Meet Rhee Nesson

We recently connected with Rhee Nesson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rhee, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

From a young age, I’ve always connected well with people older than myself. My parents always joked that when we would go out with friends and family, I always ended up at the “grown-up table”. That desire to connect with others is something that I always cherished, so during high school, I volunteered my time at a local nursing home. I spent many hours listening to the residents and getting to know their stories. Even then I realized the importance of hearing and being heard. Everyone has a story to tell… and it’s important for people to hear it, too. Listening to others is what connects us all.

After high school, I attended the University of Michigan and then moved to New York City where I began working in a career that I found increasingly unfulfilling. I always admired my father because as a physician, he was always able to help his patients in a dramatic, concrete way. When a close family friend who was an ENT introduced me to the profession of audiology, I knew I had found the perfect career for me. Being able to blend my passion for helping others, while making a big change in their lives through better hearing, was the perfect fit.

With the support of both my mother and father, in the fall of 2001, I went back to Hunter College and then the Graduate Center of New York where I earned my Doctorate in Audiology. When I chose this profession, it never occurred to me that one day I would be helping my own family and friends navigate hearing loss. The day I fit my Grandma Esther with hearing aids was a truly magical one. It was like a light was turned back on and she could re-connect with her family again. While she developed dementia, it was so critical for her to be connected and engaged with the people around her. I was able to witness firsthand how hearing aids helped her to stay connected longer with those around her on a level that she would otherwise not have been able to maintain.

A few years later, my father and mother-in-law needed hearing aids, along with other close friends of ours. We would joke that now, when my kids (their grandchildren) are too loud, at least they can turn them off! I feel so fortunate that I get the opportunity to assist my family and help others reconnect with their loved ones and the world around them. The impact and confidence that better hearing brings is unmatched. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I am so fortunate to be in a position to help others create real, tangible improvement in other people’s lives.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

A few years after graduating with my Doctorate in Audiology, I was able to help my grandma Esther. It was special helping a loved one be a part of the conversation again. But my grandma had already been diagnosed with dementia. And for reasons beyond my control, my grandma stopped wearing her hearing aids. I saw her fade into a shadow of who she once was. And I knew then, long before the research came out that there was a connection between untreated hearing loss, cognitive decline and dementia.

When you have untreated hearing loss you are 200-500x more likely to develop dementia because your brain has to work much harder to hear. When I founded Hearing Doctors of New Jersey I developed a proprietary H.E.A.R. Method™ Treatment Program, which assesses your hearing and cognitive health to ensure people finally stop struggling and saying “what”, especially in noise.

My mission and that of Hearing Doctors of New Jersey is to improve the lives and protect the brain health of our aging generations to live, engage, and interact with their families, friends, and loved ones through the medical education and treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, and the associated cognitive impacts and health risks. One way we have carried out our mission by educating the communities we serve through talks on hearing loss and preventing decline. Additionally, we are always posting educational content on social media as current research becomes available that the public would benefit from learning.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have always had an optimistic view on life and carry that perspective with me when faced with challenges both personally and professionally. Deciding to start a business during the COVID-19 pandemic for most people would have been viewed as insane but I just knew there was a better way to help the over 42 million people living with untreated hearing loss and tinnitus. That is why, despite the circumstances, I founded Hearing Doctors of New Jersey. I just knew that people deserved better care and that applying the medical model to treatment of hearing loss and tinnitus was the best way to help people. And the good news is that despite starting a business during a global pandemic, in just a few years we have become one of the highest rated hearing care practices in the whole state!

Another area that has been impactful in my journey has been a passion to continue learning. In graduate school, I earned a Doctorate in Audiology, but learning should not stop when you get a degree. Over the past twenty years plus years, we thankfully have a lot more research, data and science to understand the connection between the brain and how we hear. The neuroscience of hearing loss and tinnitus has become a passion for me and the way I can continue to evolve providing the best possible treatment and care to our patients.

Lastly, I have always been very organized and like to get things DONE! My family understands my “efficiency” with getting things accomplished but that also applies to the work I do building Hearing Doctors of New Jersey. I rely on a team of amazing people to help me accomplish the goals we set. I’ve learned that in life you can’t do things alone. Plus, it is a lot more fun to celebrate the “wins” with other people being a part of it!

How would you describe your ideal client?

Our mission is to improve lives and protect the brain health of our aging generations to live, engage, and interact with their families, friends, and loved ones through the medical education and treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, and the associated cognitive impacts and health risks.

Research has found that in our 30s, 40s and 50s everyone will develop hearing loss, which is defined as a change in hearing from what you were born with. That is why our goal is to treat people at their earliest stages of hearing loss and tinnitus because when we can “catch it early and treat it early” they experience the best outcomes! We spend a lot of time educating our new patients even before they come in for their first appointment. Our “ideal” patient is someone who when they come in for treatment, is ready to finally stop struggling and saying “what” on day one!

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Where does your generosity come from?

Over the years, we have consistently been blown away by the examples of generosity we’ve

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your