There's something about meeting someone who's truly hungry to learn. Payman spotted it straight away when Sanaa Harroussi walked into his Mini Smile Makeover course—that rare fire in the belly.

But here's the thing: Sanaa's journey from Rabat to Paris to West London isn't just about collecting qualifications. It's about a woman who aced the ORE first time, built a fifteen-year career in the same practice, and then had everything turned upside down when her second son received a six-month life expectancy.

What follows is a masterclass in resilience, the art of not taking anything for granted, and learning when perfectionism helps and when it hurts.

In This Episode

00:00:45 - Introduction and first impressions

00:01:25 - Growing up in Rabat

00:02:20 - Competitive entry into dental school

00:02:50 - How dentistry happened

00:03:50 - The serious student

00:06:25 - Postgraduate training in Paris

00:07:15 - Paris versus London

00:09:20 - The ORE challenge

00:11:20 - Blackbox thinking

00:17:10 - Finding her first job

00:20:30 - NHS reality check

00:21:55 - Patient expectations

00:24:25 - Family life begins

00:26:30 - The diagnosis

00:29:45 - Fighting for treatment

00:32:00 - Life with disability

00:33:40 - One day at a time

00:38:20 - The improvement obsession

00:40:00 - Retreats and self-care

00:40:30 - Clinical loves and methods

00:43:25 - Rubber dams and labs

00:48:40 - The digital question

00:51:10 - Invisalign journey

00:57:15 - Fantasy dinner party

00:58:45 - Last days and legacy

About Sanaa Harroussi

Sanaa Harroussi trained in dentistry in Morocco before completing postgraduate studies in prosthodontics in Paris. She's been practising in West London for fifteen years, building her career in the same practice whilst raising three sons. When her middle child was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, Sanaa fought to secure him a place in a clinical trial that would save his life.

#314 The Fire Within — Sanaa Harroussi