A Look Inside a Leading Med Spa: Building Reputation & Loyalty – Interview w/ Seaside Skincare

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Welcome to the Med Spa Success Strategies podcast, where med spa and aesthetics practice owners come to discover strategies and tactics that help them better market and manage their practices so they can grow, improve profitability, and have greater impact for their teams, their patients, and their communities.

I’m your host, Ricky Shockley with Med Spa Magic Marketing, and in this episode we’re going deep with the team behind one of the most admired practices in their market: Seaside Skincare.

I’m joined by:

• Kiley DiLeo, Chief Creative Officer and one of the original family members involved in starting Seaside
• Kate Tomalas, Chief Marketing Officer with a long, varied marketing background across multiple industries

Seaside is one of those practices that other med spa owners look at and think, “That’s the level of reputation, retention, and consistency I want.”

In this article, adapted from our full podcast conversation, we cover:

• How Seaside grew from a four-person family startup to a 20+ person team
• How they choose which services and devices to offer (and which to say no to)
• The thinking and process behind their full rebrand
• How they’ve built and protected their reputation over 15 years
• Community and loyalty strategies that go beyond simple discounts
• Memberships, pricing, and profitability—without becoming “the discount med spa”
• Culture, hiring, and retention of both providers and front desk staff
• How they think about trends, social media, and the ever-expanding “med spa” category

You can read this as a full standalone guide—even if you never listen to the podcast—because we’ve kept all the nuance, examples, and commentary intact.

The Origin Story: A Family-Run Med Spa That Grew with Demand

A Very Family-Centered Beginning

Seaside Skincare started in 2010 as a family-run business.

• Kiley’s brother had the original idea: a niche business focused on medical-grade skincare products and services.
• His girlfriend at the time (now his wife) helped build the business side.
• Kiley worked at the front desk.
• Their dad served as Medical Director.

“Day one it was me, my brother, Kiara, and my dad—so four of us,” Kiley explained.

From the very beginning, it was lean, scrappy, and family-driven. Today, Seaside is branded simply as “Seaside”, but for SEO reasons they’ve kept “Skincare” in the official name and URL.

Before Seaside, Kiley actually worked as a nanny—no fancy corporate background, no big hospital system. Just a real person stepping into a brand-new industry with her family.

Bringing Kate In: A Marketer Without a Seat (Yet)

Kate came into the business years later with a deep marketing background:

• Luxury children’s haircare/skincare
• Marketing at Grubhub (food services side)
• Marketing for a nonprofit

She also had a personal interest in aesthetics, and a close friend who worked as a medical aesthetician at Seaside kept saying:

“Seaside would really benefit from some of the knowledge you have.”

There wasn’t a defined role open at the time—but Kate came in, made her case, and essentially created her own seat at the table.

“I kind of weaseled my way in there… and now I’ve been here for seven years,” she joked.

When she joined, the team size was somewhere around 12–15 people. Today, Seaside sits around 20–21 team members, including six nurses.

Growing the Right Way: Start Small, Expand as Demand Demands

One of the biggest themes that comes up on this podcast over and over is this:

The healthiest med spas tend to start small and grow only as demand justifies it.

Seaside is a textbook example.

• They started with one aesthetician, then added one nurse.
• As bookings and demand grew, they added more providers.
• They expanded from space #1 to space #2, and later to space #3, each move driven by necessity, not ego.

The current space is sizable and well utilized. They’re not planning to move again anytime soon—and they didn’t launch themselves into financial chaos by starting there on day one.

Kiley and Kate have also watched the opposite play out nearby:
New med spas launching with huge spaces, too many providers, too many services, and then closing because they simply couldn’t support the overhead.

“They don’t have the clientele to support that kind of business yet,” Kiley said. “They start with a ton of services as well, and it’s overwhelming.”

Choosing Services: Patient-Centric, Data-Backed, Not Trend-Chasing

Client Demand First, Clinical Data Second

When it comes to adding services—especially devices—Seaside follows a simple but powerful framework:

1. Listen for client demand.
2. Vet and validate with clinical data.
3. Evaluate safety and fit for their specific patient base.

“It’s always client demand first that gives us the idea,” Kiley said, “and then we always back it with clinical data and make sure it’s a safe procedure.”

Their clinical director is extremely data-driven, and nothing gets added that doesn’t have credible clinical backing and demonstrable safety.

Slow to Add, Careful to Commit

Kate put it plainly:

“We are slow to add things. We’re not the kind of practice that’s like, ‘Oh, there’s a new thing—let’s add that.’ We really take our time with it.”

