For The Record

This week we welcome a new(er) face to the Aesthetic Industry but certainly not to the business brokerage landscape. Fernando Gonzalez spent nearly the last 20 years in high-end real-estate brokerage bringing buyers and sellers together on high-density luxury developments. He’s always approached the role of a broker as more of a trusted guide or partner, helping clients to achieve financial, emotional, and transactional success with each encounter.

He's built a successful brokerage firm, The Gonzalez Group, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he's still involved. But, with a veteran team who actively manages those residential and commercial relationship, Fernando is now shifting his focus to Aesthetics! He’s a big relationship guy, it’s evident from the moment the episode starts. Make no mistake, he’s still absolutely focused on helping sellers maximize the value of their Practices, but the way he gets to that end goal is anything but transactional.  To listen to Fernando describe his methodology is equal parts art and science.

He started ORO Medaesthetic Brokerage to fill a gap in the industry- one where brokers operate alongside their clients, fighting for high multipliers and big payouts, but never forgetting the human element of the process. He’s very focused on forging relationships that allow him to be the best representative of the owner’s vision, their operating reality, staff involvement and overall business desires. When he’s able to act as that trusted partner, the artistry of brokerage comes into focus. And it’s not only for the seller, but he’s also playing matchmaker between two parties, so he’s equally as focused on understanding the buyer, their investment thesis, long-term goals and the overall portfolio of practices in the mix, not just the offer. Finding the perfect match is the truly the artistic side of the broker's role.

In this episode, we talk about the ORO methodology and what a Practice owner can expect in a typical transaction. The process is equal parts art & science from making the right match to putting pen to paper and getting to the right number. But throughout it all, it’s very apparent that Fernando and the ORO Team spend as much time cultivating and focusing on the human element of the sale- the Practice owner’s desires, the desires of the staff and what happens to them in the transition, helping to manage the change as it comes, and never forgetting that the M&A process is not just the numbers. Behind it is a small business owner who’s embarking on a new, potentially scary and stressful process that involves handing over their life’s work. They’ve entrusted the care of their Practice to ORO, and Fernando's track record proves he's up for the challenge!

As ORO enters the Aesthetic space, there’s no doubt Fernando’s relationship-based approach will permeate every part of the “deal.” That's a big win for Practice owners who have been reluctant to take those next steps. Fernando’s passion for this industry and the opportunity to show a different side of the PE coin. One thing is certainly clear, he’s just getting started!

To learn more about ORO Medaesthetic Brokerage, visit their website at www.OROMB.comand follow Fernando and team on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/oromedaesthetic/

This may be our most fascinating podcast ever! We are joined by the Co-Founder of Rion, Inc., researcher and pioneer of regenerative medicine, and Cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, Atta Behfar, MD, PhD. We're also joined by Saranya Wyles, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Program Director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine Education at Mayo Clinic and the Principle Investigator for Rion Aesthetic's flagship product, (plated)™. 

Dr. Behfar spent several years in the initial stages of research getting a deep understanding of what influences cells to participate in wound healing. His research led him to find the major gap- communication-  which is where exosomes come into play. They are the mechanism by which cells communicate with one another and make things happen in the body. Next, it was about finding the best communicators which led him and his research team to identify a particular group of platelet-derived exosomes that were specifically communicating about regeneration and repair.  This was a true needle in a haystack endeavor, and thankfully it’s paid off-  it’s propelled regenerative medicine in aesthetics to a whole new level. 

Several years later, his findings turned into Rion, Inc as he continued on with research focused on organ regeneration (eventually the heart), and as a byproduct, he found an invaluable application within aesthetics. Looking into the future, he discusses what is possible with injectable exosomes to supercharge what filler, toxin and biostimulators can do in the tissue.  We won’t need to just fill or relax wrinkles, but there is the potential to repair the tissue enough that it’s no longer a concern.

