Keep What You Earn

About Keep What You Earn

Keep What You Earn is the podcast for aesthetics and wellness practice owners who want to scale profitably and build a business that is actually worth something. Hosted by Shannon Weinstein, CPA and Fractional CFO, this show is designed for med spa owners generating $1–5M in revenue who are ready to move beyond reactive decision-making and into disciplined, strategic growth. If you're trying to break past the $2M ceiling, improve cash flow predictability, increase margins, open additional locations, or prepare your practice for a future sale, this podcast gives you the financial clarity to do it confidently. Each episode focuses on the financial building blocks that determine whether your practice scales smoothly or stalls under pressure, including pricing discipline, operating margin control, cash flow forecasting, customer lifetime value, and enterprise value planning. This isn't about more spreadsheets. It's about financial leadership. Whether you're preparing for expansion or positioning your practice to sell, Keep What You Earn helps you think like a CFO and operate like a CEO. [Disclaimer: Any opinions, recommendations, and tips offered on this podcast or other social media forums do not constitute individual tax or accounting advice. This content is designed to provide education and awareness about financial topics and responsibility for the benefit of the general public. Please consult a professional before implementing any of the suggestions made by Shannon or Keep What You Earn Co.]

Publisher

Shannon Weinstein

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

4 Aug 2021

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 868 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Your Med Spa Exit Starts Before You're Ready to Leave

   Thinking about private equity? Don't wait until you're burned out and ready to hand over the keys. A partner may want you involved for years after the deal. I sit down with Andrew Goldfein of Alpha Aesthetics Partners to talk about what makes a practice partner-ready, what buyers look at, and why expanding just to get bigger can hurt your numbers. Another Location Doesn't Automatically Add Value That second location might grow revenue while draining profit. Before signing another lease, look at your margins, team retention, and whether the first practice can run without you constantly stepping in. Know Your Numbers Before You Take the Meeting A potential partner needs more than a healthy top-line revenue number. Get clear on: Revenue and margins by service and location Memberships and recurring revenue Device utilization and profitability Provider retention and operating costs Your P&L should show what's working and where growth is costing you. (00:07:36) Knowing when to expand or exit (00:12:03) Starting succession planning early (00:15:34) Finding a partner who fits (00:18:30) Understanding the transaction (00:21:00) Stabilizing revenue and retention Don't Sign Away What Patients Come For Alpha describes a partnership model that keeps local branding and clinical autonomy while adding business support. But don't assume every deal works that way. Ask what happens to your team, role, and equity. Make sure the actual agreement reflects what you're promised. Give Yourself Options Before You Need an Exit Whether you sell, partner, or keep growing independently, clean financials and strong retention put you in a better position. Start planning while you still have time to improve your medspa. Waiting until you're desperate to leave can limit your choices. About Andrew Goldfein: As the head of New Partnerships and M&A at Alpha Aesthetics Partners, the premier platform partnering with the nation's best aesthetics practices, Andrew has spoken with thousands of owners across the country at all stages of growth.  Through its 37 partner locations, Alpha has built a community of some of the brightest clinical and business minds in aesthetics who are all now aligned to help each other through shared ownership in Alpha. Thanks to the daily conversations with practice owners, as well as through serving on Alpha's executive team, Andrew has developed deep experience in identifying opportunities and risks in aesthetics practices to help owners grow their top and bottom line. Prior to Alpha, Andrew spent four years leading M&A and new site growth at the DSO Affordable Care (Affordable Dentures & Implants) and was previously an investment banker at Houlihan Lokey.  A Chicagoan at heart, he now lives in Charlotte, NC and spends any free time he can find with his wife and two young kids. Connect with Andrew: Website: https://partnerwithalpha.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partnerwithalpha/?hl=en Follow Shannon & Keep What You Earn: Shannon Weinstein is the founder of a fractional CFO firm specializing in helping 7-figure aesthetics and wellness practices scale with clarity, cash flow, and confidence. She is committed to helping med spa owners understand, fix, and maximize their business's enterprise value, offering actionable advice and resources, including a popular free video series specifically for aesthetics practice owners. Fractional CFO Services and Executive Financial Review: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/ Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepWhatYouEarn Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1580071347 (https://pod.link/1580071347) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/ The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial advice. Aesthetics practice owners should consult a qualified professional before implementing financial strategies discussed here.

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Your Payment Processor Could Shut Down Your Med Spa

