Building a Lean Med Spa Team and Network: Lessons from Kathy Taranto

Amid a continually questionable economic backdrop, medical aesthetic practices strive to stay on top of trends and keep up with innovations, while keeping an eye on platform consolidation, shifting patient behavior, and rising competition.

The women leading this industry are resilient, but these external pressures continue to create uncertainty. As a result, the need for lean, resilient operations has never been greater.
Building a strong team and leveraging network partnerships can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

Today we draw on the wisdom of Kathy Taranto, managing partner at AesthetiCare Medspa and Mint Aesthetics, as shared in her conversation with Alex Thiersch on the Medical Spa Insider podcast. Their discussion offers practical, actionable insights for owners looking to build a lean business, nurture their team, and expand their reach in challenging times.

Kathy Taranto’s Journey

Kathy’s story is one of steady growth, adaptability, and a commitment to sharing what works. “We started back in 2000, back in the early days in Aesthetics,” she recalls. Over the years, she and her husband Matt have built two businesses: Mint Aesthetics, a training and consulting firm, and AesthetiCare, their flagship medical spa.

What sets Kathy apart is her approach to learning and teaching. “We base all of our practices for Mint Aesthetics based off what we’re currently doing in AesthetiCare. What’s working for us? What’s not working for us? How are we growing? And we take those practices and help other clinics around the countries to kind of avoid the pitfalls that we’ve fallen into in the past and to help them grow.”

Partnership and Nationwide Network

One of the most significant shifts in Kathy’s business came with the formation of Cosmetic Physician Partners (CPP). This model allows owners to retain autonomy while benefiting from shared resources, management, and buying power. Kathy notes, “Our net has improved considerably because of our buying power. And we already thought we had the highest buying power. Turns out we didn’t.”

This means access to better pricing on everything from neurotoxin and filler to devices and skincare. The impact is especially pronounced for smaller practices: “Those smaller practices, I think it makes an even bigger impact on their net, right?”

Increasing Buying Power

In a lean business model, every dollar counts. Kathy explains, “There are a number of ways that you can increase your net or decrease your cost. I mean, even all the small things like from McKesson or Universal Facial, the little facial sponges, like everything can make an impact. And we basically look at the biggest ones in the beginning, right? The neurotoxin filler, equipment, skin care, and then as we build, look at everything else.”

By joining a network, clinics can negotiate better deals, streamline inventory, and even explore e-commerce solutions. “We have an e-commerce store, many of the clinics that are coming on do not, but, you know, the hope is that they will and maybe that eventually we might be able to do that and, you know, ship out from one location instead of 20 to 40 locations, make it easier on the clinics and easier on a shipping department, really.”

Tip: For owners in 2026, group purchasing can help you maintain profitability amid inflation and supply chain challenges.

Learn Alongside Your Peers

“When you’re not growing, you’re dying,” says Taranto.

She describes the value of learning from experienced med spa professionals: “We’re talking with other owners across the country. We have monthly calls so that we are given updates on how the business is going overall, how individual clinics are doing…It just gives us an idea of like, oh, hey, this clinic over in Dallas is doing amazing. If they can do that, I can do that too.”

Tip: For med spa owners, joining a network or peer group can provide support, inspiration, and practical solutions.

Trends in Patient Behavior and Economic Fears

Her insights reflect concerns during the summer of 2023; consumer confidence in 2026 may be even shakier.

Economic uncertainty affects both owners and patients. Kathy observes, “I think fear, when I’m fearful of something, I tend to procrastinate and then the procrastination kills whatever my idea was. So don’t be fearful, keep moving forward.”

She notes that while growth may slow, business remains steady. “We aren’t having the same level of growth, but we’re not losing business either. I will say…the trends that are happening right now for us are neurotoxin’s still really popular. We’re not seeing any decrease in neurotoxin. We’ve seen a little less filler being done, so for right now we’re running a promotion…for any first time filler clients, they pay for one syringe, they get the second for free.”

Tip: Adapt to patient needs and economic realities, while avoiding excessive discounts. Consider treatment packages or membership bundles as an incentive for your loyal patients.

