Business on Top with Kaeli Lindholm

What does it really take to grow an aesthetic practice into a multi-location business without losing sight of the vision that started it all? In this episode of Business on Top, I'm sitting down with Dr. Kristen Herzog, DNP, FNP-BC, Founder and CEO of Perfect Dose, to talk about her journey from emergency medicine to building a multimillion-dollar, multi-location aesthetic practice. Kristen shares what it took to grow from one location to three, the lessons she's learned along the way, and how her role as a founder has evolved with the business. We talk about maintaining brand standards as you expand, creating systems that support scalability, and making the shift from being the person who does everything to becoming the leader who builds the right team. We also get into the realities of hiring, navigating employee turnover, letting go of ego, and understanding the difference between growing a business and truly scaling one. Most importantly, we explore what success looks like beyond revenue and expansion, and how to build a business that supports the life you actually want to live. RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS The 2027 Medspa Success Blueprint | Free Masterclass Is your business ready for its next level of growth? Join me for a free masterclass where I'll walk you through five strategic shifts to strengthen profitability, patient retention, leadership, and operations so you can position your medspa for success in 2027. Save Your Seat: klcleadership.com/success Aesthetic Business School If you're ready to become a stronger business owner, Aesthetic Business School is a six-week leadership and business development program designed for aesthetic and wellness providers who want to build the business skills, systems, and foundations for sustainable growth. Explore Aesthetic Business School Resources → Follow Kristen on Instagram → Watch this episode on YouTube → Register for our Strategic Planning Masterclass on November 12th, 2026 at 4pm PST / 7 PM EST → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to bring back a conversation from the archives that feels especially timely. This time of year naturally invites reflection, and with it can come a mix of emotions: pride in how far we've come, uncertainty about what's ahead, and sometimes the uncomfortable feeling that we're ready for something new, even if we can't quite see what that looks like yet. In this deeply personal episode, I'm sharing my experience navigating a season I've never particularly enjoyed: the season of waiting. The season where you've planted the seeds, put in the work, and done everything you know to do, but the results haven't fully arrived. Where your calendar is filled with routine rather than big milestones, and you're left wondering whether you're making progress at all. But what if this in-between season is actually where some of your most important growth happens? We'll explore why waiting is such a critical part of growth, both in business and in life, and why so many high-achieving women unintentionally get in the way of their own progress by trying to force what's next. I'll share what I've learned about emotional resilience, recognizing the signs of an approaching breakthrough, and developing the capacity to sit with uncertainty rather than rush through it. If you're heading into the final months of the year feeling restless, questioning your progress, or sensing that something needs to shift, this conversation is worth revisiting. Because sometimes the season that feels the least productive is the one preparing you for your greatest growth. Your next level may be closer than you think. Is your aesthetics business actually ready for 2027? Patient expectations are changing, marketing is changing, and the way people buy is changing. If you want to understand where your business stands, take the How On Trend Are You? 2027 Aesthetic Business Assessment to see where you're ahead and where you may need to catch up. Then join me on November 12th for a free Strategic Planning Masterclass, where I'll break down the trends and shifts I'm watching across the industry and what I think aesthetics businesses should be preparing for now. Take the assessment and get your results at klcleadership.com/assessment. Before receiving your results, you'll also have the opportunity to register for our upcoming Strategic Planning Masterclass. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Register directly for our Strategic Planning Masterclass on November 12th, 2026 at 4pm PST / 7 PM EST → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

How you compensate your team is about more than matching industry averages or offering the highest salary. It's about understanding the value each role brings to your business, attracting the right people, and creating a compensation package that supports both your team's growth and your company's profitability. In this replay episode of Business on Top, I'm breaking down five best practices for building strategic employee compensation packages in your aesthetics business. From defining clear roles and measurable results to understanding what motivates your candidates, structuring incentives, and creating opportunities for growth, I'm sharing how to approach hiring and compensation with more intention and strategy. Because building a high-performing team starts with more than a paycheck. It starts with creating an environment where talented people can grow, contribute, and be part of something meaningful. In this episode, I explore: Why compensation challenges often start with your hiring process and mindset. How to define role expectations and measure an employee's value to your business. Why understanding your candidate's goals and salary expectations matters. How to use bonuses and incentives strategically without relying on them for motivation. Why a comprehensive compensation package can help you stand out as an employer. Whether you're hiring your next team member or reevaluating compensation for your existing team, this episode will help you approach the process with greater clarity, intention, and strategy. Is your aesthetics business actually ready for 2027? Patient expectations are changing, marketing is changing, and the way people buy is changing. If you want to understand where your business stands, take the How On Trend Are You? 2027 Aesthetic Business Assessment to see where you're ahead and where you may need to catch up. Then join me on November 12th for a free Strategic Planning Masterclass, where I'll break down the trends and shifts I'm watching across the industry and what I think aesthetics businesses should be preparing for now. Take the assessment and get your results at klcleadership.com/assessment. Before receiving your results, you'll also have the opportunity to register for our upcoming Strategic Planning Masterclass. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Register directly for our Strategic Planning Masterclass on November 12th, 2026 at 4pm PST / 7 PM EST → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

