When you’re in school, it’s super hard to have to decide on your future career. There’s already hours of homework and study and you’ll soon be making decisions about college courses and what to do after school. At KISS we’re chatting to people in different industries about how they’ve landed their dream role, what they actually do, and their advice to you. This week, we’re chatting to dentist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Spotlight Oral Care Dr. Lisa Creaven.
Can you describe what your general day at work looks like?
I’ve always been a morning person, so I try to get up and start the day early with some exercise before the rest of the house wakes up! It’s the only time of the day that I get an hour to myself, so I use it to focus and prepare for the day ahead.
Our family ritual is to eat breakfast together, so we’ll sit down with the girls before school and I aim to be at work by 9am. I tend to work between the office and home. We’re based in Galway but have a lot of our team working remotely now so it’s great to be able to do both! I have a small baby at home too, so working from home allows me to check in on him throughout the day. I try to finish work around 4.30pm as I usually have evening meetings and calls with our US team when they kick-start their day.
How did you decide on this type of career?
We come from a family of dentists, so I guess it’s in our nature! I love working with people, meeting patients, and knowing that I can help or advise them. I love practical work, the busy nature of dentistry, managing a practice, and meeting new faces every day. I also love the autonomy that I have working for myself, but I also love knowing that I can lean on my siblings for advice and guidance as they know the industry inside out.
If I was to pick the area I’d generally specialise in, it’d have to be cosmetic dentistry. I love the beauty aspect of oral health, from seeing the transformation patients experience before and after Invisalign, and how it impacts their confidence. That’s why at Spotlight Oral Care, we’re on a continuous mission to bridge the gap between oral health and oral beauty, the power of a beautiful smile cannot be underestimated.
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What did you study to get to this point in your career?
I studied dentistry at Trinity College Dublin and my sister Vanessa followed suit! We both then went on to complete a number of post-graduate courses in Cosmetic Dentistry and Orthodontics in both Ireland and London. I finished college first and started working in private clinics. I decided to return to Galway and open my own practice at the age of 25.
What are the ups and downs of your Spotlight Oral Care role?
There are so many highs and lows that come with running your own business, and while there are definitely more highs, it can be challenging when things are so fast-paced and change so rapidly.
What I do love is that no two days are the same, whether we’re working on a new product launch with the marketing team or working with our international New Product Development teams on making our packaging more sustainable.
I learn something new every day, no matter how experienced you are, you’re always learning. In business, there are so many learning curves. From managing a fast-growing team, expansion, investment, and building a global team of incredibly talented people who are based across the UK, Ireland, and the US, it’s all go. It’s so important to us that as we grow, we ensure our team is cared for and still feel connected, especially now that we’re all adapting to a remote working way of life.
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What advice would you give to a student looking to get into your line of work?
My advice would be to jump in! Try to choose an area or role that you will learn the most from, there is nothing more valuable than experience. I think the key to that is gaining experience in different areas and different businesses. Even if it’s not where you hope to end up, you can ask to observe in areas that do interest you and work your way towards where you want to be. Do the hard work and I promise it will come back to you in spades.