Christine Blaine - Founder of Blaine Plastic Surgery & Operation Beauty | CEO's You Should Know
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, every wand this is Steve Dallison A. Welcome to
this week's edition of CEOs. You should know. I'm thrilled
to be joined by doctor Christine Blaine, the founder of
Blaine Plastic Surgery in Operation Beauty.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Doctor Blaine, thanks for being here today.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We're excited to jump in to learn more about you
and of course more about the practice. So why don't
we kick it off talking a little bit about your
career path.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I know it was very unique.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You started as a physician assistant before shaping into a
board certified plastic surgeon. How did that experience really shape
your perspective when it came to patient care and influence
the way that you practiced today.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
So I knew from a very early age that I
wanted to be a part of medicine. I had open
heart surgery as a child, and for me, I was
going to be a doctor my entire life until I
got to college, and then I realized that the pathway
is difficult, which is fine, but there were a lot
of bumps along the way that I felt changed how
(00:55):
I really felt about medicine. People were cheating in school.
It was a very different era where pagers were coming about.
They were getting text messages with the answers for tests,
and I was very disgruntled, being a very ethical person
and was raised Catholic. You learn that there are going
to be cheaters in the world, and I had to
overcome that portion of my doubt to move on. And
(01:18):
I said, well, I'm not going to give up my
love of medicine. And I learned about physician assistant and
I said, oh, this is a nice pathway.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I can have a family.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
And I was more afraid of the time commitment, and
I did it, and then I.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Realized I want more.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
So I was in surgery as a physician assistant, and
I said, this is what I want to do, but
I want to be the one in charge. So the
type A personality won out, and I realized it doesn't
matter how long it takes. As long as you get
to your goal in life and you're happy with your
goal in life, then doesn't matter how long it takes.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
That's kind of scary that people were cheating though to
become doctors too.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So it happens everywhere though, you know that.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
So I just had to learn that it doesn't matter
what other people are doing.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I just have to focus on my goals and get
to them.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That's a great perspective.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
And what initially drew you to plastic surgery and when
did you realize that that specialty in particular, it can
make such a big impact in people's lives.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
That's a great question.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
I thought I was going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon
because I had open heart surgery, and that was where
I was going until between my first and second year
of med school, a PA friend of mine was going
out on maternity leave for a plastic surgeon, and I
went and filled in for her, and the plastic surgeon
I was working with, doctor Puttolo, said to me during
(02:32):
a case, you need to do this. And I originally
was like, oh my god, what didn't I do? And
I was worried that I missed something in the case.
And he said plastic surgery. And I looked at him
and I said what And he says, you have an
eye for it. And that changed my world because I said, really,
I never thought about it. And then the more we spoke,
(02:52):
he said, patients are happy coming to you, patients are
happy when they leave you. And it was a very
different take. He said, you're not op reading on really
sick people. It gives you the opportunity to have a life.
And all of those things brought together, and one of
my best friends told me that she had had her
nose done after high school. And she told me that
(03:15):
she never would have been able to be in a
courtroom as a lawyer if that didn't happen. So the
confidence that she gained from making a change made me
realize that plastic surgery is not just about the fluff
and the beauty. It's about the confidence that you can
have somebody obtained by fixing something that they see as
not great on themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
One hundred percent of real positive impacts on individuals.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now, in addition to being a founder, you wear many hats.
You're a wife, your mother of three, you're a successful surgeon,
a lot of demanding roles. Right, What lessons have you
learned throughout your career about balancing family, career and personal
well being that really influenced the way that you also
approach your patient care.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yes, it's busy. I thrive in chaos.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I guess my children are the best thing that ever
happened to me, probably, And I'm so proud of them.
They're they're developing into such beautiful little people. My husband
is a very big supporter of my practice, and I
couldn't do that without him. What I have learned is
that you have to take each person as an individual
that you treat and help them understand what their pre
(04:26):
app post app recovery will be and being in all
these roles, I've experienced a lot in life, and we
take the time at our visits with the patients to
ensure that they're prepared that after surgery, you're not going
to be able to take your child out of the crib.
You're not going to be able to pick your child
up off the floor or get them out of the
car seat. You know, little things that maybe somebody else
(04:47):
doesn't talk to a mom about, or even just a person.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
If you live alone in the city, you're.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Not going to be able to pull those big, heavy
doors open after you just have your breast augmentation. You know,
little things that you want to make sure people are
ready for. I had one girl that lived alone and
I said, you need somebody to stay with you, and
she said, I prepared everything, And she realized that as
soon as she went to go get the pot of
soup out of the refrigerator that she couldn't lift it.
So little things like that have helped even tweak how
(05:13):
I've handled each person. And knowing where they're going to
be after surgery and who's going to be with them
helps a lot. So I think that part of life
and the experience you have in life helps your patients.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, absolutely, and I know it your practice. It's a
combination of surgical procedures, medical aesthetics, wellness services all under
one roof. How is that integrated approach really helped out
with the patient experience.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
We like to say that a patient becomes part of
our family, So we don't want them to have to
go down the street to get a facial. We want
them to go across the hall to our spa. We
found that as I was developing the surgical practice, people
were coming to me with a lot of the issues
that we now deal with in the med spot where
they or the wellness spa. We have a lot of women,
(06:00):
we have a lot of men, and everybody wants to
feel good. And now in this new age of regenerative medicine,
the vitamin drips, the hormone replacement things that were not
spoken about years ago are now a very common conversation
that we have every day in my practice. And it
got to the point where I'm like, well, why do
they need to go somewhere else? Why don't I learn
(06:21):
it and incorporate it? And That's what I've been doing
throughout the years, great.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
One stop shop.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yes, speaking of the patients, I know patient education is
very important to you. How have you been able to
foster that culture where patients feel informed, they're empowered, and
they actively are involved in all the decisions that they're
making about what procedures and what treatments to have.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
The education portion is what I constantly talk about, even
on social media. There's a lot of funny stuff we
can do on social media, but for me, I'm always like,
I want to do the education. I want to do
the education so people can learn not only about your practice,
but about different topics just by being on your social media,
being your web page. But when they come in for
the consultation, we take the time to go through things
(07:04):
with them and I always see them again in a
prey out visit, and at that point in time, I
say to them, write stuff down, send it in an
email to us like whatever you want that. You know,
everybody gets nervous and they forget to ask questions. We
take the time with the patient even if they have
a question. When they leave, they could text, they can email,
and that open line of communication is very important. It
makes people feel comfortable and that's what I want for
(07:26):
my patients absolutely.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Speaking of social media, I feel like there's probably on
social media you could see lots of different options and
new procedures and different treatments and supplements and you name
it right. I know you just mentioned that you incorporated
the drips and other hormonal treatments and to the practice
as well. How do you vet all that's what's new
to make sure that it's safe and effective for your patients.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah, there's a lot of education that I have to do.
We go to conferences. We get our CMEs from the
national conferences in both esthetics and just general plastic surgery.
We have to take exams or online you know, follow ups.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Every year.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
We have to do a recertification basically to ensure that
we're up to date on our specialty. We do a
lot of web I do a lot of webinars at
night just to learn from maybe the surgeons that are
considered the pioneers. I actually lecture also on certain things,
so it keeps me current because then I have to
make sure if somebody asked me a question.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
You know how to handle it.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
There are a lot of trends, and I have to
know what the trends are.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I don't have to follow the trends.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
There are a lot of things that come and go
for a good reason, but it is important to know
where someone's getting the information from and guide them. There's
a lot of misinformation out there, so I try and
hit on that. When a patient starts to say something,
I'm like, okay, I saw this. I know what they're
getting too, and I let them speak and then I say,
I know that you've seen this, and here's why I
(08:57):
don't agree with it, or here here's why that's not
the right thing for you. You know, not to papoose someone,
but you want to engage with them in a very
open and educational conversation.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Definitely, and you want to do it's right for them.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
One of the things I love that you shared was
one of your core philosophies is helping patients enhance their
features rather than change who they are, how has that
belief really helped you transform the long term vision of
your practice.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
So we talk about how it's not a one size
fits all type situation for anybody. It's all about having
that individual really feel individual. So people come in with ideas,
like we said, and they say, oh, Kylie Jenner got
this and that's what I want. And I said, well,
Kylie Jenner's built very different than you or you know,
(09:44):
this was the look that she was looking for. That
she obtained that might not be what you're looking for.
So again, looking natural and not looking overdone is what
is important to me, and it's important to my patients.
There are patients that come in that want a little
of that overdone look, which which is okay if they
understand you have to make sure your vision and their
vision are aligned. They're the ones that have to go
(10:06):
home and look at themselves. So we want to make
sure that you have that open communication again to hear
what they want and try and obtain those results based
on their goals.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's important for them to be happy when they look
in the mirror afterwards. Right absolutely, looking ahead. We just
talked about a bunch of trends and stuff that's happening.
What trends and innovation do you believe will have the
greatest impact in your field over the next five to
ten years.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Definitely wellness, Like we said, regenerative medicine and wellness. There
are a lot of new companies coming out with exosomes.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We know stem cells is still a hot topic.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Things that can really change chemical structures inside of you.
It's to the point where it can slow down aging
or reverse aging. That's probably where it's going. Other than that, again,
trending right now, natural look not overdone, which is good.
But people are much more aware of wellness and it's
(11:09):
great because why not continue to look vibrant well into
your sixties and seventies and eighties and don't just say oh,
well that's life. Yeah, and you don't have to look
twenty when you're eighty, but you don't have to look
ninety when you're eighty.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Yeah, you still feel good about yourself. Yes, that's very important.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
So looking back at the practice, what has been one
of the biggest challenges you face while you've been growing
the practice, while you've been adding all the different elements
within it, that really helps you teach about your leadership
in particular.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
So we laugh about this.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
We say, don't let doctor Google get in the way
of physicians experience. I also a student taught, and I
have a degree in teaching because I love to teach,
and back then, because I'm not twenty, my master's thesis
was how the computer era is going to affect doctor
(12:03):
patient relationships? And if I knew then what I know now,
I probably would have been afraid to do that as
a thesist type thing. So patients come in with a
lot more knowledge, which is great, but patients come in
with a preconceived notion of what's best for them.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
That's very challenging.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
I spend a lot of time either explaining to them
why that's not the best thing for them, or talking
it through with them about why they want what they want.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And that's fine.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
A lot of times people are right, they're educated, but
not everything is for everyone. The other challenge, which is
some people will say is generational, I'm not sure. I
think it's ethics. Is finding the right stuff. It's very
hard to find a team. And we have an all
female team. That's not to say I won't hire a male,
(12:53):
it just tends to be an aesthetics a lot of females,
but we have you know, male anesthesiologists and it's fine.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So if any men are interested, come to talk for
a job.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
So it's tough to get the right mix of people
to have the specialties that people can become more expert
at within the practice. So my estheticians, we have some
that are more advanced with their treatments.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We have some that do the basic stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
I have lymphatic massage, so someone gets trained in that
and has somebody else that helps them to learn more
advanced techniques. And then we have a PA that does
injectibles and she's fabulous. And but you have to find
the right mix of people with the same vision as
you because this is not just my company, it's all
of our companies, you know, And in order to grow
(13:40):
you need that support staff. So my manager has been
with me for a number of years now. She's fabulous.
She knows how to de escalate me if I get
all riled up about something, which is really wonderful because
you need that balance. I always say, I'm coming to
see you in HR right now. You know, we're the
HR department and we joke around, but it's just it's
really to know that you have another family at work
(14:04):
because you spend.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
A lot of time with them.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and you're only as good as your team, absolutely,
And obviously the practice is your brand. So you want
to make sure that every single person that's coming through
the doors, that are experiencing all your team memberships are
having the best experience as possible.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Yes, even who answers the phone, you know. Now, I
have Stephanie has been with us for over a year.
She's a retired English teacher and I love and adore
her because she proofreads everything she can. We talked about
language earlier, how like she knows language and it's beautiful.
And then I have younger people who help with the
social media and AI, and you know, it's a really
(14:39):
nice mix and we have fun and that's the important
thing too.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, it's funny that you said earlier the comment on Google.
A lot of doctors that I sit down with they
said that obviously, like AI and chatchybt, has now become
one of their biggest challenges because people think they know
everything just by asking Chatchybet or another AI bot out there.
So I completely understand that perspective.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yeah, it's good though it's a challenge and it's fun.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
You know, it's like, oh, I know where you read that.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
That's awesome. I know that we talked about it earlier.
One of the reasons that you originally got into class, Surgen.
Obviously you had the confidence from your peer telling you
that you the eye for it, but also your friend
talking about how it really transformed her life and gave.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Her that confidence.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
How have that patience feedback as they talk about how
it's improved their confidence and their well being, continue and
inspire you every single day after all these years of
doing it.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Yeah, we call it like the revealed day. Like if
we take dressings off a patient they look for the
first time and they just light up. That never gets old,
you know. And from helping somebody who has a breast
reduction and they just they stand up straighter. They tell
me about the new shirt they can wear, that they
can button their clothes, they can wear matching pajamas, or
the girl that like their whole lives, had.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
No breasts and never felt like a woman.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
How they like, I can't wait till the surgery's over
and I can actually feel like a woman. And when
you hear that you're like wow, because if you don't
experience that in your life, you don't understand this, this
like heaviness that someone else has on them. And that
alone is like beautiful when you see someone like just
beaming because you help them feel better about themselves and
(16:15):
like that.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'll do that as long as I can.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
That's a great feeling. Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So for anyone tuning in that might have an interest
in getting into the healthcare professional, especially women out there,
what advice would you wish you would give yourself right
at the very start that all of them should follow.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it, because
you can. I had, you know, it's kind of sad.
