Rebuilding a Profitable Med Spa: Lindsay Kirby of Sculpt Wellness

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Guest: Lindsay Kirby, RN — Founder of Sculpt Wellness (Tri-Cities, WA)
Host: Pam Jordan — Pivot to Profit Podcast

Lindsay Kirby spent twelve years as a labor and delivery nurse before launching Sculpt Wellness in 2016 with one used red-light device. She added cryotherapy, IV therapy, peptides, and a first-to-market GLP-1 program in her area. Revenue grew fast—at one point passing $1M a year on weight loss alone—but profit didn’t keep up. Debt mounted, overhead ballooned, and payroll stress became constant.

This is the story of how she’s rebuilding with focus, margins, and long-term client relationships.

From Nurse to Founder

Lindsay grew up on a multi-generation farm where income rose and fell with the weather. After a decade at the bedside, she discovered nutrition and red light therapy and saw a gap between elite med-spa aesthetics and everyday wellness. She opened Sculpt Wellness to serve people who wanted to feel better—not just look different.

Her first year in business brought in $360,000 in revenue and, crucially, a profit. “Even without knowing everything about business,” she says, “I knew how to help people and generate value.”

When “More” Isn’t Better

As Sculpt expanded into 30+ services and devices, overhead climbed. Hiring followed the feeling of being busy rather than capacity math. Top-line targets were hit, but payroll stress never eased. By 2023, Lindsay faced seven-figure debt and six-figure monthly overhead.

“I realized I was scaling problems,” she says. “Hitting revenue goals didn’t fix the anxiety.”

The Pivot Back to Profit

Lindsay decided to rebuild from the ground up:

  • Price with math, not vibes. Every service must cover direct costs, licensed labor, room time, and overhead—and still leave a healthy margin.

  • Choose a flagship. Instead of selling everything to everyone, focus on one program you can deliver repeatedly with clear outcomes.

  • Lengthen relationships. Design 3-, 6-, and 12-month paths with check-ins, progress photos/metrics, and simple renewal options.

  • Tidy the menu. Sunset underperforming services and devices. Raise prices before headcount.

  • Open the books to the team. “We can’t run at 30% payroll and survive.” Numbers are shared so everyone understands what “healthy” looks like.

“We’d rather serve 100 clients all year and transform them,” Lindsay says, “than 3,000 one-and-done visits.”

What She’d Tell Her Earlier Self

  1. Do fewer things better. Pick the offer that truly changes lives and become known for it.

  2. Protect your margins. If a service can’t clear your minimum margin, it doesn’t make the menu.

  3. Teach the numbers. When the team understands payroll bands and utilization, good decisions follow.

  4. Own the relationship. Outcomes and retention beat novelty devices every time.

  5. Let profit fund generosity. Profit keeps care accessible, jobs stable, and owners sane.

Where Sculpt Is Headed

Sculpt is returning to its roots: simple, effective tools (red light, cold, IVs, peptides) used in personalized programs, delivered by a team that listens. Clients learn enough to become their own wellness expert, and results—not catalogs—drive the plan.

Connect With Lindsay

If you’re a wellness or med-spa owner wondering where the money is going—or why payroll is always stressful—schedule a consult at https://www.pamjordan.com/

Remember: It’s not what you make. It’s what you keep.


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