Practiceland: Not Your Doctor's Podcast

In the aesthetics industry, vendor partnerships can amplify your growth—or quietly drain your time, budget, and brand.  Andrea Watkins sits down with marketing strategist Eva Sheie, conversion expert Heather Hughes Hardy, and Asia Pacific Aesthetics’ surgical director Keri Choy to discuss what truly makes a partnership worth it.

Keri shares how Dr. Shim Ching’s million-strong Instagram following attracts patients from around the world, and why genuine, human support from vendors matters more than flashy promises. The group breaks down how lean, well-integrated tech systems speed up lead flow and response time, while bloated or misaligned platforms bog dow...

A leader’s mood sets the tone for the whole team, and if they’re having an off day, you’ll feel it. But always remember that it’s not about you. Andrea and Alli break down how to navigate those tricky moments with grace, positivity, and a little strategy.

From adjusting your own tone and energy to keeping communication open, they share why emotional intelligence matters just as much as skill in an aesthetic practice. And when it comes to bringing up problems, never walk into a meeting with your leader without 2–3 solutions ready. Preparation is your best defen...

Talking about money in a consult can make even the most confident coordinator hesitate. But what if that moment didn’t have to feel awkward at all?

At La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, one small change in language—using the “EASE” method—led to a 58% jump in financing applications and completely transformed the way the team approached affordability.

Blake Lucas brings together Eva Sheie, Bridgette DeBrino, and Janelle Robinson, COO of LJCSC, to share how practices can build a culture that embraces change, strengthen trust through transparency, and create happier patient outcomes.

Listen for a fresh ta...

Some patients are so loyal, they start to feel like friends. But loyalty can have a dark side when personal-professional boundary lines blur. 

Letting “frequent flyers” bend boundaries only creates chaos for the whole team. Great service doesn’t mean letting patients run the show—it means keeping standards high for everyone.

Heather Hughes-Hardy breaks down how to reset expectations without losing a valuable relationship.

GUEST

Heather Hughes Hardy, RN
Aesthetics Sales Specialist

Heather’s passion for making aesthetic practices run smoothly has led her to find way...

You know those times when the phones get quiet and everyone starts to worry? This is the episode you’ll want your whole team to hear before that happens. 

PatientFi’s Blake Lucas sits down with Heather Hughes-Hardy (CORE IT Method), Eva Sheie (The Axis), and Stephanie Deswert (PCC at Berks Plastic Surgery) for a behind-the-scenes conversation on how top practices are staying profitable when patient flow slows. 

Heather reframes downtime as your biggest growth window, Stephanie shares how she keeps an 80 to 90 percent consult-to-surgery conversion rate without pushing, and Eva breaks down how authentic content builds...

You can usually tell within the first few minutes of a call when a patient might be a challenge. It’s not always attitude. Sometimes it’s nerves, expectations, or a few too many Google searches. Either way, how you handle those first moments can shape the entire relationship.

Andrea and Alli are back to talk about what really happens when emotions run high behind the front desk. From the “I just want a breast aug” caller who actually needs a lift and augmentation, to the tense moment someone mentions being “botched,” they’ve seen it all.

Learn how...

Every day, Jenna Hennig is asked about her age. She used to get nervous when patients questioned her age or experience. 

Over time, she’s learned how to respond with confidence and ease by reframing the conversation around expertise, emphasizing that it’s not just about years in the industry—it’s about skill, results, and volume of practice. 

GUEST

Jenna Hennig, RN, Aesthetic Injector
Austin Plastic Surgeon

Now a seasoned aesthetic injector, Jenna’s career started in women's health as an L&D nurse. Her specialties include faci...

In fast-paced aesthetic practices full of women, it’s normal for there to be some friction. But when team dynamics get tense, it’s up to leadership to set the tone.

From coworkers with tough communication styles to those who seem to always make your job harder, one person can throw off the whole vibe.

Creating a culture of appreciation and accountability is everything. When internal issues go unchecked—or worse, get whispered about in the break room—it chips away at trust and productivity. But there is a way to handle it without fueling the drama.

Patient events are risky because if you fail, it’s an expensive, time-consuming, and overwhelming mistake. But what if events could be your most reliable growth engine?

Aaron Toly reframes events from “cost centers” into high-ROI investments with strategies that get patients lined up around the block. 

From how to get funds from your reps to the secrets of keeping guests moving through the building—while spending—you’ll learn how to design events that scale and grow. 

If you want to host events that feel effortless but drive serious return, this one’s for you.

When you reach the end of a consultation and someone declines your pitch because of the price, it’s almost never about the price. Understanding emotional drivers is key to closing the sale, and it’s your job to handle objections with confidence and empathy. 

Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig share what questions to ask to uncover what’s really holding them back and get the real reasons behind price objections. 

GUESTS 

Heather Hughes Hardy
Aesthetics Sales Specialist

Heather’s passion for making aesthetic practices run smoothly ha...

“How much should you be making in your role at an aesthetic practice?” It’s the question everyone has, but few actually know the answer.

Business consultant Jessica Hunter—who’s spent the last 10 years working closely with the financials of 75+ clinics—shares the right way to think about earning more. 

She explains why compensation can feel like the wild west, what practices really spend on overhead, and how to position yourself for growth by delivering value that can’t be overlooked.

From hourly vs. commission models to KPIs that highlight your impact at the front desk...

Not having a clear financial policy is asking for trouble. To help protect your schedule and convert more patients, Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella share exactly what to include in your financial policy, where to introduce it, and how to talk about it in a way that builds trust, not conflict.

Including an expiration date on quotes adds gentle urgency, encourages commitment, and protects you if your prices change down the road. And when it comes to cancellations, vague policies open the door for excuses. A firm, consistent approach helps patients take their appointments (and your time) seriously.<...

Some patients have one or two questions. Others have a hundred… 

Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig help us understand why  someone might be a “100-question patient” and navigate these challenging consultations with grace. 

Learn how to bring structure and emotional pacing into your conversations, pre-handle common objections, and keep the conversation on track without making the patient feel rushed or dismissed.

GUESTS 

Heather Hughes Hardy
Aesthetics Sales Specialist

Heather’s passion for making aesthetic practices run smoothly has led her to find ways to improve effi...

A practice manager writes in to ask Andrea and Alli for help with her front desk who is wonderful with patients but struggles to keep calls brief, resulting in lost opportunities in the form of missed calls and lowered productivity. 

Warmth is essential, but if calls run long, you risk missed opportunities and dropped balls elsewhere. Andrea and Alli talk about the fine balance between building rapport and staying efficient, especially at the front desk. 

Hear why training and self-awareness are so important, and learn the best way to help team members recognize their own habits an...

After 15 years at the same practice—where Bridgette DeBrino grew from clinician to operations lead—she made the tough call to walk away… not out of burnout or bitterness, but because it was simply time to change. 

Hear what it’s like to evolve beyond a role you’ve outgrown, how to leave with grace and your relationships intact, and what it means to lead from the heart through a big, scary transition.

Bridgette shares what led her to team up with Belvara Collection, a fresh take on the turnkey suite model for independent aesthetics pros, and how she...

When the competition pushes fees down, it’s tempting to slash prices just to keep up. But Erica Crawford says, don’t do it! She reveals what it takes to reach the top of the market while others race to the bottom.

With experience working with hundreds of top practices and a proven approach to increasing prices, Erica’s insights will help you escape what she calls the pricing “rat race” and elevate your brand.

From tactics that filter bargain hunters to why you should never buy Instagram followers, Erica shares her playbook for pricing with confidence...

Patients don’t always say what they’re feeling, but their body language gives it away.

Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig break down how to spot the silent signals of hesitation, confusion, or discomfort, like fidgeting, shifting eyes, or sudden posture changes, and what to do when you see them.

Find out how to adapt to different personality types and create a space where patients feel safe opening up by reading body language cues and learn the secrets of reading the room to completely change the direction of a consultation.

GUESTS 
...

Scheduling non-surgical appointments isn’t just about filling a spot on the calendar. It’s an opportunity to start a relationship.

Every first impression turns into trust. That means asking the right questions to understand what the patient is looking for, making sure they’re a good fit for the treatment, and setting clear expectations about what results they can expect.

To guide patients confidently, you need to know the treatments inside and out. But it’s not just about facts—it’s about sharing your excitement for what your providers do best. When you speak with genuine...

Most of us were never taught how financing actually works. We nod along when APR or compound interest comes up, hoping no one asks follow-up questions.

Blake answers all the “dumb” questions we’re secretly asking, from how traditional medical credit cards come with hidden fees and high interest, frustrating both patients and providers. PatientFi was built to offer a friendlier, more transparent way to pay, helping patients say yes to the care they want.

Monthly payments can shift everything. When patients know they can enjoy results now and pay over time—without compounding interest or surprise...

If your job is draining the life out of you, but you keep telling yourself to just “push through,”  Kelcy Heringer was there too. Five years went by before she realized she was stuck in a cycle of burnout, self-doubt, and career stagnation.

Years went by in this toxic workplace, while Kelcy held on and hoped things would get better. But with constant micromanagement, gossip, and turnover, it only got worse. Fear and guilt kept her from walking away as the red flags piled up.

