Amanda Connolly’s medical esthetician career trajectory is a bona fide success story. From early days as a side-hustling single mom to a sought-after Skin Master with international clients and $2 million of capital equipment at Raw Canvas Skin + Wellness, Amanda is a visionary founder and leader who has never stopped growing and redefining what’s possible in this industry. She is a Blanche Macdonald Medical Esthetics graduate who recently appeared as a Guest Judge for the program’s Dragon’s Den. Passionate about mentorship and innovation, Amanda has shifted her transformative practice to blend clinical precision with holistic care. And she’s just getting started.
“When you begin your medical esthetician career, you’re not limited. You’re not held in this little tiny bubble. It can take you all over the world and on so many adventures. I mean, look where I am today and all the paths I went down to get here. It’s pretty fantastic.”
Fostering connections through beauty has always brought Amanda happiness. “It’s such a pure-hearted joy to be able to do what I do: the relationships I’ve built, the smiles on their faces. That’s why I get up and do what I do every day.”
Motherhood at 18 put Amanda’s personal ambitions temporarily on pause. When her daughter was just a few months old, Amanda was ready to carve a fulfilling and flexible career path for herself.
“I wanted to be at home with my daughter while having something for myself to enjoy and to keep learning. Blanche holds the highest standard. It was a no-brainer for me to go there. I loved the Esthetics program because I could do it part-time. It allowed me to grow while doing all the things I needed to do. It was something I could make my own or use to work somewhere else.”
Amanda enjoyed the sense of belonging that came from her year in the Global / Medical Esthetics Program.
“I liked the class sizes. I remember how the modules were broken up; it was really focused. My teacher, Ivana, was young and relatable. You were respected as an adult. It was kind of like a family. That really stood out to me: the care that was there, the backing of the education. They weren’t there to fail you; they were there to see you succeed.”
And succeed she did. Amanda found the fulfilling and flexible possibilities she had been looking for.
“When you begin your medical esthetician career, you’re not limited. You’re not held in this little tiny bubble. It can take you all over the world and on so many adventures. I mean, look where I am today and all the paths I went down to get here. It’s pretty fantastic.”
“It’s about understanding the power of skincare and the science behind it. And I have Blanche to thank for that. I still, to this day, have my Blanche Esthetics manual. I still refer back to it sometimes.”
At the start, Amanda was a single mom with two kids working a corporate job. When the company’s structure changed, commissions got cut, and extra income was needed. Amanda started with what she knew, opening up another space in her house, where she would begin her medical esthetician career and practice for the next two years.
An early milestone that seeded Raw Canvas started with Amanda’s daughter, Taylor.
“Taylor was going through pretty bad acne as a young teenager. She is the reason I started Raw Canvas and why I bought a laser, too. Sometimes, skincare just isn’t enough. I remember her not wanting to be at sleepovers, putting her face on her pillow, and it would hurt.
“It just decomposes someone’s self-confidence. So, for me, I got her clear, and it was such a joy. That’s really why I started it. No one has to have bad skin. You tell me what skin you want, and I can give it to you. It might cost you a little more or involve some downtime, but I can give it to you. And if I can’t, I’ll never bullshit you.”
The home-based side hustle quickly grew into a full-fledged clinic. There were bumps on the road. After two years of building, Amanda opened the brick-and-mortar location in Fort Langley in January 2020, only to shut down by March when COVID hit.
“We had to get real savvy, real fast, because we have over $10 million of capital equipment in our clinic, and that comes with a hefty price tag for payments. You can imagine how stressed I was.
“We’ve always offered virtual consultations. And for whatever reason, COVID became one of our best years. People had the time for self-care. They weren’t travelling, they weren’t spending money elsewhere. That’s when things really took off.”
“At Blanche, you were respected as an adult. It was kind of like a family. That really stood out to me, the care that was there, the backing of the education. They weren’t there to fail you; they were there to see you succeed.”
Cutera xLHR
Laser Hair Removal (755 Alexandrite + 1064 Nd:YAG)
This dual-wavelength powerhouse allows us to safely and effectively treat all Fitzpatrick skin types for laser hair removal. The 755nm Alexandrite targets finer, lighter hairs, while the 1064nm Nd:YAG offers safe, deep penetration for darker skin types and thicker hair. The contact cooling and high-speed delivery make it both comfortable and efficient, ideal for large areas like legs or backs. It’s fast, precise, and highly effective.
