Medical Spa Insider

In another episode of Medical Spa Insider’s Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s membership relationship development specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with La-Tasha Walker, RN, owner of La-Mon'e Aesthetics Spa. Their conversation covers some of the nitty-gritty details of working in the aesthetic industry, including:

• Her journey from cosmetologist to nurse;
• How she got started with body contouring treatments;
• The importance of self-care and a skin routine;
• Her favorite providers;
• What’s currently keeping her entertained;
• And much, much more!

Note: Episode may include explicit language.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with two members of Operation Mend, a charity operation out of UCLA that provides advanced treatment to post-9/11 military members, veterans and their families. Executive director Jo Sornborger, PsyD, and Christopher Crisera, MD, plastic surgeon and founder of the program, both join Alex in a conversation that covers:

• The origins of Operation Mend and the importance of their work with veterans; 
• The intersection between mental health needs and reconstructive surgery; 
• How involving caregivers in the program led to better outcomes; 
• How needs are assessed; 
• Why there is so much difficulty in getting treatment for veterans;
• How trauma can affect the entire family unit; 
• The personal impact from working with Operation Mend; and
• How listeners can become involved in their mission.

Note: Episode may include explicit language.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Jen Handler, founder of MedModel. Alex and Jen discuss the business model behind her app, covering topics like:

• What need does MedModel fill?;
• Jen’s background in aesthetic sales;
• How the app filters models to ensure good matches;
• What it’s like to create an app from scratch; and
• How models can be converted into patients.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Sara Trammell, MD, owner of The Beauty Bus, and Chris Kappes, account executive with Craftsmen Industries. Alex, Chris and Dr. Sara discuss all aspects of owning and operating a mobile medical spa, including:

• How Dr. Sara built her mobile business;
• Craftsmen’s previous enterprises in the mobilization market;
• How mobile options can facilitate entrepreneurship;
• The obstacles to being mobile;
• The importance of customer experience and convenience; and
• The branding benefits of a mobile medical spa.

This week we revisit our conversation with Nicole Chiaramonte when she joined us to talk about the world of medical spa ownership. She touched on topics pertinent to both new owners and medical spa professionals looking to make their exit, including:

• How she grew to 14 locations in nine states;
• How her philosophy of “profits with integrity” has led to her success;
• What she looks for in a partner when investing in a medical spa;
• How much medical spas are worth in the market right now;
• What is driving private equity investor interest in the industry;
• How owners should approach their exit plan;
• Advice to help get ready to sell;
• The importance of compensating appropriately;
• And more!

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, continues his conversation with Dominic Mazzone, entrepreneur extraordinaire and CEO of Med Spa Partners, a medical spa management company based in Canada. Alex and Dominic delve further into the MSO structure and other business-related issues, covering topics such as:

• How to pick a good partner for your business;
• The separation of profit and medicine;
• What happens after acquisition;
• How to identify the problems plaguing your business;
• The emergence of hormone replacement therapy and women’s health in the medical spa space; and
• The importance of succession plans.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Alain Gazaui, president of SpaKinect, a telehealth company devoted aesthetics. Alex and Alain discuss the changing digital landscape as it relates to medical spas, covering topics such as:

• • Maintaining compliance with telehealth;
  • The importance of good-faith exams;
  • What attracted Alain to the aesthetics industry;
  • How to create human connections virtually;
  • The importance of patience vs. speed when it comes to adapting technology;
  • The “flywheel” concept and its application in customer experience;
  • And much, much more!

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, is joined by Shannon King, BSN, RN, and Christal Parker, MSN, FNP-C. Alex, Shannon and Christal engage in an overdue discussion of diversity in aesthetics, covering topics that include:

• Shannon and Christal’s individual journeys into aesthetics;
• The barriers to entry and growth that exist in the industry;
• How issues of gender, race, sexuality and ethnicity all intersect and impact diversity in aesthetics;
• Why representation and education matter, not just for patients but also for providers;
• How client experience is negatively impacted by a lack of diversity in marketing;
• Tolerance vs. acceptance;
• How additional conversations on the importance of diversity can be initiated and fostered;
• And much, much more!

