Medical Spa Insider

Brandon Robinson, owner of Skin Body Soul and investor in OrangeTwist, takes over the podcast this week to interview Alex Thiersch, JD, AmSpa’s founder and CEO. As we close out a tumultuous 2020 and head into a new year join us for a look back at the history of the American Med Spa Association as Alex reveals:

• How he first became interested in a legal career;
• The legal case that got him into medical aesthetics;
• The beginnings of AmSpa;
• The idea behind AmSpa’s Medical Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps;
• How the Medical Spa Show came into being;
• How Covid-19 and lockdown changed the focus of the association;
• His outlook on the future of the industry post-pandemic.

This week, we’re back with Christie Hutchinson, RN, MBA, talking all about OSHA. She answers a number of compliance questions, including:

• What is OSHA?
• Where do majority of OSHA complaints come from?
• What are the most common OSHA violations?
• What are minimum compliance standards for light-emitting devices?
• What do you do in case of an OSHA investigation?

This week, Christie Hutchinson, RN, MBA, does a deep dive on the nursing scope of practice in aesthetic medicine. She discusses:

• The initial consult and what counts as the practice of medicine;
• How standing orders affects what RNs can and can’t do;
• The importance of protecting your nursing license;
• Standard operating procedures and their place in medical spas; and
• Where you can find information on “who can do what” in a medical practice.

This week, Brandon Robinson, owner of Skin Body Soul and investor in OrangeTwist, talks about the business outlook for the medical spa industry during and potentially after the COVID-19 pandemic. He covers how investment interest in the industry has actually increased over the past several months and reveals his thought process as he expanded his business over the course of 2020. He talks about:

• Ways the pandemic has proven the business model of medical aesthetics;
• How the “stickiness” of the industry has become apparent to investors;
• Why and how he managed to expand during pandemic;
• Where opportunities can come from during and after lockdown;
• The importance of knowing your numbers, knowing your model and sticking to your guns;
• Protections you can build into lease agreements to give yourself confidence to take risks;
• Predictions for when industry will get back to full capacity; and
• His reflections on 2020.

AmSpa CEO Alex Thiersch and COO Cathy Christensen sat down with Terri Ross of Terri Ross Consulting to talk about what it’s like being a female entrepreneur in the aesthetics industry, and how medical aesthetic practices can scale their business to seven figures with simple sales training tools. Terri shares her tips on the benefit of performing longer consults, how you can invest back into your business, role-playing tips for your front desk staff and much more!

Many states are re-imposing restrictions on businesses, as the COVID-19 pandemic has surged in many parts of the country. Join AmSpa Founder and CEO, Alex Thiersch, ByrdAdatto Partner, Renee Coover, JD, and AmSpa Legal Coordinator, Patrick O'Brien, JD, as they review and discuss the new restrictions in Illinois, California and elsewhere, and how they may impact your medical aesthetic practice.

As 2020 has gone on it seems stressors have only increased. This week we're reaching into the archives to help you manage an increasingly stressful world. Wendy Collier will offer things you can do each day to give you a break from feeling worried so you can be your more positive self. This includes a powerful daily practice you can do first thing each morning that will make a BIG difference in your entire day. 

This week, board-certified plastic surgeon Robert Whitfield, MD, talks about his journey overcoming both professional and personal hardships due to COVID-19. The pandemic has affected Dr. Whitfield in both his practice and in personal life, as he lost his father to the illness during the lockdown. He touches on several aspects of dealing with this reality, including:

• A medical professional’s perspective on losing a family member to COVID;
• The difficulties of losing a loved one during lockdown;
• How other team members have also lost close family members;
• Preparing to re-open while dealing with personal loss;
• Dealing with “COVID fatigue” among patients and community members;
• Lessons learned from months of virtual consults;
• And more.