Cutera Excel V+
Vascular Lesions, Pigmented Lesions, Redness, Rosacea, Skin Rejuvenation
With two wavelengths (532nm KTP and 1064nm Nd:YAG), Excel V+ is one of the most versatile lasers for vascular and pigment work. The 532nm targets superficial vascular lesions and pigmentation, while the 1064nm treats deeper vessels and even diffuse redness or rosacea. Its sapphire contact cooling tip allows for minimal discomfort, and its precision allows me to treat everything from cherry angiomas to melasma with control and confidence.
Sciton Joule X
Moxi: Non-Ablative Fractional Laser Resurfacing
BBL Hero: BroadBand Light for Skin Rejuvenation & Photodamage
Moxi is our go-to for prejuvenation and maintenance — a 1927nm wavelength that resurfaces the skin gently while promoting collagen. It’s perfect for younger skin or those wanting no downtime. Combined with BBL Hero, which is a second-generation light-based technology that delivers broad-spectrum light to reverse sun damage, pigmentation, and even acne, this combination is truly a modern approach to prevention and correction. BBL Hero is 4x faster, covers larger areas, and is far more comfortable than traditional IPL.
With a major hurdle cleared and spun into gold, a true breakthrough moment came when social media influencer Samantha Ravndahl reached out to Amanda for help.
“Sam Ravndahl is one of my prides and joys. And the best part? We gained a friendship out of it. When I started Raw Canvas, I reached out to her multiple times and got ignored every time. We laugh about it now. My messages were always, “I can fix you.” I wasn’t reaching out to her because she was an influencer. I didn’t want her to have skin like that.”
“After she posted the results, that was a turning point. That girl has a huge outreach. I’m so grateful for it because I’ve been able to help so many people all around the world.”
Source: Samantha Ravndahl @ssssamanthaa
To treat Samantha’s chronically inflamed and diseased skin, Amanda went to the core of everything she had learned through training and education. Others had treated Samantha, but nobody had reached the root of the problem.
“What she needed was strictly skincare. When Sam started on that regimen, a couple of days in, her skin looked raw. It looked painful. I said to her, “You need to trust the process. It’s getting better.” The before-and-after photos she sent me showed a completely different skin within six days. By six weeks, it was remarkably different.
Raw Canvas Skin Clinic rapidly became known for dramatic skin transformations, which they strictly achieve through the Zo Skin Health line of products.
“I wanted to be at home with my daughter while having something for myself to enjoy and to keep learning. Blanche holds the highest standard. It was a no-brainer for me to go there. I could do it part-time. It was something I could make my own or use to work somewhere else.”
Sciton Joule X
Profractional: Fractional Ablative Resurfacing (2940nm Er:YAG)
BBL Hero: BroadBand Light for Skin Rejuvenation & Photodamage
Profractional is one of my favourite modalities for collagen remodelling, targeting deep lines, scarring, and texture irregularities with pinpoint accuracy and faster healing than full-field ablative lasers. Combined with BBL Hero, which is a second-generation light-based technology that delivers broad-spectrum light to reverse sun damage, pigmentation, and even acne, this combination is truly a modern approach to prevention and correction. BBL Hero is 4x faster, covers larger areas, and is far more comfortable than traditional IPL.
Sciton Halo
Hybrid Fractional Laser (1470nm + 2940nm)
TRL: Tunable Resurfacing Laser – Ablative Er:YAG with depth control
Profractional is one of my favourite modalities for collagen remodelling, targeting deep lines, scarring, and texture irregularities with pinpoint accuracy and faster healing than full-field ablative lasers. TRL is highly customizable, allowing us to precisely tune the depth and ablation levels, making it ideal for deep resurfacing, especially around the mouth, eyes, and neck. This pairing is part of our more aggressive corrective strategy and yields phenomenal results in skin tightening and rejuvenation.
Sciton ClearSilk
Non-Ablative 1319nm Laser for Redness, Texture, Pore Size & Glow
This gentle yet effective treatment is like the “laser facial” everyone dreams of. With no downtime, it stimulates dermal collagen, reduces redness and inflammation, and improves overall skin luminosity. It’s perfect for regular maintenance, rosacea-prone patients, or those looking for that post-treatment glow without peeling or flaking.
