The Mindset and Strategy Behind Converting $15K Treatment Plans with Tommie Jo

Summary

Med Spa CEO Podcast Summary: "The Mindset and Strategy Behind Converting $15K Treatment Plans with Tommie Jo"

Release Date: April 16, 2025

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of the Med Spa CEO Podcast, host Heather Turveen welcomes Tomi Jo, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and the CEO and founder of Driftless Aesthetics based in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Tomi Jo shares her journey from healthcare to establishing a thriving med spa, providing invaluable strategies for converting high-ticket treatment plans and building a cohesive, results-driven team.

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Tomi Jo’s Journey to Driftless Aesthetics

Background and Inspiration

Tomi Jo recounts her transition from a psychiatric nurse practitioner in a small mining town in northern Minnesota to founding Driftless Aesthetics almost three years ago. Observing the unmet aesthetic needs of her underserved clients, particularly women seeking Botox for migraines, inspired her to explore the aesthetic field further.

“I started researching what it would take to open my own practice. And then that turned into a 34-page business plan...” (02:14)

With an MBA and an MHA, Tomi Jo combined her business acumen with her healthcare expertise to create a holistic, one-stop-shop aesthetic clinic.

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Overcoming Initial Challenges

Navigating Overwhelm and Building a Team

Launching Driftless Aesthetics on December 28, 2022, Tomi Jo initially faced the daunting task of managing all aspects of the business herself, alongside a part-time esthetician and a front desk person. Feeling overwhelmed, she sought guidance and found Heather Turveen, whose coaching helped her redirect her business strategy.

“I knew I needed help, but I didn’t know what direction to turn...” (06:45)

The addition of Jordan, an aesthetic nurse, revolutionized her practice. With Jordan’s alignment to the clinic’s comprehensive non-surgical treatment plans, Driftless Aesthetics was able to provide consistent and reliable outcomes, enhancing client satisfaction and trust.

“Jordan fell from the heavens above. And we now have an amazing aesthetic nurse and I have an amazing team...” (07:44)

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Implementing High-Ticket Treatment Plans

Strategy Behind $15K-$18K Packages

A significant focus of the episode is Tomi Jo’s strategy for creating and presenting high-value treatment plans. By adopting a comprehensive approach rather than offering a la carte services, Driftless Aesthetics minimizes decision fatigue for clients and ensures they understand the long-term investment in their aesthetic journey.

“She models exactly what I do. And she’s like fricking amazing...” (08:33)

Using analogies such as the dentist or orthodontist, Tomi Jo effectively communicates the necessity and benefits of committing to a series of treatments over 12 months, akin to maintaining dental health.

“It’s like going to the dentist and finding out you need eight crowns...” (12:00)

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Unique Philosophies and Non-Synthetic Approach

Differentiating Driftless Aesthetics

Tomi Jo emphasizes the clinic’s commitment to a non-synthetic approach, integrating treatments like hormone therapy, weight loss programs, and medical-grade relaxing facials. The use of Selenis Derma, a filler derived from the client's own blood, sets Driftless Aesthetics apart from competitors who rely heavily on synthetic products.

“We’re creating filler from clients on blood, heating it up, and putting it back into them...” (15:21)

This philosophy not only appeals to clients seeking natural results but also fosters a strong sense of skin integrity and natural glow among Driftless’s clientele.

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Building and Managing a Cohesive Team

Effective Hiring and Role Clarity

A cornerstone of Driftless Aesthetics’ success is its dedicated team. Tomi Jo highlights the importance of hiring individuals who align with the clinic’s values and philosophies. She credits her husband for providing valuable business insights, particularly in hiring and HR.

“I should have listened to my husband from the very beginning because he has an extensive business background...” (20:21)

Implementing clear roles and expectations, with the assistance of revenue-generating teams coach Lori Wimmer, has enabled Driftless Aesthetics to operate efficiently and scale effectively.

“She’s helped identify those roles and those expectations...” (22:51)

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Achieving Significant Growth

Impressive Revenue Increase

Since its inception, Driftless Aesthetics has demonstrated remarkable growth, achieving a 43% increase last year alone. From generating approximately $30,000 in their first full month to over $160,000 by January 2025, the clinic’s strategic approach and effective team management have been pivotal.