If Dr. Behfar is where it started, Dr. Wyles is how it’s going. Not only is she an expert in regenerative medicine, but she’s also a practicing Dermatologist. She is using exosome technology in her practice daily, and to hear her discuss the effectiveness and results she sees with (plated)™ is remarkable. She is using it as a primer for her patients before procedures, as their primary skincare product, and for post-procedure healing. While this is not a sponsored Rion Aesthetic's podcast, the results she's seeing clinically, not just in the lab, are cause for major kudos to the Rion Aesthetics research team!

She’s working on next steps toward future research involving hair growth, injectable exosomes and atopic dermatitis among other potential uses- all pending the FDA of course. She truly is the perfect intersection of where the research lab meets the treatment chair. 

We are definitely at the tip of the spear in regenerative medicine with this episode. It’s rare to sit down with two of the best and brightest minds on the research front and get a solid breakdown of the science and the clinical application of something as novel as platelet-derived exosomes. In addition, Dr Wyles provides a checklist of sorts for you to consider before bringing exosomes into your practice. It’s important to check things like donor quality, batch consistency, batch effectiveness, platelet or stem-cell derived, and to ask for the clinical research that is backing the product. We know Rion Aesthetics has no shortage of research available, and from the sound of what’s next, they are only getting started!

This week we’re diving headfirst into all things digital marketing for E63: Black Belt Digital & Beyond with Rick O’Neill, FRSA. Rick has spent 22 years focused on digital marketing, the last 11 of which he’s been at the helm of award-winning, UK-based agency, LTF Digital exclusively serving the Aesthetic industry.  Rick and his team are entrusted to lead the marketing efforts not only for the big brands that serve the Aesthetic Industry, like Merz, Allergan, AlumierMD, Crown Aesthetics, Lumenis, and Alma (just to name a few), but, they also intensely focus on marketing for practices. That’s a unique combination not found in many agencies- they understand the hyper-competitive aesthetic market from all sides, and they are able to maximize results across various budgets and differing needs.

Rick’s list of international speaking engagements is quite long, his client list is longer. He’s of the mindset that there’s no benefit in keeping his expertise close to the vest. As an entrepreneur, just because you can doesn’t mean you should, so one of his tenants is to ensure as an entrepreneur you understand what you should be looking for in an agency, how to measure impact and results, and how things SHOULD be done so that when you delegate those tasks to someone else, you can hold them accountable and keep tabs on their success.

But with a black belt in taekwondo, it was inevitable that he would apply some of the key tenants and discipline of martial arts to how he approaches digital marketing.  In his new book, Black Belt Digital, he draws many similarities between the two disciplines. In marketing and martial arts, you must have a focused plan, consistently show up, be flexible and adaptable in your approach, and be efficient with your energy and your time. At the end of the day, it’s a competition, whether on the mat or in the market, so tapping into that competitive spirit certainly doesn’t hurt! He just released Black Belt Digital, and in only a few short days, it’s shot to the #1 spot in The Medical & Healthcare Practitioners, Beauty Therapy and E-Business categories. This culmination of his 2 decades in marketing is a 60,000-word, 20-chapter field guide to all aspects of growing a digital presence with practical advice and insights into where to focus your time and attention.

 Some of our favorites of Rick’s digital building blocks include:

·     Mastering local Google SEO

·     Leveraging automations and a solid CRM

·     Using data and analytics to drive decisions

·     Diversifying your marketing strategy: a content, education, influencer, video & email marketing mix

·     And, knowing exactly who you are so you can stay laser focused on your target audience and craft your online presence accordingly

Rick is coming to Aesthetic Next 5.0 this year in Dallas, TX for his first US-based workshop! He’ll be bringing his Digital Dojo stateside to share his knowledge and provide tested strategies that are actionable and achievable. He’s also speaking in the Business Track, so make sure if you are attending, and if you have any part of marketing your brand or your practice, that you DO NOT MISS this workshop! Find more information regarding Ricks’ workshop at Aesthetic Next by visiting www.AestheticNext.com/workshops

As a For the Record listener, Rick is offering several FREE tools to take an objective assessment of where your practice is right now so you can start to map out what’s next. Click HERE to access your:

·     Free Guide on Google Optimization

·     Free Guide on Website Enhancement

·     Free Online Scorecard to assess your MedSpa's Digital Health

Here are some helpful links to learn more about Rick, his book and his agency:

Checkout Rick’s new book on Amazon and visit www.BlackBeltDigital.com for more information.

