RealSelf University

Stanley Okoro, MD tells us the story of the long and strange path he took from Nigeria to New York City to Atlanta and then to the US Navy, how he crossed over from military practice to private practice, and shares the surprisingly easy method he discovered to write a book on BBLs for patients in just one weekend, and what the results have been. Special Guest: Stanley Okoro, MD.

Seattle facial plastic surgeon William Portuese, MD and RealSelf CEO Tom Seery reflect on 13 years of collaboration from Dr. Portuese’s unique perspective as the first surgeon to answer a question on RealSelf, what he’s learned by answering over 30k consumer questions on RealSelf and why he’s still doing it today. On this episode, you’ll also hear why Dr. Portuese thinks BDD is the largest single challenge of his practice, why he openly posts his prices online, how he’s handled multiple thefts of his before and after photos by other surgeons, and more. Special Guests: Tom Seery and William Portuese, MD.

Facial plastic surgeon Jonathan Kulbersh, MD lets us in on his approach to marketing, including how he’s handling the request to work with a TikTok “influencer” who has 3.5M followers, what he learned being around the camera during his time doing a fellowship with Dr. Paul Nassif, and the surprising Hollywood story of how he ended up at the premiere of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in the first week of his fellowship. Special Guest: Jonathan Kulbersh, MD.

Aesthetics Biomedical® Inc (ABM) headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona is the company that stands behind innovative and leading-edge products such as the Vivace® Microneedle RF, SoME® Skincare, SENZA Laser Hair Removal, and PlasmaMD. It is an organization of visionaries committed to ethical science, quality, excellence, innovation, and the pursuit of healthy, beautiful skin. The Vivace Experience® is a minimally invasive, FDA-cleared, radiofrequency microneedling treatment that stimulates the natural production of collagen and has been shown by physicians to be effective in alleviating facial wrinkles, fine lines, and tightening the face and neck. Vivace® Microneedle RF has quickly become a favorite among consumers and celebrities and has accumulated several titles, the ultimate endorsement coming from this year's RealSelf "Most Worth It" Awards, where Vivace® was the only microneedling treatment to be voted onto the prestigious list by actual patients. SoME® Skincare That's All You, is the only patented, clinically proven, personalized skincare for at-home use. When combined by your physician with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), SoME® Skincare uses the body's own regenerative properties to stimulate natural collagen and elastin for visibly renewed firmness and luminosity, while reducing the appearance of fine lines, discoloration, and puffiness around the eyes. SoME® PRP Skincare has taken the market by storm with physicians and the media praising the product and was just named by NEWBEAUTY Magazine as the Top Innovation in the 2020 Beauty Authority Awards! Special Guest: Ashley McGuire.

Miami plastic surgeon Alex Zuriarrain, MD lets us in on how he’s managed to generate over 400 patient reviews just 1 year into private practice, how he became the go-to plastic surgeon for Spanish television in Miami without spending a dime, and the strategies he uses for driving maximum impact with those TV appearances. Special Guest: Alex Zuriarrain, MD.

Dr. James Marotta joins us to discuss his new book “Don't Let Other People Make You Feel Bad About Looking Good” and how it addresses the recurring challenge he sees with patients feeling guilty for considering facial plastic surgery. Special Guest: James Marotta, MD.

Umang Mehta, MD talks with us about how getting started in the 2009 recession helped prepare him for the pandemic, the distortion of patient expectations caused by social media, and how he uses technology to prevent BDD and set realistic expectations with rhinoplasty patients. Special Guest: Umang Mehta, MD.

Longtime cosmetic dermatology KOL and leader Lorrie Klein, MD shares her perspective on practice management, marketing, and business including the challenges of cosmetic procedure pricing, why she sold her practice a decade or more ahead of retirement and how that’s turned out, and what she’s planning to do with her MBA once she’s finished with it. Special Guest: Lorrie Klein, MD.

TouchMD Chief Business Development Officer Karson Smith tells us about TouchMD’s unique patient consultation and communication platform. The RealSelf University Virtual Exhibit Hall is an easy, no-pressure way to learn about a product or a company that might fit a need in the practice. Special Guest: Karson Smith.