Seaside avoids chasing every shiny new device or treatment. They focus on:

• Safety
• Efficacy
• Alignment with their existing patient base
• The ability to confidently stand behind the results

And they’re especially careful not to justify device purchases simply based on hypothetical financial potential.

Rebranding After 15 Years: Why, How, and What They Learned

Why They Decided It Was Time

Seaside had been operating under the same logo and brand identity for 15 years—a logo Kiley originally designed when they launched.

Over time, it stopped feeling like an accurate reflection of who they were:

• The logo felt dated.
• The colors (primarily blue) weren’t aligned with the more warm, family-focused, community feel they had developed.
• As the business matured, they wanted a bolder, more distinctive brand.

“We’d wanted to rebrand for a couple of years,” Kiley said. “It just felt old and outdated. We were bored with the colors.”

Why They Didn’t DIY the Rebrand

Kiley and Kate both handle a lot of design and creative work internally, so naturally they tried to rebrand themselves first.

But they quickly realized:

• They were too close to it.
• It was hard to be objective.
• They weren’t capturing what Seaside had become.

So they decided to bring in outside help and hired Bald, an agency that specializes in branding.

“They guided us through the whole process. It was a really comprehensive rebrand,” Kate said.

The Rebrand Process: Deeper Than Just a New Logo

Working with Bald, they went through a structured, thoughtful process:

• Reviewed reviews to see how patients described Seaside in their own words
• Did internal introspection about who they are, how they’ve grown, and what they wanted to convey
• Evaluated their place in the marketplace and where they wanted to position themselves
• Iterated through multiple logo and color concepts, giving detailed feedback along the way

It wasn’t a quick “logo refresh.” It was months of:

• Exploring how they’re perceived
• Clarifying what they want to stand for
• Translating all of that into visuals, tone, and brand identity

A Bold New Color Palette (and Internal Resistance)

The rebrand included a major color shift:

• Old branding: primarily blue, safe and typical for med spas
• New branding: orange, cream, and still some blue, but with a bolder, warmer, more distinctive feel

Patients largely loved the change. But internally, there was some staff resistance.

“We had employees who didn’t like it at first,” Kiley said. “Change is hard.”

Over time, the team adjusted and came to embrace the new look, especially as they saw how cohesive and elevated everything felt.

Patient Response

Interestingly, while staff had the biggest emotional reaction, patients didn’t push back.

“I haven’t heard any negative feedback from patients,” Kiley said. “They’ve loved it.”

The key takeaway here:
Staff are often more emotionally attached to the old brand than patients are. Patients care more about the experience and results; if the new look feels professional and intentional, they generally roll with it.

Building and Protecting a 5-Star Reputation

As of this recording, Seaside has:

• A 5.0 star rating on Google
• 400+ reviews
• A reputation in their area as one of “the best of the best”

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It Starts with the Team: From Branding to Front Desk to Providers

Kiley and Kate are clear: their reputation is a team accomplishment, not just a marketing win.

• The branding and website (which Kate built) form the first impression.
• The front desk sets the tone the moment patients walk in.
• The providers deliver results backed by extensive training and clinical expertise.

“We love to take credit for the reviews,” Kate joked, “but it’s really the team as a whole and the overall experience.”

Highly Trained Providers with Shared Standards (But Different Personalities)

All Seaside providers are:

• Trained under Michelle, their clinical director and Allergan trainer who also trains other practices
• Held to consistent standards in terms of clinical care, documentation, and charting

The goal is:

• Consistency in outcomes and consult quality
• Variety in personality and “bedside manner”

Some providers are:

• Warmer and more nurturing
• Others are more clinical and to-the-point

This allows patients to “find their person,” while still receiving the same level of clinical care and results.

Matching Patients with the Right Providers

On the front end, Kiley and the front desk rely heavily on:

• Good judgment
  Reading tone on the phone, via email, or in-person
• Balancing business needs with “vibe check”

They do their best to pair patients with a provider whose personality and style will make them feel most comfortable.

Over time, patient feedback naturally helps refine those matches.

Front Desk: The Most Underrated Lever for Reputation & Retention

Seaside treats their front desk team as an essential strategic asset, not just “people who answer phones and check people out.”

Keeping the Front Desk Happy and Invested

Retention starts with how you treat your internal team:

• Front desk staff receive treatments and products themselves
• They earn “Seaside Bucks”, which they can use toward services and products
• They participate in internal contests and incentives

This does two powerful things:

1. Keeps them excited and motivated
   Makes them firsthand experts on the treatments they talk about every day

“The best thing we do for our front desk is giving them that experience,” Kate said. “When they’ve had a service, they can speak about it knowledgeably.”

