Question 1

How does your consulting process work?

Accepted Answer

It starts with a free 30-minute call and a short intake form so we understand your business and your goals. From there we map a clear plan and work with you on the right strategies, tools, and next steps — practical, direct, and built for real implementation. The form and call also help us both decide whether we're the right fit.

Question 2

What does CCK Consulting do?

Accepted Answer

CCK Consulting helps medical aesthetics and service-based practices run with less admin and more artistry. The firm builds operations playbooks, integrates AI workflows to cut administrative overhead, and installs research-driven marketing systems for owners launching, scaling, or trying to get out of the day-to-day weeds.

Question 3

Who is CCK Consulting for?

Accepted Answer

Service-based business owners, with a specialty in the beauty industry and medical aesthetics, medspas, aestheticians, and IV hydration practices, who want to reduce burnout, stop guessing, and build operations, marketing, and AI systems with intention.

Question 4

Who is Mary Smiley Ford?

Accepted Answer

Founder of CCK Consulting and Co-Founder and CEO of Smiley Aesthetics, one of the fastest-growing independent aesthetics networks in the U.S. (nearly 100 practices, mostly organic growth). A national medical aesthetics trainer and speaker in operations, marketing, clinical systems, and AI integration.

Question 5

Do you help with AI integration?

Accepted Answer

Yes. This is one of our main specialties. Mary has worked to become advanced in Claude specifically, but many of the principles work across different AI companies like ChatGPT and Gemini. We help you use AI in ways that actually support your business and your personal life, saving time, improving workflows, and reducing the daily load on your team so you can focus on your core work.

Question 6

What does AI integration mean?

Accepted Answer

AI integration means putting AI tools to work inside the day-to-day of running your practice, not as a gimmick, but as quiet systems that handle the repetitive work. In practice that looks like automating appointment reminders and client follow-ups, drafting your marketing content, organizing patient communications, and pulling your numbers into a dashboard instead of a spreadsheet you dread. CCK Consulting selects the right tools for your specific practice, sets them up, and shows you how to run them, so AI saves you hours every week without adding complexity or requiring any technical know-how.

Question 7

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Book a free 30-minute call and tell us what is slowing your business down. From there, we will talk through your goals and see whether our support is the right next step for you.

Question 8

How much does CCK Consulting cost?

Accepted Answer

CCK Consulting offers a tiered ladder so you can start anywhere: the AI Quickstart at $49, a Power Hour at $297, a Strategy Sprint at $1,497, and a Quarterly Install at $2,500 per month (or $6,500 paid up front for the three months). We also offer do-it-yourself document libraries: the Medspa Business, Compliance & Operations Suite at $3,999 (additional states $499 each), the Aesthetician Suite at $2,999 (additional states $299 each), and the IV Hydration Suite at $2,997 (additional states $499 each). Lower-cost resources start at $34.

Question 9

What does a done-with-you engagement look like?

Accepted Answer

A done-with-you engagement means we build and implement alongside you — not hand you a strategy deck and walk away. Depending on your plan, that includes installing AI workflows, setting up your operations playbooks, building marketing systems, and creating client and patient communication flows. You end the engagement with working systems you can actually run, not a to-do list.

Question 10

What is the Medspa Business, Compliance & Operations Suite?

Accepted Answer

A standalone, editable launch library for opening or formalizing a medical aesthetics practice: 150+ white-label templates localized to your state, covering compliance and governance, clinical protocols, informed consents, policies, HR, marketing compliance, and financials, plus two 30-minute one-on-one calls. $3,999, additional states $499 each. Not legal, medical, tax, or financial advice.

Operations Optimization Guide