She managed some of the capital's busiest venues for Mitchells & Butlers, earning a reputation for turning around failing operations. But despite the success, something was missing.
"I just wanted to do something more rewarding," she says. "I fell into management because I loved it and I was good at it. But at the end of the day, it's quite dreary."
That search for meaning took her to Suffolk, where she worked with young offenders and in substance misuse counselling. "It was good. I learnt a lot," she reflects. "But then I came across this non-surgical facelift."
A personal discovery
In her 40s, Donna-Marie’s face was beginning to drop, but she wasn’t willing to try Botox or surgery. When she discovered non-surgical facelifts, she realised it was something she couldn’t live without.
The solution? Save up, buy the equipment, get the training, and do it herself.
In 2017, she launched The Uplifted from her home in Sproughton, investing thousands in medical-grade technology adapted from healthcare: microcurrent devices originally designed for cerebral palsy sufferers and radio frequency systems developed by NASA.
"It's all healing," she explains. "I'm unblocking blockages underneath the skin and increasing blood circulation. I'm putting in collagen, the body’s main building block, as well as oxygen."
A different approach
But it’s not just the kit that makes The Uplifted different. It’s the mindset. Donna-Marie charges £55 for a session. Compare that to the £400 one client told her she had paid elsewhere for cavitation treatment that "didn’t even bloody work".
"The beauty industry is so open for abuse because it focuses on people’s self-esteem issues, which is cruel," she says. "With me, you pay £55, one off. You get immediate results. I’ll make it as affordable as I can."
It’s a business model shaped by hard graft and sharper instincts. Her management background taught her discipline with costs and profits. Her time working with vulnerable people showed her what genuine care looks like.
"This is a heart-based business," she says. "The difference is so much more rewarding than anything I’ve ever done. You take someone with a dropping chin or something they’ve always hated, and without charging the earth, you can remedy it in one treatment."
The reality of going it alone
Building the business hasn’t been easy. The equipment costs thousands. Training is intensive. And Donna-Marie estimates it took about three years just to recuperate her investment.
Her management experience proved invaluable, though. "I’ve run businesses, haven’t I? They give you very good training. Health and safety, insurance – I know how to do these things properly."
Plugging the gaps and providing early-stage business support was Start, Build & Grow, a free business support programme for entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses in Ipswich.
"They’re very supportive," said Donna-Marie.
Credibility through care
Start, Build & Grow business coach Hermione Way visited The Uplifted for a non-invasive face and neck lift. The treatment uses microcurrent and radio frequency technology, alongside what Donna-Marie calls her "magic gloves," which allow her to pass electricity through the skin with her hands for a more precise facial massage.
The process begins with cleansing and microdermabrasion to remove the surface layer of skin. The microcurrent device then provides muscle re-education through gentle electric pulses that physically move facial muscles into a more toned position. Radio frequency follows, sending electrical pulses through the skin to improve circulation and clear blockages.
"You can feel the electricity pass through the gloves, but it's not as intense as the other treatments," Hermione said. "My skin was much clearer and tighter, and I slept amazingly well the night of the treatment."
Challenging the industry
What really drives Donna-Marie is the conviction that the beauty industry is broken. "It’s so exploited," she says. "You can’t get a straight answer out of anybody. They lure you in with a 'free consultation,' but it’s just a way to avoid telling you the price."
Recent concerns about Botox safety have only reinforced her commitment to non-invasive treatments. Seizures, allergies, paralysis and even deaths have all been linked to Botox, including fake products used by unqualified practitioners.
"It’s so harmful, and it’s not cheap either," she says. "It’s playing on people’s self-esteem problems."
Her answer isn’t filler. It’s healing. "I’m undoing the damage that time, alcohol and coffee has done to your face. Instead of putting stuff into your face, I’m healing your skin as you are."
She’s also seeing demand for body sculpting, especially from clients using weight-loss medications like Mounjaro who are left with sagging skin.
She’s heard from clients who’ve spent small fortunes elsewhere with nothing to show for it. “That’s the same because the industry is so open for abuse,” she says.
Building something different
For now, Donna-Marie continues building the business one client at a time, maintaining her reputation for results. Her vision extends beyond the treatment room – she wants to expand and create more accessible aesthetic services – but the core mission remains unchanged: providing quality treatments at prices ordinary people can afford.
“I haven’t had a customer that hasn’t returned,” she says.
When a 70-year-old client tells her they feel like a million dollars, “it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
The sign on her wall says it all: ‘Do what makes your heart sing’. For Donna-Marie, that means undoing the damage from years in demanding careers by helping people feel better about themselves – without exploiting their insecurities or putting it out of reach.
The bottom line
From managing some of London’s toughest venues to treating clients in Sproughton, Donna-Marie has built a business on principles learned through hard experience: discipline from management, compassion from care work, and a determination to do things differently.
The Uplifted challenges the beauty industry’s exploitation model by offering medical-grade technology at accessible prices. It shows you don’t have to choose between results and principles – and that the most fulfilling careers sometimes emerge from the most unexpected journeys.
Free business support programme helps Ipswich startups beat survival odds
Over 90% of entrepreneurs in Ipswich backed by Start, Build & Grow, a free business support programme, are still trading after their first year – a survival rate far above national averages.
