True to Form

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

Host Audrey Neff brings on Kim Pezzetti, VP of Practice Development & Strategy, for Cartessa Aesthetics to break down all things related to branding and finding your competitive edge in medical aesthetics. The pair's discussion delves into common branding mistakes and challenges, along with practical approaches for determining your niche and harnessing grassroots marketing efforts within your local community. Kim also provides actionable takeaways around staff training, credentialing, social media, and the utmost importance of knowing your big ‘WHY.’

In this week's episode, host Audrey Neff speaks with Dr. Mark (Swers) Swierczewski, a dentist by trade and owner of Luminescence Medical Esthetics. Dr. Swers shares his journey from dentistry to the aesthetics world and discusses his practice’s unique approach to developing lifetime experiences, building strong retail skincare revenue streams, navigating difficult patient conversations, managing expectations, increasing ROI with energy-based devices, and so much more.

In this engaging episode, host Audrey Neff welcomes back Maegen Kennedy PA-C for a part two discussion. Maegen, owner of Windermere Medical Spa & Laser Institute, shares her insights on scaling her business from one to three locations by the end of summer 2024, as well as tips for choosing the right location & real estate. Other key discussion topics include: -Diving into her unique training and hiring protocol for new injectors -Why open communication and setting realistic goals are essential for patient satisfaction and managing expectations -Tips and tricks for having a bulletproof before & after photo process in your practice -The art of saying "no" to patients and how to master the conversation -The importance of having a confident, yet calm presence in the treatment room with patients -Her expert advice around cannula vs. needle, using ultrasound, and so much more..

Audrey Neff sits down with Maegen Kennedy, PA-C, owner of Windermere Medical Spa & Laser Institute, as well as one of AmSpa's Top 30 Most Distinguished Women of Medical Aesthetics, to kick off part one of this special two-part series. The pair unpack Maegen's inspiring journey in aesthetics and dive into an extensive list of critical topics, pertinent to all med spa owners, including: - Successes & failures of her membership program, which is now bringing in $150k MRR - Her unique approach to the consultation & how to avoid de-valuing yourself - Creating elegant, sophisticated experiences for patients - How to raise prices while still growing your client base - Introducing new technology and devices into your practice - Building a loyal team that is aligned on the same vision - And so much more...