
Medical Spa Insider
AmSpa Founder and CEO, Alex Thiersch, takes an in-depth look at today's aesthetic entrepreneurs and what makes them successful.
Latest episodes

Feb 5, 2025 • 52min
How Much Training Do Aesthetic Laser Providers Need?
This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Taylor Siemens, NP-C, vice president of operations at Vitalyc Medspa and clinical advisor to AmSpa. They discuss the nuances of laser safety and the need for proper training and education in medical aesthetics. Their conversation includes:
How combining laser with other aesthetic treatments boosts results;
What med spas need to focus on when it comes to laser safety;
How much training is enough to competently perform laser treatments;
Ablative vs. non-ablative and photofacial devices;
Understanding scope of practice, laser licensing and legality;
Possible complications, even in the hands of experienced providers;
Standards for proper laser training and education, and more!
Sign up for Turning Your Practice Up to 11: Energy Device Master Class on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at Medical Spa Show.
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Jan 31, 2025 • 21min
MSS Speaker Highlight: Annie Hockey, Dr. Kimberly L. Evans, Dr. Patrick Blake, Amy Anderson
In this Medical Spa Show speakers series, we hear from Annie Hockey, president and head of consulting at Skytale Group; Kimberly L. Evans, MD, FACOG, founder of Sugar Land Med Spa; Patrick Blake, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer at Portrait; and Amy Anderson, co-founder of BrinsonAnderson Consulting. They describe their wins and lessons learned, along with what conference attendees will learn from their classes at Medical Spa Show 2025, from April 10 - 13, 2025!
Annie Hockey
Friday, April 11: 1:40 - 2:05 p.m. | The Insider’s Guide to Private Equity Interest in Medical Aesthetics
Kimberly L. Evans, MD, FACOG
Friday, April 11: 1:05 - 2:05 p.m. | Advancing Sexual Wellness Treatments in Your Practice
Patrick Blake, MD
Friday, April 11: 8:55 - 9:25 a.m. | PANEL: Dangerous Practices, Devastating Consequences: A Compliance Perspective
Amy Anderson
Friday, April 11: 1:05 - 2:05 p.m. | PANEL: Everything You Want to Know About Running a Thriving Med Spa
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Jan 29, 2025 • 54min
The 2025 MedSpa Marketing Playbook: Predictions for the Year Ahead
Erica Crawford, president of Influx Marketing, and Max Baybak, its co-founder, dive into the impact of California's wildfires on local communities and business marketing. They discuss innovative strategies for 2025, including the use of local service ads and the resurgence of long-form content for SEO. The duo highlights the competitive landscape of medical weight loss and the importance of in-house social media efforts. They also explore AI's role in reshaping marketing, emphasizing authentic customer engagement in the evolving MedSpa industry.

Jan 24, 2025 • 21min
MSS Speaker Highlight: Dr. Kate Dee, Dr. Linné Linder, Cameron Hemphill, Jessica Nunn
In this Medical Spa Show speakers series, we hear from Kate Dee, MD, of Glow MediSpa; Linné Linder, ND, of SkinSpirit; Cameron Hemphill of Growth99; and Jessica Nunn of Maven Financial Partners. They describe their wins and lessons learned, along with what conference attendees will learn from their classes at Medical Spa Show 2025, from April 10 - 13, 2025!
Kate Dee, MD
Friday, April 11: 8:55 - 9:25 a.m. | Dangerous Practice, Devastating Consequences: A Compliance Perspective
Saturday, April 12: 1:40 - 2:15 p.m. | Balancing Ethics and Revenue— How Ethics can Boost your Revenue
Sunday, April 13: 9 - 11:45 a.m. | Bridging the Divide: Conversations on Controversial Issues
Linné Linder, ND
Friday, April 11: 4:25 - 5:25 p.m. | Unlocking the Fountain of Youth: A Journey Into Longevity and Regenerative Medicine
Cameron Hemphill
Friday, April 11: 5- 5:25 p.m. | Maximizing Patient Lifecycle Value Through Marketing
Jessica Nunn
Friday, April 11: 1:05 - 1:30 p.m. | What the Most Profitable Med Spas are Doing in 2025
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Jan 22, 2025 • 29min
Member Spotlight: Danielle Oyasu, NP
This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Danielle Oyasu, NP, founder of Beautifully New Med Spa in Park Ridge, Illinois. They talk about the importance of community, their shared love of the city, and more in this conversation that includes:
How she was introduced to AmSpa;
The community spirit in aesthetics;
Talking safety and responsible practices;
Treatments that changed her confidence;
Her skincare regimen, empty-nester status and more!
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Jan 17, 2025 • 19min
MSS Speaker Highlight: Gilberto Saenz III, Bree Black, Dr. Johnny Franco, Judy Kozlicki
In this Medical Spa Show speakers series, we hear from Gilberto Saenz III, PA-C, of Austin Plastic Surgeon; Bree Black, Co-founder of JobSnob; Johnny Franco, MD, FACS, of Austin Plastic Surgeon; and Judy Kozlicki, Head of Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery at Skytale Group. They describe their wins and lessons learned, along with what conference attendees will learn from their classes at Medical Spa Show 2025, from April 10 - 13, 2025!
