We recently connected with Shylaja Arya and have shared our conversation below.

Shylaja, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Love this question, thanks so much for asking it!! Growing up in a two parent home with two physicians that started their own medical practices 40 years ago, my parents did a lot right to positively impact my choice to run my own practice! In 2021, one year into opening Arya Foot & Ankle during the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, I received a sticker from YELP in the mail. The sticker read in big letters “WOMAN BUSINESS OWNER.” On the back of the sticker it suggested I display this on the window in my office. I feel like society really pushes us to wear these badges of accolades with good intent, but it felt a little strange to me. Where was my Mom’s sticker?

It’s too bad Yelp didn’t send stickers in 1983, my Mom could have used the encouragement. There are so many women business owners now. Women run businesses really well, they are organized and in my experience with other female entrepreneurs, they’re never afraid to learn every element of the job. I lived with an incredible role model to set me up for this type of success.

My mother is a Family Practitioner and opened her own practice from scratch with 3 exam rooms just like mine 40 years ago. She came as an immigrant knowing very little about the customs in small town Ohio–but she knew her first duty was to her patients as a physician. My mother has since closed her business, but she still practices. That’s how much she loves what she does–she’s a retired business owner, non-retired doctor! She sees patients for fun now doing Telemedicine, and that’s a testament to her unrelenting mindset of “I love helping people, I can’t stop.”

I watched my mother run the business as a child and I knew even then, my mother was a doctor first and a business owner second. Her first priority was always to take care of her patients. With the support and encouragement of my Father, a General & Vascular Surgeon, also running his own business–they were my heroes. Sometimes they would come home and discuss similar things I go through now, and because of my parents’ integrity and adherence to their duty as physicians first, business owners second–the discussions would always end on doing the right thing for their patients out of duty first.

I worked in my mothers office most summers and breaks and I watched them win the balancing act it takes to succeed in our profession owning a practice. They worked very hard to build their own practices and balance being a physician and surgeon respectively, as well as balancing our family lives and being present for my brother and my needs at athletic events, music performances, and so much more. Neither of my parents came from money or had really any connections in the area, other than the ones they created in the hospital system through their hard work and building their reputations from the ground up.

So yeah, my parents did a lot of things right. I’ve learned the biggest thing they did right to help me succeed in practice, is lead by example in how they established themselves in practice as physicians owning their own small businesses, and how they put their patient as their FIRST priority. I was working at my mom’s office before I was 8 years old- licking envelopes, answering the phone and watching how they took care of people. Having that hands-on experience and watching my mother and father lead by example as physicians first, business owner’s second–truly made the biggest impact on me. I knew it was executable, despite other people doubting my wanting to start a business, because I saw my parents do it!

The impact watching them build their own practices is long lasting, because I try to emulate how they treat and love on their patients for many generations in their small unassuming offices. While Arya Foot & Ankle is a humble 1200 square feet, we have all the stops with x-ray and ultrasound–and I’m very proud of what I can offer patients in this “midwest Ohio doctors from the 1990’s mindset.”

My parents encouraged me to practice medicine on my terms, be myself, love my patients, and not worry about the money or recognition. My father always says “ When you do the right thing for your patient, the money will follow. Be patient and stay the way you are.””

Without that example from parents, I would never have taken this leap of faith to start Arya Foot & Ankle.

Shylaja, 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?

I am a foot and ankle specialist. My goal is keep my patients active, healthy, and on their feet. I enjoy working with patients of all ages and activity levels. I treat athletes, specializing in sports medicine, and take and interest in biomechanics. I also enjoy working with children. In my clinic I perform all types of in office procedures including injections, regenerative medicine, skin biopsies, ingrown toenail procedures, wart procedures, Diabetic and geriatric care. I take pride in running a small clinic where I can provide my patients with my time, attention, and proper patient education.

I especially appreciate the challenge of working with athletes to safely and effectively get them back into their chosen sport. My treatment approach includes building interpersonal relationships, thorough physical exams, and preventive medicine to avoid future injuries. I have invested in advanced imaging modalities, including digital x-ray and ultrasound for the modern diagnostic tools to create a convenient one stop experience for my patients.

What makes my clinic experience special, is the physician does everything hands on. I do the casts, I read the x-rays and ultrasounds in front of the patient, we go though all elements of the exam and treatment together. I believe the doctor patient relationship should be just that, and I pride myself of being able to provide this to my patients because of how I run the office.
I am an active person myself- tennis, hiking, pickleball, walking, aerobics. I am also a registered yoga instructor and often create a return to activity protocol that includes stretching, strengthening and balance to keep patients from getting injured in the future.

I moved to Phoenix in the Spring of 2020 and opened Arya Foot & Ankle a few months later. It’s been an exciting journey. I look forward to building community connections in the greater Phoenix area. I am currently licensed to practice podiatry in both Arizona and Florida!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I quickly learned there is no reason to attach emotion to someone’s opinion of me whether it is positive or negative. As a clinician, I align my intention on doing my very best for the patient every single day. Two months into practice during COVID I let go of what my patients thought of me, and leaned in on hearing & caring for them.

I learned to spend all my energy loving and taking care of my patient and focusing to make sure their questions were answered before I left the room. I have an assistant that answers messages via texts and emails patient education, so the patient has some items to refer to after the appointment. And we are here!! We stay open on the days others close. You’ll find my staff and myself here until 5pm on Fridays and Saturday mornings until 1pm! When patients see we really care and strive to be available, that speaks for itself with regards to reputation and we have been more than lucky to be received by the Phoenix/Arcadia demographic with open arms.

Any advice for managing a team?

I genuinely love my staff. These women work hard to put their best foot forward every day. So that’s the trick, hire honest genuine people–and managing is no longer a chore! We upfront talk about what we “NEED” to make the day go smooth daily. We have team meetings on Fridays, we do lunches, and we discuss any questions/concerns as they come up! I have their back implicitly should some (rare) interaction happen with a patient because I know my girls understand how to treat patients best. I feel supported by them, and them me.

Contact Info:

• Website: aryafootandankle.com
• Instagram: @aryafootandankle
• Facebook: @aryafootandankle
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shylajaarya
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aryafootankle2414
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/arya-foot-and-ankle-phoenix