Medical Spa Insider

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Lori Werner, founder and chief marketing whiz at Medical Marketing Whiz, a woman-led marketing agency that specializes in marketing for wellness and medical aesthetics practices. They talk about her path from medical device sales to entrepreneurship and how her team helps med spas get discovered online using answer engine optimization (AI-SEO). How she transitioned from medical device sales to founding a woman-led marketing agency in aesthetics and women’s health; The marketing blind spots of practices newly adding cash-based aesthetic services; Why SEO and AI-SEO are critical to get recommended by Google, ChatGPT and other AI platforms; Going beyond Meta and Google ads with a strategy rooted in how patients research and choose providers; Using YouTube, press releases and scheduled content to boost search visibility and trust; Email, text and AI tools like Dr. Social Whiz that drive conversions. For more on this topic, check out Medical Marketing Whiz’s recent webinar: Answer Engine Optimization (AI-SEO): How to Become the Recommended Provider in ChatGPT and Other AI Platforms --- Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa President and CSO, Cathy Christensen, speaks with Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, celebrated entrepreneur, founder of BrainTrust and author of The Beauty of Success: Start, Grow and Accelerate Your Brand. They discuss her entrepreneurial journey from building brands to owning in the beauty space, how she evaluates opportunities, and the ways she protects her mental wellness with the help of her community. Listen for: Aligning opportunities with her four pillars: community, mentorship, education, capital; How she knows when it’s time to pivot, take a leap or let go of an opportunity; Her nonprofit’s efforts for diversity and mentorship in the beauty industry; The importance of building a strong community of trusted partners; Finding joy and managing stress to protect your wellness; Kendra’s advice for maintaining positivity in challenging times; Her upcoming ventures in wellness, retail, podcasting and more! Kendra shares more about the power of building your brain trust in her presentation “Community and Counsel: Building Your Brain Trust” on October 4, 2025, at the Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference. Register to learn why no founder should navigate the path alone and how you can build the counsel you need for sustainable leadership and self-motivation. -- Music by Ghost Score

In this Medical Spa Show edition of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa’s Alex Thiersch, JD, speaks with Shannon Blake, director of medical spa partnerships at Podium. They chat about what makes MSS her favorite aesthetic conference and trade show, along with the exciting new voice capabilities Podium is building into its AI-powered lead management and client communication platform. Listen to hear: What made MSS2025 Podium’s favorite show so far; How Avery is solving the issue of speed to lead; Building an AI voice for inbound and outbound calls; How med spas personalize their AI patient coordinator; Why MSS is the one-stop shop for building relationships in aesthetics. --- Music by Ghost Score

“For med spas, it’s so important to know who you are, what you stand for, and deliver on that with discipline.” This week, AmSpa’s Alex Thiersch sits down with Lowinn Kibbey, President of North America at Cynosure Lutronic, to discuss the landmark merger of two global energy-based device leaders and what it means for the future of medical aesthetics. They talk about: The historic merger of Cynosure and Lutronic, one year in; Navigating the unique dynamics of the aesthetics industry; Why brand identity, discipline and metrics are key to med spa success; Cynosure Lutronic’s approach to clinical training and post-sale support; Four major growth drivers: rejuvenation, rejuvenation, skin of color and male patients; How GLP-1s are reshaping patient demand and creating new business models; And much more. --- Music by Ghost Score

What if your med spa data could talk? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Alex Lirtsman, founder and CEO of CorralData, to explore how medical spas can unlock real-time, HIPAA-compliant insights without changing their existing systems. CorralData integrates everything from your EMR to marketing, payroll, and finance systems, giving med spas the ability to uncover actionable insights that drive profitability, patient retention, and scalable growth. Listen for strategies to ask smarter questions of your data, including: Integrating all of your existing platforms to get actionable insights from your data; How multi-location practices, med spa rollups and private equity develop playbooks; Navigating HIPAA and BAAs with AI companies to create secure data analysis tools; Using reverse ETL to optimize for high lifetime value patients and boost profitability; The questions you can ask your data with conversational AI and large language models; CorralData’s tailor-made solutions for Advanced MedAesthetic Partners, and more! -- Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Emma Snowball-Robinson, APRN, founder of PURE Medical Aesthetics and PURE Evolution Academy. They chat about her incredible journey from modeling and marrying a rock star to putting herself through nursing school and founding a thriving aesthetic practice. Emma opens up about her reinvention and why “keep showing up” has been her guiding motto. Listen to hear: Emma’s path from modeling to regenerative medicine and wellness; Overcoming divorce, financial hardship and the challenges of single motherhood; How Emma rebuilt her life and launched her career in nursing; Her passion for regenerative medicine and the future of aging well; The importance of persistence and always showing up, even in difficult times; How a freak accident paused her injecting career and shifted her perspective; Her plans to give back through scholarships, community support and expanding her practice. --- Music by Ghost Score