In this episode of Business on Top, I'm joined by Daniella and Patrick Gery, the husband-and-wife team behind Trouvé Medspa in Mayfield Heights, OH, to talk about what it really looks like to build a thriving business and a life together. Daniella shares how she went from being a provider to becoming the CEO of a growing med spa, and the leadership lessons that came with stepping away from patient care and learning to lead a team. We talk about the shift from doing everything yourself to building systems, creating accountability, having difficult conversations, and developing leaders who can take ownership. Patrick brings his perspective from the operations and finance side of the business, including how his analytical, systems-driven approach complements Daniella's more instinctive decision-making. We also get honest about what it's like to work with your spouse, separate work from home, divide responsibilities, make decisions together, and navigate the inevitable changes that come with a growing company. Most importantly, we talk about why the goal isn't always to build a bigger business, it's to build a better life, with more freedom, more balance, and more time for the people who matter most. Is your aesthetics business actually ready for 2027? Patient expectations are changing, marketing is changing, and the way people buy is changing. If you want to understand where your business stands, take the How On Trend Are You? 2027 Aesthetic Business Assessment to see where you're ahead and where you may need to catch up. Then join me on November 12th for a free Strategic Planning Masterclass, where I'll break down the trends and shifts I'm watching across the industry and what I think aesthetics businesses should be preparing for now. Take the assessment and get your results at klcleadershipadvisory.com/assessment. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Follow Daniella on Instagram → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

In Part 2 of my conversation with Shannon Bokhoor, founder of SocialRx, we're getting into what actually makes content effective and how to build visibility without becoming obsessed with follower counts or trying to be everywhere. We talk about why a smaller, loyal audience can be more valuable than a large following, the role of spontaneous and personal content, and how founders can stay involved in their content even when they outsource the heavy lifting. Shannon also shares practical ways to make content creation easier, from using trial reels and simple editing tools to creating a content bank from the questions, misconceptions, and conversations already happening in your business. We also dive into the difference between creating content that simply sells and content that builds real authority. Shannon shares why having a strong point of view, challenging conventional thinking, and sharing what makes your approach different can help you stand out in a crowded industry. We talk about building visibility through your local community, engaging with other businesses, and using social media to create real relationships rather than just chasing reach. And we end with one of my favorite takeaways from the conversation: the content you're most afraid to share may be the content that makes the biggest impact. Sometimes the thing you're hesitant to say is exactly what someone else has been waiting to hear. About Shannon Bokhoor Shannon Bokhoor is the founder of SocialRx, a social media marketing, online course development, and content production agency for aesthetic and wellness brands. She helps providers strengthen their authority, build influential brands, and create new revenue streams through social media and education. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

In this episode of Business on Top, I'm joined by my friend Shannon Bokhoor, founder of SocialRx, for Part 1 of our conversation about building a strong personal brand without feeling like you have to become an influencer. Shannon has spent the last eight years working in aesthetics, helping providers build influential brands, create strategic content, and turn their expertise into scalable education. We discuss becoming more confident on camera, preparing for content days, creating content when you have limited time, and knowing when professional production is actually worth the investment. We also talk about why posting more isn't always the answer and why social media can't be the thing that fixes an underlying business problem. We'll cover AI, authenticity, and how to create content that actually sounds like you. Shannon shares why your best content ideas are often already sitting inside your treatment rooms, conversations with patients, and the questions you answer every day. We talk about building authority through your own perspective and expertise rather than simply creating another version of the same generic content everyone else is posting. Ultimately, this conversation is about becoming more visible without losing yourself in the process. You don't need to be everywhere, have millions of followers, or create perfectly polished content. You need to find the ideas and perspectives you're uniquely positioned to share, and have the courage to put them out there. About Shannon Bokhoor Shannon Bokhoor is the founder of SocialRx, a social media marketing, online course development, and content production agency for aesthetic and wellness brands. She helps providers strengthen their authority, build influential brands, and create new revenue streams through social media and education. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