   Payment processing feels like back-office admin—until fees creep up or your account gets flagged. In this episode, I sit down with Adam Castillo to talk about merchant services, hidden fees, high-risk rules, and what can put a med spa on the MATCH list. We also cover telehealth, weight loss, website language, and how to protect your ability to get paid. Know Your Effective Rate Don't just scan the statement for one fee. Divide total processing fees by total payments processed and track that effective rate over time. Small increases compound fast, and junk fees can eat into margin. Check the Risk Before You Add the Service Before launching telehealth, medical weight loss, or a new payment setup: Review website and invoice language Confirm processor rules for your services Ask whether LegitScript or extra underwriting applies Audit fees before switching A cheaper processor isn't a win if the account gets shut down. (00:05:35) Finding hidden processing costs (00:08:07) Understanding telehealth restrictions (00:16:03) Avoiding risky payment language (00:42:21) How AI scans websites for flagged terms Your Processor Should Understand Your Business Med spas don't have the same risk profile as every other business. Work with someone who understands healthcare payments and can help you address issues before they become shutdowns. Protect How You Get Paid Before You Scale Expansion gets harder when you can't reliably accept cards. Clean up fees, compliance, and processor relationships now so payment risk doesn't slow your growth later. About Adam Costilo: Adam Costilo is a serial entrepreneur who's had a love for business, growth, and the pursuit of the American dream for as long as he can remember. From co-founding a Philly cheesesteak franchise to launching multiple ventures across different industries, Adam has spent his career building things from the ground up — and helping others do the same. Today, as the founder of The Payment Doctor, he and his team process for over 600 clinics to the tune of more than $200 million a year, delivering true payment stability and fully transparent pricing to the medical and medspa space. But payments are just the starting point. With deep expertise in the peptide and GLP-1 landscape and strategic relationships ranging from next-level 503A pharmacy pricing to best-in-class technology partners, Adam has positioned The Payment Doctor as a one-stop shop for clinic growth. His real passion — and his "why" — is helping clinic owners scale their practices and improve their financial lives, and that mission has become the driving force behind everything The Payment Doctor stands for. Connect with Adam: Website: www.thepaymentdoctor.com Meet with The Payment Doctor Team Follow Shannon & Keep What You Earn: Shannon Weinstein is the founder of a fractional CFO firm specializing in helping 7-figure aesthetics and wellness practices scale with clarity, cash flow, and confidence. She is committed to helping med spa owners understand, fix, and maximize their business's enterprise value, offering actionable advice and resources, including a popular free video series specifically for aesthetics practice owners. Fractional CFO Services and Executive Financial Review: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/ Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepWhatYouEarn Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1580071347 (https://pod.link/1580071347) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/ The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial advice. Aesthetics practice owners should consult a qualified professional before implementing financial strategies discussed here.

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Your Med Spa Event Should Make Money After It Ends

   A packed office doesn't automatically mean a successful event. If you're spending on staff, marketing, and extras without a clear revenue goal or follow-up plan, you may be hosting a nice party instead of a profitable campaign. In this episode, I sit down with Tami Vileta, founder of Pinpoint, to talk about event marketing for aesthetics practices. We cover patient appreciation events, VIP experiences, referral partnerships, and how to measure event ROI beyond RSVPs. Start With the Goal, Not the Guest List Decide what the event needs to accomplish before you plan it. Are you reactivating patients, launching a treatment, building membership loyalty, or generating consultations? Set the financial target first, then work backward into attendance, conversion, and budget. Treat the Event Like a Campaign A strong event has a before, during, and after: Market early enough to build attendance Capture contact information at RSVP and check-in Make booking or purchasing easy at the event Assign follow-up for anyone who showed interest The event isn't over when people leave. Some of the best revenue can come from follow-up in the days after. (00:04:27) Planning events with a purpose (00:13:47) Measuring event success and ROI (00:24:51) Building trust without hard selling (00:27:01) Budgeting for events (00:30:25) Turning follow-up into revenue Patient Experience Comes Before the Pitch People should leave feeling appreciated, educated, and excited to come back—not like they spent two hours inside a sales funnel. Use education, exclusive invitations, membership perks, and targeted offers to create value without making the event feel transactional. Events Should Build Lifetime Value Repeat events, referral partnerships, and thoughtful follow-up can improve retention and lifetime value while showing you what actually converts. As the practice grows, you want a repeatable event strategy that supports revenue, loyalty, and expansion—not another expensive line item you can't measure. About Tami Vileta: Tami Vileta is the founder and creative director of Pinpoint Strategic Communications, with more than 30 years of experience in branding, strategic marketing, design, and copywriting for plastic surgery and aesthetic medical practices. Through Pinpoint, she has worked with more than 400 practices and industry businesses across the U.S. and internationally, including medical device companies, skincare brands, software providers, and consultants. Her work focuses on patient experience and retention through branding, email marketing, patient education, events, launch campaigns, and other nurturing strategies that help practices convert and retain patients—not just generate leads. LinkedIn: Tami Vileta | LinkedIn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinpointcreativeagency Website: Pinpoint Creative - Aesthetic Branding and Marketing Agency Follow Shannon & Keep What You Earn: Shannon Weinstein is the founder of a fractional CFO firm specializing in helping 7-figure aesthetics and wellness practices scale with clarity, cash flow, and confidence. She is committed to helping med spa owners understand, fix, and maximize their business's enterprise value, offering actionable advice and resources, including a popular free video series specifically for aesthetics practice owners. Fractional CFO Services and Executive Financial Review: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/ Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepWhatYouEarn Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1580071347 (https://pod.link/1580071347) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/ The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial advice. Aesthetics practice owners should consult a qualified professional before implementing financial strategies discussed here.

Inside a recent episode

Owning Your Financial Power in Your Business with Melissa Houston, CPA

Published 14 Apr 2022 · Transcript excerpt

[…] How do you define that? And how do you think that folks can own that? Absolutely. So your financial power is just knowing what's going on in your business finances, managing your money on a daily basis, whether it's in your business or your personal finances, that is empowerment, right? wealthy people are wealthy because they know how to manage their money, not necessarily because they make a lot of money, because you can make a ton of money and still have no wealth. So knowing how to manage your money is key. And knowing how to manage that in your business is going to make your business more profitable. […]

Who has been a guest on Keep What You Earn

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• Amy Anderson
• Audrey Neff
• Robin Dimond
• Annie Robertson Hockey
• Andrea Watkins

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