Good Neighbor Podcast South Charlotte
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of South Charlotte.
Good Neighbor Podcast South Charlotte
Ep. #60 Unlocking Youth and Vitality: Derrick Kelson's Journey from NFL Star to Wellness Innovator
Discover the secrets to looking and feeling your best with Derrick Kelson, former NFL defensive back and co-founder of Forever Young Charlotte, our guest on the Good Neighbor Podcast. Tune in as Derrick shares his personal journey from the grueling world of professional sports to launching a cutting-edge anti-aging and wellness center with his wife, Jennise, in South Charlotte. Learn about the innovative services they offer, like advanced facials, IV hydration therapy, and hormone optimization, all aiming to empower individuals to take charge of their well-being. If you’re curious about the growing trend of men seeking cosmetic treatments, Derrick offers insights into how Forever Young caters to both men and women, challenging traditional notions of beauty and self-care.
Get ready for an engaging conversation that promises to redefine your understanding of the anti-aging experience. Derrick and Jennise's holistic approach is rooted in their extensive backgrounds in healthcare and insurance, focusing on the crucial balance of mental and physical health to promote vitality and resilience. As they gear up for their grand opening in December, Forever Young Charlotte combines the medical expertise of a med spa with personalized, confidence-boosting care. Whether you’re interested in aesthetic services or wellness treatments, this episode is your guide to understanding how Derrick and Jennise are revolutionizing the industry, one treatment at a time.
4Ever Young Charlotte
Derrick and Jennise Kelson
7510-Pineville Matthews Road, Suite 1B
Charlotte, NC 28277
980-470-4744
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Regina Lee.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today I'm super excited to introduce you to D Kelson. He and his wife, janice, are opening a brand new business here in South Charlotte called 4ever Young Charlotte. Welcome, derr, well, thank you. Thank you, regina. This sounds super, super exciting. Who doesn't want to be forever young? Tell us about your journey then, how you and Janice came to this, and then we'll talk more about your business.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you again. I would start by saying both Janice and I were very passionate about health and wellness. We're passionate about revolutionizing the anti-aging and wellness industry, specifically here in the Charlotte metro area. My journey actually started as an NFL defensive back for the New York Jets in 1990. Spent half a season with the Jets and then the next two and a half years with the San Diego Chargers, and I saw firsthand the importance of mental and physical wellness and achieving long term success, both on and also off the field. I had injuries, surgeries, rehabbing All of that really took a toll on my body over time. And after football I actually spent the next 28 plus years in the insurance industry, overseeing MetLife Resources for MetLife Insurance Company, which provides retirement programs to employer groups.
Speaker 3:This background is part of the foundation of my purpose to give back to the community through education and services with health and wellness and my wife's journey. My wife is Denise. She is a certified registered nurse anesthetist with a PhD in nursing and she's actually expected to sit for her nurse anesthetist with a PhD in nursing and she's actually expected to sit for her board exam in January to complete her nurse practitioner certification. But as a healthcare professional, janice, she witnessed the critical connection between mental and physical health and patient care, inspiring her to empower individuals to take control of their well-being, fostering what we consider to be a holistic approach to health that promotes balance, vitality and resilience. That's our story.
Speaker 2:So what I gather you had mentioned to me, you are bringing health and wellness under one roof, and that's a bit unique. So how does all this come together? Let's talk a bit about your services, that you offer and what someone like me coming in what can we expect?
Speaker 3:Sure, so what is 4ever Young? So 4ever Young is an anti-aging solution and vitality center specializing in helping individuals look and feel their best, reversing the signs of aging. So we'll have a team of medical experts offering personalized treatments like advanced facials. We'll have an IV lounge and also weight loss treatments to enhance individuals' natural beauty and boost the confidence. Our Vitality Center is actually designed to help members in the Charlotte community reach their optimum levels through one of two customer journeys.
