Behind the Needle

Mike LeMieux
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Business

Mike LeMieux is the founder of MedSpa Media - a social media marketing company that works strictly with MedSpas. Mike has been in the social media marketing space since 2012 and is widely regarded as a top thought leader for his strategies and execution for his Clients, increasing their sales 2-3x. When he's not working, Mike spends every moment he can with his wife and daughter, he loves traveling and experiencing new places. He is passionate about lifting the burden that social media creates for his Clients and loves sharing his knowledge and proven strategies with others. 

  1. Nov 5

    Concierge Aesthetics, Honest Consults, and the Power of Saying No with Jennifer Lieb

    The fastest way to earn a patient’s trust isn’t a discount or a perfect Instagram feed. According to nurse practitioner Jennifer Lieb, it’s telling them no. In this episode, we sit down with nurse practitioner Jennifer Lieb, owner of Lively Aesthetics in Monticello, Illinois, and a national trainer for Allergan and Revance. After 16 years in nursing, Jennifer shares how she runs a small concierge practice built on honesty, subtle results, and human connection. We also dig into the safety science behind Botox, the rise of ultrasound in aesthetics, and whether AI can ever replace the personal touch clients are looking for. This episode is for injectors, med spa owners, and marketers who want to grow without losing the trust that keeps clients coming back. In this episode: Why Jennifer posted about her cancellation and late policies, what the viral reaction revealed, and why lost appointment time is nothing like lost retail inventoryHow the aesthetic industry has shifted since she entered it through a plastic surgery practice around 2015, and what the “Zoom boom” did to public acceptanceWhy patients now arrive at consultations more educated on brands, unit amounts, and procedures, and how that changes the conversationOur take on using conversational AI to respond to leads instantly, and Jennifer’s skepticism toward “AI slop” and template-heavy social contentWhy she’s choosing to keep Lively Aesthetics a team of five and protect culture over aggressive expansion Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Lively Aesthetics: https://lively-aesthetics.com/ Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Jennifer Lieb: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlieb.np/?hl=en Lively Aesthetics: https://www.instagram.com/the.lively.aesthetics

  2. Oct 21

    A Non-Provider's Guide to Opening and Growing a Successful Med Spa with Ashley Winkler

    She was the client who got pushed toward treatments she didn't need. Now she runs the med spa that refuses to do it to anyone else. Ashley Winkler went from stay-at-home mom to CEO of LUX Med Spa after a fascination with skincare, sparked while living in Japan, met the confidence boost she felt from Botox after having three children. She opened her doors in April 2024 with one rule: never become the kind of med spa that once pushed her toward treatments she didn't need. In this episode of Behind the Needle, we sit down with Ashley to unpack how trust, transparency, and ethical recommendations became the foundation of her growth. She shares why she insists on consultations for every new client, why she'll refer someone elsewhere if LUX can't deliver the result they want, and how unedited before-and-afters and community giveback days have done the work of a marketing budget. Ashley also pulls back the curtain on LUX|WINK, her consulting firm for practice owners, and the upcoming LUX Academy, with a candid warning about why operating in legal gray areas can cost owners far more than it earns them. This episode is for med spa owners who want to grow without compromising their ethics, and for anyone wondering whether a non-provider can build a successful practice from scratch. In this episode: How living in Japan and her own experience with Botox led a stay-at-home mom to open LUX Med Spa in April 2024Why she built her practice around trust and affordability after her own negative experiences with pushy, upsell-driven med spasWhy every new client gets a consultation before any procedure, and how it protects both compliance and patient safetyHow she grew for two and a half years with no paid SEO or digital adsThe organic marketing tactics that worked: building her own website, posting unedited before-and-after photos, and hosting giveback days in exchange for photos and local referralsWhy she avoids fake AI-generated posts and low-value content spamWhy strict adherence to state rules, scope of practice, and medical oversight (including a visible medical director) is non-negotiable, and the risks of operating in gray areas Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ LUX Med Spa: https://www.luxmedspasarasota.com/ LUX|WINK: https://luxwinkconsultants.squarespace.com/ Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ LUX Med Spa: https://www.instagram.com/luxmedspasrq LUX|WINK: https://www.instagram.com/lux_wink/

  3. Sep 14

    The Accident She Survived and the Practice She Built Because of It with Kara Roberts