Culture and Hiring: Attitude First, Skills Second

When hiring for front desk (and across the practice):

• Cultural fit and attitude are non-negotiable.
• Skills can be trained; attitude cannot.
• They prefer referrals from existing team members when possible.

The process often includes:

• Multiple interviews
• A working “in-office day” where the candidate literally works alongside the team

“We want them to see if they like the position too,” Kiley noted.

This follows one of my favorite hiring principles:
“Don’t work with somebody unless you’ve worked with somebody.”

Good people want to work with other good people. Seaside’s strong culture reinforces itself.

Community Involvement & Events: Beyond the Four Walls

Many practices want to “just run ads” and stay behind a screen. Seaside takes the opposite approach and leans into community involvement.

Giving Back Locally

They’ve run several community-driven campaigns, including:

• A clothing drive for communities affected by major fires in LA
• A pet donation drive for their local animal shelter in San Clemente
• An upcoming toy drive

These efforts:

• Build goodwill
• Demonstrate values
• Strengthen emotional ties with the community

In-House Events

Seaside hosts two large in-house events per year, designed to:

• Celebrate patients
• Showcase services
• Create buzz and deepen relationships

Collaborations with Local Businesses

They’ve collaborated with:

• Pilates studios
• Other local businesses with overlapping audiences

These aren’t always easily trackable in a “last-click attribution” sense, but they build brand awareness and familiarity that pay off over time.

“It’s hard to see exactly how well they work,” Kiley said, “but you are trying to support each other and get your name out there.”

In a world where everyone wants perfect attribution and instant ROI, this kind of offline, relationship-based marketing is massively underutilized—and Seaside is proof that it still matters.

Pricing Strategy: Not the Cheapest, Not Gouging—But Justified

Many med spa owners wrestle with this question:

“Should I be the budget med spa, the luxury med spa with premium pricing, or somewhere in between?”

Seaside is very clear about where they stand.

They Know They’re Not the Cheapest—On Purpose

They are not trying to be the lowest-priced med spa in town.

Why?

• Their providers are highly trained, including under an Allergan trainer.
• They invest heavily in ongoing education and trainings, both in-office and offsite.
• They know the skill and expertise their patients are getting.

“We know we’re not the cheapest, and we’re never going to be,” Kate said. “The skill level justifies the cost.”

But They’re Not Wildly Overpriced Either

They also don’t set prices in a vacuum.

Seaside:

• Tracks cost of goods
• Understands provider cost and time
• Evaluates market rates in their area
• Monitors profitability and goals weekly

They meet every week to review:

• Performance by service category
• Where they are relative to goals
• What levers (promotions, messaging, campaigns) they might need to pull

They aim to be:

• Fair to patients
• Sustainable and profitable as a business
• Aligned with the level of expertise and outcomes they deliver

Memberships & Loyalty: Iterating Until It Works

Memberships are a hot topic—and a tricky one. Seaside has learned through experience what works and what doesn’t.

Membership v1: A Botox-Only Membership (And Why It Fell Short)

Their first membership attempt was:

• A Botox-only membership
• A subscription for a set number of neuromodulator units per month

In practice, this version created:

• Logistical and expectation issues
• Complexity that didn’t feel like a win for everyone
• Less flexibility for patients

It wasn’t the right long-term model for them.

Membership v2: A Broad, Flexible “Seaside Membership”

Their current membership model is more successful:

• Patients pay into a monthly “bank” of credits they can use toward any service.
• Members receive discounts across the board, not just on one treatment.
• They run membership-exclusive events and perks.

It functions like a beauty bank plus VIP discount layer—and patients love the flexibility.

“Now it’s a credit they can use toward any service, with discounts associated with being a member,” Kate said.

Not every patient is a member, and that’s okay. They have a “healthy balance” of members and non-members.

The Subscription Overwhelm Problem

Both Kiley and Kate acknowledge a broader industry headwind: subscription fatigue.

With apps like Rocket Money popping up to help people cancel unused subscriptions, many consumers are hesitant to commit to more recurring charges—even when the math clearly benefits them.

If that macro trend ever shifts, well-structured med spa memberships like Seaside’s will become even more powerful.

Loyalty Programs & Points (Alle/Aspire)

On top of Seaside’s own membership program, they also:

• Encourage patients to use Allē and other manufacturer loyalty programs.
• Allow patients to “double dip”—using points on top of Seaside promos when appropriate.

“They’ve earned those points,” Kate said. “We’re not going to tell them they can’t use them.”

Promotions & Marketing Calendar: Planned, But Flexible

A Yearly Framework (Not a Rigid Script)

Seaside builds out a marketing calendar for the full year, but they treat it as a rough outline, not a rigid plan.

