Ep. 107 with Morgan Kraut | Founder, MK Aesthetics

What If Burnout Is A Boundary Problem

She built a clinic while pregnant, skipped maternity leave, and still had to figure out how to lead a team without burning out. Morgan Kraut, RN, founder of MK Aesthetics in Minnetonka, joins me to share the unfiltered story behind the “overnight success” so many people think they’re seeing on social media. 

We start with the roots: nursing in the hospital, finding confidence and stage presence through fitness, and learning intrapreneurship inside commission-based roles where you either network or you stay invisible. Morgan opens up about healing self-worth wounds, why aesthetics felt aligned with her purpose, and how a painful partnership exit became the closed door that pushed her into building a brick and mortar business with deeper values and clearer direction. 

From there, we get practical about leadership and scaling. We talk hiring decisions based on energy and capacity, how to delegate when clients are used to “the founder,” and why culture and customer service become everything when you grow to a team. Morgan also shares what it’s really like to work with your spouse, including defining lanes, protecting the marriage, and building a vision you’re both looking toward. 

We wrap with the mindset tools that keep you moving through the valley: faith as an anchor, “turn your don’ts into do’s,” learning to create whitespace, and simple self-care like stillness, breathwork, and better self-talk. If you’re a woman entrepreneur, mompreneur, or founder trying to grow without losing your peace, this one will meet you right where you are. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick rating and review.

Connect with Morgan:

Website: MK Aesthetics

IG: @m.k.aesthetics & @morgankraut.rn

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

• Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

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Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
• Music: Kristofer Tanke 

Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue! 

Transcript

Welcome And The Mission

Kelly 0:10

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Good afternoon, Morgan.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Hello, hello.

Kelly 0:40

How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:41

I'm so good, Kelly. Thank you for having me on.

Kelly 0:45

You're welcome. We made it. We did it. We're here. And for the listeners, just to give you some context, gosh, Morgan, when was it that we chatted? I feel like it was like centuries ago.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Last year, I think. Yeah.

Kelly 1:01

Well, because I think originally we had you scheduled for January. And then there was a re we needed to get something rescheduled. And so that it was just coordinating calendars, and now here we are.

unknown 1:14

Exactly.

Kelly 1:16

We made it. That was like one of the first things I said when we hopped on Zoom. I'm like, we made it. We did it. Here we are.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Here we've arrived.

The Power Of Community Connections

Kelly 1:24

I'm so excited for the listeners to hear your story before we dive in. I would love for you to share, if you recollect, who it was that got us connected. Because I love the power of community. And so I think it's really important to share that.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Yeah. So Constantina got us connected. Gosh, yeah, about kind of that year ago. And Constantina, you know, I've known her for many years. She was helped with our website build out and some of her creative, you know, with her business. And we've just developed that kind of friendship as well. And so she's always been that person who is like looking out and like connecting and building me up too. You know, she's she's seen firsthand of what it takes to build something. And she was always like, I think you need to meet Kelly. And she's just amazing an amazing human. And again, to your point, the power of community is so important.

Kelly 2:18

What I love about Constantina is she's the type of connector that is um she is very careful about how she's connecting and who she's connecting people with and to. And she really has a thoughtful approach to it. And so, Constantina, if you're listening right now, we just think you're a gem.

unknown 2:41

Thank you.

Intrapreneurship Before Entrepreneurship

Kelly 2:42

Well, what came first for you, Morgan? Was it motherhood or was it entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Yeah, that's a good question. And I I was I've been thinking about that a little bit, Kelly, because I kind of say what came first for me was being an intrapreneur. Um I don't know that word, but intrapreneur is like, you know, I uh after the hospital world, which I can go back on my story later, um, I got into aesthetics, but so I got a job at a clinic or actually lifetime fitness that I love, but their med spa approach wasn't like uh we market, we do all the things. It's like we'll hire you, and then you have to go find your way, you know. So it very quickly had to learn how to be an entrepreneur. So kind of under their umbrella, um, which um which was actually one of something that I love to do. So I was networking and teaching fitness and you know, look, you know, connecting with people to help build business and then motherhood and then the MK aesthetics brick and mortar came after all of that.

Kelly 3:45

Oh, we're gonna get into all of that. I know, they're so excited. I know. Well, this entrepreneur, okay, so thank you for putting a word to something that I have otherwise always been trying to describe to other women who I've had on the podcast. And I'm gonna parallel with you for just a moment in the respect. So my previous to what I'm doing now with real estate and then the podcast as well, I was in mortgage. And mortgage operates very, very similar to what you're talking about where you come, you came into lifetime, right? And you sort of had this like free will to build that portfolio for yourself. And it's no different in the mortgage world. You are you are you're not 1099, but you're not like you're 100% commission. And so it's like you have the will to be able to go out, network, network how you want to, brand how you want to, with you know, underneath this umbrella company, so to speak. And so I love this intrapreneur term that you're kind that you've sort of like coined for it. I'm like, now I'm gonna use that. So thank you. R D.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

R D Yeah, it's true because with uh Lifetime Way too, it was a straight commissioned, you know. So I that's where it's like, you know, you're like you could sit there and be like, well, why aren't people coming to me and sit in your room? But you had to you had to go out and really learn to put yourself out there and build build build a network.

Kelly 5:19

Build your business. Yeah, build your business, build your network. And um it sounds like that networking component. I don't love to to use it, but it that's sort of like the broad stroke of it, right? The critical importance to networking and finding out what's your niche for networking as well. Like where are the avenues? Who are you gonna be connecting with? Um, I want to table that. I'm gonna actually just jot a note. I want to table that and come back to it. Yeah, because I want I want to sort of guide the listeners on this journey of Morgan and starting off in lifetime and and this evolution and identity shift for you. Because I have seen like if if anybody who's listening right now follows Morgan, you are seeing some of these massive identity shifts in such powerful, cool ways. And so I want to get to that, but there's a lot that kind of encompasses that journey to where you are now. So let's dive in. Let's know how to dive in.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

I love it.

From Nursing To Fitness To Aesthetics

SPEAKER_02 6:28

Um, one thing I actually want to take you guys back even further, Kelly, because for the listeners to know, my journey began back in, you know, college going to nursing school. And so I became a nurse and in the hospital. Uh and I started in the orthopedic unit. I moved to trauma, I moved to emergency room. And all along the way in my 20s, there was something that I just wasn't, I just wasn't gonna be my lifelong thing. And I had that 20s identity of who I am and things like that. And kind of through that I found the fitness world. And what I found in the fitness world was people were choosing to come to my classes. People were happy and healthy, and they were choosing happy the healthy way of life. They were, they we built a relationship because they'd come back weekly or you know, a couple times a week, and you got to know them. And I'm my, my, I love people, you know. So I started to think in the hospital, you know, I'm like, there's certain things I was not, I was like, I want people to want to come see me. I want people to book an appointment because they're excited about the service I'm giving them. So through a lot of like, you know, kind of calling it the messy middle, I aesthetics, you know, came to me in a way after a lot of years and years of, you know, kind of trying things. But um so I I found that career and and I almost feel like it found me because I had that opportunity to then build relationships with people, to have them show up smiling versus in the hospital again, nothing wrong, but people were in the emergency room. I didn't want to tell them I can't wait to see you again. You know what I mean? I couldn't build that relationship because that is who I am. And like now, with you know, getting into aesthetics, I was like, build relationships.