Find out more about Rick at https://www.rickoneill.co.uk

Find out more about LTF Digital at https://ltf.digital/

Episode 62 is right on time to prepare for and #TakeFive at Aesthetic Next 5.0 coming up in only a few short weeks in Dallas, TX on September 7th-10th. In this episode, the AN Conference Director & FTR Host, Tiphany Hall, PhD, sits down with the Director of Vendor Relations, Vivienne Echendu, and Business Development Manager, Marcus Curtis. Together, Vivienne and Marcus are responsible for the entire vendor aspect of the conference- that means they manage the Exhibit Hall, ensure sponsors for evening events, curate the vendor Think Tanks and Learning Labs, secure sponsorships for key experiences and activations to enrich the attendee experience and more.

Vivienne joined the organization during the 2nd year of Aesthetic Next- AN Virtual- and after surviving that shutdown road bump, she's been on the move creating a destination for sponsors and exhibitors at AN. Now in year 5, Marcus has joined forces to help as our attendee count grows and so does the expectation of our meeting!

Be sure to cast your vote for our 2023 NEXTIES winners by voting at www.AestheticNext.com/Nexties

Checkout our robust lineup of Workshops, Masterclasses and Bootcamps at www.AestheticNext.com/Workshops

We're kicking things off with a little SPARKLE! Join our first guest of the season, Dani Sher, PA-C, Founder & Owner of Sparkle Aesthetics for an in depth look at ultrasound practicality, entrepreneurship & attracting the right patients to your Practice!

In the season opener, From Stand-Up to Standout, Dani takes us on a journey from early days in stand-up comedy to eventually finding her way back to medicine in the ER, to Aesthetics and now as one of the key leaders of the ultrasound movement. She's been an integral part of ultrasound education across the US training providers in her office in Chicago and at conferences around the country.

Her secret to success is her ability to make ultrasound approachable and understandable at all levels. From her Top Gun and Black Fish metaphors to using chicken breasts for target practice, attendees walk away with the power to begin using ultrasound in their day-to-day procedures.

She trademarked her approach, Safe Mapping ™ which cuts through the noise and complexities of full face vascular mapping to present what's important for an injector - the areas of the face where they are actually injecting!

Beyond her expert ultrasound skills, Dani is also a entrepreneur who took her practice from the occasional Botox party to a dedicated storefront in Chicago. In the midst of an expansion to accommodate her growing training programs, she's also busy hiring, onboarding, marketing, seeing her own patients and overseeing the operations at Sparkle Aesthetics. And, she's fitting it all in somehow while also being a wife and a mom.

Perhaps a creative outlet or a source of stress relief (either way we are here for it!) her comedy chops are one of the things she's well known for in the industry. Her parody videos of the Aesthetic underbelly bring a reality punch seasoned with well-timed humor. They say all the things we can't and remind us that at the end of the day, the pop culture obsession with influencers and social media fame aren't what makes a great injector!

We also explore her one-of-a-kind and always recognizable branding. Sparkle's identity is a throwback to the nostalgia of her childhood, shows like Be Witched and The Jetsons. It permeates everything she does and is a perfect example of bringing a concept to life. It also attracts her tribe- between her comedy chops, the office branding and DNA, and her larger than life persona, patients who end up at Sparkle are drawn there by design.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Creating a brand that attracts the right Patients for your Practice.
• The challenges and rewards of building your own business.
• Her own learning journey with ultrasound & how it's impacted the way she teaches and trains.
• The reason she created Safe Mapping™& how it can work in your practice.
• Her upcoming trainings, specifically Aesthetic Next!

