The Year of the Fire Horse: Growth, Integrity, and Education

It is an honor and a privilege to write this as the founder of The Confidence Lab.

As I reflect on where we are today, I feel incredibly grateful and deeply proud. Proud of our team, our educators, our administrative staff, and the practitioners who represent this community every day. We have built a strong foundation together, one rooted in trust, integrity, and a deep commitment to ethical aesthetic education. At the heart of everything we do is a simple but powerful belief: doing the right thing by our patients, our peers, and our profession.

I am especially proud to see members of our team - both administrative and clinical - being invited to speak on podiums, lead webinars, and contribute to education across the country. Watching their voices, passion, and expertise be recognized on national platforms is a reminder that when education is done well and values are clear, it travels far beyond our practice walls.

First and foremost, thank you. Thank you for trusting us with your education. Thank you for returning to learn with us again and again. And thank you for referring your colleagues. The Confidence Lab exists not only because of our dedication to excellence, but because of your belief in our mission and your willingness to share that belief with others. We all belong here.

As we step into a new year, we remain firm on our mission: Education that truly elevates practice, collaboration that strengthens our specialty, and collective growth within aesthetic medicine to deliver safe, natural results. We are not here to chase trends or volume. We are here to build confident, ethical, well-supported practitioners who are passionate about doing the right thing and committed to long term success, not a side hustle.

Education That Evolves With You

From an educational standpoint, our goal has always been to be a safe, collaborative, and trusted home for practitioners entering aesthetics and for those wanting to build on existing skills. Over the past year, we've expanded introducing our newly accredited cadaver course, launching social media and marketing education that reflects real-world practice, and moving later this quarter toward accreditation for our laser and light-based devices course.

Just as importantly, we continue to refine our six-month Preceptorship Program, guided directly by your feedback. What started as a single pathway has grown into a flexible, comprehensive program designed to meet you where you are:

• In-Person Track: Includes monthly in-person shadowing, competency checklists, an accredited hands-on injection day, monthly roundtable Zooms, and over 50 hours of virtual education.

• Hybrid Track: Hands-on injection day, monthly roundtable Zooms, access to education portal, optional in-person shadow days.

• Virtual Track: Fully online and available anytime, anywhere for those who need flexibility.

We are constantly improving, updating, and expanding this program because education should never feel outdated. As this fast-paced field of aesthetic medicine grows, so does our Preceptorship.

As always, we prioritize quality over quantity. Intimate learning environments allow for deeper connections, education that is responsibly taught, ethically grounded and, of course, shared with grat food and plenty of giggles. We love food and laughter around here.

Connection, Communication, and Community

Equally important to us is staying connected to you. Open communication matters. We want you to feel supported, heard, and welcomed whether your reaching out with a clinical question, returning for advanced training, or simply sharing how your journey is unfolding.

We especially love sharing your stories here on the blog. One of my favorite things is our "Where Are They Now" series. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing your growth.

This is why we continue our monthly Confidence Circles, inviting guest educators and speakers to share their knowledge, experience, and passion in our cinema room. These conversations are honest, collaborative, and transparent. This is where real questions get answered and growth truly happens.

Building for the Long Term

Looking ahead to 2026, I am genuinely excited about what's on the horizon. Newly accredited programs, a Preceptorship that now includes a dedicated business and career development component, and education that fills the gaps so many of you have told us exist. Our goal is simple: To give you a solid foundation so you can soar.

Thank you for trusting us with your education. We love forming connections with you, and there is nothing better than seeing you return and share how your story continues to evolve. Thank you for your care, not just for your patients, but for the integrity of medical aesthetics as a whole.

We are committed to being better, doing better, and supporting you every step of the way.

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse.

Let's Go.

With gratitude -- and giggles, of course,

Rana Kennelly