“I definitely struggle. Sometimes, even making time for myself is hard! Entrepreneurship is a constant battle to have some form of balance between working, resting, spending time with loved ones and then still having time to disconnect.”
This quote was a response from an impromptu Q/A session Dr. Shenilee Maria Hazell conducted through her Instagram story a few months ago. In a social media environment typified by being pretentious and making one’s life seem perfect, Dr. Hazell’s presence on social media is a refreshing departure from the pompous persona many influencers attempt to create on these platforms. That quote gives you refreshing insight into the authentic, genuine spirit that Dr. Hazell has. When asked about her career as an aspiring dentist, she could easily point to her most recent accolade of being an Invisalign DIAMOND Awarded Dentist of 2020. Instead, she chooses to be transparent and share with folks that the life of a creative entrepreneur always has a stressful element to it.
Dr. Shenilee Hazell is the owner of Smile Inn Dental – but for a long time, the entrepreneurial aspect of running a clinic was not something she ever felt she had the capacity to do. Other than her enthralling charisma, faultless melanin skin and warm-heartedness, one of Dr. Hazell’s most endearing qualities is acknowledging when she is in need of assistance. Once she acknowledged that Smile Inn Dental was a part of her purpose, she sought the help of business coach Wyatt Gallery to help her manifest this dream. Under his insightful eyes, he guided her towards the proper investment structure that enabled her to manifest the dream of owning her own clinic. Shenilee has brought an air of warmth and reliability to an immensely technical profession! Let’s face it….it’s way easier to trust Dr. Hazell on any dental health issue because she herself has an unbelievably mesmeric smile.
The sense of genuineness and self-efficacy Shenilee displays on social media translated immediately into our conversation. She started our chat by saying, “I’m so excited and honored to be featured by Carib Voxx, but the last thing I want to do is to give anyone the impression that I’m showing off.” There is a gentleness and humility about Dr. Hazell’s spirit that is quite conciliating, and upon that premise, we asked her why she was so comfortable sharing the challenges that come with being a dental entrepreneur on social media. She said: “I’ve always had transparency at the core of whatever I do. Even the way I deliver dentistry, I always try to be as transparent as possible and that’s just my character. As a health care professional, I think people trust you. So in my actual life – personal relationships and professional relationships – I think it’s important to be defined by being trustworthy, having authenticity and being true to yourself. That includes sharing the undesirable parts of the journey, not just the cute things all the time. It’s about showing all the different aspects.”
Despite being a proud native of Trinidad & Tobago, Dr Hazell moved to London at a young age. She detailed her journey from childhood and then getting into dentistry. “I moved to London when I was 11 and I went to school there. When I got to the UK, they tried to get me into normal school but there was a law that inhibited immigrants from going to public school. So, my Mom decided to work three jobs just to send me to an upscale, private school in London. That gave me a huge stepping stone to get into Bristol University, which was where I studied dentistry. I stayed in Bristol for two years after completing school, then I moved to London to practice, then I moved back to Trinidad & Tobago. London is like my home – that’s where I learned everything. Upon deciding I wanted to move back to Trinidad, I got a job at a dental clinic. They were really impressed by the fact that I came from the UK, but the job I had some challenges there. That made me realize I wanted to do my own thing and have my own clinic. I spent about 6 months working 20-hour days trying to start the clinic. I emptied my savings and all my bank accounts in the UK to start the clinic.”
All the sacrifice and investments Dr. Hazell made were worth it, but she was very cerebral about implementing structures in her business that would give her a competitive edge over other clinics. She stated that: “I launched virtual consultations even before Covid-19 lockdown started in Trinidad. We launched right after Carnival, and that helped our clinic as well. I also launched an e-commerce portion of the service, where you could schedule and pay for consultations online. No other clinic in Trinidad & Tobago did this at the time.”
In closing, we engaged with Dr. Hazell about the importance of oneness and team spirit within her company. Her eloquence and natural sense of self-assurance led her to respond by saying: “I believe that everyone has something to teach you. In terms of the team, I know that everybody has something unique to give so I just need to find out what that is and exactly how I can maximize their potential. I want to make the team’s experience working with me as seamless as possible, so I have to see what excites them and what they get passionate about. That enables me to place them in the correct roles and assign them the best tasks. That comes from the genuine desire I have to get to know them, and always making an effort to understand them.”
