True to Form

Audrey Neff sits down with Dr. Leslie Apgar — national trainer & speaker, owner of PuraVida Med Spa and co-founder of Aviva Aesthetics — for a powerful conversation on the changing face of modern medicine and the evolving M&A landscape. Dr. Apgar shares her expertise on blending functional medicine seamlessly into aesthetics, along with the entrepreneurial lessons that have fueled her success along the way. Together, the pair dive into topics ranging from empowering med spa owners to step out of their comfort zones, breaking through industry misconceptions, and exploring the impact of consolidation and private equity in today’s current state. Packed with humor, passion, and candid insights, this episode offers listeners practical strategies and fresh perspectives on how to disrupt the status quo to build a thriving aesthetics practice.

Audrey Neff sits down with Alexis Bowhay, PA-C, to explore her unique transition from cardiology PA to a standout figure in aesthetic medicine. Together, they dive into the real-life challenges and triumphs of breaking into the aesthetics industry, including the importance of mentorship in what can often feel like a lonely path. Audrey and Alexis discuss why fostering community over competition is essential for the future of aesthetic medicine, and how authenticity — both online and offline — can build stronger connections with peers and patients alike. From managing complications and communicating risks transparently to balancing business and life while staying true to yourself, this conversation is packed with empowering insights for every injector. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned provider, this episode is a powerful reminder to own your journey, celebrate your wins, and find your people.

Host Audrey Neff sits down with Amanda Baldwin of Designs for Health—a recognized leader in the functional medicine and nutraceutical space. Together, they explore the powerful intersection of aesthetics and wellness, uncovering how practices can unlock new levels of treatment outcomes and business growth by integrating nutritional supplements. Audrey and Amanda dive into key strategies for 2025, including how to select professional-grade supplements, implement functional lab testing, and build comprehensive GLP-1 protocols that incorporate nutrition and gut health. They also share practical tips to enhance patient outcomes, drive retention, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. Whether you're new to nutraceuticals or looking to elevate your current offerings, this episode delivers actionable insights to help you thrive at the cutting edge of aesthetic medicine and wellness.

Join Audrey Neff as she welcomes back Olivia Salmen and Tracy Olson, to discuss the critical topic of training & career development in the medical aesthetics industry. Olivia Salmen, master injector and social media influencer, and Tracy Olson, owner of Youthtopia Med Spa and founder of the Aesthetic Injector Academy, share their insights on how to effectively transition into the aesthetics field and advance your craft. They highlight the importance of pre-training education, break down FDA-approved vs off-label applications, and the need for practitioners to be well-versed in not just anatomy and rheology, but also complication management. The three also touch on the role of social media, the significance of self-investment, and their shared excitement for the upcoming Aesthetic Extender Symposium to be held August 7-10th in Boca Raton, FL – and why every injector should put this must-attend event on their calendars in 2025.

Get ready for a raw and unfiltered conversation as Audrey Neff sits down with industry pioneer, Dr. Alexander Rivkin, to dissect the powerful influence of social media on consumer sentiment and perception. In a world flooded with emerging “beauty influencers” and misinformation, how can providers rise above the noise? Audrey and Dr. Rivkin tackle the challenges and opportunities presented by Instagram and TikTok, revealing strategies to not only combat false narratives but also leverage social platforms to educate patients and grow your business. Plus, Dr. Rivkin shares an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his own social media strategy—how he carves out time, capitalizes on trending content, and stays unapologetically true to himself.

Join Audrey Neff as she sits down with Katlin Cauffman, renowned aesthetic business consultant and founder of Diamond Accelerator, for a powerful conversation on boosting profitability and ensuring long-term success for medical spas in 2025. In this episode, they uncover the importance of tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), dealing with toxic employees/injectors, retaining top talent, and seamlessly integrating aesthetic and wellness services. Discover game-changing insights on maximizing profits through before-and-after photos, flexible financing options, and effective upselling and cross-selling techniques. Packed with actionable strategies, this episode is your ultimate guide to optimizing business operations, enhancing systems, and empowering your team to thrive.

Join Audrey Neff as she sits down with Kara McClanahan, CEO of Aesthetic Practice Partners, for a deep dive into the top industry trends and success strategies for 2025. Kara unveils the most common start-up pitfalls, the power of strategic business planning, and the keys to crafting a standout brand identity. This episode goes beyond the basics—exploring expert pricing and consultation techniques, the booming field of regenerative medicine, and innovative ways to maximize revenue per appointment. Plus, discover how culture and a strong unique selling proposition can set your aesthetic practice apart in today’s competitive market. Don’t miss this insightful and game-changing conversation with two industry experts.

