Artwork

เนื้อหาจัดทำโดย Michael Arias เนื้อหาพอดแคสต์ทั้งหมด รวมถึงตอน กราฟิก และคำอธิบายพอดแคสต์ได้รับการอัปโหลดและจัดหาให้โดยตรงจาก Michael Arias หรือพันธมิตรแพลตฟอร์มพอดแคสต์ของพวกเขา หากคุณเชื่อว่ามีบุคคลอื่นใช้งานที่มีลิขสิทธิ์ของคุณโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต คุณสามารถปฏิบัติตามขั้นตอนที่แสดงไว้ที่นี่ https://th.player.fm/legal
Player FM - แอป Podcast
ออฟไลน์ด้วยแอป Player FM !

The Dental Marketer

แบ่งปัน
 

Manage series 3229993
เนื้อหาจัดทำโดย Michael Arias เนื้อหาพอดแคสต์ทั้งหมด รวมถึงตอน กราฟิก และคำอธิบายพอดแคสต์ได้รับการอัปโหลดและจัดหาให้โดยตรงจาก Michael Arias หรือพันธมิตรแพลตฟอร์มพอดแคสต์ของพวกเขา หากคุณเชื่อว่ามีบุคคลอื่นใช้งานที่มีลิขสิทธิ์ของคุณโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต คุณสามารถปฏิบัติตามขั้นตอนที่แสดงไว้ที่นี่ https://th.player.fm/legal
dental marketing ideas and strategies to attract quality patients to dentist.
  continue reading

100 ตอน

Artwork

The Dental Marketer

updated

iconแบ่งปัน
 
Manage series 3229993
เนื้อหาจัดทำโดย Michael Arias เนื้อหาพอดแคสต์ทั้งหมด รวมถึงตอน กราฟิก และคำอธิบายพอดแคสต์ได้รับการอัปโหลดและจัดหาให้โดยตรงจาก Michael Arias หรือพันธมิตรแพลตฟอร์มพอดแคสต์ของพวกเขา หากคุณเชื่อว่ามีบุคคลอื่นใช้งานที่มีลิขสิทธิ์ของคุณโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต คุณสามารถปฏิบัติตามขั้นตอนที่แสดงไว้ที่นี่ https://th.player.fm/legal
dental marketing ideas and strategies to attract quality patients to dentist.
  continue reading

100 ตอน

Все серии

×
 
‍ Navigating the complex world of practice ownership isn't just about mastering the clinical side of dentistry. In this insightful episode, strategic wealth specialist Ross Brannon delves into the less-discussed trials faced by dentists, focusing on the often-overwhelming challenge of people management. Brannon reveals how these difficulties can push some dentists to the brink of considering selling their practices, shedding light on a critical issue that affects countless individuals in the field. His expert guidance is particularly timely given the additional pressures faced by new dentists, who not only contend with professional stressors but also juggle substantial educational debt and delayed career starts. Ross explains these late beginnings in professional life mean dentists often find themselves playing catch-up in financial planning—an endeavor crucial to securing stability and success. Emphasizing a proactive approach, he offers valuable strategies to mitigate these concerns, underscoring the importance of foresight in financial and career planning. By addressing these challenges head-on, dentists can pave their way to long-term success, avoiding the pitfalls that have ensnared their peers. Tune in to discover actionable insights that could redefine your path in the dental profession. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The stress and implications of people management in dental practices. Why some dentists consider selling their practice due to management challenges. The financial impact of entering the dental profession with significant student debt. How delayed career start affects long-term financial stability. Essential strategies for effective financial and career planning in dentistry. Listen now to transform your financial future and career path in dentistry! ‍ ‍ Sponsors: ‍ CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack/ Guest: Ross Brannon Business Name: Ross Brannon Financial Advisor Check out Ross's Media: Website: rossbrannon-8128715.hs-sites.com Phone: 850-566-7999 ‍ Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts! ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Florida State University Merrill Lynch Morgan Stanley RIA - Registered Investment Advisor Parkinson's Law Ally Bank Bank of America Costco Usain Bolt 12,000,000 Savings Lost Dave Ramsey Dan Sullivan - Why I Don't Believe in Retirement Bitcoin Dogecoin Essentialism ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals. ‍…
 