Kelly 8:14

Just crack me up because yeah, you in in that hospital setting, the last place that people want to be is in a hospital, right? And so any sort of like, hey, I'll see you later. You're like, no, no, no, no, wants to see us later, they all want to be like as far away from the hospital as possible. Oh I love the I love the shift that you're talking through. Um, the 20s identity is something that I wrote down because I think that there's a lot of women who can empathize to that, like sort of having this like crisis in their 20s, 20s. And it's not everyone, right? But I I certainly can parallel with you in that regard. Like I had this moment in my 20s, like what I graduated with a degree in education and not doing anything, though applying a lot of the principles of education to what I do now. And at the same time, you're like there's something internally where you're like, if something doesn't feel right, what's what needs to change? And I love that you picked up on you know, your your God-given skills, yeah, like connecting with people and wanting to build those and foster those relationships and be able to say, like, I can't wait to see you next week. You know what I mean? Or two weeks.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

And I think too with aesthetics, it's that, you know, it it's that vulnerable place at times where people are coming in talking about a pain point that they have. But, you know, going back on building on the 20s, the 20s was a really, and I think people can encounter these decades, whether it's 30s, 40s, or whatever. But my mine was in my 20s of having to heal some things within myself, having to heal some, you know, some of those, the traumas that I experienced say in in my younger years of a boy saying that I wasn't pretty and that I was ugly. And having to find my self-confidence and my self-worth. And so my 20s was a lot about getting to know who I am, um, go and how to reframe some of the traumas that I had. But then what happens is you can take your pain and turn it into your purpose. So why I loved helping women and still do feel beautiful is because there was a period in my life where I didn't feel that. And I learned how I worked through that. And, you know, then getting into the aesthetics world, it was the perfect kind of parallel for me to take something that was painful for years and years where I'm like, I couldn't look in the mirror and love who I was, and then I I learned how to heal that. And that's why aesthetics too, it's it was such a it was I was in my alignment with it because I'm like this is a place where people can come and share maybe some vulnerable things and I can be that girl who can help them, you know.

Kelly 11:01

So wow. So question for you then with what you had been doing in within lifetime, was it so was the fitness, did the fitness stuff fitness stuff start first within lifetime fitness, and then you made this transition into aesthetics?

SPEAKER_02 11:22

No, so the fitness came in my 20s when I was still working in the hospital. Um this class called Body Pump, which people might know we actually some people have probably taken it or like a barbell strength.

Kelly 11:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

The instructor was like, you are like coming all the time. You like you should start teaching. So I was 24, you know. So fitness was a a really good avenue into like learning how to speak, be on stage, learning how to um combat that insecurity of like, what if I make a mistake? Will everyone be watching? And so fitness came first. And then when I got into lifetime, it was the perfect way to then, okay, I gotta figure out how to build here. And I'm gonna go to fitness instructors and I'm gonna talk to the manager and see how I can start teaching there, you know. So it was the perfect um kind of way. And then I just started meeting everybody at the club and the rest, you know, just started kind of going from there.

Kelly 12:14

So, how long did you spend then in that particular setting before making the decision to start to go out on your own, to pivot and have that leap of faith happen?

When A Partnership Ends Painfully

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Yeah, so really good question. So when I started at lifetime, I was single, um, you know, no kids, no husband. And in that time, I think three, four years in, I got married to my husband now. And then he started kind of seeing what was happening with my business and seeing, like, wow, like she's this is this is awesome. And in that time too, I started a company, a side mobile company with a physician. So I started doing some of that entrepreneurial work while I was at Lifetime, and they were very supportive because it it fed that business too. Um, and so that company started growing. He started kind of getting interested in getting into that side of things. And then um, as lifetime grew, as that other company grew, there was a kind of a painful exit there. And that then triggered again, taking a closed door and leading to a new door that opened, which allowed us to then open a brick and mortar, which there's always a blessing in the hard times, you know. So totally you can unpack that one. That was, you know, there's let's unpack.

Kelly 13:36

No, I do want to unpack that as long as you feel comfortable um diving into that because uh there's important learning lessons that we can talk through and share with the listeners to be able to first identify what are some of the like red flags, whether it's internally that you're starting to see or it's um in conversations around with other people within that particular company. And when is the right when is the right time to make this move, to make this transition?

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Right. You know, I think in I think in general with my story, you know, there's certain things that have there, it's a time period in your life. Certain things aren't forever, right? And certain things I think when you're building a company or building something, there's building blocks to get you to where you you want to go, right? And so I wouldn't say, you know, that sort of lifestyle for me, mobile aesthetics, you know, I was doing a lot of parties at the time, like that was only sustainable for so long because then motherhood came and that I had to show up differently at my home, right? And so I think as companies grow, partnerships can be challenging, you know, like now. I work with my husband, and so there's different visions for it. You know, I still, when we were growing the side, the the mobile company, I still was at lifetime and very committed, you know. So I was kind of, you know, utilizing different avenues to to to to and you know live out my passion of injecting. Um, and it did come to a point where it was kind of like, I want to go one way, you want to go another way. And and genuinely, Kelly, it was so hard and painful because I love people so much and I loved the physician I was working with, but yeah, it just it was growing to a point where it was either I had to be all in and I wasn't, you know, and so, but it's like kind of trusting your gut because I think God had a bigger plan for me. You know, if I was all in on that, MK Aesthetics would not exist um where to where it is now. And so it's like doors closing, I always say, can be so painful and so hard. And at the time my husband was my anchor when I got served like some papers, you know, I'm like, was about ready to die. I'm like, that is the worst thing. But it all worked out, but it's just now that has helped to transform me into who I am now as a leader and you know, with the with the business today. So I have so much truth, like gratitude because that was a stepping stone to continuing to grow my brand. Um, and so it was just a door that closed, and I think that I'm learning, you know, as even as employees exit, it's like it's okay. You know, you're gonna be an entrepreneur, you're gonna build, you're gonna have those seasons where doors are closing, but then new ones always open, Kelly. And I think that's what we always have to remind ourselves into the listeners if you're going through, you know, something hard and things just aren't seeming to work out, we always have to trust the that that other doors and opportunities will arise.

Faith As The Leadership Anchor

Kelly 16:52

Oh, I feel like I could go so many different directions right now, but I think because we are we're talking in the vein of trust and taking these leaps of faith. Let's talk through faith for you and what has that looked like, what has that not looked like, and um how are you how are you implementing that into what you're doing now with MK aesthetics?

SPEAKER_02 17:21

Yeah, so faith is um, I almost could cry when I say that it's been an anchor in my life, and it's it's what has gotten me through so many hard, challenging times. And so I look at faith as like, think about you're riding a bike. You have to be pedaling to not have the bike tip over, right? And when we slow down and we stop, we tip over. And oftentimes in my faith, I get a lot of momentum and I'm, you know, I'm I'm reading the word and I'm, you know, doing my spiritual practices. And then there's times where life gets busy and really good, and I lose sight of that faith, right? So I think for me, faith has been the reason I've been able to get back up time and time again in my journey and of 41 years in life, and especially with business. And this day, I think I always kind of say, God's hand is in this, and God's hand is on this business, because you know, the power of I how much I have to pray and how much, you know, you know, the discipline of leadership of you know, having that discipline to get up and get out of bed and you know, you know, and through motherhood too, I just think faith is it's it's been my anchor. And there's been seasons of my life where it's not been as strong, and then there's other seasons of my life where it has been, it has been more, you know, stronger. So um I think being business in my mind is a spiritual game and it has been it's it's exposed exposed so much of me, and it's grown me in so many ways spiritually and in my faith as well.

Kelly 19:02

I love hearing that and the self-discipline is something that um I feel like I continue to exercise or not exercise. Like you talk about how you know it's like as things are challenging and we it's when we start to bend the knee and and the prayer becomes more proficient, and then when things are good, it's like, oh, you know, I like I literally find myself in those moments where it feels like life is just kind of escaping me and things are so busy and you know things are going really well, and I lose my focus. I mean, I'm literally in like a reflection on the Halo app and I'm like thinking about something else, and I'm like, what am I doing right now? And I have to for me personally, I have to pray through that. Like I need to pray for that focus because I know that there's there's a lot in terms of like the enemy's hand in all of this as well. Sometimes, like, how much can we distract? How much can we distract? How much can we distract?

