“Be the best you can be and use it to help someone else.”
California native, Dr. Kimberly Lee, is a Board-Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, the presiding director of Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgery Center, and one of the best-kept secrets among Hollywood A-listers. Regarded as one of the top female facial plastic surgeons in Los Angeles, Dr. Lee’s surgical expertise lies in her ability to achieve the most natural results with a focus on facial rejuvenation.
While she was certain she never wanted to be a lawyer, medicine wasn’t necessarily a calling for Dr. Lee, she just loved connecting with people. Nonetheless, she graduated from Stanford University with Honors and academic distinction and was one of only 86 accomplished students accepted into the prestigious Stanford University School of Medicine, where she received her MD degree. Known for her dexterity, Dr. Lee found her passion in facial plastic surgery during her head and neck surgery residency. In 2008, as the Chief Resident of Surgery, Dr. Lee was the lead surgeon on the case of the woman who was mauled by a bear in Kern County, putting her and the complex case at the forefront of media. She went on to complete her Fellowship training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, during which time Dr. Lee’s training and the experience were focused on becoming even further specialized in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery – particularly of the face, nose, eyes, ears, head and neck areas. During this time, she received extensive training in the most cutting-edge techniques, including surgical, non-surgical, minimally invasive procedures, and laser treatments.
With a clear vision, she opened Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgery Center in 2010 – an intentionally boutique plastic surgery practice. Since then, Dr. Lee has become highly sought after by some of Hollywood’s biggest names for the discrete and personable nature of the practice, and her flawless results. She has quickly become a go-to for procedures such as buccal fat removal, dimples, facial contouring, and other highly intricate procedures using the latest technology, Board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, she is also an assistant clinical professor in the division of Head and Neck Surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and on medical staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Lee has gained national and international recognition through her skillful artistry and ability to treat challenging conditions with flawless results. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and has been featured in media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, People Magazine, The Doctor’s, ABC News, NBC, Inside Edition, and the Associated Press, among many others.
As only one of the 15% of female plastic surgeons in the US, Dr. Lee is a committee member of Women in Facial Plastic Surgery and Face to Face, an organization dedicated to providing pro bono surgery for women victims of domestic violence through the AAFPRS. Dr. Lee is also a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, California Society of Facial Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Lee also remains actively engaged in clinical research, which is focused on how to advance and optimize patient care and management. She has won numerous awards and presented at several national meetings and takes great pride in being among the top plastic surgeons. When she is not working, Dr. Lee enjoys playing golf with her family and traveling, when her schedule permits.
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Table of Contents
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: As a young child, I always loved doing things with my hands, whether it was making jewelry out of beads or doing creative projects. I watched an episode of People’s Court on TV and knew that my calling wasn’t arguing with others but I wanted to help people. More importantly, I wanted to get to know people — I love interacting with my patients and getting to know them as people! I had a unique situation where a patient was mauled in the face by a bear and airlifted to UCLA, where I did her surgery. While there’s no textbook or course on how to fix a face after a bear mauling, it was going back to my childhood of being creative and using my hands to extrapolate from what I had learned to put the face back together again.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: Life is full of obstacles and challenges and the path in medicine is no different. At the end of the training, you’re surgically capable but there’s so much more to learn when it comes to ensuring a smooth experience for patients and running a practice.
Like anything else, I think it’s important to learn everything from the bottom up. When I first started my practice, I wanted to know what people were asking for and what questions they were asking on the phone before coming in for a consultation, so I answered phone calls. A lot of times what’s obvious or common sense to me isn’t the case for others so I had to think about how to teach the staff about customer service, protecting patients’ privacy, and anticipating what each patient might need.
When our practice was small, I had more time to spend with patients to get to know them. As our practice grew from word of mouth, it was important to transition in a way that ensured our patients received the same level of attention and care. Sure, there’ve been many times where something discouraging happens and momentarily you consider giving up, but one thing Stanford taught me is persistence! At the end of the day, you can’t do everything, so it’s important to find good people who are amazing at what they do so that I can concentrate on what I need to do for my patients.
Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. What’s the worst advice you received?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: I think I erased this from my memory already, so I’m having a hard time remembering what that might have been!
Is there a particular podcast you listened to, or business thought leader that you find helpful while maneuvering this pandemic?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: Yes, there is a podcast from some aesthetic leaders on practice management during the pandemic. It’s been helpful for both myself and the team during these challenging times.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: Our high level of care is reflected by everyone in my practice, including my staff. Because of this, we maintain long-standing relationships with many of our patients. I focus exclusively on the face and keep my finger on the pulse with the latest and greatest cutting-edge advances in my field, and that means adapting to bring the latest techniques and technology to our patients. Sometimes newer doesn’t always mean better so it’s important to vet things out. My philosophy is to never be the first person to do something and certainly not the last, but I don’t want my patients to be guinea pigs for anything. Before we offer any new treatment, we do our research and try everything on ourselves first to make sure it’s safe for our patients. It’s that level of attention to detail that sets us apart.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: Perseverance, integrity, and compassion.
How important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his brand?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: All great brands start at the top. The brand should be a reflection of the leader, and because of this, I think you don’t necessarily need to be mindful so much as ensuring your team’s extension of yourself and your philosophy.
How would you define “leadership”?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: Being a good leader is about taking responsibility for everything that happens to anyone on the team. It’s about inspiring others to be the best they can become and leading by example.
What would you say is the main difference between starting a business at the time you started yours and starting the business in today’s age?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: I think it can be harder to start a business during the pandemic because you’re limited by meeting others and getting referrals. However, it’s possible because we as a society evolve to adapt to these conditions. For example, when the pandemic started everyone transitioned as best we could to telemedicine for consults using the advances in technology to facilitate this. This takes time to implement and transition and existing patients need to transition as well, so it takes time. However, if you’re a new business perhaps this is how your business always was so it’s easier to implement.
What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Dr. Kimberly Lee: “Be the best you can be and use it to help someone else.” I’ve always worked hard to be the best I could be. I wasn’t motivated by others but it was a self-motivation to be the best I could be. When I was at Stanford, I wanted to explore all the opportunities I could that were available (and there were a lot)!
Mike Weiss, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Dr. Kimberly Lee for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Dr. Kimberly Lee or her company, you can do it through her – Facebook
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