“I did it. Thanks, Heather.” (31:25)

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Future Plans and Vision

Sustaining Momentum and Expanding Services

Looking ahead, Tomi Jo aims to sustain and further accelerate growth, setting ambitious targets for 2025. Driftless Aesthetics plans to continue its holistic, integrated treatment plans while expanding their client base to include more men seeking hormone therapy and weight loss solutions.

“Our reach goal for 2025 is 30%. And then I’ll be happy with 25%... we are on track for, for definitely the reach goal.” (31:38)

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Advice for Aspiring Med Spa Owners

Embracing Challenges and Investing in Growth

Tomi Jo offers heartfelt advice to fellow med spa owners, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, strategic planning, and seeking external guidance. She underscores that the first five years are particularly challenging and that investing in coaching can pave the way for long-term success.

“You have to hang in there and you have to do it because this is a tough industry...” (32:52)

She encourages owners to embrace fear as a natural response to growth and to lean into new opportunities to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

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Conclusion

Tomi Jo’s journey with Driftless Aesthetics exemplifies the combination of strategic planning, team cohesion, and a unique treatment philosophy essential for scaling a successful med spa. Her insights into high-ticket treatment plans, non-synthetic approaches, and effective team management provide a blueprint for other med spa owners aiming to achieve sustainable growth without compromising personal well-being.

For more information, visit driftlessaesthetics.com and follow them on Instagram at @driftlessaesthetics.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the provided transcript segments.

Transcript

[Tomi Jo]

So Jordan and I are putting together 15 to $18,000 treatment plans. But then the clients know this is what my expectation is over the next 12 months. And I use the dentist analogy or ortho analogy. You know, it's like going to the dentist and finding out you need eight crowns and then you need to do it because you're going to lose your teeth. If you don't, you're going to fracture all your teeth and then it's going to turn into implant situations and then it will be even more expensive. So then we always use the dentist or ortho analogy like it's a treatment plan. This is what you're going to be paying over the next 12 months.

[Heather Turveen]

Welcome to the MedSpa CEO podcast, where I teach you how to grow and scale your med, spa or aesthetic practice so that you can have the income and impact you know you were meant for without overwhelm, stress or feeling like you have to sacrifice your personal life and happiness to do so. It's totally possible for you and your business. Plus, simpler than you think. Keep listening to find out how. Welcome, my beautiful friend, to another episode of the podcast. You are in for a treat because I have with me in my living room podcast studio a very special client and friend, Tommy Jo, who is a psychiatric nurse practitioner. This the CEO and founder of Driftless Aesthetics. And she's here today to not only share her story, but also just to really share with you all all the wonderful wisdom she has as a really badass CEO and owner. You're so silly Aesthetic Clinic. And I just wanted to say that it's very true, but I also like to make her squirm a little bit sometimes too. So welcome. Tomi Jo.

[Tomi Jo]

Thank you. This is so fun.

[Heather Turveen]

I'm so excited to have you here.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes, thanks for having us. I love being in Arizona right now. I know Wisconsin and called.

[Heather Turveen]

Yes. So you are based in lacrosse Wisconsin?

[Tomi Jo]

I am.

[Heather Turveen]

And you have been. I know your story a little bit, but I know that a listener would love to hear sort of the background of how you got to be where you are today and how Driftless Aesthetics came to be. So can you maybe share a little bit about your background and story?

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah, it's a crazy story. So I was up in great northern Minnesota a little over three years ago seeing psychiatric patients.

[Heather Turveen]

Okay.

[Tomi Jo]

In this small mining town that has like literally nothing. And the clients I was seeing are very underserved and had beautiful foreheads, but from here down matched poor decision making. And so I'm like, well, gosh, this isn't making sense to me. So I started asking the female patients, like, oh, your forehead looks great. Like, what are you doing? They're like, well, I get Botox for migraines. Oh, and insurance pays for it. I'm like, well, I can do that. But when women want tox, they want the kitchen sink. So then that got my brain going into a different direction, of course, while I'm away from home, up in northern Minnesota for a month, away from my family.

[Heather Turveen]

Yeah.

