Gil Villavecer of Frontier Dental Lab: Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry
An Interview With Jilea Hemming
Recognize that you can really help people in this industry. We’re not just here to make people feel beautiful, we’re here to help them gain confidence and self-esteem. If you understand what you can do for people, that will help you succeed in the modern beauty industry.
As part of our series about “Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Gil Villavecer.
Gil is a partner and Chief Marketing Officer of Frontier Dental Lab Group, representing the group of dental labs across the USA. Based in Southern California, he represents the company on social media, advertising campaigns, and at dental meetings throughout the country. He has been instrumental in developing the social media presence of Frontier Dental Lab, which resulted in a billboard in Times Square — something that no other dental lab has done.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My father was a physician. That was the career path I planned to take as well, but my first two jobs in sales changed my trajectory a bit. First, I sold ice cream, then later sold shoes. I was the top shoe salesperson and seemed to have a knack for it. Ultimately, I combined the two paths and went into medical sales.
Can you share the most exciting story that happened to you since you began your career?
My most interesting experience in this career was being named official head judge of the Cosmos National and International Beauty Pageant. How many people do you know who can say that? We got involved because, at Frontier Dental Lab, we are in the business of smiles. It was a small opening into the beauty space, and we kicked the door wide open. This pageant has led to so many other opportunities in the beauty industry.
Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?
In January 2018, we started doing digital marketing through Instagram. Before then, we had only invested in traditional marketing methods such as salespeople, direct mail, and conventions.
When we took a deep dive into Instagram, it changed the trajectory of our business. We put maximum tonnage behind it so that we could be the best. Today, we’re known as trailblazers for digital marketing in the lab space.
The takeaway is that if you’re going to do it, do it with everything that you have.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The person who has most influenced my career is my father. I took my drive and work ethic from him. He taught me that if you’re going to do something, do it right, do it well, and work to become the best at it.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The global beauty industry today has grown to more than a half-trillion dollar business. Can you tell us about the innovations that you are bringing to the industry? How do you think that will help people?
When it comes to the beauty industry, most people think of hair, fashion, and skincare. As a dental lab, we have an opportunity to show people the potential to enhance a smile. Studies show that your smile is the first thing people notice about you. It determines a lot about your beauty and a lot about how you present yourself. We believe a smile is extremely important.
The problem is that most people have negative feelings associated with going to the dentist. We want to change that perception. One dentist can’t change minds across the country, but we have the knowhow and experience to do it. For instance, we advertised on a billboard in Times Square during New York Fashion Week, representing thousands of dentists.
When it comes to innovation, we’re reaching out to consumers in targeted markets with the goal to educate, entertain, and connect. We have developed a smile simulator where people can upload their selfies, allowing them to see how they would look with whiter, brighter teeth in a natural, beautiful smile. Seeing themselves with a new smile gives people something to be excited about.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the modern beauty industry?
The first thing that excites me about the beauty industry is its unlimited potential and constant transition. What we see as beautiful today might be different tomorrow. We see that illustrated over and over in advertising and marketing. The ever-changing landscape keeps you on your toes.
Another thing that’s exciting to me is the innovations in marketing. Thanks to digital marketing and social media, we can get the word out about our brand much more efficiently.
The third aspect of the beauty industry I find exciting comes from my experience judging pageants. When you get beyond beauty, there’s something more. What does beauty really do for us? It enhances our confidence, improves our self-esteem, and helps us in our relationships. When we give someone a smile, they spread those smiles to everyone around them. We change lives by giving people a smile.
The beauty industry is for everyone. Whether you’re a beauty queen, a teacher, or a police officer, a smile improves your confidence and self-esteem. We’re changing the world one smile at a time.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to improve the industry, what would you suggest?
Misinformation about dentistry is one of our top concerns. When someone has a negative experience with one dentist, that misinformation spreads. We provide information and connect people with highly qualified dentists enabling people to make informed decisions. In fact, when I speak, I often tell people that consumers do more research on their dog food than on the materials that will be in their mouths for the rest of their lives. When you’re investing in a new smile, you need to know what that material is, where it’s manufactured, and how it’s made. We make it our mission to educate people.