We're thrilled to have spent this time with Dani learning the ins and outs of what makes a standout educator, injector and business owner tick! Episode #61 is a great way to add a little sparkle to your day!

Want more of Dani in your life? We've got two upcoming workshops at Aesthetic Next that you just can't miss! Learn more at www.AestheticNext.com/Workshops

Preshow Education- Wednesday, Sept. 6th

Facial Ultrasound Immersion with Dr. Stella Desyatnikova

Workshop: Saturday, Sept. 9th

Introduction to Ultrasound & Practice Uses

Dani also trains at Sparkle Aesthetics on a regular basis. Find out more about her courses here: https://www.sparkleaesthetics.com/training-for-providers

Find Dani on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dani_sparkle_pa/

Learn more about Sparkle Aesthetics: https://www.sparkleaesthetics.com/

Are you ready to be truly "competition-less" and build a sustainable brand that leads to increased revenue, less burnout, and carving out your niche in the Aesthetic Industry? If this answer is YES, this episode is going to give you the keys to unlocking the secrets of scale! It's the first step in a 4-part series focused on bringing the value of the Proprietary Aesthetic Method to your practice!

We've teamed up with KLC Consulting Founder & CEO, Kaeli Lindholm, to deliver her proven methodology and winning formula to you starting with this podcast! From here, Kaeli will guide you on your journey to create your brand identity and lay the foundational structure to propel long-term growth. There will be 3 stops along the way: Positioning Your Business in "The Gap", Developing Your Proprietary Method, and Incorporating PAM in Your Day-to-Day Operations. In addition to the guided series, you have access to a resource guide that lays it all out for you and provides a blueprint for getting the most out of your PAM. Kaeli's worked with hundreds of business owners just like you, and her clients have proven this resource guide is truly a multi-million dollar business asset!

In this episode, we talk about the current climate in the industry- competition is fierce, the influx of patients is turbocharged, and injectors and business owners are desperately needing to add headcount or add locations to manage it all. But, it's not easy to do when you haven't formulated your brand identity, you can't market proprietary treatment methods or onboard new staff to deliver them, your processes and operational flow isn't set up to work across multiple people or locations, and training patients to be okay with seeing someone other than you is a Herculean task! Time is a finite resource, and in addition to the potential to add millions in incremental revenue, spending time creating your PAM can give you time back to live that life you are working so hard to create. It's a small investment of time and money that can have a major impact for years to come.

With this collaboration, we've been given the go-ahead to launch this course for only $297. It may truly be one of the best investments you ever make. As you wrap up your PAM process, Kaeli offers the next level of growth with Confidence to Scale which is a 6 week business certification program that takes the work you've done with PAM and helps to transform your entire practice.

If you haven't met Kaeli, you are in for a treat! Widely recognized as a brand revisionist, Kaeli believes achieving ‘category of one’ success requires taking a differentiated approach. Her coaching and academy programs bring unique perspectives that challenge the very construct of business success. Paired with significant revenue growth, clients describe the benefit of working with Kaeli as “game-changing”, “both guide and exceptional partner”, and “provides value well beyond monetary measurement!” When you partner with Kaeli you will make an empowered transformation in your business and life. She was named a Top 10 Most Inspiring Women to Watch in 2023 by Forbes Magazine, and she's climbed the Fortune 500 ladder, built a 7-figure medspa, and helped hundreds more find true success.

To learn more about this program, visit Learn.AestheticNextProductions.com.