    At 21, Kara Roberts was in nursing school when a hit-and-run accident nearly took her life. She walked away with multiple spinal fractures, a shattered pelvis, and a traumatic brain injury. What she didn't walk away from was the calling that experience gave her. In this episode of Behind the Needle, Kara Roberts, nurse practitioner and founder of Áine Healthcare, opens up about the accident that changed everything, the grueling hours she worked to build her practice from nothing, and the philosophy that now drives how she treats every patient who walks through her doors. This episode is perfect for anyone building something from scratch, working through their own hard chapter, or looking for proof that the worst moments don't have to define you. In this episode: How surviving a near-fatal car accident at 21 shaped Kara's approach to patient careWhy she built Áine Healthcare on a cash-based, insurance-free model without sacrificing accessibilityThe strategy behind launching with telehealth before opening two physical locationsWhat it took to work up to 400 hours a month for nearly two years to self-fund her practiceHer ongoing work in the cardiothoracic ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital and what it taught her about critical careHer role as secretary for AmSpa's Arizona chapter and how she supports the local provider community Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Áine Healthcare: https://ainehealthcare.com/ Join AmSpa: https://www.americanmedspa.org/benefits/ Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Áine Healthcare: https://www.instagram.com/aine.healthcare Kara Roberts: https://www.instagram.com/kara.roberts.np/ AmSpa Arizona Chapter: https://www.instagram.com/amspa.arizona.chapter/

  4. Sep 3

    Behind Boulevard: Building Software That Understands Med Spas with Skya Jones

    Most med spa owners went to school for aesthetics or medicine, not business. So when it comes to marketing, scheduling, payroll, and payments, they're often left guessing, and guessing gets expensive. Skya Jones is the Sr. MedSpa Education Manager and in-house MedSpa Consultant at Boulevard, where she sits at the intersection of industry strategy, customer education, and experience design, partnering with internal teams and medspa operators nationwide to build the systems and culture that turn good spas into unforgettable ones. With nearly a decade of experience in medical aesthetics and beauty, she has managed and consulted across medspa and retail beauty businesses, and is a recognized speaker and contributor passionate about advancing the conversation around growth, retention, and operational excellence. At the core of everything she does is a simple belief: the most powerful thing a medspa can invest in is the client experience. This conversation covers how Boulevard's platform was built by industry veterans sitting at real front desks, and how features like their new AI receptionist and revenue-protecting scheduling tools are changing the way med spas operate. In this episode: Why med spa owners often feel overwhelmed by daily operations, logistics, and marketing, and how their training didn't prepare them for itHow Boulevard's education team, built from salon, barbershop, and spa veterans, works directly with clients and Boulevard's product teams to solve real problemsWhy Boulevard's founders built the platform by sitting at front desks and working alongside assistants and payroll managersWhy the platform automatically reorders services to prevent scheduling errors, like booking a facial too soon after a neurotoxin treatmentWho Boulevard is actually built for, and why it becomes a stronger fit once a med spa grows past one room or adds a second providerWhat med spas can expect from Boulevard's data migration process when switching over from another platform Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Boulevard: https://www.joinblvd.com/ Get a Boulevard Demo: https://www.joinblvd.com/get-a-demo Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Boulevard: https://www.instagram.com/joinblvd

  5. Aug 24

    Starting From Scratch, Three Times, with Natalie Galanin

    Most people fear starting over. Natalie Galanin has done it three times. In this episode of Behind the Needle, Natalie Galanin, owner of Resurface Studio in Sitka, Alaska, shares how she went from studying marine science on the Big Island to becoming one of Alaska's most in-demand estheticians.  Natalie opens up about what it took to start over in a state with far stricter licensing rules than Hawaii, how those restrictions actually led her to a specialty she loves, and why holistic, lifestyle-driven skincare has become the backbone of her business. She also gets into the realities of running a studio in a town that swings from nearly 3 million tourists to a winter ghost town, and why she believes authenticity, not polish, is what actually grows a client base on social media. This episode is for anyone who's had to rebuild from scratch, question the rules they were taught, or figure out how to build a loyal clientele in an unconventional market. In this episode: Natalie's path from marine science student in Hawaii to full-time estheticianBuilding and relocating her first studio in Hawaii, and the lessons learned from starting over in a new neighborhoodThe personal loss that brought her back to Sitka, Alaska, and how quickly her books filled up once she reopenedThe surprising differences between Hawaii's and Alaska's licensing restrictions for estheticiansHow losing access to microneedling and dermaplaning led her to specialize in acne through Face Reality certificationHer holistic approach to skin health, including diet, stress, sleep, and Alaska's common vitamin D deficienciesWhy authentic, personal content outperforms product-focused posts on social media Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Book with Resurface Studio: resurfacestudio.co Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Resurface Studio: https://www.instagram.com/resurfacestudio/?hl=en

