Practice Management Episodes

Every reminder, confirmation, and follow-up your front desk sends is a chance to build trust — or get unsubscribed. Most teams run the generic, canned versions baked into their EMR, the ones patients tune out. This is about the difference between automation that sounds like a robot and automation that sounds like you. Andrea talks with Becky Godsey, Chief Operating Officer at Denver Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics, who slowly rebuilt her practice’s automated messaging to feel personal, protect t...

To use AI in the practice in a way that actually helps your patients, you have to know where to start to prevent it from hurting the brand. Monique Ramsey defined her practice’s "cosmetic surgery bestie" voice, and built Avery—an AI coordinator that answers some common patient questions and books consultations at 2am while everyone's asleep. A year later: 67 hours of coordinator time saved, median response time down from 24 minutes to one, and two-thirds of leads captured after hours. Hear ex...

Most practices obsess over getting new patients in the door, but ignore what actually makes them profitable: getting them to come back over and over. Clark Cave from Model Rewards joins us to share why loyalty programs are much more than perks—they’re a competitive advantage and without a loyalty strategy, you’re leaving serious revenue on the table. From the psychology behind awarding points and the power of “switching costs,” hear the real reasons that retention drives growth. GUESTS Clark ...

Discounts feel like the fastest way to fill the schedule, but the cycle they create quietly destroys your reputation and hurts the business. Tackling one of the most controversial topics in aesthetics, Andrea and Alli argue against making deals to book patients — because the consequences attract the wrong clientele, degrade your value, and turn surgery into a negotiation rather than a life-changing experience. Find out how high-performing practices avoid discounts entirely, why confident prici...

Money doesn’t have to be the reason patients hesitate, but it often is. Jenna Hennig is back to share how payment planning helps patients move forward without feeling pressured or sold to. She explains how to introduce financing naturally, frame the...

If you were hired as a 1099 contractor but should be an employee, you might be at serious legal risk. What looks like a simple arrangement can quickly turn into a costly audit, penalties, and unexpected liability. Attorney Evan Sampson explains who really qualifies as an independent contractor and how misclassification can backfire for both owners and providers. GUEST Evan Sampson Counsel, Healthcare at Post & Schell Attorneys At Law Evan Sampson is Counsel in Post & Schell’s Health Care Prac...

Back for part 2 with special guest Ken Bosan, we flip our conversation to the “don’ts” to help you avoid making costly mistakes or offending patients. Some of the big no-no’s include letting generic AI copy speak for your brand, over-automating patient communication so it feels cold or robotic, and chasing shortcuts that ignore compliance, accuracy, or your own clinical judgment. GUESTS Ken Bosan Chief Strategy Officer at Studio III Marketing Ken Bosan is the Chief Strategy Officer at Studio ...

While AI shakes up the world, inside the practice we’re getting lofty sales pitches and feeling a mix of curiosity and anxiety over being left behind. With special guest Ken Bosan, who leads strategy for hundreds of aesthetic practices at Studio 3 Marketing, we bring you the practical ways we’re each using AI to streamline our everyday work. GUESTS Ken Bosan Chief Strategy Officer at Studio III Marketing Ken Bosan is the Chief Strategy Officer at Studio 3 Marketing, where he helps aesthetic p...

Getting great patient reviews isn’t luck—it’s strategy. Andrea and Eva talk about how to make asking for reviews feel natural, why timing matters, and what really motivates patients to share their stories. Eva shares proven tips from years in the industry, like having the doctor personally ask happy post-op patients and using simple tools—QR codes, texts, and follow-ups—to make it easy. They cover what not to do (no fake reviews or bribes!) and how to handle negative feedback with professionali...

You know that awkward moment in a consult when it’s time to talk money? If you find yourself dreading the “how are you going to pay?” moment, this one’s your playbook for turning it into a positive, confident part of every consult. PatientFi’s Blake Lucas sits down with Bridgette DeBrino, CEO of Belvara Collective, Sara Amann, patient care coordinator at Zelko Aesthetics, and Eva Sheie, founder of The Axis, for a real-world look at how to make payment conversations feel natural and actually bui...

In the aesthetics industry, vendor partnerships can amplify your growth—or quietly drain your time, budget, and brand. Andrea Watkins sits down with marketing strategist Eva Sheie, conversion expert Heather Hughes Hardy, and Asia Pacific Aesthetics’ surgical director Keri Choy to discuss what truly makes a partnership worth it. Keri shares how Dr. Shim Ching’s million-strong Instagram following attracts patients from around the world, and why genuine, human support from vendors matters more tha...

A leader’s mood sets the tone for the whole team, and if they’re having an off day, you’ll feel it. But always remember that it’s not about you. Andrea and Alli break down how to navigate those tricky moments with grace, positivity, and a little strategy. From adjusting your own tone and energy to keeping communication open, they share why emotional intelligence matters just as much as skill in an aesthetic practice. And when it comes to bringing up problems, never walk into a meeting with your...