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Pat Altavilla, CEO of Suneva Medical Inc while attending The Aesthetic Meeting 2022, in San Diego. They cover topics such as:

• Pat’s more than 30 years in the industry;
• What it’s like to roll out new products during the pandemic;
• Regenerative aesthetics;
• The products and procedures that Pat is most excited about; and
• How attitudes towards aesthetics have changed.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Dominic Mazzone, entrepreneur extraordinaire and CEO of Med Spa Partners, a medical spa management company based in Canada. Alex and Dominic speak in depth about the business side of running a medical spa, covering topics such as:

• Dominic’s business experience and what eventually drew him to the aesthetics industry;
• What a partnership with a management company entails;
• What makes medical spas attractive for acquisition;
• The importance of patient retention;
• Differences between Canadian and American medical spas; and
• How the business acumen in the industry can be improved.

In another episode of Medical Spa Insider’s Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist, Michela Bailey, talks with Courtney Anderson, founder and CEO of Spa Trouve. They get into the nitty-gritty of running a medical spa, covering topics like:

• Courtney’s scrappy start when opening her first medical spa;
• How she manages five locations today;
• Which aesthetic treatments she’s had;
• Her current self-care and skin routines;
• Her favorite providers;
• And much, much more!

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, catches up with Gretchen Frieling, MD, dermatopathologist and owner of GFace MD in Boston. Alex and Dr. Frieling talk in-depth about her experience in the aesthetic industry, covering topics such as:

• Pathology and its intersection with aesthetic medicine;
• The importance of cadaver labs;
• Competition in the industry;
• How to grow without compromising quality;
• Her approach to patient education;
• The importance of skin care; and
• What she thinks the future holds for the medical aesthetics industry.

In another episode of Medical Spa Insider’s Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist, Michela Bailey, talks with Amanda Satterwhite, MD, owner of Highwater Aesthetics in Edmond, Oklahoma. Their down and dirty convo covers:

• Dr. Satterwhite’s journey from emergency medicine to aesthetics;

• How she opened a medical spa from scratch;

• What aesthetic treatments she’s had;

• The importance of self-care and a skin routine;

• Her favorite providers;

• And much, much more!

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, gets a lesson in listening with Christine Miles, founder and CEO of EQuipt. Christine covers many of the subjects from her new book, What Is It Costing You Not to Listen, as well as other topics, including:

• Emotional intelligence and why is it important in running a business;

• Listening training;

• Transformational listening and the roadblocks to achieving it;

• How to become a trusted advisor to your clients;

• Saying “no” with empathy;

• The six questions that will make you a better listener; and

• How to deal with clients who don’t listen.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, talks with Lora Kassaros, who has served as practice manager for Dermatique Laser and Skin in Geneva, Illinois, for more than 12 years. Alex and Lora talk in-depth about the realities of managing a medical spa, covering topics such as:

• Improving patient communication;

• Why practitioners often struggle to run a business;

• Creating a brand message;

• Sourcing patients and how to keep them;

• Charging your worth and avoiding the allure of discounts;

• Using data to improve practice metrics; and

• Empowering women in the industry.

In this week’s episode, AmSpa CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, takes a deep dive into skin care with Max Stock, CEO and founder of Epicutis, and Lisa Johnson, senior vice president of global sales and corporate development at Epicutis. Their conversation covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Focusing on the treatment of health vs. age;

• The differences in skin care culture in Asia, Europe and the U.S.;

• Consumer knowledge and how it impacts skin care choices;

• How Epicutis maintains an ethos of “clean and transparent”;

• Why clinicians should learn to sell retail skin care; and

• The importance of skin care in patient outcomes.

