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A Conversation with Dr. Brent and Angela, Hosted by Ricky Shockley of Med Spa Magic Marketing
Introduction
Welcome to Med Spa Success Strategies, where med spa and aesthetics practice owners come to learn meaningful strategies for marketing, growth, profitability, and practice management. I’m your host, Ricky Shockley of Med Spa Magic Marketing.
In this conversation, we explore what it really takes to build both a thriving business and a thriving marriage when your spouse is also your business partner. Our guests, Dr. Brent and Angela, have been married for 33 years, have built and sold multiple businesses, raised and homeschooled their kids, and have stayed deeply connected to each other throughout the journey.
They didn’t stumble into harmony. They studied it, practiced it, and refined it into what they now teach as The Power Couple Protocol — a framework designed specifically for entrepreneurial couples who want to grow without sacrificing their relationship in the process.
This article captures their journey, strategy, and practical tools to help med spa owners strengthen their business and marriage at the same time — without losing either along the way.
How It Began: A Small Practice That Grew Into Something Big
Dr. Brent and Angela started with a small chiropractic office — about 900 square feet. Early on, Angela noticed a sign that a large shopping center was being built nearby. They recognized the potential and opened their practice in that area.
Over the next several years, they expanded repeatedly. The practice eventually grew to 6,000 square feet with 15 treatment rooms, 22 staff members, and even a second-story studio for filming and training. The business evolved into a fully-integrated aesthetics and wellness center.
Their growth wasn’t linear or effortless. It required personal development, maturation, and learning to operate as true partners. They describe the journey like a spiral that keeps looping forward, with each loop bringing new wisdom.
The Decision to Sell
Selling was not part of the original plan. They were contacted by private equity firms for years and always said no. They didn’t see a future outside of the business.
Eventually, after years of work, family growth, and evolving priorities, they asked themselves: “What would life look like after the business?”
The answer became clear, especially for Angela, who felt the need for a new chapter. They sold the practice when it genuinely felt right — not because they were forced to, but because they were ready to grow into something new.
Why The Power Couple Protocol Was Created
Throughout their years in practice, people constantly asked them how they managed to work together, live together, and still enjoy each other. Even staff members wondered if they were “faking it.”
They also noticed how many med spa owners were also couples — in their current coaching work, about 65% are husband-and-wife teams.
They began sharing the strategies that helped them keep their marriage strong while scaling businesses. Over time, these strategies formed into a clear framework — The Power Couple Protocol.
The philosophy is not about status or control. The “power” refers to the strength that comes from interdependence, trust, and aligned mission.
Guardrails: The Core of Their Framework
The biggest challenge for entrepreneurial couples is the blending of personal and professional life. Without boundaries, everything bleeds together.
They created guardrails to protect time, energy, and connection in both marriage and business.
Examples of their guardrails:
- Family dinner is protected time. No business talk.
- Date nights do not include conversations about work or kids.
- CEO meetings between spouses are treated as seriously as meetings with any other business partner.
- If a work meeting with each other is scheduled, it is honored and not casually skipped.
They also recognize that in relationships like this, one person often pushes the accelerator while the other acts as the brakes. Both roles are important, but without structure, this dynamic can create friction.
Guardrails reduce that friction so both people can contribute from their strengths.
Learning to Read Each Other’s Signals
A critical skill in both marriage and business is being able to read your partner’s non-verbal cues. For example, if Angela hadn’t had her coffee yet, that wasn’t the moment to launch into budgeting or growth plans. Brent learned to slow down and align emotionally before solving business problems.
Learning non-verbal cues can prevent misunderstandings and escalation. This skill improves collaboration and reduces tension, both at work and at home.
Defining Roles and Responsibilities (Swim Lanes)
One of the most common sources of conflict in couple-led businesses is unclear responsibilities.
They recommend documenting roles the same way you would for any employee. For example, if HR decisions belong to one spouse, the other spouse should not override that authority just because they can. This preserves clarity and reduces confusion among team members.
They also created checklists and protocols to prevent recurring arguments. For example, before launching any new service, every operational detail must be ready. The decision is not emotional — it’s procedural.
When processes exist, personal tension decreases.
Handling CEO-Level Disagreements: The “Ball” Concept
When big decisions arise (like purchasing a new laser), couples often pass the emotional “ball” back and forth — one arguing for ROI, the other worried about financial risk.
Their method is to “put the ball down.” Instead of arguing sides, they step back, look at the situation together, and evaluate it objectively — as though they were advising a client.
If you find yourself reacting emotionally, it usually means you don’t yet have full clarity. Once clarity is achieved, emotional intensity decreases and decisions become easier.
When Work Bleeds into Family Life
Many couples find themselves talking business in the car while driving kids to activities, simply because they don’t have dedicated business time.
Their advice: If you only have time to talk business during family logistics, you have reached your personal and operational capacity.
Instead of hiring expensive business help first, they recommend outsourcing the lowest-cost tasks at home — laundry, cleaning, grocery pickup, child transport. Freeing time at home creates space for business conversations to happen intentionally, not reactively.
Your time as a leader is your most valuable asset. Protect it.
Handling Emotional Triggers and Patterns
Sometimes a conflict in the business is really about something deeper. Angela shared an example where she became upset about Brent approving a product that contained dye she didn’t feel aligned with. After deeper conversation, she realized the true emotion was not about the product — it was about feeling “not chosen.”
Tracing emotional reactions back to their origin allows couples to handle the true issue, not the surface-level disagreement.
This is the type of emotional honesty that strengthens both marriage and business collaboration.
Marriage Comes First
Their belief is clear: A thriving marriage makes business easier. Trying to fix the business before fixing the relationship rarely works.
Small rituals can restore connection quickly. One of theirs is simply making eye contact for 5–10 seconds — a pattern interruption that reconnects them emotionally.
A major relationship commitment they emphasize is: Commit to being committed. Not just love, but dedication to staying in it fully.
Apply Your Best Business Skills to Your Marriage
Brent spent years studying leadership and personal development programs. Over time, he realized the same skills used in business — follow-up, over-delivery, communication testing, feedback loops — can be applied to marriage.
Treat your spouse as your most important client.
In marketing today, people buy from people. Couples who are genuinely connected radiate trust, energy, and alignment. That becomes part of the brand.
The Ultimate Date Night Program
One of the resources they offer is a six-week program that builds toward one memorable date night. It includes conversation prompts, communication frameworks, and reflection activities designed to deepen connection.
They include 300 questions divided into categories:
- Light and conversational
- Deeper emotional connection
- Intimate and romantic connection
This framework rebuilds anticipation, excitement, and affection — even after decades together.
Recommended Resources They Mentioned
- Affair-Proof Your Marriage (book)
- A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
- Brené Brown’s TED Talk on Vulnerability (watched yearly with their team)
- Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time (principle reference)
- Romancing the Clock by Marvin Karlins (on time value)
Where to Learn More or Work With Them
Website: yourpractice.solutions
They offer consulting for practices in all growth phases — startup, scaling, and exit — and now work intensively with entrepreneurial couples.
They guide couples through the landmines they’ve already lived through and help them move faster with less conflict and clearer collaboration.
A Note from Ricky at Med Spa Magic Marketing
If your med spa is exploring new marketing strategies or agencies, I offer a 1.5-hour planning session where I will map out a customized marketing plan and show you exactly what we do for clients. You can implement it yourself, have someone else implement it, or work with us.
