“ One day , Kelly Woodyard stopped by the office and introduced herself , showing us what Huntington National Bank could offer ,” Sparks says . “ At that point , I was open to talking to anybody . But Kelly gave me her cell phone number and said to reach out at any time . No one else did that . That ’ s the type of team member I knew I needed .”
Woodyard is a Huntington National Bank regional banker based in Charleston .
Sparks says that during the transition of a practice , the last thing the new owner wants to think about is banking .
“ Kelly took that weight off of my shoulders , and that was huge for me ,” he says . “ I did not have to stress about the buyout . She made that easy .”
Sparks not only added his name to the practice , but he also transformed the two locations , one at 208 Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston and the second at 1014 6th Ave . in St . Albans .
Sparks recognized that visiting an orthodontist is often the first time a child receives dental care more significant than a dental cleaning . He wanted to create a space that feels safe and fun , with bright colors , games , fish and most importantly , the right staff .
His colleagues have become part of his family . Sparks says the most important thing you can do when building your practice is spend extra time during the hiring process . He hired and continues to hire for soft skills — people who love to
connect with others and are empathetic to what the patients are experiencing .
He says once you find the right people , pay them well .
“ I try to reward my team financially , including team building , continuing education trips to places like Atlantis in the Bahamas or Asheville ,” he says . “ It ’ s important to always provide education as the field is always changing .”
In addition to compensation and training , Sparks tries to create an environment where team members also care about each other ’ s family .
“ We have the flexibility to put family first ,” says Tina Johnson , treatment coordinator for Sparks Family Orthodontics . “ He ’ s good to us , and he ’ s good to our families .”
Johnson has been with the practice for nearly 30 years .
In addition to running two practices , Sparks teaches at WVU as an assistant clinical professor of orthodontics .
“ I tell my students to find people who will help you in ways and in areas where you don ’ t know you need the help ,” he says . “ I tell them to find a good banker , a good CPA and a good attorney .”
Despite his success as an orthodontist and businessperson , Sparks doesn ’ t forget where he came from . He and his wife , Jade , share those values with their four children .
To learn more about Dr . Sparks and his practice , please visit sparksfamilyorthodontics . com