[Tomi Jo]

I started researching what it would take to open my own practice. And then that turned into a 34 page business plan. And then that was presented to my husband. And then who's here with us today, by the way? Shout out to George. Yay. Yay. My amazing husband. And he first said, you wrote this? And I said, I did. And his response was, if anyone can do it, it's you. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, are you kidding? Like, are you serious right now? Like, that's a yes to spend all of our money and plus some. And he said, yeah, do you have a spot picked out? And I was like, actually, I do. Of course you do. Of course I do. And he's like, well, where is it at? And then I shared with him the location and the plan. And he's like, well, let's do it. And I'm like, well, that's, you know, if you're going to do it, you're all in. And then so while the office was being built out and totally gutted and renovated, um, I was traveling the country learning the world of aesthetics and trying to figure out what do I want in my own space.

[Heather Turveen]

Sure.

[Tomi Jo]

And trying to be mindful of like one stop shop. Like, women don't want to be hopping all over the place. And so that has led to what is currently in driftless aesthetics today. And women love it. So it's kind of evolved into hormones, weight loss, full face, non surgical facelifts. You can also get medical grade relaxing facials, um, you name it. Cryo treatments where we're all in. And we're always evolving and changing and we're constantly going to continuing education, trying to be like the best at what we're doing and trying to really fit into like that 5% that really makes it to the top to differentiate ourselves from like the rest of what other people are doing.

[Heather Turveen]

I love it. Oh my gosh. So first I have to pause and I just have to ask. The 34 page business plan. So you didn't go to business school?

[Tomi Jo]

I did.

[Heather Turveen]

Did you Go to business school.

[Tomi Jo]

I do. I have an MBA and an mha.

[Heather Turveen]

Stop it.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes, I did.

[Heather Turveen]

I didn't know that. That's why I love having these conversations, because I learn.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes, I had a fun life prior to having children and traveled the world and ran a healthcare company for several years and then moved back to rural America and, well, I couldn't do that anymore when you have a family. And so took a pause and then stayed at home with Riker for about almost three years. And I was like, okay, what can I combine my current education with? And I was like, oh, nursing school. Like, what's four more semesters?

[Heather Turveen]

No big deal.

[Tomi Jo]

No big deal. Toughest thing I ever did, hands down, especially while raising a toddler. And well, that just continued to evolve. And then now business brain met healthcare brain and it just turned into something great.

[Heather Turveen]

Oh, my goodness. So how many years, how. How long ago did you open the doors?

[Tomi Jo]

December 28th, 2022. Okay, so a little over two years ago.

[Heather Turveen]

Oh my gosh.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. It's crazy.

[Heather Turveen]

So incredible.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

Oh my gosh. I think about it. I can remember meeting with you just probably.

[Tomi Jo]

It was probably a year. Over a year ago.

[Heather Turveen]

Just over a year ago. And you were in a state, I think, of overwhelm.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes, very much at the time.

[Heather Turveen]

And that's just my observation and kind of what you were describing too. So maybe tell us a little bit about what you were going through.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah, I was the only one working along with a part time esthetician and a front desk person. And I was doing everything and I knew I needed help, but I didn't know what direction to turn. And my brain, like my cup was way runneth over and I had nothing left to give. And it was like one of those things where you have to do it to survive because my husband and I have everything on the line. And so then I was like, okay, I need, I need help. I need. So then I found you. And then that just turned my brain into a different direction. And then I was like, okay, now I'm like learning all this great stuff. And then now I need to redirect not only myself, but my team moving forward. And then I was just going to tough out the rest of 2024 doing what I was doing, because to find an esthetic nurse where we are that's trained and has another beautiful brain is like finding a needle in a haystack.

[Heather Turveen]

Sure.

[Tomi Jo]

And then Jordan fell from the heavens above. And we now have an amazing aesthetic nurse and I have an amazing team. And you're only as great as your team. And so that launched us into a totally different direction. Going into 2025.

[Heather Turveen]

Yes. Oh, my goodness.

[Tomi Jo]

But we're all on the same page, though, with like your techniques. And that's like using treatment plans when we're working with new clients. Because it's not just a la carte. And you come in and you spend $2,000 on this appointment and then you come back and it's another 1500. And now clients are frustrated. It's like all in. Jordan and I are giving full on comprehensive non surgical treatment plans. Like, she models exactly what I do. And she's like fricking amazing. She's awesome. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And that's so great because you have clarity across your team.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes.

[Heather Turveen]

Right. So you know that there's gonna be consistent, reliable outcomes across team members. So I'm curious, I know this about you that I think is just incredible too, is this integration that you've done with. Because you guys do a lot of things.

