Dr. Bill Kortesis of K&B Management: 5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Highly Successful Private Practice

The goal towards excellence means that you are willing to explore all possible avenues of advancements and you are committed to meeting these goals, even if it means you have to explore options beyond your comfort zone.

As a part of our interview series with prominent medical professionals called “5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Highly Successful Private Practice” I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Bill Kortesis.

Dr. Bill Kortesis is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and board-certified plastic surgeon who aims to foster and spearhead the next generation of aesthetic medicine. Dr. Kortesis has made huge milestones in the future of aesthetic medicine through the investment of innovative technologies and the training of future plastic surgeons in the highest level of surgical technique. As Co-Owner and Managing Partner of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, and Co-Founder of K&B Management, Dr. Kortesis passionately believes in the important of utilizing digital means to provide optimal patient care while producing excellent results in the aesthetic space.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you ended up where you are?

Dr. Bharti and I have quite an interesting story. As Co-Founders K&B Management, we are both the products of immigrants coming to the United States in search of an opportunity and a better quality of life. My family came with essentially nothing and forged their path through hard work and sheer determination. My family instilled in me that the impossible can be possible with blood, sweat, and tears.

My personal motivation, from witnessing the hardships growing up, spearheaded a passion for success in medical school, and later in plastic surgery. That is when I met Dr. Bharti over 15 years ago during residency at Wake Forest in Winston Salem, NC. We were separated briefly but we knew we were instantaneously brothers from another mother! Together, we have strived at growing a practice and now through K&B Management, we are able to help grow and nurture other practices as well through innovation and digital technology.

I’m a huge fan of mentorship throughout one’s career. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Who has been your biggest mentor? What was the most valuable lesson you learned from them?

I owe everything to my parents. They showed me how hard work and determination and grit are key characteristics that can lead you far in life. My parents immigrated from Greece without any money and without knowing the English language. From that starting point, they become successful business owners in the restaurant industry and in real estate. They showed me that perseverance and pure grit can get you to where you need to go … you just got to dream it and will it your way.

What made you want to start your own practice? Can you tell us the story of how you started it?

One of the things that have always intrigued me about plastic surgery was the business/financial side of it. It has been one of the main reasons that I got into the specialty. Always an entrepreneur by heart, and once an entrepreneur always an entrepreneur. I started in my family restaurant at an early age to help make our family business better.

Now it is my passion to make medicine better and the aesthetic space better. Create a better situation for patients and help bring better and new technology to the world.

The key is leading a team to create and build and to help others achieve their goals and dreams. The true test of an entrepreneur is really how we use our skills and knowledge to better the lives of others and make an impact in the world.

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

There is not just one interesting story to tell … but every day gives us a story in our book of life. And it is up to us to make the most of it daily. An overall repeating story that has been really interesting in my career is how many people who seek the advice and expertise of a medical professional tend to already know what they want and the results they want to achieve. As a professional in the field, I hold myself to a certain integrity and due diligence to only recommend what is best, especially in the aesthetic space, and not only doing what I am paid to do.

Because it is a “helping profession”, some healthcare providers struggle with the idea of “monetization.” How do you address the business aspect of running a medical practice? Can you share a story or example?

Money is typically a byproduct of a good business. Yes, there needs to be a focus on sound business principles of watching costs, elevating revenues, etc. But if you build a company that offers quality services and products that consumers want and create the appropriate value, then business will be great!

I believe in creating a place that everyone wants to be a part of — the best surgeries, with the best outcomes, the best products, and technologies, so that revenues always remain high.

As business leaders we must make sure that the costs are appropriate, and business is sustainable.

From an employee comp standpoint, money does not have to be part of the equation. What I mean is that everyone should be paid enough that their contributions are valued, but as bosses we need to give them a purpose. And we need to create an environment where they are empowered and consistently improving themselves so they too can grow and flourish.

Managing being a provider and a business owner is a constant balancing act. How do you manage both roles?

This can definitely be difficult to do so, but it is important to be efficient. Efficiency is the balancing act between both roles and being able to compartmentalize and manage your time appropriately is key. There are only so many important tasks you can accomplish in a day. Overload that list of priorities and it can become overwhelming.

From completing your degree to opening a practice and becoming a business owner, your path was most likely challenging. Can you share a story about one of your greatest struggles? Can you share what you did to overcome it?

One of the most important lessons for an entrepreneur is how to win even if you are losing. What I realized is that everyone remembers the wins and advances and not necessarily the losses. And you have to take every loss as a learning opportunity. Losing is a way to get better.

So, one of the interesting stories, and hardest is the loss of an unsuccessful opportunity/venture. And unfortunately, every entrepreneur does fail at some point, but we have to use it as an opportunity to learn, improve, and do better next time.