‍ Is your dental practice ready to break free from the ordinary and embrace new marketing strategies that truly make a difference? This episode features Shane Simmons from Crimson Media Group, who walks us through unique approaches that transform how dentists connect with their local communities. By leveraging the power of local Facebook groups, Shane shares the secrets to building meaningful relationships and promoting dental services through community engagement. Whether it's through exciting collaborations like organizing yoga sessions or axe throwing events with fellow local business owners, the insights shared in this conversation will open your eyes to the potential of grassroots marketing. But it’s not just about joining any group—it’s about authentically positioning yourself as a part of the community. Shane shares the value of engaging with these groups using a personal profile to foster trust and connection. These small steps can lead to significant benefits, including cross-promotion with businesses boasting strong social media influence. To cap it all off, Shane extends an exclusive offer to the audience—a complimentary marketing analysis aimed at unveiling the intricacies of local advertising and helping you position your practice for maximum impact. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Innovative marketing strategies tailored for dental practices. How to effectively use local Facebook groups for community engagement. The benefits of collaborating with local businesses for mutual growth. Why personal profiles are better than business pages for building trust online. How Shane's marketing analysis can help you understand your local market. Discover new marketing insights that could reshape your dental practice—tune in now! ‍ (This episode originally aired on December 26th, 2022) ‍ ‍ You can reach out to Shane Simmons here: Website: crimsonmediagroup.com Facebook: facebook.com/crimsonmediamarketing ‍ Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts! ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michael: Hey Shane. So talk to us about uncommon marketing methods. Tell me one or a couple tactics or strategies that will help bring in new patients. Shane: Yeah, so Michael, we've got one that a everybody can do. So if you've ever been in, you know, these local, like Facebook groups in your communities, you'll find that there's a Facebook group for everybody, moms, dads, but one in particular is small businesses in the area, and it's usually like shop small business or shop, you know, the community that you're living in. And one of the things that we're starting to have clients do is get into these groups and find someone who has a small business in that group that's in your community that could come to your office and do some sort of, Event or just like team building exercise at the practice. so I'll get where, how this kind of comes into getting new patients in a bit. Mm-hmm. . But the first way that you can look at this, is like as a team building opportunity. So think of people like, Yoga instructors or think of someone who maybe teaches people how to meditate. Invite that person to do a session at your office for your team one day. And one, it's gonna be a great team building exercise. It's gonna be something that's beneficial to, you know, everybody on the team. But what you can then do is say, Hey, we would love for, you know, you to post this on your Facebook and your Instagram account. You know, talking about how you had this session here. We'll share. To our audience that way in case you know, people can go check out your yoga studio or whatever the case may be, but then if they're sharing that they came to your practice, they're going to be putting your practice in front of their entire audience too. So it's obviously ideal. To find somebody who has a decent social media following, like, you probably wouldn't wanna do this with a yoga instructor, or somebody who teaches medication who's not on social media. Mm-hmm. . But, finding someone who has an audience and, and cross promoting with each other, um, through that. But then the second piece of this, which is, you know, really the cool thing is if you're in with the Facebook group where you found that individual, you can then, Pictures and videos of that day where that yoga instructor or whoever came to the practice and give them a shout out and tag them in their business in that post saying, Hey, we wanna thank, you know Michael's yoga studio for coming to our dental practice and Rancho Cucamonga and doing a full day, you know, or a half day session or whatever the case is. It's like definitely go check them out. And oh, by the way, if you guys need a dentist in the area, we would love to, be your dental home. So it's a way that you can promote yourself, but while doing so, you're promoting another business and you're not going to get kicked out of the Facebook group because it's not like you're just going in there. And dropping a promotion, it's like you used somebody's services in that group. You supported another local business. So it looks, you know, it shows that you're supporting the community while also just putting yourself out there that, hey, you know, we're also here. We would love to, to help those in the community. So that's really what we're starting to find is Almost like a ground marketing technique really, but just doing it through these Facebook groups, and again, there's so many different options that you could do with this. You could do an onsite, somewhere else where you actually go and do like, a obstacle course. You know, somebody like that owns like an obstacle course thing in the area, whatever it is. I know one thing that's like really popular right now in the Midwest, I don't know if, it's like nationally. Ax throwing is like a thing Okay. That a lot of people like go and do now. So, you know, it's, it's all about just how can you get and support other businesses in the area and then talk to that person and ask about how can we, cross promote each other to our audiences to drive more business. And the great thing about it is, it's free with the exception of whatever you may pay to get the person to come out and do the event, or if you go do. , activity at their place of business. Yeah. Okay. Michael: So then how would you recommend we go about doing this? From step one, we're going inside the Facebook group. We're looking betting, and then we're like, okay, let's see who has a good following. So would that take some time, I would assume, right. . Shane: Yeah. So, yeah, it's just a little bit of groundwork at the beginning. Mm-hmm. . So the first thing you wanna do is, you know, go to Facebook and search small business and then type in whatever, city, town you live in. That's the first thing. And join all of those groups, um, and you would join those from your personal, profile, your Facebook profile, but make sure it has. Listed on your profile, owner, dentist at such and such practice, so that that's listed in there. So first thing you wanna do is join the group. Once you've joined the groups, you can then search the group members. And the first thing that I would personally do I would scroll through the Facebook group and look at. Who's actively posting in there? You know, who are people that are regularly posting or promoting something in that group and looking at what it is that they, do. Are they real estate agents? Are they gym owners? what is it that is their profession? If