This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Kenzie Cammuse, founder of Nashville Skin Studio. They chat about how she started an aesthetician owned med spa in this conversation that includes:

• Celebrating their recent awards at Best of Nashville 2024;
• How her AmSpa membership continues to help her grow her business;
• Owning a med spa as an aesthetician and partnering with a medical director;
• Why she favors energy devices and specific products;
• Her skin care, aesthetic treatments, and more!

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How are two nurse practitioner injectors transforming the future of aesthetic education? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Alexa Nicholls Costa, NP, and Alexandra Rogers, NP, co-founders of LexRx. They discuss an exciting expansion of their certificate program in partnership with the Boston College Connell School of Nursing. Their conversation includes:

• LexRx’s brand evolution and new educational offerings;
• How they pitched an injectables program to university leadership;
• The significance of academic partnerships for aesthetic training;
• How student feedback inspired a new business-building initiative;
• The enthusiastic response from nurses joining this community.

Register for the upcoming Clinical Aesthetics Business Building course on November 16th at Boston College!

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This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Elisabeth Smith, PA-C, founder of IndieRX. They talk about how AmSpa events helped her strengthen the foundation of her business, in this wide-ranging chat that covers:

• How she first learned med spa regulations and compliance;
• Her experience at medical spa boot camps and AIA advanced cadaver course;
• Stand-out advice to being honored as one of Nashville’s best med spas;
• Developing proprietary skin care products, Skindie Rx;
• Her skin care and aesthetic treatments;
• And much more!

Sign up for the Orlando Medical Spa Boot Camp the weekend of November 8 – 10, 2024 to learn the most important med spa regulations, discover trusted business strategies and connect with med spa owners and professionals who will become your community. Whether you are new, prospective, or 5 years into the business, you can take away pearls of wisdom for the next steps on your medical aesthetic journey. Register today!

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When performed appropriately, IV therapy is safe. What resources can help med spa providers practice safely? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Sam Tejada, founder and CEO, and Dr. Christopher Davis, chief medical officer of Liquivida. They talk about the business growth of Liquivida’s IV nutrient therapy solutions and wellness centers, why they got involved with the American IV Association (AIVA), and the educational resources they’re working on to promote safe medicine in the aesthetic industry. Their conversation includes:

• What inspired Tejada to found Liquivida with only $500 in his back pocket;
• Why interventional cardiologist Dr. Davis added IV nutrient therapy;
• The science of IV therapy to selectively target micronutrient deficiencies;
• How they used clinical data to convince the public this is more than a fad;
• The importance of treating IV therapy seriously as a medical treatment;
• Future datasets for providers with the American IV Association (AIVA);
• Liquivida Wellness Centers vs. Liquivida Integrated Lounges;
• And more!

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How much training and experience is enough to be a safe, competent injector? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Michelle Doran, MSN, APRN, BC, CANS, co-founder of RN Esthetics and faculty for the Academy for Injection Anatomy (AIA). They chat about her personal training journey in medical aesthetics, the importance of clinical education in facial anatomy, and what to look for when hiring a provider. Their conversation includes:

• What drove her to switch from palliative care to medical aesthetics;
• Her first aesthetic education, early mentorship, and path to training;
• The types of aesthetic training courses she invests in year after year;
• Why she finds it important to hire nurses with real world experience;
• Taking the AIA cadaver course and how she became a faculty member;
• Essential anatomy training and learning to manage complications;
• Her decision to partner with Alpha Aesthetics Partners.

The Academy for Injection Anatomy trains injectors to be safe, competent and legally compliant. Get an in-depth understanding of facial anatomy when you sign up for the upcoming AIA Advanced Cadaver Course or add hands-on clinical training to your conference agenda at Medical Spa Show 2025: https://www.medicalspashow.com/aia-cadaver-training.