Medical Spa Show 2022 featured many hot-topic panels, including this All-star Injector’s Panel. Moderated by Alex and featuring some of the top injectors in the industry, this panel covers some of the most pressing issues facing aesthetic practices today. You’ll hear panelists George Baxter-Holder, ARNP, DNP, CANS, of SkinSpirit; Lori Robertson, MSN, FNP-C, of The Aesthetic Immersion; Sarah Safa, MS, PA-C, of Refined Aesthetics; Jacob Sanchez, MSN, CRNA, of Get Refreshed; and Hermine Warren, DNP, APRN, CANS, of Facialogy, discuss:

• What inspires them as aesthetic injectors;
• What they see others in the industry doing that worries them;
• The ethics and intricacies of promoting on Instagram and TikTok;
• How advertisements affect the quality of client that comes through the door;
• How to say no, and why it can be the most important thing you do;
• How to spot red flags in clients, and what to do if you miss them;
• And much more!

Watch this panel and dozens of other educational sessions recorded at Medical Spa Show 2022 with the Virtual Education After Party, on sale until March 19. Visit https://www.medicalspashow.com/virtualeducation. 

On this week’s episode, AmSpa Founder and CEO, Alex Thiersch, is joined by Cameron Hemphill, CEO of Growth99, in a conversation on online marketing and the future of patient conversion. In this episode, they cover:

• The evolving aesthetic market in Utah;

• How the business side of aesthetics is being standardized;

• How successful medical spas manage their digital marketing;

• Managing your practice like a business and why that is important;

• Understanding a buyer’s online journey in order to convert them into paying clients;

• AI chat bots and their utility;

• Networking and business growth discussions at Medical Spa Show 2022; and

• The future technologies that will impact the aesthetics industry.

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex Thiersch is joined by Jeff Segal, MD, JD, of Medical Justice to talk about the practice of review-gating. Their conversation covers:

• The definition of review-gating and its reputation in the industry;
• The FTC’s stance and potential legal consequences to utilizing review gating; and
• Reputation management and its ethics.

In another episode of Medical Spa Insider’s Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist, Michela Bailey, talks with Susan Lynch, PA-C, owner of Sarasota Premier Aesthetics. They cover:

• Her journey from PA school to assisting pediatric surgery to being her own boss;
• Opening a business in the middle of the pandemic;
• What treatments are bringing her clients back;
• Stem cell skin care and what she personally uses in her 40s;
• The importance of CME and staying up to date on the latest aesthetic science;
• How to focus on quality of care rather than quantity of clients;
• And more!

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex Thiersch checks in with Dr. Kay Durairaj on site at Wynn Las Vegas during Medical Spa Show 2022. Their wide-ranging conversation covers:

• The role of male patients now and in the future;
• The time investment that it takes to be successful;
• Important things to remember about showing up on Instagram;
• The importance of training for aesthetic injectors;
• How natural aging can coexist with medical aesthetics;
• Possibilities for the growth of stem cell treatments in the U.S.;
• And more!

In another episode of the Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist, Michela Bailey, talks with Kelsey Spector, LE, also known as @MySkinDealer. They cover:

• Her choice to become an aesthetician in a medical spa rather than a day spa;
• The origin of the My Skin Dealer brand;
• Representing her business as a brand instead of just herself, and separating her personal Instagram from her business;
• Treatments she gets as a young medical aesthetics practitioner;
• The importance of skin care in an aesthetics regimen for boosting results;
• The skin care routine of a skin care specialist;
• The importance of mental health and general wellness;
• And more!

Credit card processing fees aren’t a hot topic in aesthetics, but these charges can add up very quickly in an industry with such big-ticket services. This week, Matt Rej, partner at Merchant Cost Consulting, pulls back the curtain of merchant fees and discusses how small business owners can reduce the costs of hidden or bundled fees to potentially save thousands of dollars per year. He covers:

• Reducing fees without making changes to software, credit card companies or banks;
• Potential fees hidden within common processors such as Clover and Square;
• The ability to renegotiate fees, even with integrated point-of-sale or other software systems;
• The rate medical aesthetics clinics should be paying for credit card processing;
• Some common bundled fees that can often be renegotiated;
• And much more!

