Lior Luxe Studio Med Spa · Man in the Spa
Finding the Team
Every small business owner tries to get it right on the first try — to find the people who make the place work. Problem-solvers. Task-takers. Punctual and attentive. Hard-working. Genuinely caring toward clients. Big-picture thinkers. The kind of staff you dream about when you open a business.
Chances are, at the start, you get the exact opposite. Sorry! The real world says you’ll get the kind of staff you have to train and train, let go, and keep searching to replace. It’s a hard road.
At the start of Lior Luxe Studio Med Spa, that reality slapped us within the first week of opening. Opening a business is stressful enough, but hitting serious conflict with brand-new staff in that first week was the worst of it. Liza and I looked at each other and realized we were in a desperate spot.
In this blog, I’ll introduce you to each of our current team members. One disclaimer: this post lives on the Lior Luxe Studio website, where it’ll sit for years (hopefully!), so it’s safe to assume the team will change over time — some people will move on, and new ones will join. This is a snapshot of our staff as of August 2026, and as the years go by, I’ll update it to reflect whoever’s on the team then.
But really, this is the story of our start — how our Med Spa went from a little studio with almost zero appointments to a real competitor across the Greater Sacramento region and the Roseville/Rocklin area.
If anyone tells you the Med Spa business is only about skincare and treatments, they’re hopelessly wrong. The Med Spa business, like a lot of businesses, is a people business. Get the right people, and you attract the right clientele. We got incredibly lucky (and we thank God every day) for how it all turned out.
Us — The Owners
The brother-sister duo that works together well and argues even better. Working with family is hard. But Liza and I grew up working in our parents’ businesses all through our childhood and teenage years, so family and work have always gone together for us.
Name: Elizabeth (“Liza”) Berlyant Role: Co-Owner
Liza spent years at Google and in the corporate world. Her sense of structure, her organization, her attention to detail, and her love for every single client make her ideal for the role.
Name: Louis Buniak Role: Co-Owner
I’ve spent years building sales teams, setting up and keeping steady communication between staff and clients, and getting things done — plus a strong work ethic and a generally dark, inappropriate sense of humor. I’m a bit less ideal for the role.
Our Story Starts with Teresa Angelina
Walt Disney arrived at Disneyland on opening day and found a complete mess — literally. Trash everywhere, and staff who didn’t care. Rides broke down on day one. The whole park broke down on day one. It was one of the most humiliating moments of his life: the press, the media, the local politicians, and the celebrities all showed up for the grand opening only to watch the owner shut it back down. He reopened later, fixed every issue, and established the guidelines and benchmarks every employee had to follow. That put Disneyland on a path of disciplined business processes it still follows today — part of what made it the most popular theme park in the world. If you want to run a theme park right, you follow Walt Disney’s model.
Lior Luxe Studio isn’t a theme park, even though we’d love you to feel that way. Ride the RF Microneedling Mountain. Enjoy the NAD+ Parade! Take pictures with the family at the IV massage chairs. Okay — funny, but I’m off on a tangent.
In our first week open, in early February 2026, we lost almost every member of our staff. Terrifying, to say the least. Sleepless nights followed. We needed help.
Name: Teresa Angelina Role: Esthetician
Services: All esthetic services — facials and skin-product treatments (SHE IS AMAZING!!!)
Our family had known Teresa for years, through friends and family, back when our mom owned Dolce Vita in Granite Bay, CA. Teresa has been in this space for well over 20 years, and her experience and knowledge outstrip those of some Med Spa owners. She isn’t just an esthetician; she’s a powerful voice in the spa community. We figured even just getting her advice on how to structure the Med Spa might put us back on the path Liza and I had always envisioned.
So we asked Teresa to come in and take a look at Lior Luxe Studio. We wanted her advice on setting the right guidelines and benchmarks so we could hire our team. Instead of giving us advice, she did something we weren’t prepared for: she asked to fill out a job application. She loved the design of the Med Spa (great job, Liza!). She loved the location. She wanted to work with our family. Lior Luxe Studio, in its current shape, was already ideal.
Over the next several days, Teresa reworked our menu and built treatments that didn’t just compete with other Med Spas — they delivered real results, using medical-grade products for dry skin, oily skin, and skin issues like acne. Our first clients arrived within days. Then we got to hear what they thought. Teresa’s work on those first clients was so good that every one of them rebooked.
A miracle? Maybe. Definitely lucky.
Through all of this, a few other team members stayed with us. Their input and help proved invaluable, letting us learn the business fast while still giving clients a great experience.
Name: Karyl Cancina Role: Front Desk
We love Karyl. Seriously. Karyl retired from administrative work for a big Sacramento company and took a job with us to get out of the house and have some fun at a spa. She keeps telling us she gets all the joy out of working here — but honestly, working with Karyl is the greater joy, so we get more out of it than she does. Which means Liza and I win, and you lose, Karyl. Beyond being a huge help, her genuine care for clients is something everyone notices. She loves everyone in the spa, and we can all see it.
