00:00:04:10 – 00:00:49:18
Jay Shorr
Welcome to Shorr Solutions: The Podcast. And I’m your host. Jay Shorr, CEO and founder of Shorr Solutions. We are a team of national and award winning practice management consultant with experience running a multimillion dollar cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery practice. We’re here to share strategies and insights that will help you grow your practice efficiently and profitably. In each episode, we’ll explore the steps and actionable insights to guide you through your journey to increase efficiency, boost revenue, and decrease costs. Tune in and discover how to improve your patient experience and take your esthetic practice to the next level.
00:01:17:18 – 00:01:48:13
Cristian Devoz
For you, for those of you listening, Nan is, very experienced, very well seasoned practice administrator. She used to own her own medical spa back in the day, and she also used to work for a very large practice in the southwest. And so she has a lot of experience. And we want to just get into a little bit of a conversation for you guys to get you able to get to know her a little bit more. So now let’s get started with the first question that I have for you, which is, can you tell us a little bit about your role in Shorr Solutions and what your day to day looks like?
00:01:48:15 – 00:02:27:03
Nan Maddox
Yes, certainly. So I am a senior client success manager with Shorr Solutions and my days differ. There’s something different every day, which is what I, I appreciate. So some days it’s a lot of internal work, a lot of calculating and spreadsheets and preparations for meetings and trainings. And other days we get to actually meet with the client and help them with their day to day issues and their journey and making them successful. So each day is different, but each day is fun.
00:02:27:08 – 00:02:41:08
Cristian Devoz
Absolutely. I love that, and it’s like every day it’s a surprise. We don’t know what we’re going to face in that day, but it’s, so it’s something that we can enjoy. All right. So can you tell me a little bit about what’s your favorite part about working with our clients?
00:02:41:10 – 00:03:24:16
Nan Maddox
I like the relationship building. With any job that I’ve had, I’ve made special connections along the way, and I feel that’s also happening with my position at Shorr Solutions. We get to know our clients on a very personal level, not just business, and I appreciate their openness and honesty and the ability to help them. I’ve always loved sharing my experience and teaching. Although I never really wanted to be a school teacher, I don’t think I had the patience for that. But I love teaching and so I think that is what I like most. But I also like the fact that I can do this job from anywhere.
00:03:24:18 – 00:04:22:04
Cristian Devoz
Yes, I know that course. Every time I see you, you’re at a different location. It is always so much fun, I bet I know. Hey Nan, where are you today? And she would be like, oh, I’m in California. I just went to the beach this morning. It’s like, oh, wow. That’s, you know, you’re living the life, I love it. So you’re a very experienced, professional in that. And that’s something that I admire about you, that you bring a lot of knowledge to the team and a lot of, you know, stories and and just life experiences, I find very, very helpful specifically with the clients and the things that we help them with.
And you also were in the US Air Force, you know, and you retired from that, and you were a Chief Master Sergeant, which is one of the highest, if not the highest rank when it comes to that. So it’s it’s an amazing life that you have lived. And I just want our listeners to be able to hear a little bit about your journey of how you got to where you are today, and if you can walk us through that a little bit.
00:04:22:06 – 00:04:25:22
Nan Maddox
You make me sound old Cristian.
00:04:24:18 – 00:04:25:22
Cristian Devoz
You know, you’re not.
00:04:26:03 – 00:07:46:05
Nan Maddox
You know, to live such a life. And that is honestly true. I came from a very small town in North Carolina, and there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for me there. So I decided to join the Air Force at the age of 18. And was lucky enough to have a career in medical administration for 21 years. Once I retired, I did achieve the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. That was the highest I could go. And so once I had achieved that goal, which was to make that rank under 20 years, which I did, I decided to retire.
An interesting thing about my retirement is that I was sitting in my retirement briefing when the Twin Towers hit the ground. And so, actually, I ended up doing 21 years in the Air Force because I was “stop loss” ed for an additional year due to that event. I spent 21 years retired, and then I decided to I had always had a love of makeup, so I decided to become a salesperson, if you will, for a large multi-level marketing makeup company. And they would not allow you to touch a client or put a makeup on a client until unless you were a licensed esthetician.
So I decided to go to aesthetics school and in aesthetic school I really found a passion for that. I loved skincare and all that. What? That. So I ended up taking everything at that school. I took electrology, permanent makeup, laser. So I ended up having all of those certifications at the end of that school.
And an opportunity came up, for me to open my own medical spa. And I did that without having any knowledge of exactly how that was supposed to work. But it turned out that I hired consultants to teach me and guide me along the way. And through their help, I was able to have a very successful medical spa for 13 years, and then I decided to sell it.
