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True to Form

Hosted by Audrey Neff, international speaker, industry thought leader, and global KOL, True to Form showcases transparent conversations with the most influential minds & leading voices shaping the future of the rapidly-growing medical aesthetic & wellness industries.
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Episodes

Unlocking the Future: Mastering the Integration of Functional Medicine & Aesthetics

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 ...

May 16, 202536 minSeason 8Ep. 6

Secrets to Success for All Levels of Injectors with Olivia Salmen & Tracy Olson

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-...

Mar 31, 202559 minSeason 8Ep. 5

The Raw Truth on Navigating Social Media in 2025 with Dr. Alexander Rivkin

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 p...

Mar 13, 202557 minSeason 8Ep. 4

Unlocking Hidden Revenue: Proven Strategies to Drive Med Spa Profitability

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 maximizin...

Mar 05, 202549 minSeason 8Ep. 3

From Start-up to Success: Overcoming The Most Common Business Mistakes in Aesthetics

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 appointmen...

Feb 21, 202552 minSeason 8Ep. 2

Powerful Revenue Optimization Strategies for 2025 Success

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...

Jan 11, 20251 hr 22 minSeason 8Ep. 1

Keeping It Real: Crafting Your Authentic Voice on Social Media with Dr. Jennifer Levine

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...

Dec 12, 202443 minSeason 7Ep. 18

Part 2: Embracing Uniqueness & Secrets to Success with Dr. Gretchen Frieling

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 expe...

Dec 03, 202452 minSeason 7Ep. 17

Part 1: Embracing Uniqueness & Secrets to Success with Dr. Gretchen Frieling

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.

Oct 29, 202451 minSeason 7Ep. 17

Protecting Your Practice: How to Safeguard Against Complications & Adverse Events

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,...

Oct 10, 202447 minSeason 7Ep. 15

Master the Art of Selling Yourself with Olivia Salmen

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 break...

Oct 02, 20241 hr 11 minSeason 7Ep. 14

Part 2: Building an Influential Brand in Aesthetics with Dr. Sheila Barbarino

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...

Sep 13, 20241 hr 16 minSeason 7Ep. 13

Part 1: Building an Influential Brand in Aesthetics with Dr. Sheila Barbarino

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 netw...

Sep 05, 202453 minSeason 7Ep. 12

The Comeback Is Greater Than The Setback

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 r...

Aug 27, 202447 minSeason 7Ep. 11

Revolutionizing An Industry: The Current State of IV Therapy in 2024

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. Tun...

Jul 30, 202454 minSeason 7Ep. 10

You Are the Dreamer of Your Dream: Managing Mindset Through Adversity

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. Throug...

Jul 23, 202453 minSeason 7Ep. 9

Building and Implementing a Successful Weight Loss Program in Your Practice

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 ...

May 22, 202438 minSeason 7Ep. 8

The Power of Branding: Strategies for Thriving in a Competitive Marketplace

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...

Apr 01, 202447 minSeason 7Ep. 7

Maximizing Patient Lifetime Value: Treatment Plans, Retail Skincare & Energy-Based Devices

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.

Mar 19, 202459 minSeason 7Ep. 6

Part 2: Building a Strong Foundation to Grow & Scale Your Medical Spa

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 ess...

Feb 29, 202451 minSeason 7Ep. 5

Part 1: Building a Strong Foundation to Grow & Scale Your Medical Spa

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 approa...

Feb 20, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 7Ep. 4

Exploring the M&A Landscape in Aesthetics

Ben Hernandez, the CEO and Managing Director of Skytale Group, talks with Audrey Neff about the past, current, and future outlook of mergers and acquisitions in the medical aesthetics field. As the challenging 2023 year for M&A concludes, Ben provides valuable insights for practice owners looking to sell and advice around beginning with the end in mind. This episode covers a wide array of essential topics including exit strategy, preparing your business for a potential sale, optimizing valua...

