Blake Lucas

Criticism can sting, but it doesn’t have to shake your confidence. Heather Hughes-Hardy opens up about her early struggles with taking feedback personally and how one mentor’s tough-love advice completely shifted her mindset. Her go-to? Radical...

Handling upset, aggressive, or emotional patients is an art form. When a patient gets heated—even after you’ve done everything right, what should you do? Jenna shares how she stays calm and reminds patients you’re on the same...

Disappointment happens, but it doesn’t have to derail the relationship. Seasoned injector Jenna Hennig shares how she learned to stop taking patient feedback personally and start turning tough moments into deeper trust. From under-promising and...

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 co...

Talking about money in a consult can make even the most confident coordinator hesitate. But what if that moment didn’t have to feel awkward at all? At La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, one small change in language—using the “...

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. Gr...

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 Me...

Every day, Jenna Hennig is asked about her age. She used to get nervous when patients questioned her age or experience. Over time, she’s learned how to respond with confidence and ease by reframing the conversation around exp...

When you reach the end of a consultation and someone declines your pitch because of the price, it’s almost never about the price. Understanding emotional drivers is key to closing the sale, and it’s your job to handle objecti...

Some patients have one or two questions. Others have a hundred… Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig help us understand why someone might be a “100-question patient” and navigate these challenging consultations with grace. ...

Patients don’t always say what they’re feeling, but their body language gives it away. Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig break down how to spot the silent signals of hesitation, confusion, or discomfort, like fidgeting, shifting eyes, or sudden...

Most of us were never taught how financing actually works. We nod along when APR or compound interest comes up, hoping no one asks follow-up questions. Blake answers all the “dumb” questions we’re secretly asking, from how tr...

If your job is draining the life out of you, but you keep telling yourself to just “push through,” Kelcy Heringer was there too. Five years went by before she realized she was stuck in a cycle of burnout, self-doubt, and car...

Angry patients aren’t just upset for no reason. They’re feeling unheard, disrespected, or scared, and how you respond in those first few moments can make or break the relationship. Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig share ...

Think being nice and avoiding conflict makes you a better leader? Think again. Kelcy Heringer played nice until she saw that real respect comes from honesty, not people-pleasing. Now she’s all about leveling the playing field and speaking up even...

Active listening is more than nodding along. It’s about tuning into the words, tone, and emotions behind what patients are saying (and not saying). When you pick up on those cues and mirror their language, trust starts to for...

Going above and beyond at work but still not moving up? The unpleasant truth is that hard work alone won’t get you promoted these days. You have to own your career growth. No one else will do it for you. What actually moves t...

As the Senior Director of Customer Experience at PatientFi, Blake Lucas thrives on solving problems, calming chaos, and turning challenges into wins. Leading the team that supports practices and their patients, Blake’s caree...

High performers, especially women, can find themselves overworked and underpaid when they’ve built a reputation as a “doer.” Doing too much can keep you from being promoted, and the key is to shift into thinking and acting li...

Andrea Watkins loves fast-tracking practices to success — teaching what works, sharing the best tools, and helping people thrive in their roles. Hear how she made the leap from leading a successful plastic surgery practice to...

Kelcy Heringer asks us to change the way we think about giving direct feedback, especially to those “above” you and even the boss. Sure, that sounds really scary. But you’ll find out why you shouldn’t be afraid of it and how ...

… And other lessons learned growing from a tiny 700 sq. ft. Pepto-Bismol-pink office with three employees to three locations and a team of 90 (with 60 hired in just 14 months!) This week we flip the script as Andrea Watkins s...

Talking about money is awkward, right? It’s taboo, it’s uncomfortable, and everyone has unspoken baggage around it. But success in aesthetics requires confidently discussing costs with patients, and being great at it helps yo...