About Melissa
Melissa Rogne is the founder and president of Chapter Aesthetic Studio, which is a leading aesthetics brand offering state-of-the-art, non-surgical skin care and body rejuvenation treatments. She has more than 20 years in the aesthetics industry and became the first licensed aesthetician in North Dakota.
Fueled by her passion for helping others, Rogne is a pioneer in the industry who has created a modern narrative around medical aesthetics by ensuring more people have access to high-quality, trusted, non-surgical cosmetic treatments.
About Chapter Aesthetic Studio
Chapter Aesthetic Studio, founded by Melissa Rogne, is a leading aesthetic studio where everybody can realize the benefits of non-surgical, cosmetic treatments. In 2005, Melissa founded Rejuv in Fargo, North Dakota, which she rebranded to Chapter Aesthetic Studio in 2020. Under Rogne’s leadership, Chapter Aesthetic Studio has begun expanding across the country to create opportunities for communities with limited options for medical aesthetics. Chapter Aesthetic Studio has expanded to 16 locations and counting.
Tell us about Chapter Aesthetic Studio and your mission.
“My mission for my business has always been straightforward: to help women and men access quality non-surgical aesthetic treatments and be empowered to look and feel their best. We do aesthetics differently–we make aesthetic care easier and more enjoyable for guests with transparent pricing, easy online booking, and a judgment-free, welcoming studio where everyone can feel comfortable. Besides having strong medical backgrounds and undergoing rigorous training, our experts and providers are great listeners, and together with our guests, we create customized aesthetic plans so guests can love their results.”
What are your entrepreneurial highs and lows?
“In 2000, I started side hustling by becoming the first person in North Dakota to be licensed in medical esthetics. Five years later, I made my entrepreneurial leap into opening my own practice. When my company was just four years old, I was pregnant with my first child. During that time, I lost my brother to suicide. Just 18 months later, I was pregnant with my second child, and I unexpectedly lost my father. During this crazy personal time, my business was growing and needed so much love and attention to flourish.
One day, shortly after I returned from my second maternity leave, I pulled over on the side of the road on my way to work. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I went back home and told my husband I needed to sell the business. I just didn’t have what the business needed me to give anymore. I was heartbroken over my losses but powering through each day for my new babies. What my husband did at that time was nothing short of remarkable. He walked away from his career and stepped in to help me run my business. He carried me when I couldn’t carry the load by myself. The business continued to flourish and slowly I healed and was able to once again give the business what it needed.
I know I did not believe I could do it, and it was only the strong encouragement of my husband that convinced me otherwise. Even after I came back from that setback, the road was still bumpy. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions. I remember having an extraordinary month and thinking I had finally figured out this game of business; the next month, three of my top performers left and I had no idea how I was going to pay the bills. While the lows have been very low, the highs have made everything worth it. I always wanted to make aesthetics accessible to everybody, but I never wanted to stretch myself too thin by branching out and not having the resources to maintain the quality of the experience. When Rejuv was acquired by The Aspen Group in 2020 and rebranded as Chapter Aesthetic Studio, I knew I wouldn’t have to compromise the guest experience. With this partnership, we’ve been able to expand quickly, opening ten new locations in 2022 alone–with more to come!”
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your entrepreneurial journey?
“Being a founder is the most humbling experience. If you are not willing to do the work of every single person in your company, think about your career choice. We do laundry in our studios so that we can have the softest, best-smelling linens. I have spent countless hours folding sheets after hours so we could have what we needed for the team the next day. I also make sure to pause and think before I speak in anger or frustration–every word you say will have a significant impact on those around you. Being kind and respectful will go a very long way. Because I was willing to do anything and everything the business needed me to do while showing respect for every member of our team, our managers modeled that behavior, and our teams modeled their behavior. You must be humble and willing to do anything the business requires and set an example for everybody.”
Chapter Aesthetic Studio is officially a part of the Fargo-Moorhead founder family. How can our community support you in your next stage of growth?
“Because my business is all about empowering and supporting women and men to look and feel their best, having a community that nurtures that goal would be incredible. This goes far beyond current entrepreneurs–starting from a young age, girls need to be taught that they are capable of anything. This needs to be encouraged by parents, teachers, business leaders and those who are able to influence. We need to let our girls know that it is okay to be bold. It is okay to stand out instead of fitting in. It is okay to try and fail. It is okay to choose a non-traditional academic setting. There isn’t a cookie-cutter formula to success, so let’s encourage exploration, creativity, and innovation. Also I wouldn’t be an entrepreneur if I didn’t encourage all the StartupBREW family to visit our Fargo and Grand Forks studios to try out Chapter Aesthetic Studio.
Additionally — I would love to see our education system focus more on building entrepreneurial habits. As someone who self-admittedly “marches to the beat of my own drum,” it can be painful for me to see how our education system stifles creativity and innovation. I still see such a focus on memorization and following the rules. We reward those who follow directions and don’t question authority. While those may make great students, they don’t make great founders. Let’s come together as a community to nurture those innate abilities to look for a better, faster, more creative, or innovative way to solve a problem!”
Check out Chapter Aesthetic Studio!
Readers can learn more about Melissa and Chapter Aesthetic Studio by visiting their Instagram page, Facebook page, and website!