This week, Hermine Warren, APRN, DNP, CANS, talks about some lessons she’s learned during the COVID-19 outbreak and gives a detailed analysis of AmSpa’s Guidelines for Non-surgical Medical Aesthetic Practices. Listen in to hear a discussion about:

• Processes and procedures learned during COVID-19 that will endure post-quarantine;
• Benefits of using cannulas for injectable procedures;
• The importance of standards and a standardization of rules;
• The need to clarify scope of practice for advanced licenses beyond just NP;
• The risks of publishing guidelines that may eventually become law;
• Whether the guidelines do enough to support RNs;
• The need for references and citations in the guidelines;
• And much more.

New York-based dermatologist Paul Frank, MD, caught COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak. He joins AmSpa Founder Alex Thiersch, JD, to discuss his personal journey with the disease, how it affected his health, how it affected his practice and how he predicts it will affect the medical aesthetic industry. He talks about:

• How living through COVID-19 changed his perspective on business;
• The importance of focusing on the practice of medicine within the business of medicine;
• His outlook on the post-COVID-19 future of medical aesthetics;
• If millennials continue to drive growth as the economy slowly recovers; and
• Practicing profitably while maintaining legal compliance.

This week, Connie Brennan, RN, BSN, CANS, CPSN, CPC, talks about her lifetime journey of learning in medical aesthetics, focusing on her current goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. She talks about:

• The benefits of being an RN vs an NP;
• Reasons why and why not to take the leap;
• How to choose a school;
• Challenges of expanding aesthetic education;
• How to grow the ranks of aesthetic nurses;
• And more!

Heather Rypien, RN, CANS, was last on the podcast mere weeks before the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown. Check in on how the closure affected her practice, how she approached re-opening, and the lessons she learned from quarantine that she plans to implement in her practice going forward. Hear about:

• What patient flow has been like since re-opening;
• How customer behavior has changed;
• What precautions she is taking for her patients and her team; and

• Her outlook on the future.

This week, Paul Edwards stops by to demystify human resources (HR) and give you concrete examples of how building your practice with your team first can lead to success for your practice. Listen in to hear about:

• The COVID shutdown from an HR perspective;
• The strategies involved in growing employees into difference-makers;
• The importance of defining your company culture;
• How to approach revenue transparency as part of company culture;
• Interview questions to ask when finding a culture fit for your practice;
• Most common COVID-related HR questions; and
• The difference between law and rule-making, and caveats to many rules passed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, Kevin Harrington, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, talks about the ins and outs of injector training. He gives his views on how much training people should get before injecting for the first time, the value of manufacturer training courses, and things to look for when choosing a training course. Listen in to hear about:

• The importance of understanding the “why” behind medical procedures;
• How “certified” courses might not mean what you think;
• Why aesthetics should be considered its own medical specialty;
• What makes a good injector; and more!

On this week’s episode, listen in to gain some insight on the complex decisions that go into interpreting medical spa law. Alex welcomes Michael Byrd, JD, and Brad Adatto, JD, of the law firm ByrdAdatto to speak about:

• Challenges regarding regulators and legislators not fully understanding the industry;
• Challenges of laws being different in different states;
• Navigating “grey areas” in the law;
• Finding a balance between nursing board, medical board and legislature opinions;
• The most important aspects of compliance;
• Why it doesn’t matter if “everyone else is doing it”; and
• Why it’s less daunting than it seems to be legally compliant

This episode also includes a quick preview of Season 2 of the firm’s podcast, Legal 123s with ByrdAdatto.

This week we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes in the archive. Shelby Miller, DNP, FNP-C, founder of RUMA Aesthetics, known on Instagram as @Aesthetic_Injector, explains how you can replicate her journey by having the right intentions, finding the right mentor, and immersing yourself in education, training and networking with your peers. "The second you become overconfident, you become dangerous." 

This week, Danielle Smith, NP,-C of smith & co gives us a glimpse under the hood of her business as a solo practitioner who focuses solely on injectables. She gives an in-depth description of how she bucks many business rules of thumb in order to maximize her efficiency and create a plan customized for her particular business model. Listen in to learn the answers to the following questions:

• How do you maximize the efficiency of your time?
• Why should you potentially say No to new business opportunities?
• How vital is administrative support, really?
• Do you really need to answer the phone immediately?