you find somebody who's really active and you can. , that person could really benefit. my team, we could do something fun with them, have them come out to the office, do a day session, whatever the case is. Then that would be the person, you're trying to, reach. So I would just scroll through the group, look at, see who the active posters are, and then just make a list of, how could we use this service? Could we use this service? And, and then, you know, from there you can check out their. Page profile and see how many followers they have, and then it's from there, Michael, it's just about sending a message to them, on that group and introducing yourself as a fellow small business owner in the community who had saw one of their posts and was like, Hey, I would love to, do this or have my team do this. How can we, get set up with you guys and maybe promote each other, um, in the community. So it's really kind of three steps joining the. Researching the group and finding out, who would be a good fit to kind of partner with. Mm-hmm. and then just reaching out to that person and so far the offices that have done this that we work with, nobody's been turned down because everybody wants to partner with another local business if they can to help mutually benefit each other. Michael: Yeah. Do you think they should also kind of like once they come in, let's just say it's like the ACT's throwing, right? You go to them. We ask like, Hey, is the manager here or the owner here, kind of thing. Like that. Or, Shane: that's a great question, Michael. Usually what we're finding as of right now at least, is it's usually the owners or like the main, manager, branch manager, who is like the member of these groups. Mm-hmm. , um, because they're the actively, the ones that are trying to. Grow their, footprint in the community. So if for these smaller businesses, it's usually, you know, the owners that, that we're seeing in the groups. So it's a lot easier to, you know, be talking to the, the main person rather than going to their website and then having to see, you know, hey, who's the owner or the manager and contacting them. That way you may have a hard time getting through. that initial gatekeeper, but if you're reaching out to the owner directly on Facebook and you'll be able to find that out, you know, obviously by clicking on their profile and it should say if they're the owner slash operator or whatever the case is of mm-hmm. such and such business. Michael: I like how you mentioned join from the personal Facebook because that, I mean, I get that question. Everybody gives that question like, should we, they wanna join with their like business Facebook? Why is that Shane: not a good idea? Yeah, because I think we're the business. if you create, you know, business page and you try to join through the business group, it just doesn't have that personal connection that, you're looking for. And it can sometimes raise red flags with group admins. I mean, you know, Michael, you're group admin. It can raise red flags of us. This person just gonna come in and spam the group, nobody wants that who's running one of these Facebook groups. So when you join in from your personal profile, it's showing that you're actually there trying to. Meaningful connections. You're not afraid to hide your face right, or hide behind the business, and you're just more likely to be looked at as like a legitimate person or poster contributor to that group, rather than going in and joining through the business page where in that case there's just no personal, touch to that. Michael: Yeah, I can see that a hundred percent. Awesome. And then so when we go in there, we're talking to them, let's just say we're going in there, talking to them and then, The owner's like, Hey, yeah, yeah, come on in. Should we do something where're like, Hey, if your employees Or like, wait and then have them, you know, until you guys interact more. What? What do you Shane: think? Yeah, no, I'm glad you asked this because we would, suggest, or the way we're suggesting it right now is go in, you know, u utilize their service, whatever the case is, kind of use that the first time. And, and that's kind of it. but then follow up, a month down the road and saying something like, you know, Hey, we just wanna say how much we appreciated you guys. Maybe you drop off. to go whitening boxes, you know, crest whitening strips, something along those lines to the, business and to the group, and put some membership. If you have a membership plan, which hopefully you do in the practice, practice, put some membership plan, graphics or a QR code that goes to your membership plan in that gift box as well. And so when you give that to the, the manager there, let them know, you know, Hey, we just really enjoyed, you know, utilizing your service. Obviously, you know, we're another small business in the area. If you don't have, currently any like dental insurance that you're offering your team, because, you know, we understand small businesses, a lot of them don't have that. here's an option for the people who work here where they can come to our office and join this membership plan. And so that's a way where you can then start to. Build that, relationship a little bit more, taking it to the next level and kind of showing them how you can, you with their team and, and provide those type of benefits. But I would say wait at least a month after you've kind of really connected with that person, utilized their services already. That way it doesn't look like you're trying to get something from them. and that's it. You know, you want to look at this as, you know, how can we show them we're wanting to utilize their services as much as possible, we value them. And at that point, reciprocity just comes into play where they're gonna wanna be able to do whatever they can for you to help promote you and your business, um, because you've shown support to. . Michael: Yeah. Awesome man. Awesome. I appreciate this, Shane, and I appreciate your time and if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find 'em on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Shane: Yeah, no. So they can, uh, always find us@crimsonmediagroup.com. It's a great way to reach out to us, through that platform. And yeah, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have about your current marketing or what marketing maybe we, you wanna explore doing, you know, definitely reach out to us and we'd be happy to be a resource. Michael: Yeah. And real quick, you, y'all still do the free analysis, right? For. Shane: Yes. So we do, just for Michael's audience here, we do a free marketing analysis for, any practice owners in this group. So we'll go through, we'll look at, what people are looking for when they're, when they're searching for a dentist, who's advertising in the area, what are they advertising? That way you get a really good glimpse of the kind of landscape in your community, and it's just really great insight, if anything. So, yeah, if you wanna check out. what that's all about. You can reach out to us through, again, crimson mediagroup.com and just let us know in the comments that you'd like to request a marketing analysis and, uh, we'd be happy to to do that for you. Michael: Awesome. So guys, that's gonna be the first link in the show notes below, so go check it out, get your free analysis and shin. Thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning marketing episode. Thanks Michael.…
 
‍ What does it take to have an unmistakably excellent startup? In this episode, we're exploring the world of dental practice management with Alan Withall, a seasoned dental consultant with Henry Schein Dental. Alan shares his remarkable journey from Wisconsin to New Jersey, tackling the initial hurdles of the dental supply industry that led him to establish the F.Y.I. Study Club. This initiative has blossomed into a vital resource for dentists, aimed at educating and equipping them with the tools needed to start and expand their practices successfully. Alan reveals how he bridges the gap between dentists and key industry resources, enhancing their business acumen and operational success. Through this engaging conversation, Alan offers an insider's view on critical aspects of launching a dental practice—covering everything from the essentials of obtaining bank loan pre-approvals and managing budget constraints to avoiding pitfalls like underinvesting in equipment and marketing. The episode brims with practical advice, including the benefits of 3D printing technologies and the significance of effective systems and billing for sustained growth. Alan's commitment to his clients shines through as he discusses fostering strong networks, systematizing operations, and leveraging tools like the Henry Schein Practice Analysis to uncover untapped opportunities. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The journey and challenges faced by Alan Withall in the dental industry. Strategies for starting and growing successful dental practices. The role and benefits of F.Y.I. Study Club for continued learning. Importance of creating a resource network for dentists. Tips on securing bank loans and budgeting for dental startups. The need for investing in quality equipment and strategic marketing. Advantages of adopting 3D printing and scanning technologies. Insights on systematizing operations and managing employee turnover. How to utilize practice analysis tools to boost financial returns. Tune in now to learn with Alan Withall and elevate your practice! ‍ ‍ Guest: Alan Withall Check out Alan's Media: Phone: 262-389-0532 Instagram: instagram.com/newyorkdentalconsultant Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/326618684157415 ‍ Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts! ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Businesses/Services: Henry Schein Bank of America Wells Fargo WeCare Practice Advisors Google Ads WeCapture Media Group LLI Advisory Clinician's Choice vVARDIS ‍ Tools/Resources: PowerPoint Henry Schein Practice Analysis Kasper Indeed Dentrix ‍ People: Justin Ditkofsky (WeCare Practice Advisors) Dr. Kareem Osman Jerry Iaconvano (LLI Advisory) ‍ Groups: The Making of a Dental Startup (Facebook Group) ‍ Products: Curodont Perio Restore Primescan Scanner 3Shape Scanner ‍ Insurance Codes: D0120 - Dental Exam Code D0140 - Emergency Exam Code D9110 - Emergency Palliative Code ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.…
 