[Tomi Jo]

We do.

[Heather Turveen]

And so being able to serve folks in like a multi specialty type of way. So you, when you came to me, I think of lion's share was hormone replacement therapy. And you can correct me if I'm.

[Tomi Jo]

Wrong, 60% of the business is injectables.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

And that includes hormone therapy, weight loss, and everything else we can put in your beautiful face.

[Heather Turveen]

Right?

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

Right. So being able to actually present to like, take me as an example, it's just like a. An example patient, like somebody who wants hormone. Who does hormone replacement therapy, not currently looking at weight loss, but a lot of people like me need help with weight loss. And then also, obviously, like, I want a really robust annual, like holistic full face rejuvenation plan for myself as well. And so some of the pushback I sometimes get from folks who are like you, who offer a lot of things, is that it's too overwhelming for the patient. Right. And so what would you say to that?

[Tomi Jo]

You actually were the breakthrough for that because, like, you're like, tommy Joe, like, this is your patient 365. And you took me through the circle of like, okay, client comes in for this and then let's say it's me, for example. And then you broke it down for me into like four easy steps. And I was like, okay, I need to backtrack in my mind. Heather's right. And I never looked at it like that. And like, okay, client comes in for hormones and weight gain. Now we're focused on that and we're building out a trusting relationship. And now we're getting the weight off. And now hormones are back in check. And now, okay, now what am I gonna do? Like, Cause now the client feels great about themselves on the inside, which is primary focus for us. Now they're like, okay, now let's invest on the outside, and then we take em through the next phase in the treatment plan. So unbeknownst to us, like, you, you took us through that. Like, you're like, Tommy Joe. Like, you have a roadmap, and here it is. And so we follow that to this day.

[Heather Turveen]

I love it.

[Tomi Jo]

And Jordan does the same exact thing.

[Heather Turveen]

I love that Jordan.

[Tomi Jo]

I love that Jordan. Wait until you meet that Jordan.

[Heather Turveen]

And the next thing I would say, I know the price point of a lot of your packages. And so the next sort of mental shift a lot of folks need to make is, you know, you have packages I think, that you said are as high as 15 to $18,000.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes.

[Heather Turveen]

And so how do you, like, what is your mindset? Like, even when you brought on Jordan, did she have any sort of, like, any preconceived mindset shifts that needed to happen when it came to the price point?

[Tomi Jo]

Thanks. No, like, she just is like, you're. You're awesome. Like, I want to learn everything I can from you.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

And Jordan loves to learn, which. Fun fact. We both grew up on dairy farms and are just, like, workhorses. So we have.

[Heather Turveen]

Is she from Wisconsin originally?

[Tomi Jo]

She is, yeah. Yeah. So she moved back home and to be closer to her family. And so we both are just workhorses, and we're all in, and we love to learn. And so Jordan's like, I want to learn what you've learned because I need to mimic what you're doing.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

And so you combine the two of us together. Like, we're practicing the same way. Like, that's. That's just what we do. And so when you're putting together these large treatment plans, like, you have hormones and weight loss, but then you have the other component, which is, okay, you're 65. You've never done anything in the world of esthetics. We know this is what you need over the next 12 months to get you to where you want to be and reverse the signs of aging and get you to this point. And then after that, you need to maintain it. And what does that maintenance plan look like? So Jordan and I are putting together 15 to $18,000 treatment plans, but then the clients know, okay, this is. This is what my expectation is over the next 12 months. And I use the Dentist analogy or ortho analogy. You know, it's like going to the dentist and finding out you need eight crowns and then you need to do it because you're going to lose your teeth if you don't, you're going to fracture all your teeth and then it's going to turn into implant situations and then it will be even more expensive. So then we always use the dentist or ortho analogy. Like it's a treatment plan. This is what you're going to be paying over the next 12 months, right? Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And has signature packages helped, like, the patients be able to make decisions on things?

[Tomi Jo]

Of course. Because then again, learn from you decision fatigue, which I don't. I don't ever put myself in that situation because I'm on the other end of things. And so when you eliminate all of it and you're like, here's your treatment plan and it's all laid out perfectly. Here's your menu. Yeah, it's done for you. This is what's in your dinner plan. Like, it's easy to read and then understand.

[Heather Turveen]

Right. Because it's already been, you know, decided upon ahead of time as opposed to, I think, a lot of providers. You know, when I say I don't like customized treatment plans, they misinterpret that to be that I don't want you to give like personalized service. And what I mean by that is, no, we don't want to give the impression that we are thinking on the fly randomly with every single person we see, like, oh, let's start from scratch. Let me see. Today I'm going to give her this, this and this. We actually want to make it seem like no, like we know all these things work together so beautifully that we already decided that this clinical protocol.

[Tomi Jo]

Exactly.

[Heather Turveen]

Is going to give outstanding outcomes. We knew before we saw you because we've already seen a lot of humans like you and gotten a lot of results for people like you.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes.

[Heather Turveen]

And so I think it's just kind of a miss in our industry where like the idea that customization, meaning like deciding on the fly, I guess is a better word for it, is going to actually be appealing to the patient when really know, the patient wants to know that you can get them consistent, reliable outcomes over and over and over again. Like you've actually served a lot of humans that are just like them.

[Tomi Jo]

Exactly.

[Heather Turveen]

To get them the outcomes, whether that be, you know, for, you know, the things related to hormone replacement therapy, weight loss, or for full face rejuvenation as well too.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. And I think another component, too is, like, we're non synthetic as much as possible. So a lot of our treatment plans are really dialed into laser treatments, hormone therapy, the weight loss. And then the filler that we use is Selenis Derma through Aesthetic Management Partners. So we're creating filler from clients on blood, heating it up, and putting it back into them, which is the last phase of any treatment plan after we've done all the sculpture and the laser treatments, and then getting them to the point where now their skin, their fiber, and any lastin is ready to receive Salonis Derma. And it's just like the icing on the cake. So when clients here, I don't have to spend all this money on a synthetic product in putting this in my face every 12 months. That's very appealing to them because clients are looking for natural. They want to, like, they want to be told, oh, you look great. What are you doing? Not, oh, my God, what did you just do? Yeah, like, there's a. There's a. Yeah, huge difference there. And you can. In. In our community, you can tell a Driftless client, like, they're. They have beautiful skin integrity. You can tell, like, they're just glowy. They're happy. They don't have a ton of makeup on. Like, you know, it's a driftless client.

[Heather Turveen]

I love that.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

So when I talk about and I preach about having a unique point of view, you, Driftless has a unique point.

[Tomi Jo]

Of view, very much. And I knew before I even opened that I was going in the direction of non synthetic and getting results without having all this filler in your face. And so I really set myself apart from my competitors as well, because they're filler, filler, filler. And I did not want to do that. That was not my. My end goal.

[Heather Turveen]

I love it. And so when I talk about y'all on the podcast or anywhere else where you need to have, like, a unique point of view, a philosophy, a belief system, because then when you bring on people like you've brought on Jordan or who you know, as your team expands as well too, then you can ensure that no matter who they're seeing at Driftless, that person has been indoctrinated with the same point of view and philosophy that you have. And I'm just so happy to hear you share your unique expertise, because this is what I'm talking about, like, having a point of view that actually. And then you will magnetically attract those patients. And I know that you do this. You attract those patients who are looking for the holistic approach that you have that integrates all of those things from the inside out as well too.

[Tomi Jo]

I feel like the evolution of my blueprint that you laid out to me so beautifully over a year ago is like, finally making sense in my brain. You're like, you have a blueprint whether you know it or not. And, like, you're creating it. And this is what it looks like. Yeah, like, I am.

[Heather Turveen]

And that's the job is to actually, like, help, you know, and this is why I have a coach too, because I always. I like this. You can't see the label on the outside of the Mason jar when you're in the Mason jar.

[Tomi Jo]

It's true.

[Heather Turveen]

And when you're in your business, you're in the Mason jar all the time and you need somebody to help you that is from outside, like, giving that 30 foot view of like. Oh, you actually have, like. And with all my clients, they actually, you know, we work with clinical experts, you know, they just sometimes get lost along the way because of the outside noise too, of like, what their unique genius is. And it's like when you can hone in and double down on your unique genius. This is how, I mean, this is how you've had the exponential growth that you've had too.