Building a Team for Success

A lean med spa is only as strong as its team. Kathy is clear on this: “The team is the most impactful piece of our business. I mean, by far.”

She emphasizes the importance of hiring the right people for the right roles: “You can’t have the shy, overwhelmed gets stressed out person at the front desk. The shyer person might be an excellent organizer that loves to create systems in the back of the house…you’ve gotta have the right team member and then also train them in their position. Help them.”

Training is critical, especially for entry-level staff: “The front desk person that’s answering the phone, when they come on with us, they have a huge menu of services to learn. And if we don’t do a good job in helping that person understand who’s never probably had any of these procedures…they need to feel comfortable because nobody likes — I don’t like to feel stupid. I don’t think my team does either. The training is so important.”

For nurses and aestheticians, confidence and competence drive patient trust and repeat business: “Finding the right team members, training them so that they’re so comfortable and confident, and especially your nurses and aestheticians, because in that consultation if they really know how to use those needles, they really know how to run those lasers, they’re not going to hesitate in offering it as a consultant.”

Tip: Educate your staff so they can confidently speak to your services. Ask your reps if they would be willing to sponsor a lunch and learn training on their products.

Retention Strategies to Increase Repeat Patients

Repeat patients are the foundation of a stable, lean practice. In 2023, U.S. med spas had an average of 73% repeat patients.

Explore the State of the Industry Report >>

Kathy’s approach to patient retention centers on education and relationship-building: “Our main goal for the night is to book the consultation…to create that relationship with a client and treat them so well that if they decide to do aesthetics anywhere, the whole goal of the consultation is that if they don’t do it now, it’s with us.”

She also leverages referral programs: “We do offer things like refer a friend and then the person that refers gets a little bump on their account and then the friend gets a bump. So they each get a hundred dollars, you know, that can be used towards another procedure.”

Customer service is the umbrella under which all retention strategies operate: “Taking the time to educate, taking the time to do the consultation, taking the time to get to know that client…our number one focus is taking care of our team. And then when we do a good job of that and creating a culture and training and talking about customer service at every single team meeting, our team does such a great job of offering that customer service and taking care of the client.”

Tip: Focus on the human connection and relationship-building with every patient interaction. Offer a referral program to incentivize word-of-mouth referrals from your existing patients.

Community Events and Local Marketing

Lean marketing doesn’t mean less impact. Kathy’s team uses events and outreach to build awareness and drive growth. “There are so many ways to build awareness that you’re not spending the big — I mean, of course we spend the big bucks on like website and things like that, but it can be done with very low budget.”

Girls Night Out events, virtual events, and business outreach are all part of the strategy. “One woman invites her friends. So we talk to our team when we hire our team in the beginning, we say, ‘Every single person that’s on our team is on our marketing team…So as an esthetician, our expectation is that you find two people to do one of these parties a year. Not your friends, not your mom, not your aunt, but one of your clients that maybe is a teacher and comes in for Hydrafacials and really wants a Halo but can’t afford it. This is a great person.’”

The goal is to create fun, educational experiences that build relationships and drive consultations. “The main goal for the night is to book the consultation…to create that relationship with a client and treat them so well that if they decide to do aesthetics anywhere, the whole goal of the consultation is that if they don’t do it now, it’s with us.”

Tip: Try hosting events with a CTA to book consultations; gain new leads when you connect with local businesses that cater to your target demographic.

Lessons for 2026

As med spa owners navigate the challenges of 2026, Kathy’s advice holds up: focus on building the best team, leveraging network partnerships, and staying resilient. “The idea is that you want to be the best in your area. And as you really focus on that, you will find yourself the best nationwide eventually.”

Lean operations are about doing what works, consistently and deliberately. By investing in team training, network partnerships, patient education, and community outreach, med spa owners can build businesses that thrive in any economic climate.

Ready to take your practice to the next level? Invest in your team’s learning, explore community networks, and find operational efficiencies at a Medical Spa Boot Camp in your region.

These insights are drawn from Storm Watch: Building a Team, Business and Nationwide Network. Listen to the full conversation on AmSpa’s Medical Spa Insider podcast.