When the U.S. Navy rescued Nhi Pham and her family off the coast of Vietnam in the 1970s, it was a gift she has never forgotten.
Soon after, a church in the small town of Snohomish, Washington, sponsored her refugee family. That, too, was a gift that shaped who she is today.
Dr. Nhi Pham is one of the most successful dentists in the greater Seattle area. For decades, she has leveraged her work to help underserved communities here and around the world. Today, she has a team of 50 and growing. Her energy is contagious, and her will to do good is truly inspiring.
Dr. Pham’s story proves that the best business model is simply serving others, and growing your business can lead to massive freedom to make work exactly what you want it to be.
Resources from the episode:
- Connect with Dr. Pham on LinkedIn.
- Read more about Dr. Pham and her story here.
- Learn more about Mukilteo Dental Center and the work they do here.
- Follow Mukilteo Dental Center on Facebook and Instagram.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
Speakers: Dr. Nhi Pham and Mark Wright
DR. NHI PHAM 00:00
Part of the, traveling the world and doing my mission outreach is bringing a piece of myself. And when someone can see a female, someone of color, someone that has been a refugee, been an immigrant, and say that, I am the one providing care for you. I’m just like you. That gives inspiration, that gives possibilities, and that is where dreams are made. Because all of my dreams have come true, and that’s because other people cared enough to say, I care about you. I want better for you.
MARK WRIGHT 00:37
This is the BEATS WORKING show. We’re on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. I’m your host, Mark Wright. Join us at winning the game of work. Welcome to BEATS WORKING. On the show this week, paying it forward through work. When the U.S. Navy rescued Nhi Pham and her family off the coast of Vietnam in the 1970s, it was a gift she has never forgotten. When a church in the small town of Snohomish, Washington sponsored her refugee family, that too was a gift that shaped who she is today. Dr. Nhi Pham is one of the most successful dentists in the greater Seattle area. For decades, she has leveraged her work to help underserved communities here and all over the world. Today, she has a team of 50 and it’s growing. Her energy is contagious and her will to do good is simply inspiring. Dr. Pham story is proof. The best business model is serving others and growing your business can lead to massive freedom to make work exactly what you want it to be. Dr. Nhi Pham, welcome to the BEATS WORKING podcast. It’s so great to have you here. I’ve been looking forward to this.
DR. NHI PHAM 01:53
Thank you so much, Mark, for having me. I’m excited for today.
MARK WRIGHT 01:57
So, I’m thinking about calling this episode, Winning the Game of Work in Dentistry, but then when I started thinking about it, you are so much more than a dentist. So, we’re going to be talking about your philanthropy, your humanitarian work, and your dentistry. So, this is going to be super fun. Thank you so much for making time.
DR. NHI PHAM 02:14
No, thank you.
MARK WRIGHT 02:17
So, Dr. Pham, I know you professionally because I started coming to you as a patient. Um, I can’t remember how many years ago. But the reason that I wanted to have you on the podcast is every time I walk through the doors of your practice in Mukilteo, it feels amazing. And there’s got to be a secret behind that because there aren’t many businesses that when you walk in, you feel like you kind of just walked into your own home. And I’d love to explore that. But first, before we talk about your dentistry, I’d love your life story. I think is so intriguing and so interesting your family came from Vietnam in the 1970s. Tell me how that all happened.
DR. NHI PHAM 02:58
Yes, well, it’s a journey to arrive in the states and first of all, I want to say I am so thankful to be an American. And um, my roots in Vietnam, that’s my homeland. That’s where I came from and there’s beauty in that. So, in 1975 We immigrated to the United States. We were rescued by the naval ships and um, we were first um refugees in Guam. And so, I was identified as a refugee, as an immigrant, as a Vietnamese American. And a funny story is we landed through Hawaii, that first we were in Guam and then in Hawaii, and then we were in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, in a refugee camp. And, um, we were waiting for sponsors. Um so, around the country, churches, different organizations were sponsoring refugees. And everybody said, let’s go to California. There’s Elvis there. There’s Hollywood. And my dad went to go stand in line and the line for California wrapped around the building. The line for sponsors from Washington, there was nobody in line. So that’s where we ended up, Washington State. So, we were sponsored by, um, St. Michael’s church down in Snohomish, Washington, Father Michael O’Brien. I always say I’m part Irish because he walked with us.
MARK WRIGHT 04:13
That’s fantastic. When you first arrived here, I’m guessing it was a challenge to learn another language. How old were you when you, when you arrived?
DR. NHI PHAM 04:20
So, I was less than two years old, and it was really important for my parents to raise us so that we would speak Vietnamese at home, um, and just know the Vietnamese language. So, when I started kindergarten, I did not know English at all and, um, just assimilating to that. But my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Parks, is amazing. Um, many years later, just, I think it was five or six years ago. I reconnected with Mrs. Parks, and she came out. I was a little girl that couldn’t speak English and she watched me do a presentation in front of everybody. And so, she was in the audience cheering me on. So that was a huge milestone.
