Part 2: Embracing uniqueness & secrets to success

Part 2: Embracing uniqueness and secrets to success

Host Audrey Neff and Dr. Gretchen Frieling return for an enlightening second installment of True to Form, picking up where their previous conversation left off. In this episode, Dr. G unpacks her unconventional approach to training injectors and offers insight into her unique hiring practices, which prioritize personality, ethics, and character.

An Unconventional Approach to Training

Dr. G's philosophy extends beyond clinical technique into how she develops her team. Her training approach reflects the same commitment to authenticity and excellence that defines her practice. Rather than following a conventional template, she trains injectors in a way that aligns with her distinctive standards and values, ensuring her team delivers care the way she envisions.

Hiring for Personality and Ethics

One of the most distinctive aspects of Dr. G's approach is how she hires. She prioritizes qualities that cannot easily be taught.

• Personality. Hiring people whose character fits the practice's culture and connects with patients.
• Ethics. Prioritizing integrity, because trust is the foundation of patient care.
• Character. Valuing who a person is as much as what they can do clinically.
• Cultural fit. Building a team aligned around shared values and standards.

Her conviction is that clinical skills can be developed, but character and ethics are intrinsic and essential.

Why Character Matters in Aesthetics

In a field built on trust and personal interaction, the character of a provider directly shapes the patient experience. Dr. G's emphasis on personality and ethics reflects an understanding that patients are choosing not just a treatment but a person they trust with their care. Hiring for these qualities protects both patients and the practice's reputation.

Building a Team That Reflects Your Values

By hiring for character and training in her own way, Dr. G builds a team that embodies the values and standards of her brand. This alignment ensures consistency in the patient experience and reinforces the authentic, distinctive identity that has made her practice successful. The team becomes an extension of the brand.

Lessons in Leadership and Culture

This conversation reveals that Dr. G's success is built not only on her own talents but on how she develops and leads her team. Her unconventional approaches to training and hiring offer a model for building a practice culture rooted in authenticity, ethics, and excellence, the same qualities that define her personal brand.

Key Takeaways for Practice Owners

• Train in alignment with your standards. Develop your team to deliver care your way.
• Hire for character and ethics. Skills can be taught; integrity and personality cannot.
• Recognize character shapes the experience. Patients trust people, not just treatments.
• Build a team that reflects your values. Alignment ensures consistency and reinforces your brand.

This second conversation with Dr. G deepens the picture of what drives her success, showing that thoughtful training and values-based hiring are central to building a distinctive, thriving practice.