Aesthetic Appeal

What is your medical spa actually worth — and what would it take to sell it for real money? Aesthetic Appeal is the podcast for medical aesthetics practice owners thinking seriously about valuation, growth, profitability, and the exit they actually want. Hosted by Bill Walker, Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, and Jessica Hunter, Head of Aesthetic Consulting, the show breaks down med spa M&A, private equity deals, EBITDA, pricing, and the operational decisions that quietly add or destroy millions in enterprise value. Every episode answers the questions med spa owners, plastic surgeons, and cosmetic dermatology operators type into Google at midnight: what is my practice worth, when should I sell, how do I raise prices without losing patients, why is my million-dollar practice not profitable, and what does private equity actually want from aesthetic clinics in 2026. Bill brings the deal side. A former Marine Corps pilot turned M&A advisor, he led mergers and acquisitions for a private equity-backed healthcare platform before founding Aesthetic Brokers, helping doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. On the show, he covers valuation math, buyer behavior, deal structure, due diligence, letters of intent, and what investors are actually paying for an aesthetic practice today. Jessica brings the operator side. After consulting with more than 75 medical aesthetic clinics across the U.S. and Canada, she knows exactly what makes a clinic sellable long before a broker is on the phone — provider redundancy, P&L hygiene, time discipline, pricing strategy, and the financial habits owners avoid until it's too late. Recurring topics include medical spa valuations and EBITDA multiples; private equity, MSOs, and platform consolidation in aesthetics; selling a med spa or plastic surgery practice; exit strategy planning for first-time founders; pricing models and raising prices without losing clients; the hidden math behind "million-dollar" practices; GLP-1, compounding pharmacy, and regulatory shifts; cybersecurity and HIPAA risk for healthcare practices; wealth management for aesthetic entrepreneurs; and leadership, team building, and operations inside a high-growth clinic. If you own — or plan to own — a medical spa, plastic surgery center, cosmetic dermatology practice, or any aesthetic-adjacent healthcare business, Aesthetic Appeal is built for you. Press play before you list, before you sign, and before you assume the first offer in your inbox is the best one.  Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or aestheticappealpodcast.com.

  1. 3d ago

    The Service Mix That Decides What Your Practice is Worth

    Most owners add a new service because they're personally excited about it. Jessica Hunter has a harder test: before you spend a dollar on a device or a drug, can you prove that 40% of your current patients would actually try it? That one number is the difference between a home run and an expensive mistake. Jessica and Bill Walker get into how to add GLP-1s, hormone therapy, and peptides without blowing up your liability or your margins. They cover why every service needs its own consent, how often to revisit your intake forms, and why one client spent twelve months asking every patient the same question before buying a device that now averages $40,000 a month. Bill explains why a practice with 80% of its revenue in GLP-1s is over-leveraged in a buyer's eyes, where the old guard and the newer wellness platforms draw the line on weight-loss revenue, and why doing a few complementary services well beats chasing seventeen. He also makes the case that a $5 million practice growing 30% a year is exactly the one you should be selling. Listen for the 40% rule, the EMR feature most owners are already paying for and never use, and why a rural owner needs to start planning the exit two and a half years out. Questions answered by this episode: What is my medical spa worth?When is the best time to sell a medical spa?Should I offer GLP-1s in my med spa?How do I add hormone replacement therapy to my practice?What do private equity buyers look for in a med spa?How do I decide which new services to add to my practice?How much of my revenue should come from GLP-1s?How do I market new services to my existing patients?How often should I update patient intake and consent forms?How far in advance should I plan my practice exit? HOST Bill Walker Founder & CEO, Aesthetic Brokers Bill Walker is the Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, where he leads transaction advisory for medical spas, cosmetic dermatology practices, and plastic surgery centers. Prior to founding Aesthetic Brokers, Bill led mergers & acquisitions for a large private equity-backed healthcare services organization, where he helped doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. He is a nationally recognized speaker and thought leader in healthcare M&A. Bill began his career as a Marine Corps pilot, ultimately serving under two administrations at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron and commanding a squadron in combat. Follow Bill on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Connect with Bill on LinkedIn HOST Jessica Hunter Head of Aesthetic Consulting, Aesthetic Brokers Jessica Hunter is the Founder & CEO of Hunter Consulting and Head of Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, where she helps medical aesthetic clinics grow smarter and stronger. She's partnered with more than 75 clinics across Canada and the U.S., guiding them to boost profits, streamline operations, and build lasting success. Known for her energy, straightforward approach, and genuine care, Jessica believes the best advice comes from truly understanding each business, especially its financial health and unique challenges. Follow Jessica on Instagram @hunterconsulting_ Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what's happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    1h 1m
  2. Jun 3

