Podcast Summary:
Living Your Legacy
Host: Rudy Mawer
Episode Title: Empower Wellness Founder on Redefining Cosmetic Care with Purpose
Guest: Lisa Rossell, Founder of Empower Wellness
Date: October 20, 2025
Overview
This episode features Lisa Rossell, a nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and founder of Empower Wellness in Ontario, Canada. Lisa and host Rudy Mawer explore how cosmetic and wellness practices can move beyond superficial procedures to address root causes of insecurity, self-worth, and happiness. Lisa shares her personal journey from burnout in public healthcare to founding a purpose-driven, client-centered clinic, emphasizing empowerment, authenticity, and holistic well-being over profit-driven cosmetic interventions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Concept of "Beauty Within"
[02:07]
- Lisa explains that many clients seek cosmetic treatments (e.g., Botox, fillers) due to periods of transition or emotional hardship (kids leaving home, divorce, bereavement).
- The clinic’s approach is to focus on deeper, underlying causes of these desires, emphasizing self-reflection and self-acceptance—not just quick fixes.
“There’s a lot of work on the inside that people need to do. Instead of just doing a shallow procedure...there’s a piece of doing the work on the inside. People see themselves reflected in the mirror.”
– Lisa Rossell [02:07]
Root Causes versus Surface Treatments
[03:18]
- Lisa draws a distinction between two client types:
- Those who use treatments to feel more themselves.
- Those chasing validation or external ideals (often fueled by social media).
- Clinic staff are trained to recognize these differences and may turn away clients whose underlying needs cannot be met by cosmetic procedures alone.
“We actually turn a lot of people away who come to us and want treatment because I may never be able to fix them in my clinic and my doors.”
– Lisa Rossell [03:54]
Integrative, Individualized Client Experience
[07:37]
- Each client receives a personalized consultation to assess their unique goals, health history, lifestyle, and motivations.
- The clinic often collaborates with other professionals (therapists, hormone specialists) to address holistic wellness needs.
“We always start with the client’s goals... There’s a very personalized assessment in understanding people’s lives.”
– Lisa Rossell [07:37]
Coaching, Support, and Continuous Dialogue
[08:34]
- Coaching and personal support are integrated before, during, and after treatments—not treated as an optional add-on.
- The team checks in regularly, keeping clients focused on their original goals, and refers out for other forms of help if deeper issues are flagged.
“Our team is all trained to support people throughout... we keep coming back to, are we achieving your goals? How are you feeling?”
– Lisa Rossell [08:34]
Redefining Industry Values—Ethics over Earnings
[05:40]
- Lisa’s business model intentionally prioritizes ethics, purpose, and values over financial incentives or sales pressure.
- Her own negative experiences in traditional clinics motivated her to change the industry’s approach.
“Most people in the industry are actually tearing people down and making them feel worse... It’s really not about the money. If we live in our purpose and our values, I feel confident that the finances will flow after that.”
– Lisa Rossell [06:28]
Social Media, Comparison, and Mental Health
[11:48]
- Social media is identified as a major driver of insecurity and the culture of comparison.
- Lisa encourages self-awareness and a pause before undergoing treatments, prompting reflection on whether motivations are internal or due to external pressure.
“Most of us move through life without being aware... I think people could just start being aware and having that moment of pause. Take a pause before you do it to ask whether it’s for yourself or whether it’s for someone else.”
– Lisa Rossell [11:48]
Lisa’s Entrepreneurial and Personal Journey
[13:33]
- Lisa’s path from poverty to nursing was pragmatic—she wanted a stable career.
- Gained extensive experience in critical care, then advanced as a nurse practitioner and administrator.
- COVID-19 exacerbated existing burnout; after a colleague’s suicide, Lisa reevaluated her direction, left healthcare administration, and built her clinic from scratch—growing rapidly in just three years.
“...One of my mentors, colleagues, friends—and was an employee at the time. She took her own life. And so it was a season for me where it made me pull back and reevaluate what am I doing here?”
– Lisa Rossell [15:45]
Vision for the Future
[10:11]
- Lisa is living her initial ten-year plan after just three years, aiming to help elevate standards industry-wide by mentoring other clinics and expanding holistic services in-house.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Ethics before Revenue:
“If we live in our purpose and our values, I feel confident that the finances will flow after that.”
Lisa Rossell [06:50] -
Personal Reflection on Social Media:
“We spend most of our lives looking at other people instead of looking inward at ourselves.”
Lisa Rossell [13:02] -
Turning Adversity into Opportunity:
“After 17 years of being long burnt out of health care, I found myself at this crux of a difficult time...I needed to make some changes for me, for my kids.”
Lisa Rossell [15:45] -
On Legacy:
“Legacy is obviously leaving that lasting impact...I truly want to continue to live in my own values and march my own path doing my own thing.”
Lisa Rossell [17:11]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:07 – The real meaning behind “beauty within” and understanding client motivations
- 03:18 – Differentiating motivations: self-alignment vs. external validation
- 05:40 – Why Lisa rejected the typical profit-driven clinic model
- 07:37 – Step-by-step overview of the client journey and consultation process
- 08:34 – Ongoing coaching and how referrals are made for deeper issues
- 11:48 – How clients (and listeners) can address insecurity and comparison beyond procedures
- 13:33 – Lisa’s backstory and journey from burnout nurse to entrepreneur
- 15:45 – The breaking point: mental health crisis and leap to entrepreneurship
- 17:11 – Reflections on legacy, living with purpose, and industry impact
Conclusion
Lisa Rossell’s approach to cosmetic care is a refreshing, purpose-driven shift away from quick-fix aesthetics and towards holistic empowerment. The conversation offers insights for both industry professionals and anyone struggling with self-image in the age of comparison. Lisa’s story exemplifies personal resilience and ethical leadership—redefining what it means to leave a legacy in an industry ripe for transformation.
Connect with Lisa Rossell and Empower Wellness:
Website: empowerwellness.ca
Instagram: @empowerwellness