This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, sits down with Chris Suchánek, founder and CSO of Firm Media and creator of Ailm Atelier, a new online platform showcasing aesthetic doctors and their stories. They talk about Chris’s journey from the music business to specialty medical marketing, and how authenticity, storytelling, and innovation are reshaping how med spas and aesthetic practices connect with patients.

—

Music by Ghost Score

In this greatest hits episode, we revisit an empowering keynote recorded live at AmSpa’s inaugural Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference (WALC) in 2023. Listen in as Carrie Strom, senior vice president of AbbVie and president of Global Allergan Aesthetics, chats with Sara Blakely, founder and executive chairwoman of SPANX. Following a brief introduction from Strom and AmSpa founder Alex R. Thiersch, JD, this keynote conversation explores the founding of a household name, along with leadership insight on confidence, failure, purpose, mindset, and much more!

This year, AmSpa's WALC is honored to present keynote speaker Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics. Join us October 3, 2025, for “Becoming Unstoppable,” an inspiring keynote where Jamie shares her inspiring journey from rejection and self-doubt to resilience and success.

---

Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex Thiersch, JD, speaks with Lisa Lickstein, MSW, MBA, co-owner and COO of Lickstein Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa. She previews her upcoming talk at the 2025 Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference and shares how the concept of “unreasonable hospitality,” inspired by Will Guidara’s renowned book, has reshaped her approach to leadership, team development and the patient experience. This conversation includes:

Join Lisa at https://experiencewalc.com/, for her session: “Achieving Competitive Advantage and Increased Profitability Through Unreasonable Hospitality.” 

--

Music by Ghost Score

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).

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:

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:

---

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:

---

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:

--

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:

---

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