SPEAKER_02 20:11

So well, and nowadays just the world and how busy everything is, it's it's so it's it's not conducive to sitting in silence and surrendering and reading, and that that's when my magic happens, right? Like when I'm I don't ask the world what it what it wants from me. I I go inside and ask the Holy Spirit, right? And I think that I I've known, I know that I know that I know now that I'm older that it has been every season of my hard times that have shaped me into who I am today. Um, and so it's but it's hard, Kelly. You know, I've been with the business and with things that happen in life. It's it's how do you keep that mindset through those hard seasons and trust and ask? And, you know, I always kind of say turning your don'ts into what you do want. Your don't want, it's you know, I always can you can always focus on I don't want this, or I don't want the business to fail, or I don't want my kids to like, well, how about we reframe that and you know switch the brain a little bit into what you do want, you know, and maybe in these hard seasons, what I do want is to have more clarity on what my next steps are, or what I do want is to find more peace in my marriage, or you know, versus like I always say turn your don'ts into do's.

Turning Donts Into Dos

SPEAKER_02 21:32

That's that could be something you guys could write down because that's that's literally what I'm writing down right now.

Kelly 21:36

We're gonna like turn your don'ts into do's and what I do want versus what I don't want. Ooh, that's powerful.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

And an example in aesthetics that I do all the time, because people will come in and they'll set my turn like, well, I don't want to look unnatural. I don't want to like, I don't want to look like those people on TV. I don't want to have my browser up. I'm like, okay, I hear what you don't want, but what do you want? How would you do want?

Kelly 22:02

And so, and then they're like, I do want to look natural. I do want things to be like you. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

And so it's like the universe doesn't hear the don't. It's just it's like, well, I don't want to look unnatural. It's like, well, the universe hears I want to look unna like, or I don't another good one for brides. It's like, I don't want it to rain on my wedding day. And I'm like, well, what do you want? And they're like, I want it to be like 75 and sunny. I'm like, let's meditate on 75 and sunny. You know what I mean? Because it's a brain thing, it's the power of the mind, is a whole nother topic we could get into.

Kelly 22:35

It's so funny. I think you were literally in my head as I was writing down some of this stuff from like seconds ago. And I'm going, there's so much connection between the positive mindset and the Holy Spirit, too. Frankly.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

And that one word gratitude as well. Like gratitude, I think, paved my way, truthfully.

Kelly 23:03

I know. We have an exercise at our dinner table where we we pray together and then we go round table and express our gratitude for the day. And um, you know, something that was like a highlight of the day too. And I just it's like one of my favorite parts of the entire day is like this round table experience with the family and setting setting the stage for the kids too, and sort of modeling for them. Like it's not always about the external, it's about it's about you know in in relationship with God and expressing that gratitude to him because it's it's all about him. So I love that I you and I can like hash some of this stuff out on the face side because it's it's fun to be able to talk through that in an open in an open manner. And so thank you. I really appreciate it. A couple other things that I noted

Building A Business With Your Spouse

Kelly 24:04

here that I want to talk through and have questions about is um you mentioned that your husband had started to his his interest was peaked. And so is there, refresh my memory, is there like a like you two working together in the business with MK Aesthetics?

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Yeah, so kind of how it went. So, first off, the day I met him um at a dinner on a double date, I'll never forget, he's like, I've always wanted to own my own business. This has always been in his blood and his bones. He just didn't have the path forward, right? And so, um, so what happened is when we opened MK Aesthetics four years ago, he was the brains of the back end, right? And so there's so much that goes into setting up your S-corps and your taxes, your insurance and care tax and all that. And so he was really good with that back end insurance, and he was still at a full-time job, you know, at that time it was too risky, you know, we couldn't, we couldn't um have him quit that. So two years in Kelly, so two years ago, this past April, he has now been full-time at MK, you know, really co-owning and doing CFO work and all the strategy side of things for the past two years. So we have a whole nother now thing to navigate.

Kelly 25:21

It's it, it's working. Yeah. So you and I can, I mean, we can either talk about that here on the podcast, which I think would be super fun because working with your spouse is it's so funny. And I I wonder if you get this comment too. It's about 50-50, 50% of the time that I am telling individuals who I've never met before that I work with my husband, they're like, oh no, I could never. I could, nope, I could never. And then 50% of the time people are like, oh yeah, I could totally work with my my husband or my wife. Like they're my best friend, and yada yada. Like, I I I think that we could harmonize with one another in that respect. So curious how conversations have gone for you when you've shared this.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

I think I get more like the 80-20, like, I could never work with my husband. Like I hear in like the room oftentimes. And I think it's interesting because it's like, okay, so work is just a piece of the pie of our life, right? And we're like the kids, we have travel, we have all these things. And so it's I think I think the secret weapon and what I'm learning is it's like learning how to find time. Like, I need to miss him, you know. Like if we have these days after days after days after days that it's work and home, and and like, you know, I feel like there's been seasons where I'm like, I don't miss you right now. And so I think, you know, I I don't ever want to lie to people to say that this has been the easiest thing, but I ask God why, because at the end of the day, Kelly, I couldn't do this on my own. And so I'm like, who better to have with me than him, who I trust, who I know so many partnerships go, you know, you know, can go the wrong direction. I'm like, but we are looking outward in the same direction, you know. How awesome that I we have that. I think it's just navigating different leadership styles, navigating right now for what roles are you responsible for, what roles am I responsible for, staying in our lanes, because otherwise we talk about work 24-7. So whole nother podcast episode.

Kelly 27:29

It totally is. You're you're so right. But I I empathize with you in that respect where it's like identifying like what's your role versus what's your spouse's role in all of it and ensuring that you know there's that you're staying in your lanes. I mean, one of the things that we're talking about right now is like prioritization of what tasks we have, you know, that's gonna ensure that the business is moving forward. And so we have some really intentional time on the front end of our day and talking through like what are the things that we we know need to move the needle for the day and then for the week and for the month, et cetera, et cetera. And prioritizing this is mostly for me. Uh uh this is my vulnerable share. Like when I have a lot of stuff that's dumped at me, I'm like, oh my god, what one? And ultimately it's like eat the frog, right? Like do the hardest thing first and then just kind of let everything else come thereafter. Um, but when you're building and building and building, and it's not just the real estate business, it's also the podcast, too. Yeah. So you know, there's there's all of these different facets that are moving pieces in that and the prioritization as well in conjunction to your role versus my role.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

So exactly.

Kelly 28:55

I love it. So what is official well, what's your husband's name? Uh Micah. Micah. Shout out to Micah. I'm sure that Micah's gonna listen to this. And so, Micah, you are a godsend for Morgan, and I love hearing this. And I would love to meet you someday. And um, well, actually, how fun would it be for your husband, you, and my husband and I to just meet and go, Yes, let's do a podcast talking about working. Perfect. I'd love it. But what is what's Micah's like official role and title within MK Aesthetics?

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Yeah, so he, I mean, definitely like CFO, fully owns the financials and all that. And he's really big into like the marketing strategies. He's you know, kind of a lot of a SEO, you know, big into website. He's he's a strategist, you know. And I'm always like the day-to-day, my culture, the team. How do we create an incredible culture and a team that's like premiere and talented? And I've always been kind of like the attractor of that. And he's always been like the okay, what's our what's our four-year plan or five-year plan? What's our three-year, you know, those things?

Kelly 30:08

And so I love it. It's good in geeking out right now.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

Yeah, it works.

Kelly 30:14

And so I feel like Micah and Joe have a lot of commonalities. He's like, Joe is like the he's the visioner, like he's that big thinker, and he puts all of these ideas out there, and sometimes they stick, and then other times it's like, well, we can only, you know, we can only move forward with so many different strategies. This is hilarious. Pick a couple and let's go, let's go with those. But I love hearing this, and I just love that you are you're working together, but that you also understand that that whole thing that you had mentioned previously about like needing to miss your spouse, especially if you're in the thick of things day to day, parenting, husband and wife, and in business together. Yeah. You gotta there has to be like intentional time with one another, not talking about the business, which is very challenging because there's always something. There's literally always something.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Yeah. And I think too, with the age of our kids of four and a half and six, I'll say back, you know, we, you know, not only you go to work, but then you come home and it's a different person somewhat showing up to your home life. You know, like and you know, and then there's you know, different things to navigate there. But you know, I think with business and entrepreneurship, it it is a that dance of there was a season where he genuinely was with the kids more, and when they were sick, he was home. And I'm like, I can't cancel a full day. And he we he he supported me in that. And so now, you know, as as we're getting a little more freedom with the kids, it's like now I want to support him in things that he wants to do. So I think it's yeah, it's it's these seasons that come, and I think then throwing in motherhood to all of that and parenting is a whole nother element.