This week, Alex Blinski, MD, busts the myth that you can’t make money on injectables and talks about how his brand, Plump, was built with injectables at the center—not as a loss-leader. He also talks about business coming out of the COVID-19 closure, whether he thinks the spike in interest is sustainable, and lessons he’s learning from the pandemic that will inform his business going forward.

This week, Nicole Norris, MD, gives a soup-to-nuts rundown of how she built her practice from serving a town of 20,000 people to drawing patients from 50 miles away or more. She talks about the importance of knowing her demographics, and understanding the marketing channels that are most successful in her area. Key conversation points include:

• Making the jump from family medicine to medical aesthetics;
• Building personal relationships with patients;
• Advice to new medical spa owners;
• Small market success during COVID-19 and beyond;
• …and much more!

Though many medical spas were not able to survive the shutdowns due to COVID-19, other practices that were able to re-open experienced a spike in business due to pent-up demand. As we move forward, how can the industry build upon that interest? Glenn Morley and Elizabeth Holloway of BSM Consulting talk about how to best make use of data in a medical aesthetic practice and the numbers they’re seeing from practices around the world. They also dive into what the best leaders are doing to see their practices through these uncertain times, and how transparency with employees can be a key to success.

This week, triple-board-certified dermatopathologist Gretchen Frieling, MD, talks about her journey into medical aesthetics. In this wide-ranging conversation, she delves into the importance of trusting your gut when deciding your next move and how cohesive community can benefit everyone in the industry.

George Baxter-Holder, ARNP, DNP, CANS, joins us this week to talk about his unconventional path toward a career in medical aesthetics. He also discusses how aesthetic treatments are about much more than what’s on the surface and answers some important questions about his interactions with his patients:

• How can you build a real, long-term relationship with your patients?
• How does understanding how your patients view themselves help you treat them?
• How can you help patients beyond the treatment room?
• How can all of this lead to better outcomes in your practice?

Listen in to find out.

Jackie Spagnuolo, RN, BSN, and Kelsey Spector, LE, chat with AmSpa’s social media team about what it takes to build a devoted following online. Aly Boeckh and Michela Bailey, AmSpa’s marketing gurus, join AmSpa Founder and CEO Alex Thiersch in asking these young influencers to share their insights on Instagram, TikTok, and being authentic and approachable in a digital world.

Rob and Carol Trow, co-founders of DermaConcepts, exclusive U.S. distributor of Environ Skin Care, talk about how they built their business with sustainable growth while fostering a family-like company culture. They offer advice on how they built their company over the last 25 years to both new and established entrepreneurs. 

This episode covers:

• How they build and retain a high-performing team;
• How those philosophies improve customer loyalty; and
• The importance of long-term planning for the growth and success of a business.

Candela’s CCO, Mary Trout, and medical director, Konika Patel Schallen, MD, join us on this episode of Medical Spa Insider for a wide-ranging discussion. They cover how Candela has weathered the COVID-19 storm and touch on worldwide data they're collecting as practices return to business operations. They also cover general medical spa best-practices regarding treating patients and bringing devices into a medical spa.

• What has consumer demand been as practices re-open?
• How are medical spas practicing safely?
• What are common business mistakes that medical practitioners make when opening?
• How do you choose a device for your practice?
• What is "consultative selling" and how can it benefit your practice, both when choosing a vendor and when interacting with patients?

Robin Patel, MD, director of infectious disease research at the Mayo Clinic, returns to speak about the current state of COVID-19 in the U.S. She covers transmission risk and how we can mitigate the spread of the disease, and outlines what the medical landscape might look like in the months to come.  

Additionally, Paul Edwards, CEO and cofounder of CEDR HR Solutions, talks about some of the practical realities of re-opening during COVID-19, such as:

• Protocols and procedures he sees in practices that maximize the health and safety of team members and patients;
• Where small business employees are commonly catching COVID-19;
• If employers can and should test employees for COVID-19;
• What to do if an employee tests positive;
• What to do if an employee doesn’t want to return to work;
• And more.

