September 27, 2025 • 25 mins
What does it take to build a cosmetic surgery practice that attracts patients from Dubai, Paris, and beyond? Dr. Ryan Diepenbrock reveals the journey behind Renewed Look becoming an international destination for facial aesthetics.
Starting as a side practice during his military career, Dr. Diepenbrock leveraged his multi-specialty training in the US Air Force to develop a unique approach to facial rejuvenation. "I was learning how to do noses from otolaryngologists, skin resurfacing from dermatologists, and blepharoplasties from oculoplastic surgeons," he explains, describing how this collaborative foundation shaped his surgical philosophy.
Now at the helm of a 74-person operation with three locations, Dr. Diepenbrock offers fascinating insights into the shifting landscape of cosmetic procedures. He's observed a significant trend away from temporary fillers toward more permanent surgical interventions as patients increasingly seek natural, realistic results. This shift coincides with growing concerns about the long-term effects of injectable fillers, with recent MRI studies suggesting these products may not dissolve as previously claimed.
The conversation takes us behind the curtain of a successful aesthetic practice, revealing how patient experience trumps all other considerations. "We treat people like family from the second they make their first phone call to the second they have their last follow-up with us," Dr. Diepenbrock shares, emphasizing that this approach—not marketing tricks—has fueled their growth into an international destination. His team removes barriers for traveling patients by arranging accommodations, transportation, and comprehensive care.
Looking toward the future, Dr. Diepenbrock is focused on innovations using patients' own biological materials. "People want to have things that came from them as opposed to something that came from a laboratory," he notes, highlighting advancements in platelet-rich plasma, biomaterials, and fat transfer techniques enhanced with stem cells.
Whether you're considering cosmetic procedures or interested in healthcare business models, this episode offers valuable perspectives on creating patient-centered experiences that transcend geographical boundaries. Subscribe now for more conversations with leaders reshaping health and wellness across the UK and North America.
📇 Guest Biography
Dr. Ryan Diepenbrock is a board-certified facial cosmetic surgeon and founder of Renewed Look in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With a background in oral and maxillofacial surgery and advanced training in facial aesthetics, he leads a multidisciplinary team delivering both surgical and non-surgical treatments to patients from around the world.
A former military surgeon, Dr. Diepenbrock blends clinical precision with a warm, patient-first approach. His practice has grown into an international destination, known for natural results, strategic care, and an exceptional patient experience. He remains active with the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and is passionate about collaboration across specialties.
Contact Details and Social Media Handles
- Guest Name: Dr. Ryan Diepenbrock
- Title: Founder & Facial Cosmetic Surgeon
- Business: Renewed Look / Diepenbrock Facial Cosmetic Surgery
- Website: https://renewedlook.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ryan-diepenbrock-1a191b67/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renewedlook
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renewedlook_ryan_diepenbrock/
- Location: Fort Wayne, Ind
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (00:00):
Welcome to another episode of Voices in
Health and Wellness.
This is the show where wespotlight operators, clinicians,
and visionaries leading thecharge in health-forward care
models across the UK and NorthAmerica.
Today's guest is Dr.
Ryan Diepenbrock, a boardcertified expert in cosmetic
surgery and founder of RenewedLook.
With a foot in both theclinical and strategic realms of
patient-centered care, Ryanbrings a unique lens to how
(00:23):
aesthetic clinics are evolving.
So, Ryan, thank you very muchfor joining us this afternoon
and welcome to the show.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (00:28):
Well, thank you very much for having me.
This is exciting.
I'm glad to uh talk to some uhpeer across the pond.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (00:35):
So thank you very much.
And thank you.
So maybe we could start at thetop.
Can you tell us a little bitabout Renewed Look and what your
current role is there?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (00:43):
Sure.
So uh renewedlook.com, which isthe website.
The the business name is Deepand Brock Facial Cosmetics
Surgery.
So as you can imagine, myname's Ryan Diepenbrock.
I specialize in facialrejuvenation, both surgical and
non-rejuvenation, both surgicaland non-surgical rejuvenation of
the face, head, and neck.
So uh Diepenbrock facialcosmetic surgery actually
(01:06):
started about 10 years ago inCalifornia when I was an active
duty military member.
I was fortunate enough to uhand have a wife that would allow
me to start a separate privatepractice outside of my military
obligation.
And so I did that in Californiaand and grew that as much as I
possibly could based on theamount of time that I had.
(01:29):
And then when I decided that umuh it was time for for my
family and I to separate themilitary, we took that business
to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Ijoined up with uh really the the
paramount in uh oral andmaxillofacial surgery uh in this
part uh you know of thecountry.
It's a large group practicethat was interested in bringing
(01:52):
in facial cosmetic surgery intothe maxillofacial surgery
practice.
So that's how Deep and Brockfacial cosmetic surgery had
moved from California to FortWayne.
Ever since uh we moved here in2019, the brand has just
continued to develop andsteamroll and grow and grow into
(02:13):
an office now where I havethree locations.
Um we have um uh nurseinjectors, assistants, uh
surgical facilities within thepractice itself.
So it's really grown uh to notonly a local facial cosmetic
surgery practice, but we havepatients from uh all over the
(02:35):
United States.
I even have patients comingfrom the UK, from Paris, from
Dubai, from China.
So we've become aninternational destination as
well.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (02:45):
Amazing.
Always good to hear thebackstory for the business.
But what originally drew you tothe aesthetics and cosmetics
surgery space in the firstplace?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (02:52):
I'll tell you what.
So I was fortunate enough uhthat I did my maxillofacial
training in the United StatesAir Force.