If you’re an aesthetic professional or an industry brand, your consumer audience is also our audience. Guest host & RealSelf CEO Tom Seery takes us to the consumer side of the RealSelf marketplace to hear from Denise Jaeschke, VP of Consumer Marketing, about what it truly means to the researching patient that RealSelf is your go-to advisor for cosmetic decisions. Special Guests: Denise Jaeschke and Tom Seery.

Noted Bay Area dermatologist Dr. Sonia Badreshia joins us to share how building a raving fan experience for patients is her top priority, how she found her niche on TV ten years ago, and what the results have been from both earned and paid TV, reaching and attracting patients from six continents, 25 countries, and 49 states. Special Guest: Sonia Badreshia, MD.

Bridgette DeBrino, marketing director for Allenby Dermatology and BodySquad, takes us through the trials and successes of building BodySquad in Boca Raton, from the decision to replace their Emsculpt machines with CoolTone, the challenges of getting non-surgical fat reduction patients to return for photos, and what’s worked for driving high quality leads to the practice. This episode is part two of two in a series featuring an inside look at one of the nation’s most successful non-surgical body contouring practices with both the marketing director and the doctor. Special Guest: Bridgette DeBrino.

Cosmetic dermatologist Janet Allenby, DO shares her perspective on 2+ decades of practice growth in South Florida, why she decided to open a 2nd practice devoted entirely to non-surgical fat reduction, which parts of the marketing strategy she owns, and the importance of cultivating a loyal, family environment with her staff. This episode is part one of a two-part series, featuring an inside look at one of the nation’s most successful non-surgical body contouring practices with both the marketing director and the doctor. Special Guest: Janet Allenby, DO.

Longtime practice marketing expert Tami Vileta walks us through the various types of patient loyalty programs, how such programs can insulate you from price cutting and offer value to patients without making you look cheap, and what it takes for your program to rise to the top and set you apart from others in your market. Special Guest: Tami Vileta.

Founder and designer Tami Vileta briefly discusses the services offered by her company, Pinpoint Strategic Communications. Pinpoint has provided high-level creative marketing services to over 250 practices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Africa. Their work focuses primarily on patient experience and retention initiatives, including Brand Development & Curation, Patient Loyalty Marketing, Event Promotion, Email Marketing, Patient Education, Collateral Design, Social Media Marketing, Integrated Launch Campaigns (across digital, print, and display), and even Promotional Products. Tami’s work has earned creative awards and accolades over the decades, but her biggest gratification still comes from helping clients “knock it out of the park” to achieve their goals. Pinpoint places the highest priority on building enduring customer relationships. Many of their clients have been with the agency for well over a decade. Building a deep-seeded culture of unmatched customer care is paramount--and in sync with their focus on retention activities for their customers. Request more information about Pinpoint Strategic Communications. The RealSelf University Virtual Exhibit Hall is an easy, no-pressure way to learn about a product or a company that might fit a need in the practice. Special Guest: Tami Vileta.

Johnny Franco and Matthew Nykiel are two scrappy plastic surgeons and longtime friends working within the same niche, with similar strategies that led to massive Instagram success for each. On this episode, they battle over how their approaches to Instagram are both similar and different, and reveal how they’ve handled challenges such as hiring influencers, shadow banning, and the stupidity of buying followers. Special Guests: Johnny Franco, MD, FACS and Matthew Nykiel, MD.

Greg Buford tells us how the dumbest thing anyone ever said to him about the practice of medicine turned into his entire practice marketing philosophy and covers the hard lessons he’s learned in marketing. On this episode, you’ll get the questions you absolutely have to ask before you build a website, learn how to know when to hire a full time in house marketing director, and hear what it took to write and publish not just one, but two books (and why he probably won’t write another one). Special Guest: Greg Buford.

Guest host & RealSelf CEO Tom Seery uncovers the strategy behind the explosive growth of the RealSelf Instagram account to 200k+ followers with Mark Sandritter, RealSelf Head of Digital Marketing. Special Guests: Mark Sandritter and Tom Seery.

CEO Clint Carnell talks with us about The HydraFacial Company’s pivot to support aesthetic providers with their quick decision to develop and produce the FaceLife mask, why providers love it so much, and the surprise requests they received from customers once the mask hit the market. Special Guest: Clint Carnell.