    Where AI Pays Off And Where It Costs You

    The same tool that can save hours of admin work in an aesthetic practice can also quietly erode the thing patients are actually paying for. Jessica Hunter explains where to lean in hard, where to pull back, and how to tell the difference before a practice accidentally automates itself out of relevance. Jessica walks through her own daily use as a consultant — sorting financials, templating protocols, summarizing emails — and lays out the specific tasks she would hand off to AI inside a practice: appointment confirmations, post-treatment check-ins, Botox rebook reminders, pre and post care content, and competitive research. She also shares a small branding trick: pasting a client's website into Claude so any new document inherits the tone and look of the brand. The other side of the conversation is sharper. AI-written social posts read as phony from a mile away, and patients are not paying for a generic caption — they came for a face, an expertise, and a portfolio of before-and-afters. The same logic applies to consultations: the moment an AI tool starts telling a patient what their treatment plan should be, the provider has quietly handed over the one thing only they can do. A practical breakdown of which AI tasks free up the day and which ones quietly cost a practice the patient relationship it has spent years building. Questions answered by this episode: 1. How can med spas use AI? 2. What's the best AI tool for small business operations? 3. Should aesthetic practices use AI on social media? 4. How fast should a med spa respond to a new lead? 5. Can AI do a med spa consultation? 6. How do you automate appointment reminders for Botox patients? 7. Why does AI-generated social media content look fake? 8. How do you use AI to write pre and post care instructions? 9. How do you do competitive research with AI? 10. What tasks should practice owners never hand off to AI? HOST Jessica Hunter Head of Aesthetic Consulting, Aesthetic Brokers Jessica Hunter is the Founder & CEO of Hunter Consulting and Head of Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, where she helps medical aesthetic clinics grow smarter and stronger. She's partnered with more than 75 clinics across Canada and the U.S., guiding them to boost profits, streamline operations, and build lasting success. Known for her energy, straightforward approach, and genuine care, Jessica believes the best advice comes from truly understanding each business, especially its financial health and unique challenges. Follow Jessica on Instagram @hunterconsulting_ Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what's happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    11 min
  3. May 27

    Why Raising Your Prices Is Almost Always the Wrong Move

    Most consultants will tell you one thing when revenue stalls: just charge more per unit. Jessica Hunter, Head of Aesthetic Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, has watched that advice quietly cost practices money for years. Her position is simpler — pricing is a strategic tool, not a number to bump every January. Jessica walks through three distinct pricing levers most owners collapse into one. Acquisition pricing creates urgency for a first visit. Retention pricing rewards a returning patient who books inside the optimal window — for neurotoxin, that's roughly every two-and-a-half to three months. Volume pricing reflects the truth that 10 units and 40 units take about the same chair time, but only one of them pays the room. The metric that drives all of it isn't price per unit. It's average transaction value. Jessica shares the client doing $60K to $70K a month in neurotoxin with a $450 ATV, where the right move was building frequency, not raising the menu. Cost of goods barely moves the math. Provider type and minutes per appointment do. The clearest example sits at the end of the episode. One client's neurotoxin revenue jumped from $18,000 in January to $39,000 in February on three additional patients — same hours, same provider, restructured pricing. Questions answered by this episode: How do you price Botox profitably in a med spa?Should I raise my Botox prices to make more money?What is average transaction value in an aesthetic practice?How do you make neurotoxin services profitable?How long should a Botox appointment take?How do you get Botox patients to come back more often?What is the best pricing strategy for a med spa?How do you price add-on services in aesthetics?Is a lip flip profitable as a standalone service?How does provider type affect neurotoxin profitability? HOST Jessica Hunter Head of Aesthetic Consulting, Aesthetic Brokers Jessica Hunter is the Founder & CEO of Hunter Consulting and Head of Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, where she helps medical aesthetic clinics grow smarter and stronger. She's partnered with more than 75 clinics across Canada and the U.S., guiding them to boost profits, streamline operations, and build lasting success. Known for her energy, straightforward approach, and genuine care, Jessica believes the best advice comes from truly understanding each business, especially its financial health and unique challenges. Follow Jessica on Instagram @hunterconsulting_ Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what's happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    12 min
  4. May 20

