SKIN DEEP

What does it really cost — personally and professionally — to build a practice without borders? In this solo episode of Skin Deep, Dr. Anna Chacon—board-certified dermatologist, valedictorian, and Brown University Program in Liberal Medical Education alumna—reflects on the extraordinary career that shaped her into one of medicine's most unconventional practitioners. Licensed in all 50 states, D.C....

What happens when a physician knows a patient still has a chance — but the hospital, the insurance company, and the nursing staff have all decided it's time to let go? Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and host of Skin Deep, welcomes a truly singular guest — her father, Dr. Arsenio Chacon. A retired critical care pediatrician with more than thirty years of practice in Miami, Dr. Arsen...

Why did a successful solo aesthetics business owner close three locations in two years to join a med spa? Dr. Chacon welcomes award-winning Miami aesthetician Ornella Lopresti to Skin Deep. Ornella shares her unique journey from graduating Miami Senior High's cosmetology program with her full specialty license at 18 to becoming a competitive esthetician who approaches every treatment with champion...

What if the future of therapy isn't about replacing therapists, but giving them an AI co-pilot they control? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Akram "AK" Azaiez, founder and CEO of Eggmed, an AI-powered EHR platform revolutionizing behavioral health technology. Originally from Tunisia, AK transitioned from financial services to Silicon Valley product management before launching Eggmed—a platform born from...

Is locum tenens just a gap year option, or could it be the foundation for long-term financial freedom and lifestyle design? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Genevieve Jacobs, a board-certified physician who launched her locum tenens career immediately after residency in 2020. Why did Dr. Jacobs choose temporary assignments over traditional employment? She shares how this path allowed her to work acros...

Can you truly innovate in medicine without standing at the bedside? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Geoff Bocobo, a physician innovator reshaping the intersection of clinical medicine and healthcare entrepreneurship. With research credentials from Brigham and Women's Hospital—where his work contributed to FDA-approved pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy—Geoff co-founded Med6, a surgical monitorin...

Can going back to school in your 30s or 40s actually make you a better clinician than starting straight out of college? Dr. Anna Chacon sits down with Christina Algeciras, LMHC, a psychotherapist who transformed her career from international logistics to holistic mental health care. Christina shares her journey through corporate burnout, yoga instruction, and ultimately establishing a thriving pri...

What are the three biggest tax mistakes Jose Cruz sees entrepreneurs make—and how do you avoid them? In this episode of Skin Deep, Dr. Chacon welcomes Jose Cruz, CPA and founder of Cruz Tax and Advisory Group. Jose, a Cuban-American accountant who arrived in the U.S. at age three, shares his journey from a high school accounting internship to building a practice dedicated to serving immigrants and...

Could telehealth services make you eligible for Puerto Rico's 4% tax rate and 0% capital gains? Dr. Chacon speaks with Víctor Delerme, CPA, founder of Delerme CPA with offices in San Juan, Miami, and Atlanta. With over 16 years of experience and licenses in both Puerto Rico and Georgia, Víctor specializes in helping high-income physicians, entrepreneurs, and investors dramatically reduce their tax...

“Even when the system seems unbeatable, persistence, evidence, and truth can prevail.” - Dr. Rifai Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and host of Skin Deep, welcomes Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai — triple-board-certified in internal medicine, psychiatry, and addiction medicine. A genuine telehealth pioneer since 2006, Dr. Rifai helped build the nation's first emergency telehealth system and co...

What drives a surgeon to leave the operating room? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Samuel Sarmiento, a physician-turned-strategy consultant who transformed his medical career into entrepreneurial success. Dr. Sarmiento, founder and CEO of Juniper Life Sciences, brings a unique blend of surgical training from Mayo Clinic and dual graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins University in public health and busi...

What if your smartphone camera could capture your complete vital signs during a virtual doctor visit—no wearable required? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Joshua Engle, founder of With You MD, a virtual-first medical practice specializing in primary care and chronic care management for Medicare and Medicaid populations. Dr. Engle completed his training at USC and Harvard's Beth Israel, where he devel...