Can focusing on just ONE aspect of your life or practice truly enhance your overall fulfillment and success? Join me as I delve into a fascinating conversation with my return guest Dr. Avi Patel, an expert in the concept of singular focus. Avi eloquently unpacks the transformative power of honing your energy on one dimension of your life or practice. From personal anecdotes of bettering his marriage through therapy to using this single-minded approach in his dental practice, Avi provides a fresh perspective on achieving unparalleled results through the art of simplification. As we explore this captivating topic further, Avi demystifies the age-old conundrum of juggling multiple goals. His advice? Shift the lens from defining a myriad of large objectives to establishing non-negotiable standards. By laser-focusing on mastering one skill at a time and leveraging consultants or mentors who've tread the same path, we can optimize our efforts and enhance our personal and professional lives. Avi shares his current focus which involves expanding his scope beyond the clutches of conventional dentistry and into the intriguing realm of content creation in the dental industry. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How channelizing your energy and resources into one facet of your life can reap more fulfillment and success. The power of simplifying your goals into non-negotiable standards. The benefits of seeking advice from consultants or coaches who have experienced similar situations. The importance of focusing on one KPI at a time and allowing your brain to problem solve and improve other areas organically. Avi's current career pivot - stepping away from clinical dentistry and moving towards content creation. Ready to dive in and discover the untapped potential of singular focus? Tune in now! ‍ (This episode originally aired on February 5th, 2024) ‍ ‍ You can reach out to Dr. Avi Patel here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor.avi/ Avi's Clear Aligner Course: https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/launchpad ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Podcasts/Publications: 438: DR. AVI PATEL | CLEAR ALIGNER ADVISOR ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michael: Hey Avi. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Avi: So I, my piece of advice would be to kind of simplify, I. Everything you're doing and focus on one thing. And I think a good place to start is with yourself. So, and then even with yourself, right? There's different aspects. There's your mental self, your physical self, your emotional self. And I think if you first focus on your mental self and you do what you can to get that in order and get that into a place where. You have more control. Uh, I'm not talking about mind control, but something, something close to that. But if you, if you focus on your mental self, everything from that point I believe flows. So, um, for example, myself, about two and a half years ago, I started doing therapy. I was doing it because I wanted to improve. Um. My relationship with my wife. Mm-Hmm. And I just wanted to be a better person. I wanted to be able to support her better, but then also myself, just be better. I think that was like the goal. Mm-Hmm. And what I noticed from that point on was I started creating these habits because my focus was on improving. Essentially my mental health or myself. I started creating a morning routine. And so that morning routine was journaling, meditating, stretching. That then led to me being more organized, more focused during the day, uh, less stressed. so that's kind of how it went into the business way of how it helped me in life. But then physically, um, I got into the best shape of my life. I started being more intentional about what I was eating, what I was kinda spending my time on in terms of working out movement, stuff like that. And so just by starting on focusing on one thing by myself or on my mental health rather, all this stuff flowed. And I think you can translate this to other aspects of your life, your business, and everything. Because whenever you're focusing on too many things, right, and I think especially this time of year in January, everyone's got a million goals going on. Probably by the time this thing airs, most people won't have any of their resolutions continuing. But, ' cause I made the same mistake, right? And everyone hears it. Mm-Hmm. And I think I, I felt. So much relief when I looked at the multiple goals that I wanted to basically achieve this year personally and business-wise. And, uh, I felt so good when I eliminated like 90% of them because. I think people get confused on like, having a goal and then actually having something to do, right? So when you have too many goals, then there's so many things to do to achieve all of those goals. You're never gonna get it done. Mm-Hmm. And I kinda just went back to my roots of like, when was there a time in my life where I was growing rapidly, feeling good about myself, achieving a lot of success, and it's back when I was just doing, or focusing rather on like one thing. and so. I kind of remembered that and then I went back to it. Uh, simplified the morning routine again, these days to we're not trying to do 10 things before I start. It's more so just keeping it very simple, very efficient, because what happens is when you start getting those wins, those wins start to stack, and then next thing you know, when you look at it, you know, a year in review, you've achieved so much more just because you were focusing on one thing at a time and kind of chipping away at it. Michael: Gotcha, man. So right now you're kind of mentioning or you're letting us know that have one thing to focus on. Mm-Hmm. so in a specific aspect, we have to have one thing to focus on or like just in general, like, I want a better life, Avi: I would say. So if you are someone who is trying to, like, if you feel lost and you actually don't have a sense of direction or whatnot. Yes, only one thing because what's gonna happen is you're gonna pour, you know you're gonna pour more resources, more time into that one thing, your one big thing, and then from that other things will flow. Right. So if you wanna have a better love life, if you are spending a lot of your free time, you know, focusing on your business, focusing on your health, and like having all these diets working out and all that stuff, and then you're then trying to find time to like do things that would help your love life, you are, it's gonna take you longer to achieve that. Where is, if you say okay. The priority for right now is my love life. That doesn't mean don't do anything for the rest of your, you know, the other aspects of your life. Yeah. But that should be the thing. That should be the main thing. And then once you have that, you, I. We'll find that when, if that is truly what you want to accomplish and like improve your happiness, and there's almost gonna be like a spillover effect, right? Because we're human beings, we're dynamic. It's things are not just, you know, in solitude, but when you're able to focus on one thing, you're able to see, um. More results in that area. And then from that there will be an overflow. Because if you feel more fulfilled in your love life, you are gonna probably have higher energy levels. When you have higher energy levels, you're going to be able to probably do more things, whether it's in your business or for your own health. but it all flows from that one thing where if you're trying to take your limited resource, which is energy, and then spread it out all over the place, a lot of things are just not gonna really move. Yeah. Michael: Could I ask this this year? Like what is it? You're, the thing you're focusing on. Avi: So it's, right now it is, I'm doing it kind of in, in chapters or phases. So we're expecting our first kid in two months. Oh, nice. Okay. Yeah. So I know that's gonna be a huge change. Um, yeah, so basically I was like, cool, well, since life is gonna look different after that, what do, what do I need to do now to be in a place to where I can, 'cause my big thing is all about optionality. I love having optionality. I love, you know, not having to be limited by things. And so the biggest thing that I hear from parents is, you know, the biggest thing that. They get a a, there's a big crunch in time and your energy because now you are kind of giving to this human being. and, and you, you also, and everyone also says it's the most rewarding thing and it's, they always wish they had more time when their kid was younger and they could be there. So I'm like, cool. I need to simplify. Other things in my life to create that space so that way when the baby is here, I can receive that. So for me, from a business standpoint, I have, or I'm trying to currently simplify all the processes in the business. So right now, um. My business is the online ClearLiner Education Program. and a big arm of that is supporting the doctors in the program, but then also creating content