Speaker 3:One journey is look your best and the second is feel your best. Your best and the second is feel your best look your best is our aesthetic services performed by our medical esthetician on staff to include facials, hydrafacials, skin peels and botox. Then the feel your best is our wellness side of the business. In that journey we have a wellness specialist to help guide our individual patients and also a nurse practitioner and a patient care coordinator to help with services such as IV hydration therapy, which I do, medical weight loss and hormone optimization therapy. So we'll be excited to receive the the the members within the Charlotte metro area coming in December. Second week of December.
Speaker 2:So what this is for men and women equally, that right.
Speaker 3:Yes, this is. This is for men and women equally. One of one of one of the misconceptions actually in the industry is that men do not get facial treatment or Botox, and guys are actually increasingly getting Botox and fillers to appear to appear younger. I had read something a little while ago that plastic surgeons estimate estimate that nearly 20% of their clients last year were men. Botox for men makes up almost 10 percent of all cosmetic surgeries and that's going all the way back to 2017 data.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. So describe the environment when you walk into 4ever Young. Is it more like a med spa? Talk to us about that.
Speaker 3:Yes, so so you know, technically it is labeled as a med spa. Yeah, so, so you know, technically it is labeled as a med spa. And one of the things that that I would hear, especially within this market space, is that the products, or the results of the products, were customers were going to like other places, if you will, were amazing, but, but the experience wasn't so. So, uh, good, if you will. So one of the things that really attracted us to forever young, and one of the things that my wife and I will focus on, is the customer journey. So when someone comes into our center, um, we will take them through a process, if you will, and that process will involve not just talking about our products and services, but truly educating them about their health and wellness. How can that be done? For an example, if someone comes in and they're looking for some wellness treatment let's say it's medical weight loss what will happen is we will connect them with our wellness specialists, who will one first take them through a consultative consultation. Understand what brings you in. What are, what are your concerns? Is there a part of your body that you want to focus on first? Then what's next? Then what we'll do, based upon their approval?
Speaker 3:Is we'll do an in-body analysis, get an understanding of their hydration levels? Is we'll do an in-body analysis, get an understanding of their hydration levels? What percentage of their body is muscle? What percentage is fat? If you will, then we'll do.
Speaker 3:We'll take some blood to understand if the blood can tell us if there's anything that is preventing them from losing weight or achieving their wellness goals. And then the last step at least and this is all done in the very first meeting is to do a physical to see if there's just any family medical history we need to be concerned about. And what we will do then, regina, is take all of that information the wellness specialist. What we will do then, regina, is take all of that information the wellness specialist meeting with you, know one or more of our providers, whether it's a nurse, practitioner or esthetician, and put together a health profile. And what that is is think of that as a roadmap for you or for me or for a patient to understand. Here's where I am from my health and physical today, wellness today. Here's where I want to be, based upon the goals that I have. And then it will have recommendations from our providers of things they should consider engaging in as far as our products and services to help meet their health and wellness goals.
Speaker 2:Amazing. So let's break down weight loss, for example. Talk to us about what that journey would look like. Obviously, you would do all of those things you just mentioned, but is it well? How do you do it? How do you help the client achieve weight loss?
Speaker 3:how do you do it? How do you help the client achieve weight loss? Well, obviously, each person is different. Everyone bodies may react to certain medications, certain levels of medication, and that is why I explain that process. So, because we're going to provide truly a customized program for each individual, based upon how their you know body is made up and how their body reacts as it pertains to weight loss.
Speaker 3:What is becoming more and more common is what is known as peptides. Peptides are these are things that our body produces naturally in their short chains of amino acids that play a crucial role in regulating different processes within your body, and there is one that's called semi-glutide and it goes by many names. We go V, probably heard of. Uh, many people may take that, and what it does is it sends signal to the pituitary gland in the brain, which then, in turn, sends insulin into the bloodstream, and what that does is it suppresses your appetite. It gives that feeling of fullness soon, if you will, and that's how it will help people to be disciplined of how much they may eat and losing weight.