    Why Selling Your Aesthetic Practice Like a House Costs You Millions

    A direct buyer reaches out, the number sounds generous, and the temptation to skip a formal process kicks in fast. That’s where most founders quietly leave the biggest check of their career on the table. Bill Walker breaks down what a real M&A engagement looks like next to the “list it like a house” approach most founders default to. He walks through a recent client who came to Aesthetic Brokers with a higher-than-usual direct offer in hand, the analysis that proved the practice was worth millions more, and the eight competitive buyers AB brought to the table — a process that pushed final deal value 62% above the original number. He also takes on the fear most founders carry into a transaction but rarely name out loud — what happens to the team after the sale. The answer separates the parts of that fear that are valid from the parts that aren’t, and explains why heavy-hitter staff often gain a career trajectory they could never have built solo, plus 401k matching and real health benefits a founder typically can’t afford on their own. A clear look at the engagement process, the post-sale realities for the people who built the practice with you, and the founder mistake that quietly costs the most in the two years before exit. Questions answered by this episode: 1. How much is my medical spa worth? 2. How do you sell a medical spa? 3. Should I use a broker to sell my aesthetic practice? 4. Should I accept an off-market offer for my practice? 5. What happens to my staff when I sell my practice? 6. How do private equity firms value an aesthetic practice? 7. What mistakes do practice owners make before selling? 8. How much more can an M&A firm get for my practice? 9. What should I do in the two years before selling my practice? 10. Do employees get better benefits after a practice acquisition? HOST Bill Walker Founder & CEO, Aesthetic Brokers Bill Walker is the Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, where he leads transaction advisory for medical spas, cosmetic dermatology practices, and plastic surgery centers. Prior to founding Aesthetic Brokers, Bill led mergers & acquisitions for a large private equity-backed healthcare services organization, where he helped doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. He is a nationally recognized speaker and thought leader in healthcare M&A. Bill began his career as a Marine Corps pilot, ultimately serving under two administrations at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron and commanding a squadron in combat. Follow Bill on Instagram @aestheticbrokersConnect with Bill on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what’s happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic BrokersFollow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    8 min
  5. May 13

    Why Do You Care What The Competition Is Doing?

    Most practice owners have a daily habit they wouldn’t call a habit. Scrolling through competitor accounts, clocking what other clinics are charging, watching what new memberships and treatments they’re rolling out. It feels like research, but it’s stealing your energy from your own growth. In this solo episode, Jessica makes the case that almost none of what you see your competitors doing connects to a real decision in your own business. She walks through how she handles it with her consulting clients. When a competitor’s offer comes up, she asks one question: why do you care? Most of the time the answer is that it doesn’t apply to your goals at all, and the conversation ends there. She also tells a story from a conference stage that quietly changed how she thinks about competitors. What shows up on someone else’s social tells you almost nothing real about how their business is actually running, who their providers are, or whether their numbers add up. Her most successful clients all share one trait. They’re so locked in on their own business that they don’t have room to think about anyone else’s. Listen for the simple question Jessica asks every time a competitor’s name comes up in a client meeting. Questions answered by this episode: How do you stop comparing your business to your competitors?Should you match your competitor’s prices as a med spa owner?How do you stay focused on growing your own practice?Should med spa owners follow their competitors on social media?How do you handle competition in the aesthetics industry?Why is watching your competitors hurting your med spa’s growth?What do the most successful aesthetic practice owners have in common?Is it useful to track what other med spas are charging?How do you set your own prices without copying competitors?What question should you ask yourself when a competitor catches your attention?HOST Jessica Hunter Head of Aesthetic Consulting, Aesthetic Brokers Jessica Hunter is the Founder & CEO of Hunter Consulting and Head of Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, where she helps medical aesthetic clinics grow smarter and stronger. She’s partnered with more than 75 clinics across Canada and the U.S., guiding them to boost profits, streamline operations, and build lasting success. Known for her energy, straightforward approach, and genuine care, Jessica believes the best advice comes from truly understanding each business, especially its financial health and unique challenges. Follow Jessica on Instagram @hunterconsulting_ Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what’s happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    8 min
  6. May 6