Roots Before Rapid Growth

Kelly 32:08

Um that what do you feel are some of the challenges that you have experienced in in growing a company? I mean, I feel like you've had some rapid growth, right? The nice thing that I'm hearing is that you had a really solid foundation that you had built when you knew that like when it was time, you know, one door is closing and you're going, now's the time. This is MK Aesthetics, here we go. So you had this really solid foundation, and there's been like it's been four years. That's that's a a really short amount of time, in my humble opinion, Morgan, for the growth that I've seen with MK Aesthetics. Now I've known of your company for a while now. And then when Constantina was like, you need to meet Morgan with MK Aesthetics, I was like, Oh, yeah, cool, I love it. This is awesome. Um and so I've I've sort of had this like, you know, I'm in the auditorium watching as your business is growing, but I'm all the way in the back. Now I feel like I'm in like one of those front row seats. Right, right. It's kind of cool. It's really fun. But what do you feel are some of the challenges? And then one of the other questions that I wrote down is um, you know, you are you're leading this team. And what has the growth looked like? How many employees do you have now that you're managing? And what are some of the experiences or some of the challenges that you've experienced just in that leadership aspect also? I threw a lot at you. So why don't we start with like the parenting and mom component of it?

SPEAKER_02 33:57

Well, yeah. So I think I think this is I love the whole foundation thing you talked about in the beginning because what happens is I think as women or when we're with social media, is we see people, we don't ever see the roots below the ground for the tree, right? We see the the above everything in this gorgeous tree, right? Yeah. But what happened with our business is I built roots. And for five years, Kelly, I can't tell you the days I sat with empty books, and I can't tell you the amount of root, the the the deep roots I was, I was, I had to build, right? Day after day showing up, praying for that one client, gratitude for that one client when I could have been so frustrated with empty space and I could have quit a hundred times. So what happened was it's like building that foundation, so many people see this quick growth. So when we got MK, everyone's like, holy moly, you guys are crushing it. You're like top 10 account and these things. I'm like, oh, honey, uh-huh. It's been eight years, you know what I mean? And so I think with that said, and then like growing the team, it came a little quicker because I had those roots built, those trusting relationships and those referrals coming in to then kind of build a team a little bit quicker. So I always want people to understand that like when they're just starting out, like I always want to share my story of like, I'll never forget praying the girl next to me in the door. She was fully booked. My books were empty. And I just remember I never wanted to be her, but I and I never wanted to push people down because some people would be like, you know, like, oh, look at and I'm like, I I I envy that, right? And so I think for so long that foundation was built. And then going into the team, um, we have 14 employees now or 14 of us on the team. Okay. And I think the version of Morgan that was showing up back before MK was built was the hustler. She was um uh just I would say yes to everything. I, you know, like I was just my intention was to build clients. I it was like I'm a hairstylist, I need clients in the door, right? But then you bring in MK and you start growing a team. That version of Morgan no longer supports growing and leading a team. So I had a massive and in continuing to have this massive identity shift of who I need to be now, not old Morgan who built, right? Because I almost had the brand recognition. People wanted to see Morgan, it's MK aesthetics, that's your initials. But then what happened is that whole transformation into leadership and growing my team and not being more interested than interesting, you know, and things like that. Um, so totally miss the mom point, but I want people to, it's it's different versions of ourselves that we have to meet, right? And so it's like going from no kids to kids, it's like, and we have to give ourselves a lot of grace, right? I never was a strong leader back in college and high school volleyball days. I didn't even get captain because I was just wanted to have a lot of fun, you know. So in so it's like learning and growing, and um, it's been it it's beautiful, but it's it's having to shift your identities in a way and grow into that next version of yourself that the business needs now has been something I've been really working hard on.

Kelly 37:22

Wow. So does that make sense?

SPEAKER_02 37:25

I get really for sure.

Kelly 37:28

No, that is just so beautiful, Morgan. I love it. I I could sit here and talk for days and days and days about identity shifts and like the identity shifts that I've gone through and hearing the shifts that other women have gone through, paralleling with that, learning about what other I mean, I feel like I this conversation right now is just opening my eyes to your experience in itself. And it it's sort of like this aha moment, like, yeah, of course. Of course, there were gonna be so many massive identity shifts that you were going through. You know, first it was you know, going from being single to not being single, you know, getting married and then having kids. And in all of that, it you're growing this business. And then it was having a door closed and starting starting something up that is now shaping and forming into something very beautiful, and then all of the different components of the growth with bringing people on and scaling and you know, I remind me how many locations you have.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Oh, we just had the one location, just one miniataka.

Kelly 38:44

Okay, sounds good. Um, and 14 employees, you said. Yeah, one of the things that I circled is growth in hiring. When did you know that you needed to hire?

Hiring For Capacity And Trust

Kelly 38:58

I think that this is important for women who are listening right now who are they know that scaling is is an eventuality for their business, but the how behind it is something to be said. Like there's something to be said about that, and then talk us through what what were some of those moments in time where you're like, yeah, I it I think it's time.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

Yeah, that's a really good question. I think I think one of the words that just came to my mind was energy. I think we all only have so much energy in our tank in a day, in a week, in a month, right? And so when I was kind of getting, I was busier, right? What happened is I was having two babies. I didn't even take maternity leave. I was like, I was just so driven to build and build and build. And what happened was I there was a moment in time where I was operating out of so much fear, Kelly, because when you're straight commissioned, I had if I don't work, I don't make any money, you know. And so I had this fear of like this deep-rooted fear in me of like, I can't stay home with my baby too long because I don't have benefits and I have to go back to work. So what happened was the vision of MK Aesthetics was me taking it something that was a pain point of mine. And again, I only had so much capacity. I couldn't add more hours to the day, I couldn't add more days to the week. And it got to that point where you know, friends were referring, you know, and I was building deep roots with clients, and it was there's a I had a capacity. So I think it's really it's first off, really getting clear with what you're trying to build. I think it's like when we opened MK, we did have to expand our vision into saying, okay, we're building out a space with eight rooms. We're gonna have to build this. Morgan's time and energy is that capacity. I will burn out very quickly. I think the word burnout is a really hot topic that I think we need to we need to have more conversations around. And I think then the to get to the hiring process, it's that trust of I need somebody who I can trust to take on some of these clients and to take my referrals and to in time build them up so that they're almost better than me, so that I have some, I have more capacity. So I think when we're hiring, it's it's really thinking about your vision. But ultimately, too, a lot of these things in my our business has it's grown organically beyond what my vision even was. You know, so you start hitting my, I'm like, I'm hitting energy capacity, I'm hitting potential burnout. Like, I do think it's time to bring on somebody to help and and or whether it's somebody to manage or a front desk or things like that. I think you just start to see the needs of the business and you start you can create that job description around the needs of the business.

Kelly 41:48

How old were your kids when um you hit that point? Um I okay, so Reese was with like energy capacity to what you're speaking to.

SPEAKER_02 42:04

It's a that's a that's a tough question because I was eight months pregnant with Reese when we were finishing our build out. I was still at lifetime. I hadn't told them yet I was leaving. Um, and so the the pressure of the the build-out financially and the pressure of the rent to be paid was like to the point that's where I was like, I can't take this on my own. God, I if I try to wear this business on my shoulders, I will crumble. And this is where I'm gonna need you to help me. And there's some God sense who came in, but the girlies were I just delivered Reese when we opened basically the brick and mortar. And again, it was it was a crazy time, which I then go back to Micah, my husband, and I'm like, I couldn't have done this without him, you know.