They account for:

• Historical seasonality (what tends to perform when)
• Likely windows for certain promos or focus areas

But they also leave room to adapt based on:

• Demand shifts
• New products or services
• Economic conditions
• What they’re seeing in the data week-to-week

Promos that Add Value, Not Just Discount Core Services

They avoid heavily discounting core “bread and butter” services like neuromodulators or GLP-1s.

Instead, they often structure promos as:

• Discounts on add-ons or boosters (e.g., $50 off a microneedling booster)
• Deals that increase ticket value (e.g., $50 off a second area of BBL)

Rather than shrinking margins on the base service, they use promotions to:

• Encourage upsells
• Increase average order values
• Add perceived value without cheapening their core offerings

Social Media: Focused, Honest About Gaps, and Audience-Aligned

Seaside is candid about the fact that social media is not the part of their marketing they’re most proud of—and that honesty alone is refreshing.

Where They Focus (and Why)

Their target demographic is primarily 35+, so they concentrate on:

• Instagram
• Facebook

They’re not trying to chase every trend on TikTok or other platforms where their typical patient may not spend as much time.

What They Want to Improve

Kiley and Kate both feel there’s room to improve in:

• Engagement (not just posting)
• Creating more two-way conversation through social content

That said, their philosophy is aligned with what we see working best:

• Social media is often more about engaging and reassuring existing patients and prospective patients who are already researching them
• It’s less about being the primary source of new patient acquisition—and more about legitimizing the brand and reinforcing trust

“It helps establish the legitimacy of the business,” Kate said. “People go there to see if this is a place they trust.”

Google Reviews: Simple, Consistent, and Integrated into Workflow

Seaside’s review strategy is elegant and straightforward.

How They Ask for Reviews

Two main touchpoints:

1. At Checkout (Front Desk Script)
   • Many patients want to tip their nurse.
   • Seaside’s nurses don’t accept tips.
   • Front desk team responds with:
     “The best thing you can do for them is leave them a Google review.”
     
2. Post-Visit Checkout Message
   • Their digital checkout message includes a review request, framed around:
     “If you had a good experience, we’d love for you to leave a Google review.”

They don’t overcomplicate it. They just ask clearly, at the right moments, and consistently.

And because the experience is genuinely strong, patients follow through.

Staying on Top of Trends Without Chasing Every Fad

The med spa world is saturated with “the next big thing”:
lasers, weight loss drugs, devices, wellness add-ons, and more.

Seaside stays current without becoming trend-obsessed.

Where They Hear About Trends

They’re plugged into trends via:

• The aesthetics industry network, which is fairly tight-knit
• Clinical director and owners who are constantly researching
• Reps who pitch devices and products—especially because Seaside is a sizable, respected practice
• Nurse and aesthetician conversations at outside trainings and industry events

But They Don’t Jump on Everything

Their guiding principle remains:

• Safety first
• Clinically proven efficacy
• Fit for their patient base and brand

They may test things internally before deciding to offer them widely.
If it doesn’t meet their standards, it doesn’t make the cut.

Hiring & Retaining Talent: People Want to Work Where People Are Happy

Talent and culture are as important as any marketing tactic.

Retaining Providers

They retain providers by:

• Paying competitive, fair compensation
• Offering extensive ongoing training
• Creating a culture where providers are:
  • Respected
  • Supported
  • Equipped to do their best work

Retaining Front Desk and Support Staff

Beyond pay, they:

• Provide treatments and products as staff perks
• Offer Seaside Bucks for internal contests and performance
• Involve staff deeply in the mission and patient experience
• Hire slowly and thoughtfully, prioritizing attitude and cultural fit

People who are good at their jobs and enjoy their environment want to work with others who are the same. Seaside leans into that.

Final Thoughts & Where to Learn More

Seaside Skincare is a great example of what happens when a med spa:

• Grows only as fast as demand truly supports
• Chooses services based on patient demand plus clinical data, not hype
• Invests in branding and experience at every step of the patient journey
• Treats front desk staff as strategic partners, not just reception
• Uses memberships and promotions intelligently, without becoming discount-driven
• Stays plugged into trends while remaining disciplined and patient-centric
• Builds a culture where good people want to stay

If you’re in their area and happen to be reading this:

• Website: seasideskincare.com
• Instagram: @seaside_skincare

And if you’re a med spa or aesthetics practice owner who wants help implementing more effective marketing strategies—from ads to tracking to retention-focused campaigns—my team and I at Med Spa Magic Marketing would love to connect.

You can learn more and book a strategy session at:
👉 medspamagicmarketing.com