This week Steven Dayan, MD, FACS, speaks on the early days of medical aesthetic marketing and how he was able to pioneer many of the techniques that are commonplace today including establishing a web presence and authority marketing to the consumer. He also goes over his research regarding The Subliminal Difference – explaining how subtle changes can create dramatic results – and he talks about the nature of beauty vs attraction, and which one aesthetic providers should be most concerned about addressing.

Dr. Dayan is a professor and researcher has published over 130 articles in medical journals and 5 books. He is a NY Times and USA TODAY Best Selling Author. His accolades include the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s Leadership Award and “Top Doc” recognition by numerous organizations including Castle Connolly and U.S News & World Report.

He is a member of American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (AAPFRS), American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Facial Plastic Surgery society as well as on the board of multiple medical journals including, Facial Plastic Surgery, Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ), Cosmetic Dermatology and New Beauty Magazine. He is the current Co-editor of Modern Aesthetic Magazine and Web Editor of Facial Plastic Surgery Aesthetic Medicine.

He has authored 5 books, and is currently filming a 10 episode pilot series with Dr. Paul Nassif that is scheduled to air summer 2020. But it is in his role as an adjunct professor —teaching a popular undergraduate course: The Science of Beauty and Its Impact on Culture and Business – that his NYTimes Best Selling book Subliminally Exposed is based.

This week, Lori Robertson, MSN, FNP-C, talks about staking the success of her practice on the outcomes of her patients first. She goes over her focus on treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction over profits, and how she uses a team-based incentive structure to show appreciation without relying on commission for individual providers. She also talks about steps she’s taking to ensure the safety of her patients and her team as the country re-opens after COVID-19 shutdown, and how her patients have responded.

This week our panelists discuss new information about the PPP loan forgiveness application, and new interim rules introduced in the PPP Flexibility Act.

Panelists include:

• Alex Thiersch, JD, Founder and CEO, AmSpa
• Michael Byrd, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto
• Ben Hernandez, Partner, Skytale Group
• Patrick O'Brien, Legal Coordinator, AmSpa

In this episode, Cameron Hemphill, CEO of Growth99, talks about techniques he sees that are allowing medical spa practices to both survive and thrive in the current climate. He talks about the importance of recurring revenue services and online sales, as well as how the innovative use of digital marketing can create market leaders today and in the future.

This episode’s guest is Mitra Silva, founder of medical interior design firm Simour Design. She covers how she takes ​patient experience, safety and comfort into account when designing medical aesthetic practices. Her specialized team of designers create intentional healing spaces within medical spas, surgical centers and all areas of health care.

Reunited and it feels so good! Join the incredible women from Medical Spa Show 2020’s All-Star Medical Spa Owners panel as they discuss their lessons learned and experiences during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as their thoughts, methods and tactics for re-opening. Hosted by AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex Thiersch, JD, and featuring:

• Shawna Chrisman, ACNP, MS, BC, FCCS, Destination Aesthetics;
• Anna Churchill, Synergy Face & Body;
• Lynn Heublein, Skin Spirit;
• Melissa Rogne, Rejuv Medical Aesthetic Clinic.    

Gabe Lubin, founder and CEO of Cartessa Aesthetics, speaks about his motivations for building Cartessa and his philosophy on creating devices for medical spas. He talks about what to consider when buying capital equipment and how to make careful decisions about adding treatments to your practice to achieve long-term success.

The panel gives an overview of updates to the Paycheck Protection Program, including the release of the loan forgiveness application.

Panel:

Alex Thiersch, JD, CEO and Founder, AmSpa

Michael Byrd, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Brad Adatto, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Ben Hernandez, Partner, Skytale Group

Patrick O'Brien, JD, Legal Coordinator, AmSpa

Listen in as Jeff Segal, MD, JD, weighs in on coronavirus: what we know, how to stay safe and steps to take as states begin to re-open. How careful do we need to be in our homes and in our businesses, and how long might this situation continue?