Kelly 42:48

All right, so I want to go back to um the question that I had posed about some of the challenges that you experienced um as you've been building out MK aesthetics. Yeah, I I I feel like this is an opportune moment, especially knowing that there wasn't maternity leave. You were building out everything with MK aesthetics, and then there was this shift that was happening as you were gonna, you know, you didn't know it at that point, but leaving lifetime as well, and how that was gonna all come down. I mean, that's Morgan, frankly. That's she's like, tell me about it.

SPEAKER_02 43:27

That's a lot. You built your whole client base there. So there's two points to telling them that you're gonna leave, to then helping your clients come and follow you. You know, and you're like, oh my gosh, it was, you know, yeah. I would say, I will say to this day, I have so much gratitude for Bobby at Lifetime My Manager. They were so incredible and they rooted me on because the thing is, is like I worked so hard, you know, for them. And they I I just it was and it ended up being great. I think our

Kelly 44:00

minds build things up to be worse than you know it was bad but they also know that like I wouldn't want to hold somebody back who has these big dreams you know either you know so as you are as you're building everything out with MK aesthetics and you are getting ready to deliver what were some of the thought processes that were going through your head at that time and just I think you spoke a little bit to it about that like fear as one of the driving forces behind it. But what did it look like for you? This is probably the better way for me to phrase this question is like what did pause look like for you in being able to spend that time with your newborn and then also knowing that you it's interesting I'm gonna metaphorically speak about you know the physical newborn but then the the the newborn business as well which isn't really a newborn you had been working tirelessly and for a long time to build that but in the in the essence of building out a space and having a brick and mortar you know that's new that's new and that's yours too.

SPEAKER_02 45:12

So yeah I think so I call it I birthed twins at the same time as I birthed the humans I love it. Kelly that I think can lead to a bigger conversation of the word to me that came to me is my team I had had a gal working with me first on social media as a contract and as I grew and as MK was growing she started taking on more and I hired another gal her name is Karen she's my top injector today and she was a nurse and she had a year of experience but those girls and Micah you know they came in and pitched in it wasn't like uh I'm a nurse I just inject it's like I am doing the back end of your uh EMR your your you know all the pre and post care I am building out your front desk and I'm building out like they to have women around you who believe in you and who aren't like uh there's there was no ego it was just gratitude to be be there and I can't believe you hired me thank you so much I'm I'm scrubbed they're scrubbing floors they're welcoming these clients with open arms because I'm a big culture and I'm a big I'm I'm big on customer service that there's one thing I'm really big on it's that and they I cannot handle a business if you don't have good customer service I'm like I want to help you um but I think it's that's when you you that's where team in my mind even today I'm just like I didn't do this alone I didn't do this alone I built a team that is the anchor to this company now right and so I think when we were having when I was the little the the baby babies those girls my first few hires they just they believed in something bigger than like they could see it's almost like you're there was an influence there because I had a good social media presence. But I think finding people who rally around you and want to build you up and not push you down is just so important. You're gonna go to that next level and start growing a team and things like that.

Mentorship Rooms And Real Community

Kelly 47:18

What an opportune moment and nearly perfect sideway into talking about your village and support and who you are surrounding yourself with and the importance of being selective of who those people are as well. It's something that I have come to learn and grow and and understand that just as we have seasons of life we may have seasons of friendships and um relationships with people as well. I talk myself and the listeners through what the experience has been for you as you've been as you've become a mother well first you know a wife because I do think that there's shifts and seasons of friendships and relationships that happen at that point.

SPEAKER_02 48:05

And then becoming a mom and building out a business what are some of your like learning lessons in in who you're surrounding yourself with like I I think I think I've learned that um there are reasons and there are seasons for certain relationships right and I for so long I just would cling to the past of what we used to have or what that friendship used to be or what that you know relationship dynamic was. And I think for me I've always been somebody who when I'm in a room with people who are elevated like almost better I like rise up like I kind of rise or shrink to the the people I surround myself with right and so I think with the business side of things one thing that I did do that was really helpful is you get got to get yourself into rooms where people have gone before you right and you got to get that mentorship. And you you know so I joined an academy for a year and you know all many spas around the US and that was like something I tell people it's like you got to be in rooms where people can help and guide and support and uplift because what happened in my industry it's it's not like you can call your neighbor who owns an aesthetic practice and be like hey neighbor you want to help you know you need that village and that community. And I think to the point of motherhood too when we to put another layer onto this and we were building out MK we were building a new home and so we had so much going on but those my neighbor I was like God placed her in my life she stayed home she always had my back with the kids even nowadays I'm like hey can you drive her quick here I'm like there's just in like there's those soul friends who they always have my back they call me like Morgan you got to sign up for this by this date you don't need to look into it just push this button you know and so I think those you know and whereas then other friendships haven't my you know college friends is once a year but there's other friendships that haven't been able to be sustained as much not because of anything bad but it's just different chapters that we we are in. So I think I think for business side though for the most you have to get yourself into rooms where people build you up because I think there's oftentimes people have their subconscious jealousies or their subconscious like insecurities that like that can kind of creep in and kind of like well don't they want to support me or you know you know so I think I think that community is one of the biggest things that I would say is so important to be around women who often can say I understand what you're going through and I'm here for you.

Kelly 50:42

Morgan and not alone more like speaking to my soul right now because all I think about and I have talked at ignasium with Joe as it pertains to the podcast. This community I I want to continue to build this community and it's very interesting how God has placed the right people in front of me to have on this podcast and I I'm pretty confident that maybe all of the women who have been on the podcast thus far are the type of women who can set their egos down and they can be cheerleaders for other women. And that's the one thing where like as I'm planning out the podcast and second podcast anniversary event I'm like those women in that room need to understand that there is no time and no place for your ego and anything else besides supporting other women and and cheerleading them on. You know what I mean? Like that is the group of women that I want around me small, medium or big size group through and through.

SPEAKER_02 51:53

I could not agree with you more and I think again one of my pains that I turned into my purpose into my core values actually is when I was growing back in the day there was the the the there wasn't an open door policy. I felt like I was in an island by myself just trying to figure it out I'm like hey do you want to just help me with this and people like nope nope we close doors here we don't share client but I took so what happened Kelly is I took that and I made it my mission at MK the number one core value is being a team player. We work together we uplift one another we never it's I even today I had a client I'm like hey Karen can you pop in I just got to take a look at this you want to help me quick and like so it's like you know being in a in an aesthetics back in the day it was kind of this like caddy like yeah like people weren't very nice and I'm like I'm just here to support and love people and I honestly genuinely want you to win too because if you know anything about life and God there's enough for everybody and he will show up for you every time. And so for me to think to push someone down like when I was a new injector people like oh that's her she's energetic and wants to build good luck you know and I was like now and so and even for like the skill wise I just was like I will build a team that works together. Today I'm like hey you're gonna go see this girl for lips I she's great at lips I don't do them as you know things like that. And I was like thank you Lord for making that one of my pain points that I turned into now one of my most proud things that we do at MK is we are team players and we work together and we build each other up you know because incredible um yeah are you so now talk me through because you have you've shared that you have had these transitions and identity identity shifts in terms of like where you started you were the you were the builder right you were building and there's been all of these different identity shifts.

Kelly 53:52

So what does like here and now today 2026 Morgan look like in terms of role?

SPEAKER_02 53:59

Are you still injecting periodically or are you kind of phasing out of that like talk us through yeah what that evolution has looked like yeah so I think if kind of going from back in the day I was five days a week to you know I'm down to two days a week I do still inject on Tuesday Thursdays. I think it's just when you build these relationships with people for so long it's just that's something that I still love to do. But the Monday, Wednesday, Friday Morgan is very different now. I've been doing a lot of um you know the Mondays definitely more meetings with executive directors, you know, some practice managers some team meetings and then um also fitting in times with Mike on Wednesdays we have an executive so more meetings and strategies and you know things like that. So um definitely learning how to work on the business a little bit more than the business um but I still am kind of one of those core one of the core injectors in some ways um and so it's been that's been a journey for me you know and and I think what happens you enter into new phases like I I really got confident in and it's a John Maxwell um analogy he uses but it's like there's different levels. And so when I I remember I had no clients and I I got I got really busy so I had uh he kind of calls it you enter a new stage and you're learning then you're failing then you're getting back up and then you're you're perfecting again and before you go to the next level you know you got to okay I figured that out and then I you enter a new level and guess what you got to learn and fail again. You know so I feel there's times where I'm like I'm really focused on this word leadership of like what is a good leader? I was just listening to day I'm like how do I show up as a better leader and how for my team because it's a newer thing for me. And but also give yourself a lot of grace. It's like my daughters didn't walk in one day they fell down they got back up. It's these kids don't learn in one day. And so as women holding a lot for our family and for our businesses we have to if there's one advice I'd give to people it's like give yourself grace and and let yourself fail because realistically your failures I want to know more about your failures and how you got back up versus all your successes. And that to me is what like moves me like gives me the whole goosebumps because I've learned in my life and John Maxwell I'll give him credit for this keep your successes and failures close because your successes keep you confident but your failures keep you humble and you're gonna ebb and flow in life right and so I think you know kind of going I went off on that but I get really passionate about those no I'm a huge John Maxwell fan.

Kelly 56:48

I could literally listen to that man. I just love his voice but he's just so full of wisdom and so yeah you can go off on any sort of tangent on John Maxwell and I will be like all ears I am personally interested in learning a little bit more with like the Tuesday Thursday for you that you're there you're you're the person who's injecting what was the like this is I'm gonna I'm gonna schedule everything out just like this. Was it because of schedules within the household or was it because um you knew that there were specific like meetings that were gonna need to be set on specific days and so this was just like a plug and play.

Boundaries Delegation And CEO Time

Kelly 57:36

I'm curious about that. And then I've got a follow-up question to that too.

SPEAKER_02 57:40

Yeah no I think I think as I've gone and again we can kind of go over that word burnout again I think I'm learning that white space is really important as an entrepreneur as a CEO or whatnot. And I thought for so long busy busy busy busy busy more meetings more meetings more patience was a badge of honor. And I think what I've learned is my schedule I'm really working to tab Fridays off and Fridays is my research my thinking day my my visionary day of like you know having just time to create I think being creative you have to carve out that time and so Mondays were always a good kind of reset to kick off the week if you've ever read traction, you know traction in the EOS system Mondays are kind of your kickoff you know like let's alone for the week you know Mike and I try to align um the team you know we have marketing meetings and so hey what are you working on this week you know what do you need support in um and then Tuesdays and Thursdays has always just been my bread and butter. Like all my clients were kind of those are the two days like as I've as I've kind of trimmed down my client base those two days I've always just really appreciated and I I I love doing that. And so Wednesday um was more that touch base with higher level you know our executive director and then also again carving out some space for you know think time, talk time things like that. So um I've had to do a lot of work on that Kelly um because again I think I've had to reframe those fears of well if I don't look busy people might think I'm not doing anything and you know things like that. But there's also the I look at the look at the gas tank analogy I'm like you can be operating really well but getting really close to empty and you got to go refill that tank up because not only am I a mom or an entrepreneur own this founder I have got to save some energy for my night times with my girls and I've got to save some energy for my family and things like that.

Kelly 59:35

So I'm I'm really navigating that right now you know and um how I'm showing up in the different areas of my life have you had any challenges with clients only wanting you because that's what they were used to and now as you are continuing to build out MK aesthetics have you personally had any challenges with like letting go and delegating and then have clients had trouble with going well I wanna like for me if I'm gonna come into MK aesthetics I'm like I want Morgan yeah yeah you know yeah I think really good question Kelly because it's a mindset thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:27

So for so long that was a fear of mine right but as we've grown this team um I kind of tell people I'm like you know it's kind of like if you go to a classic surgeon and they're doing breast tugs, tummy tugs, one one kind of Botox and they're doing you know all these things like I want somebody who specializes. I want I tell people at our clinic I'll tell you the Karen's and the Lisa Leslie's got way more experience than me those girls are so good they do my face. And so but what I'm trying to say is when I was in that cohort that academy for um in med spot owners I learned a lot and one of the things I learned is you have to have boundaries and again you want to be the yes girl that's what got you to where you are today. But women and it's a really good example like my neighborhood girls like all they were like a couple were in today and I'm like they see Karen and I'm like hey Marks how's it going? And I'm like awesome thanks for coming in and they as I've as I've grown it like if I don't set those boundaries A, then what does that look like to my team? Because I'm building a team who's amazing. We're premiere we're we're the best of the best right and so I kind of I I I struggled with that but I just didn't have the capacity and so if people choose to not come because they can't see me I'm okay with that right but our marketing and our um strategies are to build and show face of like those girls doing my face us training all the time you know what I mean because we genuinely only have so much time and energy and so I feel that has taken me time but I'm very confident and there's a random time I'll take a couple new people and you know because I just love it still and whatnot. But I think setting boundaries as a CEO or if you're a founder or whatever is one of the biggest things that you have to get crystal clear on and you have the discipline of leadership is you have to follow through on it.

Personal Branding Beyond The Clinic

Kelly 1:02:30

So good. You just recently went through a rebrand didn't you um well we're adding in wellness um to our the business I just remember seeing you in this like fantastic red dress and like something fun is coming and so can you speak to that what is that yeah so um so mk aesthetics obviously we have a you know our beautiful Instagram account and things like that and we have a team that helps with that and then Morgan more so my actual full name is Morgan Kraut Hilaris but there is there was the side is the so when the business started MK Aesthetics was mine.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:11

Like you would see my kids you would see you know like it was my business and then I would talk about Botox and things like that. But as it grew and as I grew a team I knew I had to kind of branch out on a personal brand side. So um another kind of God moment a year ago I went and met this gal. She was in Dallas and she does a lot of work with social media but it was a big conference that I went to about personal branding and how you can create a successful personal brand. So it was an opportunity for me to shift into more my faith talk. Not I'm not going to talk about faith on MK aesthetics page. That's more our aesthetics it's our services that's our team and all that but I now have a platform where I can share more vulnerable you'll see one come out in June more of a vulnerable post or more into my faith journey and how I operate and and my kids and you know more about my family life because as again I I struggled with that separation of it's not just me anymore. I'm building a team so that account went and then I kind of started a personal brand which I think is so important for owners and founders because we all have a story to share Kelly like oh for sure love hearing people's stories and the the hardships that they've encountered and how they overcame and transformed and healed. And so that's I haven't gone into it too deep um but that's a vision that I kind of have for the future.

Kelly 1:04:32

I'm gonna be following it very closely Morgan I'm so excited about that and to your point about like founders each have their own stories to share and entrepreneurship is tough and there is there is a a grittiness to it and then there's the the beautiful other side of that grittiness that you can just express that in a way where it's not like boohoo me I I had to go through all of this stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:04

And there is always stuff that founders go through the challenges the peaks the valleys what have you so I love it's biblical right I mean they say you are gonna have trials and tribulations and you are going to struggle but like God will work all things together for your good for those who love the Lord and that is a true testimony. And I think one other thing with your followers or listeners, one of the analogies I use a lot Kelly is like the mountaintop right I mean we're all climbing these mountains and you know we're trying to get to the next level and I think what I have to remind myself so often of is you have to take a moment and look back and look at how far you've come because that is if I were to stop right now because every time you get to the top or you achieve something, there's the next mountain to climb. That's called entrepreneurship, right? You're like I have hit every goddamn goal in my whole entire life and I still want more and I'm not happy. Right. And so I think for me it's just learning to take a moment to sometimes be at that place in my life as I'm achieving goals, but looking back to say, like, I remember having no clients and praying just to have a full book. And now there was a moment where I was starting to resent that because I was burning on both, you know. So I think it's just remembering that you're always gonna want more. But the the true secret is being in the moment and present and like understanding that everything is working together. So I just think that's important for women to recognize like, look how you've birthed two humans, you know, like you've healed a trauma. And if you didn't heal that, you wouldn't be in a successful marriage, Morgan. Look at the risks you take, because I think so often we get these imposter syndrome. We get this imposter syndrome. People would be like for so long, Kelly, they're like, look at what you built. And I'm like, I feel like I've done nothing. I am down in the dumps right now. And I'm like, wake up. And that's why you need a community to remind you of your worth and to remind you that you are doing incredible things and you are meant here and put here on earth to do these things. And it's not about me anymore. It's about how can I be of service? How can I help women feel confident in their skin? Right. And so I think that's like if I could encourage anybody today, I think it's just, you know, lighting that fire back in them to know that they're worthy of big bold things, you know? And so mic drop.