The great thing about mytraining was it was
multi-specialty.
So I was learning how to donoses from um otolaryngologists,
I was learning how to do skinresurfacing from dermatologists
(03:15):
and blephroplastys fromoculoplastic surgeons.
Uh, and the military is verycollegial uh academics and very,
very uh patient-centered.
So I gained a lot of experienceand actually it was my time on
otolaryngology doingrhinoplasties that I really
first felt like a surgeon.
I was a second-year surgeryresident.
(03:36):
Uh, I was actually uh uh inthere learning how to do
surgical procedures.
From there, I was blessedenough to be afforded the
opportunity to do a fellowshipin cosmetic surgery.
Um, so really it was thecollegial environment for my
surgical peers that reallyhelped to um provide me that
(03:58):
that extra emphasis and extraoomph to bring the the my skills
to a more subspecialized area.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (04:05):
Got it.
So, in terms of what you'redoing now, what does a sort of
typical day, typical week looklike for you?
Are you more clinical,strategic, a mix of both?
Where do your preferences andpassions like at the moment?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (04:17):
Well, my passions always lie in the
clinical realm.
Um Usually the mornings uh aregoing to be surgical procedures.
That I might have a surgerythat's gonna be four, five, six
hours and take up the majorityof the day.
So we might have those bigsurgeries, we might have more
condensed surgeries where Imight be doing, you know, a
(04:37):
number of blephroplastysurgeries, I might be doing a
rhinoplasty accommodation andthen doing consultations in the
afternoon.
And those consultations may bein-person consultations, they
may be virtual consultationswhere we have uh we have it set
up where we do a number ofvirtual consultations for our
out-of-town patients.
And then unfortunately, I don'thave a ton of time during the
(05:00):
day uh to get administrativethings going, but I do make time
to sit with my clinical andnon-clinical team for at least
about an hour a week to focus onwhat's coming up in the week,
to have strategic plans on whatour next uh marketing agenda is,
planning any open houses orspecials.
(05:20):
So I try to do that, but buthonestly, a lot of the work
comes after the business hours.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (05:26):
Got it.
Um, you mentioned about yourteam.
Can you tell us a bit moreabout your team, who's on your
team, what's the kind of thescale of your operation, who
does what would be interestingto hear?
Absolutely.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (05:35):
So very uh very large practice.
Like I said, I'm one of fivesurgeons.
Um, we we really encompass theentire scope of oral
maxillofacial surgery.
We have we have cancer andreconstructive surgeons, we have
orthanathic surgeons, we haveuh the the dental alveolar
traditional oral surgery uhsurgeons as part of it.
(05:56):
Obviously, I'm doing thecosmetic surgery.
So we have uh, I think at thispoint, about 74 employees, uh,
and that'll range everywherefrom office managers to
marketing to billing uh to theclinical staff to the front desk
to IT.
So very robust practice.
My group, I'll have uh aregistered nurse who's with me,
(06:19):
um, helping with pre andpost-ops, helping with
sedations, IVs, uh, and thenI'll have my six um surgical
assistants as well as a nurseinjector.
Uh, and she's gonna be doing mypre-ops and post-ops as well,
suture removal, but she's alsodoing skin resurfacing, uh,
neuromodulators, facial fillers,laser resurfacings,
(06:41):
microneedlings, and then I havethe scheduling team as well as
the marketing department.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (06:47):
Very robust, very comprehensive.
Um, in terms of the space atthe moment, what sort of shifts
are you seeing in aesthetics andthe medspar industry right now
from your perspective?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (06:58):
Well, what I see is I think that the trend
over the last few years had gonefrom doing minimally invasive
procedures.
Everyone wanted to havesomething that was going to be
effective and quick with nodowntime and wasn't expensive.
Well, what you find out isthat's something that we'll
(07:18):
never be able to obtain.
So I think the the paradigm hasshifted a bit, where the
neuromodulators are still hot.
You know, your Botox andDisboard and Java are still hot.
Facial fillers, I think we'restarting to see a trend where
that's started dropping off.
And a lot of that's because ofsome of the um attention that
(07:41):
some MRI studies have got abouthow these facial fillers aren't
dissolving like we were toldthat they were going to?
This is a whole nother topic.
But what I'm starting to seenow is I think patients want to
have realistic, natural results,and they're leaning more toward
surgical interventions that aregoing to be permanent.
Dr_Andrew_Greenlan (08:02):
Interesting.
And what about um the patientsand the clients that you see?
What's the sort of have therebeen any shifts in patient
behavior expectations in thelast few years?
And I mean, including that timeperiod, COVID, because COVID's
done all sorts of things to allindustries.
And I just wonder whetherthat's made a difference to what
you see in your clients.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (08:20):
Well, you know, this is completely
anecdotal, but I think a lot ofmy peers would agree with me.
At least in the United States,there seemed to be a lot of
influx of money that was throwninto the economy immediately
after uh and during COVID.
And what I what I saw was Ithink that some of these people
(08:41):
who necessarily weren't gettingprocedures done, they were more
interested in having proceduresdone, frankly, because they had
a lot more downtime and they hadsome discretionary income that
they could spend.
So actually, in the UnitedStates, in my opinion, uh the
post the immediate post-COVIDera was really, really hot.
And then just like it it doeswith um uh with politics, the
(09:05):
political nature with theelections, people tend to uh
hold on to their discretionaryincome when maybe there's some
insecurity in what the economymay do.
Right now, I'm starting to seethings definitely um pick up in
terms of both surgical andnon-surgical um procedures.
