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

Jeffrey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

The most difficult decision involved in starting my practice – Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio – was the decision to start the practice in the first place. Most facial plastic surgeons choose to work in a large group private practice or an academic medical center. However, I knew that my surgical skills and the advanced techniques I learned during my aesthetics training would be most transformative with my own practice. As other business owners are well-aware, starting a business is quite difficult. It took the encouragement of my wife, Fara, to make the leap.

I first had to develop a road map, including a year-long timelines of tasks, to execute prior to opening the practice. The early tasks included writing a business plan, acquiring financing, negotiating an office lease, hiring an architect and interior designer, and hiring a general contractor. We were able to open Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in fifteen months despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is much faster than most predicted. We were fortunate to have avoided many of the problems encountered by other businesses during this period, which I believe is because we built room for unanticipated delays into our road map.

We started by determining our “why.” This involved writing a mission statement and practice values. Next, we needed to recruit the design talent required to design the branding and build out the office space in a way that reflected the mission statement and values of the practice. Finally, we needed to recruit key administration and clinical staff who were committed to our mission statement and who reflected our values.

Starting a solo aesthetic facial plastic surgery practice is a very difficult and time-consuming process that requires vision, focus, and a desire/ability to delay gratification for much longer than your physician peers. However, I firmly believe it is worthwhile if you are willing to sacrifice for it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jeffrey Harmon, and I am a facial plastic surgeon from Cincinnati, Ohio who returned home after completing a fellowship in aesthetic facial plastic surgery in New York City to found Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery. I have a wonderful wife and co-founder named Fara who manages the practice. I also have two wonderful children, a three-year-old son named Babak, and a three-month-old daughter named Roya. They are my life and who I work every day for. The love and support from my wife and children have allowed me to become the surgeon I am.

I always had some sense that I wanted a career where I could help people directly, but also learn a craft that would be useful anywhere I worked, nationally or internationally. I determined medicine was my calling early in college after debating between it and the United States Foreign Service. I also had an interest in business and entrepreneurship, which served me well when starting the practice.

Our mission at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery is to help people on their journey to self-confidence. We focus on being respectful and caring, and providing world-class care to patients. We not only provide the most effective and natural techniques in aesthetic facial plastic surgery, but we are also focused on making sure you feel cared for during your journey.

We offer the full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical procedures in aesthetic facial plastic surgery at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery. The surgical procedures offered include the facelift, neck lift, nose surgery (rhinoplasty), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), brow lift, fat augmentation, facial contouring implants, and hair restoration surgery. The non-surgical procedures offered include Botox© and dermal filler as well as a non-surgical treatment for hair restoration called platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy.

I was trained in the most advanced techniques in aesthetic facial plastic surgery. Those techniques include the extended deep plane facelift. The gold standard in facelift techniques, the extended deep plane facelift can address the signs of facial aging more comprehensively and naturally than other facelift procedures. The before and after images provided are two of my examples of the extended deep plane facelift. It is a more complex procedure to perform. However, I was trained extensively in this technique by the individual who developed it, Dr. Andrew Jacono.

The team at Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery are focused on making our patients feel welcomed, cared for, and respected. To that extent, I am involved in all aspects of the care of the patient, from the consultation, to surgery, and the post-operative incision care. I personally follow my patients through their recovery at every follow up appointment, removing my own sutures and caring for their incisions. This is a level of care not offered by most plastic surgeons.

Any advice for managing a team?

Leaders influence the culture of a practice by what they prioritize, how they respond to crises, how they provide feedback to their team, and how they carry themselves. In effect, a leader needs not only to be a good and active listener but also demonstrate the verbal skills necessary to build professional relationships and trust.

It all starts with identifying and recruiting talent to the business. This involves a well thought out and organized screening and interview process, strong onboarding, productive and appropriate feedback, and the promotion of professional development.

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

The most effective strategy for growing clientele is taking excellent care of patients and providing them with superior results. These patients then discuss their experiences and results with others and refer them to the practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.harmonface.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjeffreyharmon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjeffreyharmon/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harmon-facial-plastic-surgery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzOHu752bOffiOkWXqzomQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/harmon-facial-plastic-surgery-cincinnati-6