Jan 30, 20241 hr 1 minSeason 7Ep. 3

Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Empowering the Masses in Aesthetics

Audrey Neff is joined by MedShift 's CEO, Joe Gasque , and Chief Commercial Officer, Sean Shapiro, in this week's episode of True to Form. With over 80 percent of the medical aesthetics landscape still being made up of predominantly single location practices, small business owners often deal with financing challenges, balancing overhead, limited resources, COGS, and paying off debt. To solve this gap in the industry and create more opportunities for small to midsize aesthetic practices, MedShift...

Jan 23, 202450 minSeason 7Ep. 2

It's a Journey, Not a Sprint: Building an Intention-Led Business

Audrey Neff kicks off Season 7 with an authentic conversation with Bita Ardakani-Akrawi PA-C, MPH, MEP-C, owner of Florida-based medical spa, Naples Skin Clinic. This episode takes a deep dive into some of the biggest do's and don'ts entrepreneurs can avoid when launching and growing a new aesthetics practice. Tune in to hear impactful advice around purchasing used lasers, capital device investments, real estate, grassroots marketing, and building an intention-led business.

Jan 12, 202457 minSeason 7Ep. 1

The New Frontier in Elective Medicine: Trends in Sexual Wellness

In this episode, Audrey Neff speaks with Tim Sawyer, two-time Inc. 500 entrepreneur, motivational speaker, business advisor, and practice owner, on the advancements and innovations in the sexual wellness field, particularly those related to men's health. As an advisor and investor in REGENmax® (which just received the only global patent for the reversal of ED) and a partner of Tru Male Medical, a men's-only health & wellness clinic in Oakbrook, IL, Tim breaks down the economics of offering s...

Dec 11, 20231 hr 2 minSeason 6Ep. 20

Challenges Impacting Our Industry: Hiring Qualified, Skilled Nurse Injectors

This week's episode features Tracy Olson, owner of Youthtopia Med Spa and founder of the Aesthetic Injector Academy, a groundbreaking online platform that offers comprehensive training for medically licensed injectors. Audrey Neff and Tracy dive into her journey from a successful career in corporate finance to acquiring an existing practice in Alpharetta, GA -- Youthtopia Med Spa, which now employs five highly skilled injectors. The pair also discuss the prominent issue in the industry around th...

Nov 28, 20231 hrSeason 6Ep. 19

Part 2: The State of Medical Aesthetics in 2023

Francis X. Acunzo, President of Princeton Medspa Partners & CEO of Acara Partners, returns to discuss the current and future state of medical aesthetics with host Audrey Neff. This episode picks up where Part 1 earlier this season left off and covers all things relating to industry consolidation, partnering with invesment groups, private equity, advice when exiting your business, economic health & potential impacts, plus trends that will continue to mold the future of the $18B medical ae...

Nov 02, 202353 minSeason 6Ep. 18

Stepping into Your Power & Finding Your Purpose

Audrey Neff brings on special guest, Yvonne Dellos, MSN, FNP-BC -- master injector, successful entrepreneur, industry KOL, national speaker, business coach, and founder of Medical Aesthetic Art Institute (MAAI). The pair dive into an insightful conversation around finding purpose, improving mindset, and exiting the comfort zone. Yvonne also shares her inspiring journey of overcoming adversity and how it eventually drove her into medical aesthetics -- where she now dedicates her career to empower...

Oct 24, 202354 minSeason 6Ep. 17

Driving Growth: Strategies to Boost Revenue in Your Medical Spa

With over 16 years of executive-level leadership in solo practices, small group practices, and large-scale national brands, Judy Kozlicki, Director of Aesthetics at Skytale Group, appears as this week's guest to chat with host Audrey Neff. This power-packed episode covers so much ground from expert tips around building your team, front desk strategies, sealing profit leaks, rebooking tactics, differentiating your practice, and so much more...

Oct 12, 202348 minSeason 6Ep. 16

Navigating the Learning Curve: Becoming a Leader

In this episode of True to Form, host Audrey Neff leads a transparent conversation with Heather Allan -- Mom, speaker, clinical trainer, and owner of two-location medical spa, Bright Esthetics & Body Wellness. Heather shares countless powerful pearls and challenges behind becoming an employer and boss, managing a team of ten, plus some of her biggest branding & marketing mistakes she's made along the way in scaling her practice.

Sep 28, 20231 hr 2 minSeason 6Ep. 15
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