MARK WRIGHT 04:56
Wow. That’s cool. What was childhood like for you, Dr. Pham? What was, what was like, I mean, what do you remember from your childhood?
DR. NHI PHAM 05:03
I couldn’t have been any luckier being raised in Snohomish, Washington. Very small town. We were the only Vietnamese family that was in town. Um, but I learned to love the library. Um, my parents chose to stay in Snohomish, Washington. There was other opportunities in Seattle. But it was a good place to grow up. It was good, hardworking people, um, that had great values. Um, we were very much part of the church. The only thing that was challenging for me was I wasn’t really able to explore, um, the community of having diversity, it wasn’t a very diverse community. And so I struggled with that. Um, but later on when I accepted a scholarship, um, at college in Seattle, I was opened up to so many things, but looking back, I couldn’t have been luckier being raised in Snohomish.
MARK WRIGHT 05:54
Yeah, was it challenging at times being, being not like everybody else?
DR. NHI PHAM 05:58
It was challenging and I was like, who am I? What, who did God make me to become? Or, um, I didn’t have a mentor. Um, there wasn’t another Asian female professional. None of my teachers were Asian. Um, I was looking at professionals in the community. Um, none of them were Asians. I didn’t know who to look up to and, um, who I could relate to. Um, but that would, um, definitely those questions later in a life would actually help me become who I have become today.
MARK WRIGHT 06:33
Yeah. Mentoring other people is important to you now. I know that you have part of a Volkswagen, uh, on the wall of your practice in Mukilteo. Because your dad, he fixed cars? Is that what he did when you were a kid?
DR. NHI PHAM 06:47
He did. So, he worked as a custodian in, uh, Sonoma School District. Later on, he would go on to work, you know, at Boeing, um, the last leg of his career. But during those 20 years he worked, um, for the Sonoma School District, there was eight kids to raise. And in order to afford to raise eight kids, he had to have a part time gig, and that was fixing Volkswagen bugs. That was his passion and his love. And so, he made extra funds to raise us, you know. But later in life, when we all grew up and was, we were empty nests, that was his way of serving others. And he would sell those bugs and the money that he would make from that, he would help to support other charities and he would give away cars too. And that was his act of service was those Volkswagen bugs. So, I put that up on the wall as a reminder to all of us that we can serve in so many ways and that Volkswagen bug is definitely a symbol of love.
MARK WRIGHT 07:38
You know, uh, dentistry, and I have such respect for people who go into the medical field because just, academically, it is so rigorous. And I know that my brain isn’t wired to, to be able to succeed in that line of work. When you were a kid, was there a turning point in school when you realized, wow. I, I kind of really have an aptitude for, for this or that. I mean, growing up and in school, when did that realization take place?
DR. NHI PHAM 08:03
Well, it’s a funny story because, um, when we came from Vietnam, you know, obviously I have, um, older, you know, aunts and uncles and everybody was um, really encouraged to go into Engineering because it was all about Math and Science. So, my parents had, um, three things that they really wanted from me. They wanted me to become an Engineer. They wanted me to marry a nice Vietnamese Catholic fellow. And they said that you must own a Toyota. Because those are great cars. And I did none of those things. You know, I became a dentist. My husband is Korean, you know, and, um, I don’t have a Volkswagen bug, but I have one on the wall and I don’t have a Toyota, but that’s okay, you know, and, um, hopefully they’ve forgiven me. Um, but, um, it’s funny that I get went against all the rules. Um, they were really worried. You know, I told them early on, I really want to become a dentist. I really feel like health care compels me. I love working with my hands. I love facets of Engineering, you know, um, and I love Math and Science, but they were worried because they said we don’t know any females in dentistry. We don’t know any Asians in health care. Um, it’s going to be a hard road and we can’t afford to pay for college. And I said, don’t worry, mom and dad, I’m going to figure this out.
MARK WRIGHT 09:21
Wow. So, when did you decide to become a dentist at what age were you?
DR. NHI PHAM 09:24
Actually, very young. And so, in kindergarten, I had a classmate, her name was Gina. And, um, through grade school, I noticed that, um, all the moms would come on field trips, but there was one dad that would join us. And his name was Dr. Glenn Berg and I go, whatever he’s doing. He’s flexible enough to hang out with all of us I want to have his job, you know, and I got to know him, and I still keep in touch and just enjoying working with my hands seeing that how he helped others, you know, just providing health care and great dentistry, I said, that’s what I want to do.
MARK WRIGHT 10:01
That’s pretty amazing that at such a young age you could you put those two things together and realized the benefit of that. Well, how did you, so you went to the University of Washington, right?