  6. Jul 21

    Turning Pain into Purpose with Brandie Henderson

    She lost her husband, had nothing left, and went back to work two days later. Not because she was fine. Because she had a daughter watching. Brandie Henderson did not build Morph Aesthetics from a place of comfort or stability. She built it from the wreckage of sudden loss, driven by the kind of clarity that only comes when you have no other choice. In this episode of Behind the Needle, Brandie shares the story behind one of Scottsdale's most recognizable aesthetic practices, what it cost her to get there, and why the name Morph means exactly what she intended it to. This one is honest, personal, and for anyone who has ever had to build something from a place of loss. In this episode: How unexpected widowhood became the catalyst for building Morph Aesthetics and what those first days looked likeWhy she went back to work two days after losing her husband and what kept her moving forwardThe meaning behind the name Morph and what metamorphosis represents in her own life and careerHow she structured her practice around complete financial self-reliance and why she refuses to depend on outside investors or other providersWhat her role as an Allergan trainer involves and what she focuses on when teaching other injectorsWhy she believes authentic connection during consultations is her greatest clinical strengthThe training program she built for new nurses and why she thinks the industry's standard education is not enough Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Morph Aesthetics: https://morphaesthetics.com/ Training Courses: https://morphaesthetics.com/nurse-training-course/ Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Morph Aesthetics: https://www.instagram.com/morph_aesthetics/ Brandie Henderson: https://www.instagram.com/brandie_henderson_aesthetics/

  7. Jun 29

    The Financial Truth Behind a Thriving Med Spa with Jaci North

    Most med spa owners know how to build a beautiful client experience. Far fewer know what their numbers are actually telling them. Jaci North is a CPA and fractional CFO who works inside multiple med spas at once, and she has seen the same pattern repeat itself: talented, driven owners who are quietly terrified of their own financials. In this episode of Behind the Needle, Jaci breaks down why that fear is costing practices real money, and what it looks like to replace avoidance with a financial system that actually works for growth. If you have ever closed your bookkeeping software before the numbers could stress you out, this episode is for you. In this episode: What a fractional CFO actually does and why it is changing how small med spas access financial expertiseHow to understand gross profit, operational profit, and what the "job" of profit really is inside your businessWhy financial mindset matters as much as financial literacy, and how to stop avoiding your own dataThe levers med spa owners can pull to improve margins without burning out their teamsWhy Jaci treats marketing as an investment and what trackable ROI actually looks like Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ North & Ivy: https://northandivy.com/ Grounding Point Assessment: https://northandivy.com/grounding-assessment Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Jaci North: https://www.instagram.com/jacinorth/

  8. Jun 25

    Anatomy, Empathy, and the Art of Slowing Down with Adriana Medeiros

    Most injectors learn anatomy from a textbook. Adriana Medeiros learned it from a cadaver lab, and she will tell you there is no comparison. In this episode of Behind the Needle, Adriana Medeiros walks through her path from med-surge and pediatric dialysis to aesthetics, what it took to open her own practice after NP school, and why she believes aesthetic medicine demands the same level of rigor as any other clinical specialty. She also opens up about cadaver lab training and the anatomical realities that textbooks simply cannot prepare you for. This episode is for every injector who got into aesthetics because they genuinely care about patients and every practice owner trying to build something that lasts. In this episode: How a career spanning med-surge, acute care, and pediatric dialysis shaped her approach to aestheticsThe "unreasonable hospitality" philosophy behind her practice and what it looks like in actionThe follow-up facial program that grew her businessWhy she invested in cadaver lab training and what studying real human anatomy revealed that no course could replicateThe argument she makes for treating aesthetics with the same seriousness as any other branch of medicineWhat she hopes her children take away from watching her build something from nothing Resources + Links Work with Mike, learn more about social media and ads for your MedSpa: https://medspamediagroup.com/ Book with Lux Lab Aesthetics: https://luxlabaesthetics.com/ Follow Mike LeMieux: https://www.instagram.com/mikelemieux/ MedSpa Media: https://www.instagram.com/medspa_media/ Lux Lab Aesthetics: https://www.instagram.com/luxlabaesthetics

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Mike LeMieux is the founder of MedSpa Media - a social media marketing company that works strictly with MedSpas. Mike has been in the social media marketing space since 2012 and is widely regarded as a top thought leader for his strategies and execution for his Clients, increasing their sales 2-3x. When he's not working, Mike spends every moment he can with his wife and daughter, he loves traveling and experiencing new places. He is passionate about lifting the burden that social media creates for his Clients and loves sharing his knowledge and proven strategies with others. 

Information

  • Creator
    Mike LeMieux
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Behind the Needle
  • Show Website
    Behind the Needle

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