We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Beatrice Zuluaga a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Beatrice , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

At the age of 17, I secured a part-time position at a prominent law firm in New York City. The attorney who reluctantly hired me, believing I was too young for the role, took it upon himself to be particularly demanding. This pressure led me to resign twice, as I felt overwhelmed. However, his rigorous approach imparted invaluable lessons that I continue to apply in my professional life today. He taught me the significance of dressing appropriately and the necessity of perseverance in the face of rejection. He emphasized the importance of honoring commitments, regardless of the circumstances, and encouraged me to be concise and respectful of others’ time when making requests. I am eternally grateful to him for mentoring me during my formative years. His decision to hire me stemmed from a lack of alternatives; after expressing his concerns about my age, I proposed a one-month internship, with the condition that he would pay me one dollar more than the offered salary if he found my performance satisfactory. Ultimately, I ended up working at the firm for five years, negotiated many client contracts and they even offered to finance my education.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a plastic surgery consultant who’s worked with thousands of patients throughout the years. I’m proud of guiding them through the process from start to finish and have worked with only the top plastic surgeons in the industry. I guide from picking the best surgeon for their desired procedure to assisting with accommodations and recommendations on which procedures to consider. I even offer some image consulting as part of my services, always steering a natural approach and look.

I attribute my success in this field to my hard work and dedication. I genuinely enjoy the interaction with patients, and witnessing the transformations can be extremely rewarding. Each journey is unique, and I take the time to understand the individual needs and desires of my clients.

I believe that education is paramount; therefore, I ensure my patients are well-informed about their options, potential outcomes, and recovery processes. By fostering an open dialogue, I aim to build trust and ease any apprehensions they might have.

In addition to the surgical aspects, I also emphasize the importance of mental preparation. Aesthetic changes can significantly impact one’s self-esteem and confidence, and I strive to provide support during this emotional journey.

As I continue to evolve in my career, I remain committed to staying updated on the latest advancements in plastic surgery, ensuring that I can provide the best guidance possible. Each success story fuels my passion, and I look forward to helping many more individuals achieve their desired transformations.

Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.

Yes, I sold a Blow Dry Bar (hair salon) that I built from the ground up a few years ago. The biggest takeaway from this venture was that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Honestly, it was the biggest headache for me, as it was a very demanding and hands-on business that I knew nothing about. I did not enjoy it, and I sold it to the first buyer that came along just because i wanted out of the salon business. I always felt a sense of guilt because they ran the business into the ground almost immediately, as they had even less experience than me and weren’t open to my suggestions and recommendations.
So I would definitely recommend you sell to someone that has experience in the field so you don’t see your hard work just wither away one day.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think accessibility and flexibility is the most effective way to grow a practice or business.
I can recall the days I greeted the patients at 6am along with the operating staff even tho I didn’t have to. Just do the patient didn’t feel uncomfortable with the staff they didn’t know yet. I also felt it helped the staff to see that empathy was most important in these cases. When I felt confident the staff followed my lead, I stopped coming so early. But it took time to get there. …Building that trust and rapport with both patients and staff was essential. I realized that creating a welcoming environment goes beyond just the physical space; it’s about fostering connections.

As the practice grew, I focused on training my team to embody the same values of empathy and understanding that I prioritized. We held regular meetings to discuss patient experiences and brainstorm ways to improve our services. By encouraging open communication, we were able to address concerns promptly and adapt to the needs of our patients.

Flexibility became a core principle of our approach. We started offering extended hours and virtual consultations, accommodating patients’ busy schedules and diverse needs. This not only improved patient satisfaction but also strengthened our reputation in the community.

Over time, I noticed that the staff became more confident and proactive in their interactions. They began to anticipate patient needs, which created a smoother experience for everyone involved. It was rewarding to see how a culture of empathy and flexibility transformed our practice.

Ultimately, I learned that the growth of a business is not just measured by numbers but by the relationships we build and the lives we touch. This philosophy continues to guide our practice today, reminding us that accessibility and compassion are the cornerstones of success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceloveplasticsurgery?igsh=cWdtYTR4NmM1YXVv
• Linkedin: Beatrice Zuluaga
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@peaceloveandplasticsurgery5578?si=KvidoMO23J7-Etu3

Image Credits

None