Who will thrive upon reopening, and who won’t? What did they do differently? From daily conversations with doctors and practice owners ranging from Europe to Canada to throughout the United States, practice management consulting veteran Jon Hoffenberg breaks down how decisions made during the early part of pandemic either set a practice up to thrive or struggle at reopening. Jon Hoffenberg is the founder and CEO of Yellow Telescope and a popular speaker at many meetings thanks to his past hands-on experience as a patient coordinator and his data-driven approach, straight-shooting style, and quick wit. Special Guest: Jon Hoffenberg.

Founder and CEO Jon Hoffenberg briefly discusses the services offered by his companies, including Yellow Telescope, SEOversite, iScreamSocialMedia, and ReceptionScope. The RealSelf University Virtual Exhibit Hall is here to bring you an easy, no-pressure way to learn about a product or a company that might fit a need in the practice. Special Guest: Jon Hoffenberg.

Telehealth, virtual consultations, and virtual appointments have gone from rarely used to daily use. While most have adapted quickly, there’s definitely a learning curve, so we’ve been working hard to bring best practices to our audience and accelerate learnings to help maintain open patient communication. One thing everyone seems to agree on is that virtual appointments are here to stay. On today’s episode I talk with Drs. Richard Reish, Gaurav Bharti, and Bill Kortesis, all of whom have been doing virtual consults for years and bring their experiences to you. Whether you’re an old pro looking for ways to take your virtual game to the next level, or just getting started, each one of the three doctors I spoke to will have useful, actionable advice. Special Guests: Bill Kortesis, MD, FACS, Gaurav Bharti, MD, FACS, and Richard Reish, MD, FACS.

As we reflect and reconsider everything in the post-COVID world, we will be forced to make decisions about what to keep and what to throw out to make sure patients are safe while moving through the practice. Nick Magruder believes our industry has already been competing over the paper marketing footprint inside aesthetic practices for too long, and are about to see a dramatic acceleration in all things digital for the practice. Special Guest: Nick Magruder.

CEO Nick Magruder shares how Friend Media declutters your office and engages patients on beautiful HD displays with content relevant to your practice and the services you offer, enabling you to capitalize on upsell opportunities without spending thousands on external advertising. The RealSelf University Virtual Exhibit Hall is here to bring you an easy, no-pressure way to learn about a product or a company that might fit a need in the practice. Special Guest: Nick Magruder.

Email marketing is often forgotten or neglected in a practice marketing strategy. But over time, it has the potential to become the strongest and most cost effective channel you have. After experiencing the shortcomings of most agency marketing models, Drew Leahy went heads down to figure out how to actually have an impact on practice marketing with email that doesn’t fit the usual mold. At a time when no-cost/low-cost marketing efforts are desperately needed, his timing couldn't be better. Special Guest: Drew Leahy.

Patient Nectar founder Drew Leahy is here to tell us about the innovative content marketing and email services they offer, and how it’s different from the content marketing we’re used to. The RealSelf University Virtual Exhibit Hall is here to bring you an easy, no-pressure way to learn about a product or a company that might fit a need in the practice. Special Guest: Drew Leahy.

On this preview of the new Hey Seery podcast, RealSelf CEO and Founder Tom Seery interviews aesthetic practice marketing veteran Eva Sheie about everything inside the world of online reviews. Find out how to prevent leaving money on the table by learning how to acquire reviews from nearly every patient who comes through the practice, and hear the rarely shared secrets to doubling conversion rates overnight. _Hey Seery is a look inside the world of RealSelf Founder and CEO Tom Seery and his pursuit of a higher perspective about the aesthetics industry with the people who make it go. Tom curates illuminating perspectives from industry insiders and ventures outside the echo chamber to uncover insights that are hard to find, yet important to the businesses and lives of veteran, mid-career, and brand new aesthetics insiders. _ Special Guest: Tom Seery.

Dr. Sheila Barbarino has many titles -- surgeon, KOL, mom, wife, owner, researcher, entrepreneur, president, and risk taker to name a few. A few years ago, she unexpectedly found herself expanding from Los Angeles to a second location in Austin, and tells us how she’s managed to divide her time and continue to grow. Special Guest: Sheila Barbarino, MD, FAAO, FAACS, FACS.