“I refuse to touch someone’s skin unless they’re on a proper skincare regimen. When I put them on skincare, I monitor them for six weeks—a full skin cycle—and then, if needed, we move into treatments. It’s ingrained in me from school. Skincare is like food; just like what you put in your body, it’s the crucial part. I’m just the gym for you, the workout.”
Amanda is equally exacting when it comes to selecting medical esthetics equipment.
“At Raw Canvas, I’ve made a very intentional choice to exclusively use Cutera and Sciton technologies. These aren’t just devices, they’re an extension of the standard I hold for every result I deliver. What sets these two apart is their unparalleled clinical integrity, engineering precision, and versatility. I’ve worked with countless modalities, but nothing compares to the consistency, depth of control, and safety these platforms provide. They offer layered solutions for skin tone, texture, vascularity, laxity, and more with reliable energy delivery that allows me to safely push the boundaries of transformation.”
With patients as far as Australia, Amanda is confident that she can fix their skin, no matter where they live.
“It’s just about understanding the power of skincare and the science behind it. And I have Blanche to thank for that. I still, to this day, have my Blanche Esthetics manual. I don’t even think I have stuff from my childhood, but I held on to that. I still refer back to it sometimes. Even before I left for training, I looked back at some of the moves and techniques.”
Cutera Enlighten III
Tattoo Removal, Pigmentation, Skin Rejuvenation
This picosecond/nanosecond platform offers triple wavelengths (532nm, 670nm, 1064nm), making it ideal for multi-colour tattoo removal and deep dermal pigment correction like melasma or PIH. The 670nm wavelength is especially beneficial for Asian skin types, offering targeted pigment correction with minimal risk of rebound. It’s also fantastic for benign pigmented lesions and brightening skin tone overall.
When it comes to hiring medical estheticians, Amanda is selective. Blanche Macdonald grads are her first choice for hands-on esthetics roles.
“When I’m hiring purely for esthetics, I strictly look for Blanche grads, 100%. And we’re heading that way now. With this new identity we’re working on through a rebrand, we’re bringing in a facial line that will balance our existing medical esthetics services. It’s going to fall under the Raw Canvas umbrella but have its own identity. That’s where I’ll be looking for resumes.”
The esthetics industry is shifting, and Amanda is evolving with it. While Raw Canvas has built its reputation on transformative skincare, she sees a growing demand for a gentler, more holistic approach.
“Don’t get me wrong—I can shave 10 years off your face, but it’s going to hurt, and you probably won’t like me for a week to 10 days. Not everybody wants a week of downtime, aggressive retinol, a bladed face, and stuff like that. Maybe they’re pregnant, maybe they’ve had cancer in the past, or maybe it just doesn’t align with their lifestyle. Some people want a more holistic wellness approach that is natural and wholesome. I realise the potential there. To diversify, I need to go with the trend and go where people are going.
“My daughter Taylor is coming onboard, and she’s very holistic. She is all about nourishing gut and skin health, writing her cookbooks, being a nurse, and offering that level of care. We’re bringing in IV therapy, she’s doing gut consultations, weight loss management, hormone health—all of that. I hired a private one-on-one instructor to teach me lymphatic drainage, buccal massage, intraoral techniques, facial cupping, and gua sha.”
“It’s such a pure-hearted joy to be able to do what I do—the relationships I’ve built, the smiles on their faces. That’s why I get up and do what I do every day.”
A lifelong learner, Amanda is always refining and investing in her skills and education, expanding her knowledge ahead of industry shifts. She still relishes the lifelong advantage of an educational foundation built at Blanche.
“In a recent training session, I was brought back to my Blanche days. They teach you how to do a facial so well that it’s ingrained in you. My trainer told me, ‘I’ve never had a student who just gets it: the touch, the flow, everything.’ And I have to say, I learned that at Blanche.”
Even as she modifies protocols in Raw 2.0, she finds herself referring back to her Business Essentials course.
“Now when I’m remodelling and doing all this, I still go back and review what I learned there. What are the steps I need to take to open? What do I need to order? It’s the same thing. Current Blanche students should be really grateful for that because, hopefully, one day, they’ll utilise it and go into entrepreneurship.”
Amanda Connolly’s trajectory from single mother to skincare pioneer is a testament to her resilience and flexibility. As Raw Canvas 2.0 integrates clinical precision with holistic care, her mission remains unwavering: no individual’s potential is defined by their skin. Through transformative results and a steadfast belief in education, she continues to redefine beauty on her own terms.