(09:27):
So there's a lot of ebbs andflows.
It comes and goes.
And that's why it's alwaysimportant to make sure that uh,
you know, we can remainversatile, flexible, uh, add
procedures that are less umexpensive uh as well to still
give those patients uh their adesired result.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (09:47):
And have been any shifts in expectations
of patients more demanding?
Do they have um with you withsocial media and what they see
being put out there and thentrying to live up to a
particular kind of imagery?
Do you see that playing out inpatient demand?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (10:00):
Sure.
I think there's patient demandis always high, especially when
you're dealing with electiveprocedures.
That's why it's important as asurgeon to make sure that you
are giving realisticexpectations.
Okay.
And I think that our practiceis really good at doing that.
You know, I cannot make someonewho is 70 years old look the
(10:22):
way they looked when they were30.
And I think it's reallyimportant to have that
conversation.
You're obviously still gonnahave people that you've done
great work, you've had a verynice outcome, but there's still
gonna be some things that theyum aren't pleased with.
And so I think that's reallyimportant up in the in the
(10:43):
consultation phase to make surethat they understand that you're
not going to have you knowalways a perfectly sculpted neck
or jawline because there areother factors that are coming
into play.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (10:57):
Got it.
What about the um regulatoryorganizations like the American
Academy of Cosmetic Surgery?
Do they have an important rolein sort of managing these
expectations and the peoplepracticing in your space?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (11:10):
Uh, you know, the the Academy itself is
a fantastic organization.
The thing I like about theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic
Surgery is it's multi-specialty.
Uh there inevitably you can getwithin your core specialty.
Mine's oral maxillofacial.
We do things with a certainway.
But the nice thing about theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic
(11:31):
Surgery is I can call up adermatologist and ask a
dermatologist how he or shewould manage the skin condition.
I can call up a plastic surgeonand ask him or her how they
would manage this.
Same thing with um, you know,an ENT or oculoplastics.
That's what's really greatabout the AACS is it the
multi-specialty nature helps usto provide the best care that we
(11:55):
can for our patients.
Um, you know, in terms of notonly positive things, but also
how would you manage somecertain complications?
So the AACS does a really goodjob connecting us with peers.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (12:09):
Got it.
I think you mentioned earlieron um that you become a
destination.
What do you what do you thinkis behind that?
And why are people not able toaccess what you do in their own
country, or is there aperception around the difference
in quality in having treatmentsdone in different countries?
What's your kind of take onthis?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (12:28):
You know, I can't really speak for many of
the other uh other nations howtheir patients view cosmetic
surgery.
I just know that at least inthe terms of elective surgery,
people will tend to travelsomewhere where they feel
comfortable and and obviouslythey like the work.
(12:50):
I think social media has beenvery helpful in getting the the
word out about differentsurgeons.
And I don't think that peopleare afraid to travel.
And so our job, and especiallythat of my surgery coordinator,
who is exceptional at what shedoes, is making that process
(13:10):
simple, providing them uhlocations where they can stay,
providing them nursing uhtransportation to and from the
surgery and their post ops.
So I think if we take a lot ofthe guesswork out of it, people
are more willing to travel.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (13:28):
I understand.
Um what's so what's workingwell in um your business at the
moment, whether it beclinically, operationally,
marketing strategy, because Imean you sound like you've got a
very robust team and everythingis covered.
What's your kind of secretsource in your business, do you
think?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (13:45):
I don't have a secret sauce.
I have great people that workwith me, I have great ideas.
I think, not me personally, Imean, I have some good ideas as
well, but the the people whowork with me have fantastic
ideas.
And I think that being humbleand being a leader who listens
to the team, that's gonna makeyou more successful.
(14:08):
Like I said, we meet, try tomeet at least once a week.
And that's an and that's anopen forum.
I mean, we have we have an opendoor policy where um if
somebody has a suggestion,they're not afraid to speak that
suggestion.
And when you collectivelydevelop an environment like
that, I think inevitably you'regonna be better.
(14:30):
And that's gonna rangeeverywhere from the the front
desk women who are doing frontdesk and checkout to the
marketing director to the um tothe surgical techs.
Just the flow is so muchbetter.
And when you can establish thattype of environment, and I can
be a leader that I don't haveany uh misconceptions that that
(14:53):
I know everything, and when Ican listen and help to guide, it
makes the team stronger, whichhelps our patients.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (14:59):
Got it.
Marketing, this must be quitean interesting thing.
And you mentioned you've got avery good marketing team.
What what's what is it they dothat works and draws in people
and has this reach across um youknow international borders to
draw people in and make it adestination from from your
perspective?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (15:17):
I I think honestly, the the the work that
we do is is good, but I alsothink it's really uh uh a
relaxed, friendly environment.
I I really pride myself and Iand I and I would say the same
thing for everyone on the team.
Um, we treat people like theirfamily, and I and I don't want
(15:39):
to I don't mean to sound clichewith that, but we really truly
do.
And we care about uh not notonly our image, but we care how
we treat people from the secondthey make their first phone call
to the second they have theirlast follow-up with us.
Um and so I think that we showthat in our social media posts.
(16:02):
We show that with our um andand how we interact with people
within the office.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (16:09):
So you're really big on the patient
experience from starting to.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (16:11):
Oh, 100%.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (16:13):
Got it.
On the flip side, is thereanything that's frustrating that
you haven't quite nailed in inthe way your business runs that
you're kind of just trying tokind of fine-tune?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (16:23):
Oh, of course, of course.