[Tomi Jo]

I think so, like, I guess I don't have. I think you work with so many clients. Like, you know what that difference is. I know just going into it, like, what dollar value I needed to cover the expenses.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

And so I've just been going with the flow and now I know what KPIs are and I have spreadsheets for everything, which my husband loves. Um, we have like four different spreadsheets. We do reconciliation every month. And now we're just like, we're dialed into a whole nother level. Like, it's now my business makes sense to me. Like, it's, it's fun.

[Heather Turveen]

And that is incredible considering, you know, you're two and a half years in.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes.

[Heather Turveen]

Yeah.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

So going back to yourself two and a half years ago, what are some of the big shifts that you would, or even just like, advice you would give to yourself?

[Tomi Jo]

Oof.

[Heather Turveen]

I know there's so much. But like, when you think about starting out now, you did have some more business acumen than maybe some of your peers who are just coming from healthcare and didn't work in like a more leadership type of capacity, if you will. So, you know, I'll ask the question another way to make it easier, maybe. No, go ahead. You answer it first.

[Tomi Jo]

I Would say I should have listened to my husband from the very beginning because he has an extensive business background. Like, he's more cutthroat.

[Heather Turveen]

It's so hard to listen to our husband sometimes, though.

[Tomi Jo]

No. But, no, he's always right. And I am like, gosh darn it. And then he's like, should have listened to me two years ago. And I'm like, I know, but he's always been right. And then. So now I've learned to just like lean into him, like so much more. And that has helped too, because. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

So what are some of the things that he. Like, what are some things that you were not listening to him?

[Tomi Jo]

Oh, so I know my weakness is hiring staff and then being a boss and then a provider at the same time. Yeah, it's.

[Heather Turveen]

It's a lot of hats when you're making that transition too.

[Tomi Jo]

It's so hard. And he is great at HR stuff. Like he's cutthroat and I. Where I'm like, sunshine, rainbows and butterflies and trolls. Like, everything's great. Right. And so he's. And he has identified right away, like if someone's a good fit or a bad fit. And I'm like, no, like, I'll just give it a little bit more time. And he's like, no, they gotta go. And then. So he. I should just have listened to him and leaned into that just a little bit sooner. But I have learned from my mistakes and I have made it better. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And there's no. I mean, people can give you all the advice from their. There's just no way through it. But through it meaning hiring, making mistakes with hiring, taking too long to fire. I don't know any business owner. I mean, I look at myself and as I reflect on the. I mean, now I do it so much more swiftly. And like, it's also because I know I have better clarity on expectations and that I'm giving better, like a better roadmap for team members where in the beginning, sometimes we're not doing as effective of a job communicating what their role should be and how you want things. But once you get more clarity, then.

[Tomi Jo]

Shout out to Lori Wimmer.

[Heather Turveen]

Yes, shout out to Lori Wimmer. A revenue generating teams coach too.

[Tomi Jo]

She's helped identify those. Yeah, those roles and those expectations. Like, that was new coming into 2025 as well. Yeah, totally agree with you.

[Heather Turveen]

I was using this analogy because we were on an MSA call and it was the owner and then the manager and they were both sharing with me about, you know, they have Some team members that are not really all in on selling signature packages, they don't want to like, change what they've been doing. They've been with them for a number of years. And I was using this analogy that really has served me now is that I'm like the captain of the ship and the ship is leaving port for this new destination that we've decided. As the captain, I'm going to take it and I'm hoping that you're going to get on the ship with me and go with me to this destination. Right. But I'm also okay if you need to stay at port and get on a different ship that's going somewhere else. Right. But ultimately this ship is leaving the port. So I'm hoping, like, fingers crossed, you're coming with me. But also if you're not, that's okay too. And there's going to be a ship that you're going to enjoy the destination that it's going to more right now. And that analogy I use over and over again, even for myself too, because it's tough. Like, you can't just keep team members because you like them personally, you know, And I think that's a tough pill to swallow. And I think the transition from being a, you know, the provider that is like for a hundred percent of the revenue of the business, which is not unusual for many, many aesthetic practice and med spot owners, that they are the main provider and the main revenue workhorse, if you will. And then to start to make that transition to where you're hiring folks and then giving yourself more time to actually run the business, that was a transition.

[Tomi Jo]

It's huge. Yeah. But you have to be able to identify it and separate that. And it's hard because you also have like that guilt factor of like, you're the revenue generator. This is how you pay the bills.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

And then when you take time away and you're not seeing patients is hard to separate the two.