I was in Albany med school and you have to
meet with the dean. And at the time, the dean
sat down with me and he says, so, what do
you want to do? And I said, I'm going to
apply for plastic surgery and he's like why, And I.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Said, excuse me, And he said, well, you know, Albany
isn't Yale and they're not going to take you. And
I said, well, I'll never know if I don't try.
And I got it.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
There, You go.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
If I let him decide for me what I thought
I could do, it never would have happened, you know.
And again, like I said, doctor Batolo is the one
that was confident.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
He was like I even.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Said, I'm like, I'll never get into plastics, and he goes,
you will just apply, and I looked at him, I'm
like he had the confidence in me before I had
the confidence in me. So hopefully that you know, if
anybody's even out there, I tell people, come spend a
day with me if you're interested in learning, because the
real world is in the offices with the physicians, and
when you're in med school and when you're in residency
(17:32):
you don't always get that experience either. But the real
world experience shows how it can be done. I did
have children, I did open my own practice, I did
open my own oor, I did open my own med spa,
and nobody stopped me. And there's no reason anybody needs
to stop somebody. And women in plastic surgery, I think
we're still only twenty four percent. It keeps going up,
(17:54):
which is great, but don't let anybody tell you no,
and don't let the time that it takes you to.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Get there stop you.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
You know, it's daunting when you're twenty thinking, oh, it's
gonna be eight years of this, five years of this,
but it goes.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
So fast, you know. Don't don't let anybody stop you.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
It's great advice. So what is next? Any new exciting
developments on the horizon.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
For the practice?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I told everybody when I opened the Well and S
Anesthetic Center, I'm done.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
I'm done, And they're like, yeah, sure, so I do.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
I am a medical director at a spot in the Hamptons,
So for the summer, I do see patients out there. Nice,
you know, Florida is always nice for weather, and maybe
retirements and maybe I will still do something down there.
Not sure, but I got to keep my eyes open,
ears open, and again, you never know, you never ever.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Now we're excited to see what's next. I know we
covered a lot. But if there is one thing you
want the listeners to know, that is that the mission
of the practice.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
What would that be?
Speaker 4 (18:56):
I don't ever want to be a mill, right, I
don't want to do twenty surgeries in a week. I
want everybody who walks in the door to be recognized
as an individual and as a human being. To me,
it's very important to take the time make everybody feel special,
make them want to come back for more, not just
for a business sense, but just for that good feeling.
(19:17):
Like people walk in and you greet them by their name,
and I tell like, anybody that starts with me, I said,
start taking notes, because I'm going to ask you how
I know that person. And so many people in my practice,
so many patients in my practice are either you know,
friends of somebody who already came in, or somebody you
know they found you through social.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Media but now they've referred.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
So I have a very big referral practice, which to
me trumps anything. It's just that's the way I want
it to be. I want somebody to come in the
door that said, oh, I already spoke to so and
so they had surgery with you. That's why I'm here,
And that's great. I think that's that was really my
mission was to make sure everybody felt special, and I
(19:59):
want to continue that.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
The biggest compliment to get someone to someone else, Yes,
that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
So lastly, if someone's interested in learning more, what should
they do?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
They can go on social media?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Yeah, so even a website blame plastic Surgery dot Com, Instagram,
We're blame Plastic Surgery n Y and Operation Beauty n
why so any of those sources. We do have a TikTok,
which I'm sure you can get to. I'm not huge
on TikTok, but apparently patients see TikTok videos.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
And I have to say.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I had a patient that I had done a breast
dog on years like five years ago, and she is
now an influencer, and she posted that I did her
breasts and it was unbelievable. It still is unbelievable. How
many patients have seen that. I'm like, wow, So yeah,
social media, social media, blame plastic surgery, dot com, anything
(20:51):
along those lines.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You know, it's pretty easy to find people.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Now awesome, We'll definitely check it out.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Doctor Blaine, thank you so much for being here today,
for sharing at yourself, your journey, and of course about
your practice.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Thank you and.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Thank you all for tuning in to this Weeek's edition
of a CEO. As you should know,
Hi, every wand this is Steve Dallison A. Welcome to
this week's edition of CEOs. You should know. I'm thrilled
to be joined by doctor Christine Blaine, the founder of
Blaine Plastic Surgery in Operation Beauty.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Doctor Blaine, thanks for being here today.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We're excited to jump in to learn more about you
and of course more about the practice. So why don't
we kick it off talking a little bit about your
career path.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I know it was very unique.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You started as a physician assistant before shaping into a
board certified plastic surgeon. How did that experience really shape
your perspective when it came to patient care and influence
the way that you practiced today.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
So I knew from a very early age that I
wanted to be a part of medicine. I had open
heart surgery as a child, and for me, I was
going to be a doctor my entire life until I
got to college, and then I realized that the pathway
is difficult, which is fine, but there were a lot
of bumps along the way that I felt changed how
(00:55):
I really felt about medicine. People were cheating in school.
It was a very different era where pagers were coming about.
They were getting text messages with the answers for tests,
and I was very disgruntled, being a very ethical person
and was raised Catholic. You learn that there are going
to be cheaters in the world, and I had to
overcome that portion of my doubt to move on. And
(01:18):
I said, well, I'm not going to give up my
love of medicine. And I learned about physician assistant and
I said, oh, this is a nice pathway.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I can have a family.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
And I was more afraid of the time commitment, and
I did it, and then I.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Realized I want more.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
So I was in surgery as a physician assistant, and
I said, this is what I want to do, but
I want to be the one in charge. So the
type A personality won out, and I realized it doesn't
matter how long it takes. As long as you get
to your goal in life and you're happy with your
goal in life, then doesn't matter how long it takes.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
That's kind of scary that people were cheating though to
become doctors too.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So it happens everywhere though, you know that.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
So I just had to learn that it doesn't matter
what other people are doing.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I just have to focus on my goals and get
to them.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That's a great perspective.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
And what initially drew you to plastic surgery and when
did you realize that that specialty in particular, it can
make such a big impact in people's lives.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
That's a great question.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
I thought I was going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon
because I had open heart surgery, and that was where
I was going until between my first and second year
of med school, a PA friend of mine was going
out on maternity leave for a plastic surgeon, and I
went and filled in for her, and the plastic surgeon
I was working with, doctor Puttolo, said to me during
(02:32):
a case, you need to do this. And I originally
was like, oh my god, what didn't I do? And
I was worried that I missed something in the case.
And he said plastic surgery. And I looked at him
and I said what And he says, you have an
eye for it. And that changed my world because I said, really,
I never thought about it. And then the more we spoke,
(02:52):
he said, patients are happy coming to you, patients are
happy when they leave you. And it was a very
different take. He said, you're not op reading on really
sick people. It gives you the opportunity to have a life.
And all of those things brought together, and one of
my best friends told me that she had had her
nose done after high school. And she told me that
(03:15):
she never would have been able to be in a
courtroom as a lawyer if that didn't happen. So the
confidence that she gained from making a change made me
realize that plastic surgery is not just about the fluff
and the beauty. It's about the confidence that you can
have somebody obtained by fixing something that they see as
not great on themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
One hundred percent of real positive impacts on individuals.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now, in addition to being a founder, you wear many hats.
You're a wife, your mother of three, you're a successful surgeon,
a lot of demanding roles. Right, What lessons have you
learned throughout your career about balancing family, career and personal
well being that really influenced the way that you also
approach your patient care.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yes, it's busy. I thrive in chaos.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I guess my children are the best thing that ever
happened to me, probably, And I'm so proud of them.
They're they're developing into such beautiful little people. My husband
is a very big supporter of my practice, and I
couldn't do that without him. What I have learned is
that you have to take each person as an individual
that you treat and help them understand what their pre
(04:26):
app post app recovery will be and being in all
these roles, I've experienced a lot in life, and we
take the time at our visits with the patients to
ensure that they're prepared that after surgery, you're not going
to be able to take your child out of the crib.
You're not going to be able to pick your child
up off the floor or get them out of the
car seat. You know, little things that maybe somebody else
(04:47):
doesn't talk to a mom about, or even just a person.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
If you live alone in the city, you're.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Not going to be able to pull those big, heavy
doors open after you just have your breast augmentation. You know,
little things that you want to make sure people are
ready for. I had one girl that lived alone and
I said, you need somebody to stay with you, and
she said, I prepared everything, And she realized that as
soon as she went to go get the pot of
soup out of the refrigerator that she couldn't lift it.
So little things like that have helped even tweak how
(05:13):
I've handled each person. And knowing where they're going to
be after surgery and who's going to be with them
helps a lot. So I think that part of life
and the experience you have in life helps your patients.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, absolutely, and I know it your practice. It's a
combination of surgical procedures, medical aesthetics, wellness services all under
one roof. How is that integrated approach really helped out
with the patient experience.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
We like to say that a patient becomes part of
our family, So we don't want them to have to
go down the street to get a facial. We want
them to go across the hall to our spa. We
found that as I was developing the surgical practice, people
were coming to me with a lot of the issues
that we now deal with in the med spot where
they or the wellness spa. We have a lot of women,
(06:00):
we have a lot of men, and everybody wants to
feel good. And now in this new age of regenerative medicine,
the vitamin drips, the hormone replacement things that were not
spoken about years ago are now a very common conversation
that we have every day in my practice. And it
got to the point where I'm like, well, why do
they need to go somewhere else? Why don't I learn
(06:21):
it and incorporate it? And That's what I've been doing
throughout the years, great.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
One stop shop.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yes, speaking of the patients, I know patient education is
very important to you. How have you been able to
foster that culture where patients feel informed, they're empowered, and
they actively are involved in all the decisions that they're
making about what procedures and what treatments to have.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
The education portion is what I constantly talk about, even
on social media. There's a lot of funny stuff we
can do on social media, but for me, I'm always like,
I want to do the education. I want to do
the education so people can learn not only about your practice,
but about different topics just by being on your social media,
being your web page. But when they come in for
the consultation, we take the time to go through things
(07:04):
with them and I always see them again in a
prey out visit, and at that point in time, I
say to them, write stuff down, send it in an
email to us like whatever you want that. You know,
everybody gets nervous and they forget to ask questions. We
take the time with the patient even if they have
a question. When they leave, they could text, they can email,
and that open line of communication is very important. It
makes people feel comfortable and that's what I want for
(07:26):
my patients absolutely.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Speaking of social media, I feel like there's probably on
social media you could see lots of different options and
new procedures and different treatments and supplements and you name
it right. I know you just mentioned that you incorporated
the drips and other hormonal treatments and to the practice
as well. How do you vet all that's what's new
to make sure that it's safe and effective for your patients.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah, there's a lot of education that I have to do.
We go to conferences. We get our CMEs from the
national conferences in both esthetics and just general plastic surgery.
We have to take exams or online you know, follow ups.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Every year.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
We have to do a recertification basically to ensure that
we're up to date on our specialty. We do a
lot of web I do a lot of webinars at
night just to learn from maybe the surgeons that are
considered the pioneers. I actually lecture also on certain things,
so it keeps me current because then I have to
make sure if somebody asked me a question.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
You know how to handle it.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
There are a lot of trends, and I have to
know what the trends are.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I don't have to follow the trends.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
There are a lot of things that come and go
for a good reason, but it is important to know
where someone's getting the information from and guide them. There's
a lot of misinformation out there, so I try and
hit on that. When a patient starts to say something,
I'm like, okay, I saw this. I know what they're
getting too, and I let them speak and then I say,
I know that you've seen this, and here's why I
(08:57):
don't agree with it, or here here's why that's not
the right thing for you. You know, not to papoose someone,
but you want to engage with them in a very
open and educational conversation.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Definitely, and you want to do it's right for them.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
One of the things I love that you shared was
one of your core philosophies is helping patients enhance their
features rather than change who they are, how has that
belief really helped you transform the long term vision of
your practice.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
So we talk about how it's not a one size
fits all type situation for anybody. It's all about having
that individual really feel individual. So people come in with ideas,
like we said, and they say, oh, Kylie Jenner got
this and that's what I want. And I said, well,
Kylie Jenner's built very different than you or you know,
(09:44):
this was the look that she was looking for. That
she obtained that might not be what you're looking for.
So again, looking natural and not looking overdone is what
is important to me, and it's important to my patients.
There are patients that come in that want a little
of that overdone look, which which is okay if they
understand you have to make sure your vision and their
vision are aligned. They're the ones that have to go
(10:06):
home and look at themselves. So we want to make
sure that you have that open communication again to hear
what they want and try and obtain those results based
on their goals.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's important for them to be happy when they look
in the mirror afterwards. Right absolutely, looking ahead. We just
talked about a bunch of trends and stuff that's happening.