I I wish I wish my best friendwas someone who worked in uh the
the the analytics of Instagramor Facebook or Google because I
wish I could figure out how theypick and choose um what
accounts get shown.
I mean, that's to me, that'sthat's that's frustrating.
You know, we don't have anenormous social media following
(16:46):
by any stretch of theimagination, but we have a loyal
uh social media following.
So what's frustrating, I wish Icould crack the metric and
figure out how to grow this evenbigger and get our message out
to even more people.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (17:01):
I think you and everyone else in business
would love to know that, but Ithink it's never going to be
something that's revealed.
We have to kind of work thesethings out by trial and error
and spend spending money on ads,I guess.
Yes.
Um other bottlenecks thatyou're constantly.
I mean that the obviously themarketing side of things and
social media is interesting.
Do you have any otherbottlenecks or things that
challenge you, your colleagues,your business?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (17:25):
Hmm.
Um you have to come.
Let me let me let me ponder onthat one a little bit and and
see if I can get back with youwith something.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (17:35):
No worries, no worries, we'll come back to
it.
Um if you had a magic wand andcould fix one thing in the
business, or maybe even morewidely in the specialty, the
specialty even niche, what wouldthat be?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (17:48):
If I had a magic wand, I would want to see
collaboration and collegialnature amongst peers.
Um, I think, like I said, inthe military, there was this
great collegial uh environment.
Everyone was verypatient-centric.
We were all going to help eachother because frankly, I think
(18:12):
everyone was getting paid thesame amount of money and we all
had the same mission.
In the private sector, it'sdifferent because there's a lot
more competition.
Uh, and there can um there cancertainly the the competitive
nature can can hurt um onesurgeon you know over another.
(18:32):
And I would just like to seeeveryone really work for the for
the betterment.
I think there's plenty of workthat goes on out there, there's
plenty of um uh procedures andfillers and things that can be
done, and I just think we'll allbe better if we work together
as a team.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (18:50):
So is it quite cutthroat?
Is that what you all suggest?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (18:54):
I I think it can be, and I think
especially in in other markets,uh, it can be.
But you know, I don't focus onwhat naysayers may say or do.
I focus more on what what I cando to be the best I can be.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (19:11):
What do you think the solution is?
What would it take to make thismore collegiate space across
the niche and specialty?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (19:18):
You know, I I think just spending time
listening uh to to what othershave to say and to not uh have
you know such a such a steadfastuh dogmatic approach to
surgery, say, you know, myspecialty does it this way, and
so this is how it has to bedone.
(19:39):
I think when we all work as ateam and we learn from one
another, we're gonna be a lotbetter off.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (19:45):
Obviously, we knew um look is a very
successful business from the wayyou described things, but if
you were gonna start again fromscratch tomorrow, would you do
anything differently?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (19:56):
I I think if I had to do it all over
again, I think I would be morewilling to invest in marketing.
Um, and I think I would havechanged the marketing approach.
For example, um you know whatwhat what we have done ever
since I moved here six yearsago, every patient that comes
(20:18):
through the door, uh they everynew patient fills out a uh
postcard that says how theyfound out about us.
What what media was that?
Was it you know Google, was ita website, was it Facebook,
Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube,newspaper, billboard, whatever
that may be.
And so we track that.
And I think early on in thebusiness, I was investing um
(20:43):
money in things like newspaperprint ads, which I don't think
are nearly as successful forwhat I do uh in 2025 as what
maybe they would have been 15years ago before the uh uh
normalization of the socialmedia world.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (21:04):
Um I don't know if you've got anything um
in response to the magic wandquestion.
I can loop back to that a bitlater if you if you'd like.
I'm just very curious to knowif there's anything that you'd
uh like to waive a magic wand tofix in the business.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (21:19):
Yeah, I I I um you have me speechless on
that one.
That's a great question.
I can't think of a magic, Ican't think of a magic wand
answer right now.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (21:29):
Okay, no worries.
Um, another uh hypothetical.
If you had a sudden inflex ofpatients tomorrow, I don't know,
20, 30, 50 patients, what wouldbreak first?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (21:42):
Uh what would break first would be uh
hopefully not you.
Yeah, no, it wouldn't be me.
Uh what would break first wouldbe the access to care to be
able to get that many patientsin.
Um the the nice thing is my mymy nurse uh injector Jen is
(22:06):
extremely talented.
She's done a wonderful jobbeing able to really step up to
help with pre and post ops.
That was hard for me, um, isgiving up the the the
stranglehold that I had um youknow on on post-op, you know,
post-hopping patients.
I was I was taking all thesutures out until a number of
(22:28):
years ago.
And so that was challenging,but she is fantastic uh in
making the patients feel atease.
So the the first thing thatwould be hard, the first
roadblock would be simply theschedule, trying to get in these
number of consults because youknow I still do uh oral
maxillofacial surgery as well.
I still do uh wisdom teethextractions and and implants and
(22:54):
um you know biopsies and thingslike that.
I love that part of myspecialty as well.
So that would be the hardestpart is if the cosmetic surgery
practice continues to grow,where where am I going to put
all these new patients?
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (23:10):
Got it.
I'm thinking ahead, where wouldyou like to be in six to 12
months, either professionally orum as the business grows?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (23:18):
Uh six to 12 months from now, I'd like to
continue to grow and develop uhsome of our non-surgical
procedures uh that I think aregoing to be effective.
I had mentioned earlier that Ithink the filler use is
decreased.
And I think that any of themajor um uh hyaluronic acid
(23:41):
filler companies will tell youthe same thing.
