Speaker 1: Welcome to today’s episode of True to Form. True to form is a podcast that highlights leaders making headway in the aesthetic, anti-aging, and elective medical industries. Learn from the experts to discover the secrets to success and the pitfalls to avoid when it comes to growing your aesthetic revenue.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, it’s Adam DeGraide, your guest host for True to Form Tim Sawyer’s Normal show, so glad to be with you. I am here at the VCS 2019, in lovely Las Vegas and today we have the privilege and honor of speaking with doctor, Stanley Okoro. Internationally renowned plastic surgeon, locally known as the bowtie doctor. He is a double board certified plastic surgeon who offers customized cosmetic plastic surgical procedures at his private practice location in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. His international practice locations are Lagos, Abuja, Nigeria. I certainly hope I am saying that right. He has an extensive experience in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast, body and face. We are at true to form we are at VCS and I am with Stanley the manly Okoro from Atlanta, Georgia. Stanley Okoro is a fantastic surgeon has become a dear friend over the many years welcome to True to Form.
Speaker 3: Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 2: You are welcome. Were you not invited by Tim Sawyer the normal host of True to Form.
Speaker 3: No, I think, well, he had sent me a text message say many, many months ago, weeks ago, I was out of the country and I don’t know. So, I-, Tim is a great guy so I don’t want to say yes or no.
Speaker 2: Tim is a great guy.
Speaker 3: All I want to say is that I can neither confirm nor deny.
Speaker 2: You know most things could be said about Tim we can either confirm or deny. As a matter of fact, I called him today he was in the Jacuzzi as I am here working just like you were saying to me. Adam, I love following you on social media because I get to see you on the beach and at least I know somebody is on the beach.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I’m in surgery I scrub I am doing case I open my Facebook here is Adam at the beach. I’m like okay, at least someone is having fun at the beach.
Speaker 2: You see that’s why Tim normally does True to Form, because Tim does True to Form normally I can be on the beach, that’s how it works, see how it works.
Speaker 3: You got it, I’m happy for you guys.
Speaker 2: We got it all down. We got it all down.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 2: Things have been going great.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 2: We are having a great time at VCS and I would love for you to share with people how long have you been in your practice, you know what you are passionate about, the treatments and procedures you also offer and just start sharing your heart in regards to you know. What got you into this, what keeps you in it, what disappoints you about it? I know there is a lot of different things I am throwing at you, but I just would love to have you start riffing here and then we’ll go together from there.
Speaker 3: Do we have enough time?
Speaker 2: Well I-, Tim does 30 minutes podcast. I am a big believer in shorter is better.
Speaker 3: Shorter, okay.
Speaker 2: So we try to do ours within fifteen minutes, but you know you have time, so go for it.
Speaker 3: Well, in-, I have been a doctor for over 25 years. Half of that was general surgery training, plastic surgery training, and have been a plastic surgeon now for about 12 years or so. In private practice for about 10 years.
Speaker 2: Wow, that’s amazing.
Speaker 3: So it’s been a very nice journey.
Speaker 2: Where did you train?
Speaker 3: I didn’t, I had [Inaudible] [0:03:21] last night.
Speaker 1: That was you that they had on entertainment tonight?
Speaker 3: No.
Speaker 1: That wasn’t you that was somebody else.
Speaker 2: Training for surgery.
Speaker 3: I know right, [Inaudible] [0:03:33], oh my god. Believe it or not, some people practice out of the hotel room, but you probably don’t want to go there, plastic surgeon does in the hotel room but anyway.
Speaker 2: I am not a-, I would definitely say we do not want to go, that wouldn’t be classified as a surgical center.
Speaker 3: No, I would not-, it happens, unfortunately, we are laughing, but stuff happens every day, you know.
Speaker 2: It’s crazy.
Speaker 3: I did my general surgery in Emory University in Atlanta Georgia, then I-, you know I joined the navy as a general surgeon. I worked as a general surgeon in the navy for about four years.
Speaker 2: Wow.
Speaker 3: I went back into plastic surgery training in San Antonio, Texas, the University of Texas in San Antonio.
Speaker 1: That’s how you met our boy right, TJ Jeneby?
Speaker 3: Jeneby, yes.