In this special MSS edition of Medical Spa Insider, Michela Bailey sits down with AmSpa State Chapter leaders from California and Utah, recorded live at Medical Spa Show 2025! Meet California co-chair Sahar Saghezchi, of Cupertino Facial Esthetics; Utah co-chair Terri Hancock, DNP, ACNP-BC, of Bellissima Medical Aesthetic; and Utah co-chair Amanda Hopper, of St. George Med Spa. They share their excitement to reconnect at MSS and the Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference (WALC), and the ways they are bringing their communities together through state-specific resources, networking and collaboration. Connect and collaborate with the med spas growing alongside you when you join your AmSpa State Chapter today. --- Music by Ghost Score

Join AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, as he discusses with Courtney Smith, account executive, and Jon Romano, SVP of sales at Darwill, how med spas can leverage data-driven direct mail to overcome digital fatigue and achieve significant growth. Recorded at AmSpa’s Chicago headquarters, this episode explores the evolution of traditional marketing and how direct mail can create genuine, lasting impressions that boost ROI when integrated with CRM and digital strategies. Key insights include: Darwill’s strategic pivot to the medical aesthetics industry and insights into med spa owners’ unique needs; The three essential factors Darwill considers when identifying profitable verticals like medical spas; How direct mail campaigns proactively target ideal customers, compared to digital; Utilizing CRM-triggered automation for personalized mailers that boost bookings and retention; Identifying the most effective creative offers and frequency for med spa audiences; Strategies for tracking ROI from direct mail campaigns; Combining direct mail with digital marketing for a competitive edge. --- Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, sits down with Dr. Christopher C. Surek, DO, FACS—board-certified plastic surgeon, internationally recognized facial anatomist, and founder and director of the Academy for Injection Anatomy (AIA)—to discuss the new AIA Alumni Reunion and Refresher course. Designed exclusively for advanced cadaver training alumni, this event offers a higher level, more intense training experience with live full face injections, layered and cross-sectional dissections, and simultaneous ultrasound assessments. Dr. Surek also talks about his new textbook, co-authored with Dr. Steven Weiner, and the power of mentorship and networking within the AIA community. Learn why building your safety community is just as essential as mastering anatomy and register for the AIA Alumni Reunion and Refresher course at americanmedspa.org/aiaalumni. --- Music by Ghost Score

In this episode, AmSpa’s Alex R. Thiersch, JD, and Cathy Christensen join Dr. Kay Durairaj, internationally recognized facial plastic surgeon and founder of Beauty by Dr. Kay live from Las Vegas at the Medical Spa Show 2025 to talk about Biohacking Beauty: The science shaping the future of biohacking and regenerative aesthetics. From GLP-1s and “Ozempic face” to collagen stimulation, exosomes, polynucleotides and peptide stacks, Dr. Kay demystifies the research-backed tools med spa professionals can use to optimize skin regeneration and enhance cellular health for their aesthetic patients. They talk about: The authentic energy of community and growth at MSS; Building the Biohacking Beauty track with credible specialists; The rise of GLP-1s in aesthetic care and why it’s here to stay; How collagen stimulators are redefining injectables post-filler fear; Top-tier peptides, exosomes and supplements that fight cell aging; Why salmon sperm is being used off-label for facial rejuvenation; How to earn trust with credentialing and educational standards; Dr. Kay’s personal wellness stack, collagen techniques and more! --- Music by Ghost Score