By Alex R. Thiersch, JD, CEO of the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa)

Starting Friday, July 26, AmSpa will host its first Medical Spa Boot Camp of 2024 at the Omni Houston Hotel Galleria, and we’re extremely excited for the opportunity to once again help medical aesthetics professionals develop their practices and maximize their profits. There are more than 11,000 medical spas in the U.S., and that number is growing every day. Standing out from the crowd is more difficult than ever before, but medical spa owners and operators who attend AmSpa’s Medical Spa Boot Camps will get a leg up on the competition. There’s still time to register for the event—just sign up here. Here’s a quick overview of the program:

Friday, July 26

The Boot Camp kicks off with a welcome reception, sponsored by Allergan Aesthetics.

6 – 7:30 p.m.: Friday Night Kickoff Reception—Meet other medical aesthetic professionals from across the country to build your community. This event features a full open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres.

Saturday, July 27

The Boot Camp begins at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast. My opening keynote follows at 8:30 a.m. From there, we will move into the main program:

• 9 – 10 a.m.: The Plan, presented by Bryan Durocher (Durocher Enterprises)—What are the most effective ways to develop a business plan for your medical spa? Medical spa consultant Bryan Durocher discusses the ins and outs of the planning process and helps determine how long it realistically takes to open a practice.
• 10 – 10:45 a.m.: The Financials, presented by Judy Kozlicki (Skytale Group)—Do you know your medical spa’s strengths and weaknesses? This presentation will discuss how to maximize, predict and follow up on financial metrics to reach your medical spa’s financial goals.
• 1:15 – 3:15 p.m.: The Law, presented by Sam Pondrom, JD, (ByrdAdatto) and Alex R. Thiersch, JD (AmSpa)—In this presentation, Sam Pondrom, JD, and Alex R. Thiersch, JD, will discuss the long-standing and emerging legal issues that every medical spa owner needs to know about. As you can imagine, there is a lot to cover here, since new concerns seem to be arising daily.
• 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.: The Marketing Plan and Social Media, presented by Ryan McElwain (DoctorLogic)—Learn the right marketing techniques for your medical spa, along with budgeting frameworks and a social media strategy that aligns with your goals and manpower.
• 4:30 – 5:15 p.m.: Consultations That Convert, presented by Terri Ross (Terri Ross Consulting)—As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Learn how to put your best foot forward with effective patient consultations—and how to turn them into consistent business.

Saturday continues its programming with drinks and appetizers from 5 – 6:30 p.m. Following drinks is the Boot Camp and AIA reception and Dr. Surek book signing opportunity from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., allowing Boot Camp attendees to meet other medical aesthetic professionals who are attending the Academy for Injection Anatomy Advanced Cadaver Course. Saturday concludes with an educational keynote and session from 7:30 – 9 p.m., sponsored by Galderma.

Sunday, July 28

The Boot Camp begins at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast.

• 8:30 – 9 a.m.: How Emotional Intelligence Will Make or Break Your Business, presented by Cathy Christensen (AmSpa)
• 9 – 9:30 a.m.: KPIs: How Knowing Them Will Maximize Your Revenue, presented by Judy Kozlicki (Skytale Group)—Judy Kozlicki from Skytale Group will teach you about the top 12 most important service categories and common mistakes to avoid. This session will help you determine how to increase your hourly value and learn to measure your KPIs to increase overall profitability.
• 9:30 – 10:15 a.m.: The Team, presented by Bryan Durocher (Durocher Enterprises)—A medical spa is only as good as its personnel, so it’s important to make sure you hire a staff that can do everything you want it to—and more. In this session, you’ll learn about recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who can make your medical spa dreams come true.
• 10:45 – 11:30 a.m.: Choosing the Right Treatments for Your Medical Aesthetics Practice, presented by Taylor Siemens, NP-C (Vitalyc Medspa)—Siemens will teach you how to weigh and assess the right treatments for your practice to offer, from injectables to lasers to ancillary treatments, like hair restoration and sexual wellness offerings.
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Medical Spa Success Panel, Moderated by Cathy Christensen (AmSpa); Panelists: Ernai Hernandez, MD (Mederna Aesthetic Medicine); Kelli Nwuli, MSN, APRN, FNP-C (The Skin Clinic); Lauren Olson, PA-C (Radiance Medical Aesthetics & Wellness); Simone Steele, PA-C (Queen Aesthetics)— Medical spa leaders will discuss their paths to growth and success in this dynamic industry.

Meet Our Houston Medical Spa Boot Camp Faculty

Cathy Christensen, AmSpa

Cathy Christensen is the President and chief operating officer of the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa), and has been with the company since its infancy, joining as director of operations in 2013. Prior to this, she worked in the publishing industry, where she began as an editorial assistant and transitioned into her second career in operations of AmSpa after climbing the ladder to become the editor-in-chief of Skin Inc. magazine and the conference director of the Face & Body events. Christensen has contributed to AmSpa’s significant growth since 2013, and oversees team members who specialize in marketing, membership, sales, events, legal and content. She prides herself in her ability to embrace challenges and persevere, and even have a little fun while doing it.