What trends and innovation do you believe will have the
greatest impact in your field over the next five to
ten years.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Definitely wellness, Like we said, regenerative medicine and wellness. There
are a lot of new companies coming out with exosomes.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We know stem cells is still a hot topic.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Things that can really change chemical structures inside of you.
It's to the point where it can slow down aging
or reverse aging. That's probably where it's going. Other than that, again,
trending right now, natural look not overdone, which is good.
But people are much more aware of wellness and it's
(11:09):
great because why not continue to look vibrant well into
your sixties and seventies and eighties and don't just say oh,
well that's life. Yeah, and you don't have to look
twenty when you're eighty, but you don't have to look
ninety when you're eighty.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Yeah, you still feel good about yourself. Yes, that's very important.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
So looking back at the practice, what has been one
of the biggest challenges you face while you've been growing
the practice, while you've been adding all the different elements
within it, that really helps you teach about your leadership
in particular.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
So we laugh about this.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
We say, don't let doctor Google get in the way
of physicians experience. I also a student taught, and I
have a degree in teaching because I love to teach,
and back then, because I'm not twenty, my master's thesis
was how the computer era is going to affect doctor
(12:03):
patient relationships? And if I knew then what I know now,
I probably would have been afraid to do that as
a thesist type thing. So patients come in with a
lot more knowledge, which is great, but patients come in
with a preconceived notion of what's best for them.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
That's very challenging.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
I spend a lot of time either explaining to them
why that's not the best thing for them, or talking
it through with them about why they want what they want.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And that's fine.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
A lot of times people are right, they're educated, but
not everything is for everyone. The other challenge, which is
some people will say is generational, I'm not sure. I
think it's ethics. Is finding the right stuff. It's very
hard to find a team. And we have an all
female team. That's not to say I won't hire a male,
(12:53):
it just tends to be an aesthetics a lot of females,
but we have you know, male anesthesiologists and it's fine.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So if any men are interested, come to talk for
a job.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
So it's tough to get the right mix of people
to have the specialties that people can become more expert
at within the practice. So my estheticians, we have some
that are more advanced with their treatments.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
We have some that do the basic stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
I have lymphatic massage, so someone gets trained in that
and has somebody else that helps them to learn more
advanced techniques. And then we have a PA that does
injectibles and she's fabulous. And but you have to find
the right mix of people with the same vision as
you because this is not just my company, it's all
of our companies, you know, And in order to grow
(13:40):
you need that support staff. So my manager has been
with me for a number of years now. She's fabulous.
She knows how to de escalate me if I get
all riled up about something, which is really wonderful because
you need that balance. I always say, I'm coming to
see you in HR right now. You know, we're the
HR department and we joke around, but it's just it's
really to know that you have another family at work
(14:04):
because you spend.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
A lot of time with them.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and you're only as good as your team, absolutely,
And obviously the practice is your brand. So you want
to make sure that every single person that's coming through
the doors, that are experiencing all your team memberships are
having the best experience as possible.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Yes, even who answers the phone, you know. Now, I
have Stephanie has been with us for over a year.
She's a retired English teacher and I love and adore
her because she proofreads everything she can. We talked about
language earlier, how like she knows language and it's beautiful.
And then I have younger people who help with the
social media and AI, and you know, it's a really
(14:39):
nice mix and we have fun and that's the important
thing too.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, it's funny that you said earlier the comment on Google.
A lot of doctors that I sit down with they
said that obviously, like AI and chatchybt, has now become
one of their biggest challenges because people think they know
everything just by asking Chatchybet or another AI bot out there.
So I completely understand that perspective.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yeah, it's good though it's a challenge and it's fun.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
You know, it's like, oh, I know where you read that.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
That's awesome. I know that we talked about it earlier.
One of the reasons that you originally got into class, Surgen.
Obviously you had the confidence from your peer telling you
that you the eye for it, but also your friend
talking about how it really transformed her life and gave.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Her that confidence.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
How have that patience feedback as they talk about how
it's improved their confidence and their well being, continue and
inspire you every single day after all these years of
doing it.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Yeah, we call it like the revealed day. Like if
we take dressings off a patient they look for the
first time and they just light up. That never gets old,
you know. And from helping somebody who has a breast
reduction and they just they stand up straighter. They tell
me about the new shirt they can wear, that they
can button their clothes, they can wear matching pajamas, or
the girl that like their whole lives, had.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
No breasts and never felt like a woman.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
How they like, I can't wait till the surgery's over
and I can actually feel like a woman. And when
you hear that you're like wow, because if you don't
experience that in your life, you don't understand this, this
like heaviness that someone else has on them. And that
alone is like beautiful when you see someone like just
beaming because you help them feel better about themselves and
(16:15):
like that.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'll do that as long as I can.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
That's a great feeling. Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So for anyone tuning in that might have an interest
in getting into the healthcare professional, especially women out there,
what advice would you wish you would give yourself right
at the very start that all of them should follow.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it, because
you can. I had, you know, it's kind of sad.