Kelly 1:07:26

That was so nice. It was so, it was, I'm like fired up now. Because you're right, we need the community. Is I remember feeling this way, Morgan, after we finished up with our initial Zoom call in preparation of like having you on the podcast. And it was just like, oh God, I love Morgan, she's just so incredible. And that is what it's all about. It's like finding those people where you're like, yeah, I I want to hear more from her because I resonate with her, because faith is important to me, or I'm I'm building something in this space as well. Get close to the sun, meaning like Morgan. Get so get close to Morgan because Morgan is is making waves in what she's what she's doing, but it didn't come without the valleys as well. Right. I speak so often to the peaks and the valleys. I mean, I remember sitting in church one day listening to this part in the sermon about the valleys, right? And going through the valley, and I was like, oh, hard not to talk about something like that on the podcast. And and every single woman has experienced the peaks and the valleys in entrepreneurship.

Valley Moments Healing And Self Care

Kelly 1:08:43

And so with that being said, would you be willing to share a dark moment, that valley moment that you uh experience? And it could be something that was really pivotal for you. I've heard you share a few times now about healing through a traumatic experience, and so perhaps it's that. But I think that there's always like when we shine a light on something like that, and for somebody who's listening, it can speak hope into them.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:14

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, I've kind of meditated on that because I think I have so much. There's been so many times. I mean, the one that I would say is, you know, just like a year or two ago of like just the darkest, like, I don't think I can do this anymore. I don't think I can wear the weight of this business, motherhood, this everything that's on my shoulders. It was just this complete overwhelm of like, I don't feel equipped, I don't know what I'm doing. And just it was just this like, I'll just never forget. I like got out of bed and I just got on my knees by my bed and I was like, I just, I don't think I can do this anymore, you know. And I just I there's just those wanting to give up moments, and I just, you know, I always just have to go back to my mission and why I'm doing it. You know, if I can help one woman feel more confident in her skin and to leave our space to and feel better and go out and do better in the ripple effect of the world, then I need to get up again and I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, you know. Um, and so I mean, I think another one is just um, you know, too. I struggled in college with identity. Um, and it, you know, I had a breakup of since kindergarten, he was like my 20-year high school sweetheart. And that breakup followed by the athletic, I was an all-state volleyball player and losing that identity, and losing that identity kind of put me in a swirl of that um kind of mild eating disorder and just don't know who I am. And it was just that really I was so so lost. And I think that set me on my when I said my 20s were challenging. I ended up going to the seminar, and it was April 4th, 2014. It was a three-day seminar, and it was I had prayed and manifested some help. I needed help. And I'll never forget, I cried for the first three days because they they had a way of getting through to your core. I call it the peanut MM. They had a way to get past the surface into the chocolate, which is your to get to your essence, which is the peanut. And I'll never forget, I like stood, stood up that day and I literally saw God and I like started like just I'm like, I I let it out, I let it go. And I I really so much of that pain. And I I would not be here today if I didn't do that. So what was the what was the seminar? It's it she since has not she doesn't do them, she's retired, but it's called Pathways to Successful Living in Chicago. But I think like a Tony Robbins does some like things like unleash the power within with some of these strategies. Um, but I've I I think that when you have that deep of healing, and like it was almost like the green mile when that stuff comes out of us, like something just really for me that day. And it was, you know, 12 years ago. Um, but it I think for so many of us, there's if there's healing that we need to do, we need to do it, and it manifests when we don't in so many different ways. And so um wow coming from my 20s and then to being on my knees multiple times in this business. Um, if I can be a light for a woman to get back up again and keep going, there's a reason for it, you know.

Kelly 1:12:30

So nice segue into what holistic self-care looks like for you. I I have recollected seeing on social media um you showing ways that you're working out, for instance. And that's just one form of self-care. And let me just be very like blunt about that for the listeners. There's so many ways that you can take care of yourself. And so walk me through what that has looked like for you. And might I also add, Morgan, I appreciate your vulnerability in sharing some of those aspects of where self-care was not it, you know. We think stuff like that that's happening is like us trying to take care of ourselves, where it's just actually trying to like it's like a coping mechanism, right? But that is such a vulnerable share, and I appreciate it, and I appreciate the growth that has happened since then. Your turn.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:35

Yeah, yeah. So I think self-care, I love this so much. So I always wanted to complicate it, and it's not complicated for me. It is sitting in stillness and silence and surrendering, and it's getting into I get into mantras, like I am powerful, I am intimate, I'm limitless, and I say it over and over and over in a mirror. And it is, you know, fitness is always when I discover fitness in my 20s, it completely changed my life. But um, I think for me, it's the simple things I call it watching the thinker. And I I do this in the morning if I can get out of bed, and I just have a moment where it's almost like my thoughts are like clouds, and I just kind of watch them. And it's that's like the spirit is what because we're not our thoughts, right? I mean, our thoughts are going all day, but we're the person behind them, and that's from the untellered soul. So I think for me, it is I mean, the the it is how can I find stillness? And it's the morning meditation. And I've really gotten into breath work lately, Kelly. Um, it's called coffee breathing.

Kelly 1:14:38

Um, I can I can get back behind this coffee and breathing, yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:42

So I think it's taking care of like your brain health, but it it oxygenizes the brain, and then also that box breathing, too, and things like that. But I think those sorts of things and being in stillness and silence and in the word is is my true form of self-care that when I do that, everything starts to change. And I also say this too I think so many of us want these April 4th, 2014 transformations. It's not that, it's these little moments, these habits that you create each and every day that compound that over time become like, wow, look how far I've come. So it's not, you know, I want to encourage people, it's not having to go to that seminar necessarily. I just had some things I wanted to work through there. But for me, it's getting out of bed an hour before the girls and spending time with myself because ultimately the relationship that I want the best with is myself. You know, I want, of course, I always said when I was young, I was like, I have to be first because if I'm not feeding myself, I can't feed my kids or my husband, my husband and I's relationship and then my children. And I don't want you to think I don't prioritize my kids, but if my kids, I was a happy kid because my parents were happy and they had a great marriage. And I, to this day, I think that is the best gift that I could give them for I mean to have a healthy mom who has healthy self-talk in the mirror and loves her body and like you know, has gratitude too.

Kelly 1:16:09

So totally yeah, I can't unhear. Um, I heard you, and I can't remember if we had already hit record or if it was um just before we hit record, but I heard you talk about a mentor that you have, I think, within your church community.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:23

Oh yeah, yeah.