Speaker 1: Jeneby, he should be [Inaudible] [0:04:18]
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, he was, he should, he is-, that guy is incredible. He’s a smart man.
Speaker 2: He was neurosurgeon right?
Speaker 3: That guy, I don’t know about the neurosurgeon, but he shouldn’t be near anywhere, somebody’s brain, I don’t think. You know, you see, you know but he is an incredible plastic surgeon, very smart businessman.
Speaker 2: Yes he is.
Speaker 3: Very smart businessman and I learned a lot from him, even I continue to learn from him, okay. He is a mentor, but that’s why name is Antonio
Speaker 2: That’s amazing. And then 10 years ago you decided you know what I have a great idea.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I’m going to be an entrepreneur, I’m going to put Georgia plastic up on a pedestal and you’re going to become the face of that organization.
Speaker 3: I was completing my tour in the US Navy and I wanted to, I had- I didn’t want to run a practice at all. I had no idea, how to run a practice and then the economy went down in two thousand remember 2008, 2009, 2010.
Speaker 2: I do remember. Nobody liked it. ]]
Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I was looking for a job and nobody would hire me. So, I had no choice, but to open my own practice. And I said okay I am going to do this differently, thank God, humble beginnings.
Speaker 2: Very humble, every business starts with humble beginnings.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yes. So, the core of our practices is basically simple and instilled in one of our philosophy treat everyone like family.
Speaker 2: I love that. I have always felt like family when I have been around you always.
Speaker 3: That’s it, treat everyone like family. Like every, like I tell my staff I sleep good every night because every patient I came across I make sure, I always make sure that I give them more than what they paid for.
[Crosstalk]: Give them more than what they paid for.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So you are exceeding expectations.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker 2: What is the process when somebody, comes into Georgia plastic? How do you create that five-star experience for them?
Speaker 3: So that’s a very good question, so what we hear all the time is-. We-, I have learned from you Adam I really have learned a lot from you actually that I give you credit for.
Speaker 2: You are welcome.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I really have, so I think, what I’ve, over the years, I see you learn every day, you learn to hire good people first.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Starts with talent right?
Speaker 3: And train. No, don’t worry about the talent, the people.
Speaker 2: No, good people.
Speaker 3: Good people.
Speaker 2: That’s what I mean.
Speaker 3: You can’t-
Speaker 2: You can train good people.
Speaker 3: You can train good people.
Speaker 2: You can train task, but you can’t train someone to be a good human being.
Speaker 3: You can train skills, you can’t train human beings to be good people. So, we like to hire good people. We got the skills, we’ve been in business for a while so I want good people, just, so when a patient or client comes to our practice just treat them like they are coming to your house.
Speaker 2: That’s great.
Speaker 3: This is your house, you receive them, give them something to drink, make sure that they are comfortable.
Speaker 2: Do you make them take off their shoes?
Speaker 3: I make them take off more than just their shoes.
Speaker 2: Of course you do. Being a plastic surgeon, I would imagine that you cannot operate unless all the shoes are off.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, but we-,
Speaker 2: Not initially though right? They can leave their shoes on when they first come in.
Speaker 3: You can keep your shoes on, but after we meet you quickly. We have learned how to date fast, we are a fast dating process.
Speaker 2: That’s good.
Speaker 3: We meet you boom. Within a short time-
Speaker 2: You get them in.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 2: You know it’s interesting, I was talking with doctor Chernoff too about, charities that he has and one of the things that-, you are also involved in charities.
Speaker 3: Yes
Speaker 2: I follow online, I even support, tell the folks about your charity.
Speaker 3: So we, they, never ever tried to judge a plastic foundation. I have been doing charity work for over twenty years. I believe in charity begin at home. So I go to one place every year, twice a year really and I do a lot of plastic surgery, volunteer work in my [Inaudible] [0:08:34] mission.
Speaker 2: Amazing.
Speaker 3: I am from Nigeria and our charity basically is 100% in terms of what we collect we give back.
Speaker 2: So, you go there and whatever you collect for the Georgia foundation, Georgia plastic foundation goes to treating people in Nigeria.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, we don’t-
Speaker 2: What are some of the treatments that you provide there?
Speaker 3: Oh, from cleft lip to breast reconstruction, to burn care, to hernias, remember I said, I am a fully trained general surgeon. So, I am, so I come here as a double doctor.
Speaker 2: Double doctor?
Speaker 3: Yeah, general surgeon, and a plastic surgeon.
Speaker 2: Are double board certified?
Speaker 3: Halloo, you better ask somebody.
Speaker 2: I think Doctor Stanley is double board certified. And I think I should have probably known that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, both in general surgery and plastic surgery.
Speaker 2: It’s amazing.
Speaker 3: I have been board certified now twice, three times. So, in general surgeon plastic surgery, so in about 20 years combined, you know I don’t look it though. You have to admit it.
Speaker 2: No, you look young and one of the things you folks can’t see is that Stanley loves his bow ties. As a matter of fact, he is wearing a wooden bow tie right now.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 2: Who makes this for you, where do you get them from and how can people get them?
Speaker 3: So, the majority of my bow ties are donated by my patients, I make them buy them.
Speaker 2: Is that true?
Speaker 3: No, no, I wish I could. No, but honestly the one I am wearing right now was donated by-, I love my patients they see that I like to look good in, or wear a bow tie in surgery, so they bring them in and say could you wear this for my surgery.
Speaker 2: And you do it.
Speaker 3: I do it. So, now what we do now is that we started something new, we serve them-, I have over a hundred bow ties different colors, so on the day of your surgery we will serve you a bow tie on a silver platter.
Speaker 2: And you get to choose the bow tie?
Speaker 3: You choose the bow, tie you choose your color, I wear it and a lot of times we are live on social media.
Speaker 2: And you see that’s something that makes Stanley’s practice stand out because of fact that it is a little bit different, and it’s unique and it creates your brand. And I am imagining your patients love it.
Speaker 3: They love it so, I mean I try to differentiate myself and I know some of my collogues were hating on me when I am in a bow tie because they don’t look good on a bow tie, but that’s who I am. I love looking good no apologies and it’s brand.
Speaker 2: I don’t look very good in a bow tie, I wear it like once or twice a year.
Speaker 3: I have seen, you in a bow tie, you are all right.
Speaker 2: Not bad.
Speaker 3: No, it all right.
Speaker 2: I don’t have the neck for it.
Speaker 3: No.
Speaker 2: You’ve been wanting to do neck surgery on me for a while.
Speaker 3: Long time ago, it’s way overdue.
Speaker 2: My nickname in high school was a turtle boy. Did you know that?
Speaker 3: Does Crystal know that?
Speaker 2: I don’t know if she knows that, but now she does because I guarantee she is listening to this. Little known fact Crystal is my wife and we named our company Crystal Clear after her.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 2: Which is pretty cool.
Speaker 3: I knew that.
Speaker 2: It’s great.
Speaker 3: I knew that.
Speaker 2: So, tell the folks right now what kind of, you have two practices; you have Med Spa and regular practice.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Tell them exactly what you do in the practice and what gets you passionate and what gets you excited every day to come to work.
Speaker 3: That’s a lot of question, but for me, plastic surgery is hard work, but you know what’s worth it when you see them in the exam room after surgery and they are like they said you changed my life.
Speaker 2: It’s Awesome.
Speaker 3: You changed my life. Thank you very much and then they give you a hug and there is tears in their eyes as if I saved the baby or something like that. That’s really it.
Speaker 2: Well making people look better, makes them feel better, right.
Speaker 3: When you look good you feel better.
Speaker 2: Who was it, was it, Billy Crystal, you look marvelous, was that he used to say, Billy Crystal, you look marvelous?
Speaker 3: I don’t know, maybe I’m not.
Speaker 2: Am I too old.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you are probably too old. I don’t that’s I don’t know.
Speaker 2: People would say how do you feel and he would say I don’t know, but I look marvelous.
Speaker 3: If you look good you feel good. And when you feel good you are able to have more confidence in you. You have confidence no one can stop you.
Speaker 2: So, that gets you passionate. What is the challenge for you coming to work every day?
Speaker 3: I think the most challenging I get is like sharing my vision with my staff. The staff is the most challenging part of this whole thing making sure that they maintain the same vision treating people well.
Speaker 2: That comes down to training right?
Speaker 3: Yeah, we train. I think we train a lot, they say we meet twice a week.
Speaker 2: Really?
Speaker 3: Yes. So, I meet my staff, every staff on Wednesday morning at 7 am in the morning. 7 am in the morning.
Speaker 2: I certainly hope that you are providing coffee and donuts.
Speaker 3: No, we give them breakfast.
Speaker 2: Like full breakfast?
Speaker 3: Full breakfast. Coffee every-
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 3: For the last 10 years, it is a Georgia plastic tradition Wednesday morning 7 am in the morning we all sit down coffee, breakfast, and we are learning something new.
Speaker 2: It’s awesome. Then when is the second time?
Speaker 3: Friday, the morning I am meeting with professional healthcare coordinators only. We review the week before, the week off, and the week coming up. Yeah.
Speaker 2: And one of the things I have always loved about you is that you look at your practice as a business. You are running it as sales firm
Speaker 3: You have to run it as a business.
Speaker 2: Attracting the patients, to converting the patients, to keeping the patients, to creating that family experience and that family environment. You’ve done an amazing job and it’s been an honor to work alongside with you over the last several years as well too.
Speaker 3: We have a, you know, Crystal Clear has been a partner for, it is a bit over five years now I don’t remember.
Speaker 2: Almost five years.
Speaker 3: You have been a very good partner one things I like about, I mean this is, I’m not trying, he is not paying me to say this, but he’s been a, you know-
Speaker 2: Here is the 20 it’s coming.
Speaker 3: The 20.
[Crosstalk] [0:14:32]
Speaker 2: Just kidding folks it’s actually 100.
Speaker 3: Oh my god, now I start singing now, but you guys are doing what you said you were going to do. And you do it and that you guys have been great, you know we are like friends now. So, we’ve been friends for a long time, so you guys, I feel confident in what you guys are doing and you guys are committed to our success.
Speaker 2: We love you so much tell people where they can find you online. Do you have a website for your charity as well as your main website?
Speaker 3: I do, I do.
Speaker 2: We’d to hear about both of those.
Speaker 3: So, the main website is Georgia-, I have a jingle did you know that?
Speaker 2: Oh sing it, let’s sing it.
Speaker 3: Okay, enhance your look enjoy your life GeorgiaPlastic.com.
Speaker 2: Georgia plastic.com
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So, it enhances your-
Speaker 3: Enhance your look, enjoy your life-
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: GeorgiaPlastic.com
Speaker 2: I think this is the first time that anybody has actually sung on True to Form.
Speaker 3: Really?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Tim doesn’t sing if you’ve ever heard Tim sing?
Speaker 3: He probably shouldn’t sing.
Speaker 2: It’s the worst, it’s like a duck just gets stepped on, it really not that great.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: But Tim has many other gifts.
Speaker 3: He is a great guy, he speaks, he is a, what is the word I am looking for, he is almost an orator. He speaks, I think he speaks better than you actually.
Speaker 2: You know what that would be debatable, but most people say yes he speaks more than me now.
Speaker 2: That’s definitely true.
Speaker 3: He is, Tim is a great motivator.
Speaker 2: Tim is the best speaker I have ever worked with in my life.
Speaker 3: He speaks very well.
Speaker 2: Not only that he is a good guy.
Speaker 3: He is-
Speaker 2: He is a big loveable, fuzzy teddy bear is what we call him.
Speaker 3: You know something I probably should bring him to Georgia to psyche the plastic surgeons.
Speaker 2: You should.
Speaker 3: I really should.
Speaker 2: You should, so where can they find you on the URL.
Speaker 3: Georgiaplastic.com.
Speaker 2: Georgiaplastic.com
Speaker 3: And Georgia Plastic Foundation, Georgia Plastic Foundation for my-
Speaker 2: GeorgiaPlasticFoundation.com
Speaker 3: -.org
Speaker 2: -.org sorry GeorgiaPlasticFoundation.org for the charity. Thank you so much, Stanley the manly Okoro for stopping by here at VCS we love you. Thank you for joining us at True to Form tune in next week. You never know who’s going to be hosting you never know who’s going to be on we look forward to seeing you then.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Bye everyone.
Speaker 3: Bye, Bye. That was cool.
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