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This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Dr. Kate Dee, founder of Glow Medispa and author of Med Spa Mayhem: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Secrets of the Aesthetic Industry. They chat about her newly published book, the state of med spa oversight, and her goal to educate the public and affect change in the industry. Their conversation includes:

• Pivoting from radiologist to 10 years as a med spa founder and practitioner;
• Her mission to educate the public about what to look for in a med spa;
• Comparing the compliance processes of hospitals and medical spas;
• The controls, checks and balances that are lacking in the industry;
• Overviews of recent cases of adverse reactions and prosecution;
• The motivations of medical directors and the risk they take on;
• Concerns about aesthetic newcomers who don’t know the laws;
• And much more!

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This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, and AmSpa Director of Education, Kirstie Jackson, speak with Erika Barry, NP-C, MSN, aka Injector Bunny of Moksha Aesthetics. They discuss the challenges small med spas face with recent updates to the Allē loyalty program and make suggestions that prioritize the patient experience and your practice’s values. Their conversation includes:

• How med spa professionals have responded to the rollout of these updates;
• The ways Barry is navigating and implementing the program in her practice;
• Speaking with patients who ask for a product or service you do not recommend;
• How focusing on patient outcomes can help you maintain high customer service;
• Barry’s decision to add an injector fee and how it can protect your providers’ finances;
• The commercialization of healthcare and implications for the future of aesthetics;
• Why building a foundation of community is so important.

For a breakdown of these changes, read the Allē Loyalty Program Update FAQ: https://americanmedspa.org/alle-loyalty-program

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How do you maintain your independence when joining a private equity platform? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with John Wheeler, CEO of Alpha Aesthetics Partners. They discuss recent private equity activity and how Wheeler’s experience with his family’s aesthetic business has helped him become the leader of a medical spa platform backed by Thurston Group. Their conversation includes:

• The current M&A landscape and how Alpha Aesthetics Partners is positioned;
• Wheeler’s journey from pastor to aesthetic marketer to platform CEO;
• About his family aesthetic business and his reasons for founding Alpha;
• How they retain brand identity and clinical autonomy with their partners;
• Why they don’t approach selling as an exit strategy;
• Guidance on navigating acquisitions, key questions to ask, and more!

Listen to our conversation with Melissa Rogne of Chapter Aesthetic Studio.

Learn more about AmSpa’s Medical Spa Boot Camps and reserve your seat in the final events of 2024!

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This week, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Courtney Walker, JD, co-founder and chief legal officer of Smiley Aesthetics in Nashville, Tennessee. They talk about her involvement in the AmSpa Tennessee State Chapter in this wide-ranging chat, which covers:

• Her motivation to join the Tennessee State Chapter;
• How Tennessee is ahead of the game in med spa regulations;
• The reason she went to law school and became an attorney;
• Being proactive about serving as a case study for state policy;
• Top 3 things she’s looking forward to in being a part of the state chapter;
• Her favorite skin care, aesthetic treatments, and more!

Note: Episode may include explicit language.

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This week, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Brad Crerar, PA-C, Co-founder and COO of CONTŌR Studio in New York. This lively chat covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Learning to run an efficient practice and starting CONTŌR;
• When and why he decided to become a member of AmSpa;
• What he's gained from AmSpa's Medical Spa Boot Camps and virtual education;
• The mission and vision of the practice;
• How they stand out in the Soho market;
• His favorite treatments and skin care routine;
• And much more!

There are two more opportunities for aesthetic business training in 2024, so reserve your spot at the AmSpa Medical Spa Boot Camps in Nashville or Orlando today! Learn more about the growing Society for Aesthetic PAs and its PA-specific resources by visiting americanmedspa.org/aestheticpas.

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This week, AmSpa Chief Strategy Officer, Cathy Christensen, sits down with Dr. James Smartt, Co-founder and CEO of Pictoria Systems, and Samantha Pino, APRN-FNP, Founder of Face by SP. They discuss how the platform enhances patient communication through standardized photography, including how Jackie™ addresses three critical moments within the aesthetic client experience. Their conversation includes:

• Dr. Smartt’s inspiration for developing a tool that enhances communication with patients;
• Building a unique approach to standardized photography that ensures consistent results;
• How it addresses common challenges with HIPAA-compliant patient communication;
• Timing meaningful photo capture to guide patients on their treatment journey;
• How comparison images help patients visualize their results over time;
• The ways Jackie™ can help prepare practitioners to excel;
• And more!

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