    Why Your First Offer Is Never the Best Offer

    Email blasts, cold calls, and decks full of stats stack up for months before most aesthetic practice founders are even ready to sell. The buyers on the other end of those messages know exactly what they're doing — they're hoping to lock in a deal before anyone runs a competitive process. The question is whether you understand the playbook well enough to recognize one when it lands in your inbox. In this solo episode, Bill Walker breaks down how private equity actually structures deals for medical aesthetic and longevity practices. He walks through the difference between a joint venture and an asset purchase agreement, then explains how cash at close, rollover equity, promissory notes, and earnouts each play a distinct role in your total deal value. Bill explains why a $10 million enterprise value rarely lands as $10 million in your bank account, why rolling 30% equity is a long-horizon bet against the S&P 500 rather than a liquid stock position, and why an unlimited earnout is almost always a worse deal than a tangible one tied to a measurable growth target. He also covers the bonuses and incentives that quietly shape your final number — and what a retrade feels like when you went into the deal without representation. Stay through the end for Bill's read on the quiet shift among private investors toward whole-body, whole-aesthetic platforms, and why founders who go it alone tend to leave more than 30% of their deal value on the table. Questions answered by this episode: 1. Should I sell my med spa to private equity? 2. How much is my aesthetic practice worth to private equity? 3. How do private equity firms value medical practices? 4. How are private equity deals structured for healthcare practices? 5. What does cash at close mean in a private equity deal? 6. What is rollover equity in a practice sale? 7. What is a typical earnout in a private equity deal? 8. Do I need an M&A advisor to sell my medical practice? 9. What is the difference between a joint venture and an asset purchase agreement? 10. What is a promissory note in a private equity transaction? HOST Bill Walker Founder & CEO, Aesthetic Brokers Bill Walker is the Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, where he leads transaction advisory for medical spas, cosmetic dermatology practices, and plastic surgery centers. Prior to founding Aesthetic Brokers, Bill led mergers & acquisitions for a large private equity-backed healthcare services organization, where he helped doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. He is a nationally recognized speaker and thought leader in healthcare M&A. Bill began his career as a Marine Corps pilot, ultimately serving under two administrations at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron and commanding a squadron in combat. Follow Bill on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Connect with Bill on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what's happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    23 min
  7. Apr 29

    Why Most Medspa Owners Try to Sell 3 Years Too Early

    Almost every day, a medspa owner calls to talk about selling, and almost every one of them hasn't given it enough time yet. Jessica Hunter walks through the real math and timelines behind building a sellable practice and what actually separates a practice worth buying from one that isn't… and it's not credentialing. Comparing an RN who does the same skillset every single day with a nurse practitioner who splits time across the hospital, the clinic, and four different services, find out why the RN wins. Jessica makes a direct case for staying in your seat, and reframes why most aesthetic businesses fail somewhere between year two and year three. They don't fail because the founders aren't good. They fail because the founders stop. Questions answered by this episode: How long does it take to build a sellable medical aesthetics practice? When is the right time to sell my med spa? How do I know if my practice is ready to sell? Why isn't my aesthetic practice worth selling yet? What does a med spa make in its first year? Is owning a medical aesthetics practice harder than working for someone else? What makes an aesthetic practice attractive to buyers? How do I avoid burnout as an aesthetic practice owner?Should I focus on consistency or chasing growth in a new med spa?Does the RN or nurse practitioner credential matter for med spa success?HOST Jessica Hunter Head of Aesthetic Consulting, Aesthetic Brokers Jessica Hunter is the Founder & CEO of Hunter Consulting and Head of Consulting at Aesthetic Brokers, where she helps medical aesthetic clinics grow smarter and stronger. She's partnered with more than 75 clinics across Canada and the U.S., guiding them to boost profits, streamline operations, and build lasting success. Known for her energy, straightforward approach, and genuine care, Jessica believes the best advice comes from truly understanding each business, especially its financial health and unique challenges. Follow Jessica on Instagram @hunterconsulting_ Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what's happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    9 min
  8. Apr 22

    What Is Your Practice Really Worth in 2026?

