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Female Founders: Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

It’s going to take time to find your people. When you do start out and you start to grow the team, you will find people who understand your mission statement and those who are best suited elsewhere. Hire slow, fire fast is a mantra that I have come to understand though still find challenging to put into practice.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar.

Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar is a skincare, aesthetics and wellness expert with premium clinics in Harley Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Blundellsands. She has recently published Beautified Britain Index: The Skin Report, a comprehensive analysis of Britain’s post pandemic beautification landscape. Her areas of expertise include skincare, aesthetics, tweakments, non-surgical treatments, skin and mental health issues and skin diversity.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

My story started back when I was eight years old. My mother had just bought me the video “Jungle book” and told me I could watch it if I brushed my teeth first. I eagerly ran upstairs and climbed on top of my bathtub trying to reach my toothbrush in a rush, ended up slipping and slicing my lip open on a broken tile. I needed several stitches in my gums and lower lip, and, when I went to school the next day my teachers and classmates were horrified. They asked me to sit at the back of the class so no one would get scared or ask me too many questions. “Baby Horror” became a nickname that stuck at school. The scar bothered me for many years and I would be asked what was “wrong with my lip”. Naturally that had an impact on my self-esteem, but it also led to a life-long passion for facial surgery and aesthetics and really made me understand the impact of physical trauma on appearance and wellbeing. I went onto study Dental surgery and during my university years, I took a year out to take on an extra degree called Medical Science and Healthcare Management, at Imperial College London, qualifying with a First Class Honours degree. I then qualified as a dental surgeon with Honours and Distinction at Kings College London. After my vocational dental training I spent several years working in oral and maxillofacial head and neck surgery at various trauma hospitals in London.

During this time, I worked with victims of domestic violence and road traffic accidents and provided joint clinics with the dermatology team performing skin lesion biopsies, surgical excisions and reconstructive surgical treatments for patients who suffered from skin cancer and oral cancer. As a result, I developed a keen interest in facial reconstruction and aesthetics and is now what I dedicate my working life to..

I was also involved in research looking at orthognathic surgery for patients with congenital skeletal discrepancies and the psychological impact it had on them. This led to an interest in perfecting an aesthetic finish that would protect, restore, and maintain both my patients’ physical and psychological wellbeing. I am now a Level 7 Trainer in medical aesthetics in line with the Ofqual guidelines for medical aesthetic training pathways and have been practicing since 2013 and opened my Harley Street practice in 2019 and my latest clinic in Blundellsands in 2020.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Last year I launched a new state-of-the art centre of aesthetics excellence in Blundellsands, a beautiful village in Merseyside. I had wanted to find somewhere warm and inviting, where I could offer patients a holistic experience. I spotted a Victorian house that had been on the market for a long time — it was falling apart and needed a lot of work. I put an offer instantly and completed in December 2019. I applied for a licence from the council and planning permission to change the use of the building and we didn’t get it until the end of February. The building work started then had to stop because we went into lockdown. It was so frustrating for months to not be able to progress the works, so I decided to paint the place myself. I did the walls and thought “at least I have utilised lockdown usefully”. Then I got an electrician and plumber in, and they said, “oh we’ve got to break all the walls and rewire the whole building.” It was my first building project, so I had no idea what order I had to do things in. I just remember standing there watching as they broke all of the walls that I had just painted by hand and cringing with every drill. It was an expensive lesson!

Once we came out of lockdown in July, I had to race through many hurdles; designing a car park and ramp, interior design, insulation, sound proofing, building regulations and controls and becoming licensed with the care quality commission. It has been an adventure and a labour of love. In short, I invested half a million pounds in a new building, only for it to close within weeks of launching due to Covid lockdowns across the UK. The new clinic is in the north west, which has been one of the most hard-hit areas in the country. This has been a real test of resilience, but also an opportunity to rethink the way we work: we created one of the UKs first Virtual Clinics, offering patients access to our support and care worldwide. With adversity comes opportunity, with challenges comes growth.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

On my first day as a senior house officer in the oral and maxillofacial surgical department at the Royal London Hospital, I had to go and take bloods from one of the patients. I took three or four vials and I was about to throw them down the chute when I noticed that the content of one of the test tubes had coagulated. I thought “what’s happened here? I must have done something wrong”, so I went back to the patient, apologised and took more blood from her other arm. I was about to throw the vial down the chute, and the blood coagulated again. When it happened a third time, and I had to go back, I could sense the patient was trying not to panic. I was thinking “either I’m doing something wrong, or there’s something seriously wrong with her blood.” I had taken blood from both arms now, so I took it again from her feet with a forced smile thinking please let this work. When the blood coagulated yet again, I texted my husband “this patient’s blood keeps coagulating, I think something is wrong,” and he replied “honey, what colour is the test tube?” and I said “it’s yellow” and he replied “yes it’s meant to do that, it checks biochemistry.” That was quite the start to my first day in the hospital and I realised I had a steep learning curve! I did learn a lot and come out the other side with a few good stories.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My dad is a surgeon, and my mum is a dental surgeon, and I learned a huge amount from them about healthcare. Both of my parents always pushed me to do my best and be the best version of myself. They taught me grit, tenacity, hard work, and the principles of being a healthcare professional. My mother taught me to never turn a patient away in dental pain, and my father showed me about resilience and trauma management. Both my parents would always stay late to ensure that all of their patients received the right care. My mother was a catalyst in my career as a young aspiring dental student. When I was newly qualified, she was a very well-known implant surgeon, and the only British female diplomat in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. I went to the USA with her to collect her award and I remember looking at her thinking “wow, she’s a warrior, she’s amazing.” I pulled her aside and I said “mum, I want to learn how to do implants, can you teach me?” and she said, “no shortcuts here, you need to go and learn how to do surgery properly first, then come back and I’ll teach you.” I really respected and valued that- and that’s why I went into surgery.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

Is that great progress?! In my field, aesthetic medicine, you will find that although most of the practitioners are female, the board members of faculties and professional bodies tend to be heavily male skewed. This is something I’ve challenged in the past and the tide is changing, but it is still swayed, especially against working mothers. This is something I feel really strongly about. Even today there is societal judgement that your success as a career woman signifies your failure as a mother. And naturally- that hurts! In my opinion, it’s societal prejudice and a fear of judgement that is holding women back. Women who are successful are often perceived of as ruthless or assertive, and they hold back because they don’t want to be judged in that way. I think there’s a constant concern about perception. Ambition in a woman is not a dirty word. We should empower women to believe in themselves, and to capitalise on their innate gifts to lead gracefully. If and when they choose to become mothers, that it does not have to mark the end of growth in their careers. Being a mother makes me a better leader, a better clinician. It’s with my innate skills of nurturing that I can understand my team be compassionate with my patients. I have learnt to silence the noise and be unapologetically me — a mother, a wife, a clinician, a business owner and a boss.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

I would love to see more female leaders championed in their local council to share their stories and the challenges they’ve overcome.

For me, as a woman who has also chosen to be a mother, it’s taken a real understanding that I can continue my art, my passion, my joy, my identity as a clinician and choose working hours that allow me to be a mother at the same time. It’s taken self-acknowledgement, commitment and understanding that I can be both and I can be a leader at the same time. You can nurture and lead gracefully; you don’t have to take on masculine traits in order to succeed. Women have incredible emotional intelligence and that means they can read people. I can read my team and I can read my patients and that’s a hugely powerful tool in my profession. Believing in yourself is a huge first step. Secondly, it’s really important to find a mentor and surround yourself with people who empower you and respect your vision. Empowered women empower.

In terms of what the government can do to help, teaching empowerment and entrepreneurship as part of the education syllabus would be a great first step.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

To change the tide! To create an equal level playing field for generations to come. I want for both my children to know there is no glass ceiling. I want my daughter to know that she can be anything she wants to be, and a mother if she wants to be. That it doesn’t have to be this or that. I want her to know that being a mother is the most incredible role in the world, but this role does not define everything that she is and should not be where she starts and stops.

There are other reasons to be a founder, of course, such as having the ability to build flexibility into your life, being able to choose how and where you work and define your own heroes. But it’s about more than that, it’s about knowing that you can achieve anything — there are no limitations — and that your voice is important, relevant, and valued.

I don’t think being a founder is the necessary end goal I would advocate to everyone. I would ultimately advise everyone to find their passion, fulfil it and excel at it. If you enjoy what you do, you never have to work a day in your life! Being a founder for me was a by-product of being in an area at a time where I couldn’t find a company that provided what I wanted to provide. The end goal wasn’t money or success or being my own boss. The end goal was about empowering change, about providing a service in a way it wasn’t done before. There has to be a reason or a just cause for founding a service.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder. Can you explain what you mean?

That it’s easy! It all looks glamorous on the outside but what happens behind closed doors is sleepless nights, hard work, relentless gruelling training (especially in healthcare) and lifelong learning. Being a female founder can be a magical place, but it’s not all roses. It can also be a really lonely place because there aren’t that many people to talk to and figure out how to deal with the varying challenges you’re faced with on a day-to-day basis. I started a clinic from scratch and had many difficult decisions to make with little to no guidance, and I made many mistakes along the way. I had to learn everything, from business and accounting to project managing building works and navigating local government. People talk a lot about women suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’ but I believe that everyone suffers from it — men and women and experts in their field. It is normal, to some degree. For me, that’s why it’s so important to have a network of individuals to support you and create a team of like-minded individuals rowing the boat in the same direction. Your team needs to have a common goal and it can be really hard to curate a good team. I’ve not always been a good leader; I’ve learnt how to be. I’ve learnt how to communicate my why and how to empower and support my team and ultimately, we are all working towards the same vision, and we all have good and bad days. The team is important because we all lift each other up when we fall and help each other get back on our feet.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

Anyone that wants to become a founder can be, it comes back to self-belief, mindset and having a clear purpose. Not everybody wants to be a founder and not everybody should be. The world needs employees, they are very valuable, and they make the world go round. Employees are very much part of the team and without them we wouldn’t be able to achieve anything. In terms of traits that increase the likelihood of success, I would say:

  • Resilience — you will be knocked down, be accepting that this is part of the journey, and you will need to get back up again.
  • Hard work — there is no nine to five, being a founder is 24/7.
  • Focus — you need to know what you want to achieve. Trying to conquer everything will result in nothing being done. Start with small steps and focus on one thing. Ace it, then move on.
  • Humility — accept that you will make mistakes and be willing to learn. Adopt a growth mindset and be kind to others and yourself. Know that arrogance gets you nowhere
  • Team spirit — working as part of a team is essential. Alone you can do a little, together you can do a lot.
  • Adaptability — you will need to be a quick thinker and a problem solver. Circumstance and environment changes. Knowing how to adapt quickly is important.
  • Working well under pressure — being able to keep going, and handle a wide range of different challenges, personalities and demands without “crumbling” or “freezing” in fear is important. Being able to calm your mind in the midst of a storm is a trait of leaders and doers.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

  1. That you’re allowed to rest. Rome wasn’t built in a day and self and rest and self-care is important to your productivity.
  2. You’re going to have highs and lows and make mistakes and that’s OK. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
  3. It’s going to take time to find your people. When you do start out and you start to grow the team, you will find people who understand your mission statement and those who are best suited elsewhere. Hire slow, fire fast is a mantra that I have come to understand though still find challenging to put into practice
  4. You can do anything you put your mind to.
  5. Nothing is handed to you on a plate. It takes hard work, tenacity, and grit.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place

I’m a passionate advocate for the connection between outer and inner wellbeing and my practice philosophy is rooted in empowering transformations. To me this means providing treatments that deliver both radiance on the outside and, wellness on the inside. I have a deep desire to help my patients to improve their wellbeing and their treatment forms part of a wellness journey that is about much more than just a tweakment. Many come for aesthetics treatments as a result of low self-esteem or to improve a feature that they are not comfortable with or have even been bullied about. This is why my new clinic is the first in the UK to offer patients a complimentary session with a clinical psychologist, alongside their treatment.

I’m a member of the Safety in Beauty campaign and actively support the profession in providing safe aesthetic treatments for all patients. I am also a lead lecturer and trainer to doctors and dentists at the Royal College of General Practitioners in London with Acquisition Aesthetics- a female led training academy that has just won training academy of the year in the UK and together we have recently launched my rhinoplasty masterclass focusing on how to deliver safe effective treatments.

I am a strong advocate for children and as a clinic we support the NSPCC- raising money for our local charity that supports children who have undergone child abuse. I believe every child deserves a happy and safe childhood and will continue to raise funds to safeguard these children.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Me and my husband feel very passionate about mental health and believe that we can empower one another through telling authentic relatable stories of our challenges and struggles and successes. In this way, we can break down barriers and understand each other. One day we would love to realise this dream and create a platform for global mind health, to empower people to take ownership of their mental health, by understanding themselves, and others, better and in doing so bring people together.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Simon Sinek. He’s incredibly motivational and he has incredible insight. He has been a huge influence on me in how I’m communicating my vision, my passion, my reason for existence and understanding my ‘why’ — my reason for being in business which goes far beyond existing to make a profit. I’d love to sit with him and pick his brains about how to be a phenomenal leader. I love his books, his philosophy and if I’m honest I wish he could be my mentor because I have so much to learn and so much I struggle with. I think I’d learn a huge amount from him!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.