Name: Harman Gill Role: Esthetic Registered Nurse
Services: Neurotoxins (e.g., Botox, Jeuveau) and fillers
Harman has been our hero since we opened. With almost a decade of experience in esthetic medical nursing, she charms everyone she meets — and behind that stunning smile, she gives every patient fantastic advice on neurotoxins and fillers. Her family owns several businesses that take up much of her time, but when we can get her on the schedule, most of our patients ask for her by name. It’s easy to see how much her patients love her — and how much all of us at Lior Luxe do too.
That was basically our starting team — small but effective. But between Harman’s and Teresa’s scheduling limits, Liza and I needed a bigger team to keep up with our growing client base.
Name: Lisa Finnigan Role: Front Desk
Lisa’s story always makes me smile. Lisa and her family moved from the Bay Area to the Roseville/Rocklin area (very smart!), and once here, she went looking for a local Med Spa that could handle her skin needs. On her way out of Uncle Dumplings (our next-door neighbor — excellent lunch or dinner!) with her wonderful husband, she found herself standing right next to a Med Spa: Lior Luxe Studio, as it happened. And who was sitting at the front desk? Me. Lisa, her husband, and I hit it off easily — her personality is a lot like mine, so I always enjoy talking with her. After her neurotoxin appointment, she mentioned she’d love to work at a Med Spa.
Lisa was a patient who turned into an employee. Today, all of us love her, and our clients love her enthusiasm for the treatments we offer. You can really tell she loves what she does and the chance to help everyone who walks in.
Then, with Teresa’s help, we got Emily.
Name: Emily Winchester Role: Esthetic Registered Nurse
Services: Neurotoxins, IVs, injections, lymphatic drainage massage, laser services (IPLs, skin resurfacing, tattoo reduction, vein reduction), RF microneedling — and more we’re considering adding down the road (this lady is incredible!)
Emily was on the hunt. She’d moved back to California and wanted the facial she used to get from a great esthetician she knew — Teresa Angelina. That’s our Teresa now. After a long search, Emily finally found Teresa at Lior Luxe Studio. When she came in for her appointment, she seemed like any other client — no different, no more special. But Liza noticed something in her email address: the word “Nurse.” Being the nosy, annoying sister she’s always been (Ha!), Liza asked Emily if she was still a nurse. Turns out she’s not only a nurse with over a decade of experience — she trains nurses. Her husband is a wonderful doctor at Kaiser Permanente (and an all-around chill guy). Great kids, great family. After a few visits to meet the parents, she’s safely one of us now (stepsister or half-sister — we haven’t decided). Thanksgiving’s going to be more expensive now; let’s just make it potluck, okay?
With Emily on the team, we were looking better than ever. But we still wanted at least one more Registered Nurse.
Name: Nerlein Nevarez Role: Esthetic Registered Nurse
Services: Neurotoxins, fillers, injections, laser services (IPLs, skin resurfacing, tattoo reduction, vein reduction), RF microneedling (the Wonder Woman of Med Spas)
Nerlein came to us from a very popular clinic that cares more about volume than the patient experience — an approach that always frustrated her, because it got in the way of actually satisfying her patients. With over a decade of experience, she brings Lior Luxe a commitment to care that every patient feels the moment they meet her. She offers everyone solutions and alternatives, which is why her patients keep asking for her by name.
Away from the Med Spa, she performs traditional Polynesian and Pacific Island dance with her daughter. Her group has sent her to dance at A’s games (currently playing in Sacramento—before they move to Las Vegas) and other packed venues. We are SO proud of her and her daughter — not everyone could dance like that in front of huge crowds.
The Winning Team
I’m sure plenty of Med Spas like their staff. But I doubt many love them the way Liza and I love ours — and the way our clients love them. Liza and I know how lucky we are to have landed this highly trained, experienced, and talented group. And knowing how we got here — the high-stress crisis we had to climb out of to build this staff — well, that should humble anyone.
We can’t wait to face the future with this same group. Honestly, if I had to dream up the perfect staff, it would be this one. You can tell how much they care by the questions they ask and the way they hunt for every possible route to a client’s goal without breaking the bank. The way Nerlein asks probing questions to land on the best option for her patient. The way Teresa examines every client’s skin fully before she begins. The way Emily hugs her patients on their way out because she’s made a real connection. They truly care about you.
We’re also excited for whoever joins next. As we grow, we’ll probably need a larger staff, and any new hire will have a lot to live up to — but I can’t wait to meet them, and I know this team will welcome them with open arms.
While we aren’t hiring right now (August 2026), feel free to send your résumé to info@liorluxestudio.com.
This Is the Team You’re Trusting
So — don’t believe me? Come see what everyone’s talking about at Lior Luxe Studio Med Spa and experience it for yourself. I can promise you the experience will live up to everything I’ve described here.
Stop going to Med Spas that watch the clock or brush off your questions and concerns. It’s time you felt what it’s like to walk into a Med Spa that truly cares. Make your appointment today!