Are you unknowingly violating Medicaid rules that could trigger a license investigation? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Phoebe Gutierrez, a compliance and operations expert with over 12 years of experience as a California state regulator overseeing Medicaid programs. Phoebe is the founder of Camino Strategy, a boutique consulting firm specializing in digital health compliance, and co-hosts a weekly podc...

What happens when physicians realize their $300,000 debt has created golden handcuffs they can never escape? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Rami Wehbi, a former family physician who transformed burnout into entrepreneurship. As Founder and CEO of Match Day Health and host of The Dream Job Podcast, Rami guides healthcare professionals through strategic career transitions beyond clinical practice. His...

If you were served legal papers at work tomorrow, would you know who to call and what your rights are? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Gita Pensa, an emergency physician who survived a devastating 12-year malpractice case that fundamentally changed how she practices and teaches medicine. What began as a seemingly routine patient encounter in 2006 evolved into two jury trials, an appellate reversal, a...

How does a physician turn personal struggle into professional purpose? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Brittany Busse, a physician and healthcare disruptor who has transformed systemic challenges into powerful solutions for independent practitioners. Specializing in addiction, trauma, and mental health, Dr. Busse left surgical residency at UC Davis after experiencing discrimination and sexual harassm...

What are adaptogens, and why did one dermatologist believe they were the answer to COVID-era skin pathology? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marianna Blyumin-Karasik, MD FAAD, co-founder of Precision Skin and Body Institute and creator of Stamina Cosmetics. Dr. Blyumin-Karasik shares her remarkable journey from childhood in the Soviet Union—where summers by the lake and...

Why does a beauty industry veteran with access to ANY trend choose to stay in scientific, evidence-based skincare? Join Dr. Anna Chacon as she welcomes Ewelina Aiossa, a renowned beauty authority and brand architect with over 15 years spanning scientific skincare, medical marketing, and product innovation. Her leadership at L'Oréal SkinCeuticals, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetics (Glytone, Eau Thermale...

Why do trans women still feel forced to choose between authenticity and safety in 2025? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Rajee Narinesingh, a multiracial transgender woman of color who transformed life-threatening trauma into global advocacy. After suffering severe disfigurement from black market cosmetic injections—what she describes as a "rite of passage" many trans women feel pressured into—Rajee emerg...

What if the practice of medicine is actually holding you back from building the healthcare company you envision? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Haroon Ahmad, MD, founder and CEO of Proton Health, to discuss his remarkable journey from eczema patient to health tech innovator. A trained physician who practiced in the UK, Dr. Ahmad shares how his lifelong struggle with severe eczema—combined with witne...

What if the future of dermatology depends on doctors taking control of technology—before tech entrepreneurs do it for us? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Bilal Fawaz, board-certified dermatologist and associate program director at Boston University's Department of Dermatology, who is revolutionizing healthcare technology as the founder of DermHub—a mobile teledermatology app created and run entirely...

Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Carolyn Francavilla, a family physician and obesity medicine specialist who founded Green Mountain Partners for Health nearly a decade ago. What drove her to launch a practice just seven months pregnant, a year out of residency? Dr. Francavilla serves on the board of the Obesity Medicine Association and chairs the AMA's Private Practice Physician section, bringing uniq...

What if the practice of medicine is actually holding you back from building the healthcare company you envision? Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. Laura Purdy, MD MBA, a family medicine physician turned healthcare entrepreneur and CEO who has become one of the most visible voices in telemedicine. From her roots in rural southern Kentucky to building a fast-growth digital health startup while raising fi...

If your career is your oxygen, how do you balance international manufacturing, teenage kids,  and the tears that flow behind the Instagram-perfect moments?     Join Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and host of Skin Deep, as she welcomes Ximena Kavalekas, the Ecuadorian-born fashion designer and creative force behind her eponymous luxury handbag brand. Known for blending Italian artis...

What's the one mindset shift that separates successful entrepreneurs from everyone else?     Dr. Anna Chacon hosts young entrepreneur Sean Frimpong on Skin Deep, exploring his remarkable journey from Baltimore struggles to millionaire status by age 19. Frimpong, a Ghanaian-Lebanese immigrant who became a father at 17, transformed financial hardship into success through e-commerce mastery and strat...