Some patients are so loyal, they start to feel like friends. But loyalty can have a dark side when personal-professional boundary lines blur. Letting “frequent flyers” bend boundaries only creates chaos for the whole team. Great service doesn’t mean letting patients run the show—it means keeping standards high for everyone. Heather Hughes-Hardy breaks down how to reset expectations without losing a valuable relationship. GUEST Heather Hughes Hardy, RN Aesthetics Sales Specialist Heather’s pa...

You know those times when the phones get quiet and everyone starts to worry? This is the episode you’ll want your whole team to hear before that happens. PatientFi’s Blake Lucas sits down with Heather Hughes-Hardy (CORE IT Method), Eva Sheie (The Axis), and Stephanie Deswert (PCC at Berks Plastic Surgery) for a behind-the-scenes conversation on how top practices are staying profitable when patient flow slows. Heather reframes downtime as your biggest growth window, Stephanie shares how she kee...

You can usually tell within the first few minutes of a call when a patient might be a challenge. It’s not always attitude. Sometimes it’s nerves, expectations, or a few too many Google searches. Either way, how you handle those first moments can shape the entire relationship. Andrea and Alli are back to talk about what really happens when emotions run high behind the front desk. From the “I just want a breast aug” caller who actually needs a lift and augmentation, to the tense moment someone me...

In fast-paced aesthetic practices full of women, it’s normal for there to be some friction. But when team dynamics get tense, it’s up to leadership to set the tone. From coworkers with tough communication styles to those who seem to always make your job harder, one person can throw off the whole vibe. Creating a culture of appreciation and accountability is everything. When internal issues go unchecked—or worse, get whispered about in the break room—it chips away at trust and productivity. But...

Patient events are risky because if you fail, it’s an expensive, time-consuming, and overwhelming mistake. But what if events could be your most reliable growth engine? Aaron Toly reframes events from “cost centers” into high-ROI investments with strategies that get patients lined up around the block. From how to get funds from your reps to the secrets of keeping guests moving through the building—while spending—you’ll learn how to design events that scale and grow. If you want to host events...

Not having a clear financial policy is asking for trouble. To help protect your schedule and convert more patients, Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella share exactly what to include in your financial policy, where to introduce it, and how to talk about it in a way that builds trust, not conflict. Including an expiration date on quotes adds gentle urgency, encourages commitment, and protects you if your prices change down the road. And when it comes to cancellations, vague policies open the door f...

A practice manager writes in to ask Andrea and Alli for help with her front desk who is wonderful with patients but struggles to keep calls brief, resulting in lost opportunities in the form of missed calls and lowered productivity. Warmth is essential, but if calls run long, you risk missed opportunities and dropped balls elsewhere. Andrea and Alli talk about the fine balance between building rapport and staying efficient, especially at the front desk. Hear why training and self-awareness are...

In an aesthetic practice, handling front desk calls is an art. The connection you make in the first few seconds matters, and it starts with a warm, genuine greeting. It’s not just about being friendly; it’s about making the caller feel heard and cared for right away. And when it’s time to transfer that call to a patient coordinator, knowing how to hand off that prospective patient is a skill in itself. To help you build stronger patient relationships and instantly increase conversion rates, A...

The front desk does more than answer the phone. It's the first impression, the emotional thermostat of the clinic, and a powerful (and often overlooked) engine behind smooth, profitable operations. Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella get inside the mindset of this key role in an aesthetic practice and what it takes to be truly great in this role. Even if you’re not on the front line, you need to know how it fits and functions within a successful, high-performing team to better support the people...

Sara Camp is a nurse practitioner turned practice administrator, and the powerhouse behind Camp Plastic Surgery in Fort Worth. The Camps met each other while caring for the same patient during his general surgery residency. When Dr. Camp made the leap into private practice in 2016, Sara pivoted from her own successful career to immerse herself in aesthetics, and wrote an 80-page business plan to launch their practice. Now, with a team of 20 and a thriving practice, Sara shares crucial advice f...

For Jenny Burnley Seestadt and Kacie Killough, the mission isn’t to sell – it’s to build lasting relationships and guide patients through aging with trust and expertise as a team. From the journey that started over a decade ago in an actual closet and continues today, this laser specialist and aesthetic injector at Restora Austin Plastic Surgery Centre share their hardest lessons and most valuable tips for happiness at work. This episode was recorded live at The Aesthetic MEET in Austin, Texas...

We’re back with part two of our deep dive into conversion. Did you miss Part 1? Go back one episode and start there! Not just one but TWO conversion-obsessed data junkies share their best lead-generating and consultation-closing tactics, including the easy campaign that generated over 400 leads and 35 consultation requests with a single email. In this deep-dive episode packed with actionable tactics, Andrea Watkins and Eva Sheie uncomplicate what conversion really is and what a “good” conversi...