The power of persistence
For Kavitha, success hasn’t come from following a formula; it’s been built through courage, persistence, and faith in her own vision. As Director of Dental Sleep and TMJ Therapy, she has grown her practice from humble beginnings into a thriving clinic with a loyal patient community. Guided by grit and grace, Kavitha’s journey is one of perseverance, transformation, and the power of embracing every challenge along the way.
Tell us about your organisation, how long you have been there and your role within it.
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you”
I am the Principal Dentist, Owner and Director of Dental Sleep and TMJ Therapy. I have been practising dentistry for more than 15 years and established my dental practice, Precision Dental Care, in 2012, and Dental Sleep and TMJ Therapy in 2024.
Apparently, there are three rules to running a successful business. Fortunately for me, I didn’t know any of them. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to have the support of Dr Kamini Tiwari and Dr Deborah Elijah, who have been an integral part of my growth and the clinic’s success.
Can you share your career journey so far and how it brought you to your current role?
Like many women from a conservative country as mine, I grew up sheltered with minimal exposure to matters of business or finance. Once I achieved my Australian qualification, I took a gamble and started off on my own. I began with a single employee in rented premises carrying a huge financial commitment, a young family and a husband who was in training to specialise in a demanding medical speciality that meant frequent night shifts and very little room to cover any exigencies. It was a path less trodden and predictably filled with potholes. I fell repeatedly, dusted myself off each time and kept going to reach where I am now, a successful dental practice with more than 20 employees and a large, loyal patient community that I am insanely proud of.
What advice do you have for the next generation of women in business?
What I have come to realise is that achieving perfection is a relentless pursuit, the process being more important than the result. My advice to women entering business would be, cliched as it sounds, the outcome is almost always assured if one sticks to the process… What this process entails varies depending on the circumstance, but always involves the intent, an objective, a game plan and perseverance.
What methods do you use to unwind from work?
Long walks, books and music are how I unwind. In times of uncertainty and anxiety, my fallback is always the Family – at times exasperating, even infuriating, but always loving and nourishing one back to strength, as it should be.
