Company leader
Ryan Miller
Founder and CEO
Etna Interactive
Ryan Miller is the founder and chief executive of Etna Interactive, a marketing agency for plastic surgery, dermatology, and other elective medical practices. He started the firm in 2002 in San Luis Obispo, California.
A roll-up moves east
Before Etna, Miller worked for one of the first plastic surgery roll-ups, a company with stakes in about 32 practices across the United States. It was based in Santa Barbara, California, when he joined, and then moved its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia. His family was in California, and he did not want to move.
A hike up Mount Etna
On a sailing holiday in Italy, Miller stopped in Sicily and hiked Mount Etna with friends. He split off alone to think and stood by a warm volcanic vent on the black slopes near the top. There he decided to start his second company and pitch his employer on becoming its first client.
Patient attraction
The first time Miller spoke at an industry meeting, someone pulled him aside and warned him not to say marketing, sales, or conversion on stage. He talked about patient attraction and consultations instead. Etna works with core specialists such as board-certified plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, and dermatologists.
A plan with a price
Etna starts each engagement by setting business goals, such as new patients for specific procedures. Miller's team builds a plan, puts a price on it, and asks the client whether the spend makes sense for the goal. In his words, "it's less about a percentage of revenue and instead an investment in a specific set of activities to achieve a very specific business outcome."
From a house to a remote team
For the first few years, Miller's small team worked out of his house. Etna later grew to about 75 people in a San Luis Obispo office and went remote during the pandemic, with staff in seven states. By 2021 it served 11 clinical specialties across North America.