We were lucky to catch up with Christine Nguyen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christine, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
The biggest risk I ever took in my life was opening my own practice. I’ve always known I wanted to have my own clinic. From as young as 13-14 years old I would tell people, “I’m going to open my own clinic one day for kids with autism!” So the idea was manifesting quietly in the back of my mind for years to come. All the milestones that led up to it felt like it was destiny. However, my dad said it best. He told me that the destiny was there because the intention and actions were there. When I was 5 years old, I would walk this one student to the office to take her medicine. I didn’t know what her diagnosis was or anything. I knew in my heart and observation that she wasn’t like me or the other students but that she needed a little love and help. I consistently sought out volunteer opportunities to work alongside children with special needs. I joined clubs in high school that partnered me up with a student with special needs. I took courses in college related to child development, special needs, and advocacy. My first job at the age of 18 years old was working as a behavioral therapist for children with autism spectrum disorders. It was through this job that I discovered what occupational therapy was and I fell absolutely in love.
I applied for grad school at USC for my Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy and shortly after earned my Clinical Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy. Things were always moving in the direction of my childhood dreams. Mind you, I had zero business experience. No entrepreneurial background. All I had was determination. In 2017 an opportunity presented itself and I just took it, with no business plan, no money, no clients, no anything. I signed a 5 year lease, handed over thousands of dollars for rent and a deposit. It was a beautiful 1700 square feet space with this amazing open concept waiting to be transformed! After I signed the lease and got home. I stared at the wall and asked myself, “What. Do. I. Do. Now?” Luckily, I still had my former job at the time so I had income coming in to at LEAST cover the overhead for the first month or two. But my boss unexpectedly let me go without notice [that’s a whole other story] and I had to now fight harder to get my business up and running.
Through magic, destiny, and the universe, I ran into a former colleague whom I worked with at a psychiatric hospital years prior and it turned out she started working in a speech therapy clinic RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM ME. She immediately connected me with the director the director referred 2 kiddos to me. And the rest is history. Before you know it, I had clients booking back to back. It’s now been a little over 6 years of having my practice and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course, there were a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, along the way. That’s all a part of the journey though and it’s inevitable to avoid. Was the risk worth it? Absolutely.
Christine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a board-certified and licensed occupational therapist. I received my Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree from the University of Southern California in 2010. I currently work in private practice in San Marino, where I serve as the Director and Founder of The Center for Infant Tethered Oral Ties™, in a shared location with San Marino Pediatric Dentistry. My scope of practice may include pre and post oral motor frenectomy therapy, feeding therapy [breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, transition to solids], evaluating and providing therapy for failure to thrive, torticollis, plagiocephaly, and any related developmental diagnoses. I focus on the quality of a baby’s sleeping, breathing, feeding, and functional mobility. I’m passionate about teaching for conferences, schools, private practices, or parent groups, and mentoring clinicians in the field of infant care.
The main problem I help with is breastfeeding. I educate breastfeeding mothers about how it’s a whole body approach and not just about the mouth. Often times, when babies have difficulty with feeding, everyone’s focus is on the baby’s mouth during feeding. However, we also need to assess what the baby’s mouth is doing during non-feeding times, including what the whole body is doing. Parents are always told what to do but rarely are they told how to do it. I do my best to provide a thorough evaluation so that they can see what to do, practice it, record it, and have support. My practice is a place of love, education, support, and treatment.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
The great part about owning and running my own practice is that I can provide whatever quality and standard of care that I set. Love has always been central to why I do what I do. I’m often told to “care less about your patients,” “focus on volume and not quality,” “stop checking in on them so much,” or “stop working after 5 pm.” Although I understand boundaries are important, I also genuinely care about my patients and their well-being when they leave my office. I check on them because I want to know if what I’m providing them is working or if we need to change the approach. They do pay a lot to see me too and this is why it’s also important for me to know that they are getting what they pay for.
I could probably be more mindful of my working hours and “balance,” but overall, I’m happy to check on them during off hours and respond to them if I’m not at the office. There are days I get overwhelmed and stressed, however, because I realize it right away, I’m better at shifting rather than full on losing my mind [which is what happened a lot in the early years of my practice].
My brand is not just about the population I serve. It’s about the love and intention that I put out there for every baby that comes through my door.
Any advice for managing a team?
I don’t have direct employees but I do work in collaboration with a team of providers and to maintain that high morale with your team you have to be caring. It’s as simple as that. I talk about this all the time with my colleagues, during lectures, in conferences, and wherever else I can. You have to do it with love and intention. Be good to your employees and your team because you’re where you’re at today because of them. I have good mentors and they always remind to support the people that support me back. I always make time to either take my team out for lunch/dinner, send a thank you text, reach out, hug them, call them, etc. If your team is unhappy, your quality of service will soon deteriorate and with that goes your reputation. I believe that if you exert love and appreciation, that positivity will flourish in more ways than you can imagine. That is the secret to a successful business, in my experience and opinion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oralties.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforinfantties/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@centerforinfantties
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/center-for-infant-tethered-oral-ties-san-marino?osq=center+for+infant+tethered+oral+ties
Image Credits
Ann Kim Javier De Leon