When you meet the warm, engaging, and nearly effervescent Dr. Catrise Austin, it would be easy to assume she’s simply the girl next door. But Austin is also the celebrity cosmetic dentist behind the smiles of artists like Cardi B; Womens Boxing Champ, Claressa Shields; Actor, Anthony Anderson; and Dancing With The Stars Choreographer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. And a recent brag-worthy event includes becoming one of the few entrepreneurs who has quite literally become a Jeopardy answer.
Over the years, she’s built a nationally recognized cosmetic dentistry brand, dominating the media and becoming known as the “Queen of Smiles.” But the real story may be what happened after that, because somewhere along the way, Dr. Austin realized she wasn’t just fixing smiles anymore. She was helping other entrepreneurs diagnose their own authority gaps and fill them with meaningful brand assets.
Today, the New York-based cosmetic dentist, entrepreneur, author, and media personality has expanded her work far beyond dentistry, helping entrepreneurs, experts, and founders identify the hidden gaps keeping them from becoming known, trusted, and sought after in their industries. And in a business world obsessed with hacks, algorithm trends, and viral moments, her approach feels surprisingly grounded.
True to her medical roots, she approaches authority the same way she approaches dentistry: Diagnose first. Treat second. “Patients may say everything is fine,” Austin explained. “But with professional assessment, I can see underlying problems and opportunities they can’t see for themselves.” She believes the exact same thing happens in business.
Founders often assume they simply need more followers, but according to Austin, many actually have deeper authority gaps: unclear positioning, weak content assets, inconsistent messaging, lack of media credibility, or no recognizable point of differentiation.
That realization led her to create what she now calls an “Authority Score,” a free assessment designed to help entrepreneurs identify their biggest authority-building opportunities before investing in marketing tactics. In many ways, it mirrors the same process a doctor would use before prescribing treatment, and perhaps that’s what makes Austin’s evolution so compelling.
She didn’t abandon her expertise as a dentist, she expanded the application of it. The “Doctor of Dentistry” became what she now jokingly refers to as a “Doctor of Authority.” It’s a natural extension for someone who has spent years understanding the relationship between confidence, perception, and transformation.
Austin knows firsthand what visibility can do for a business. Her own brand exploded after transforming Cardi B’s smile early in the artist’s rise to fame; a moment that became both a business breakthrough and a masterclass in borrowed celebrity.
But Austin is quick to clarify that celebrity itself is often misunderstood. “Celebrity is simply the state of being well known,” she said. That definition matters because Austin believes many entrepreneurs dismiss visibility strategies simply because they think celebrity culture has nothing to do with them.
While proximity to celebrities can create viral moments and brand-building opportunities, Austin believes the real opportunity is helping people become more deeply known for whatever it is that is uniquely “them.” For her, that includes leaning into the things already naturally connected to her identity: New York City, media appearances, luxury cosmetic dentistry, celebrity clientele, and bold personal branding.
For her clients, it may look completely different. Some become known for a methodology or a category leader. For others, it may be their personal story, philosophy, or signature bedside manner. “What do you want to be known as?” Austin asks clients regularly. It’s a deceptively simple question that many business owners struggle to answer clearly. That clarity gap is exactly what her growing authority business now aims to solve.
Her model blends branding, positioning, media strategy, and entrepreneurial coaching into one ecosystem. And notably, she’s building it while continuing to practice dentistry. Austin works with dental patients in New York, Michigan, and New Jersey while simultaneously coaching entrepreneurs from around the world.
That dual identity, clinician and authority strategist, may actually be her greatest differentiator, because unlike many marketing experts, Austin built authority in an industry where trust is non-negotiable. People don’t casually hand over their smile, and she believes that’s why her philosophy resonates beyond dentistry.
True authority will never be manufactured through or with noise. It must be diagnosed, developed, and demonstrated consistently over time. Austin has already explored many of these ideas in her books, but if she had to drill down her best advice for other entrepreneurs, it would be this: Before you spend another dime trying to get attention, know your own authority gaps so that you can fill them intentionally.