Another concern I have with the modern beauty industry is the misconception that our services are primarily for the young and glamorous. We want to reach people of all ages and walks of life. I’ve seen people in pageants who never viewed themselves as someone who would walk a runway. But with the right coaching, they felt great about themselves and had the confidence to go up on that stage. That confidence is what we’re all about. We’re currently creating a gallery of smiles to showcase all the clients we serve — male, female, young, and old.
My final concern lies in the cost of products and services. The industry offers beautification from head to toe; hair, eyebrows, makeup, botox, plastic surgery, manicures, and pedicures all come with a price tag. We want people to consider dentistry an investment, rather than a cost. Good dentistry will last you many, many years.
You are an expert in beauty. Can you share a few ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?
There is a reason people say “beauty is not just skin deep.” People can give their smile, hair, and wardrobe a makeover, but that doesn’t matter at all unless they feel good about themselves.
When I see ladies competing on stage at the Cosmos National and International Pageant, they have to have confidence. They need confidence to walk onto that stage, to be under bright lights, and to stand tall under the scrutiny of judges — and that confidence can only come from the inside.
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, Can you please share “Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry”. Please share a story or an example, for each.
First, recognize that you can really help people in this industry. We’re not just here to make people feel beautiful, we’re here to help them gain confidence and self-esteem. If you understand what you can do for people, that will help you succeed in the modern beauty industry.
Second, you must understand that everyone’s perception of beauty is different. You’re not just talking to the young and famous. We’re targeting a much wider audience. For example, we just did a smile makeover on a couple in Charlotte, North Carolina. They told me, “We put our kids through braces, and then we put them through college. Now, we’re going to take care of ourselves.” They invested in their smiles and couldn’t be happier.
The third thing that will help you succeed in the beauty industry is messaging. You have to get your message out there, no matter how complicated that can be. Marketing is expensive, and no one has an unlimited budget. Our response has been to create micro-campaigns aimed at specific demographics in order to educate, entertain, and connect people to the dentists they need. For example, our latest campaign was FrontierVeneers at Night. When you invest in a new smile, you’re going to step out under the lights, go to dinner, attend the symphony orchestra, buy tickets for a concert, or head out to the theater. Our campaign was designed to teach people that teeth should look natural, day or night — even under bright lights.
The fourth thing you need to succeed in this industry is a quality product. Your product has to do what you say it will do and live up to your brand’s promise. When you think of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Rolex, you think of quality, status, and prestige. We’re marketing FrontierVeneers as a luxury brand because the service typically is not covered by insurance. When people invest in a new smile, we want them to know as much as possible about the product, the procedure, and the cost. When they have all the information, we want them to feel assured that they’ve made the right decision.
Finally, to succeed in the beauty industry, you have to learn to expand your network because you never know when the next opportunity will come. Like I said earlier, we were still fairly new to the beauty world when I was asked to judge the Cosmos International Pageants, but without taking that opportunity, I we wouldn’t be in the position that we’re in now. Networking is critical in the modern beauty industry. One thing always leads to another, and you never know which connection will bring bigger, better, and greater things.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Because of the business I’m in, I would like to see a movement to smile more. When we smile, we spread joy to everyone. So often, we take that for granted. When someone has crooked teeth or is missing a tooth, it affects the way they interact with people. They hold their hand in front of their mouth when they talk or pose for pictures with closed lips.
Learning the power of a smile is a movement that would inspire an incredible amount of good. Your smile changes your world and the world of everyone around you.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have a sign hanging prominently in my office that says: “Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, make your absence felt.”
I look at that sign every day when I walk in and out of my office to remind me of what I’m trying to accomplish here. Obviously, we’re a business, and we have to make a profit, but ultimately, we’re here to help people. I don’t need to impress anybody. I just want to make a difference by showing people the importance of their life-changing smiles.
How can our readers follow you online?
People can find us on Instagram at Gil_FrontierDental and FrontierVeneers. Our Facebook page is FrontierVeneers. Consumers will find the most information on our website at getfrontierveneers.com, and people can also visit our TikTok channel.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