So growing and expanding ourplatelet-rich plasma, um, some
of our biomaterials,platelet-rich fiber and
injections, uh, that I think isreally appealing right now to
the consumer.
People want to have things thatcame from them as opposed to
(24:03):
something that came from alaboratory.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (24:08):
I hear you.
And is there anything excitingon the cards in terms of where
research is going?
Um, that maybe sort of newprocedures online that you're
very excited to get your handson at some point?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (24:18):
Yeah, I think that I think that
continuing to develop um fattransfer, which is a big part of
my practice, continuing tofigure out how uh platelet-rich
plasma and stem cells and uhexosomes and these types of
things can all work together tohelp increase the longevity or
(24:38):
the what we call the take rateor acceptance rate of fat
grafting.
I think we've come a long wayin the past 15 years, um, but I
think there's so much more to goin terms of um, you know, uh uh
using um platelet-rich plasmaand stem cells.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (24:58):
Ryan, thank you so much for your time this
afternoon.
I really appreciate hearingabout um your business, your
work, what you've created, uhrenewed look, and um wish you
obviously lots of continuedsuccess with it.
It sounds an amazing operation.
So thank you so much for yourtime.
Really appreciate it.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (25:14):
Well, I appreciate it and thank you very
much for having me.
And again, I couldn't do thiswithout every single person on
my team.
And um, you know, I have beenblessed and very fortunate to
get to work with such amazingpeople.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (25:27):
Amazing, thank you.
Welcome to another episode of Voices in
Health and Wellness.
This is the show where wespotlight operators, clinicians,
and visionaries leading thecharge in health-forward care
models across the UK and NorthAmerica.
Today's guest is Dr.
Ryan Diepenbrock, a boardcertified expert in cosmetic
surgery and founder of RenewedLook.
With a foot in both theclinical and strategic realms of
patient-centered care, Ryanbrings a unique lens to how
(00:23):
aesthetic clinics are evolving.
So, Ryan, thank you very muchfor joining us this afternoon
and welcome to the show.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (00:28):
Well, thank you very much for having me.
This is exciting.
I'm glad to uh talk to some uhpeer across the pond.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (00:35):
So thank you very much.
And thank you.
So maybe we could start at thetop.
Can you tell us a little bitabout Renewed Look and what your
current role is there?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (00:43):
Sure.
So uh renewedlook.com, which isthe website.
The the business name is Deepand Brock Facial Cosmetics
Surgery.
So as you can imagine, myname's Ryan Diepenbrock.
I specialize in facialrejuvenation, both surgical and
non-rejuvenation, both surgicaland non-surgical rejuvenation of
the face, head, and neck.
So uh Diepenbrock facialcosmetic surgery actually
(01:06):
started about 10 years ago inCalifornia when I was an active
duty military member.
I was fortunate enough to uhand have a wife that would allow
me to start a separate privatepractice outside of my military
obligation.
And so I did that in Californiaand and grew that as much as I
possibly could based on theamount of time that I had.
(01:29):
And then when I decided that umuh it was time for for my
family and I to separate themilitary, we took that business
to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Ijoined up with uh really the the
paramount in uh oral andmaxillofacial surgery uh in this
part uh you know of thecountry.
It's a large group practicethat was interested in bringing
(01:52):
in facial cosmetic surgery intothe maxillofacial surgery
practice.
So that's how Deep and Brockfacial cosmetic surgery had
moved from California to FortWayne.
Ever since uh we moved here in2019, the brand has just
continued to develop andsteamroll and grow and grow into
(02:13):
an office now where I havethree locations.
Um we have um uh nurseinjectors, assistants, uh
surgical facilities within thepractice itself.
So it's really grown uh to notonly a local facial cosmetic
surgery practice, but we havepatients from uh all over the
(02:35):
United States.
I even have patients comingfrom the UK, from Paris, from
Dubai, from China.
So we've become aninternational destination as
well.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (02:45):
Amazing.
Always good to hear thebackstory for the business.
But what originally drew you tothe aesthetics and cosmetics
surgery space in the firstplace?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (02:52):
I'll tell you what.
So I was fortunate enough uhthat I did my maxillofacial
training in the United StatesAir Force.
The great thing about mytraining was it was
multi-specialty.
So I was learning how to donoses from um otolaryngologists,
I was learning how to do skinresurfacing from dermatologists
(03:15):
and blephroplastys fromoculoplastic surgeons.
Uh, and the military is verycollegial uh academics and very,
very uh patient-centered.
So I gained a lot of experienceand actually it was my time on
otolaryngology doingrhinoplasties that I really
first felt like a surgeon.
I was a second-year surgeryresident.
(03:36):
Uh, I was actually uh uh inthere learning how to do
surgical procedures.
From there, I was blessedenough to be afforded the
opportunity to do a fellowshipin cosmetic surgery.
Um, so really it was thecollegial environment for my
surgical peers that reallyhelped to um provide me that
(03:58):
that extra emphasis and extraoomph to bring the the my skills
to a more subspecialized area.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (04:05):
Got it.
So, in terms of what you'redoing now, what does a sort of
typical day, typical week looklike for you?
Are you more clinical,strategic, a mix of both?
Where do your preferences andpassions like at the moment?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (04:17):
Well, my passions always lie in the
clinical realm.
Um Usually the mornings uh aregoing to be surgical procedures.
That I might have a surgerythat's gonna be four, five, six
hours and take up the majorityof the day.
So we might have those bigsurgeries, we might have more
condensed surgeries where Imight be doing, you know, a
(04:37):
number of blephroplastysurgeries, I might be doing a
rhinoplasty accommodation andthen doing consultations in the
afternoon.
