Med Spa CEO Podcast: "Future-Proofing Your Business & Team With AI"

Host: Heather Terveen
Date: October 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, inspired by a conversation with Heather's 16-year-old daughter, explores the role of AI in both personal and professional spheres. Heather addresses the ethical considerations, practical applications, and emotional responses to introducing AI into med spa businesses. She shares real-life examples from her family and her own company, providing practical frameworks for embracing AI, while also acknowledging reservations and the enduring value of human involvement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI in the Workplace: Real Examples from Heather's Business

(00:00; 36:30)

• Heather is actively integrating AI agents into her business, particularly for customer support during off-hours.
• Example: Karen on her team dedicates a few hours weekly to developing an AI customer support agent.
• Heather stresses a people-first approach: ensuring her human team does not work nights or weekends.
• Quote (00:18):
  "My team does not work nights and does not work weekends. I want my team to have their nights and their weekends off. So we're creating an AI agent that's just going to work in those off hours." — Heather

2. AI as an Empowerment Tool, Not a Replacement

(36:00; 42:00)

• Heather positions the use of AI as additive, not substitutive: it fills gaps in operations where she did not intend to hire humans.
• She mentions using AI for tasks like repurposing content across platforms and preliminary research, with no intention to replace her current employees.
• Quote (36:48):
  "It's always going to be a hybrid approach for me. It's never going to just be me and like a bunch of AI agents, right? Like I wouldn't even want that." — Heather

3. Ethical & Emotional Responses to AI Adoption

(13:00; 31:00)

• Inspired by her daughter Reese’s skepticism toward technology and AI, Heather explores the origins of discomfort and the generational divide in tech adoption.
• Reese’s perspective—preferring organic, hands-on work and initially resisting AI tools—echoes the feelings of many business owners.
• Heather shares that her own optimism about tech adoption helped Reese experiment with AI for her nonprofit’s social media strategy; after initial resistance, Reese saw its practical benefits.
• Quote (25:05):
  "In her mind, she was like, hey, mom, like, I don't want to use ChatGPT. I don't want to use AI; that feels like it's out of integrity." — Reese (paraphrased by Heather)
• Heather assures listeners that skepticism is healthy and reflects on her family's deliberative approach to integrating social media and technology.

4. AI is Already Here: Everyday Examples

(30:15; 33:00)

• Heather reframes the debate, noting that we already rely on AI daily (GPS, autocorrect) without ethical qualms.
• She draws an analogy to cars: technology, with pros and cons, is part of life, and the key is using it thoughtfully.
• Quote (33:59):
  "In the same way that, like, we all now are using cars, for better or for worse, AI is here. And so there are things that you can decide to use and parts of it that you can decide not to use." — Heather

5. Future-Proofing Kids and Teams: Skills That Matter

(40:15; 42:30)

• Heather discusses how understanding and leveraging AI will be essential for her children and employees—everyone will need to be “AI fluent.”
• She foresees a hybrid future, with AI as an essential skill for operational effectiveness, but not a replacement for human talent or creativity.
• The lasting value of in-person events and truly human-created art will actually increase as AI-generated outputs proliferate.

6. Ask Heather AI & Resources for Med Spa Owners

(07:30; 36:00)

• Heather introduces "Ask Heather AI," her strategist-level tool for med spa CEOs, featuring tools for offer-suite development, sales consult training, and messaging frameworks.
• Emphasizes the democratization of these frameworks, previously accessible only at high price points.
• Suggests listeners revisit a previous episode with Mike Lemieux from MedSpa Media (on AI agents in agencies).

Notable Quotes and Moments

• [00:18] “My team does not work nights and does not work weekends. I want my team to have their nights and their weekends off. So we're creating an AI agent that's just going to work in those off hours.” — Heather
• [25:05] “In her mind, she was like, hey, mom, like, I don't want to use ChatGPT. I don't want to use AI; that feels like it's out of integrity.” — Reese (paraphrased)
• [33:59] “In the same way that, like, we all now are using cars, for better or for worse, AI is here. And so there are things that you can decide to use and parts of it that you can decide not to use.” — Heather
• [36:48] “It's always going to be a hybrid approach for me. It's never going to just be me and like a bunch of AI agents, right? Like I wouldn't even want that.” — Heather

Section Timestamps

• 00:00 – 04:00: AI in customer support; protecting team’s work-life balance
• 07:30 – 13:00: Introduction of Ask Heather AI for med spa owners
• 13:00 – 25:30: Conversation with Reese on AI, tech skepticism, and ethical concerns
• 25:30 – 33:30: Everyday AI (GPS, autocorrect), car analogy, and overcoming resistance
• 33:30 – 37:00: Frameworks on when and how Heather uses AI in her business
• 37:00 – 42:30: Future-proofing teams and kids; hybrid approach; the enduring value of humans

Tone & Closing

Heather’s tone is empathetic, encouraging, and conversational. She reassures listeners that discomfort with AI is normal, and she advocates for deliberate, values-driven adoption. Her ultimate message: AI is here to stay, and smart, ethical integration will “future-proof” both med spa businesses and individual skillsets—without sacrificing the human touch.

For more, revisit Heather’s earlier ‘Become a Media Company’ episode or the AI agents conversation with Mike Lemieux.