Audrey Neff kicks off 2025 with Vanessa Bird, The Aesthetic Consultant®️, bringing a fresh perspective to the table. In this exciting episode, Vanessa shares her journey in medical aesthetics from an extensive background in sales to becoming one of the world’s leading consultants known for transforming practices through ethical sales strategies. She sheds light on some of the most common challenges practitioners face globally through her 15 years of experience working with clinics across the U.S., UK, Europe, Africa, Asia and The Middle East. The discussion revolves around expert insights for aesthetic providers in generating revenue, optimizing patient experiences, improving lead conversion, and successfully launching new treatments and devices. Tune in to hear insightful perspectives, real-world examples, and innovative strategies designed to boost your bottom line and set your practice up for success in 2025 & beyond.

Audrey Neff closes out Season 7 with Dr. Jennifer Levine, award-winning facial plastic surgeon who has been featured in Forbes, Elle, Vogue, WSJ, Bravo, Good Morning America, and many more popular media outlets. The pair dive head first into building a strong personal brand and the importance of finding your authentic voice on social media. Tune in to hear their expert pearls for leveraging Instagram as a powerful driver for your business – including how to perfect before & after photo posts, carving out the time to create content, building an education-first strategy, combating influencer misinformation, and the crucial importance of always staying “true to form."

Audrey Neff closes out Season 7 with Dr. Jennifer Levine, award-winning facial plastic surgeon who has been featured in Forbes, Elle, Vogue, WSJ, Bravo, Good Morning America, and many more popular media outlets. The pair dive head first into building a strong personal brand and the importance of finding your authentic voice on social media. Tune in to hear their expert pearls for leveraging Instagram as a powerful driver for your business – including how to perfect before & after photo posts, carving out the time to create content, building an education-first strategy, combating influencer misinformation, and the crucial importance of always staying “true to form."

Audrey Neff and Dr. Gretchen Frieling return for an enlightening part-two discussion on True to Form. The conversation picks up where the last episode left off, as Dr. Frieling unpacks her unconventional approach of training injectors, offering insights into her unique hiring practices that prioritize personality, ethical standards, and leadership opportunities beyond injecting. Tune in to also hear expert insights on scaling to multiple locations, practical strategies for improving patient experiences, consultation techniques, launching a private-label skincare line, and more, all while navigating the evolving landscape of medical aesthetics.

Audrey Neff speaks with Dr. Gretchen Frieling (“Dr. G”), an internationally recognized, Harvard-trained, triple board-certified Dermatopathologist, and the founder and owner of GFaceMD, a multimillion dollar medical aesthetic practice. Tune into this insightful conversation as Audrey and Dr. G discuss perseverance, the power of creative entrepreneurship, leveraging social media, fostering team empowerment, and the art of balancing personal ambition with professional growth.

(*Episode Sponsored By: Coverwell) Audrey Neff speaks with Coverwell CEO, Patrick Tighe, and CMO, Kandis Hughes, to discuss maintaining integrity and ensuring patient safety in the medical aesthetics industry. Throughout the episode, the three delve into the prevalence and nature of adverse events within the elective medical field, highlighting the often unforeseen complications and the gap in patient care that needs addressing. This candid discussion underscores the significance of setting patient expectations, informed consent, proper education, thorough screening processes, and the essential defensive measures practices should adopt—emphasizing the role of businesses like Coverwell in providing a safety net for both practitioners and patients.

Audrey Neff sits down with Olivia Salmen, advanced aesthetic nurse injector, international trainer, and “Best Injector of Nashville” by Nashville Scene. From excelling at the consultation, navigating patient objections, improving your before & after photo process, public speaking, and more, this episode unpacks it all when it comes to mastering the art of selling yourself…whether it's in the audience of patients or peers. With 135K followers on Instagram and 187K on TikTok, Olivia also breaks down her insights to social media success, including lessons learned along the way and expert tips for building your brand online. Having both broken into the medical aesthetics field at the ages of 22, Audrey and Olivia dive into their personal experiences over the last nine years around building credibility and trust as some of the industry’s younger speakers/trainers, plus share their advice to fellow ambitious aesthetic professionals. Don’t miss out on this insightful conversation, packed with practical advice, industry secrets, and forward-looking trends.