With Blake Lucas, Kelcy explains why people stay in unhealthy environments, how t...

Angry patients aren’t just upset for no reason. They’re feeling unheard, disrespected, or scared, and how you respond in those first few moments can make or break the relationship.

Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig share real-world stories and proven strategies for turning tense moments into trust-building opportunities. 

Role-playing tough scenarios and creating clear escalation protocols can help your whole team feel more confident and prepared when things get heated.

Learn how to validate emotions without losing authority, why staying calm is contagious, and how to handle confrontation without letting it rattle you.<...

Prospective patients often come in with more questions than answers. They’re unsure about procedures, anxious about costs, and looking for someone who truly listens. That’s where empathy goes a long way.

People are more price-conscious than ever, but trust needs to come before transparency. So when pricing questions come up, Andrea and Alli share exactly how to be helpful without brushing them off! 

Andrea and Alli share how to handle pricing inquiries with confidence and care, what the front desk should do, and how PCCs pick up the conversation to help patients make informed decis...

Think being nice and avoiding conflict makes you a better leader? Think again.

Kelcy Heringer played nice until she saw that real respect comes from honesty, not people-pleasing. Now she’s all about leveling the playing field and speaking up even when it’s uncomfortable.

Blake Lucas learned the hard way that sugarcoating feedback doesn’t help his team or his credibility. When one of his reports kept getting passed over for promotions without understanding why, he realized he was avoiding the tough conversations that really mattered.

Having managed thousands of people between them, Kelcy...

Active listening is more than nodding along. It’s about tuning into the words, tone, and emotions behind what patients are saying (and not saying). When you pick up on those cues and mirror their language, trust starts to form, and that’s when the real connection happens.

Heather Hughes Hardy and Jenna Hennig share how to hear what patients are really telling you, even if they’re not saying it directly.

Learn how to create a safe space for honest conversations, why your note-taking matters more than you think, and how to use empathy and clarit...

In an aesthetic practice, handling front desk calls is an art. 

The connection you make in the first few seconds matters, and it starts with a warm, genuine greeting. It’s not just about being friendly; it’s about making the caller feel heard and cared for right away.

And when it’s time to transfer that call to a patient coordinator, knowing how to hand off that prospective patient is a skill in itself.  

To help you build stronger patient relationships and instantly increase conversion rates, Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella share their time-test...

Going above and beyond at work but still not moving up? The unpleasant truth is that hard work alone won’t get you promoted these days. You have to own your career growth. No one else will do it for you.

What actually moves the needle is speaking up, getting visible, and going after what you want. Kelcy Heringer returns to Practiceland to share how to shift your mindset and craft a confident, honest way to start the conversation.

GUEST

Kelcy Heringer
Business & Exec Accelerator

Kelcy helps hi...

As the Senior Director of Customer Experience at PatientFi, Blake Lucas thrives on solving problems, calming chaos, and turning challenges into wins.

Leading the team that supports practices and their patients,  Blake’s career in customer service shapes his approach to every situation, helping busy staff get their jobs done and ensuring patients feel confident and cared for throughout the aesthetic journey.

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Learn more about PatientFi

Connect with Blake on LinkedIn

SHE DID WHAT?
Got a wild customer service story or a sticky patient sit...

Patient care coordinators aren’t just salespeople. They’re listeners first, educators second, and the trusted guides patients rely on to make confident decisions.

But stepping into this role, especially if you’re being promoted from the front desk, requires a major mindset shift. Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella share what it takes to be a standout PCC, and how the rest of the team should support the people in this high-impact role.

From building trust and guiding patients through decisions to keeping the surgeon’s schedule running smoothly, the PCC role is both strategic and deeply p...

High performers, especially women, can find themselves overworked and underpaid when they’ve built a reputation as a “doer.”  

Doing too much can keep you from being promoted, and the key is to shift into thinking and acting like a strategic leader who sets boundaries and drives impactful results. 

Kelcy Heringer explains why this happens and how to be seen as the leader you really are, starting with not saying yes to every request that lands in your inbox at 11 PM.

GUEST

Kelcy Heringer
Business & Exec Accelerator

The front desk does more than answer the phone. It's the first impression, the emotional thermostat of the clinic, and a powerful (and often overlooked) engine behind smooth, profitable operations.

Andrea Watkins and Alli Petriella get inside the mindset of this key role in an aesthetic practice and what it takes to be truly great in this role.

Even if you’re not on the front line, you need to know how it fits and functions within a successful, high-performing team to better support the people who are.

GUEST

Al...