Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen is a dentist with more than ten years of experience in the field. In addition, she runs multiple dental practices with her husband, Dr. Nathan Jeal. This powerful duo started Fast Growth Practice, a private advising program meant to help dentists bridge the gap between their clinical training and what it takes to operate a successful private practice.
At one point in her career, Dr. Nguyen was running five dental offices simultaneously. “I worked long hours, often six days a week, and it always felt like I wasn’t doing enough,” Dr. Nguyen admits. “I remember the feeling of sinking and of failing at being a businesswoman, a mother, and wife all at the same time!”
In the end though, all the hard work paid off. It took some time, but Dr. Nguyen learned how to strike the perfect work/life balance. “Today, I’m loving life and sailing through the things I need to do to keep everything going as it should,” she says.
However, she would have never been able to become as successful as she is now had she not moved out of her comfort zone. “Shortly after I graduated, I was able to join one practice and start working there,” Dr. Nguyen says. “It was fine and I was even given an opportunity to learn. However, it all started feeling stagnant after a year or so. Then, I realized that I couldn’t spend my entire life working for someone else.”
Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Jeal graduated together and practiced separately for a year before joining forces. They acquired five practices in a short span of time and have been reaping outstanding achievements ever since. “Most people are hesitant to move out of their comfort zone because they fear failure,” Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen explains. “However, you will never be successful unless you experience failure and learn what not to do”
Before becoming a superstar dentist, Dr. Nguyen experienced failure multiple times. She bought five dental practices in two years, along with her partner Dr. Nathan Jeal. This move forced both of them to learn rapidly, accept risk, and realize that failure is an essential part of learning. As Dr. Nguyen points out, her most painful yet instructive failure was losing managers in five practices, all on the same day. The experience taught her two important things.
“The first thing this experience taught me was that I need to hire better and fire quicker,” Dr. Nguyen explains. “More importantly, I learned that I need to improve my communication skills and focus on understanding people.”
When asked for a final piece of advice, Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen advised all those who want to become successful to move out of their comfort zones. “Mindset is crucial for success. Weak mindset types try to run away from challenges, but true entrepreneurs see the opportunity in every challenge, and they seek to find the lesson in every experience.”