on social media to provide free value for people. So I am working on simplifying the content creation part and also simplifying, um. The program itself, so that way it provides the most value for doctors in it. but then also doesn't take up, an extraordinary amount of my time to deliver that support and that value. Gotcha. Okay. Michael: So this, are you only doing now the online Uh, course, yeah. Or are you also working at a practice still? Avi: Nope. So I, I stepped away from clinical dentistry back in September. I was doing it full-time and then slowly went down to part-time, and then with the growth of the program and I. Content creation, social media and all that. I decided to go all in on it because it's just, it's the passion of mine and it's, I feel like it's my calling to help innovate and, um, help move the industry forward And, mm-Hmm. I feel like a quote that kind of stuck with me, or I don't know if it was a quote, but basically someone told me it's like you're either working in an industry or you're working on an industry. Mm-Hmm. And it's hard to work on an industry when a lot of your time is kind of. While you're working in it, right? Mm-Hmm. I think there's kind of like a balance. So I'm kind of using this chapter in my career to kind of step away from the chair and, and dedicate more time and resources into ways that I can help kind of work on the industry. Michael: Yeah. Okay. Man. I like that though. I like that. Um, part of simplifying goals because I feel like goals is like a, sometimes like a shiny, fast, cool word, right? Like, Hey man, I wanna have these goals when it's more, um. Non-negotiable standards. Right? That's what it is. Like I wanna have a non-negotiable standard. This is it. And then I gotta reverse engineering on how to make it happen. And it's easier to do that if you have one, right? Mm-Hmm. One specific one. Boom. Did it next. Right? But if you have all these big, shiny goals and you're like, man, I wanna lose a ton of weight, and you don't know how to do it kind of thing, right? Avi: Correct. Correct. And even just like. Relating it to dentists, right? Like if you've got a practice and you, you have a goal if you want to increase the revenue, right? Mm-Hmm. Where then it's, everyone always tells you, okay, well cool, you pick a number, then you reverse engineer it. How are you gonna get there? Um, from my personal experience, when it came to just like leveling up as a clinician, I found that when I was trying to learn how to do multiple procedures clinically at once, like when I wanted to become a better clinician, I wasn't like. Immersing myself in it, so I wasn't actually able to get as good as I wanted to. The example here is when I started with like implants and aligners, I pretty much learned them both at the same time. and so I was splitting my time between it. Implants. It was a little bit longer for me to kind of get going just because it is surgery and it just, you know, it's very, I mean, it's surgery, so it's, it's, it's pretty crazy. Mm-Hmm. Yeah. Um, but then with aligners I also just started to see, um, more success with it. And then I slowly started to like, immerse myself in that. And so when I was focusing on that one procedure, it wasn't just about moving teeth. It's how do you talk to the patient? How do you get the team on board? How do you schedule them? What do you do? So I was able to like work through all that by being focused. Where if I was trying to like iron out implants, learn it, implement it, and do aligners and like, you know. Do other procedures and, and work with the team and all that, it would be too much. And I know a lot of dentists probably feel that way, but I think the answer is, is like until you're like proficient in something, you should pick like one skill, whether it's business right, or clinical, and focus on that for the year to grow. You will know when you get to a point where you can kind of now choose a different area to focus on. So that's why it's like. I think a lot of dentists, right? Stress comes into play. There's always a lot of hats to wear. but I think kind of taking the pressure off yourself by just wanting to focus on one thing, knowing that other people are going to tell you, oh, you need to look at the KPIs. You need to look at this. You need to look at that. Yes, you do. But what you have to do in the beginning of anything new is focus on one thing. Get good at it and then move on to the next Mm-Hmm. Gotcha. Michael: So then how does that kind of play a role in, for example, software? Right? They're like, Hey, all these features and everything like that, and you're gonna be able to look at your dashboard and your analytics and then you're like, cool. 'cause that contributes to the goal that I wanna make more collections. I wanna make a million dollars this this year, right? Like I wanna be Mm-Hmm. A million dollar in collections this year. And then you look at it. I feel like there's too many features of everything. You know what I mean? To just be like, uh oh, we'll focus on this one thing. 'cause then like, what if your new patients drop 'cause of the time, or you know what I mean? And all this other stuff. How do we, I guess, keep our blinders Avi: on? So I would say the best thing to do in that situation is talk to someone who's done it before. Right? Talk to the, there's a bunch of dentists, coaches, consultants, people out there who already know what these like successful practices look like. Talk to them, ask them, Hey, if you were to start over again, or if you had to go back, what is one area that you would focus on for 90 days? What is one KPI metric that you would focus on that you feel like has the highest leverage? Right. When you say that, now you're able to lock in for 90 days, you're able to see that metric. And the thing, what's gonna happen is once you go down that rabbit hole, you're gonna find all these other things along the way. So it's not that other things are gonna drop off, you're just, you're shooting your shot. To get better at one KPI, but then when you're doing that, your brain will start to problem solve for ways to improve that KPI. And when you're doing that, you're gonna touch other parts of your practice. Does that make sense? Yeah, that makes Michael: a lot of sense. I like that question. What's the one thing you, you know what I mean? Like for, for you looking back, right? Starting out? Yeah. Because I think you told me one time we in one, a previous episode, and I'm gonna put a link to it in the show. It's below, but. You were looking to do practice ownership, right? But then you're like, uh, I don't know. Or kind of thing, right. Or an acquisition, I wanna say Avi: no. I don't know if I went that route. I think it was more my, my story kind of high levels. I was always an associate, but I'd worked in a bunch of practices and so it was like I was looking at okay, like what can practice ownership give me that I don't currently have? Mm-Hmm. And also like. Is it worth for me to go down that route with all the resources, time and everything like that? And I think, I don't have a knock on practice ownership. I think it's great if you're, you know, doing it the right way. But for me, this route of going into like education and like uplifting other doctors to learn this procedure was like the bigger kind of pull for me in terms of my career story. Yeah. So Michael: looking back. What's one metric you focus on for 90 days? If you had to start over, Avi: uh, as a dentist wanting to like do aligners or just as like a dentist in general, Michael: as a dentist wanting to do aligners, like what you're doing, education. Going down that route. I Avi: would, yeah, if I knew, if I started back and knew nothing, I would get with somebody that knows how to do it. Pick their brain to know what cases are easy to treat, what should you not do, right? And then, um, how to get patients to do it. I would focus on those three strategies. And then the actual, like metric, I would hold myself accountable to the point where every week I would start tracking how many patients did I talk to about it, and how many patients said yes. Like very simple. And then. I guess over time I would see like how many patients on average am I talking to a week? How many you're saying? Yes. And then from there, try to figure out, okay, why aren't they saying yes or how can we get more patients to say yes, or how can I talk to more patients, you know? Mm-Hmm. Like that's how I would do it, but how many people I talk to and how many people said yes would probably be the two metrics I'd focus on. Michael: Nice. Okay. Awesome. I mean, thank you so much for being with us on this Monday morning episode. If anybody had any questions or concerns, where can they reach Avi: out to you? Uh, Instagram is the easiest. My handle is doctor.avi and uh, yeah, just shoot me a DM and I'd be happy to chat. Michael: Awesome. So that's gonna be in the show notes below. And Avi, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Avi: Thanks Michael.…
 