It was personal reasons why I wanted to relocate for family, and so I decided to sell it and relocate. And that’s where I started my management journey in plastic surgery. And I’ve worked for two plastic surgery practices ending in the southwest, and I loved every minute of it. I again loved the relationship, work with patients and with the staff, and I decided that I was ready to take a different journey and come full circle and move back home to my small hometown in North Carolina, back to my farmhouse.
And that’s when I started with Shorr Solutions, and it was such a natural progression to bring my 44 years of experience and the medical industry, medical administration, medspa, plastic surgery to this position and be able to put that to good use.
00:07:46:06 – 00:08:06:11
Cristian Devoz
Wow. That’s once again, it’s an amazing story and I love to hear it every single time. I want to ask you though, because that was kind of like the summary. But I wanted to ask, you know, just get a little bit more into some details about your time in the military. What what would you say was your favorite thing or the thing that you learned that really stuck with you throughout all your career?
00:08:06:15 – 00:09:17:06
Nan Maddox
Well, in the military, I think it taught me to be disciplined for sure. The discipline and work ethic, there was not any room to not have a good work ethic in the military. There’s not a lot of flexibility. So you get up and do your job. And I found that if I put forth my best effort and did the best job that I could, I did it right the first time, that I was rewarded for that.
And I liked being rewarded. I liked getting the, the accolades and the promotions. And so I think that taught me that I really needed to focus and do a good job, and I set goals for myself. I knew that I wanted to achieve the rank of chief master sergeant, and I studied that, that path. And so that’s what I focused on.
And I think that’s important for anyone starting a career is to really find out why you’re there and what your purpose is and what your goal is, and look for the best paths to achieve that.
00:09:17:08 – 00:10:04:14
Cristian Devoz
Wow, that’s very interesting. I was thinking about the last couple of interviews we have had with the team, and something that I seemed to continue to see in all of us is that hard work and that discipline and that desire to progress and to set goals and accomplish those goals. And I think the we all have that in common. And I think it’s kind of like a mindset if you want to call it.
And I’ve seen that in our clients as well as they’re trying to open their practices or they’re trying to improve the way that they’re running their practice, or even if they are trying to look for an exit strategy, they just have this mindset of, you know, they just want to do it right the first time, as you mentioned. So, and that’s why most of the time they end up seeking our help because they don’t want to make those same mistakes.
00:10:04:16 – 00:10:47:20
Jay Shorr
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00:10:47:22 – 00:11:01:00
Cristian Devoz
With that being said, when you decided to open your med spa? What are some of the things that you found difficult that you found challenging? I guess at the beginning, and how do you tackle those challenges?
00:11:01:01 – 00:12:41:17
Nan Maddox
It was some lessons learned along the way. I’ll tell just a really quick story. So when I first started, I actually bought an existing medical spa and there were two ladies that worked. It was a very small practice, two ladies that worked there, and the owner was moving and I just was coming in to take over. I quickly realized that loyalty is not always there, and the two ladies that worked there were conspiring within the first couple of months to leave and open a med spa right beside me, or just right on the road.
So I was left there with a new business and no employees, and didn’t know exactly what I needed to do or how to handle that. So I quickly learned what a non-compete was in a contract. I hired an attorney and learned that aspect of the business. Then I hired new employees under that new contractual structure as I went along, as I said, hired the consultants, learned the retail side, the sales side.
You know, I had the technical part from going to school, but I went to spa shows all of the time, and I was constantly seeking new information and new technology and new products and new marketing and ways to make my business successful, along with taking care of my people. So there are a lot of challenges, but you just have to try to find ways to get around them, or to solve them, or to meet them head on and push through.
00:12:41:18 – 00:13:29:21
Cristian Devoz
And some of these things will happen to you. I mean, even if you get a consultant, you’re still going to make mistakes, you’re still going to hire the wrong person. And that can happen. People can be very good at interviewing, so you might be fooled and even your consultant might be fooled sometimes by some of these people. And now with AI, a lot of people are even using that during their interviews. And I have seen a couple of people looking at a second screen saying what to answer to the interview. It’s, pretty interesting the the times we live in.
With that being said, when it comes to hiring, because you mentioned this with the two ladies that left and basically took some of your business. What are some of the things that you have found to be helpful when it comes to selecting the right people? What are some green flags you look for or some red flag so you try to avoid?
00:13:29:23 – 00:14:42:04
Nan Maddox
The first thing I look at is their resume. And to find out how well put together that is, that’s the first step, because if they make a lot of typographical errors, they don’t pay attention to the quality of their resume, that is a good indicator that they will not have, quality of work for the type of job that I’m looking for, looking to hire, especially if it’s like a front desk.
The other one is, personality and a good fit. You want to ask the questions you want to ask the typical questions about their, their work performance. And but more importantly, I think is a cultural fit in the practice because everybody comes typically with the skill set. So it comes down to who is going to fit well with the culture of your business, the culture of your practice.
