If you’re wondering how to open a medical spa, consider Muse Med Spa’s success story.
Editor’s note: Sydney Scott-Sullivan, the founder and owner of Muse Med Spa, built her practice on a commitment to fostering a community that goes beyond aesthetics. In a highly competitive area on Bee Cave Road, where more than 13 medspas operate within a three-mile radius, Muse Med Spa stands out without relying on marketing. Their secret? The group’s connection with their patients creates a loyal community that goes beyond the treatment room.
How would you describe the MedSpa landscape right now?
“In Texas, the medical aesthetic industry is such a niche part of medicine. We’re part spa, part retail, and part medicine. In the past, there weren’t as many regulations, but things are changing. With the growth of any industry comes rules, and the boundaries that we have to stay within,” Sydney said.
How have you responded to these changes? Todd mentioned you went back to school!
“I have been in the industry for over 20 years, and I can see when things are coming.
Every two years when we go into session, that’s when they rework some rules and laws. I just got tired of worrying about it, and so to protect not only my financial future but the financial future of the business, I went to school part-time for about four years. But then the last year and a half, I had to go full-time, all while maintaining a very quickly growing business.“
How did you do it?
“It was hard. I would wake up at four in the morning, go to clinicals from five until two, and come straight here. I would be here by 2:30 pm and then I would see patients until six. That was every day, and it was a very competitive program. When I enrolled I didn’t know that you would not pass and then I remember the first day in class. Some students said, ‘Oh, yeah, this is my second time doing this semester because I didn’t pass last time.’ I remember thinking, oh my gosh, that’s a possibility. I didn’t even consider that. So it was a very high-pressure program. I’m grateful to be one of only four people who finished it on time within my class…to be able to have the business grow and then stay on track with schooling.”
Share a little bit about your vision for your practice at this stage.
“What gets me up every single morning is making men and women feel their absolute best and instilling that confidence in them. But also I want to create a community. Moving into this new office has allowed us to do that.”
Tell us a little bit about what you mean when you say community.
“It’s funny that you bring that up because just last week, we did a Muse Movie Family Night where we invited everybody to bring their spouses and their kids. We went and saw Wonka; it was a great event! We just wanted to celebrate the Muse family. In May, we’re going to do a Muse Market because we have so many amazing and creative patients. I want to give them a chance to highlight what they love doing. I’m so honored that people share with me so much about their lives. I know they love learning what’s going on with my kids and my personal life. In talking about community, it’s not just with our patients, but with their families, or friends as well. “
How did you find Todd and the office? Tell us the story.
“I met Todd through a friend. I knew that we needed a bigger space; I had no idea it was going to be that hard. We looked for over a year! We just couldn’t find the right thing. I am very particular – I needed to be in a very specific area and then that area got a little smaller.
When we found this office, it was unfortunate looking. There were four different types of flooring, stains on the ceiling, and the cabinet doors were all crooked. But it had good bones, and that is what kept me engaged. I wake up now and I cannot wait to get here. I love it! It’s a beautiful space, and the energy – we open so many things up – the flow of energy is beautiful. My favorite thing is walking outside of my treatment room and seeing patients just chit-chatting with the rest of the staff and catching up. That’s what I wanted, and this space has just been perfect and checked every single box.
I’m so thankful for Todd‘s patience and diligence with me. Sometimes, he would be trying to get some answers and he might have to wait eight hours because between school and clinicals and seeing patients. I think we were the perfect match.“
What was your previous experience with real estate brokers?
“With my first office, I was using somebody but then I thought I’d do this on my own because I didn’t see the value in it.
But moving into a bigger space, I saw the value in needing help. Todd walked me through the process, and let me know the importance of a real estate attorney and what to look for in contractors, which I would have never even known. You don’t know what you don’t know. And I am grateful to Todd for doing it in such a kind gentle way that didn’t make me feel uneducated. I was in a space where I had a lot to learn. Now I know way too much about contractors and lease negotiations, not real estate law, but I know how to find the people who do! And I couldn’t have done that without his help.”
How did you take the office from good bones to this gorgeous space?
“I had a very specific vision. I knew what I wanted it to look like and that made the remodel process so much easier. I knew how I wanted the energy to flow in the office. I knew how I wanted to lay out the rooms. I knew the color scheme. I knew the style and the decor that I wanted. And so having that [vision] made finding a space easier or I shouldn’t say easier but it made it more clear. ”
What’s been the most challenging part of relocating your MedSpa?
“This is the easiest move I’ve ever made in my whole life. There wasn’t anything challenging because the timing was right and I had the right people in my corner. Between Todd, my contractors, and my team… we closed Friday at 4 pm. We had the trucks meet us at the office at 8 am on Saturday, we moved everything here and were done by 5:30 that night. I opened on Monday at 8 am. The team worked together – they knew the vision and decided, ‘We’re gonna pack these services this day, so between Wednesday and Friday don’t book any of these services’. The organization amongst the team made everything seamless. We didn’t miss a beat. Through the organization and the people that I surrounded myself with, it made this so easy.“
In this new space, what’s been your approach to MedSpa marketing?
“I don’t know exactly what it is that we’re doing but I think it’s who we are as people and. We’ve never spent $1 on marketing and are so thankful to have the growth that we do. We genuinely love our patients and connecting with them. We’re just really thankful to our Westlake and West Austin community for supporting us and keeping us going,” Sullivan said