No one has been through a pandemic, but in an effort to understand the current situation of our doctor community, we thought an expert in past disasters might be a useful place to start. Boca Raton plastic surgeon Jason Pozner returns for a special edition to talk about his experience and lessons learned from unplanned office closures due to hurricanes, extended power outages, and mandated statewide closures. As the pandemic changes our new normal by the day, we appreciate you keeping in mind that we are working with the information we had on that day. Over the coming weeks, everything we bring you through RealSelf University will be focused on building your pipeline and working toward being ready for the day you’re open for business again. Special Guest: Jason Pozner, MD.

Myths and misinformation about SEO continue to hold aesthetic practice revenue back. While it may seem more interesting to take a long nap than to deconstruct Google’s recent changes to the algorithm, winning the SEO game has a profound impact on both patient relationships and practice revenue. Clark Mackey has a pragmatic and deeply data-driven perspective on aesthetic practice search engine marketing, which he shares freely for doctors and marketers alike. Clark is the co-owner and head SEO strategist for Cake Websites & More in Asheville, North Carolina, and the secret weapon behind some of the highest-performing aesthetic practice websites in the world. Special Guest: Clark Mackey.

Over the last 8 years, Austin plastic surgeon Johnny Franco has gone all in on his dream to do what he loves, but there were no shortcuts! During this challenging time, we get his scrappy and practical advice for authentically connecting with patients through virtual consultations based on his deep foundation of experience with rural and cross-country patients, and go deep into his runaway success growing his practice on his own terms with both RealSelf and Instagram. Special Guest: Johnny Franco, MD, FACS.

Well known for being an early adopter and champion of new technology, Boca Raton plastic surgeon Jason Pozner, MD is seen as an expert in his field and works hard to be on the cutting edge of innovation and technology in the field of cosmetic surgery. Dr. Pozner tells us the story of the unusual circumstances around the purchase of his first laser, predicts what’s next in non-surgical body contouring and injectables from his unique vantage point, and shares his honest feelings about what it means to be RealSelf Verified. Special Guest: Jason Pozner, MD.

Growing a strong repeat and referral business is the key to growth. But you can’t get there without investing in marketing first. Dallas facial plastic surgeon Dr. Vu Ho takes us through the trials of his first ten years in solo practice, both the smart moves and the mistakes. He shares his thought process on the painful decision to rebrand and recounts the positive impact a professional PR person had on his growth, along with his unique approach to the challenge of asking patients to share their before & after photos, the number one thing he does to drive patient loyalty, and the reasons having a party is the wrong kind of event for a plastic surgery practice. Special Guest: Vu Ho, MD.

The front desk in an aesthetic practice is a critically important touchpoint for patients. Practice management and staff training expert Meghan Rundell talks with us about the unique characteristics of the high-performing front desk, and reveals the single most important skill to look for (that’s also the hardest to find). Meghan’s home base of Detroit is a notoriously tough market, and she shares lessons we can all learn from the volatility of the auto industry and how that impacts her day-to-day business. Special Guest: Meghan Rundell.

It’s unusual to find one and even more unusual to find two surgeons who began their private practice straight out of fellowship. On this episode we’re hearing from RealSelf Verified facial plastic surgeon Matthew Richardson from Frisco, Texas. He joined forces with a colleague and they jumped right in, learning some lessons the hard way and sharing those with us today. He gives great advice for others early in practice, including the biggest marketing fail to avoid in your first few years, why naming the practice was one of the hardest tasks to complete, and how he handles difficult conversations with patients who want to barter in exchange for Instagram visibility or get treated to mimic the look of another influencer. Special Guest: Matthew Richardson, MD.

Ed Syring reveals the biggest mistake doctors make before walking into a consultation, goes deep on what makes a great patient coordinator, and tells us why staff incentives are an absolute requirement for practice growth. As a veteran practice management consultant and the Executive Vice President of YellowTelescope, SEOversite, and iScreamSocialMedia, Ed has worked with over 10,000 patients worldwide, oversees the staffing, sales, and marketing for clients nationwide and has worked with hundreds of practices throughout his career. Special Guest: Ed Syring.

