Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erika Sato. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Erika thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

I dreamed of being a doctor, actually a plastic surgeon, since I was very young, grade school to be exact. Everything I did, every decision I made through high school and college was all to “pad my resume” to make sure I got in to medical school. During my senior year of college, I began to feel burned out. I started to wonder if I was choosing the right career…if the time/dedication was worth it? That is when I did something that was so out of character for me and chose to take time off. I did not apply to medical school, and instead, moved home to Kansas City with my parents. I was lost and had no real plan. I figured I would find a job in medical sales. with a BS in Biology (Honor’s College/Pre-med program), what else was I qualified to do? I found out very early in the job application process that you need at least one year of outgoing sales to work in medical sales. And that is how I ended up at Enterprise Rent-a-Car for my first “real” job after college. My plan was to put in one year of hard work in order to get my sales experience, then move on to a medical sales with a Big Pharma company. Little did I know that this would not be the plan at all. Enterprise Rent-a-Car hired the largest number of fresh college graduates than any other company at the time. We were pretty much thrown in the fire as far as responsibility in running your own business. We quickly learned every aspect of what it takes for a small business (one rental branch) to be successful along with the outgoing sales experience that I was promised. I never imagined I would work so hard. We averages 70+ hours per week. We washed cars in our suits and high heels, sweating in the summer heat. I had never felt so exhausted but accomplished. Even though I loved the entire experience, I realized that no success whether it is in medicine or business comes in an “easy” package with a 40 hour work week. At that moment I knew I was ready to go to medical school. There was no longer any doubt or question if the grass was greener elsewhere.

Erika, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

You guys ran a pretty thorough story on me before that I think you can get most of this info from.

I am a double board certified plastic surgeon that specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Yes, 100%

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Staying grounded…try to treat every patient as I would want to be treated…honest, kind and caring.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.houstonbeautifulbody.com
• Instagram: @dr.erikasato
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/erikasatomd