Building Without a Blueprint

Entrepreneur

3 days ago

In a saturated industry often driven by surface-level results, Dr Ellie Sateei stands out for her deep-rooted belief in aesthetics as a form of healing. A single mother of three, she built her business from the ground up - without investors, without privilege, and without compromise. In this candid interview, Dr Sateei shares the unvarnished truth about the challenges she faced, the values that carried her through, and how she's redefining success on her own terms.
What was the moment you realised you had to build your business without the usual safety nets?
There wasn't a single moment, it was a slow, insistent knowing. I had no financial cushion, no family to fall back on, and had been left by my ex-husband while my children were still in nappies. I could have stayed in the stable career I'd trained for after years of university and clinical practice but I knew it wasn't enough. Aesthetic medicine lit something up in me. I was good at it. And I believed, even then, that I could use it to heal, not just enhance.
I remember telling my father I was walking away from my established path to pursue aesthetics. No husband's income to fall back on, no funding, no clinic; just conviction. He was mortified. He thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had. I didn't know if I'd succeed, but I was willing to take the risk. Because I've always been driven by something bigger than certainty: legacy. I wanted my daughters and my son, to see what independence looks like. To know that it's possible to build something from nothing.
That vision became my fuel. I've never been the most connected or the most privileged, but I've always had relentless work ethic. I was never the top of the class, but I've always outworked everyone in the room. Back then, the aesthetics industry was smaller, less diluted, and dominated by a few heavyweight names - mostly men, who were already lecturing and building global clinics. It was intimidating. But it was also magnetic. I didn't want to copy them. I wanted to stand among them, not as a follower, but as a woman who built her own way in.
How did being a single mother shape your approach to entrepreneurship and leadership?
It shaped everything. As a single mother, you become a unit, your childrens wellbeing is mission critical. That kind of responsibility sharpens your focus, your resourcefulness, and your sense of purpose. There's no one to pass the baton to. You learn to hold it steady through every storm.
Leadership, to me, isn't about authority. it's about care. It's about holding space for others while holding the line for what matters. Single motherhood teaches you that. You learn to lead with empathy, efficiency, and clarity. You become incredibly patient, but also fiercely resilient. You listen more. You show up, even when you have nothing to give. Entrepreneurship is weathering storms. So is motherhood. Both demand that you come back again and again, to your core values, your vision. Every decision I've made, every risk I've taken, it's been with my childrens future in mind. That kind of motivation doesn't just shape you as a leader. It anchors you.
And it teaches you a kind of resilience you won't find in self-help books or wellness retreats. It's embodied. It forces growth, but it also brings you to the edge of burnout. I've learned to slow down in order to speed up. Sometimes, in motherhood and in business, things need to unfold in their own time. You can't control every aspect of everything. Letting go of control, trusting flow, becomes part of your journey.
Some things I had to simply let happen. Even the dark times. People I once believed would protect me and my children ended up becoming my greatest teachers. And that's the same in business. Setbacks, failures, betrayals - they hurt. But if you're paying attention, they become fuel. If you can see them clearly, they'll teach you everything you need to grow.
What were the biggest challenges you faced starting out without capital or connections - and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced was overcoming self-limiting beliefs. I had internalised the idea that I should shrink myself - stand quietly at the back, let others take the spotlight, wait to be invited in. I had to shed that conditioning in order to lead. Unlearning a lot of generational and cultural behaviour. I had to trust that I belonged in the room and that I didn't need to apologise for wanting more, building more, or taking up space.
Externally, I had no capital, no investors, no connections to lean on. So I built trust the only way I could: through consistency and integrity. I wore every hat, from branding and admin to clinical care. There was no room to cut corners. But what I did have, and what became my greatest strength, was sincerity. I cared deeply; about people, not just profit. I wasn't transactional. I was transparent. And patients can feel that. They stayed because I was honest, because I listened, and because I always showed up.
I also found strength in watching others who had risen through adversity. I began to understand that the most powerful stories often come from the most difficult places. And success, true success, doesn't always show up in a bank balance. Sometimes, it looks like returning to who you really are. That kind of clarity only comes through self-reflection and awareness. That's how I overcame it: by paying attention, by learning from others, and by learning to trust myself
Were there times you wanted to compromise or give up? What kept you pushing forward?
I'd be lying if I said I never questioned everything. That's part of being human. There were moments, usually in the quiet hours, when exhaustion crept in and my mind fed me the worst stories: This isn't working. What have I done? That's the trap of a one-dimensional mindset we all fall into sometimes. But even at my lowest, giving up was never really an option. I never compromised on the quality of care I delivered. That part was non-negotiable. But I did face waves of self-doubt, rooted in old, limiting beliefs. I had to constantly remind myself why I started, to build a purposeful, integrity-led practice.
What kept me going? Two things. First, my children. Their wellbeing was critical, and I knew they were watching. I couldn't fold. I had to show them what resilience looked like in real time. And second, my patients. Very early on, I began to receive feedback that went far beyond skin. Patients weren't just seeing results, they were feeling something: safety, sincerity, empowerment. The energy I put into my work, into creating a space of real hospitality and care - was mirrored right back at me. That became fuel. Knowing I could hold space for people in moments of vulnerability, knowing I could be a source of strength while quietly building my own, that's what kept me going.
How do you define success now, compared to when you first started?
My definition of success has evolved, radically. In the beginning, success meant survival. Keeping the lights on. Paying the bills. Proving I could do it alone. That fire was necessary. It kept me moving when I had nothing but grit. But as I grew and as I gained more awareness and self-reflection, success began to shift. It became less about financial gain and more about purpose. Less about proving myself, and more about serving others. I stopped chasing validation and started creating from a deeper place, something closer to the source of who I really am.
Success, to me now, is agency. It's alignment. It's self-respect. It's knowing that I'm living and leading in a way that honours my values as a woman, a mother, and a human being. It's about the integrity of how I show up, the peace I feel in my decisions, and the impact I have on others, especially in their most vulnerable moments. It's also about legacy; not just professionally, but emotionally. I want someone to look at my story and feel less alone. I want to be a mirror for someone who's navigating shame, rebuilding after loss, or starting again.
And most importantly, success now means unburdening myself, of resentment, of entitlement, of ego. The art of forgiveness is the highest success I know. To strip it all back and choose humility. That's the real freedom. That's the kind of wealth I want to pass on.