Have the same philosophy that you do about moving the business forward, moving themselves forward if they’re looking to make themselves better, if they’re looking to take classes or go to school or anything like that, that shows that they’re always constantly looking to move forward and improve. I think that’s something that I look for in an employee.
00:14:42:06 – 00:15:40:18
Cristian Devoz
I love that. And and I remember you saying that another meeting that you also have, there’s this gut feeling, right, that will tell you if maybe the person is not being fully honest or, you know, if it is the right person, you will feel it in your gut. And I think that as I have continued to interview people, I have noticed that that’s growing in me as well. The feeling of I didn’t notice was a red flag at the time, but because of the experience that I’ve had now, I notice those red flags. So it’s pretty interesting how over time, as you continue to develop as a business owner, you will gain a lot more experience. But it’s very helpful to have some guidance in the beginning.
Now, let me ask you a little bit about your personal life, because I feel like, yes, we love to talk about business and we love to talk about practices, but it’s it’s great for people to also get to know, you know, when. And that’s during her free time. But outside of work, what do you do that keeps you grounded or that helps you recharge? Or just how do you spend your your free time?
00:15:40:22 – 00:16:35:07
Nan Maddox
I travel a lot to see my children. I have three grown children and one of them lives in California, one in Texas and one in Tennessee. I absolutely love to visit them and I do that often. And that’s why I love this job so much, because I can work from their home while they’re at work and spend the evenings with them.
And I also am a beach lover, much to the chagrin of my skin. I still, love to lay in the sun, and just be out on a beach. That is my all time happy place. And then to just come back home to the country. I’ve been all over the world, and I find a certain peace. And just coming home after all of work, travel.
00:16:35:09 – 00:16:45:06
Cristian Devoz
Absolutely. How important do you think it is for practitioners to also try to find that balance in their lives? I mean, what can they learn from your experience when it comes to that?
00:16:45:07 – 00:18:01:15
Nan Maddox
It is vitally important, vitally important to find that work life balance not only for your own well-being, but for your employees. Your employees sense when you’re stressed. They sense when you’re really upset about something, or tense at work, or you’re just spending your days and nights at work. And it can be exhausting.
So it’s very important to try in any career, in any position to find that work life balance. And I know that it is difficult, especially I remember when I started my spa, I was working, it seemed like around the clock. I would work to see my clients during the day, and I would come home at night and I would be on my computer creating menus or creating my next marketing special. Or, you know, there was always something to do when you own your own as you’re never off of work.
There is no such thing as flipping that switch and turning it off. Even when you’re on vacation, you still are going to get those phone calls that the AC went out or, you know, there’s something going on. And so it’s important to take that break when you can and try to just, decompress a little bit. But with the understanding that when you’re on your own business, you can never really shut it down.
00:18:01:17 – 00:18:22:10
Cristian Devoz
I love that. And I think that’s something that our listeners can really take away from your story. So with everything that you’ve done, the military, owning a medical spa, working in plastic surgery, and now consulting practices across the country, what do you hope your legacy will be? What do you hope people remember about you as a leader and as a professional?
00:18:22:12 – 00:19:44:05
Nan Maddox
I hope that people remember me as being fair and honest. I think honesty is huge. And sometimes honesty is hard. Sometimes you have to tell people things that they don’t want to hear, whether it’s an employee, a client, or even yourself. But I think honesty is very important.
And I also hope that people remember that I was supportive. I want people to know that I always tried to support them and help them grow, whether it was personally or professionally. And I also want to be remembered for integrity. Doing the right thing, even when it’s not the easy thing, even when nobody’s watching. I think that integrity and honesty go hand in hand.
And lastly, I hope that people remember that I cared. I genuinely care about people, and I genuinely care about helping others succeed. And if people can remember me for that, then I think I’ve done my job.
00:19:44:07 – 00:20:38:10
Cristian Devoz
Nan, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. I truly believe that our listeners are going to take so much value from hearing about your journey, your leadership, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Your experience in the military, as a practice owner, and now as a consultant really gives such a unique perspective, and we’re very grateful to have you on our team.
For those of you listening, if you enjoyed today’s episode and want to learn more about how we help practices grow, improve systems, and build strong teams, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
00:20:38:12 – 00:21:09:04
Nan Maddox
Thank you, Cristian. I really appreciate being able to share my story, and I hope that it helps someone out there who may be at a crossroads in their career or practice. I’ve really enjoyed being part of Shorr Solutions and working with such a great team and wonderful clients.
00:21:09:06 – 00:21:53:22
Jay Shorr
If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe to Shorr Solutions: The Podcast so you never miss an insight. New episodes are released every two weeks and are designed to help you grow your practice more efficiently and profitably.
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