MEET THE BUSINESS
AUGUST 2019
Dr. Nadia Aboulhosn, Owner
Dr. Nadia Aboulhosn is the owner of Icon Dental Center, a dental practice with two locations in Seattle, Washington. What sets them apart from other general dentistry practices is that it’s dentists and specialists are encouraged to collaborate and use the latest in high-tech equipment to better serve their patients.
Icon Dental prides itself on this because the practice believes that this model greatly benefits its patients in every aspect. Its doctors are able to collaborate and discuss cases, which on its own helps them improve patient care. It has also created a convenient system for its patients were the practice’s unified team’s sole goal is to assess a patient’s needs and to ensure that it can track their insurance benefits so the practice can maximize the patient’s care.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Dr. Nadia.
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What made you start this business?
The growth of corporate dentistry is driving the future of the dental field. The dental field is following the hospital business model—where the emphasis is more on the business and profits rather than the patient. Having seen this, I wanted to create a practice were numbers and profit are a byproduct of high standard services, not the other way around. Our goal was to create a multi-location dental group practice operated by dentists who make decisions based primarily on patient care.
How did you become an entrepreneur? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I truly believe I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I’ve always taken risks and pushed hard to create opportunities for myself and to follow my passion. I’ve never been content in “the comfort zone.” I graduated from pharmacy school at the age of 20 and realized I was not fulfilled. I always wanted a career in the medical field where I could care for patients and own a business. I also love solving problems, so I really wanted a career that would challenge me and allow me to do this. I found that in owning my own dental practice as I get the best of both worlds—I can diagnose and treat diseases, and owning a business is all about solving problems.
After leaving my career in pharmacy I decided to apply to medical school. I was in Brazil at the time and, after my third year of medical school, I left Brazil and moved to the US to restart my career. Again, I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t speak English and, to add to the situation, I was in a car accident that made me partially disabled for a year. Although that was a setback, during the course of treatment of my injuries from the accident, I was able to see first-hand that becoming a doctor would likely mean that I would have to work in a hospital, rather than in their own businesses. From that experience, I decided to shift gears and found my true passion in dentistry where I could treat patients while running a business.
Please discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
Everything starts with our inner “why”! If you have a real passion, the question of “why are you pursing this” is all you need to succeed, and it will outweigh the fears you may have that might be stopping you from achieving your goals.
My reason, or “inner why,” for starting my own business was my family. I have been the main provider for my growing family and as the need to support my parents and loved ones grew, I felt that it was time to leave my “safe” job as an employed dentist in a community clinic to start a business that would allow me to continue to support my family. I took a big risk considering I did not have any background in running a business, but the “why” outweighed any doubts and fears I had.
Please discuss a role model that motivated you or mentor you had that helped guide you:
My perspective of role models has changed in each phase of my life. As an entrepreneur, my role models are not necessarily highly-educated people. You can have a degree, but not have a lot of real-life business experience, so my role models are people who continue to gain knowledge and learn in any way possible. Also, I am motivated by people who are emotionally intelligent and have a mindset that puts an emphasis on both personal and professional growth. These types of people have built empires having started with nothing and are also resilient because they know what its like to come from nothing.
With that said, one of my mentors is in the fitness industry. He did not finish high school, yet his determination and thirst for knowledge led him to start a business that has now flourished into a global 800-gym franchise. He has taught me that you don’t need a formal education to succeed, all you need is a thirst for knowledge and ambition.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame? How did you overcome that and what advice would you give others in your situation?
I have encountered so many challenges in my life, but from each one I learned a lesson that helped me grow and that has shaped me into who I am today.
One of my biggest challenges was my constant
relocation, specifically to countries where I was not familiar with the
language or culture. I grew up and lived in Brazil most of my life, but I moved
to Lebanon and then back to Brazil and finally established myself in the US. It
was really difficult for me to adapt to the different cultures and keep up in
school given that I was not fluent in the languages. This became more of a
challenge when I was applying to a top tier dental school and my admissions
counselor told me that because of my foreign education, I would need to earn
higher grades and test scores since my undergraduate degree was from Brazil. I
continued to work hard and eventually applied and was accepted to dental school
despite my low chances of getting accepted in the first place.
Another major life challenge I overcame was being partially disabled for a year after being involved in a car accident and while still in school. As a result of my disability, there was a possibility I wouldn’t have been able to become a dentist. I fought through the struggle and never took any time off from school. Even though I had this set back, the challenges kept coming. When I started dental school I had a daughter that was two years-old and a two hour commute to school—these were challenges that other students in my class did not have to worry about. I embraced these challenges and I learned how to prioritize, which is a life-skill that is invaluable.
As if these challenges were not enough, I have also been divorced and lost a baby at 8 months. These two events are extremely challenging and I had to learn how to overcome them and how to grow from them.
With regard to my business, I faced many challenges, not just
because I don’t have a background in business, but also because it was a
challenge to grow my business. I had multiple banks reject the idea of opening
multiple locations within two years of starting the business. That was a
setback, but I kept at it and now I have other banks expressing interest in
partnering with my business.
Ultimately,
all these challenges taught me that ups and downs and rejection are a part of
succeeding. You have to believe in yourself and be relentless with your vision.
Setbacks and challenges are part of living. Embrace them and learn from them.
They will allow you to grow and become more resilient and that combination will
make you unstoppable. Also, keep
reminding yourself of why you are doing this in the first place. Keeping that
in mind will help you get through it all.
As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?
Being able to give back is a huge part of why I work so hard and I’m always finding ways to go to the next level in my life and my career. My fulfillment comes from the power of being able to give back to the people I love and to those in need. The more I grow the more I can give back, so this is also a motivating factor for me.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?
-Mindset is everything and it starts with self-awareness.
-Don’t sacrifice the long term for the short-term game.
-Develop your leadership skills—this is more important than you imagine.
-Build a great team.
Where do you see your business in the next 10 years?
I’d like to scale as a DSO (Dental Service Organization) with multiple dental clinics (my minimum is 5). I’m working hard right now on establishing the foundation for these businesses, including operations and systems. I want these models and the culture of the existing clinics to be replicated in all my locations.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Make sure that your motivating goal is not money. Starting a business is challenging and if you are only in it for the money and not because you are passionate about the project, it will be a very long road. Life and business get tough and running a successful business is very hard. If you love what you do, you will get through those challenges and the tough times.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
I’ve been going to the gym constantly since I was 16 years-old. Spending time with my family and loved ones is a huge part of what I do outside work. I’m also very involved in my kids’ lives and activities. I love adventure and water sports—I’m a certified scuba diver. Travel is definitely a huge hobby. And when I am not out on an adventure, reading/audio books is one of my favorite things to do. I read an average of one book every two weeks.
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Dr. Nadia to admin@network1017.com