And those consultations may bein-person consultations, they
may be virtual consultationswhere we have uh we have it set
up where we do a number ofvirtual consultations for our
out-of-town patients.
And then unfortunately, I don'thave a ton of time during the
(05:00):
day uh to get administrativethings going, but I do make time
to sit with my clinical andnon-clinical team for at least
about an hour a week to focus onwhat's coming up in the week,
to have strategic plans on whatour next uh marketing agenda is,
planning any open houses orspecials.
(05:20):
So I try to do that, but buthonestly, a lot of the work
comes after the business hours.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (05:26):
Got it.
Um, you mentioned about yourteam.
Can you tell us a bit moreabout your team, who's on your
team, what's the kind of thescale of your operation, who
does what would be interestingto hear?
Absolutely.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (05:35):
So very uh very large practice.
Like I said, I'm one of fivesurgeons.
Um, we we really encompass theentire scope of oral
maxillofacial surgery.
We have we have cancer andreconstructive surgeons, we have
orthanathic surgeons, we haveuh the the dental alveolar
traditional oral surgery uhsurgeons as part of it.
(05:56):
Obviously, I'm doing thecosmetic surgery.
So we have uh, I think at thispoint, about 74 employees, uh,
and that'll range everywherefrom office managers to
marketing to billing uh to theclinical staff to the front desk
to IT.
So very robust practice.
My group, I'll have uh aregistered nurse who's with me,
(06:19):
um, helping with pre andpost-ops, helping with
sedations, IVs, uh, and thenI'll have my six um surgical
assistants as well as a nurseinjector.
Uh, and she's gonna be doing mypre-ops and post-ops as well,
suture removal, but she's alsodoing skin resurfacing, uh,
neuromodulators, facial fillers,laser resurfacings,
(06:41):
microneedlings, and then I havethe scheduling team as well as
the marketing department.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (06:47):
Very robust, very comprehensive.
Um, in terms of the space atthe moment, what sort of shifts
are you seeing in aesthetics andthe medspar industry right now
from your perspective?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (06:58):
Well, what I see is I think that the trend
over the last few years had gonefrom doing minimally invasive
procedures.
Everyone wanted to havesomething that was going to be
effective and quick with nodowntime and wasn't expensive.
Well, what you find out isthat's something that we'll
(07:18):
never be able to obtain.
So I think the the paradigm hasshifted a bit, where the
neuromodulators are still hot.
You know, your Botox andDisboard and Java are still hot.
Facial fillers, I think we'restarting to see a trend where
that's started dropping off.
And a lot of that's because ofsome of the um attention that
(07:41):
some MRI studies have got abouthow these facial fillers aren't
dissolving like we were toldthat they were going to?
This is a whole nother topic.
But what I'm starting to seenow is I think patients want to
have realistic, natural results,and they're leaning more toward
surgical interventions that aregoing to be permanent.
Dr_Andrew_Greenlan (08:02):
Interesting.
And what about um the patientsand the clients that you see?
What's the sort of have therebeen any shifts in patient
behavior expectations in thelast few years?
And I mean, including that timeperiod, COVID, because COVID's
done all sorts of things to allindustries.
And I just wonder whetherthat's made a difference to what
you see in your clients.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (08:20):
Well, you know, this is completely
anecdotal, but I think a lot ofmy peers would agree with me.
At least in the United States,there seemed to be a lot of
influx of money that was throwninto the economy immediately
after uh and during COVID.
And what I what I saw was Ithink that some of these people
(08:41):
who necessarily weren't gettingprocedures done, they were more
interested in having proceduresdone, frankly, because they had
a lot more downtime and they hadsome discretionary income that
they could spend.
So actually, in the UnitedStates, in my opinion, uh the
post the immediate post-COVIDera was really, really hot.
And then just like it it doeswith um uh with politics, the
(09:05):
political nature with theelections, people tend to uh
hold on to their discretionaryincome when maybe there's some
insecurity in what the economymay do.
Right now, I'm starting to seethings definitely um pick up in
terms of both surgical andnon-surgical um procedures.
(09:27):
So there's a lot of ebbs andflows.
It comes and goes.
And that's why it's alwaysimportant to make sure that uh,
you know, we can remainversatile, flexible, uh, add
procedures that are less umexpensive uh as well to still
give those patients uh their adesired result.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (09:47):
And have been any shifts in expectations
of patients more demanding?
Do they have um with you withsocial media and what they see
being put out there and thentrying to live up to a
particular kind of imagery?
Do you see that playing out inpatient demand?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (10:00):
Sure.
I think there's patient demandis always high, especially when
you're dealing with electiveprocedures.
That's why it's important as asurgeon to make sure that you
are giving realisticexpectations.
Okay.
And I think that our practiceis really good at doing that.
You know, I cannot make someonewho is 70 years old look the
(10:22):
way they looked when they were30.
And I think it's reallyimportant to have that
conversation.
You're obviously still gonnahave people that you've done
great work, you've had a verynice outcome, but there's still
gonna be some things that theyum aren't pleased with.
And so I think that's reallyimportant up in the in the
(10:43):
consultation phase to make surethat they understand that you're
not going to have you knowalways a perfectly sculpted neck
or jawline because there areother factors that are coming
into play.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (10:57):
Got it.
What about the um regulatoryorganizations like the American
Academy of Cosmetic Surgery?
Do they have an important rolein sort of managing these
expectations and the peoplepracticing in your space?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (11:10):
Uh, you know, the the Academy itself is
a fantastic organization.