Ever felt stuck in your professional journey despite years of experience and education? This episode dives deep into the transformative story of Dr. Jeff Buske, a dentist whose career took a turn for the better after overcoming early frustrations and burnout. Jeff candidly shares his experiences with un-fulfillment and low patient volumes, painting a vivid picture of how connecting with mentor Dr. Bruce Baird reignited his passion for dentistry. This pivotal relationship steered Jeff towards a profound realization: success isn't merely about hard skills but also a mindset shift. Together, we explore Jeff’s profound transformation from feeling overwhelmed to embodying a holistic approach to life and work. Integrating physical, emotional, and mental well-being into his practice, Jeff uncovers strategies for coping with stress and achieving both personal and professional fulfillment. He highlights the power of daily routines centered around four key areas: body, being, balance, and business. Through these insights, Jeff illustrates how clarity and specific objectives can drive lasting growth, supported by practical leadership and conflict resolution skills. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Jeff Buske’s journey from burnout to renewed passion in dentistry. The importance of mindset shifts alongside skill development. Strategies for integrating holistic well-being into daily practice. The role of daily routines in maintaining integrity and empowerment. Effective leadership and conflict resolution techniques for team dynamics. How to set clear targets for substantial and sustainable growth. Tune in now for transformative insights from Dr. Jeff Buske’s journey in dentistry! ‍ ‍ Guest: Dr. Jeff Buske Check out Jeff's Media: Instagram: instagram.com/dr.jeffbuske LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-jeffrey-buske-12201010a Coaching: stan.store/Jbuske ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Education: Dawson LSU Dr. Steve Buchanan (Courses) ‍ Groups: Dentaltown ‍ People: Dr. Bruce Baird Garrett J White Tony Robbins Brad Pitt ‍ Movies: Fight Club ‍ Events: Warrior Week ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals. ‍…
 
