Community Highlights: Meet Stephanie Truong of Smiles By Steph

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Truong.

Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
It all started in high school when I set out to pursue a career in the dental field as a dental hygienist. I wanted to help people become confident in their smiles along with improving their oral hygiene and overall health. I became a registered dental assistant to get my foot in the door and gain experience while applying to dental hygiene programs. I got rejected 3 times, which is the maximum amount of times you are able to apply to the TCC program in Fort Worth. This caused me to lose hope and led to me go through an identity crisis. I wanted to pursue this career for so long, but each time, I barely missed the cut. “Why am I working so hard for nobody to notice? Do I actually want to pursue this career, or was I convincing myself that because it’s all I’ve known? Maybe I’m just not intelligent enough to do this”. These were my thoughts and questions that I kept repeating over and over again. 

I was still working as a dental assistant and loved it. I knew deep down despite the self-doubting that I was made and cut out to be in this field one way or another. So, I simply said if I want this bad enough, I owe it to myself to prove it, and that’s exactly what I did. I started seeing more opportunity within dentistry that didn’t involve being a dentist, hygienist, or an assistant. My end goal was always to become my own boss along with making people feel confident with their smiles. So, I found a course to become certified in teeth whitening and tooth gems. I took a leap of faith the exact day I came home from the training, and I started my Instagram account for Smiles By Steph. My best friend was my first official client, and from there, I started getting booked week by week doing travel appointments to save up for a space. I also began doing pop-up events in Dallas to expand my clientele. By word of mouth and the power of social media, I had friends, family, and strangers supporting my new business and telling everyone they knew all about it. 

I started Smiles By Steph in January of 2023, I now have a suite located in Arlington, bonded with amazing clients, and I’m continuing to grow with my business every day. This has by far been the best piece of evidence to myself that I am capable of achieving my goals when I set my heart and mind to it. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but nothing beautiful and worthwhile is easy. 

I struggled some weeks with being booked to the point where I was overworking my body. Some weeks, I didn’t have any clients at all. Before my suite, I was constantly driving anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes going from client to client in the DFW metroplex. And the biggest struggle of all is not allowing self-doubt and negativity take over. 

I always tell everyone that there is never a “perfect” or “ideal” time to achieve your goals. However, I’m so grateful I started at this time in my life because I no longer stress over issues I can’t control. This is something I learned from my mentor and friend. The moment an issue arises, my mind thinks of solutions and why it needed to happen so that I can learn from those mistakes and prevent them from happening again. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Smiles By Steph. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I specialize in teeth whitening and tooth gems. I customize each treatment to each client’s needs and wants when it comes to creating their dream smile. What I’m most proud of in my brand is how far we’ve come in under a year, and I can’t wait to see it grow with more years of experience. I want readers to know that with my dental experience, I like to educate all my clients about oral health and how to improve it beyond teeth whitening and tooth gems. I try to make each visit as personable as possible, and I strive to make my place a safe space for everyone. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is to be confident in who I am and what I’ve built. People will say what they want, and for some, it may come from good place, and others it may not. However, if I know deep down that it isn’t true and I trust that I know what I’m doing, then the words and actions of others will never really hurt me. The way it was explained to me that clicked in my mind is a pebble and a boulder. If you’re a pebble, you can easily be thrown around and let things get the best of you. But if you’re a boulder, you have proof and evidence that you are what you really say you are, and meaningless actions won’t be able to affect you. 

Pricing:

• 30-minute whitening session – $65
• 45-minute whitening session – $90
• 60-minute whitening session – $115
• Tooth gems – $30+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/smilesbysteph_
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/smilesbysteph_?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@smilesbysteph_

Image Credits
Tiffany Truong