As the medical spa industry continues its extraordinary growth, interest in investing in, buying and selling practices is also increasing. Attendees of Medical Spa Show 2022 will have the option to attend the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Summit, a full-day pre-show education seminar on mergers and acquisitions in the medical spa space presented by Skytale Group. The cost is included in the price of admission, but space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon and select this course during registration. Visit medicalspashow.com/preshow for more information.

In this podcast, we speak with Benjamin Hernandez of Skytale Group to learn about:

• The increasing interest in medical spas from large financial sponsors;
• How early to prepare and how to set yourself up for sale;
• What to do when you’re ready to sell;
• The buyer’s perspective vs seller’s perspective;
• What to know for a single practice looking to sell;
• What to know for a multi-location group looking to scale;
• And more!

This week, Hally Pinaud, VP of product marketing at Podium, stops by to talk all things marketing in the medical aesthetic space. She covers:

• The power of online reputation management;
• How to arm small businesses to compete in the age of Amazon;
• The need to be innovative to market in the medical spa industry;
• Consumer research around local businesses;
• How small business owners feel about their prospects going forward in 2022;
• The consumer focus on ease of doing business, and what that specifically means for medical spas;
• The importance of being involved in your community;
• How text message marketing can be a game-changer for local businesses;
• And more!

This week, Taylor Siemens, NP, clinical director of Vitalyc Medspa stops by to talk about her commitment to training medical aesthetic practitioners. She covers:

• The lack of training standards in medical aesthetics;
• The appetite for more training among injectors;
• The power of sharing knowledge with other aesthetic injectors;
• The benefits and limitations of training provided by injectable vendors;
• The reputation of medical spas among core doctors;
• The need to bring more NPs and PAs into the industry;
• Her upcoming aesthetic practitioner training app;
• And more!

This week, Mitra Silva, founder of medical interior design firm Simour Design, talks about the formula for designing a world-class medical aesthetic practice. We discuss:

• Keys to medical spas that have thrived during pandemic;
• The importance of thinking differently and being intentional in decisions;
• How to decide how much space you need in your initial build;
• The benefits of planning for multi-functional rooms;
• The high cost of not maximizing your space; and
• How technology can help visualize design ideas.

This week, Sara Osmer, chief marketing officer, and Victoria Voorhees, director of marketing communications for SkinSpirit, stop by the show to talk all about marketing for medical aesthetic practices. They cover:

• The importance of being true to the pillars of your business;
• Challenges and opportunities specific to marketing in medical aesthetics;
• How to balance promoting the brand vs. individual practitioners on Instagram;
• Marketing strategies for a multi-location, multi-state brand;
• The role PR plays in medical aesthetics;
• Influencer marketing in the medical spa industry;
• Common mistakes in medical spa marketing; and
• Which marketing channels are best for new practices.

In this episode of the Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist, Michela Bailey, sits down with Dallas Buchanan, MD, and Michelle Buchanan, APRN, of Vivify Plastic Surgery. They talk about:

· How long they have been in practice;

· The size of their team and how they built their practice;

· How they defined their company culture;

· The practice’s involvement in the local community;

· Their favorite skin care treatment and favorite device;

· And more!

This week, Jay Reyero, JD, of ByrdAdatto talks about the regulatory concerns surrounding Botox parties and other offsite events in medical aesthetics. He covers:

• Legal compliance trends he is currently seeing among medical spas;
• Compliance issues regarding IV hydration therapy;
• If standing orders can replace a good-faith exam for new patients;
• Whether Botox parties and other offsite events are legal;
• Regulations to think about when planning an offsite event;
• If a physician needs to be present for offsite events;
• The importance of establishing specific documented protocols for events;
• Whether it’s legal to have alcohol at on- or offsite events;
• And more!

