After breaking from a restrictive environment, Anita Marcus flourishes, treating clients, empowering women.
“I love making people feel their best,” she said. “I love the magic of what the machines can accomplish. I love my clients.”
With four locations – in Sedona, Flagstaff, Cottonwood and Prescott – Marcus is fast on her way to dominating the skincare treatment space in Northern Arizona. Ten years ago, however, she could not have imagined the thriving business and rewarding life she has today.
“I was living in a high thought-control group, isolated from friends outside the community. Advanced education wasn’t allowed. Exposure to anything beyond the organization’s strict beliefs was not acceptable. At age 40, I found myself with two teenagers, no education beyond high school and a need to break away – I could see my children were suffering.”
Leaving meant starting over. She rented out her daughter’s bedroom and turned her closet into a place for her to sleep. She relied on women’s shelters and food banks and began studying nursing.
Then came the sunburn that changed everything.
“I did a Rim-to-Rim hike through the Grand Canyon,” she said.
The sunburn was extreme, painful and damaging. She sought treatment for the sun damage, which became her introduction to skincare and esthetician treatments. “I fell in love with the machine.”
That experience sparked a new direction. Marcus obtained her esthetician’s license. She couldn’t qualify for a bank loan to purchase equipment, but two professional women stepped in to lend her the money she needed to begin offering light-based skin treatments.
Her first machine – a used IPL (intense pulsed light) device – was broken when it arrived. After two technicians failed to repair it, a third came through, teaching her not just how to fix it, but how to understand the science behind the equipment.
“That’s when I realized branding is just one part of the business. The technology itself is everything.”
Today, LaserGirl operates in Sedona, Flagstaff, Cottonwood and Prescott, offering advanced treatments including Clear + Brilliant, laser hair removal, cellulite reduction and body sculpting using electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) and cavitation ultrasound.
“Emsculpt is tantamount to five and a half hours in the gym with between 20,000-30,000 muscle contractions. It builds muscle, increases metabolism and can add a nice butt lift.
Cavitation ultrasound technology causes fat cells to dispel their contents, she says, “and people love our Morpheus Infinity and HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) machines for tightening the lower jaw and neck.”
Popular among both women and men, the business thrives on repeat clients, competitive pricing and a personalized, educational approach.
“Our Clear + Brilliant treatment is a celebrity favorite for a reason,” said Marcus. “It’s minimally invasive, with no downtime, and great for fine lines and wrinkles. A series of three treatments gives results comparable to more aggressive treatments like CO2 resurfacing.”
Now 11 years into her business, Marcus has paid back her loans and employs five women, including a nurse. She also has launched the LaserGirl Skinstitute to train new technicians. And she teaches doctors how to use the equipment, most recently at the University of California, San Francisco.
“I love teaching,” she said. “I never imagined I’d be showing doctors how to use equipment that once felt so intimidating.”
She attributes her success to persistence and determination, the two women who helped her and entrepreneurial coaching from Moonshot, a valuable resource, she says, for solidifying her business plan.
“Anita Marcus represents the quintessential entrepreneurial success story we love to champion,” said Scott Hathcock, president and CEO of Moonshot. “She’s transformed her personal experience with skin damage into a mission to help others, while building Northern Arizona’s premier skincare brand.”
Her advice to others? “Stop worrying about money. Focus on being the best you can be, take every training you can, and the rest will follow.”
Marcus finds joy not only in business, but in her children’s achievements. Her daughter recently graduated from Arizona State University with degrees in psychology and neuroscience; her son is serving as a U.S. Marine.
When asked what she’s most proud of, she doesn’t hesitate. “My kids,” she said. “They’ve been through so much and still came out strong.”
Marcus envisions retirement someday on a beach in Costa Rica, her favorite place to unwind. But for now, she’s focused on expanding LaserGirl and mentoring women who are breaking into the field.
If she had a million dollars to give away, she says, it would go to women’s shelters – resources that once helped her survive.
And if she could go back in time? “I’d tell my younger self to learn critical thinking. Deprogram yourself. Think for yourself.” FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Photo by Bonnie Stevens: LaserGirl founder Anita Marcus has offices in Flagstaff, Sedona, Cottonwood and Prescott. “I love making people feel their best.”
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