The thing I like about theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic
Surgery is it's multi-specialty.
Uh there inevitably you can getwithin your core specialty.
Mine's oral maxillofacial.
We do things with a certainway.
But the nice thing about theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic
(11:31):
Surgery is I can call up adermatologist and ask a
dermatologist how he or shewould manage the skin condition.
I can call up a plastic surgeonand ask him or her how they
would manage this.
Same thing with um, you know,an ENT or oculoplastics.
That's what's really greatabout the AACS is it the
multi-specialty nature helps usto provide the best care that we
(11:55):
can for our patients.
Um, you know, in terms of notonly positive things, but also
how would you manage somecertain complications?
So the AACS does a really goodjob connecting us with peers.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (12:09):
Got it.
I think you mentioned earlieron um that you become a
destination.
What do you what do you thinkis behind that?
And why are people not able toaccess what you do in their own
country, or is there aperception around the difference
in quality in having treatmentsdone in different countries?
What's your kind of take onthis?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (12:28):
You know, I can't really speak for many of
the other uh other nations howtheir patients view cosmetic
surgery.
I just know that at least inthe terms of elective surgery,
people will tend to travelsomewhere where they feel
comfortable and and obviouslythey like the work.
(12:50):
I think social media has beenvery helpful in getting the the
word out about differentsurgeons.
And I don't think that peopleare afraid to travel.
And so our job, and especiallythat of my surgery coordinator,
who is exceptional at what shedoes, is making that process
(13:10):
simple, providing them uhlocations where they can stay,
providing them nursing uhtransportation to and from the
surgery and their post ops.
So I think if we take a lot ofthe guesswork out of it, people
are more willing to travel.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (13:28):
I understand.
Um what's so what's workingwell in um your business at the
moment, whether it beclinically, operationally,
marketing strategy, because Imean you sound like you've got a
very robust team and everythingis covered.
What's your kind of secretsource in your business, do you
think?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (13:45):
I don't have a secret sauce.
I have great people that workwith me, I have great ideas.
I think, not me personally, Imean, I have some good ideas as
well, but the the people whowork with me have fantastic
ideas.
And I think that being humbleand being a leader who listens
to the team, that's gonna makeyou more successful.
(14:08):
Like I said, we meet, try tomeet at least once a week.
And that's an and that's anopen forum.
I mean, we have we have an opendoor policy where um if
somebody has a suggestion,they're not afraid to speak that
suggestion.
And when you collectivelydevelop an environment like
that, I think inevitably you'regonna be better.
(14:30):
And that's gonna rangeeverywhere from the the front
desk women who are doing frontdesk and checkout to the
marketing director to the um tothe surgical techs.
Just the flow is so muchbetter.
And when you can establish thattype of environment, and I can
be a leader that I don't haveany uh misconceptions that that
(14:53):
I know everything, and when Ican listen and help to guide, it
makes the team stronger, whichhelps our patients.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (14:59):
Got it.
Marketing, this must be quitean interesting thing.
And you mentioned you've got avery good marketing team.
What what's what is it they dothat works and draws in people
and has this reach across um youknow international borders to
draw people in and make it adestination from from your
perspective?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (15:17):
I I think honestly, the the the work that
we do is is good, but I alsothink it's really uh uh a
relaxed, friendly environment.
I I really pride myself and Iand I and I would say the same
thing for everyone on the team.
Um, we treat people like theirfamily, and I and I don't want
(15:39):
to I don't mean to sound clichewith that, but we really truly
do.
And we care about uh not notonly our image, but we care how
we treat people from the secondthey make their first phone call
to the second they have theirlast follow-up with us.
Um and so I think that we showthat in our social media posts.
(16:02):
We show that with our um andand how we interact with people
within the office.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (16:09):
So you're really big on the patient
experience from starting to.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (16:11):
Oh, 100%.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (16:13):
Got it.
On the flip side, is thereanything that's frustrating that
you haven't quite nailed in inthe way your business runs that
you're kind of just trying tokind of fine-tune?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (16:23):
Oh, of course, of course.
I I wish I wish my best friendwas someone who worked in uh the
the the analytics of Instagramor Facebook or Google because I
wish I could figure out how theypick and choose um what
accounts get shown.
I mean, that's to me, that'sthat's that's frustrating.
You know, we don't have anenormous social media following
(16:46):
by any stretch of theimagination, but we have a loyal
uh social media following.
So what's frustrating, I wish Icould crack the metric and
figure out how to grow this evenbigger and get our message out
to even more people.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (17:01):
I think you and everyone else in business
would love to know that, but Ithink it's never going to be
something that's revealed.
We have to kind of work thesethings out by trial and error
and spend spending money on ads,I guess.
Yes.
Um other bottlenecks thatyou're constantly.
I mean that the obviously themarketing side of things and
social media is interesting.
Do you have any otherbottlenecks or things that
challenge you, your colleagues,your business?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (17:25):
Hmm.
Um you have to come.
Let me let me let me ponder onthat one a little bit and and
see if I can get back with youwith something.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (17:35):
No worries, no worries, we'll come back to
it.
Um if you had a magic wand andcould fix one thing in the
business, or maybe even morewidely in the specialty, the
specialty even niche, what wouldthat be?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (17:48):
If I had a magic wand, I would want to see
collaboration and collegialnature amongst peers.
Um, I think, like I said, inthe military, there was this
great collegial uh environment.
Everyone was verypatient-centric.
We were all going to help eachother because frankly, I think
(18:12):
everyone was getting paid thesame amount of money and we all
had the same mission.
