Episode 339 hosts Jessica Ferris (Registered Nurse & CEO of Australian Aesthetic Symposium)

In this episode we explore the logistics and motivations behind launching a new aesthetic conference. Australia Aesthetic Symposium (AAS) was held for the first time last years in Perth, Western Australia and is hosted and founded by Jessica.

Jessica shares her background in event management, teaching, nursing and most recently into cosmetic injecting. She explains her reasoning to create a new and independent educational event, designed specifically for aesthetic professionals in her home state.

We learn about the logistics and costs to launch a conference, working with sponsors and the finances needed, the challenges of being an unknown organizer, and the problems encountered behind the scenes.

This podcast is sponsored by the Australian Aesthetic Symposium. To save 20% off tickets to this years AAS, click here to buy tickets and use the promo code IA20

00:00 Introduction
01:08 Special Guest: Jessica Ferris from AAS
03:14 Why Perth Needed AAS
05:25 Jessica's Background and Youth Lab
07:36 Learning to Inject in WA
08:42 AAS Idea and Early Hustle
10:07 Partnering with Dr Mike
12:13 Keeping the Conference Fresh
13:38 Building the Event Blueprint
15:09 Budgeting and Hidden Costs
16:58 Selling Tickets and Sponsor ROI
20:31 WA Community and Remote Delegates
23:11 Designing the Program
23:29 Curating Conference Topics
25:30 Safety Business and Diversity
26:32 Why Live Demos Fall Flat
29:26 Cadaver Course Deep Dive
32:28 Making Attendance Worth It
36:28 Behind the Scenes Challenges
39:35 Delegation and Event Day Flow
42:35 Who Should Attend
44:45 Speakers Tickets and Farewell
46:27 Closing Credits

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Episode 338 hosts Chloe McGrath (Founder & Director of The Aesthetic Collective from Sydney, Australia)⁠

In this episode we explore how cosmetic clinics should market and brand themselves in 2026. Chloe shares her background in aesthetics and explains why her agency works exclusively within the sector, prioritising compliance and close alignment with the regulators.

We discuss common misconceptions including the belief that clinical skills alone can build a successful clinic and the serious risk of regulatory breaches when using a non-aesthetic marketing agency.

Our conversation covers key growth drivers including the limitations of word-of-mouth referrals, the importance of multiple patient touchpoints before booking, and the challenge of accurately tracking attribution. We on practical, capacity-based marketing strategies for solo injectors versus scaling clinics, highlighting Meta ads as a cost-effective option when geographically and demographically targeted.

00:00 Introduction
04:15 Regulations, Compliance & Why Conservative Marketing Wins
06:37 Clinician vs Entrepreneur: How Mature Are Clinics in 2026?
10:58 When Marketing Goes Wrong: Distressed Clinics, Debt & TGA Letters
13:36 What Actually Drives Growth: Word of Mouth Limits & 7–10 Touchpoints
16:45 Content Myths: Posting Frequency, Quality vs Spam & The Algorithm
19:17 Brand Foundations: Defining Your Identity, Values & Target Patient
22:41 Men in Aesthetics: Why It's Still 90% Women + The Longevity Angle
27:39 What Makes a Clinic Successful Now: Beyond Price & Chain Clinics
29:10 Scaling the Team: Getting Patients to Trust New Injectors
32:22 Capacity vs Growth: Balancing Regulars, New Patients & Rebookings
33:24 Choosing Your Business Model: Solo Injector vs Scaling a Clinic
37:28 Branding Beyond a Logo: Consistency Across Every Touchpoint
41:14 Culture Is the Brand: Team Energy, Retention & Patient Experience
44:12 From DIY to Pro: Rebrands, Diplomacy & Why Cohesion Builds Credibility
45:51 Marketing Budgets That Work: Meta Ads, Content Shoots & What to Spend
55:35 Word of Mouth vs Acquisition: Retention Math & Why You Still Need Marketing
57:49 Action Steps + The Future: Fix Your Basics, Sanity-Check Messaging & Wrap-Up

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Episode 337 hosts Dr Abishek Settipalli (aka 'Dr Abs', Dentist from London, UK) & Dr Ben Coyle (General Practitioner from Leicester, UK)

Abs and Ben join us in Chapter 12 of our Masterclass series of episodes. Here we host global experts with significant experience to teach us about fillers, bio-stimulators, bio-remodellers, polynucleotides, exosomes and other injectable products. (For toxin insights, check out our other mini-series, 'The Tox Talks')

In Chapter 12 we discuss Sunekos, a new product in Australia and distributed by Xytide. Our discussion begins with a discussion about regenerative aesthetics and what this term really means. We then cover the science of the skin and what happens when we age. Importantly we get a better understanding about the key building blocks of the skin including the various types of collagen, elastin and fibronectin.

Sunekos is marketed as a 'bioregenerator' and we underpack what is it, how it works, what patients are suitable, how it's used in clinical practice and much more.

00:00 Introduction
00:52 Special Guests: Dr Abishek Settipalli & Dr Ben Coyle
03:29 Discussion on Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine
06:37 Challenges in the UK Aesthetics Market
08:46 Understanding Regenerative Medicine
10:09 Patient Demographics and Treatment Approaches
16:47 Trends in Aesthetic Treatments
29:19 Understanding HA and Amino Acids
29:44 Nutrient Sensing and Human Biology
31:58 Inflammation and Aging
33:32 Amino Acids: Ingestion vs. Injection
35:31 Collagen and Skin Health
43:55 Patient Experiences and Results
53:01 Combination Therapies and Treatment Limitations
01:02:25 Addressing Ageing Hands
01:02:57 Face Injection Protocols
01:05:22 Cellulite Treatment Insights
01:06:56 Neck Treatment Challenges
01:08:19 Injection Techniques and Training
01:14:39 Commercial Aspects of Treatments
01:21:39 Future of Aesthetic Treatments
01:25:05 Final Thoughts and Farewell

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