Father Inspires Local Orthodontist to Become a Practice Owner
Photography by Alex Wilson
As a child , Dr . Ronnie Sparks knew he wanted to create a life where he could make his own hours and manage his own team — a goal his parents inspired him to set .
Sparks ’ father is the son of a coal miner and one of 16 children .
“ My dad slept 8 in a bed growing up , shared a toothbrush and didn ’ t know who the tooth fairy was ,” he says . “ He had a whole different life .”
Sparks watched his father become a college graduate and saw how both of his parents worked extremely hard to provide for their children .
“ My dad , who worked in construction , always told me to find a field that I love , where I can control my schedule and my time — something he never had the luxury of doing ,” Sparks says .
Leaning toward pursuing a career in health care , Sparks worked for a dentist during a summer in undergraduate school and knew that general dentistry may create a path where he could own a practice and control his schedule .
At the top of his class in dental school at West Virginia University ( WVU ), Sparks observed an orthodontist , which inspired him to specialize in orthodontics . Although general dentists and orthodontists both often end up in private practice , Sparks says that at the time , business classes weren ’ t part of the curriculum .
No one was talking about what it was like to be your own boss .
In 2012 , Sparks joined Orthodontist Chris Taylor as a 50 / 50 owner . Five years later , Sparks bought the practice and became sole owner of what is now Sparks Family Orthodontics .
“ I ’ m very thankful for Dr . Taylor . He ran a great practice , and it was an honor to take over the business he built ,” Sparks says .
During that transition , Sparks knew he needed to build a team with the skills to transition a business and make it successful .
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