Kelly 1:16:24

Right. Okay, so I have I too have a mentor. She's I she's my disciple. Like I she's 80 years old, and I just told her this last week. I was like, Pam, I don't think you understand just how pivotal you've been in my life. I talk about you quite frequently on the podcast. I think my listeners are probably getting sick of hearing Pam's name. But she, I'll never forget when we first started it, and it's been a solid two and a half years now that we have been meeting consistently every Monday, unless I have either like not felt well or there's been a holiday of sorts. You know, like out of town, I should say. And we were talking. Do you know who Scott Engel is? I don't know what I do. I was reading uh an article that he had wrote and he put into some pretty pivotal perspective for me, um, order of importance. And the order of importance, and this is very much in line with what you're talking about, Morgan. So you you've hit the nail on the head, and it's God, spouse, family, kids, right? Extended family, community, and everything else. And if we can be keeping this order of importance, as I I like have put it, I'm like you'll go far. And there's a lot of work that comes behind that, right? It's not like, oh, I'm praying in the morning and you know, and then I'm spending time with my husband. Like, there's work that comes behind this. Let's be very bold about that. But I can't unhear that. And I had I had some stuff out of order for a long time. And it's still, I still catch myself sometimes. Like, you know, it's I I have uh sometimes a prioritization problem. And that is uh it's like a just a quick reframe for me to go what is what's my order of importance here? Am I actually prioritizing my relationship with God? Not quite right now, you know. So and and I'm just figuratively speaking, so I love hearing what you just said because it's so much in line with that. It's so in line with that. I'm curious, what are you holding sacred right now?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:03

What am I holding sacred? Oh, I just feel I don't, you know, I didn't prepare anything for this, but I just feel like my kiddos are just like right now in my life, you know, I do feel they're at this these ages, and it might sound kind of I don't know, but like for so long I was so busy and babies and I don't remember anything. And like I just I kind of just now know like these are just such sacred moments. And like my example is we were at the cabin last weekend, and I just like saw them on the dock, like reaching in to grab a shell, and one's touching the water, and just they're giggling, and I'm like, this is this is amazing, and I just there's no screens, there's just nature. We're up at seven, you know, and I think those sit in and also my mornings. My mornings, like every morning I walk my neighborhood, it is so sacred, it is so like it's just like a walk of faith that I do, and I just pray, and oftentimes I'm off in the brain of like, oh, 95 things I have to do, and I pull myself back to my mantra. Um we were just talking about this. So yeah, I think I think those two things right now.

Kelly 1:20:15

Um I love that.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:17

I really yeah.

Kelly 1:20:19

My husband and I have reflected that we are we are in the golden years right now. We're just it and you probably saw me get like emotional as you were talking through like just having this moment where you're watching the girls, and it's just like something's hitting you really hard in that moment. And I've been in, I have literally had those moments. I can feel my body getting hot right now because I'm like, yes, oh, it's like the most incredible feeling, and then the world kind of takes over, and you're like, okay, what's next at the same time? It's just the wildest, wildest experience and feeling that you're going through, but it's so cool because those are the moments you're gonna look back on on like when we are on our dying bed, yeah, and we are gonna remember moments like that. It isn't about the emails that we had to catch up on or that meeting that went a little too long, or you know, like the marketing strategy that we thought was gonna work, but it didn't.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:17

Yeah.

Kelly 1:21:18

So we're not gonna be thinking about those things. So at least personally, I don't think I will.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:24

Yeah.

Kelly 1:21:25

We have covered a lot of ground, Morgan. I feel like I could sit here and talk with you for forever because it's we are so easy to talk to.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:34

It's just like you said, it's just conversational and love.

Kelly 1:21:37

It really is. Well, and nobody, like I said, nobody knows your story better than you, and you have spoken so beautifully to your story and the the culture that you're building within MK Aesthetics. I'm like, ooh, that's so incredible. I love hearing it. So as we start to land the plane, as I like to say, um, I've got just a few series of questions, and then we'll wrap up.

Final Advice Books And How To Connect

Kelly 1:22:04

Okay. What's a piece of advice you would give a younger version of yourself, knowing all that you know to this day? 41 years, right? 41 years? Yep. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:16

Um, I think um like keep God first and always remember that the hard times are what are making you and they're they're refining you and they are building you for that next version of you that you're meant to step into.

Kelly 1:22:35

Love it. How about a piece of advice for a woman listening right now that this is how I want to put this question. How about the woman who's listening right now that's on her knees and is feeling like she just wants to give up?

SPEAKER_02 1:22:56

I would say you take your pain and turn it into your purpose, and you're going through this for a purpose and on purpose. And I always say this too: you are best equipped to serve the person you once were. So someday you'll look back and let this be a part of your written story. Um because I just know that to be true. And when it's it's like that true alignment of because I've had so much pain, say, with worth and beauty, I like I took that and turned that into my purpose now of empowering women to feel confident and beautiful in their skin. And I have never wavered from that in 12 years of building. So you got this.

Kelly 1:23:43

I love that, Morgan. That was so good.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:47

Because it's almost like I'm like looking back at my younger self on my knees, saying, like, girl, you got this. You know, like this is a part of your story. Yeah, it's all in how you handle it. It's you have an opportunity to get back up again. There's a new day tomorrow. Are you writing a book? My thoughts organized. I'm like, I don't even know what I mean.

Kelly 1:24:12

I had to ask the question. I had to. Okay, well, we've we have talked a little bit about my husband and I being in real estate. I like to ask this question, and it's fun because you you've built a property. So, what's the favorite space in your home that you built? You're kind of in a unique circumstance where I'm asking this question because you've uh I'm I'm willing to bet that there's a lot of curation in how you built your home.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:40

Well, ours was a like a semi-custom, but I will say I absolutely love our home. Um, and I would say it is our living area right off our kitchen because it is all windows pretty much. And like right now with the trees, we have old wood trees, we're in an old golf course, and I like sit there and I just look out and I like it's nature. Like I'm in nature almost. So I would say in our living area. So um that's my favorite.

Kelly 1:25:10

Okay, so next question to follow that up. What is a favorite book? Oh, I know I I saw some of the books that you are that you've either read or listened to and are like top of your list. But I'm curious, like, what's a book that you're listening to right now? Favorite book, favorite podcast, or or TV show if that's in your realm.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:35

So currently my podcast, and I've I've been a fan of Ed Milette for a long time. He is actually just paired with John Maxwell too. So their first episode came out today. So I'm I I really like Ed Milette. I saw him speak on the a tour that he was on recently. Um, so he's my go-to. He has a really an art of interviewing for sure. And he interviews some pretty pretty incredible people. Um, you know, I'm the book one is hard. Like I we have a new injector coming on board at our clinic, and I was gonna buy her the how to in friends and influence people book. I think that's just I think so much of we're overcomplicating so many things that are simple. Knowing somebody's name acts the golden retriever effect of like when a dog and is like, you know, like these simple things of like the art of building, I think is or the how to infriend and influence people. Otherwise, I do love um the untethered soul, is what really tapped me into a deeper part of myself. Um and I'm currently reading God works through faith, I think. It's just a short little one that I just keep rereading.

Kelly 1:26:42

So do you do you read those in your living room?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:46

Is that more like I just and I'm like looking out at the trees and it's just so lovely.

Kelly 1:26:51

I love it. I'm a woman listening right now, and I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing your story, and there's something that's like itching inside of me to connect with you. How can I connect with you, Morgan?

SPEAKER_02 1:27:05

Yeah. Um my personal page is Morgan or I think it's I don't even know what it is. Morgan Kraut. Morgan Kraut. Yeah. Morgankraut.rn and then um our the business pages m.k. aesthetics. Um yeah, I'm on social media quite a bit. It is a platform that I utilize a lot. Um, otherwise, I mean, I'm always down to talk and just yeah.

Kelly 1:27:33

I will make sure to put that into the show notes. Yeah. May I also add your website on there?

SPEAKER_02 1:27:40

Yeah, yep, yep, mpedica.com.

Kelly 1:27:43

I love it. Morgan, what a treat. I'm so glad that we were able to get this rescheduled. And I appreciate you. I appreciate your story. And it's it's so fun to hear how well spoken you are about it too. And I know that that has come with um uh probably quite a bit of experience and just sharing more and more and more. And I think that that's you know, the more repetition the better. But I am so grateful that there is for sure gems that women are gonna be able to take from this and just learn and grow from. So thank you so much for carving out the time to be here, share your story on the podcast, and I just enjoyed it so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:28

Yeah, and I just want to say thanks to you too. You're it's very inspiring what you've done and the commitment you've made to this podcast. And um I just like love the like even just listening to some of your interviews of like bringing women together in the community. So I hope to join you for your event in July and see some other of your of your people.

Kelly 1:28:49

Thank you. Well, I hope you have a great rest of the day, Morgan.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:52

Awesome. Thank you.

Kelly 1:28:54

Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission and vision for other Montpreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode. Cheers to reclaiming your hue.