Panelists—including experts from AmSpa, ByrdAdatto and Skytale Group—review new information from the last two weeks regarding the Paycheck Protection Program. They cover new guidance on loan forgiveness, the recent statements from the IRS about whether the PPP money is tax-deductible and other challenges with the fast-changing nature of the program.

Panelists:

Alex Thiersch, JD, Founder and CEO, AmSpa

Michael Byrd, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Brad Adatto, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Patrick O’Brien, JD, Legal Coordinator, AmSpa

Ben Hernandez, Partner, Skytale Group

Alex Thiersch, Founder and CEO of AmSpa, talks with Alisa Lask, VP and General Manager of Galderma. Listen in to hear:

• How is Galderma is dealing with this crisis from a general standpoint?
• How Galderma is helping its small business clients?
• What insights does Galderma have about the impact of the virus on the aesthetics market?
• What plans does Galderma have to stimulate the market once we can reopen?
• Will interest for aesthetics procedures will still be strong post-COVID-19?
• What message would Galderma like to send to medical spas during this time?

The governor has allowed Texas medical practices to re-open, but what does that mean for Texas medical spas? Alex Thiersch, JD, Michael Byrd, JD, and Brad Adatto, JD, run through additional challenges that medical aesthetic practices might face from a regulation and enforcement standpoint.

Learn from Sarah Hamilton and Ashley Stepp of Sarah Hamilton Face in Liberty Lake, Washington, how retail has made a big difference during this difficult time and how Millennial clients are the drivers of huge retail spends, as well as other tactics for success during the downturn.

In this special episode of Medical Spa Insider, join Alex Thiersch and panelists Christie Hutchinson, QCC Healthcare Consultants; Brad Adatto, Michael Byrd and Renee Coover, ByrdAdatto as they go over what medical spas need to begin the process of reopening their businesses.

Read AmSpa's re-opening checklist here.

Download AmSpa's re-opening toolkit here.

Mary Beth Hagen, Founder and CEO, of TITAN Aesthetic Recruiting chats with Alex Thiersch, Founder and CEO of AmSpa, about aesthetic injector salaries, what makes a quality injector, and all things surrounding aesthetic recruiting and placement. 

This week's update on the Paycheck Protection Program discusses recent program updates. Additionally, the panelists talk about the program being refunded, provide some guidance on loan forgiveness, and touch on the states that are beginning to re-open for business.

Panelists:

Alex Thiersch, JD, CEO and Founder, American Med Spa Association

Patrick O'Brien, JD, Legal Coordinator, American Med Spa Association

Michael Byrd, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Brad Adatto, JD, Partner, ByrdAdatto

Ben Hernandez, Partner, Skytale Group

Beto Casellas, CEO of CareCredit, and Bill Reiner, chief security officer of Synchrony Financial, talk about the coronavirus outbreak and what it takes to lead a company during uncertain times. How do you react to crisis? What steps do you take to communicate with your team? What can you do to keep everyone safe, both now and as states begin to come out of shelter-in-place?

The CARES Stimulus bill and its PPP program is a fluid situation. This podcast will cover the new updates with the program since last week and will provide insight how to get the most support possible from the CARES Stimulus bill for your medical spa. Are people getting funds? What should you do now that funding has run out?

AmSpa's Founder and CEO, Alex Thiersch, JD, shares 8 tips that could be key to the success of your medical aesthetic practice. This episode includes full audio from the first section of AmSpa's new Virtual Boot Camp. Visit americanmedspa.org/virtualbootcamp for more information.

The CARES Stimulus bill and its PPP program is a fluid situation. This podcast will cover the new updates with the program since last week and will provide insight how to get the most support possible from the CARES Stimulus bill for your medical spa.

Heather Rypien, BSN, RN explains how she was able to help build a practice making five-digit sales daily on injectable treatments. Note: This podcast was recorded the week before the widespread shutdown due to coronavirus.