[Heather Turveen]

Totally. Totally.

[Tomi Jo]

I'm still working on.

[Heather Turveen]

Yeah, 100%. And then what compounds sometimes the whole scenario is the idea is the fact that you bring on a team member and then you're so busy you can't actually. No, you don't have time to actually properly onboard the new team member because you're so busy delivering.

[Tomi Jo]

Good luck. Yeah. Rooting for you. Yeah, yeah. I'll be over here if you. I'll be. Have needles in someone's face if you have any questions. Yeah, yeah, totally get it.

[Heather Turveen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tomi Jo]

And then it's frustrating and you don't Want that. You want them set up for success?

[Heather Turveen]

Totally.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. But I have hired a practice manager.

[Heather Turveen]

Oh, did you?

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. She's integrating into her new role. And so the goal is to take a lot of that stuff off my plate and then that's now her job. And then I can focus on doing what I need to do. And that's seeing my patients.

[Heather Turveen]

Okay.

[Tomi Jo]

All the other. All the other stuff that's bananas will be out of the picture.

[Heather Turveen]

I love it.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

So to the person that's listening or watching this, that is where you were a year ago. They are the main revenue provider. They're the workhorse, if you will, for lack of a better word. And they're scared to hire. What would you say to that person?

[Tomi Jo]

Being scared is a natural response to what we're doing. Like, it's. That means you care.

[Heather Turveen]

Yeah.

[Tomi Jo]

And that means that you have it in your heart to do hard shit every day and you just have to hang in there and you have to do it because this is a tough industry and you have to come out guns ablazing and you have to differentiate yourself from the other people around you. And if you continue to put in the hard work and you continue to be scared, you're going to lean into a new opportunity that's going to make you so much better. And you're going to continue educating your brain on being the best at what you're doing in your industry. And then you're going to become, what do you call it? You have like your leadership or your senior. You're like your authority. You're going to be the authority. I'm like, we're playing charades. You're going to be the authority in your industry and you're not going to be just like every Joe Schmo on the corner. You are going to separate yourself from your competition. So it's totally normal to be scared because it is scary, because it's the land of the unknown. But I think I've learned through my husband, like, if it's scary, it's scary for a reason. But why are you scared? What is the opportunity in it, to lean into it, learn it, and then make it better?

[Heather Turveen]

Totally. Totally. And yeah, I. Building authority. That is something that I say a lot.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And, you know, getting like the clarity that you've gotten on your packages, your treatment plans and all of that has helped you be able to onboard team members more confidently as well too. Because I feel like most aesthetic practices in med spas, like, the experience you have is very provider dependent. And every Provider. I mean, it's like they're all doing it differently. So if I see Tommy Jo, I might get a completely different game plan than if I see Jordan. Right. Which isn't the case at Driftless.

[Tomi Jo]

Not at all.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

No. Her and I are like, I don't think we've ever had a moment where we're not on the same page.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

Like, it's just amazing. And I'm like, okay, moving forward, the interview question for all staff needs to be, did you grow up on a dairy farm? Because like, and she's not, she's not scared. She's dive in and do it like, girlfriend works her ass off. Like, she's, she's just amazing. I love her.

[Heather Turveen]

Yes. And you've done the legwork of one. You already had the unique point of view and the unique philosophy. Just needed to be honed a little bit.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And then you've taken the time to get that clarity so that you know this is how you can actually get out of the room with patients is to have the confidence that your providers that you hire are able to be able to give that consistent, reliable experience.

[Tomi Jo]

Well, I wouldn't be here in Arizona right now, like without trusting my staff back home. And I have no doubt that Jordan's going to kill it. Like, I can leave and not worry about my practice anymore because Jordan's great. And then I think another thing that helped too is like Jordan came from a practice that was, oh gosh. Like it was just constant. Like she only had like 15 minutes for patients and it was just like it was a mill. Like it was just like a factory. Yeah. It was just very, it wasn't even like treatment plan focused. It was like done in turn very much. And that was a huge, huge turnoff for her. And then she knew that something better was out there, but she didn't realize what that option was. And then once she came on board and then started to see how I was practicing, she's like, this makes sense. And then I give her time and then it's like 45 minutes to do a consult in treatment plan with clients. It's not quick, 10, 15 minutes, get em and get em out. It's a lot more thorough. And then she has the time to build that relationship with clients and then you're building out that trust and that she didn't have that before.

