How Blakelee Paige Smith Turned Pain Into Purpose Through Beauty and Healing

“When it happened, I remember thinking, ‘I’ll never be grateful for this.’ I now realize that none of what I get to do would be possible—and I wouldn’t appreciate it the way I do—if it hadn’t happened to me.”

These words were spoken by Cookeville business owner and 2024 Mover and Shaker Blakelee Smith, reflecting on the bullying she endured as a child, the suicide attempt that followed, and the life path that emerged from that suffering.

As the owner of a thriving beauty practice, Skin + Aesthetics, those who know Blakelee today might be surprised by her story—but it is very real. The vibrant, generous leader seen in 2024 had to walk through darkness to become a light.

“I endured some pretty significant bullying starting my sophomore year of high school,” she shared. “When your appearance is picked apart daily, you start believing it. By the time I graduated, I was incredibly insecure.”

She continued, “It’s ironic that I work in skin now, because one of the things I was made fun of for was being the ‘freckly one.’ The hurt I experienced in high school took such a deep hold on me, and that insecurity worsened while I was at Tennessee Tech University.”

That spiral reached a breaking point. “On July 5, 2011, I attempted suicide,” Blakelee said. “That was simultaneously the best and worst thing I’ve ever been through. The good thing about hitting rock bottom is that you can only go up from there.”

What followed was deep self-reflection and commitment to healing. “I started doing a lot of self-work and made promises to myself. I told myself, ‘If I can pull through this, I’m going to do something with it.’”

Blakelee honored that vow by earning her nurse practitioner license and opening a clinic rooted in compassion, confidence, and self-worth. Her work today goes far beyond aesthetics, and she is quick to challenge misconceptions about her field.

“I’ve had people say, ‘You spent all that time in school just to inject Botox?’” she explained. “I still treat acne, rosacea, and many medical skin conditions, but I also provide Botox. What people don’t realize is that it can literally change someone’s life by helping them feel more confident.”

She elaborated, “One of the biggest misconceptions is that cosmetic treatment is only for thin, blonde, wealthy white women. That idea has created a huge barrier, and it’s one I’m intentional about breaking down. Beauty isn’t one image. I can see 20 patients in a day, and every single one of them is uniquely beautiful. Every skin tone and type is beautiful.”

Blakelee believes insecurity is universal. “As human beings, we all have things we pick ourselves apart over. Sometimes those things are realistic, sometimes they’re not—but they feel real to us all the same.”

From free acne clinics designed to help patients on TennCare or those unable to afford treatment, to the intentional care she provides every day, Blakelee is actively working to prevent the kind of pain she once endured. Despite long hours, emotional labor, and demanding work, she sees herself as the one who benefits most.

“My patients have given me far more than I’ll ever give them,” she said. “After a time in my life when I was very closed off, having people trust me with their stories, insecurities, and vulnerabilities constantly reminds me how beautiful vulnerability really is.”

She concluded, “Every single person has a story and has value. Being able to help people see that value, to watch them bloom and feel confident in themselves, means more to me than anything. I want everyone to feel represented, seen, heard, valued, comfortable, and welcome here. This isn’t a clinic built around a stereotypical standard of beauty—it’s an open, encouraging space for all.”

Through expertise, grace, and empathy, Blakelee Smith helps patients young and old rediscover their true selves—and learn to love the person in the mirror along the way. It’s hard to imagine a more meaningful way to spend a life.

— by Andrew Buckner | Photos by Abby Weeden