DR. NHI PHAM 10:10
I did.
MARK WRIGHT 10:11
So, tell me about that. What was it like going through dental school?
DR. NHI PHAM 10:15
It was a tough road because nobody in my family was a dentist. And, um, I was charting, you know, I was venturing into this uncharted territory for myself. And I tried to find mentors, but there was very few um, female dentist. And um, there wasn’t very many teaching at the school. And I was like, where is my journey here? Who am I going to become? And so, the female dentists that I could find, um, many of them were in public health or in outreach. And I was just attracted to them. I said, I want to learn from you. Please mentor me. So, whoever I could find as a mentor, I was compelled towards, and it happened to be those that were in dentistry were in public health or in outreach. And so, I was very fortunate to be um, um to have that type of mentorship.
MARK WRIGHT 11:04
So, when you got out of the UW, you started at the Community Health Centers of Snohomish County. For people who don’t know what that organization is, describe it if you would.
DR. NHI PHAM 11:13
It’s an amazing organization. It’s all about the community. And that’s exactly what I wanted to be a part of. And it’s a bigger organization, so I knew it would provide mentorship. Um, because I wouldn’t be working with a solo doctor. It would be several doctors and very seasoned doctors. and was all providing health to disadvantaged populations, mostly children and pregnant women at that time. Um, and that was what I was all about. My mom, um, when we had come to the States, there was a program called Pregnancy Aid and WIC, and they really helped our family. Um, she had eight children, so those were programs that really provided, um, supplemental food, um, also care and advice. Um, and she ended up working for those organizations for 25 years and they really loved her because she could speak, you know, another language. So, I said, I want to work in a community based, um, dental outreach and community health was an amazing way to do that.
MARK WRIGHT 12:09
So, you kind of hit a ceiling there. You decided at some point you wanted to move on. What was the next chapter of your dental career?
DR. NHI PHAM 12:19
I was at a crossroads. Um, I loved where I was at. I loved my patients. I love the team, but the issue was I couldn’t make decisions, the best decisions for my patients, because there’s rules that you need to abide by. Um, you’re limited on what kind of supplies that you can use. And I knew technology was at the forefront so I could provide better care, but we were limited because we had a budget. Um, and, and then the state would only, you know, reimburse so much, you know, for care. And so, I was at the point where, um, I had been offered, you know, a full-time teaching position, and then private practice, or continue at community health and go into a leadership position. And then I just prayed about it, and it dawned on me I could do everything, and that meant that I had to go practice on my own. Um, and so what happened was I found this cute little practice in Mukilteo, or maybe it found me, but it was in a house that was built in the 1920s. It was a very, very small practice. There was one person that worked at the front, an assistant in the back, and one hygienist. Very small. And I go, this is perfection. And um, right before I signed on the dotted line, I found out I was three months pregnant. And then, I prayed again. I said, this is going to happen. You know, this is going to happen. I’m going to become a new mom, a new practice owner. And how is this all going to work out? But I had faith. And I think that has always led me, um, the faith that my parents have instilled in me, you know, just escaping from Vietnam, building a new life, um, venturing out into dentistry. Um, and now here at this moment, and this was, um, 21 years ago in February. That I made that decision and it’s been amazing.
MARK WRIGHT 14:07
Yeah. So, being female in a mostly male industry, being Asian, did you get any sort of, you know, pushback or resistance or were people surprised that, oh, you’re the dentist?
DR. NHI PHAM 14:19
Definitely. We would have calls that would come in and they would ask, is Nhi Pham a male or a female? And then we had other calls. Does this dentist speak English? And crazy questions and I would always smile, and I said, let me give this personal call. I’d love you to come in, just meet me. And that’s how Mukilteo Dental Center just became what it became. It was just one on one conversations, personalized care, just meeting each other, becoming family with one another. And I’m all about community too. And sharing, I think one important thing, um, just because I’ve also taught for many years, since 2010, is sharing with people that I mentor. Share what your beliefs are, what your values are, what your passions are. You know, I can share quite a bit about dentistry, but your patients want to hear what you’re all about. And when you align, when you’re in alignment, that’s when the beauty happens. And that’s where the connections happen.
MARK WRIGHT 15:18
Yeah. So, as you started to grow the practice, what was that like? When did you realize, oh boy, I’m getting too many patients to handle all by myself?
DR. NHI PHAM 15:27
Well, if we go back a little bit, you know, um, in time when I made that decision and I said, what do I do? Do I continue with community health? Do I teach, do I go in private practice? And I told you I can do everything. And so, I knew if I wanted to do outreach work, if I wanted to teach, I needed to grow the practice. And, and it wasn’t by just advertising. It wasn’t by, you know, back in the day it was the yellow books, right? You remember that? You know, we didn’t have Google, we didn’t do websites. Um, and so I said to myself, it’s going to be a one-on-one conversation. So, people would come back. They were like, okay, you’re this, you know, initially with this pregnant Vietnamese dentist, you know, there’s something special about you and the practice grew and people referred other people. And I said, if we continue to grow the practice, I need to bring on fellow dentists. I’d love to and then mentor others and grow this practice and will free me up to do the outreach that I love, work with the community to teach others, and as well as mentor others. And my husband looked at me and said, you have to grow. If you don’t grow, you’re dying. And if you really are true about being community based and being mentored, it’s your job to provide opportunities for others. And that’s the level of success. It’s not the money that you make, you know, everything that you have, it’s providing opportunities for others and seeing others become successful. You know, that gives me the biggest happiness.
MARK WRIGHT 16:58
Yeah. Did you learn any lessons as you’re growing? The practice, I mean, I think hiring good people is one of the hardest things there is because a lot of people can interview well, uh, and put on a good face, but, but finding those really good people and then bringing them on board. How, what was the secret to that?
DR. NHI PHAM 17:18
Well, I learned the wrong questions to ask. Where’s, how fast you can do this? How many patients can you see? That was never me at all. And remember when I talked about, um, what I share with my patients when we share our values, our beliefs, our passions, that’s the same thing I would share with people I would interview. And I said, it’s not about me choosing you. It’s about you choosing what Mukilteo Dental Center is all about. And no matter who we would have hired, it wouldn’t matter if it was a person in leadership or if it was a sterilization person, I would always ask, do you see yourself growing in this practice? Do you see yourself becoming a leader? And that’s the type of people that we would bring on, is people that share the same values and people that would want to become leaders in the practice, um, because that shows people that care. And, um, Mukilteo Dental Center is probably one of the, and you’ve probably witnessed that too, just a very caring place where it feels like home. And there might be quite a few people milling around, but you feel that care and compassion.
MARK WRIGHT 18:18
I’ve always been interested in how dentists, you know, really are. Sorry about that. I’ve always been interested in dentistry because it’s one of the few professions where people are truly terrified to see you at some points. And there is the potential, if not handled properly, that you can cause serious pain to people. So, I’d love to know how, you know, pain management as, as a skill set, and you have such a great way of making that not a big deal, that it’s just, it’s almost seamless. But in the beginning, how do you, how do you deal with that? You know, people who are totally frightened to be there and then not messing up the pain management side.
DR. NHI PHAM 18:58
Yes. No, thanks for asking that question because a lot of times I get new patients. So, they, the first thing they say is, you know, I really hate being at the dentist. And then I look at them and then I let them know, I am one of you. I want you to know I have a feeling on almost every single tooth. I’ve been in the dental chair plenty of times. And so, I can relate to you. I think relating to our patients and coming from a place where you, um, have empathy because you’ve been there. I think that’s so important. And I think also when we talk, if they know that you care and you’ve got concern, it definitely eases that tension and that stress that you have. Just like when you come into our office, Mark, it’s all about you, your family, how we connect and care for each other. And that erases a lot of the fear and I think anxiety because they want to know, are you the dentist or are you the person that’s going to take care of me? And I hope I come across as the person that’s going to take care of you.
MARK WRIGHT 20:04
Yeah. I’d love to talk a little bit more about how you have built such an amazing team. You told me you have something like 50 people on the team. You bought this amazing building in Mukilteo, which is a multi-use building, just a gorgeous building. I’d love to know, as you look at your practice today and what an amazing, building and practice and the team that you have, is this exactly what you envisioned back in the day?
DR. NHI PHAM 20:29
My, I knew that my vision was to have a place where everyone could grow. And I knew if I didn’t grow, I would be hurting the people that work for me. They need to be able to, um, find a career where they can be promoted. They can work to their fullest potential, and so that meant growth. And a lot of us are afraid to grow. That means more stress, more work. But if you bring on the right team and they become like family to you, it’s not stressful. It’s not fearful. It’s pure joy because every day it doesn’t feel like you’re coming to work. You’re coming to a place where people care about one another. You’re supporting everyone’s success. You’re building relationships. You’re also building possibilities where people have a career where they can provide for their families, um, and also be fulfilled. And so that’s the place that I came from and that’s how Mukilteo Dental Center has grown.
MARK WRIGHT 21:27
Yeah, it wasn’t like these are the numbers and we’ve got to get to that next number, right?
DR. NHI PHAM 21:31
No, I am terrible with numbers, and I’ve told everybody I’m not good about numbers. So, the things that we talk about in the morning is how can we better take care of each patient. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about each person individually. And that again is another, um, big accomplishment, um, that I’m so proud of, uh, because it’s personalized care. And each patient that comes through, um, understands that and feels that.
MARK WRIGHT 21:59
Do you all have a, like a company wide meeting every day or what’s the cadence of your meetings?
DR. NHI PHAM 22:04
We have what’s called a morning huddle. And our culture is, it needs to start, um, cause you’re a dad, but we do start with a dad joke. And so, I might have to throw one out, you know, why was Cinderella such a great basketball player? She had a pumpkin for a coach. So terrible jokes in the morning to start the morning off. So um, as patients start coming in, they’re going to hear a lot of giggling, a lot of laughing. Um, cause laughter is the best way to start the day. And then we talk about the patients that we’re going to care for that day. We’re going to talk about how we can support each other. And we’re going to talk about the events that are coming up. We always, um, seem to have, um, some type of outreach that we’re supporting. We just finished Pet Love Fest. Christmastime, we have our, um, Christmas toy drive. In the summer, we have our Spirit of Aloha, um, canned food drive. There’s always something going at Mukil, uh, with Mukilteo Dental Center. And, um, dentistry, of course, is very important, but everything else that we do is important as well.
MARK WRIGHT 23:13
So, when we talked a few weeks ago, you told me that you ask your employees what their dreams are so that you can all be on the same page, which I think is just brilliant, because you want to know what, what people want for their lives. And so, you can kind of help build together. I’d love to know as you’ve built the practice, what your dreams have been to use dentistry for good.
DR. NHI PHAM 23:34
Thank you so much for asking because dream building is so important. We need to talk not only about our goals, about the future, but what are your dreams? What do you aspire to? And when you share your dreams, other people will start to dream and a lot of them will come to support your dream as well. And so, I started sharing my dreams, um, with my team, with my patients. And I said, what if what we have in Mukilteo Dental Center, just this love and this joy, what if we could expand it to the rest of the world? And I thought about what my values were, and I thought about where I came. Um, and. I remembered back in the time when I told you I couldn’t find female mentors. And I said, what if I could support other females in their dreams and aspirations? And what I found was this organization called Medical Relief International. And what they did was they supported women and their education around the world. And I want to go back to the story of Dr. Ashley, Ashley Lucas. We met her, um, in Tanzania in outreach, and she was one of our interpreters, um, for Swahili. And we asked her, she was so curious, and we’re like, is dentistry, do you think that that might be something that you’re interested? And she said yes. And so, our organization, Medical Relief International, helped to pay for her education. And she is an amazing dentist in Tanzania right now. She is my dental sister. Mukilteo Dental Center has a sister clinic called Barakiwa. And she is the head of this clinic. And I don’t, this is a fun fact. In Tanzania, dentists can deliver babies. I have not delivered a baby. But this vision that I had to provide good. To reach parts of the world that, um, we didn’t think were reachable and it’s happening and that’s because we’ve, we’ve shared dreams. Um,
MARK WRIGHT 25:41
And so, Dr. Ashley helps run this clinic where dentistry takes place. Babies are born and I’m guessing that’s a real scarcity. Healthcare facilities are, must be massively scarce.
DR. NHI PHAM 25:54
Yes. And it is in a very remote area, um, called Maswa. Very remote, and most women do not have options. There’s no hospital that you can go to. Most of them deliver at home. Um, so the, um, mortality rate is very high. We had a vision, you know, because I’m a dentist, um, and I’ve traveled the world doing dentistry and outreach work, and this opportunity in Tanzania came up. There was a plot of land and we’re like, what if we build something? And it’s not only a dental clinic, but it’s a maternity center. And with my mom and her history, um, being a client of WIC and pregnancy aid and eventually working for it. And then myself, working community health and supporting women and pregnant moms. I said, this would fulfill everything that I could ever have imagined. And it was a dream and it happened. And it’s all about sharing your dreams. So, I would share these dreams and people like, well, I would like to donate this or have supplies I’d like to donate. Or when you are there, can I come help and be a part of this? Um, I want to share a story in January. Um, through connections, I spoke to a surgeon, and I shared my dream with him. And right now this week, he is in Tanzania mentoring the team. He flew out on his own. He brought, um, supplies and, um, equipment and he is there with the team and that’s about sharing dreams. You can compel others. So even if I can’t be there, there’s others that are compelled by their dream to be there, to be my hands and, um, be my voice to help others. And that is something that I feel like faith has really helped to achieve.
MARK WRIGHT 27:42
And it just started with just imagining, right? You just decided, what, what can I do? And you started dreaming about it. And, and pretty soon, that dream became a reality.
DR. NHI PHAM 27:52
It became a reality and people have listened and opened the door, um, to so many possibilities. And one thing was, um to bring supplies into a country is not easy to do. And when we’ve done our mission work, when we’ve tried to bring supplies in country, you’ll get stopped at the borders. You’ll get stopped at customs. And a lot of times they’ll tax you or there’s extra funds that you need to, to pay. But in Tanzania, because of that network, because of sharing my dreams, I’ve had the ability, um, to meet dignitaries, to meet people, government officials, that have now helped me to open that door. So, the money that we’ve raised goes back into supplies and helping others instead of being taxed or getting, you know, um, equipment seized. Um, now it’s going directly to the people that need help. And so that’s been an amazing thing that has happened.
MARK WRIGHT 28:47
And you’ve met some pretty high up people in some of these governments, haven’t you?
DR. NHI PHAM 28:51
Yes. And that’s because, um, part of it is, um, putting away my fear. And I would put your faith. above your fears and everything can happen and don’t be afraid to ask. The worst that somebody could say is no, but someday, someday, if you ask enough, somebody will say yes. And the yes has started to come in. So last year I was able to meet the former, um, president of Tanzania, President Kikwete. And this happened in New York City. And we met each other. And again, I shared my dreams, my passions, my commitment for Barakiwa. And he said, you’re so passionate about what you want to happen. I’m there for you. And he’s met with Dr. Ashley. He’s advocated for us. Um, he even brought back laptops and, um, medical supplies for me on my behalf. And to have somebody in your corner because they share the same values that you do and because you’ve shared your dreams, that means so much. And so, it’s achievable. People will listen. Even former Presidents.
MARK WRIGHT 30:01
That’s amazing. I’d love to talk about COVID because I don’t think there’s anything in certainly in our lifetimes that has been a greater challenge and especially to business owners. When it was apparent that the whole world was going to shut down, what was that like for you and your clinic?
DR. NHI PHAM 30:20
It was scary and I wasn’t scared for myself. I wasn’t actually, my main concern wasn’t actually about COVID. It was how do I take care of my team? They have families to take care of. How do I take care of my patients? They’re going to have emergencies and at that time, um, dentists were not allowed to provide care unless it was extremely emergent care. And we were told to try to do everything over the phone. Dentistry is very difficult over the phone. And so, but I knew eventually we would be back into the office, but how would I protect my team and how would I protect patients? So I meant that spent the two months. Um, that dental clinics were shut down, um, to find supplies and it wasn’t just supplies for Mukilteo Dental Center. It was making sure that, um, our team over in Barakiwa was protected as, as well, um, and to make sure that they had supplies to take care of patients because here we are delivering babies over in Barkiwa as well. And, um, we needed to have to make sure that people were safe. And again, it was just sharing what your passions are, sharing, um, what your needs are and not being afraid to ask. I think that was important at the very beginning of COVID. Um, I told you when we were shut down, I knew that our doctors and our nurses were at the front lines, and I’m so proud. The one thing that I’m most proud of is we were able to bring a carload of gloves of protective gear and donate that to Providence and my dad, the year before had passed away, unfortunately, but he had been on a ventilator, and I knew that these people on our front lines needed to be taken care of. And so that was, um, something I’m very proud of that our office was able to do is we weren’t short on supplies, but we need to know that in this world to share and to make sure that we care for the most, those in the most need is pivotal. And so, the values always come first. And, um, you know, I’m always about sharing, um, and mentoring others. That’s very important to me and giving to others because we’re all part of one community.
MARK WRIGHT 32:42
You’ve always had the best, newest equipment, I think, in your practice. And as you entered COVID, how did that play into how you and your team reacted to, to this deadly virus?
DR. NHI PHAM 32:57
I have to take a step back. A year prior to COVID, we had moved Mukilteo Dental Center to a brand-new location, um, right here on the Mukilteo Speedway. And I had gone to Germany, and I had fallen in love with German technology and we brought back, which was what is called the Sirona Treatment Center. It is an amazing unit that provides the highest level of infection control. And we also, um, most dental clinics are open bay. So, you kind of share the airspace with your fellow patient on the other side. But we had built individual rooms. And we had also sourced air filtration systems. We had also, um, sourced, um, protective gear for our patients as well. Um, I was not willing to bring patients or team back unless I knew everyone was protected. Um, but the fact that we had always wanted to be the first and the forefront, in the forefront of technology was actually a blessing because when COVID happened, we were prepared with our Sirona Treatment Center. And the other blessing was people have traveled all over the world, all over the country to come to Mukilteo Dental Center to see the Sirona Treatment Center, because initially I had to go to all the way to Germany um, to find this equipment. Um, and again, you know, I’m all about sharing, um, not only with patients in the community, but with my fellow dentists in my dental community as well. And my dream for Mukilteo Dental Center was not just about patient care, um, but growing the practice in a way that we could also be a, um, community center for, for dentists, for continuing education, a place where we could share our technology so they could go back home and implement this technology or implement the workflow with their own patients. And it’s a different stage in my career, and I’m proud to say that Mukilteo Dental Center, um, is truly not only about community, but it’s about dental community, mentoring others, providing a place where um, team members can grow and, uh, find a fulfilling career and providing global outreach as well.
MARK WRIGHT 35:04
Yeah. You had a lot of people come tour the, the clinic to see how you had built everything. Speaking of the clinic, I’d love to ask about the, when you, when you told me on the phone, the dental speakeasy, I was like, what? So, speakeasies were these, Illegal drinking establishments in the 19, what, 20s during prohibition, um, you had to like knock on a secret door, and you’d go in. And, and you now have, as part of your practice, a dental speakeasy. So, describe for our listeners what a dental speakeasy actually is.
DR. NHI PHAM 35:40
Well, let’s go back a little bit back into in time here. My very first dental clinic was a building a little house that was built in the 1920s. And when we moved into our new location, and you’ve been to our location. It’s very modern. We’ve have technology from Germany. Um, we have state of the art equipment, um, and I go, I’m going to take a step in back in time. I want to have the latest and greatest technology, but I want to pull from the spirit of this little house from the 1920s. And I said, what about a dental speakeasy? So, within this dental speakeasy, you’ll see the best technology. We have specialists that can provide care. We have a Periodontist. We have an Endodontist. We have an Orthodontist. We have our General Dentist And which is unique because most dental clinics, it’s usually a solo doctor, but we want to provide just the best care So our little secret in Mukilteo Dental Center is just not all these professionals and specialists that can provide care. It’s a place that we’ve gone back into history to look at our roots from the 1920s. And we built a place a little secret door and you’ve been through that little speakeasy door, and it goes into this little room called the dental confessional. And within this dental confessional, just to have a little fun, we’d like for patients to confess all their dental sins. So, Mark, I have to ask you, dental confession that you’d like to give.
MARK WRIGHT 37:12
Well, I, I, my wife has really good enamel and she almost has no cavities. I have the world’s worst enamel. I mean, I brush, I floss and, and I still get cavities. So, I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve actually done other than have terrible genes when it comes to the enamel on my teeth. Oh, that’s fun. So, it’s almost like a, it’s almost like a co-op, right? I mean, you’ve got specialists that can set up shop that, that weren’t in house before in the dental speakeasy area, right?
DR. NHI PHAM 37:43
Yes. And it’s wonderful because now when patients come and we’ve all gone to the doctor where the doctor was like, well, you’ve got to go to the specialist. And now you’ve got to find another clinic. You’ve got to do all this paperwork. You’ve got to make another appointment. And now we’ve taking care of each patient. They are provided care. It’s all under one roof. And we have our Plaza Point dental specialists, um, that is an extension of Mukilteo Dental Center that can provide that care. And we’ve got our General Dentist. So, patients that come see the specialist, um, that need General Dental care can also be provided that as well.
MARK WRIGHT 38:20
Yeah. When you mentor, uh, young students today, what’s the best advice that you give?
DR. NHI PHAM 38:27
The advice goes to the questions that they ask. And you would think that most dental students, because I was one of those students, like, well, Dr. Pham, how do I get a perfect margin? How do I do a crown prep? But now I wanted to, and this is actually a celebration, there are more and more females in dentistry. And actually, at the dental school, more than 50 percent of the class is female. And so now, the questions that I ask is, Dr. Pham, how do you balance being a mom and being a dentist? Dr. Pham, how do you make time to do your outreach? And, um, have work life balance. And those are the questions that I’m asked. And it’s a possibility. It is possible. Um, and again, when I talk to my team and I tell my team, hey team, we are going to grow this practice so that we can provide flexibility for moms, working moms, and professionals, and flexibilities for dads as well. Um, that dream has been accomplished, and that’s by growing bigger. As we’ve grown bigger, we have one another that can cover for each other. So, when I’m gone, the clinic does not close. When I’m out on a mission trip in Tanzania, the clinic doesn’t close. We are there to take care of patients, to take care of emergencies, um, and that is the strength of growing bigger and also, um, creating outreach into the community as well.
MARK WRIGHT 39:54
Yeah, so your advice when it comes to how do you balance being a mom and how do you balance, you know, home life? I guess what I’m hearing you say is you kind of have to intentionally create that scenario, right?
DR. NHI PHAM 40:07
Yes, because…
MARK WRIGHT 40:08
For that to be able to happen.
DR. NHI PHAM 40:09
I’ve again, I’ve shared my dream, um, with my team. I said, first of all, I want to be a great mom. And when you let the team know that, and you’ve shared your value, they will support you. They’re like, Dr. Pham, you need to get going to that basketball game. Um, you don’t want to disappoint your daughter. They will make things happen during the appointments or my other fellow doctors will cover for me as well. Um, and I will cover for them. And that’s the beauty of it. Um, and I share that joy. I’ve covered for many maternity leaves. I’ve had the other doctors cover for maternity leave for myself as well. Um, it’s an amazing thing that we can do for each other, and treatment and care is seamless for each patient because of that. And I think um, patients really appreciate that we’re open every single day. If there’s an emergency, we’re able to accommodate, um, families can come in and be seen at the same time. So now we’re freeing up patients. We’re making things efficient and effective, not only for ourselves, but for our patients as well.
MARK WRIGHT 41:14
So, Dr. Pham, we’ve had a lot of business owners on the podcast. And many, many of them have said, if you worry about money, you’re missing the boat, what you should be worrying on is the best experience for your employees and the best experience for your clients. And I, I mean, you seem to have succeeded financially, but I take it. You didn’t really worry about the money in the beginning, right? Or even now.
DR. NHI PHAM 41:38
No, not at all. And I’m not good with numbers. I am a much better dentist than I have ever been with numbers. Um, and when I mentor my students and when I mentor, um, our team members, I go, the number prior, number one priority is the care and compassion that you can give to not only your patients, but to your fellow team members, to your family. What are your priorities? When you put that first, success does naturally comes from that. Um, and anything is achievable. Um, our family came here from, you know, Vietnam with nothing, nothing at all. And it was from work, hard work and effort. My parents were very, um, dedicated and very faithful. And the one thing that they taught me is, um, there’s always enough to give to someone else. And, um, giving to the church, giving to the community. Um, making that a priority, um, and sharing your values and your gifts, um, that is the greatest success. Uh, and I think that has been the secret of success is sharing from yourself and, um, success just comes organically or naturally.
MARK WRIGHT 42:58
I feel like your life has come full circle when you talk about coming to this country with nothing. And people reached out and helped your family and. I think that’s part of your DNA today, right? I mean, your whole life and career has been built on a model of serving other people, and I think it’s just so beautiful to see what you’ve done with an amazing career, you could just be driving your Porsche and going to, going to the country club if you wanted to, but here you are going over to Africa to help train people to serve others. And it’s just really inspiring. And it’s almost like, I mean, it’s, it’s so inspirational. I’m so glad that you were able to come on the podcast to share your secret to success. And it’s, it’s all about serving others.
DR. NHI PHAM 43:47
I appreciate that so much. And part of the, um, traveling the world and doing my mission outreach is bringing a piece of myself. And when someone can see a female. Someone of color, someone that has been a refugee, been an immigrant, and say that I am the one providing care for you. I’m just like you. That gives inspiration, that gives possibilities, and that is where dreams are made. Because all of my dreams have come true, and that’s because other people cared enough to say, I care about you. I want better for you. And, um, that’s always what, um, I’ve believed in and the place that I come from and that’s what my values are is sharing whatever has been given to myself. And, um, that stems also, um, from my Jesuit education at Seattle university as well.
MARK WRIGHT 44:47
How big can a clinic get? Because I’m thinking you’ve got 50 employees now. Are you gonna have to, like, take over part of the Boeing plant as you expand or what?
DR. NHI PHAM 44:56
That would be amazing. I’ve actually asked Boeing because there is the Orbis, which is the Flying Eye Hospital. I said, what about a Flying Dental Clinic? That would be a dream. I’m going to start dreaming about that, you know, and Boeing, I have to tell you, they’ve been good to me. They have allowed me to come out for a few of the deliveries of Air Tanzania. And I did approach Boeing. I’m glad that you brought them up. I went to them, and I called, I mean, uh, hundreds of calls and I said, what if these planes, these brand-new planes that are being delivered. What if we can fill them with humanitarian aid, with protective gear with supplies instead of the the bellies flying empty? What if they can be flown back to the country that has purchased these planes? And we spread a little bit of love and Boeing responded and they have been instrumental in helping me with outreach and allowing me to connect with people um their clients. Um, in order to bring humanitarian aid to some of the most remote places.
MARK WRIGHT 46:00
Always looking for ways to do good. Dr. Nhi Pham, it’s been so great spending time with you. I appreciate you as a person and as a dentist and as a humanitarian, and just as an inspiration to all of us as to what’s possible when we have a mindset of serving other people. So, thank you so much for spending some time with me.
DR. NHI PHAM 46:18
Thank you so much, Mark. And I’m honored to take care of your beautiful smile as well.
MARK WRIGHT 46:25
I hope not to see you anytime soon, except for a cleaning.
DR. NHI PHAM 46:27
Yes. Just for a cleaning. Yeah.
MARK WRIGHT 46:31
Alrighty. See you soon.
DR. NHI PHAM 46:32
Take care.
MARK WRIGHT 46:34
This is the BEATS WORKING show. We’re on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. I’m your host, Mark Wright. Join us at winning the game of work.