[Heather Turveen]

Right.

[Tomi Jo]

So it's just a different playing field for her too.

[Heather Turveen]

Yes, it is. And there's so many med spasm practices that are the volume game.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. It shouldn't be like that. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And I don't like working with those practices either because it's like the antithesis of what I'm trying to do.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. There is no conversation. It's just like, you know, we get those clients in our office and they're like, oh gosh, like you're actually trying to have a conversation with me. Like, what are you doing? Like, no, just put the needles in my face. And we're like, no, we want to know what your pain points are. Like, what are you looking for a solution to? Like, we're just not going to start putting stuff in your face. Right, sorry. Wrong girl.

[Heather Turveen]

Right? Yeah, totally.

[Tomi Jo]

Uh huh.

[Heather Turveen]

Oh, I love that. Oh my goodness. You had 43% growth last year.

[Tomi Jo]

I did. Isn't that nuts?

[Heather Turveen]

It's so nuts. Yeah, it's amazing.

[Tomi Jo]

I did it. Thanks, Heather.

[Heather Turveen]

What's the future hold? Like, where do you see yourself going?

[Tomi Jo]

So our reach goal, reach goal for 20, 25 is 30%. So. And then I'll be happy with 25%. So we have the reach goal and then the ultimate goal which is 25%. So yeah, right now we're on track for, for definitely the reach goal. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

You're like, already have had some big months.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

That's amazing.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah. What did we grow, see from 2000? From our very first month we opened January of 23. That was our first full month of revenue. That was like 30 some thousand dollars.

[Heather Turveen]

Okay.

[Tomi Jo]

And then January of 25 was a little over 160.

[Heather Turveen]

Amazing.

[Tomi Jo]

Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

With basically a really small team.

[Tomi Jo]

Yes. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

And delivering epic, epic experiences for the women. And do you, you serve men probably too?

[Tomi Jo]

We do. It's starting to get more organic growth because we don't advertise for hormone therapy, but we see men for hormone therapy and weight loss primarily.

[Heather Turveen]

Okay. Amazing. My gosh. Any last piece of advice or words of wisdom you want to impart on the listener who's trying to like, do what you're doing?

[Tomi Jo]

Well, I feel like the first five years and any new business is hard and you have to go through the hard times and just hang in there. It doesn't happen overnight. And I know there's a lot of young people are like, just want to come into it. They think it's all fun and games and it's super easy. It's not. It's really hard. And you have to go through the hard times and you have to figure out what your blueprint is and you're drawing your own plan and you just have to navigate that water. And you have to lean into people who specialize in to helping you, like yourself, like, find Heather to be like, you have to like, you have to lean into other voices and like you said, like I was stuck in the mason jar. And you have to listen to other people around you that can help you navigate that. That's like the most important is to find people who can coach you and help you down that tough path in order to get to something higher. Like you can choose to be down here and stay there and be frustrated or you can make a choice, invest in someone to help you and watch yourself grow.

[Heather Turveen]

Amazing.

[Tomi Jo]

So I think my husband and I continue like every year like we're investing in something new to coach us and make us just that much better. And I think that's gonna hopefully pave the way for an amazing 2025.

[Heather Turveen]

And absolutely it is. Oh my goodness. Thank you for coming on the podcast, sharing your story. Can you maybe share maybe like your website and your Instagram and just where.

[Tomi Jo]

People can go check you out? Driftless aesthetics.com aesthetics with an a Instagram is drift. Less aesthetics on Instagram. Yeah.

[Heather Turveen]

Amazing. We will link all that up in the show notes as well. Thank you my friend.

[Tomi Jo]

Thanks, Heather.

[Heather Turveen]

Hey, if you're enjoying this podcast and you're a boutique, results driven med spa owner who's looking to drive more sales profitably each month without hustling yourself into the ground to do so, then you should consider applying to join us inside of the Med Spa Advantage. It's the only program designed to help you grow your revenue and profits while gaining gaining back more time so that you don't feel scattered and drained while running and growing your business each month. To learn more about whether or not you're a fit for joining us, you can head over to heatherturveen.com apply to apply to get on a call with us to learn more. That's heatherturveen.com apply to learn more.

[Tomi Jo]

SA.