Med Spa CEO Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: 10 Reasons Your Lifetime Customer Value Is Too Low (And How to Fix It)
Host: Heather Terveen
Date: January 28, 2026
Podcast: Med Spa CEO

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Heather Terveen breaks down the core reasons why many med spa and aesthetic practice owners see a lower-than-desired lifetime customer value (LCV) — and what practical changes they can make to fix it. Far from just a “numbers talk,” Heather emphasizes how raising your LCV is the pivotal domino that enables profit, time freedom, and better patient care. Instead of chasing flashy marketing tactics, Heather advises listeners to create systems that deepen client relationships, ensuring revenue, patient retention, and business growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Lifetime Customer Value (LCV)

• LCV as a 'Domino':
  Ensuring high LCV makes "every single other thing that you're doing in your business 10 times easier." (03:05)
• It reduces new patient acquisition costs and enables owners to focus time and money on higher-impact marketing and growth tactics.

2. The 10 Reasons Your Lifetime Customer Value Is Too Low

Reason 1: Your Team Doesn’t Hold the Roadmap for the Year

[04:20]

• Teams may create an initial plan, but rarely revisit it with patients throughout the year.
• Key Insight: Consistently connecting with clients about their roadmap ("reconnecting with the roadmap throughout the year") multiplies customer value.

Reason 2: No Forecasting Built into Operations

[06:45]

• Most practices focus only on the present, not looking ahead at which clients are due for which treatments.
• Proactive revenue: Regularly reviewing appointments and patient plans enables upselling, personalized follow-up, and strategic promotions.

Reason 3: Promos Not Connected to Appointments

[09:10]

• Promotions often exist in isolation, advertised broadly but not connected to individual client journeys on the calendar.
• Strategic Approach: Discreet, targeted promos (not public) are more effective. Use patient data to create timely, personally relevant offers.

Reason 4: No Consistent Annual Consult System

[11:10]

• Annual consultations should be non-negotiable; they underpin long-term planning and signature treatment pathways.
• Heather advocates for building signature annual roadmaps and using 6-month check-ins for higher engagement and revenue.

Reason 5: No Long-Term Plan for Existing Patients

[12:48]

• Few med spas map out what care looks like in years 2, 3, and beyond for ideal patients.
• Creating and documenting these plans increases both retention and the value clients receive.

Reason 6: Team Doesn’t Know How to Recommend the Next Step

[13:50]

• Staff struggle with guiding clients to the next stage after an initial treatment/package.
• Heather stresses training, support, and tools like "Ask Heather AI" to build staff confidence and leadership in client progression.

Reason 7: Not Tracking Key Metrics Related to Patient Value

[15:00]

• Without tracking individual and team performance on LCV, improvements are unlikely.
• “The more you track, the more lifetime customer value you will have, the more revenue and profits you will create.” (16:06)

Reason 8: Failure to Ingrain the Philosophy of Ongoing Results

[16:50]

• Culture often frames treatments as "fixes" rather than ongoing relationships.
• Heather explains even surgical patients benefit from ongoing care and maintenance post-procedure.

Reason 9: Team Isn’t Truly Bought-In to Results-Driven Philosophy

[19:43]

• Staff say they’re aligned with transformational outcomes but actions often show otherwise.
• Owners must double down on “why” and ensure internal philosophies translate to on-the-ground actions, offers, and systems.

Reason 10: No One Owns LCV in the Business

[22:40]

• LCV is often "your problem" as the owner; no one else is accountable for improving it.
• Heather calls on owners to assign responsibility for patient progression and LCV, making it an ongoing part of culture and training.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the core mindset shift:
  “This isn’t one and done, right? This isn’t one and done, fix it. This is: improve it greatly, and then we want to keep those results and keep improving.”
  — Heather Terveen [00:04]

• On the power of annual consults:
  “If you can nail this [...] you get better at that, start building out signature plans and signature annual roadmaps for your team... That’s a big lever point, and then there’s all these little tiny micro levers...”
  — Heather Terveen [11:26]

• On tracking as a difference maker:
  “My clients that have the most incredible like high sales volume numbers per team members are tracking and keeping the team members accountable. That is the big. I see a big, big, big difference between the folks that track and between the folks that don’t track.”
  — Heather Terveen [15:20]

• On leadership and culture:
  “If no one’s responsible for patient-client progression, no one is creating it. So who is going to own the idea that we are obsessed with lifetime customer value and actually make sure that we are continually improving this over time?”
  — Heather Terveen [22:43]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 — The foundational mindset: Lifetime value is ongoing, not "one and done"
• 04:20 — Reason #1: Not holding the roadmap for the year
• 06:45 — Reason #2: No forecasting built into operations
• 09:10 — Reason #3: Promos not connected to appointments
• 11:10 — Reason #4: No consistent annual consult system
• 12:48 — Reason #5: No long-term plan for existing patients
• 13:50 — Reason #6: Team doesn’t know how to recommend the next step
• 15:00 — Reason #7: Not tracking key metrics
• 16:50 — Reason #8: Not ingraining ongoing results in your culture
• 19:43 — Reason #9: Team isn't truly bought in to the results-driven philosophy
• 22:40 — Reason #10: No one owns LCV responsibility in your business

Takeaways & Action Steps

• Treat LCV as a core metric, not an afterthought.
• Build systems for annually revisiting client plans, holding teams accountable, and tracking data.
• Root your brand/philosophy in ongoing transformation, not just single outcomes or one-time fixes.
• Ensure every team member understands, embraces, and acts on the practice's transformation-driven ethos.
• Assign an LCV “champion” so responsibility and innovation around retention and results is never neglected.

Conclusion

Heather wraps the episode by emphasizing that while automations and marketing have their place, nothing replaces personal, strategic engagement with clients. By adopting the practices outlined — from annual consults to team philosophy — med spa owners can dramatically increase their LCV, boost profits, and enjoy an easier, more rewarding business.

Episode Recommended For:
Med spa owners seeking next-level profitability, those struggling with client retention, and leaders ready to move from “busy and burnt out” to building a business that sustains their lifestyle and legacy.

For ongoing resources, Heather recommends revisiting the previous episode on consultation mindset before implementing these LCV strategies.