Skytale Insights

She's busy, high-performing, and results-driven and most beauty brands aren't building for her. In this episode, Annie is joined by Kurt Kober, CEO of Glo Skin Beauty, to talk about the consumer the aesthetics industry keeps overlooking, why the professional channel is the most powerful growth lever you're probably underusing, and what it really takes to build a brand she actually w...

Ben Hernandez is joined by Madison Dini to explore the regulatory realities of medical aesthetics, including the FDA's role, state-specific regulations, and the compliance misconceptions operators should avoid. Connect with Madison: LinkedIn Connect with Skytale Group: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Everyone said 2026 was going to be the year the healthcare M&A floodgates finally opened. Five months in, they haven't. So what's actually going on? Ben Hernandez welcomes Camilo Horvilleur, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, to get a candid, ground-level read on the healthcare deal market right now. Connect with Skytale Group: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Eric Casaburi built Retro Fitness into a national brand. Then he walked away to solve a bigger problem. In this episode, Annie Robertson Hockey sits down with Eric, Founder and CEO of Serotonin Centers, to talk about what the fitness industry was always missing and how he built a health optimization franchise around that gap. Connect with Eric Casaburi: LinkedIn Instagram Learn more about Serotoni...

Running a successful med spa or aesthetic practice is not just about clinical excellence. It is about what happens behind the scenes. In this episode, Skytale President Annie Robertson Hockey and Judy Kozlicki, Head of Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery at Skytale, are joined by Niklas Hess, Founder of Medvelle, to unpack the role of inventory and procurement management in building a high-performing p...

In this episode of Skytale Insights, host Ben sits down with Manny Rodriguez, founder and CEO of AlluraMD, a rapidly scaling, multi-location medical aesthetics, wellness, and longevity platform based in South Florida. Manny shares the origin story of AlluraMD, from a single suite in a Salon Suites location to five thriving clinics, and unpacks what it really takes to build a scalable platform, not...

Private equity is paying 10-15x multiples for home health and hospice businesses in a $150 billion market driven by the "Silver Tsunami." Tedd Van Gorden, Director at Skytale Investment Banking, breaks down why investors are aggressively consolidating this space, what makes businesses valuable, and how owners can prepare for a lucrative exit. Connect with Tedd Van Gorden: Email: tedd.van...

In this episode of Skytale Insights, Annie Robertson Hockey hosts McConnell Smith, Partner at VMG, to discuss trends shaping the consumer market and how investors are identifying the next generation of high-growth brands. Connect with Skytale Group: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

From Army dental assistant to CEO of a 75+ location platform, Ray Caruso shares what it takes to scale with discipline and purpose. Hosted by Annie Robertson Hockey, this episode explores leadership lessons, multi-site acquisition strategy, investing in people, and why expanding access to care must guide every growth decision. Connect with Skytale Group: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

What does it really mean to live longer and live better? In this episode of Skytale Insights , Ben Hernandez sits down with Dr. Ken Winnard, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of OneLife Health & Performance, to explore the evolving world of longevity and wellness. They discuss how modern healthcare is shifting toward personalized, proactive care, what fueled the wellness boom, and why patients mus...

What does it take to build a wellness brand in a rapidly evolving industry? In this episode, Josh and Katy Whalen of Joi+Blokes join Miguel Mireles to discuss why they launched the company, how patient demographics and regulations are reshaping wellness, and what it’s like running a business together as husband and wife. A candid, insightful conversation on growth, partnership, and the future of w...

The medical aesthetics industry is entering a new era of growth, innovation, and specialization. In this episode of Skytale Insights, we’re joined by Erik Haines of Qsight to break down the latest findings from our latest white paper collaboration, Defining the Future of Aesthetics, including the data trends shaping performance across today’s most important categories. From the first time in years...

In this episode of Skytale Insights , Miguel Mireles, Greg Mahoney, Ben Hernandez, and Annie Robertson Hockey sit down to unpack the dental trends that will matter most in 2026. Drawing from transaction activity, operator conversations, and platform-level data, the team explores how years of operational discipline are beginning to pay off across the market. From cosmetic and specialty services to...