This week, Kathy Taranto, partner at AesthetiCare MedSpa and MINT Aesthetics, talks about building an $8 million single-location medical spa, how AesthetiCare approached expansion, tips for new medical aesthetic professionals, the importance of training and more. She covers:

• Her journey into medical aesthetics;
• How her early experience defined how she viewed customer experience;
• Balancing a successful medical spa with a successful training center;
• Her desire to help people avoid common medical spa mistakes;
• Treatments and devices new practices should consider;
• How to choose the right device;
• The biggest lessons for medical professionals entering aesthetics;
• Tips for building a high-performing team and avoiding turnover; and
• How COVID has changed the medical aesthetics industry.

In this episode, RepeatMD CEO Phillip Sitter and VP of Sales Chris Chomenko talk about the ways rewards and membership programs can increase retention and patient adoption of new treatments. They cover:

• The value of rewards programs for small businesses;
• How to measure if a rewards program is working;
• The anatomy of a good rewards or membership program;
• How rewards programs can protect against increasing competition in the industry;
• The different value propositions of rewards programs and memberships;
• The psychological reasons membership programs can help medical aesthetic practices;
• The ways practices struggle with membership programs;
• And more!

This week, MaryAnn Guerra, CEO of Aesthetics Biomedical, stops by to talk about the importance of data, structure and process when it comes to doing the right thing for medical aesthetic patients. She covers:

• Her journey from government health care agencies to medical aesthetics;
• Clearing Vivace through FDA and bringing it to market;
• The role aesthetics play in the mental health of aging;
• The role regulations play in patient safety;
• How RF microneedling helps medical aesthetic patients;
• Technical specifications of RF microneedling devices;
• And more!

This week, Alexander Blinski, MD of Plump Cosmetics & Injectables stops by to talk about regulation in the medical spa industry, and the patient-safety concerns that usually drive them. He covers:

• If it’s even possible to fully saturate medical aesthetics market;
• The lack of enough aesthetic providers to meet consumer demand;
• Regulatory risks for medical spa practices;
• The laws regarding physician-ownership vs non-physician ownership;
• The risks of injecting in and around the nose;
• RN scope of practice;
• If medical professionals receive training about laws and regulations;
• And more!

In this episode of our Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist Michela Bailey sits down with Brandy Thompson, APRN-BC, of Prescription Beauty Medical Aesthetics. She talks about:

• Her decision to move from hospital cardiology nursing to full-time aesthetics;
• The ins and outs of the Kentucky aesthetic community;
• How she educated her patient base on medical aesthetics;
• Her skin care routine;
• Her favorite treatments;
• And more!

In this week's Medical Spa Insider we're flashing back to our chat with Felecia Hatcher, keynote speaker for Medical Spa Show 2021. She talks about her path to success, ranging from starting her own small business to working with some of the biggest brands in the world, and more!

We'll be releasing information on the agenda and speakers for Medical Spa Show 2022 very soon, so stay tuned to medicalspashow.com for more information!

On this week’s episode, Warren Danforth, owner of Spa 35 Med Spa, talks about medical spa regulation and safety. He discusses:

• The need for proactive research and guidelines to encourage practicing safety in medical spas;
• Whether the rules and regulations for cosmetic treatments should be different than traditional medicine;
• How to educate aesthetic practices on the rules and regulations so they are followed and enforced;
• How to determine and enforce operating standards when the aesthetic field doesn’t have board certification; and
• The importance of ongoing training and education of providers as the industry continues to grow and offer new treatments and services.

This week, Michael S. Byrd, JD and Brad E. Adatto, JD of ByrdAdatto take a deep dive into the legal issues regarding medical spa ownership and the specifics of the corporate practice of medicine. They cover questions like:

• What is the corporate practice of medicine?
• Why does the corporate practice of medicine matter?
• Who can legally own a medical spa?
• What are the risks of not following the corporate practice of medicine?
• What is a Management Services Organization (MSO)?
• What is driving regulatory focus on MSOs in California?
• How does the corporate practice of medicine affect medical spas in Texas?
• And more!

