & Botox, CoolSculpting, and laser treatments. We currently have 4 locations, 2 in Grand Rapids (Wealthy and Knapp Corners), Northville, and Rockford, with exciting plans for new locations in the future. Over the years, we’ve developed an expert staff and brought medical aesthetic services to countless guests in an affordable way with our bankable membership program. 

Additionally, we have created Urban You For Me, an online shop for medical-grade skincare, so guests can continue their spa day at home. We offer curated subscription boxes and luxury products that aren’t sold at large beauty retailers. 

We have recently launched the platform PinchGig as well. After owning my own medical spa for 6 years, it became very apparent that many healthcare providers struggle with finding a work-life balance that benefits them, their loved ones, and the spas they’re employed at. PinchGig is specifically designed to make on-demand staffing for providers and spa owners easier than ever before. PinchGig offers providers the flexibility to choose their working hours, the mobility to choose the location of their shift, and the income ability to choose which shifts to pick up and which to release, depending on their current financial situation. 

What makes you happy?
Family is very important to me. We spend a lot of time traveling together; we have road tripped and visited all 50 states. There’s nothing like being in a car together, getting to know each other a bit better. Food is love. Years ago, when my kiddos were young, I would get upset at all the work needed to prepare meals for the day. Then I had a coach who helped change my perspective. I was filling my family’s body with good food, nourishment so they had energy for the day, as well as helping them maintain strong mental, emotional, and physical strength. Since then, I’ve loved to cook and get the full family involved. We have a garden in the summer and spend lots of time at roadside markets finding the freshest, healthiest food for all of us to nourish ourselves. No paycheck or award guarantees having traditionally “successful” children. I remember asking my mom what she hoped or wanted for me, my brother, and my sister once when we were growing up. What did successful children look like to her? With no hesitation she said, “My goal for you is that you find happiness, a significant other to spend time with, are not lonely, and that you can laugh at yourself.” At the time, I thought it was too simple of an answer; now that I have five children all in or growing toward adulthood, it’s an amazing accomplishment if you can help your children do those three things. Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time together as a group but also with each child individually. Supporting and watching them grow into the best version of themselves is our paycheck as parents; they have all had some amazing accomplishments, and I am super proud of them. 

Pricing:

• At The Urban You, we offer a bankable membership program that acts less like a subscription and more like a savings plan. The Urban You was built on the principle of being accessible to guests, and wanted to make sure our membership program reflected that. Our three-tier program ranges from $150-$450 per month, all of which goes towards services of our guests’ choice. There are no outside fees – every penny goes towards services. Along with that, members receive reduced pricing on all treatments and services offered at UY, and those funds roll over into the next month if they go unused.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.theurbanyou.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theurbanyou/?hl=en
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/theurbanyou
• Linkedin: (urban you for me) http://www.urbanyouforme.com
• Yelp: (apple podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beauty-standard/id1491407172
• SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/show/4I8Id567GkAN5Kzz5YVjLn
• Other: (pinchgig) http://www.pinchgig.com