When Emily Fernandez decided to leave her stable career as a patient experience officer at a three-hospital healthcare system, she was solving one problem she observed in her husband’s OB/GYN office, where aesthetic clients sat in waiting rooms next to women dealing with cancer diagnoses and complicated pregnancies.

In this episode of Growth Diaries, Emily Fernandez, Co-founder and VP of Operations at Evolve Med Spa, joins host Sudheer Koneru to explore how a hospital patient experience leader turned a side aesthetic project into a 15-location powerhouse brand in just four years.

What You’ll Learn:

Why selling confidence beats selling insecurity in the long run
The difference between operational excellence and emotional loyalty
What it really takes to scale from 1 to 15 locations without franchising
How referrals outperform ads in service-based businesses
Why culture must be defined before expansion
What role should AI play in enhancing human connection

Emily Fernandez is the Co-founder and VP of Operations at Evolve Med Spa, known for her expertise in building client-centric wellness businesses and transforming patient experience into a competitive advantage. With a background spanning over a decade in hospital-based healthcare, she brings a unique blend of medical and operational acumen to the aesthetic medicine industry. Since launching Evolve Med Spa in 2020, Emily has scaled the brand to 15 award-winning locations across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, consistently earning recognition, including the Hoboken Girl Best of Jersey City Award three years running.

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Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction
[02:07] Emily’s Healthcare Background & Corporate Career
[05:22] Starting a Business During COVID
[07:26] What Sparked the Launch of Evolve Med Spa?
[09:12] Expanding Services Beyond Injectables
[11:27] What Does Client-Centric Really Mean?
[16:18] Scaling Culture Across 15 Locations
[19:42] How Emily Chooses New Locations
[22:34] Organic vs. Performance Marketing Strategy
[25:38] Reviews, Referrals, and Trust Economics
[27:53] Hiring in a Competitive Industry
[32:04] The No CEO Model
[36:31] Growth Strategy and Future Expansion
[38:23] Brands Emily Admires
[42:49] Books, Empathy, and Leadership
[44:41] Why Choose Evolve Med Spa?
[47:12] Personal Wellness and Founder Balance
[48:11] How AI Is Shaping the Future of Med Spas

Previous guests include: Matt Maroone of Silver Mirror Facial Bar, Shabana Karim of House of Enspa, Marilyne Gagne of Dermapure, Smita Vallurupalli & Shashank Kancharla of Bubbles Hair & Beauty and Old School Rituals, Rob Peetoom of Rob Peetoom Salon.

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