This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex R. Thiersch, JD, sits down with Chris Suchánek, founder and CSO of Firm Media and creator of Ailm Atelier, a new online platform showcasing aesthetic doctors and their stories. They talk about Chris’s journey from the music business to specialty medical marketing, and how authenticity, storytelling, and innovation are reshaping how med spas and aesthetic practices connect with patients.

• How he transitioned from Grammy-winning music marketing to aesthetic advertising;
• The origin and mission of Ailm Atelier as a platform for storytelling and recognition;
• Why authenticity and patient trust are the new currency in aesthetic branding;
• The nomination-only process for Ailm’s featured top aesthetic doctors;
• How he redefined his personal brand with inspiration from a 90s billboard campaign;
• A mixed media marketing approach to target med spa patients in their homes;
• The future of Ailm as a consumer-facing, digital platform.

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Music by Ghost Score

In this greatest hits episode, we revisit an empowering keynote recorded live at AmSpa’s inaugural Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference (WALC) in 2023. Listen in as Carrie Strom, senior vice president of AbbVie and president of Global Allergan Aesthetics, chats with Sara Blakely, founder and executive chairwoman of SPANX. Following a brief introduction from Strom and AmSpa founder Alex R. Thiersch, JD, this keynote conversation explores the founding of a household name, along with leadership insight on confidence, failure, purpose, mindset, and much more!

This year, AmSpa's WALC is honored to present keynote speaker Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics. Join us October 3, 2025, for “Becoming Unstoppable,” an inspiring keynote where Jamie shares her inspiring journey from rejection and self-doubt to resilience and success.

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Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO Alex Thiersch, JD, speaks with Lisa Lickstein, MSW, MBA, co-owner and COO of Lickstein Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa. She previews her upcoming talk at the 2025 Women in Aesthetics Leadership Conference and shares how the concept of “unreasonable hospitality,” inspired by Will Guidara’s renowned book, has reshaped her approach to leadership, team development and the patient experience. This conversation includes:

• How clinical director Christina Hobgood Naugle, PA-C, built a thriving med spa patient base;
• What Lisa learned from Eleven Madison Park’s rise to #1;
• Why they created a staff book club to learn and grow together;
• How to systematize staff engagement for a strong company culture;
• The three rules of unreasonable hospitality and how to implement them with your team;
• How her team identified and elevated 100 patient touchpoints to enhance the overall experience;
• A sneak peek at what attendees can expect from her WALC presentation.

Join Lisa at https://experiencewalc.com/, for her session: “Achieving Competitive Advantage and Increased Profitability Through Unreasonable Hospitality.”

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Music by Ghost Score