On this week’s episode, Melissa Mickelson and Jessica Stellwagen, co-founders of Bodify, talk about how they built a successful medical spa practice focusing on CoolSculpting alone. They discuss:

• Going into business with family;
• Why they chose to only offer CoolSculpting;
• How to build a patient base with one technology;
• The benefits of establishing an identity early;
• How to approach referrals to other medical aesthetic practices;
• Building patient retention through patient experience;
• The process of fundraising for the start-up;
• Overcoming fear to make decisions to grow the business;
• The need to constantly gain new patients with CoolSculpting;
• How to generate and nurture leads;
• And more!

This week, RepeatMD CEO Phillip Sitter and VP of Sales Chris Chomenko talk about how loyalty and rewards programs, paired with the proper technology, can level-up a medical aesthetic practice. They discuss:

• How loyalty/rewards programs can help introduce new treatments to existing customers;
• The importance of nurturing leads and building customer trust to boost retention;
• The structure of a successful medical spa rewards program;
• How loyalty/rewards programs can move past simple discount and point programs;
• Ways to move patients through a journey toward more high-margin treatments;
• The difficulty of scaling the patient experience; and
• The growth potential of the medical aesthetics industry.

In the first episode of our Member Spotlight miniseries, AmSpa’s Membership Relationship Development Specialist Michela Bailey sits down with Jackie Spagnuolo, MSN, NP, of Beauty Nurse NYC, to talk about her experiences as a nurse in New York during the COVID-19 outbreak. She talks about:

• First reactions to the pandemic in New York and patient reaction to the shutdown;
• Leaving her aesthetics practice during the shutdown to work as a frontline provider at a hospital;
• An average hospital shift during COVID-19 crisis;
• Maintaining her aesthetics practice during the shutdown with private-label products and digital consultations;
• The “adopt-a-health-care-professional” initiative;
• Methods of self-care to combat burnout;
• The increased demand for services during and after lockdown;
• And more!

Erin Hennessey, APRN, stops by this week to talk about all facets of energy-based skin treatment. In this wide-ranging discussion, she covers:

• Her path from energy-based treatments for burn injuries to scar treatment to skin rejuvenation;
• The importance of listening to what the patient wants to improve first;
• Steps to take before opening your own practice;
• Ways she gets patients to adopt energy-based treatments;
• The importance of social media in marketing energy-based treatments;
• How to decide when to add devices to your practice;
• What to consider when choosing which device to add;
• Ablative vs. non-ablative lasers and legislative trends with regard to supervision; and
• Who should be able to provide laser treatments.

On this week’s episode, Neela Sethi Young, MD, pediatrician and co-founder of Jaanuu, talks about how she branched out from practicing medicine into the world of medical fashion. The discussion covers:

• Her desire for more comfort and style in medical attire;
• The benefits of being expressive through clothing in professional settings;
• The need for designer clothes with performance levels of durability;
• How the meaning behind Jaanuu’s name guides the company’s focus;
• The roles clothes in a professional setting can play in mental health and positive self-image;
• The Jaanuu Cares and #AlwaysMind campaigns in relation to health care professionals and self-care;
• The importance of advocacy to Jaanuu’s mission;
• Lessons from COVID that changed the way Jaanuu operates;
• And more!

On this week’s episode, renowned dermatologist Leslie Baumann, MD, discusses her experience as part of the clinical trial of the new filler Restylane Contour. She talks about:

• What makes Restylane Contour different;
• Methodology of the FDA clinical trial;
• Patient response to the product;
• Overcoming patient hesitation about fillers;
• Needle vs. cannula with Restylane Contour;
• Benefits of participating in clinical trials;
• Benefits of Restylane Contour for a practice; and
• Tips to introduce new products to patients.

In part two of this two-part series, Ben Hernandez of Skytale Group provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the sale of a medical aesthetic practice. He runs through what to expect if you’re approached by an investment company interested in purchasing your practice including:

• The typical timeline for a sale;
• What kind of information buyers are looking for initially;
• How to structure the deal;
• How long the owner may need to stay in the practice after the sale;
• Pitfalls to avoid when selling your practice;
• What to include in a Letter of Intent (LOI);
• Things to look for in an investment partner;
• And more!