We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Cabello recently and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
It was an unusually hot day when my classmate/friend happened to accidentally lock my car keys in my trunk. We were in dental hygiene school at the time, and between the studying, projects, and clinical work, it was easy for us to make silly mistakes. It was 2:45 pm, and I had a 4 o’clock medical appointment for organ donation matching. My uncle was in dire need of a kidney – so you can imagine I was sweating bullets as I was pressed for time to arrive promptly. I prayed that I would be a good match for my uncle during my drive there. I luckily arrived within 5 minutes of my appointment and got all my bloodwork done. Fast forward 2 weeks later, my results came in and luckily I WAS A MATCH!
Throughout the battery of tests that came next, I passed each medical exam with flying colors, leading us closer and closer to the surgery date. Just 4 days after graduating dental hygiene school with a 4.0 GPA, my uncle received his new kidney. While my whole family was crying of fear and uncertainty, I clearly remember laughing and joking with my family and the surgical team in the pre-op room. I felt a unique mixture of excitement, calmness, and confidence while they rolled me into the operating room. The anesthesiologist asked me what kind of music I wanted to listen to during surgery and in the middle of my response it was LIGHTS OUT for me as he pushed the sedative in my intravenous line.
Waking up 8 hours later, in excruciating pain as soon as they removed my endotracheal tube, I asked the nurse about my uncle’s health status. She said he was alert and doing great in recovery! As we were greeted by our families in our rooms, I can feel the joy and comfort in the air as everyone was in complete relief that both surgeries went well. We were all so grateful, but the journey didn’t stop here.
Post surgery, it took me a good 2 months to recover and be able to walk upright – just in time for me to start my career as a dental hygienist. My uncle, however, looked and felt fantastic! He had no complications, whatsoever, and I’m happy to report he is now 6 years kidney strong!
The experience was by far probably the riskiest and most painful things I’ve ever done, but I did it because I love my family and would do anything for them. The confidence, tenacity, and grit I gained with this experience is something I use in other areas of my life – especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Nothing in life is really to be feared!
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?
So before going off to dental hygiene school, I was a dental assistant for almost 8 years in the public health sector. I absolutely loved the field of dentistry, but I felt like I wanted more – I wanted to see and DO more! Therefore, I decided to go off to dental hygiene school. With 6 years of dental hygiene experience, now under my belt, I found myself again wanting more autonomy to help others achieve a confident, healthy smile. Thus, The Smile Lab was born in May of 2021.
The Smile Lab offers affordable and professional teeth whitening services for ALL! Our company truly believes that a smile is an authentic expression of joy that everyone should be able to embody. A smile can be understood in any language and is your personal business card. For this reason, we offer teeth whitening services that are tailored to YOU!
Our mission is to help others feel more confident about themselves through their smile! We offer packages that are great for those with sensitive teeth, those who are smokers, and those who love to indulge in coffee and wine. The Pearl Smile is our most requested service for those who have sensitive teeth and light dental staining. Our other option – The Diamond Smile – is great for those who are heavy smokers and heavy coffee/red wine drinkers. We also offer express whitening packages for those on-the-go!
We provide exceptional customer service, in a clean and safe environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation. We invite everyone to enjoy our one-of-a-kind experience operated by a licensed dental professional. We guarantee you’ll leave with a bigger, bolder smile and a brighter version of yourself!
For more info on pricing, check us out on IG @thesmilelabatx or www.thesmilelabatx.com.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Grit and Kindness. I believe you have a have a certain amount of courage and tenacity to work in the dental field – especially because most people “hate going to the dentist”. Showing compassion, kindness, and understanding in our line of work is paramount to building trust and rapport with our patients. Ultimately, we want everyone to feel comfortable in our chair and leave happy! If our patients are happy, so are we!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
At a young age, I was taught that it was not okay to fail or make mistakes. I constantly had to live up to the expectations of my parents. This concept followed me throughout my adult years. I was terrified of making the wrong move. With this state of mind, I held myself back from doing the things I knew I really wanted to do. I wasted a lot of time worrying about the “what ifs”.
Looking back, I have faced my fair share of failures in my personal, professional, and academic career, However, the obstacles that I have encountered have taught me wisdom and insight. I have learned that limitations only exist in the mind. I have learned that taking an “L” really isn’t a loss but a lesson. These lessons have taught me perseverance and resilience which in turn have helped me find my purpose in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesmilelabatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmilelabatx/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesmilelabatx/
Image Credits
Faith Benitez, John Salazar