Scott Heckmann

How did the LaserAway story begin?

My brothers (Todd and Brock) and I grew up with a front row seat for observing the many businesses our father successfully operated. Little did we know how formative those dinner table stories would eventually be for our own business. We and our good friend and dermatologist, Dr. Roy Winston, saw a massive void in the fast-growing world of medical aesthetics, with an opportunity to create a service offering that combined an excellent customer experience, high-quality clinical results, and a strong brand that engendered loyalty. In 2006, we opened our first LaserAway location in West Hollywood, California.

What were the early growth days like?

The first couple of years were all about perfecting the customer experience, from marketing to scheduling to medical protocols to customer service. Todd, Brock, and I worked closely together with each of us focusing on our domain expertise. Todd fine-tuned our digital customer acquisition strategy, Brock executed leases and new clinic fit-outs, and I developed our sales and culture best practices. There was constant trial and error, but we never lost sight of our goal to shift the delivery of non-invasive aesthetic treatments from a typical doctor’s office to a more focused, high-tech, welcoming, and sophisticated environment. And we worked with a board of medical experts to ensure that our clinical practices surpassed the highest standards in the industry. Over the next several years, we opened additional locations throughout Southern and Northern California before launching our brand outside of California.

Why did you partner with Seidler?

After achieving success in a few other states, we realized we had the makings to become the premier brand in the industry. It was the right time for us to find an experienced partner who had helped other brands achieve their growth potential. We had met many other firms, but none seemed to have the right combination of experience, culture, and deal dynamic – until we met Seidler in 2018. Not only did Seidler have a proven track record in accelerating a multi-unit growth strategy in fitness, car wash, sporting goods, and other industries, they also were an excellent fit with our strong people-first culture. And my brothers and I were able to maintain control of the business and keep a debt-free balance sheet, which were important considerations for us.

What did the partnership accomplish?

Once we partnered with Seidler, we immediately felt we had gained an experienced partner who had done it before. Yet the Seidler team didn’t simply apply the same playbook they had used with other businesses. They helped us define our operating and growth goals in a way that leveraged our strengths, capabilities, and most importantly, our culture. They analyzed metrics that helped us improve the performance of our clinics, and we collaborated in developing a smart and methodical unit growth strategy. During our partnership, LaserAway has significantly bolstered our executive leadership team, more than tripled the number of locations (now over 100!), and entered 10 new states. And we feel like we’re still just getting started.