    Most practice owners walk into a valuation conversation with a number already in their head — and that number is almost always wrong. Bill Walker breaks down the real math behind what an aesthetic practice is actually worth in 2026, starting with the gap between top-line revenue and the EBITDA buyers actually underwrite against. He walks through the hidden adjustments most owners forget: the fair market value of your own injector time, the way patient refunds silently drop straight to the bottom line, and the multiplier effect even a small EBITDA hit has on your total enterprise value. Then he covers the three ways practices get valued — discounted cash flow with a multiple, market comparables, and asset appraisal — and why owners who spent hundreds of thousands on equipment are often disappointed by what those assets actually return at sale. A “first to market” buyer premium in your metro can shift the number, too. Listen for how due diligence really works, why war-gaming your KPIs is the difference between a $3M and an $8M valuation on the same revenue, and the five gears every founder shifts through — including the two that come after you sign the deal. Questions answered by this episode: How much is a medical spa worth?How do you value an aesthetic practice?What multiple do med spas sell for?How do you calculate EBITDA for a medical practice?What are owner add-backs in a practice valuation?How does private equity value aesthetic practices?What happens during due diligence when selling a medical spa?How do you prepare a med spa to sell?When is the right time to sell an aesthetic practice?How do you increase the value of a medical spa before selling?HOST Bill Walker Founder & CEO, Aesthetic Brokers Bill Walker is the Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, where he leads transaction advisory for medical spas, cosmetic dermatology practices, and plastic surgery centers. Prior to founding Aesthetic Brokers, Bill led mergers & acquisitions for a large private equity-backed healthcare services organization, where he helped doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. He is a nationally recognized speaker and thought leader in healthcare M&A. Bill began his career as a Marine Corps pilot, ultimately serving under two administrations at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron and commanding a squadron in combat. Follow Bill on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Connect with Bill on LinkedIn About Aesthetic Appeal Aesthetic Appeal is where Aesthetic Brokers brings you the latest insights straight from Southern California. We break down what’s happening in the medical aesthetics world—especially when it comes to private equity and transactions with mergers and acquisitions that matter to you as a practice owner. Learn more about Aesthetic Brokers Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Instagram @aestheticbrokers Theme music: Blinding, Cushy

    25 min

About

What is your medical spa actually worth — and what would it take to sell it for real money? Aesthetic Appeal is the podcast for medical aesthetics practice owners thinking seriously about valuation, growth, profitability, and the exit they actually want. Hosted by Bill Walker, Founder & CEO of Aesthetic Brokers, and Jessica Hunter, Head of Aesthetic Consulting, the show breaks down med spa M&A, private equity deals, EBITDA, pricing, and the operational decisions that quietly add or destroy millions in enterprise value. Every episode answers the questions med spa owners, plastic surgeons, and cosmetic dermatology operators type into Google at midnight: what is my practice worth, when should I sell, how do I raise prices without losing patients, why is my million-dollar practice not profitable, and what does private equity actually want from aesthetic clinics in 2026. Bill brings the deal side. A former Marine Corps pilot turned M&A advisor, he led mergers and acquisitions for a private equity-backed healthcare platform before founding Aesthetic Brokers, helping doctors unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in generational wealth. On the show, he covers valuation math, buyer behavior, deal structure, due diligence, letters of intent, and what investors are actually paying for an aesthetic practice today. Jessica brings the operator side. After consulting with more than 75 medical aesthetic clinics across the U.S. and Canada, she knows exactly what makes a clinic sellable long before a broker is on the phone — provider redundancy, P&L hygiene, time discipline, pricing strategy, and the financial habits owners avoid until it's too late. Recurring topics include medical spa valuations and EBITDA multiples; private equity, MSOs, and platform consolidation in aesthetics; selling a med spa or plastic surgery practice; exit strategy planning for first-time founders; pricing models and raising prices without losing clients; the hidden math behind "million-dollar" practices; GLP-1, compounding pharmacy, and regulatory shifts; cybersecurity and HIPAA risk for healthcare practices; wealth management for aesthetic entrepreneurs; and leadership, team building, and operations inside a high-growth clinic. If you own — or plan to own — a medical spa, plastic surgery center, cosmetic dermatology practice, or any aesthetic-adjacent healthcare business, Aesthetic Appeal is built for you. Press play before you list, before you sign, and before you assume the first offer in your inbox is the best one.  Follow Aesthetic Brokers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or aestheticappealpodcast.com.

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