Viva La Beauty: My 30-Year Journey

Beauty is a skin club that we enter when we break all the barriers of knowledge and awareness placed before us.

 If you are reading this, at some point you may have been included on my list as I was laying the foundations of a beauty company—brick by brick and story by story—about 14 years ago!

 For those of you who don’t know me, my personal story originated 30 years ago in NY as a newly minted doctor from Pakistan. (Some of you confuse me with Arabs, but no—Pakistanis are a different brand; we are the artists formerly known as “Indians.” Our ancestors let go of that identity during the dissolution of the British Empire in search of new meaning.) Please don’t ask me why. Perhaps they were disillusioned with the caste system imposed by Hinduism, determined by birth alone. Perhaps they no longer wanted to remain part of a segregated system of education and wealth. But as we all know in hindsight, destiny is everything.

 My life took several twists before I tied the wedding knot with a Kashmiri guy—also with “a perfect résumé”—that landed me in my favorite city in the world as a young doctor bride and new mom in NY!

 While awaiting immigration, I resumed my medical studies to qualify for the United States licensing exams and pursue my lifelong dream of being a doctor in the land of my dreams.

 One of my distinct memories while studying was looking for odd jobs to make extra income—and meeting my first few rejections. One company boss basically told me he couldn’t hire me because I was “too qualified” and more educated than him while being half his age, leaving me to wonder if I had to dim my light to get chosen for work.

 Fast forward 26 years: in the last decade alone, I trained on various medications and modalities of FDA-cleared or approved medical-grade energy devices, which helped me gain access and entry into the world’s best-known rejuvenation clubs of beauty. My work as the “Chief Rejuvenator” of your beauty and skin at Juvanni (one of my favorite companies) has been nothing but a labor of love. Your continued patronage has allowed me to create a well-equipped body shop awaiting your quarterly or yearly arrival!

 Thank you for choosing me and trusting me with your beauty needs.

 Viva la beauty!

 Lots of love,

Dr. Sofia D.