In the private sector, it'sdifferent because there's a lot
more competition.
Uh, and there can um there cancertainly the the competitive
nature can can hurt um onesurgeon you know over another.
(18:32):
And I would just like to seeeveryone really work for the for
the betterment.
I think there's plenty of workthat goes on out there, there's
plenty of um uh procedures andfillers and things that can be
done, and I just think we'll allbe better if we work together
as a team.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (18:50):
So is it quite cutthroat?
Is that what you all suggest?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (18:54):
I I think it can be, and I think
especially in in other markets,uh, it can be.
But you know, I don't focus onwhat naysayers may say or do.
I focus more on what what I cando to be the best I can be.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (19:11):
What do you think the solution is?
What would it take to make thismore collegiate space across
the niche and specialty?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (19:18):
You know, I I think just spending time
listening uh to to what othershave to say and to not uh have
you know such a such a steadfastuh dogmatic approach to
surgery, say, you know, myspecialty does it this way, and
so this is how it has to bedone.
(19:39):
I think when we all work as ateam and we learn from one
another, we're gonna be a lotbetter off.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (19:45):
Obviously, we knew um look is a very
successful business from the wayyou described things, but if
you were gonna start again fromscratch tomorrow, would you do
anything differently?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (19:56):
I I think if I had to do it all over
again, I think I would be morewilling to invest in marketing.
Um, and I think I would havechanged the marketing approach.
For example, um you know whatwhat what we have done ever
since I moved here six yearsago, every patient that comes
(20:18):
through the door, uh they everynew patient fills out a uh
postcard that says how theyfound out about us.
What what media was that?
Was it you know Google, was ita website, was it Facebook,
Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube,newspaper, billboard, whatever
that may be.
And so we track that.
And I think early on in thebusiness, I was investing um
(20:43):
money in things like newspaperprint ads, which I don't think
are nearly as successful forwhat I do uh in 2025 as what
maybe they would have been 15years ago before the uh uh
normalization of the socialmedia world.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (21:04):
Um I don't know if you've got anything um
in response to the magic wandquestion.
I can loop back to that a bitlater if you if you'd like.
I'm just very curious to knowif there's anything that you'd
uh like to waive a magic wand tofix in the business.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (21:19):
Yeah, I I I um you have me speechless on
that one.
That's a great question.
I can't think of a magic, Ican't think of a magic wand
answer right now.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (21:29):
Okay, no worries.
Um, another uh hypothetical.
If you had a sudden inflex ofpatients tomorrow, I don't know,
20, 30, 50 patients, what wouldbreak first?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (21:42):
Uh what would break first would be uh
hopefully not you.
Yeah, no, it wouldn't be me.
Uh what would break first wouldbe the access to care to be
able to get that many patientsin.
Um the the nice thing is my mymy nurse uh injector Jen is
(22:06):
extremely talented.
She's done a wonderful jobbeing able to really step up to
help with pre and post ops.
That was hard for me, um, isgiving up the the the
stranglehold that I had um youknow on on post-op, you know,
post-hopping patients.
I was I was taking all thesutures out until a number of
(22:28):
years ago.
And so that was challenging,but she is fantastic uh in
making the patients feel atease.
So the the first thing thatwould be hard, the first
roadblock would be simply theschedule, trying to get in these
number of consults because youknow I still do uh oral
maxillofacial surgery as well.
I still do uh wisdom teethextractions and and implants and
(22:54):
um you know biopsies and thingslike that.
I love that part of myspecialty as well.
So that would be the hardestpart is if the cosmetic surgery
practice continues to grow,where where am I going to put
all these new patients?
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (23:10):
Got it.
I'm thinking ahead, where wouldyou like to be in six to 12
months, either professionally orum as the business grows?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (23:18):
Uh six to 12 months from now, I'd like to
continue to grow and develop uhsome of our non-surgical
procedures uh that I think aregoing to be effective.
I had mentioned earlier that Ithink the filler use is
decreased.
And I think that any of themajor um uh hyaluronic acid
(23:41):
filler companies will tell youthe same thing.
So growing and expanding ourplatelet-rich plasma, um, some
of our biomaterials,platelet-rich fiber and
injections, uh, that I think isreally appealing right now to
the consumer.
People want to have things thatcame from them as opposed to
(24:03):
something that came from alaboratory.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (24:08):
I hear you.
And is there anything excitingon the cards in terms of where
research is going?
Um, that maybe sort of newprocedures online that you're
very excited to get your handson at some point?
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (24:18):
Yeah, I think that I think that
continuing to develop um fattransfer, which is a big part of
my practice, continuing tofigure out how uh platelet-rich
plasma and stem cells and uhexosomes and these types of
things can all work together tohelp increase the longevity or
(24:38):
the what we call the take rateor acceptance rate of fat
grafting.
I think we've come a long wayin the past 15 years, um, but I
think there's so much more to goin terms of um, you know, uh uh
using um platelet-rich plasmaand stem cells.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (24:58):
Ryan, thank you so much for your time this
afternoon.
I really appreciate hearingabout um your business, your
work, what you've created, uhrenewed look, and um wish you
obviously lots of continuedsuccess with it.
It sounds an amazing operation.
So thank you so much for yourtime.
Really appreciate it.
Dr_Ryan_Diepenbrock (25:14):
Well, I appreciate it and thank you very
much for having me.
And again, I couldn't do thiswithout every single person on
my team.
And um, you know, I have beenblessed and very fortunate to
get to work with such amazingpeople.
Dr_Andrew_Greenland (25:27):
Amazing, thank you.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.