Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Briceno Martin.
Maria, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For as long as I can remember, eyes have been my obsession, I can recall being a kid and going to the eye doctor and loving every second of it. I loved the equipment, the idea of helping people see better, and treating patients various eye conditions. At the age of 18, I began working as an optometric technician and developed a love and passion for helping people with their sight. I realized the importance of eye care and grasped the impact that I could make in someone’s life. I knew from this moment on, I was going to put myself on a track to become an Optometric Physician. I started my journey at Florida International University where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2003.
From there, I headed north to the city of Boston where I attended Graduate school at the New England College of Optometry, graduating in 2007 with a Doctor of Optometry. I am so grateful and still believe after 11 years in practice that it was the best decision I have ever made. Once I graduated, I worked as an associate for an ophthalmology/optometry group practice where I dealt extensively in primary eye care and ocular disease. Although my experience was wonderful and will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I was given, I knew that there were goals that I wanted to accomplish for myself and my family. I remember vividly about a year ago, sitting on the couch feeding one of my daughters, and my husband asking me “hey, do you still want to open your own practice?” My immediate answer was, “ABSOLUTELY”, I remember thinking please tell me that we should do this!! “Well, if we’re going to do it then now’s the time!” he said.
The future of my career was filled with excitement and purpose once again. I won’t lie the process was not very easy, but if you truly dedicate yourself, the goals you set out to accomplish could be reached. They say, if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life, and those words have never rung truer than right now. Eye care has been my passion and my dream from day one and I am honored to be able to help the people in my community along with my friends and family.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes and no… there are many obstacle and challenges faced when trying to open a medical business. It all starts with making the decision and believing in yourself that you can do this. It begins by setting up a corporation, obtaining a loan, and then figuring out the perfect location where to set up your practice. The process for me was made easier by the fact that I had the guidance of my sister who had opened her own medical business a few years back. She helped and continues to help me with the practice and I will be forever grateful for that. I had been practicing for 11 years, so I had the experience, had done the research and had a vision of exactly what I wanted for my practice. The most important thing, I believe is having a good support system to encourage you when you face challenges.
My biggest technical obstacle was the credentialing of insurances. A nightmare to say the least. I did all the legwork myself and basically learned throughout the process. There are so many things that came up during the credentialing process, one of which was getting the office credentialed. Up until that point, I thought to get myself credentialed was going to be the worst part but finding out at the last minute that the office itself had to be credentialed was a really big obstacle. But through patience, lots of patience, I was able to get things on track and not really have any delays with the opening of the practice.
Another big challenge, which I’m still kind of navigating, was finding a balance between being a business owner, a mom, and a wife. My family has always and will always be my priority, and their support during this whole process has been amazing and absolutely necessary. I received criticism from some, that as a woman and mother, I would not have the time to be with my children or husband. That at this point in my life I was going regret ever starting this business, and honestly, the thought of leaving the comfort of my job and taking on this monumental task was scary. But after speaking to my husband and really knowing that I had his full support, and help, that it was going to eventually be the best thing we ever did. I won’t lie there are sacrifices that sometimes you have to make but involving them and making them part of the process as a family has worked out great for us. One of the most memorable things for me was seeing the excitement of my 5-year-old daughter as the office was being built. To see her look at me with pride and joy is something that I will cherish forever.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lakes Family Eye Care – what should we know?
Lakes Family Eye Care is a full-service optometry facility that offers eye care services for the entire family. We see patients of all ages including children, teens, adults and elderly patients. Our services include comprehensive eye exams, treatment and management of a wide range of eye diseases, eye emergencies, glasses, and contact lenses. Our office is equipped with the latest technology in diagnostic testing and imaging for the eyes. We also offer a boutique style optical carrying the latest designer frames to meet all needs from budget minded to high-end brands. In addition, we have an in-house lab to provide our patients with quick turnaround times for their glasses. We are a family owned business and everything that you see in the practice was carefully selected by my husband and me.
When we started planning the structure and business model for Lakes Family Eye Care, the patient was always our priority! This vision influenced everything from the layout of our office to the equipment we acquired. In every one of these areas, there were a lot of corners we could have cut; however, we chose not to. I wanted to offer our patients the highest quality of care and give them an exceptional experience from beginning to end. There are a lot of reasons why we chose the name and location of the practice. I was raised in Miami Lakes and basically went to school, met my best friends, my husband and worked there since the age of 15. I always had a personal connection with this town and being able to give back to the community that gave me so many wonderful memories made the decision that much easier. The family is our priority and eye care is our passion, so that is how Lakes Family Eye Care was developed.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Loving what I do has proven to be the most important key to my success. Never throughout the entire process from school to where I now have, it felt as if it was some overwhelming goal that could not be reached. Having a great knowledge and experience in eye care has given me the confidence to go further in my career and allow my patients to obtain the very best eye care available. I feel that if patients can see that you love what you do it will reflect on your care and their experience with you is something that they would like to continue and follow. I always strive to be the doctor you want people to remember and refer their family and friends. If you are honest, courteous and give each patient their individual care, success will come along. I believe in never being complacent, always striving to be your best and never forgetting where you came from. Always believe and stick to your business model and treat your staff fairly. It is important to make your team feel like they are significant to the practice because even though they may not think so a solid team is going to make or break your practice especially in the beginning. Always look for ways on improving your services, keep up with the latest technologies, read up on the newest research or medical studies and last but certainly not least, do not get caught up on the negativity or the pressures that come with being a small business owner; take that pressure, criticism and negativity and transform that into the force that drives you.
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
The future for me is kind of happening as we speak. Like I said before, being an eye doctor has been something I have wanted most of my life. And I’ve been dreaming of the moment where I could open my own practice, and that moment is finally here. We are three months since I opened the doors to my practice and I can’t believe my dream has finally become a reality. I’m still going through some growing pains as any new entrepreneur would, but the future looks promising. I am really looking forward to seeing where this new path takes me. I feel very good about it and I have this jolt of energy in my career that I have not felt for some time. I hope to grow my practice into one of the top practices in Miami, and maybe move into a bigger location, hire more staff, and teach people about the importance of eye health. I am looking forward to offering my patients high-quality care and products by a professional staff that will meet all their eye care needs. I have invested my heart and soul into this practice and I hope to be able to provide patients with an exceptional experience. In our optical we plan on staying up to date with all the latest fashion trends, so we will be able to cater to those who know what they are looking and at the same time offer budget-friendly options to families. Most of all I want to give back to the community that gave me so much and continue to establish deep roots in the Town of Miami Lakes and surrounding areas and become part of the fabric that makes up this great city that essentially helped me be the person I am today.
Contact Info:
- Address: Lakes Family Eye Care
14750 NW 77 Ct.
Suite 110 Miami Lakes, FL 33016 - Website: www.lakeseyecare.com
- Phone: (305) 456-7313
- Email: info@lakeseyecare.com
- Instagram: @lakesfamilyeyecare.com
- Facebook: @lakeseyecare
- Twitter: @LakesEyeCare
- Yelp: Yelp- Lakes Family Eye Care
- Other: Google- Lakes Family Eye Care
Image Credit:
Levis Aguila-Lights on Photography
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