Bryan Durocher, Durocher Enterprises

Bryan Durocher is the author of Wake Up… Live the Life You Love… in Beauty, and is the founder of Essentials Spa Consulting and Durocher Enterprises. Durocher was named one of the “Top 20 People to Know in the Beauty Industry” by Global Cosmetic Industry magazine, and provides coaching, consulting, global industry trends and marketing solutions for medical spa, spa and industry professionals internationally. Durocher Enterprises has been published in many articles and has provided business education internationally at a variety of national and international industry events.

Judy Kozlicki, Skytale Group

As head of medical aesthetics and plastic surgery for Skytale Group, Judy Kozlicki’s extensive experience gives her a deep understanding of the aesthetic space. She gets to know each client’s practice individually, identifies the opportunities for growth, adapts best practices, and works alongside owners to bring their vision to fruition. A trailblazer in the business of aesthetics, Kozlicki has held executive-level positions in solo practices, small group practices and large-scale national medical spa operations for more than 16 years. Throughout her career, she has been keenly focused on building quality teams, improving financial visibility and accuracy, making operational process improvements and coaching teams.

Ryan McElwain, DoctorLogic

Ryan McElwain is a digital marketing veteran with more than 10 years of experience. While he launched his career with a focus in automotive, he has since made a name for himself helping health care providers and medical spa owners across the U.S. grow their businesses through online tactics. While always emphasizing the importance of SEO and PPC, he now runs a multi-disciplinary team of search and social experts at DoctorLogic.

Sam Pondrom, JD, ByrdAdatto

After graduating from Oklahoma State University, an intrinsic sense of curiosity and a keen eye for details led Sam Pondrom, JD, to work as an accountant for two Engineering News-Record top 40 construction firms. It was there where he honed his ability to analyze complex problems and craft clear, concise answers. Utilizing these skills, Pondrom works in partnership with clients addressing their complex business and health care regulatory issues in the most simple, straightforward way. He lectures to doctors and other providers throughout the country at medical conferences on a myriad of issues dealing with the business of medicine.

Terri Ross, Terri Ross Consulting

Terri Ross is a world-renowned practice management consultant and international speaker in the aesthetic industry who has helped hundreds of medical aesthetic practices launch, grow and scale upward of $1 million in growth a year and beyond. In response to real-world challenges facing aesthetic practices, Ross launched APX, a business intelligence training and growth solutions platform for the medical aesthetics industry in the areas of sales, finance, operations and marketing analytics.

Taylor Siemens, NP-C, Vitalyc Medspa

Taylor Siemens, NP-C, a board-certified nurse practitioner recognized by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, is a dynamic force in the world of aesthetic medicine. As the vice president of operations at Vitalyc Medspa and the founder of My Aesthetic Training, she seamlessly marries the expertise of a practitioner of medicine with that of a multi-site business operator. Siemens's journey into aesthetic medicine commenced as an operating room nurse specializing in facial plastic surgery. Through her diverse patient interactions, Taylor has honed a profound understanding of the aging process, fueling her skillset in crafting comprehensive, multi-modality treatment solutions that align seamlessly with patients' aesthetic objectives.

Alex R. Thiersch, JD, AmSpa

Alex R. Thiersch, JD, is the founder of the American Med Spa Association, and he is also a partner at the business, health care and aesthetic law firm of ByrdAdatto. He has extensive experience representing industry professionals before state medical boards and is one of the most sought-after speakers in the country regarding matters of practice management and medical aesthetic law, including conferences for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Global Aesthetics Conference, Vegas Cosmetic Surgery, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the Medical Spa Show and others.

Visit Industry-leading Vendors

Also, you’ll have the chance to visit with a number of exceptional vendors throughout this event. Attend the Houston Medical Spa Boot Camp to check out the latest and greatest from the following companies:

• Aerolase
• Allergan Aesthetics
• Boulevard
• CareCredit
• CEDR HR Solutions
• Clarity Technologies
• Clarius
• DoctorLogic
• Dp Derm
• Environ/DermaConcepts
• Galderma
• Healthcare Compliance Pros
• Lumenis
• MedShark Digital
• Merz Aesthetics
• Nextech
• PatientNow
• Podium
• Sciton
• Skytale Group
• Solta Medical
• ByrdAdatto
• AmSpa

We hope you can join us in Houston on July 26 – 28. This AmSpa Medical Spa Boot Camp is your opportunity to join us to get your medical aesthetic business headed in the right direction and learn tried-and true business strategies that can take it to the next level. Sign up here to register!