I was in Albany med school and you have to
meet with the dean. And at the time, the dean
sat down with me and he says, so, what do
you want to do? And I said, I'm going to
apply for plastic surgery and he's like why, And I.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Said, excuse me, And he said, well, you know, Albany
isn't Yale and they're not going to take you. And
I said, well, I'll never know if I don't try.
And I got it.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
There, You go.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
If I let him decide for me what I thought
I could do, it never would have happened, you know.
And again, like I said, doctor Batolo is the one
that was confident.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
He was like I even.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Said, I'm like, I'll never get into plastics, and he goes,
you will just apply, and I looked at him, I'm
like he had the confidence in me before I had
the confidence in me. So hopefully that you know, if
anybody's even out there, I tell people, come spend a
day with me if you're interested in learning, because the
real world is in the offices with the physicians, and
when you're in med school and when you're in residency
(17:32):
you don't always get that experience either. But the real
world experience shows how it can be done. I did
have children, I did open my own practice, I did
open my own oor, I did open my own med spa,
and nobody stopped me. And there's no reason anybody needs
to stop somebody. And women in plastic surgery, I think
we're still only twenty four percent. It keeps going up,
(17:54):
which is great, but don't let anybody tell you no,
and don't let the time that it takes you to.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Get there stop you.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
You know, it's daunting when you're twenty thinking, oh, it's
gonna be eight years of this, five years of this,
but it goes.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
So fast, you know. Don't don't let anybody stop you.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
It's great advice. So what is next? Any new exciting
developments on the horizon.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
For the practice?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I told everybody when I opened the Well and S
Anesthetic Center, I'm done.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
I'm done, And they're like, yeah, sure, so I do.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
I am a medical director at a spot in the Hamptons,
So for the summer, I do see patients out there. Nice,
you know, Florida is always nice for weather, and maybe
retirements and maybe I will still do something down there.
Not sure, but I got to keep my eyes open,
ears open, and again, you never know, you never ever.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Now we're excited to see what's next. I know we
covered a lot. But if there is one thing you
want the listeners to know, that is that the mission
of the practice.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
What would that be?
Speaker 4 (18:56):
I don't ever want to be a mill, right, I
don't want to do twenty surgeries in a week. I
want everybody who walks in the door to be recognized
as an individual and as a human being. To me,
it's very important to take the time make everybody feel special,
make them want to come back for more, not just
for a business sense, but just for that good feeling.
(19:17):
Like people walk in and you greet them by their name,
and I tell like, anybody that starts with me, I said,
start taking notes, because I'm going to ask you how
I know that person. And so many people in my practice,
so many patients in my practice are either you know,
friends of somebody who already came in, or somebody you
know they found you through social.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Media but now they've referred.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
So I have a very big referral practice, which to
me trumps anything. It's just that's the way I want
it to be. I want somebody to come in the
door that said, oh, I already spoke to so and
so they had surgery with you. That's why I'm here,
And that's great. I think that's that was really my
mission was to make sure everybody felt special, and I
(19:59):
want to continue that.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
The biggest compliment to get someone to someone else, Yes,
that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
So lastly, if someone's interested in learning more, what should
they do?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
They can go on social media?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Yeah, so even a website blame plastic Surgery dot Com, Instagram,
We're blame Plastic Surgery n Y and Operation Beauty n
why so any of those sources. We do have a TikTok,
which I'm sure you can get to. I'm not huge
on TikTok, but apparently patients see TikTok videos.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
And I have to say.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I had a patient that I had done a breast
dog on years like five years ago, and she is
now an influencer, and she posted that I did her
breasts and it was unbelievable. It still is unbelievable. How
many patients have seen that. I'm like, wow, So yeah,
social media, social media, blame plastic surgery, dot com, anything
(20:51):
along those lines.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You know, it's pretty easy to find people.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Now awesome, We'll definitely check it out.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Doctor Blaine, thank you so much for being here today,
for sharing at yourself, your journey, and of course about
your practice.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Thank you and.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Thank you all for tuning in to this Weeek's edition
of a CEO. As you should know,
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com