Audrey Neff welcomes back Dr. Sheila Barbarino for a dynamic part two episode to continue their riveting conversation around building an influential brand in aesthetic medicine, including their personal advice around being a forever student & always having a collaborative mindset. The pair also dive into their valuable insights into our rapidly evolving industry, from private equity roll-ups to trends and future predictions. As a renowned cosmetic surgeon with over 15K followers on Instagram, Dr. Barbarino also shares her unique strategy behind building a strong social media presence, giving listeners a peek into her humorous and authentic approach to content creation.

In this exclusive two-part episode, Audrey Neff hosts Dr. Sheila Barbarino, global speaker & world-renowned plastic surgeon, for an insightful episode detailing her impressive career in aesthetics and her biggest tips & challenges of managing and scaling a two-location practice. Key discussion topics include building a strong team culture, determining your unique approach to patient care, navigating industry changes, becoming a key opinion leader (KOL), and the unparalleled power of networking. Stay tuned for part two of this episode, where Dr. Sheila Barbarino and Audrey Neff continue their riveting conversation on the evolving landscape of the aesthetics industry, social media strategies, and more.

In this special release of True to Form, host Audrey Neff chats with industry veteran, Francis X. Acunzo, President of Princeton Medspa Partners and CEO of Acara Partners, who returns for his third appearance on the show. Known for his significant contributions to the medical aesthetics industry, Fran shares a profoundly personal story, detailing his recent health challenges, including a brain tumor surgery that led to temporary facial and vocal cord paralysis. Audrey and Fran reflect on their respective medical journeys, emphasizing the critical importance of being proactive, the power of positivity, and controlling mindset in overcoming life’s severe obstacles. Fran's narrative is not just one of resilience but also of forward momentum, as he also transitions into an exciting business update for the continued growth of Acara Partners and Princeton Medspa Partners, which just completed a successful funding round of $120 million aimed at their acquisition and expansion strategy. The episode is a testament to the blend of personal strength and professional prowess, making it a must-listen for anyone in the medical aesthetics field.

In this week’s episode, host Audrey Neff welcomes David Light, COO, and Autumn Piccolo, Co-Founder, of the American IV Association (AIVA) to discuss the current and future state of IV therapy in elective medicine. David and Autumn bring their wealth of experience in healthcare and business to the table, providing invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities that exist when adding IV therapy into an existing business model and/or starting and growing your own IV therapy practice. Tune in to hear the most common misconceptions about starting an IV therapy business, emphasizing the nationwide regulatory and compliance intricacies. David and Autumn highlight the pivotal role AIVA plays in creating one voice for the industry – offering crucial support and resources from business guidance, vendor selection, certification processes and more. The three also share their excitement about the upcoming VIBE Conference to be held in Boston, MA on September 8-9, which will provide cutting-edge clinical and business education for medical providers and practice owners in all stages of business in the rapidly growing world of IV therapy.

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of True to Form, host Audrey Neff returns to discuss the power of mindset during the storms of life, with the incredible Dr. Amanda Holden, CEO of 5-location medical spa, Holden Timeless Beauty, and founding member of Alpha Aesthetics Partners. This episode marks Audrey's first podcast back, after recovering from a hemorrhagic stroke, and she invites Dr. Holden, who also faced a serious health scare this past year, to share her journey and insights. Throughout the conversation, Audrey and Amanda explore how mindset and gratitude play crucial roles in overcoming adversity. Dr. Holden shares her experience dealing with a severe spinal issue and subsequent surgery, offering listeners invaluable lessons on maintaining a positive outlook and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who push you to dream bigger than you ever thought possible. The pair also delve into their shared experiences of how the unwavering support from the medical aesthetics community helped them get through the darkest of times and to always remember that "you are the dreamer of your dream."

In this week's episode, host Audrey Neff dives into the intricacies of building and executing a successful weight loss program with Kevin Grass, owner and president of N of 1 Wellness. As the medical weight loss topic continues to disrupt the industry, tune into this engaging conversation to gain key takeaways around... -Individualized programs: How to customize weight loss plans vs. just offering generic treatments -The role of GLP-1 medications: While helpful, these medications should be seen as tools within a more comprehensive weight loss strategy -The impact of technology: The implementation of systems like PatientNow Essentials can streamline the entire process of managing weight loss programs, tracking patient data, and measuring key metrics in a patient’s weight loss journey – leading to a more efficient, profitable practice -The longevity of weight management: The maintenance phase post weight loss and continuing healthy habits for life -Building a successful business: Trust your intuition, address market needs, and focus on building strong relationships with your clients