Gilberto Saenz III, PA-C
Friday, April 11: 4:25 - 5:25 p.m. | Implementing a Successful Weight Loss Program
Saturday, April 12: 9:35 - 10 a.m. | Cellulite: The New Frontier of Combination Therapy
Saturday, April 12: 3:50 - 4:50 p.m. | The Worst I Ever Had: Complications and How to Overcome Them
Bree Black
Saturday, April 12: 4:25 - 5:25 p.m. | The HR Panel: Hiring, Retaining, Compensating and Managing Your Aesthetic Team
Johnny Franco, MD, FACS
Sunday, April 13: 9- 11:45 a.m. | Bridging the Divide: Conversations on Controversial Issues
Judy Kozlicki
Friday, April 11: 3:50 - 4:15 p.m. | How Knowing Business Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Will Maximize Your Revenue
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Jan 15, 2025 • 52min
Microneedling Safety: Medical Protocols that Protect Patients and Practices
What can microneedling remind us about keeping the medical in medical spas? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Molly Muecke, RN, MSN, APRN, NP-C, founder of Astra Aesthetics in Knoxville, Tennessee. They discuss the risks associated with microneedling, the importance of safety protocols in medical aesthetics, and the need to educate patients and regulators about safe med spa practices. Their conversation includes:
How a non-compete brought her practice closer to home;
The potential risks and side effects of microneedling;
Why microneedling is regulated as a medical procedure;
Educating patients about safe aesthetic practices;
Proper safety protocols for needles and syringes;
Half-syringe usage, injection safety and more!
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Jan 10, 2025 • 24min
MSS Speaker Highlight: Taylor Siemens, Chris Balbi, Rebecca McAbee, Kelly Choi
In this Medical Spa Show speakers series, we hear from Taylor Siemens, NP-C, vice president of operations at Vitalyc MedSpa; Christopher Balbi, director of marketing at Meesha Aesthetics; Rebecca McAbee, practice manager and chief operating officer at Disappearing Act Medical Aesthetics; and Kelly Choi, NP, founder of The Beauty Collective. They describe their wins and lessons learned, along with what conference attendees will learn from their classes at Medical Spa Show 2025, from April 10 - 13, 2025!
Taylor Siemens, NP-C
Thursday, April 10: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. | Choosing the Right Treatments for Your Medical Aesthetics Practice
Saturday, April 12: 2:15 - 2:40 p.m. | Practice Non-surgical Body Contouring for Your Practice
Chris Balbi
Saturday, April 12: 9 - 9:25 a.m. | Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Your Aesthetic Practice
Rebecca McAbee
Saturday, April 12: 1:05 - 2:05 p.m. | PANEL: Perfect Partners: Medical Spa Owners and Practice Managers
Saturday, April 12: 4:25 - 5:25 p.m. | The HR Panel: Hiring, Retaining, Compensating and Managing Your Aesthetic Talent
Kelly Choi, NP
Saturday, April 12: 9 - 10 a.m. | All-Star Owners Panel
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Jan 8, 2025 • 47min
Building a Culture of Compliance in an Increasingly AI World
In this 300th episode of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Jodi Faustlin, chief compliance offer, and Chad Schiffman, director of risk management at Healthcare Compliance Pros. They talk about fundamental compliance policies and procedures for your organization, why the OCR and FTC are getting more involved in healthcare compliance, and how aesthetic practices can protect electronic personal health records. Their conversation includes:
What triggers the FTC to look into your business practices;
Why you should be careful with claims of HIPAA compliance;
How to conduct a thorough risk analysis to find vulnerabilities;
Getting your team’s buy-in to implement your compliance policy;
How to protect your patients’ health information (PHI) when using AI;
Protecting the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of PHI;
Keeping up with rules and regulatory updates, and more!
Healthcare Compliance Pros (HCP) understands that the health care industry continues to face a significant amount of regulatory oversight in HIPAA, OSHA, corporate compliance and human resources. Many health care organizations have struggled to find an efficient, simple and cost-effective way to stay current with these high-overhead, low reward-liabilities. Having seen this frustration firsthand, HCP has created innovative online tools and comprehensive compliance support to address these needs.
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Dec 20, 2024 • 60min
Greatest Hits: Building a Successful Med Spa with Shawna Chrisman and Maegen Kennedy
In this episode, we revisit a conversation between AmSpa President and CSO, Cathy Christensen, 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 spoke about the current stage of their medical spas, the details of scaling a business, and insider tips to help new and growing medical spas reach their goals. Listen in to hear more about:
What they’ve learned through expanding to multiple locations;
How to prepare for expansion and train your employees;
Strategies that have helped their med spas find success;
Tracking and responding to the data in your practice;
Which KPIs show you the health of your business;
Advice for med spas starting out or looking to reach the next level;
An original membership model and loyalty program;
And much more!
Music by Ghost Score.
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