In this Skytale roundtable, Annie Robertson Hockey, Ben Hernandez, and Judy Kozlicki unpack what is actually changing in aesthetics as the industry heads into 2026. The conversation explores personalized treatment strategies, shifting patient expectations, technology adoption, retention, and continued market consolidation. This episode goes beyond surface-level trends to examine how leading practi...

Thinking about selling your business in 2026? In this solo episode, Skytale CEO Ben Hernandez breaks down today’s M&A landscape, what’s happening in healthcare and consumer markets, and the key questions every owner should ask before entering a sale process. Connect with Skytale Group: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

In this episode of Skytale Insights, Annie Robertson Hockey, President at Skytale, breaks down what the most successful healthcare and consumer businesses are doing to prepare for 2026. Drawing from Skytale’s work with hundreds of clients across the country, Annie explains what strategic planning is and what it is not, why disciplined planning separates top performers from average organizations, a...

In our final episode of the Platform Perspectives series, Annie Robertson Hockey is joined by Will MacInnis, Co-CEO of Cliff Ridge Specialty Partners, for a candid conversation about founding a specialty dental platform, scaling with intention, and leading through the rapidly evolving DSO landscape. Will shares his path into dental, the vision behind Cliff Ridge, and the lessons learned from build...

This week on the Skytale Insights podcast: Annie Robertson Hockey is joined by Alyssa Shaw, CEO of The Aesthetic Syndicate, for an inspiring conversation about leadership, brand evolution, and building lasting impact in the aesthetics industry. With more than 20 years of experience in beauty and wellness, Alyssa has scaled leading brands such as Ulta Beauty, Glowbar, and [solidcore], fostering gro...

In this episode of Skytale Insights , Annie Robertson Hockey sits down with Matt Hendrick, Co-Founder of Elevate Dental Partners, for a thoughtful discussion on building scalable, data-driven dental organizations. Matt shares his career journey from private equity to co-founding Elevate and how his experience shaped his approach to operational excellence and partnership strategy. Together, Annie a...

In this installment of Platform Perspectives on the Skytale Insights podcast, host Annie Robertson Hockey speaks with Daniel Schacter, CEO of Cosmetic Physician Partners (CPP). Together, they explore the evolution of CPP, practical tips for preparing teams and culture for a successful transaction, and what it takes for aesthetics practices to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive...

In this episode of Skytale Insights, host Judy Kozlicki, Head of Aesthetics, Wellness, & Surgery at Skytale, is joined by Ryann Lavenia, CRNA, APRN, Founder and CEO of FIBB Aesthetics & Wellness. Together, they explore Ryann’s remarkable journey from starting in a one-room salon suite to scaling Face It Botox Bar into four thriving locations with over 25 employees. Ryann shares her perspec...

Darcie Surinak joins host Annie Robertson Hockey for another installment of our Platform Perspectives series to unpack the playbook behind scaling high-performing aesthetics platforms. Now President & COO of AYA Medical Spa, Darcie draws on a decade-plus operating multi-site, consumer-facing healthcare businesses to share how patient experience, disciplined integration, and front-line leadersh...

In this installment of Platform Perspectives on Skytale Insights , host Annie Robertson Hockey sits down with John Wheeler, CEO of Alpha Aesthetics Partners, to explore what impactful leadership looks like in today’s aesthetics industry. John shares his remarkable journey from serving as a pastor to leading one of the fastest-growing aesthetics platforms. He opens up about the evolution of his lea...

In this episode of Skytale Insights, we continue our Platform Series with Sam Schloss, CEO and Co-Founder of Annie Aesthetic. Annie Hockey, President and Head of Management Consulting at Skytale, is joined by Sam for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build and scale a platform in today’s competitive medical aesthetics market. Sam shares how his background in investment banking and p...

In the second episode of our Platform Perspectives series, Annie Robertson Hockey, President and Head of Management Consulting at Skytale Group, is joined by Courtney Ellenbogen, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Aesthetic Partners. Together, they explore the business strategies and leadership philosophies shaping the next generation of aesthetics platforms. Courtney founded Aesthetic Partners in 2018...