For me, my first loss was an exciting restaurant concept that I developed with some friends. Funny because it had absolutely nothing to do with me growing my practice. Despite a great menu, a great brand, and a much-needed concept, we failed. And unfortunately, we failed because we chose a poor location. What I learned is that you have to stick to your basic tenets of business, and you cannot lose sight of the basics.

Another was coping with the loss of my dad. My dad was my rock and guide throughout life. And it was rather tough to deal with not having him.

In the end, you learn to persevere and remember all the life lessons and hold true to the family core values. The key is to be the best version of oneself.

Doesn’t matter where you come from, what you have or don’t have… All you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do and what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to. — Stephen Curry

Ok, thank you. Here is the main question of our interview. What are the 5 things you need to know to create a thriving practice, and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. An unparalleled work culture. Medical professionals, like many other professions, are held to a high integrity and code of ethics, expertise, and professionalism. The work culture you associate yourself with determines the standards of the practice and the integrity of the doctors themselves. A work culture held to the most important elements can set a practice apart. For example, when caring for a patience, K&B Management ensures that we are abreast and adopt the most innovative technology in not just providing a patient for what he or she wants, but also ensuring that procedures are top-notch and patient care is treated as a priority.
2. A team with similar vision and goals. My partner, Dr. Bharti, has shown that a team that is aligned is very important. Coming from similar backgrounds and having the same passion and standards, we are able to provide some of the best care and procedures for our patients. A team that shares the same vision and goals are more likely to work together to achieve them. When we are faced with patient concerns or innovative differences, the team we have built works together to meet our goals. Discussions are respectful and explore all possible areas of improvement.
3. Relentless passion for the job. I started out with the aim of helping others through aesthetic medicine. I’ve learned that one can succeed greatly with passion and through the help of innovation and advancements in medicine, we are most able to help patients achieve more out of life. My passion stems from the early days of a failing restaurant and I have had to apply the same lessons for my practice and now for other practices through K&B Management.
4. Extreme ownership in your work. A large part of running a practice and now helping others grow their practices is taking ownership. When things go right, it is easy to take ownership for successes. However, during hardship, many shun from this ownership. It is important not just for ourselves, but also for the people we work with such as employees and patients, that we take full ownership during good and bad times. When a procedure is compromised, and this happens in the profession for all medical professionals, it is vital that we are able to clearly access the complications and problems, while ensuring patients or employees that we are working on it. This ownership trait is what sets most successful professionals apart from those who are not able to see the issues at hand.
5. A goal towards excellence in outcomes. It does not matter what area of expertise in medicine you are in. Excellence could mean many different things in the various areas of medicine. But it does mean that you strive for the best of the patient always. The goal towards excellence means that you are willing to explore all possible avenues of advancements and you are committed to meeting these goals, even if it means you have to explore options beyond your comfort zone.

As a business owner you spend most of your time working IN your practice, seeing patients. When and how do you shift to working ON your practice? (Marketing, upgrading systems, growing your practice, etc.) How much time do you spend on the business elements?

Honestly, it is whenever you can. Personally, early mornings start at 5am. Any breaks during the day or late at night count too. When you own your own business, you constantly think about it and work on it whether you really realize it or not. You have to be present and be able to juggle the many aspects of working in and on your practice. The key is to work at making it better constantly and the amount of time when or how you work on it really does not matter then. Balancing and managing your time is key. With a great and trusted team or partner, it makes it a little easier.

I understand that the healthcare industry has unique stresses and hazards that other industries don’t have. What specific practices would you recommend to other healthcare leaders to improve their physical or mental wellness? Can you share a story or example?

Treat yourself and your body right. Treat it like any professional athlete would. Spend time on personal wellness and eating well. Sleep well to ensure you get the needed amount of uninterrupted sleep. Stretch everyday to maintain flexibility. Yoga and meditation in particular are great for the wellness of the mind. Daily workouts with a mix of cardio and strength training can help to improve health and wellness, while ensuring that stress melts away outside of the office. Do things that make you happy whether it is golf, tennis, family, dining out, and spending time with family.

A balance is key.

And pray. Pray often whatever your religion is.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant in your own life?

“Obsession is not-optional.”

As Kobe Bryant once said, “If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out.”

It is relevant in my life every single day. When you truly want something, and I mean TRULY want it, you have to wake up every single day and work hard for it. Even on days when you may not feel like it. Get up. Show up. Empathize. Love.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I’m passionate about sharing my work and readers can find out more at drbillkortesis.com. I’m also on Facebook at fb.com/BillKortesisMD, on Instagram at instagram.com/drbillkortesis, or LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/BillKortesisMD.

Thank you for these great insights! We wish you continued success and good health!