Meet Our Team | Smiley Aesthetics Leadership & Experts

Mary Smiley Ford

Founder & CEO, Chief of Clinical Services

MSN, APRN, CRNA

Mary is an experienced and accredited aesthetic injectables trainer and educator with certifications from many of the top training programs in the world. She is 1 of 500 faculty injectable trainers for Allergan Medical Institute, a prestigious position with the largest manufacturer of neurotoxin (Botox), dermal fillers (Juvéderm), and other medical aesthetic and cosmetic products. She has also received private trainings from Dr. Steve Weiner on ultrasound guided injections, Julie Horne’s masterclass on advanced lip injections, cadaver courses with international trainer Dr. David Sadaat – who she also has served as faculty with, among trainings with several other nationally recognized trainers. Her own trainings are accredited by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Boards of Nursing and she hosts nationally recognized trainers at the Smiley Aesthetics training facility in Nashville, TN.

She is an accredited speaker and faculty member for multiple conferences including the Aesthetic Next 5.0 2023 conference and The Medical Spa Show 2024 and 2025, and several webinars and podcasts. She has also spoken for the 2022 CRNA Entrepreneur Mastermind Summit and for the Indiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She continues to advance her aesthetic education and practice on a daily basis. Pricing for training includes all supplies and products.

Carla Pierson

Co-Founder, Chief of Business and Operations

DNP, MBA, RN

Dr. Carla Pierson is an accomplished healthcare leader turned entrepreneur whose passion for quality patient care and operational excellence led her to co-found Smiley Aesthetics. Raised in Nashville, TN, Carla was an avid athlete and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Fueled by her drive for leadership and innovation, she subsequently pursued a Master of Science in Nursing Administration, a Master of Business Administration with a healthcare focus, and ultimately, a Doctorate in Nursing Practice.

Before launching Smiley Aesthetics with her identical twin sister, Mary Ford, Carla spent over a decade in nursing leadership and corporate healthcare, most notably at HCA. Her experience spanned critical care nursing, hospital operations, and healthcare business—expertise that now underpins Smiley Aesthetics’ strong foundation. Carla’s commitment to careful, sustainable growth helped the company reach an impressive milestone of one million dollars in revenue in under a year—an achievement she attributes to starting small, methodically identifying gaps, and building a robust, self-supporting model.

Under Carla’s strategic leadership and attention to quality, the company has flourished, creating a culture of excellence, safety, and genuine community in medical aesthetics. Today, she channels her passion for operational efficiency and patient care into helping others feel and look their best, proving that with resilience, adaptability, and integrity, success can follow even the most unexpected detours.

Courtney D. Walker, Esq.

Co-Founder, Chief Legal Officer

Esquire

Courtney received her undergraduate degree in agribusiness management from Tennessee Technological University. Prior to beginning law school, she worked in the office of Governor Bill Haslam. Courtney received her Juris Doctor degree from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, where she was Valedictorian. Upon receiving her law degree, Courtney began developing her practice as a corporate attorney in a prestigious midsize law firm. Courtney lives in Knoxville with her two children and husband.