Dr. Johnny Franco

A graduate of Beloit College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Dr. Franco earned his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Dr. Franco served his residency in Plastic Surgery at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. There, he was chief resident from 2010-2011. In 2011, he completed additional training at Chan Gung Hospital in Taiwan with a focus on microsurgery primarily in cancer reconstruction, followed by a fellowship at Gent University Hospital in Belgium where he specialized in breast reconstruction and fat transfer.

Dr. Franco has an impressive history of publications and presentations and has received many academic achievement awards including the Walter S. Haven Prize, Elizabeth W. Souter Award and the Merck Index Award.

He is currently Clinical Faculty at The University of Texas Dell Medical School. He also is a reviewer for the Aesthetic Journal and Annals of Plastic Surgery where he reviews the articles for publication from other plastic surgeons around the world. He is an active member of the Austin Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is also an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeon and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Franco has been featured in TV show such as “Ask the Doctors,” magazines such as Miami Shoot and the Miami Herald for his expertise in aesthetic surgery while in Miami. Since returning to Texas he has been featured on the Dana Cortez Show on 98.5 the Beat multiple times.

Originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico, Dr. Franco is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Dr. Franco’s articles have been recently published in both Miami Shoot Magazine and the Austin Way.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

It was an idea that evolved over the past few years. I always wanted a practice that was larger than any one person. Austin Plastic Surgeon is an idea that stands for a variety of incredible plastic surgeons.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Typically a day starts at 6:30 am whether it is at the surgery center or at the office. This gives me time to catch up on any pending issues, task or items prior to the day starting. Thirty minutes of uninterrupted times goes a long way in getting the day started in the right direction! Then we either have surgery or patients until about 5pm. Then I spend another half hour wrapping up the day!

How do you bring ideas to life?

Perseverance is probably the single most important thing to bring ideas into reality. There will always be obstacles, it is never easy, however those that continue to battle toward their dreams can make it a reality.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Social media and the interaction with plastic surgery has been a trend that has changed our field forever. It allows patients to truly understand the procedures that they are interested in having done. It also gives patients unprecedented access to the plastic surgeons and practices that they are exploring for their procedures.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Delegation is one key to production. When you start your business you do every job from A to Z. As the business continues to grow you need to continue to surround yourself with people you trust who will help your business continue to grow and succeed. Delegating tasks is one of the hardest things to do as you want to be involved in every aspect of the business.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Chase your dream. Don’t be afraid to get started. There will never be a perfect time. You just have to get started. If you wait for a perfect time you will always be waiting.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I make a task list every morning. This helps me organize my thoughts and priorities for the day. This keeps a busy day/schedule organized with your eye on the prize.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Changing the mold. It is easy to follow the same path as everyone else. Don’t be afraid to do thing differently. Deciding early on that our practice was going to do things differently, that we were going to have a different approach to our practice.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Managing our team when I started my practice. The entire cycle of managing team members from hiring to production to firing staff has been one of the most challenging parts of running the business. Keeping a team member that does not fit our culture and vision does only keeps them and the practice from reaching their goals.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

A video game based on plastic surgery – Similar to SimCity, except based on Plastic Surgery. They do virtual operations to make money to buy an office and so forth…..

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Lamicall iPhone desk stand. $9.99 on Amazon. It is a simple stand that holds my phones upright. I use it for all of our virtual consultations, zoom calls and virtual meetings!

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Notability – It is a great app that turns your ipad into a notepad. I check boxes every morning of the most important tasks that I need to accomplish that day. This app lets me keep track of my tasks from day to day and to follow-up with pending issues.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Blink – by Malcolm Gladwell

What is your favorite quote?

“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs.

Key Learnings:

• Perseverance is key in any business
• Change the mold – don’t be afraid to be different
• Don’t wait for a perfect time to get started, start now!