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Meet Dr. Melissa Wikoff of Peachtree Hearing in Marietta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Melissa Wikoff.

Dr. Wikoff, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been interested in science. My father is a Veterinarian and I grew up watching him perform surgery and improve lives. I studied abroad in Belize, Central America with the Life Science Scholars program at the University of Maryland. I got my doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. While I was studying, I dreamed of owning my own private practice. I completed my fellowship year in southern California specializing in treating tinnitus, vertigo and balance disorders. I worked at other practices, but hearing aid manufacturers were buying their businesses, and I wanted to be autonomous. I opened my own business so that I could provide better quality of care and choose the best devices for my patients. My husband and I opened our private practice in a time where we were afraid that the big box stores would crush us, but we’ve been open and thriving for a year already. My office is a completely different environment than anywhere else you’ve ever been before. We’ve got classic rock playing in the waiting room and records on the wall. I am trying to change the way my field is seen from a place where people don’t want to get hearing aids to a place where people are excited about it. I’ve tried to make the process a lot cooler and more fun than what you’d expect.

Has it been a smooth road?
No. I’m an excellent audiologist, but I have no formal training in business. I’ve not taken a single business class. I have had to teach myself accounting and management skills and everything else you could think of. There were lots of things I did not prepare for, like finding vendors we could trust. In the process though, I’ve have realized that I had been selling myself short in many ways.  I’ve discovered that I can handle a lot of things that I thought I needed to hire others to handle. That has not only empowered us to take on more on our own, but has saved us countless dollars. It’s amazing how much I’ve grown and learned in the course of one year. Josh and I have also learned how to run a business together, but still be in love and keep work and home life separate. We used our life savings to start this business. We went from a two income household to single income until I could make the business successful enough to take home my own paycheck. We have a sweet, silly, and smart two-year-old at home. It’s certainly a challenge to start and run your own business with a small family at home, but I wouldn’t trade this crazy life for the world. Owning my own business hasn’t taken away from my family time, one of the things I initially feared, rather it’s enhanced it! In this successful year of business ownership, I have raised my toddler and we have traveled the world with my husband and daughter. We’ve been to Chile, Florida, Maryland and Connecticut countless times to visit her Nana and Pop Pop.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Peachtree Hearing is a private audiology practice. We specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. We are Atlanta’s premier hearing boutique! We have set ourselves apart from the competition because we are small, young, and a family-owned business. We treat our patients like family. You won’t have to wait weeks or even months for an appointment. I will take you the same day or next day typically. I take pride in the fact that there will never be a long wait (or a wait at all!) in my “waiting” room. We have a completely different vibe from any other practice you’ve been in before. I want to bring fun to hearing better. Technology has changed so much- these aren’t your grandfather’s hearing aids anymore. I make sure they’re invisible and can connect wirelessly to your telephone, television, or music player. We also work with musicians and I’ve even been on several movie sets in Atlanta to help make props. One thing I found lacking from anywhere else I’d ever worked before is community service. I have a strong desire to use my business to give back to my community in Atlanta. For instance, I volunteer with different senior living facilities in Atlanta providing free hearing aid care. I also founded a program in Atlanta called Hearing for Holocaust Survivors. I donate my time, equipment, and clinic and I’ve worked to secure a donation of high-end hearing aids from a major manufacturer to fit Holocaust survivors in our Atlanta community completely free of charge. Using my business to make a difference in my community has been a career highlight!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes! Our city has been so welcoming and wonderful to my family and my business. I would absolutely recommend starting a business here. It’s a huge reason for our success!

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