To learn more about Kaeli, visit KLC Consulting at www.KLCConsultants.com

To follow Kaeli on Instagram, visit https://www.instagram.com/kaeli.lindholm/

To listen to Fierce Factor Podcast hosted by Kaeli, visit https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fierce-factor-with-kaeli-lindholm/id1508553517

We end Season 3 talking about hustle, passion, courage, and leadership with industry icon, IG influencer, and successful entrepreneur, Shelby Miller, DNP, FNP-C. In The Leadership Manifesto, the RUMA Aesthetics & RUMA Academy Founder, CEO & Medical Director gives us an intimate look at everything from the childhood experiences that shaped her and the lessons she’s learned in business and in life as her career has taken off in a meteoric fashion since opening her own practice in 2018. If you have even one conversation with Shelby, it’s immediately apparent that she has a passion for learning, for growing others, and for providing the best care possible for her Patients. That passion is equally matched by her work ethic- she’s not shy about doing the hard things. Whether it’s long hours, doing her own construction, putting in the time to learn and work on herself, or balancing multiple business and a family, she somehow makes it all look effortless. Despite how it may appear on the Gram, she’s quick to tell you, it’s not without its challenges and sacrifices!

Episode 58 is here, and it’s packed full of the information you need to build your digital presence and fully book your schedule.

This week we are combining the power of skincare & injectables to bring you the Best of BOTH Worlds with SkinRX founder and award-winning Aesthetician, Roxanne "Roxy" Drese, LE. 

Roxy has been involved in entrepreneurship in some form her whole life. Her mother owned a spa, and she swore she'd never do it, but life had other plans. From her own skin struggles, she developed a passion for skincare, and her fate as an Aesthetician was sealed! She opened SkinRX in Southlake, TX, an affluent suburb of Dallas in 2015 with the singular focus on services she could provide an Aesthetician. For 3 years, she referred out business to local injectors after carefully matching the Patient to the Provider. Over time, it became complex to figure out schedules of treatments, who to go to for what, and of course the financial missed opportunity, so after careful research and planning, she turned SkinRX into a full clinical medspa. 

Now, she has multiple Aestheticians and Injectors on staff, and her dream of holistically treating the Patient for all their aesthetic concerns has come to fruition. As she's grown SkinRX from one location to two, she's not afraid to admit she's made a few mistakes along the way. But one thing she has firmly planted in her clinics? Culture. Roxy is a firm believer in TEAM. Her staff meets often so they can stay aligned to the same mission, vision and values and so that operationally they are on the same page. Part of that culture is adhering to the brand. She spent the time to develop brand guidelines and a framework for how SkinRX should look and feel to every Patient. 

When it comes to hiring, she's all about making sure she has a really good sense of the person before bringing them into the fold. That may mean calling other spa owners who have worked with someone or doing multiple interviews to get a good sense of their character. Employees go through a 1-2 month onboarding process, then they work within their teams to make sure their skillsets are up to par with the SkinRX standards. During COVID, Roxy launched an eCommerce store to keep things afloat during the shutdown. Now, she's focusing on continuing to grow that aspect of her business while also focusing on the steady growth of SkinRX. 

What's fueling that growth? Her biggest driver is referrals! And the SkinRX membership programs brings clients back 12x a year for their services! More frequent visits mean more opportunities to provide services for her staff! And those service are carefully curated to feel like packages and programs, not one off services. She's careful to jump into new things until there's a solid plan in place and the early adopters have worked out the kinks. Roxy is a powerhouse in her own right. She was named Dermascope's National Favorite Licensed Esthetician in 2021, and she won 1st Place in The Skin Games, Age Management Category in 2018. She's also spoken at Aesthetic Next, Live Love Spa, and she actively mentors other Aestheticians. She's also the mom of two teenage daughters, and she let us know when she gets one out of the house, she'll think about opening that third location! Ha! 

Find out more about Roxy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinrxbyroxy/ 

Find out more about SkinRX on the web: https://www.dfwskinrx.com/ 

Find out more about SkinRX on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinrxsouthlake/