Solutions for the 21st century working-mom: Utilizing social media and developing a brand with Dr. Lara Devgan
Dr. Lara Devgan is a top board-certified New York City plastic surgeon and the founder and CEO of Dr. Devgan Scientific Beauty, a luxury medical-grade skincare line. She discovered her love for plastic surgery during medical school, noting that it allowed her to ”combine the creativity of an artistic background with some of the intricacies and ideologies of medicine.” She considers plastic surgery the “end chapter” of the story, where the patient can get back to feeling like their whole self. Dr. Devgan splits her time between operating and non-surgical treatments and aims to keep herself open-minded when seeing patients.
“Every case is different, every patient has unique anatomic characteristics, specific desires and goals. It’s really an opportunity to use your mind in a creative and varied way every single day.”
Dr. Devgan also served as the Chief Medical Officer of RealSelf, an online aesthetics community that informs the public on cosmetic treatments and fosters connections between consumers and clinicians. At Realself, Dr. Devgan aimed to bring transparency to the public at large in response to the social stigma around plastic surgery and the complicated terminology of the field.
Developing a brand
Dr. Devgan’s skincare line began as a natural outgrowth of her practice, as she wanted to deliver excellent topical care for her patients post-surgery. She wanted to create a brand that she would use herself, both as a board-certified plastic surgeon and a busy mom. Dr. Devgan saw great clinical improvements and patient satisfaction was high, leading the line to spread organically. She also credits some “lucky moments,” in which celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston used and shared her products, as real game-changers for the brand’s trajectory. Though it is mainly direct-to-consumer, this past year, the brand has expanded its launch into more retail spaces like Sephora, Violet Grey, and smaller boutiques.
When asked about advice for someone looking to start their own brand, Dr. Devgan said it is critical to be constantly iterating, improving, and getting the next version out.
“Just start, and then one million decisions will flow from that”
Scalability
Throughout the podcast, Dr. Devgan references the concept of scalability, noting that physicians today have the ability to use their expertise to help people even beyond their practice. She explains that the internet allows us to scale in a way we have never seen before and that has the potential for info and misinformation. Thus, Dr. Devgan advises that we need to be adaptable and available to different forms of communication. She herself uses her voice and social media to do her part in spreading information and combating misinformation.
“One way of taking n=1 to n=1 million is to look at societal trends, be very clean about data collection and analysis, and try to figure out what you can do with it”
Finding success
As a practicing physician, brand owner, and mother to six young children, Dr. Devgan has a lot to balance. She has learned that the key to this is focusing 100% on what she is doing at the moment, and staying true to her passions.
“You really have to focus on being what you want to be for yourself”
She is inspired by those around her, and how they find happiness in the little things — a quality she believes characterizes a successful person. Lastly, she greatly values mentorship.
“I have a million mentors and people I’ve looked up to, everybody who I’ve met I’ve learned something from, but we can all be that for other people too”
Interested in plastic surgery or developing a brand? Check out Spotlight on Women in Healthcare Ventures on Spotify and Anchor!
Theia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation of women entrepreneurs and investors in healthcare. Visit our website to join our community and access resources that will support your entrepreneurial journey and pursuit of changing healthcare.
Story written by Nikita Gupta.
