Building a 7-Figure Med Spa Agency: Lessons from Gordon Yeh's Journey

The Early Days: From Mobile Websites to Med Spa Marketing

Gordon Yeh's entrepreneurial journey began in high school when his father, a doctor who owned a med spa, encouraged him to build websites for local businesses. This early exposure to entrepreneurship set the stage for Gordon's future success.

"My first gig was in high school building mobile websites for local businesses. This was when smartphones were getting really popular, but all the websites looked terrible on a phone," Gordon recalls.

With his brother, Gordon started knocking on doors in his hometown, selling mobile websites to local businesses. Their first deal was a modest $27 per month, but it was enough to give them a taste of entrepreneurship and provide some beer money during their university years.

Transitioning to Facebook Ads and Med Spa Marketing

After graduating from university, Gordon and his brother returned home and experimented with various business ideas. They initially worked with different local businesses, including yoga studios and chiropractors. However, they soon realized the potential in specializing in med spa marketing, given their father's background in the industry.

"We kind of floundered for a year, like we made some money, but then a year later we're just like, 'Well, why don't we just specialize in med spa and team up and just blow it up?' Because we have this in, right? Like our dad owns a med spa," Gordon explains.

This decision to focus on med spas led to the creation of their agency, Forever Books. The specialization proved to be a turning point, as they started to see more success in their business.

Learning Facebook Ads and Implementing for Success

Gordon's journey into Facebook ads began when his father purchased a course called The Profit League. His father, busy running his med spa, asked Gordon to implement the strategies from the course.

"My dad's like, 'I don't have time to implement this. Can you implement this for me?' So that was the first course I joined to learn Facebook ads, and we implemented it for my dad's clinic, and he just blew up," Gordon shares.

The results were impressive - their first campaign generated around $50,000 in revenue within a month and a half. This success with his father's clinic became the foundation for their agency's future growth.

Expanding the Agency and Overcoming Challenges

As Gordon and his brother started to expand their services to other med spas, they faced various challenges and went through several iterations of their business model. They initially tried a consulting approach, which didn't work out as well as expected.

"We did that, it didn't really work, so we're like, 'Okay, we need to do done-for-you,'" Gordon explains. This shift to a done-for-you model became a crucial step in their agency's evolution.

They began by offering Facebook ad management services, using tools like Zapier, Google Sheets, and MailChimp to deliver leads to their clients. As they grew, they incorporated more sophisticated tools and strategies.

Incorporating High Level and Evolving the Business Model

Gordon's agency started using High Level (now Go High Level) early on, which allowed them to offer more comprehensive services to their clients. They created a system called the "Patient Concierge," where they hired virtual assistants to handle lead nurturing for their clients.

"We quickly found out that like, having them go into their Go High Level, message all the leads back, they just - no one does it. So what we did was created this - we created the Patient Concierge, and we hired a bunch of VAs and then showed them how to do the lead nurturing for the clients," Gordon explains.

This approach became a significant differentiator for their agency, as they were not only running ads but also handling the follow-up process for their clients.

Scaling Up and Hitting Revenue Milestones

As the agency continued to evolve, they experimented with different pricing models and service offerings. They hit their first $100,000 month around 2022, after several years of steady growth.

"We were like between 30 and 70k probably for like 2-3 years, and then we finally hit 100k around 2022," Gordon recalls.

However, the journey wasn't without its challenges. They experimented with a pay-per-show model, which initially led to significant revenue growth but proved difficult to sustain due to the complexity of med spa services.

Pivoting to a SaaS and Consulting Model

Recognizing the limitations and stress of their done-for-you model, Gordon and his team made a significant pivot in early 2023. They transitioned to a more SaaS-oriented, done-with-you model, inspired by the integration of ChatGPT with Go High Level.

"As soon as I realized that ChatGPT came out for Go High Level, I figured to myself, I'm like, 'I want to start doing done-with-you, like SaaS, like actually teaching clients how to do it,'" Gordon explains.

This new model involves an 8-week program priced between $5,000 and $7,000, followed by a monthly fee of $997. The program includes comprehensive training on setting up and managing their marketing systems, with a focus on empowering clients to run their own ads and manage their campaigns.

Current Offer and Value Proposition

Gordon's current offer to clients is a hybrid of software, training, and support. Here's what it includes:

1. An 8-week intensive program
2. Custom action plan based on a thorough survey of the client's business
3. Access to daily support calls
4. AI-powered lead nurturing setup
5. Weekly media drops with new creative assets
6. Ongoing support and coaching

"We do an 8-week program during that 8-week program. You - it's like very hands-on. We're teaching people how to get everything set up and everything like that, and then after that, it's just a monthly $997 a month," Gordon explains.

This model allows clients to get the benefits of a high-end agency service while learning to manage their own marketing efforts, creating a more sustainable and scalable approach for both the agency and its clients.

Balancing Work and Personal Pursuits

Despite the demands of running a successful agency, Gordon has found ways to incorporate his personal interests and pursuits into his entrepreneurial journey. He's developed a concept called "entrepreneur," which combines the drive of an entrepreneur with the leisurely lifestyle of a 19th-century Parisian figure known as a flâneur.

"The idea was the launch party was going to encapsulate what an entrepreneur is, which is like partying, leisure, you know, screwing off, and then business, right?" Gordon explains.

This philosophy has led to the creation of a newsletter and a broader lifestyle brand that Gordon is developing alongside his agency work. It's a testament to his ability to balance hard work with personal fulfillment and creative expression.

Advice for Aspiring Agency Owners

For those looking to follow in his footsteps, Gordon offers some key advice:

1. Focus on one thing initially: "If you're starting out, don't try to, you know, do - just do one thing and just lock in. Like, give yourself three years, honestly. Give yourself literally three years to lock in and do one thing."

2. Start with high-end clients: "If I was going to start out again, I think the best thing to do is start off at the high end of the market... Find super like obscure, unsexy niche and do work with clients, charge them high ticket up front, and then charge them a percentage of revenue."

3. Develop copywriting skills: "Copywriting is the most incredible superpower... I would recommend people start copywriting early because it's not just going to turn you into a better copywriter, it's going to turn you into a better thinker."

4. Be prepared for the grind: "If you're just starting off, it's honestly a good idea to just 100% go into it, and then once you start getting success, you can do some other things."

Conclusion: The Power of Persistence and Adaptation

Gordon Yeh's journey from building mobile websites in high school to running a successful med spa marketing agency is a testament to the power of persistence, specialization, and continuous adaptation. His story illustrates the importance of finding a niche, developing key skills like copywriting, and being willing to pivot when necessary.

By focusing on the med spa industry, leveraging technology like Go High Level and AI, and constantly refining their offer, Gordon and his team have built a thriving business that provides significant value to their clients. Their evolution from a done-for-you agency to a more scalable, SaaS-oriented model demonstrates the importance of finding sustainable business models in the ever-changing digital marketing landscape.

For aspiring agency owners and entrepreneurs, Gordon's journey offers valuable lessons in perseverance, the importance of specialization, and the balance between hard work and personal fulfillment. As the digital marketing industry continues to evolve, those who can adapt, specialize, and provide genuine value to their clients will be best positioned for long-term success.

Article created from: https://youtu.be/vqt0XhmqxlU?si=F8HY-4hbDl41UmGt