Meet Tamika Chester | Dermatology FNP-C

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamika Chester, FNP-C/ Owner of Meanau Skincare.

Hi Tamika, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’m an African American Dermatology Nurse Practitioner and I constantly help others with their brand so one day I decided to step out on faith and start my own brand. My thought process was since I’m in the skincare business and have been for the past 22 years why not branch out and see what I can do. I have the knowledge and the people in the community know and trust me so I decided to take a chance. Everyone has been very receptive and supportive and I can’t stress how much that has meant to me. My brand is called Meanau (pronounced Me-Ahn-Nu). The name has a special meaning to me because I have three (3) beautiful granddaughters and Meanau is the first two (2) letters of each of their names which are Mehkiya, Anari, and Autumn. Even though I started my own brand I still help support others with their brand because I understand how important it is to support each other. I definitely feel that there is space in the skincare world for whoever wants to be a part of it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an African American Dermatology Nurse Practitioner in the Middle Georgia area as well as the owner of my skincare line called Meanau. Getting to where I am today professionally was not an easy road. I was raised in low income housing (Alphabet City) and I was a teenage mom. I never really felt that we were low income because my mom, aunts, and grandmother made sure I had not only everything I needed but also everything I wanted, I was always pretty good with my studies but I was a fighter. I learned early on that if I wanted to succeed in life that the fighting had to stop and changes had to be made. I worked several different jobs, but in 2001 God led me to Georgia Dermatology. I told my husband that I would only be at that job for a few months but 22 years and three (3) degrees later I’m still hanging out there. I started as a medical assistant making $9.90 an hour. I started going to school part time. I couldn’t go full time because I was married with two (2) kids at the time. Graduating seemed so far away, but I hung in there. I had my youngest kid (which made 3) a year after starting my job. I continued to go to school and eventually graduated with my ASN. I stayed at Georgia Dermatology and my pay jumped up significantly. I worked for about a year and decided to go back to get my bachelor’s degree. After graduating with my BSN I continued on at Georgia Dermatology and soon decided to pursue my master’s degree. I graduated with my MSN in 2015 and signed on as a Nurse Practitioner with Georgia Dermatology. At that point that starting pay of $9.90 was so far in my rearview that I could barely remember it. My transition from RN to NP was a smooth transition at work because everyone including patients knew me and they knew the work I put in to get into that position. I have always stayed humble on this journey because I know my story could have been different. I started my own skincare line because dermatology has become my passion. Skincare is important because it helps people’s self-esteem. I love being able to build people up and help them feel beautiful and I can do that through my work and through my business. I feel like my personality sets me apart from others. I have a very laid back personality and genuinely vibe with majority of people I meet. I’m not a provider that feels superior. I talk to my patients like friends and I get to know people on a personal level. My husband jokes that I’m Mother Teresa and that he’s getting into heaven simply because he’s associated with me. I simply believe in treating others how I would want to be treated.
I’m most excited about seeing my granddaughters grow up. I love those three (3) girls beyond understanding that’s why it only made sense to name my company after them. I want it to be something they will know and always remember. I’m also excited about continuing to grow with my husband Marlon. We’ve been married for 25 years and it’s been nothing short of amazing. He’s my business partner and helps with all of the IT stuff/marketing. He has been by my side throughout my journey and without his love and support I would only be half of who I am.
I want the world to know that Tamika Chester will always be the little girl from the projects who was not afraid to make her dream into reality. I want the world to know that where you come from doesn’t have to determine where you will go. To the young ones I want them to know that sometimes when your parents/coaches/teachers are hard on you it’s not because they are picking on you sometimes it’s because they see potential in you that you may not see yet. Lord knows my mama must have saw the potential because boy was she hard (LOL). That’s a joke between my mom and I but seriously I thank the Lord for allowing my mom to see potential in me at an early age and never give up pushing me, supporting me, and loving me.
As far as my brand, I want the world to know that I put time and dedication to bringing forth products that are great and not mediocre. As long as I am the owner of my brand I will be dedicated to it and to my clientele.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I absolutely love traveling. My husband and I take spontaneous vacations all the time. Glamping in the North Georgia mountains or going to the beach always makes for a great time for me. I’m small in size but I can eat so I would definitely go eat crab legs somewhere. In my area I love Shell’s seafood restaurant. I very rarely drink and when I do its normally some type of frozen fruity drink while on vacation. We recently visited Dunya Camp in North Georgia. It was a beautiful relaxing scenery so I could see my best friend and I doing something like that or a cabin for a girls trip to talk, laugh, cry, and simply let our hair down and be silly without the weight of the world. My husband, my mom, and I eat out alot and around this area we eat at Another Broken Egg for brunch and Jeremiah’s Gelato place for a sweet treat. After I eat I always want a sweet treat. My husband and I love to explore other cultures. We’ve been to Dubai, Belize, Turks & Caicos, St. Lucia, amongst other places and we always love eating different dishes. We plan to travel to Bali in the upcoming year. to visit the temples. I think this year I traveled more than I worked and maybe that’s a good thing. I absolutely love traveling no matter if its a quick trip or 24 hour flight. I feel that you only live once and I want to live my life exploring with the one I love the most. Simply enjoying life together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to God, my mom Tudy Jean Middleton, my husband Marlon Chester Sr., and my children Ar’mani, Marlon Jr., and Jalen because without them I wouldn’t be where I am. Their unwavering love and support has sustained me during the good times, lifted me during the bad times, and kept me motivated during the in between times. I’ve been blessed to have some amazing mentors along the way to include, Dr. Darryl Hodson, Dr. Russell Harris, Dr. Mark Bonner, Dr. Michael Sharkey, Huntley Sanders, PA-C, Jim Lekas, PA-C, Kelly Murray, NP-C. and Misty Banknell, PA-C. My bestfriend Conseula Sneed has been my listening ear and shoulder to cry on. My nurses (too many to name and I love them all) have been instrumental in keeping me encouraged especially when starting my own business and they make sure to let patients know about my brand. My family as a whole (once again too many to name) has been very loving and supportive on my journey. It has truly taken a village to get me to this spot and I won’t ever take that for granted.

Website: meanau.com

Facebook: Tamika Chester