What makes some people so bold and unafraid of change? On this episode, we hear from the risk taker and the person married to the risk taker. My guests today are RealSelf Verified plastic surgeon Dr. Brannon Claytor and his wife Sarah. Together they tell us their story of negotiating without fear with the largest provider of health care real estate in the country, the surprising effect a new space had on the staff and patients, and the most important advice anyone considering a buildout from scratch needs to hear. Special Guest: Brannon Claytor, MD.

What we can learn about patient experience from the Ritz Carlton? Practice consultant April Linden goes deep on the simple, daily 5 minute process that leads to explosive practice growth. She shares the most impactful growth strategies she’s learned over 20 years of supporting practice growth, including how a team can work around a surgeon who’s never on time, the four stages of decision-making that occur between first contact and completed surgery, and the recent a-ha moment from a deep dive into a practice’s data that turned into a six-figure increase in revenue. Special Guest: April Linden.

Price transparency expert Dr. Jonathan Kaplan talks with RealSelf CEO Tom Seery about the one piece of information that doubles likelihood to schedule surgery, the (often ridiculous) reasons aesthetic surgeons reject price transparency, and how he’s booking patients straight onto the schedule via Instagram DM without ever picking up a phone. Special Guests: Jonathan Kaplan, MD and Tom Seery.

Known in Utah as the "Blue Collar Plastic Surgeon," Dr. P. Daniel Ward tells us the truth about why people in Utah are so hesitant to admit they’re "getting work done," explains how Instagram has changed the demographics of who’s coming in to see him, and reveals the secret weapon that helped him get to 28k followers on Instagram. Special Guest: P. Daniel Ward, MD.

Dr. Andrew Campbell takes us through the growing pains he's experienced through over the last 15 years as he shouldered gut-wrenching risk to grow his aesthetic practice from 1 to 5 very successful locations, while maintaining their authenticity and a warm, small town feel in the not-so-typical cosmetic surgery destination of Northeast Wisconsin. Special Guest: Andrew Campbell, MD.

Plastic surgeon and author Josh Korman talks about what to do if a Botox Bandit strikes you, goes deep on the painful subject of fraud and theft in the practice, and reveals how a pattern of negative online reviews can be a sign of employee theft. Understanding the ‘Triangle of Fraud’ How a pattern of bad patient reviews can be a sign of employee theft Recognizing the difference between theft and embezzlement Checks and balances to protect your business What to do if a Botox Bandit strikes you Special Guest: Josh Korman, MD.

A look inside the conflicts and challenges faced at the world's largest plastic surgery practice. Long Island Plastic Surgical Group's Director of Marketing Jeanine DiGennaro and RealSelf Verified plastic surgeon Richard Reish, MD join us to discuss: The unexpected reason Dr. Reish takes Uber everywhere he goes Why Dr. Reish believes buying fake followers on Instagram is an epidemic The challenges of marketing the largest plastic surgery practice in the world Incorporating and managing the marketing ideas and opinions of 22 surgeons Special Guests: Jeanine DiGennaro and Richard Reish, MD, FACS.

RealSelf Verified facial plastic surgeon Cameron Chesnut gives us an inside look at the rapid growth of his facial plastic surgery practice in Spokane, Washington. The benefits of his obsession with patient photography How he requests face patients share their before & after photos The epidemic of “pillow face” and what’s causing it The unusual market conditions driving hyaluronidase to be his #1 injectable Special Guest: Cameron Chesnut, MD, FAAD.

RealSelf Verified plastic surgeons Dr. Gaurav Bharti and Dr. Bill Kortesis, who practice together in Charlotte North Carolina, are involved in what we in the Seattle tech industry sometimes call “growth experiments” — but they don’t call it that… it’s just their way of life. I caught up with them at the ASPS Plastic Surgery meeting in late September in San Diego, and I uncovered just what makes these two entrepreneurs tick, how they think about marketing, and the unusual things that have happened to them since they started doing their own social media. Why it’s quality over quantity when it comes to followers Surprising things patients have started doing because of Instagram Content that is absolutely off limits Navigating the inappropriate demands of “influencers” Strategies for doing the actual work of social media Special Guests: Bill Kortesis, MD, FACS and Gaurav Bharti, MD, FACS.