What if AI could do more than write emails, create content, or give you another list of things to do? In this episode of Business on Top, I'm sharing a 20-minute sneak peek from our recent Too Busy to Learn AI workshop. Over the last year, my team and I have been figuring out how to actually put AI to work inside our own business. And what we've learned is that the real opportunity goes far beyond using AI to create content faster. It can help us think more strategically, make better decisions, create stronger team execution, and ultimately give us more capacity to focus on the work that truly requires us. In this workshop excerpt, I walk through what we've learned as we've moved beyond basic AI prompts and started using AI through the lens of workflows, agents, context, and guardrails. We also break down three practical applications we've been using inside KLC: The CEO Priority System: Using AI to sort through everything on my plate and identify what actually requires my attention. Meeting Follow-Through & Accountability: Creating clearer ownership so ideas, decisions, and action items don't get lost after the meeting ends. Data-Driven Decision Making: Using AI to help create a source of truth so we can access the information we need to make better business decisions. This episode is just a preview of the full experience. If you're finding yourself wanting more, you can still purchase the full two-hour workshop replay along with the AI-Empowered Life-First CEO Playbook, where I walk you through the actual tools, prompts, and processes we're putting to work inside KLC. Offer ends October 3. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm 

In this episode of Business on Top, I'm answering your questions about visibility, confidence, authority, and what it really takes to walk into a room and own it. I'm sharing lessons from early in my career, including the powerful women I watched and emulated, and how those experiences shaped the way I show up in bigger rooms today. I also talk about why you don't have to be the most experienced or qualified person in the room to have something valuable to say. We'll get into how to make other people feel valuable, develop your own point of view, communicate with more authority, and become the kind of leader people want to listen to. And most importantly, I'm sharing why I believe confidence isn't something you need to have before you take the leap. Confidence is built through experience. You show up, you do the thing, and eventually you realize you can. Too Busy to Learn AI? Start Here. Click here to access the recording of our Too Busy to Learn AI Workshop, plus the companion workbook to help you put what you learn into action. Offer ends October 3. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

What happens when your business slows down, your team isn't retaining clients, or your employees aren't taking initiative? Too often, we look for an external fix, a new device, more advertising, a new hire, or someone to blame. In this episode, I'm breaking down why sustainable growth starts from the inside out. I'm unpacking two real questions from med spa owners: how to attract more patients after making a major investment, and how to build a team that takes ownership and creates lasting client relationships. We'll talk about the difference between using a tool to enhance an already-healthy business and expecting that tool to solve a fundamental business problem, why your customer experience is one of your most powerful growth engines, and what it really takes to build an A-player team. Because your people, your systems, your leadership, and the experience you create are what ultimately drive sustainable growth, not one device, one tactic, or one employee. READY TO PUT AI TO WORK IN YOUR BUSINESS? Join us this week for our AI Workshop designed to help founders use AI to save time, streamline their business, and get more done. 📅 September 16, 2026 | 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET Register now! Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

In this bonus replay episode, I'm revisiting one of my favorite conversations from the Fierce Factor: one of the most dangerous myths women are taught about success, that "playing it safe" is the responsible choice. This conversation was sparked by a reflection on 2016, the year I started KLC and the year my brother passed away, and a question that stopped me in my tracks: Is my life truly better because I chose growth over safety? What I've learned over the past decade is this: safety is often conditional, and comfort can be far more limiting than risk. I take you back to my corporate career at Bayer Healthcare, a role that looked secure by every traditional measure. Great pay, benefits, prestige, and a clear path forward… until one unexpected call from HR shattered the illusion of stability. That moment changed how I understand security, responsibility, and agency, especially for women. We'll talk about why big companies are often romanticized as "safe," why small business ownership is framed as risky, and how that mindset shows up when women build their own companies. I'll also share a powerful story about growth, discomfort, and why the very tension we try to avoid is often what prepares us for our next level. If you're craving expansion but feel stuck optimizing for familiarity instead of fulfillment, this bonus replay is your invitation to rethink what safety really means, and to consider whether the boldest move might actually be the most responsible one. READY TO PUT AI TO WORK IN YOUR BUSINESS? Join us for our upcoming AI Workshop designed to help founders use AI to save time, streamline their business, and get more done. 📅 September 16, 2026 | 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET Register now! Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm