Podcast Summary: Med Spa Success Strategies
Episode: Growing, Scaling, and Managing a Multi-Million Dollar Med Spa - Interview with Sara Shikhman
Host: Ricky Shockley
Guest: Sara Shikhman, Managing Partner of Lengia Law
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Introduction
In this insightful episode of the Med Spa Success Strategies podcast, host Ricky Shockley welcomes back Sara Shikhman, the Managing Partner of Lengia Law. With over 16 years of experience as a healthcare lawyer and an impressive track record in scaling businesses, Sara delves into her journey of building and expanding a multi-million dollar med spa. The conversation offers valuable strategies for med spa and aesthetics practice owners aiming to grow, scale, and manage their businesses effectively.
Sara Shikhman's Background and Journey into Med Spas
Sara begins by sharing her transition from a corporate attorney to an entrepreneur. Initially recruited to start an e-commerce company specializing in furniture sales across all 50 states, Sara leveraged her marketing and team management skills to generate over $12 million in revenue within two years.
Notable Quote:
"Back in 2008 when we were doing it, people were like, what? Like people buy furniture sight unseen from the Internet? And we're like, yeah, we did $12 million in revenue last year."
[01:46]
Sara's venture into the med spa industry was inspired by a personal conversation with her husband, who wanted to establish a med spa. Utilizing the space she owned in downtown Columbus, she started with a single semi-finished room, initially attracting clients through personal connections, including her ex-boyfriend.
Notable Quote:
"We started with literally one semi-finished room. And one of our first clients was actually my ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend."
[02:55]
Building a Balanced Team: Business and Medical Expertise
A significant challenge Sara highlights is the necessity of balancing business acumen with medical expertise. She emphasizes that success in a med spa requires both strong business management and competent medical providers.
Notable Quote:
"A strong business person or a great business consultant and a great medical provider. If you just have one and not the other, it's super hard."
[03:42]
Sara advises business-oriented entrepreneurs without a medical background to collaborate with experienced business consultants or marketing agencies. Conversely, medical professionals lacking business expertise should seek strategic partnerships or hire business experts to bridge the gap.
Notable Quote:
"Find a really good business consultant type of person, like a marketing agency or even a solo consultant who can help you on the business side."
[04:19]
Financial Strategies: Starting Small and Smart Investment
Sara underscores the importance of starting small to mitigate financial risks. She discourages large-scale initial investments, such as substantial SBA loans or expansive spaces, which can strain resources and hinder profitability.
Notable Quote:
"Unless you come from a trust fund background and lots of family money, I would say start small. You could always go bigger."
[05:44]
She advises allocating funds towards marketing and team-building rather than heavy investments in equipment and fixtures, which have lower resale value and can lead to financial strain.
Notable Quote:
"Spend a lot of it on marketing and building out your team versus on these assets where once you buy a laser... you're just trying to launch smarter, do things faster."
[06:51]
Scaling the Med Spa: From One Room to Multiple Locations
Sara details her strategic expansion from a single room to multiple locations. Leveraging her network in New York, she initially rented additional rooms through subleases, which eventually led to occupying an entire law firm’s space to accommodate more treatment rooms.
Notable Quote:
"We took over this law firm space and that had two big treatment rooms. And then at the same time, back in Columbus, Ohio, Expanded to more rooms in the original building."
[07:32]
Sara shares a critical lesson learned: maintaining operational proximity is vital. She advises against overextending geographically, as it can lead to unsustainable travel and management challenges.
Notable Quote:
"If I didn't have that New York connection, I would say it's better to have your offices close by so that you, you don't need to fly from one to the other."
[09:39]
Branding and Consistency Across Locations
Maintaining a unified brand across all locations is essential for scalability. Sara emphasizes the importance of shared branding and standardized operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure a consistent client experience.
Notable Quote:
"Have SOPs, have detailed processes. Like, how do we open this office? How should a treatment room look? What color paint do we use in the bathroom?"
[13:34]
She advocates for a "copy and paste" approach to operational practices, making it easier to replicate success across multiple locations without compromising quality or consistency.
Deciding When to Expand: Single vs. Multiple Locations
Sara advises med spa owners to prioritize optimizing their existing location before considering expansion. However, she acknowledges that market saturation or population limits may necessitate opening additional locations.
Notable Quote:
"There's a lot to be said for making your one location as successful as you can... if there's enough space, I would definitely say do that versus spreading yourself to another place."
[10:33]
Sara points out that managing multiple locations introduces complexities such as inventory management and staffing challenges, which can detract from overall efficiency.
Team Retention and Creating Loyalty to the Brand
Employee retention is crucial, especially in environments where loyalty often resides with individual providers rather than the brand. Sara suggests implementing retention bonuses and phantom equity to incentivize long-term commitment.
Notable Quote:
"Implement some kind of retention bonus. That's the simplest way. So you would say, okay, if you stay for one year... $30,000."
[18:19]
Additionally, she highlights the value of providing growth opportunities and professional development to keep team members engaged and aligned with the clinic’s goals.
Cultivating a Positive Workplace Culture
Maintaining a balanced and professional workplace culture is vital for sustainable success. Sara stresses the importance of treating employees with respect while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
Notable Quote:
"If you lead with that kind of philosophy, I think it makes it better than if you're very distrusting of people or always trying to, you know, save $5 on someone."
[21:15]
Sara cautions against blending personal friendships with professional relationships, as it can complicate the enforcement of policies and standards.
Pricing Strategies: The Role of Discounting
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the effective use of discounting to attract new clients. Sara counters the common belief that discounting cheapens a brand by presenting data from her own experience where a substantial percentage of top clients originated from Groupon promotions.
Notable Quote:
"About 80% of the top 20% of our clients... came from Groupon. So I saw the data firsthand."
[26:16]
She emphasizes that discounting should be part of a broader marketing strategy aimed at reducing customer acquisition costs and increasing market share, rather than a tactic to devalue services.
Notable Quote:
"If you acquire new customers to get market share, I think you absolutely have to discount."
[27:53]
Sara also advises creating promotions that encourage clients to experience services without overly relying on discounts, thereby balancing acquisition with brand integrity.
Legal Compliance: Navigating GLP-1 Compounding Regulations
Towards the end of the episode, Sara addresses the latest legal developments surrounding GLP-1 compounding. She explains the strict regulations implemented as of May 22, 2025, which prohibit the production of compounded semi-glutide unless there is a well-documented medical necessity.
Notable Quote:
"After May 22, compounded semi glutide cannot be produced unless the patient has a special need for this compounded dose that's well documented."
[35:58]
Sara warns med spa owners about the legal risks associated with non-compliance, including potential lawsuits from major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. She advises transitioning to brand-name products for weight loss programs to remain compliant and avoid legal repercussions.
Notable Quote:
"If you want to be legally compliant and sleep at night. Yes."
[41:28]
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Sara concludes by reiterating the importance of balancing business strategy with legal compliance and team management. She encourages med spa owners to implement structured processes, invest wisely in marketing, and foster a positive workplace culture to achieve sustainable growth.
Notable Quote:
"Nothing good happens after you have a few drinks, you know."
[24:30]
Ricky wraps up the episode by highlighting Sara’s invaluable insights and directing listeners to her law firm, Lengia Law, for further assistance.
Where to Learn More
-
Sara Shikhman and Lengia Law:
Visit LengiaLaw.com to learn more about their services, including practice formation, compliance audits, and legal consultations tailored for med spas. -
Book Mentioned:
Med Spa Confidential by Sara Shikhman – A recommended read for med spa owners seeking comprehensive strategies for success.
This episode offers a comprehensive roadmap for med spa owners aiming to navigate the complexities of starting, scaling, and maintaining a successful practice. Sara Shikhman's blend of legal expertise and entrepreneurial experience provides actionable insights that are both practical and strategic.