This week, AmSpa President and CSO, Cathy Christensen, speaks with Sarah Safa, MS, PA-C, top national aesthetic specialist, faculty for the Academy for Injection Anatomy, and founder of Refined Aesthetics. They discuss proactive techniques for preventing and managing aesthetic complications. Safa offers insight on the anatomy training you need to perform treatments safely, active listening as a patient safety tool, and the necessity of having a plan in place. Their conversation includes: The story of her first complication and how she has retained that patient; The intimacy of the facial anat ..read more

This week, we revisit our conversation with George Baxter-Holder, DNP, ARNP, CANS, renowned aesthetic trainer and chair of the AmSpa Aesthetic Safety Council (AASC). In this wide-ranging talk, he covers: The AASC looking at the practice guidelines with fresh eyes; The priorities when fine-tuning the practice guidelines; Determining the intent of practice guidelines; Looking at the practice guidelines as a position statement rather than a policy statement; Coming to a consensus on minimum standards for medical aesthetic practices; Trying to define “medical director,” including training and qua ..read more

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Janie Futch, BSN, RN, and Martina Kolovich, MSN, NP-C, co-owners of Altera Aesthetix in Savannah, Georgia. They discuss how they grew their medical aesthetic practice from two girls in a living room to a rebranded franchise, including the investment they made in training, their approach to the Savannah market and their mission to empower women business owners. Their conversation includes: How they built their careers in aesthetics without sacrificing family time; The capital, time and patient volume invested in their first ye ..read more

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Shannon Blake, director of medical spa partnerships at Podium. They talk about Podium’s new HIPAA compliant AI patient coordinator, discussing how it leverages technology to understand your brand, manage leads and communicate based on the long-term needs of your medical spa. Their conversation includes: Introducing Podium’s new 24/7 AI employee, Avery; How they train Avery to know every detail of your medical spa; Speed to lead: managing leads long-term and reengaging at set intervals; How Avery deescalates and empathizes whe ..read more

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Melissa Rogne, founder and president of Chapter Aesthetic Studio. AmSpa was welcomed into the Chicago headquarters of Chapter Aesthetic Studio and The Aspen Group for an inside tour to see first-hand Melissa’s professional growth and the rapid expansion of Chapter. They reflect on a conversation at the start of this partnership as they discuss how Melissa is recreating her beloved brand at a much larger scale, attracting consumers as they take the leap into aesthetic care, and building a brand that is synonymous with safe ..read more

This week we present Cary Deuber, CRNFA, CANS, on site at Wynn Las Vegas during Medical Spa Show 2024. In her keynote presentation, Deuber shared her journey to aesthetics, explained the practice of observing and studying energies, and offered principles to guide fellow business leaders. Her keynote contains: Her first job and early mentorship; Giving people your energy and establishing trust; How she found her way to the medical field; The decision to open Lemmon Avenue; Three principles of leadership; And more! Music by Ghost Score ..read more

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Annie Robertson Hockey, president and head of consulting at Skytale Group. They dive into Hockey’s entrepreneurship, her experience in management consulting, and her advice for aesthetic business owners preparing to scale and sell. Their conversation includes: When to start preparing for the selling process; Four areas of focus when you are getting ready to sell; Transitioning from a producer to a leader; Navigating regulations, risk and reputation; Finding opportunities for improvement; Customer retention vs. customer acquis ..read more

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Paul Edwards, founder and CEO of CEDR HR Solutions. Drawing on Edwards’ more than 25 years of human resources expertise, they discuss recent regulation changes that could impact how your medical spa handles non-compete agreements, employee overtime and independent contractor status. They explain: Why lawsuits may affect the outlook of the FTC’s Non-compete Clause Rule; How non-solicitations, NDAs and non-competes create complications; Who should be classified as an exempt or non-exempt employee; Whether an injector ..read more

Live from the 2024 Medical Spa Show in Las Vegas, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex Thiersch, JD, shares fresh insights on the rapid growth of the industry and an exclusive preview of their upcoming State of the Industry Report. Twelve years ago, Alex’s work as an attorney helping a solo medical spa owner led him to establish AmSpa to offer essential guidance on compliance and safety for others within the industry. Since then, he and his team have introduced much-needed resources for med spa owners including boot camps and courses for business, legal, and safety training. With legislative w ..read more

This week, AmSpa President and COO, Cathy Christensen, speaks with Shawna Chrisman, NP, CEO and founder of Destination Aesthetics, and Maegen Kennedy, PA-C, co-founder and clinical director of Windermere Medical Spa & Laser Institute. They speak about the current stage of their medical spas, dig into the details of scaling a business, and share insider tips to help new and growing medical spas reach their goals. Their conversation includes: What they’ve learned through expanding to multiple locations; How to prepare for expansion and train your employees; Strategies that have helped their ..read more