Cardi B's Dentist Told Everyone She Was a 'Dentist to the Stars'... Until She Actually Became One. Dr. Cartrise Ausin knows a thing or two about what it takes to land celebrity clients.
By Liz Brody Edited by Frances Dodds
This story appears in the January 2022 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Cardi B fans everywhere know these lyrics: Got a bag and fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain't cheap. They're from "Bodak Yellow," the rapper's breakout song. But they're also validation for Cardi's dentist, Catrise Austin, whose entrepreneurial ingenuity led her to fix those teeth.
Years ago, as a way to differentiate herself, Austin had the potentially absurd idea of becoming a "dentist to the stars." Then she actually did it, with a client list that also includes DJ Khaled, Busta Rhymes, Common, Toni Braxton, and A$AP Rocky. But . . . how?
Not every entrepreneur wants to (or should) chase celebrities. But every entrepreneur does need to land desirable customers. That's why Austin's story is instructive — because, at the heart of it, she says, her tactics were about focus, doggedness, a lot of hustle, and a relentless understanding of her ideal client.
Austin graduated dental school in 1996, and during her residency at Lutheran Medical Center in New York started hanging out at comedy clubs — "it was $5, right in my budget." That's where she realized entertainers would be perfect clients. After all, they need a great smile. And as a 26-year-old Black female dentist, she suspected she could stand out.
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"I hit the dance clubs, all the hot spots," she says. One night, she spotted the musician and producer Isaac Hayes eating dinner. It took an hour for her to work up the courage to walk over and interrupt his meal, but she did. "Hi, I'm Dr. Catrise Austin," she announced at his table. "I don't know if you need one, but I would love to be your dentist." Then she handed him a card that said "Dentist to the Stars." Hayes invited her to join him for dinner.
She didn't even have a practice yet.
She'd faked it, and now she had to make it. Racing around the city, she found a Black dentist on 57th Street who let her set up shop in his extra space until she could pay rent. "I got the office just in time," she says. Hayes became her first celebrity client.
Austin soon realized that dentistry wasn't just her service; it was also her currency. She found a publicist to do PR in exchange for dental care, which helped her land in magazines and on TV. Then she hit up Persaud Brothers, a marketing and ad agency with clients like Tanqueray gin and Coca-Cola, who shared their contact list in exchange for a year of free cleanings and checkups. "Not only did I get the list, but I got access to all the music festivals and hot ticket celebrity events they sponsored," she says. Once inside, she'd approach performers at a concert or party with her (now bona fide) card, and say, "if you ever need a dentist . . ."
As she secured clients, she made them feel at home — filling her exam rooms with TVs and speakers, keeping the latest movies and music on hand. She got a portable unit to service clients in the studio or on tour. And she started giving new clients consent forms, allowing her to use their names in marketing. Most sign it, she says.
Related: 8 Things I Discovered While Working With Affluent Clients in New York City
In 2016, everything clicked. Through the Persaud list, she'd met a manager at an award ceremony who sent some of her musicians for dental work. Now that manager was producing the popular VH1 show Love & Hip Hop New York, and a newcomer named Cardi B had been tearing up Season 6. The young star's crooked teeth were taking a lot of heat; the producer wanted Austin to fix them. At the time, Cardi B was No. 1 on Austin's hit list of dream clients. "I was like, there is a God," she says. A few months later Cardi B's makeover consultation, with Austin on camera, was featured on the show. Then the song "Bodak Yellow" blew Cardi out of the water. TMZ called Austin. Her business tripled.
These days, Austin says social media has made client hunting easier. You don't need to stalk anyone at 3 a.m. at a club, but you still do need to go directly to them. "Use Instagram to DM somebody you want," she says. "I do that now." Don't be afraid, she says: A client will never know you exist if you don't make yourself known.