Speaker 3:And I will not to make this long, I will finish with this One of the things that we will look to do, depending upon a person's health, and what the recommendations may be is what we'll call like stack peptides, and what I mean by that is use like a semiglutide, which is a peptide for weight loss, and maybe like a somoriline, which is a peptide for muscle building. And so by stacking the peptides, when someone is losing weight, they're losing it in a orderly fashion and it's not like, wow, you know, derek lost, like you know, 50 pounds in two weeks. What's going on? And you kind of have that skinny fat look and you know your head is bigger than the rest of your body. Those are the things and results that we want to try to avoid.
Speaker 2:Wow, yes, I mean, the weight loss industry has really, really exploded. So how does a listener you know the whole look your best, feel your best? What does it look like when you come in and you kind of want to do all of it? You really don't know which piece. Of course, I think we know the facial Botox and things like that.
Speaker 3:But what would that journey look like? Is it coming in weekly, a couple times a week? It could be. It could be a mixture of of all. I mean not for one individual but for you know, just a mixed bag for the various patients. But I would say, on average, you know, more than likely someone would be coming in one to two times a month, especially if they're really dedicated, at least I'd say you know, probably every two weeks if they're really dedicated to reaching and achieving their health and wellness goals. That's what I would anticipate.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, with being a former NFL player, for athletes and people like that, is this the right place for them.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely. Especially being a former athlete and from time to time I do play golf, and especially here in the Southeast in the middle of the summer you could become dehydrated very, very quickly. Most people don't realize they're dehydrated dehydrated even as an athlete. You know, many days I'm dehydrated. You know it could be not just from sweat, but it could be. You know someone drinking a glass of wine. You know someone drinking a glass of wine. You know, maybe it's things that you know cause you to sweat, but most people are typically not fully hydrated, especially knowing that 70 percent of your body is hydration, is water, and so we must maintain a right level of hydration to help the body function as it's meant to function.
Speaker 2:Very super cool. What is the youngest age permitted to come there for, let's say, IV hydration?
Speaker 3:Yeah, for IV hydration we can go as young as 18. If we have a parent's permission, we could do IV hydration therapy for under 18, but we would have to get parental consent. For, you know, all of the other services, for the exception of HRT and medical weight loss, you know, typically we'd like for people to be over 21, but for HRT and medical weight loss you have to be at least 30.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, and I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:HRT is hormone replacement therapy.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, I'm glad you clarified that. Yes, not everybody knows. Well, this is just amazing. Exciting that you guys are opening. How soon?
Speaker 3:We are expected to open the second week of December. We'll continue to communicate and provide updates on our social media, which you know people could follow us, and I can give that information before we conclude today.
Speaker 2:Yes, go ahead and do that, because I think that's important. How do they find you?
Speaker 3:So we will open our doors to the public in early December Again, I expect the second week of December in our just over 1900 square foot space at 7510 Pineville Matthews Road, right at the corner of Pineville Matthews Road and Carmel Road in Carmel Village. You can also follow us on Instagram at 4everyoung underscore Charlotte, and at Facebook at 4ever Young Charlotte, and our website is www. 4veryoungcharlotte. com.
Speaker 1:And our phone number is 980-470-4744.
Speaker 2:And it's important to note note ever young is the number4
Speaker 3:Is the number 4.
Speaker 2:yes, 4ever Young Charlotte. Well, Derrick, I am so excited I got lucky enough to get a tour the other day of your space under construction. You've picked an amazing location and you know South Charlotte is a very healthy area, so I'm super excited for this journey for you and Jennise Thank you, Thank you for this opportunity.
Speaker 3:I enjoyed the conversation, this journey for you and Jennise thank you. Thank you for this opportunity. I enjoyed your conversation. I'll see you soon, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPSouthCharlotte. com. That's GNPSouthCharlottecom. That's GNPSouthCharlotte. com, or call 980-351-5719.