"The most common mistakes I see entrepreneurs make is to try to keep up with the Joneses… meaning, trying to compete with the competition."
Nadir Qazi Tweet
Nadir Qazi, MD is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon and an instructor for advanced injections and laser techniques. He turned his love of sculpture art into a career as a cosmetic surgeon removing obstacles that hide people from seeing their own natural beauty. His cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery practice, Qazi Cosmetic Clinic, is located in Irvine, Calif, USA.
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Table of Contents
Let’s learn a little about you and really get to experience what makes us tick – starting at our beginnings. Where did your story begin?
Nadir Qazi: I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in a middle-class family of five kids: four girls, and me. I am the middle child who grew up amid a family of women. During our family trips to Greece and Italy, I discovered art and I fell in love with accurate sculptures of the human body. I became consumed with the possibilities within the world of sculpting and dedicated all of my free time to sculpture art. I became obsessed with ensuring an accurate depiction of human anatomy. The more I studied the body, the more I wanted to learn and understand what could, and often does, go wrong. Eventually, I turned this curiosity toward how to treat different pathologies. This is what led me to cosmetic dermatology.
This was the one field where I knew I could combine my love of sculpture art and pathology and turn it into a career that truly helps people see the best versions of themselves. This transformation enhances every area of their lives because when we feel good about the way we look, our confidence elevates and we begin to see life through a different lens. This also hit home for me personally, because as a teen / young adult, I had severe acne. I was left with acne scars that no one could treat. When I started my business, this was a huge area I wanted to address for my clients.
So, I learned a technique that less than a dozen people across the country specialize in. This technique works without the use of hot lasers and gives people with darker skin a chance at reducing the appearance of acne scars so they can see their own natural beauty.
Was there somebody in your life that inspired you to take that specific journey with your business?
Nadir Qazi: There wasn’t a specific person, per se, but rather the pressure within my family to choose a career that would provide me (and the family I would come to create of my own) with a good lifestyle, where I contribute well to the world. My father was a big influence because he’s a successful physician himself; but my sisters, also. The competition within my immediate family is a driver in itself. That was one reason
I switched from art to medicine. It’s hard to make a big impact as an artist. Few succeed tremendously. As a physician, especially as a cosmetic surgeon, I get to see the results of my artwork as my clients come and go from my office. The transformation is so rewarding, to know that my work has transformed their lives so much. So, I credit my dad, primarily, but my family overall for inspiration.
What are the most common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make and what would you suggest they do?
Nadir Qazi: The most common mistake I see entrepreneurs make is to try to keep up with the Joneses… meaning, trying to compete with the competition. It’s not a competition. It’s an attraction. When launching a new business, it’s important to understand you, yourself, your own differentiators, why you went into business. Focus on being the best version of yourself and you’ll do great.
When I first started, everyone told me I would fail because I was opening in a highly competitive geographic area and I didn’t have deep pockets, so I couldn’t afford all the expensive machinery and the latest technology. As soon as I could afford it, I bought it all, and it turned out, it wasn’t even necessary. My clients like me for different reasons. They like the way I make them feel. They appreciate the attentive care from the Medical Doctor vs. an aesthetician.
They like that I offered proprietary solutions that are unique to solutions offered by my competitors, and they like that I’m focused on bringing out their natural look rather than making them look like everyone else. It’s about the relationship. Once I learned that, and I combined it with education about the results I deliver, attracting new clients has never been a problem and I’ve never once focused on my competition. I run my business to serve as a resource to my clients and they know it. It’s worked out really well.
Resilience is critical in critical times like the ones we are going through now. How would you define resilience?
Nadir Qazi: I tell everyone that the most important trait to get ahead in life is having enough willpower or resilience. People sometimes call it “hard work,” but it’s not actually about working; it’s about having the resilience or mental fortitude to survive setbacks, stay focused on your goals, work the plan even when things go wrong, and continue to plan ahead. I think there is truth in being able to manifest your dreams into reality. Don’t worry about your competition. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Do your thing, your way. Stay focused on serving your clients with solutions that transform their deepest desires, their biggest needs, the things that can have the biggest impact, and your business will grow, and you will succeed.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Nadir Qazi: There are a lot of aspects of our business that make us stand out over our competition. One is that at Qazi Cosmetic Clinic, you always see the doctor. We offer our own secret recipes to provide non-surgical options and to offer solutions for underserved people, such as acne scar removal for people with darker skin, melasma removal for people with darker skin, hair restoration, and a California ButtLift that works on people with lower body fat so they can get the plumped look without the fat transfer required in a Brazilian Butt Lift.
We are always in search of solutions that will provide our clients with the results they want, not just the services we offer. We’re about enhancing people’s natural look, removing barriers to their natural beauty, and helping people see the real them underneath the blemishes. We tend to look at ourselves under a microscope, up close against the mirror in a way that no one else sees us. We aim to make that up close, microscopic view of ourselves as fabulous as everyone else sees. We want more people to see themselves and be proud of who looks back. That’s our goal and it seems to be working.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Nadir Qazi: My three character traits: Curious. Determined. Creative.
- Curious.
Listening and reading between the lines to understand my clients’ real issues, aesthetically, biologically, and psychologically. It’s important to understand what is really bothering the client so that I can address the entire person, not just give treatment and send them on their way. It’s important in my practice that we treat people the way we want to be treated; to do that, takes listening skills with a curiosity to understand.
- Determined.
The desire to overcome obstacles and maintain focus on my goals. When I first started Qazi Cosmetic Clinic, I had to overcome the naysayers who thought I couldn’t thrive in this market. I had to overcome the negativity, stay focused on my goals, truly understand my clients’ desires, and keep learning! Education has remained a key to my success so that I can stay on top of my game for my clients. It is sheer willpower that keeps me there.
- Creative.
By studying and understanding the science and mechanics behind each treatment, I can also see where I can improve results for people with different body types and skin types so that I can serve each one with products and services that give them the exact results they desire. I am often experimenting, mixing, and matching treatments in search of a better result. I have three signature treatments that work very differently than others on the market, and for client populations where there were previously minimal to no solutions; and I have more in the works.
How important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his own brand?
Nadir Qazi: Your brand is everything. When you act incongruently with your brand, it confuses people and they lose trust. I live my brand daily. I’m focused on living a healthy lifestyle and I encourage my staff and my clients to do the same. They find inspiration in this. I also walk my walk. I think it’s important for leaders to do as they say and say as they do. Your brand is more than what you want it to be; it’s how others view you, your company and you as a leader. All of those pieces must align or you lose credibility. I would never recommend anyone do anything I wouldn’t do and I would never do things I tell my team and my clients not to do. It’s called integrity. It matters.
How would you define “leadership”?
Nadir Qazi: Leadership and inspiration are synonymous. Or at least they should be. I’m the leader of my business because I own it, but unless I inspire my team to carry out my values, my leadership skills are invalid. So, I have to inspire my team to the greatness I want for my clients; the greatness I want my business to be known for. The first step is to define these values. They’re based on who I am, first as a person, second as a leader.
My leadership abilities are reflective in my ability to inspire my team to carry out these values so that every person who visits my clinic gets the experience reflective of those values. Leadership is the gift of creating the world the way you want it to be and inspiring others to create it with you.
Do you think entrepreneurship is something that you’re born with or something that you can learn along the way?
Nadir Qazi: You do not need to be born with an innate gift to start a business. With proper preparation and a self-driven work ethic, you can succeed. Self-motivation is probably the single most important quality necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur. You need an internal motor to spend extra hours after a busy workday researching and planning for your business. Your business will live or die based on how hard you are willing to work, your ability to set and focus on your goals, and your ability to sell. If you’re not good at these things naturally, learn. Anything can be learned if you’re willing to put in the work.
What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Nadir Qazi: Michael Jordan’s determination to succeed, his climb to the own title as the greatest, and his willingness to share his story had a profound effect on my life. One of my favorite quotes from him is, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” This quote inspires me to keep going, no matter what. Focus on my goals, don’t worry about failure, it’s part of success.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Nadir Qazi for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Nadir Qazi or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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