Dr. Paul Guerrino was raised in Yonkers and, from a young age, worked for the family business–an ice cream store situated a few miles away in Mount Vernon. While working there, he perfected essential skills for running any successful business, such as giving excellent customer service and always having a strong discipline and work ethic. His role models were his father, Joseph, and uncle Rudy Guerrino who ran their business focusing on those values at all times.
Dr. Paul Guerrino truly cares about education, which is why he pursued dental training at New York University and later completed graduate-level studies in periodontal surgery and dental implants at Boston University. Dr. Guerrino began his professional career by working at the family firm in Mount Vernon, NY.
Dr. Paul Guerrino has always valued excellent customer service standards, dedicated to his patients, and has a strong work ethic. These qualities have aided him in expanding his Mount Vernon practice to include Scarsdale and Hartsdale, New York locations. Dr. Afshan Ahmed (NYU ’03), Dr. Guerrino’s wife, is now a partner at the Hartsdale office to complete the family circle of success. His sister Lora Guerrino (USC ’90) works as an associate dentist in Mt. Vernon while he serves as chair of the department of oral medicine at Washington Dulles Hospital Center for Advanced Dentistry in Virginia.
Thanks for joining us! Let’s start with getting to know who Dr. Paul Guerrino is. And What are you doing these days?
Hi, thanks for having me. I am Dr. Paul Guerrino. My life as a dentist revolves around spreading smiles. I have been practicing dentistry for more than three decades, and it gives me immense pleasure to see people leaving my clinic pain-free, and wearing a confident smile.
I established my first office in Mount Vernon, NY, on the site of the original family business. From there, I expanded to include locations in Scarsdale and Hartsdale New York. To complete the circle, my wife, Dr. Afshan Ahmed, D.D.S., is my partner at the Hartsdale office, and my sister, Dr. Lora Guerrino DMD (University of South Carolina ’90) is an associate dentist in the Mt Vernon office. Recently my son Dr. Joseph Guerrino has joined the practice to work with me.
At Guerrino Dentistry in Mt Vernon and Hartsdale, we carry out prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide variety of oral health conditions, diseases, and disorders that affect the teeth, gums, and maxillofacial region of the body.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Let me tell you one thing. Becoming a successful dentist is not an easy feat. Dentistry requires innovation, without which survival and progression become challenging. Before considering entrepreneurship, it was very important for me to understand the risks and rewards of becoming an entrepreneur. I didn’t jump into it with an abstract concept. I studied the journey of many dentists who have brought the concept into fruition in the last decade before starting.
Entrepreneurship is an art. I started it with a mission to find gaps and fill them with solutions. When my clinic wouldn’t have sufficient patient flow, instead of blaming the system, I adopted an entrepreneurial mindset and sought solutions. Obviously, there were risks associated with the investment of capital and time, but there were also rewards as well as more control over my business.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
Resolve
Resolve is the most needed skill for a successful dentist entrepreneur. It’s the willingness to decide firmly on a course of action to produce a successful dental enterprise. For dentist entrepreneurs, dentistry should be the “means”, not the “end.” They have to be steadfast, stubborn, and extremely determined to see our business vision become a reality. Resolve empowers entrepreneurs in the face of the multiple problems that inevitably arise while building a substantial company. They must not give up. Entrepreneurs must be relentless, tenacious, and resolute.
Fearlessness
Entrepreneurs should operate without fear. It isn’t that entrepreneurs don’t get scared or anxious but what distinguishes an average entrepreneur from a successful one is that they step into the fear and don’t let fear stop them. Entrepreneurs must be courageous-lionhearted. Indomitable, they dare to go forward without knowing the answer beforehand.
Passion
Passion is a deeply felt emotion and mandatory for entrepreneurs. Their passion is often expressed with an intense-even overpowering sense of conviction. You can hear the passion in the speaking of successful entrepreneurs.
You sound quite passionate about your work; why? Is there a story behind it?
No, there is not any particular story behind my coming into this profession but just my passion. I always had a dream of providing quality dental healthcare to the community. I earned my dental degree at New York University Dental School. Upon the completion of my dental degree, I relocated to Boston, Massachusetts just to get enrolled at Boston University to study periodontics. Later, I returned to New York University to study dental implants intensively and became a Dentist-Implantologist. Today, my interest and work in dental implant technology have gained me admission to New York University’s Implant Study Club.
How do you separate from your competitors?
My team is what sets Guerrino Dentistry & Associates apart from its competitors. It is the first and most vital part of our equation. You must hire the right people for positions that fit not only their resume and qualifications but also their personality. I can’t agree with having a low-energy character as a customer-facing employee, but I can consider them as a research analyst if they have an amazing resume. I have developed a team over the years having an entire impressive profile and that’s my strength.
What was the biggest problem you encountered launching your business and how did you overcome it?
When I launched Guerrino Dentistry & Associates, the biggest challenge was to bring in additional resources like other expert dentists, orthodontists, orthopedic surgeons, etc. I wanted to make Guerrino Dentistry & Associates a one-stop shop for patients by building a highly skilled network of providers. To help me house everything in one location, my wife and my sister came forward to help me. Both brought proven dentistry expertise onboard allowing streamlined communication, improved efficiency, and decreased costs for patients and providers. It also helped me to shift the focus from administration to quality of care.
How do you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I am not inherently entrepreneurial. My entrepreneurship is driven not by security but by a vision. I have a passion of serving my community and that’s the only thing that keeps me motivated. My passion for creating a significant dental enterprise reflects my values, vision, and purpose. I reimagine how dentistry can be delivered and strive to achieve my dreams.
What’s the best part of your job?
Bringing smiles to the faces of the people. My job is a unique blend of science and art and this is what attracted me to the field of dentistry. I always wanted to help people achieve a perfect smile with excellent oral health. My life revolves around spreading smiles. I have been practicing dentistry for more than three decades, and it gives me immense pleasure to see people leaving my clinic pain-free, and wearing a confident smile.
What is your definition of success?
My definition of success comes from a genuine concern for the well-being of those around me. I care about my patients and want them to smile more and their smile means success to me. I work hard and perform better treatment with utmost sincerity.
Thank you so much for this truly amazing interview!
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