It’s been a year already? The Nutritional Aesthetics® Alliance membership program launched on October 12, 2015 with our very well attended NAA Pumpkin Party live webcast. And we’re proud to say that it’s grown steadily ever since. As we reach the 1-year marker for this powerful program, we wanted to reflect on our early successes and shortcomings, and the amazing information and support we’ve shared this year. Let’s look back on one year of NAA membership, as we get ready to grow and blossom even more in year two!

Milestones

NAA Advisory Board. When we started the NAA, we knew we’d need a lot of support—from the aesthetics, medical, and nutrition communities for sure, but also from other like-minded practitioners. We were so grateful for the enthusiasm and generosity expressed by our Advisory Board members, who have already contributed so much, like behind-the scenes guidance, blog articles, webinars, brainstorming, and so much more in this past year. We are so very humbled by the support of these amazing individuals!

The NAA File Box. We knew we wanted to have a membership program, but we also wanted to give our members a fresh and practical way to access information. So we decided to combine the convenient accessibility of an online platform with the beauty of the tangible. In this world of online business, having something physical and beautiful to hold in your hands and share with your clients is a rare commodity–thus came the idea for the NAA File Box. The planning and creation of the box in concept but also in reality was (and continues to be) a labor of love, but one we are proud to keep producing.

International Membership. When the NAA began, we weren’t planning on reaching out internationally with our membership program–but when we began getting emails from so many like-minded professionals in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more, we knew we could serve them too–so we opened our membership program internationally, and got our first international member (from our neighbor to the north, Canada) right away. We love our international members!

Challenges

Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner (CNAP) program. When you begin a business with lofty goals in mind–a membership program, a certification program, live events, and more–sometimes it’s easy to “order” more than you can handle. It’s a little like being at your favorite restaurant and thinking that EVERYTHING on the menu looks good! That’s been our metaphor for the foundation of our Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner (CNAP) program. We figured, “Certification program? Sure! Let’s build it in a few months!” But as membership has grown exponentially, the CNAP has been placed on hold. Why? Well, we’ve seen what certification programs look like (and we have taken many of them ourselves), and we love a lot of what we see, but don’t love a lot of what we see. We have a vision for how our program will look, how it will be structured, and what the student experience will be–and for the moment, it’s bigger than our NAA stomach–because we’re thoroughly enjoying serving our members and continuing to focus on quality over quantity, and consistently bringing–and adding–value. Our CNAP program isn’t off the table, but it is off our immediate planning calendar, because there is so much more we have in store for our membership program as it is today, and as it will be in the future. Our membership program is accessible to all, and includes an incredible amount of educational content and value for its price.

The CNAP program, when it arrives, will not be for everyone who wants to learn and utilize Nutritional Aesthetics® in their practices or homes. It will be for licensed or certified/accredited professionals only, will have an application and exam process, and will be a larger investment of time, money, and effort. A program like that isn’t something that can be taken lightly, and many people have contacted us with the important question of “how can I legally practice this in my state?” We, along with our Advisory Board and legal team will work together to ensure that the CNAP program is compliant with state and federal laws and is also top quality education, on a cutting edge platform. All of these goals take time. We believe in transparency, which is why we are announcing that the CNAP program hasn’t been forgotten, but it’s something we promise to do right, which is why we do not have an expected date of completion at this time.

What we learned in our first year as NAA Members

This year, we delved deep into topics like the skin benefits of salt, the topical and internal use of rooibos tea, and toxic ingredients in skincare. Through the NAA File Box, we learned the power of breath and the best breathing exercises for radiant skin, took a deep dive into ingredients like calendula and jasmine, and examined the skin’s layers and their functions. Favorite webinars include our first–the NAA Pumpkin Party, and our most recent, Cancer Self-Care with Nutritional Aesthetics®. This last one, in particular, highlighted the incredible impact Nutritional Aesthetics® has on so many different people–and how its people and practices are driven first and foremost by love and service, followed by passion and empowerment. This year we also got to know many NAA members through our periodic Member on a Mission features, which allowed many of us to share our passions and our businesses virtually!

Co-founders reflect

Tisha Jill Palmer: “Personally, I love me a good start up. I thrive on a work task diet of collaborative planning meetings, vision boards and gloriously messy creative problem solving opportunities. I have been like a kid in a candy shop this first year of NAA membership! My living room is full of NAA File Box supplies, my computer is full NAA graphics and my heart is full of gratitude that I got to spend an entire year learning and growing and creating alongside two of the most amazing women Nutritional Aesthetics® has to offer. And the icing on the cake? We are just getting started.”

Jolene Hart: “I’m so proud of the educational resources that the Nutritional Aesthetics Alliance created—and curated—this year. With our amazing roster of NAA members, we were able to share so many different perspectives, and I think we, the co-founders, learned that Nutritional Aesthetics works in even more ways than we originally envisioned. I have loved learning and growing with all of you this year, with every new webinar, each new batch of file cards, and every member perspective that was shared. I can’t wait to see what exciting educational resources year two brings. To be a part of a developing field of knowledge is a true gift. Thank you for sharing it with us!”

Rachael Pontillo: “As I look back on the first year of NAA membership, I am pleasantly astounded by the incredible people who have chosen to join us on our mission to advance an integrative approach to healthy skin. Every time I meet a member in person, it’s like seeing an old friend–I know them and they know me, and we are in this together. Everytime I read a Member on a Mission post or member-written blog post, I’m amazed by what cool ways people are expressing Nutritional Aesthetics® in their practices and businesses. I am honored to co-found and be part of this movement, who has already brought together such big-hearted, talented people who again, are all in this together. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!”

 

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