Meet Dr. Richard J Brown of Brown Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard J Brown.

Dr. Brown, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, it’s a long wild story. Being that said. I grew up in Atlanta Georgia. I ended up going to college at Syracuse University and then transferred back to the University of Georgia. I was pre-business there and then my senior year, long story short, decided I wanted to become a doctor. I finished all the classes needed to apply to medical school and applied while working in an operating room in Atlanta, Georgia. I found myself observing operations all the time and I was hooked. I then realized that if I got into medical school I would likely pursue surgery. I ended up in Chicago for medical school then completed my general surgery training at Northwestern University. During my general surgery training I took a year off from clinical duties and spent a year focused on research regarding scarring and wound healing in one of the top research labs in the country at Northwestern University. That combined with being heavily involved in trauma surgery and seeing what plastic surgeons did regarding reconstruction is what pulled me away from general surgery into plastic surgery. I completed both my training in General Surgey and Plastic Surgery and am double board certified in those specialties.

In 2009 I moved with my wife Alexis to Scottsdale and joined another plastic surgeon who was close to retirement. Dr. Glen Hait, who passed away last year, gave me my start in this town. He took me in and showed me the way. He provided me the opportunity to build my practice and he stepped away a year after I joined him. I am forever grateful for the opportunity he handed me and part of the reason I am where I am today is because of him!

My first ten years in practice have focused on being an excellent surgeon who provides amazing results. At the same time, I have been focused on creating a patient experience that is different than anything else you will find in town. I pride myself on having an impeccable bedside manner, something that just comes easy to me. Without a doubt we provide the best patient experience you will find arguably anywhere in this country in my opinion. We are as real, down to earth, and as authentic as it gets.

I wrote a book that just launched May 14th, 2019 called, “The Real Beauty Bible: Navigating Your Journey Through Plastic Surgery.” I decided to write this book because I saw a need for patients to have a guide that would allow them to be armed with the information to safely engage in the process of finding a surgeon and having a procedure. It covers so many great topics such as what being board certified means, how to discuss wanting a procedure with your spouse to what the day of surgery will be like step by step.

Where am I going next? I personally am very involved in health and fitness. I am an active Crossfit athlete who deeply believes in being healthy and living the best version of you that you possibly can. I have begun to realize over the course of my plastic surgery career that many patients that come to me for procedures such as a tummy tuck, aka abdominoplasty, still need to lose weight in order to have an optimal result. I have come to learn that patients often times do not take ownership of that process and do not understand that in order to have a successful procedure they need to have the habits and lifestyle in place before surgery to enjoy a long lasting result.

This brings me to my passion project. I am developing a wellness center in my practice focused on helping patients who already want to look and feel their best, but may still have some additional weight to lose in order to have an optimal result. The concept is well beyond simply desiring good surgical results, and more focused on arming people with the ability to live the most healthy life before and after surgery and maintain excellent results. My mission is to change generations to come as I have become fed up with the lack of motivation that people have when it comes to taking responsibility for their own health and wellness. By changing these patients one at a time my hope is that their children and friends will do the same and create a ripple effect to the public at large to start taking health and wellness into their own hands. This is the future of my practice!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road and if it is, in my opinion you re not challenging yourself. The road to where I am now has taken great work and dedication. I have failed over and over again, but I have also had many successes. I struggled initially as all small businesses do to create the capital to put back into the company for its ultimate growth. I have never run a business before so balancing being the doctor, surgeon, CEO, and HR all at the same time has been challenging. I have been able to generate enough revenue to create processes and hire the right team to help propel my practice to one of the top in the valley I my opinion.

Brown Plastic Surgery – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and my practice has been broad over the past ten years. I perform all cosmetic surgeries, however my true passion has revealed to be breast and body procedures. I also perform and always will perform breast cancer reconstruction procedures. I also have been heavily involved in repairing wounds after skin cancer closure mostly in the head and neck area. I do feel I have become well known for my bedside manner, for the overall patient experience, and for the great surgical results I obtain. I am most proud of the patient experience we have created and it is without a doubt top in the valley if not the country. My team are all kind and approachable, and will do anything for our patients. No doubt my ability to communicate with people is what sets me apart from the rest. You will be hard pressed to find another surgeon that is able to recognize their humility more than me. I am very grateful for where I am and I deeply care about the people I treat. I literally want patients to live the best version of themselves and will do whatever it takes to help them achieve their goals.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is a forever moving target. I think there are different degrees of success. My ultimate personal success is creating a work-life balance and living a health lifestyle. Personal success is also being able to provide my family the opportunity to live their best lives. It is very important for me to be present to experience all of the daily milestones that my wife and children obtain. At the same time, I define my business success as being a well-known entity that treats patients with total humility and respect. Success to me is also delivering services with integrity and respect.

There is no question that everyone will mention making money as part of what they feel success is. I, of course, want to make money just like anyone else. But, that does not define me or what I consider success. If you really want to know what ultimately financial success means to me it is the following. I am striving to be worth millions and millions of dollars, not to buy cars and have five houses. Sure we all want that home and life we think is happiness. But for me being a multimillionaire means the ability to give back to the world on a grand scale that I otherwise would not be able to. I can’t wait have the power to donate large sums of money to put towards doing good for the community and world. I can visually see my wife and I building shelters or schools, providing opportunity to educate people who can’t afford education, or helping raise millions of dollars for ground breaking medical research. The list goes on for us and we can’t wait for that day. So financial success while it will afford a different personal life, truly is about giving back to the world on a grand scale!

Contact Info:

• Address: 11000 N Scottsdale Rd
  Ste 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85254
• Website: Corporate Website: www.richardjbrownmd.com, Book Website: www.drrichardjbrown.com
• Phone: 480-947-2455
• Email: rbrown@rbrownmd.com
• Instagram: @drrichardjbrown
• Facebook: @brownplasticsurgery2009
• Twitter: @drrichardjbrown

Image Credit:
All photo credit except my twins in the Chicago bears jerseys are to Blaire Catherine-Images By Blaire Catherine

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