At Intentional Self Aesthetics, the mission is to cultivate confidence, self-awareness, and self-compassion for every client, honoring individuality with personalized programs. This month, we got to sit down with Teresa Alasio, MD and learn more about her vision for her new business in the heart of New Canaan, CT.
CL: What inspired you to start your own business, and how did the idea for your medical practice come about?
TA: From a very young age I have had an entrepreneurial spirit. After I completed my residency early in my career, every position I had, whether it was at an academic institution or for a private corporation, I always came up with innovative ideas for service offerings outside the box. Most of the time when I tried to implement my ideas, I was limited by resources, corporate politics or lack of support from leadership. When I left my last full-time corporate medicine position in 2021, I felt the time had come for me to remove the guardrails and take a chance on myself instead of creating something for someone else.
CL: Reflecting on your experiences within our community, can you share a particular moment that symbolizes the strength and empowerment of women here?
TA: The mission of Intentional Self Aesthetics is empowerment of women through compassionate self care. The vast majority of my clients are women, although a few of my clients are male. My practice is all about women feeling safe to be themselves, be seen for who they are, look at themselves in the mirror and change what they don’t like and keep what they do. The clients make the decision what those things are and not someone else. I am a mother and a wife just like my clients are, and we share the community – my kids go to the same schools as most of my clients’ kids, some of them grew up together.
CL: Navigating the local landscape, what obstacles have you personally conquered, and how do you envision your journey inspiring other women in our community to break through similar barriers?
TA: My first priority was to locate my practice in my hometown of New Canaan, so naturally this limited the geographic scope of my search for potential spaces to lease. A major obstacle was the local real estate market. As a medical practice, I had to understand the zoning laws that govern my type of business, and I learned that the hard way. I struggled with finding a good broker at first, and I tried negotiating a lease on my own, which was a disaster. After 9 months of playing the game, I contracted with a fantastic broker and then everything snapped into focus. My broker showed me the significant value that commercial real estate brokers should add in these negotiations, and she helped me negotiate the lease of the space where my office is today. I would tell other women in the community who wish to start their business that they should educate themselves on all aspects of the local market, including talking with planning and zoning and building departments, and get the information and answers ahead of time. Don’t do it alone when it comes to commercial real estate. Having a great commercial broker will save you both time and money in the long run.
CL: Given the close-knit nature of our community, how have you managed to balance your professional pursuits with personal life? What advice would you share with fellow community members seeking a harmonious blend of career and personal fulfillment?
TA: I intentionally located my business in the same town where I reside. This was priority number one for me. Prior to this, I had always held jobs outside of Connecticut and had at least a 40 minute commute. When I left my last position, I made the decision that I wanted to be close to home. Now that my boys are getting older, I find that it’s more important that I’m around for them. It’s not unusual for them to come to the office after school. When they go into town with their friends and they want to catch a ride home with me and I love to see them any chance that I get. Having my business here affords me a different level of involvement in the community. I feel more invested in what goes on and certainly more interested. I love going to events organized by the Chamber of Commerce, which is very active in New Canaan (and run by women!). As well as Rotary and other women’s networking events. I love engaging with local business owners and experiencing their support and encouragement. I enjoy giving my support to local charitable organizations in the form of donations for their fundraising events. I’m involved with the New Canaan High School senior intern program and we are getting a student intern for a couple of weeks at the end of May. All of these things contribute to an enormous sense of satisfaction and fulfillment both professionally and personally.
CL: For community members interested in starting their own businesses, what advice would you offer based on your own experiences and lessons learned along the way?
TA: Decide on the one thing that is important to you, and then build around that. It takes many hands to build a business – get help when you need it (and recognize when you need it)!
Be patient – things never move as fast as you think or want them to. Prepare to become an expert in everything, even the most mundane detail requires your attention. Nobody is going to care more than you about your business. Never ever give up.
Visit Dr. Teresa and her team at Intentional Self Aesthetics 23 Vitti St, New Canaan, CT 06840.
- Favorite Local Restaurant: Roger Sherman Inn
- Favorite thing to do on the weekend: Go for a long run outside, cook dinner at home with my husband and boys
- Favorite place to visit: Waveny Park
- Favorite local business: Adirondack Store
- Favorite activities for spring and summer: Taking the dog for walks in the park, biking around the neighborhood, training for the SONO half-marathon in the fall!