‍ Having trouble hiring and retaining GREAT hygienists? In this episode, we're exploring how to redefine your approach to attracting and retaining valuable team members like dental hygienists. I'm here today with Kari Carter-Cherelus, who shares transformative advice for creating more welcoming and inclusive work environments. By advocating for flexible work schedules, Kari sheds light on how dental offices can better accommodate the diverse needs of their staff, particularly women navigating caregiving responsibilities. From job sharing to customized shifts, our conversation delves into practical solutions that satisfy both employee and employer needs. Kari brings a wealth of insights drawn from her interactions in various professional online communities, where she observes the power of communication and fairness in fostering productive workplaces. She emphasizes the importance of respecting cultural diversity and personal commitments, encouraging dental practices to embrace policies that are not only beneficial but also compassionate. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The impact of flexible work schedules on staff retention. Practical examples of successful job-sharing arrangements. The role of open communication in creating a fair workplace. Strategies for respecting cultural diversity and personal commitments. How to cultivate an inclusive and supportive office environment. Unlock strategies for a happier, more cohesive dental office workforce by tuning in today! ‍ ‍ You can reach out to Kari Carter-Cherelus here: Website: Bit.ly/burnoutdentalhygienist Email: cherelussmiles@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kari-carter-cherelus-rdh-da-65094b49 Instagram: instagram.com/kmc.smiles Facebook: facebook.com/kari.cartercherelus ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ TV/Characters: Michael Scott The Office ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michael: Hey Carrie, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Kari: I'm going to say that if offices can be more flexible with their team members, then they probably will be able to attract more and retain more team members. A lot of dentists complain about not being able to find a dental hygienist. Where, statistically speaking, most hygienists are women, even though it is a diverse field, so there are different genders in the field as well. However, that's just the fact of the matter, and most women are caregivers, they may have children they have to take care of, or someone in the house that they have to take care of. So if they can actually make that schedule more flexible, instead of just being straight eight to five or eight to whatever it is, or whatever that time is, and actually maybe job share, then they actually will probably be able to fill that position that they've been trying to fill for a year or two. Michael: Job share. You mean like sharing the position? Kari: Basically. Yeah. for example, I'm a mom. My child is three. I have to drop them off to preschool and pick them up within a certain period of time, or I would have to pay for aftercare before here. And so there's many people in the same positions and they would dream of having a schedule from eight to three where somebody else would like to have a schedule where maybe they could work. 12 to five Or seven. So you would be able to have someone who could fill that initial bulk of time that you need. And then if you're trying to accommodate patients by having the office open to a later period of time, then they may be someone who is actually looking for that schedule. Michael: Hmm. Okay. Gotcha. So can you share examples of flexible work arrangements that have resonated most with team members you've worked with or your team members? Kari: Online, I have a Facebook group of about almost 10, 000 people, but I'm in a lot of Facebook groups, and a lot of hygienists would love to have that schedule from like 8 to 2 or 8 to 3, whereas other people need more hours, and so they would like to have a longer period of time I've worked All different types of schedules. And so maybe I've worked full time five days, six days a week sometimes, or I've only worked three days a week. And then there's been times where I had worked from eight o'clock to five. And times when I worked from 11 to seven, sometimes that was broken up throughout the week, and sometimes that was consistent. So when you have different changes in your life, such as being a Becoming a mom or some are widows or different things, then they may need some variations. So not having that cookie cutter schedule, of course, a dental office is a business and they need those hours filled and patients need to be seen. However, just finding something that works. For everyone really has helped a number of hygienists that I've spoken with and dentists have been happy that at least they have someone filling their Chairs, and they're not just having to continue to have temps or to not have patients being seen They're not turning away patients because they have no one to see them. Michael: Got you. sounds awesome would a practice owner or someone be hesitant to do this? Kari: Probably because they just want someone to feel that time. So they just, you would have to be open minded and sometimes in dentistry, not all dental professionals are open minded. They want a certain person to fulfill that job, or sometimes it's a certain look, or a certain gender, and so you would have to actually be open minded to be willing to have a schedule that isn't the normal schedule, and then also we're open Sometimes they're afraid of other employees being upset. Recently I had someone upset in my Facebook group because they had kids and they had to negotiate that schedule. So they felt that the hygienist who had negotiated that schedule, who got off at two 30 to go pick up her kids was a slacker and lazy, so they may not do it because they may feel like other team members may feel jealous. So why does this person get to get off? I have family too. I have kids too. So they're. Jealousy or just treating everyone the same, but in that sense, then you don't have someone who's filling that chair. Now, some practice owners have seen that if they don't do this, then that loyal employee who's been there for a long time is going to leave. They're going to find other employment or they're just going to choose the temp. So it really behooves the office to come up with different ways to make everyone happy, which is pretty, pretty important. Difficult to make everyone happy, you know, that's very hard to do, but to think of different ways to be able to attract and retain team members, because that is hard. People constantly complaining about the dental shortage. instead of just complaining about it. And complaining about maybe having to pay more in wages or not being able to find someone or name calling, actually coming up with different solutions that are going to help the office out as well as the team member and showing that you care that you actually would work with someone allows them to be more loyal to the practice because they see that the office bent over backwards to really help them to maybe have that flexible schedule for whatever the reason is that they've had it. Michael: Yeah, that's true. That's a good point. What happened in your Facebook group too, because I feel like if that starts happening, you start noticing disunity, right? Like, Oh man, the one person's like angry at another person. Is it just because of this reason? Or was there an underlying solution there? Did y'all guys really not like each other this whole time? Kind of A thing, right? Kari: I mean, The whole post got deleted because so many people were like do you just not like the person because of the schedule or are they actually slacking? Like, What is the actual things? Because some people said that's my exact schedule. That's the schedule I have. My doctor bent over backwards. I do a lot of remote work now. And all the different things that I do. So I temp because of having my child, you know, it's very hard to find that schedule. It's very difficult to find it. When I do look online like, what will happen if everything falls apart and I need to get a clinical job? The jobs, they want you to work four or five days a week from eight to seven. So how am I going to raise my child? And that's one reason there is a dental shortage among hygienists because of that offset of the work life balance. Many people feel that they are not actually paying attention. playing an active participant in their child's life or in their own life. So they're wanting to have more balance. So somewhere we got lost in the profession. Quite honestly, I've been in a dental profession for 25 years. One of the reasons I chose it is because it was built to me as a great job for moms. So if everyone wanted to have a kid, then, it was flexible. I can maybe work three days a week and somewhere, maybe because of the insurance industry, I don't know. We kind of lost sight of that and that we are trying to cater to patients so much that we're not really allowing the team to get what they need out of life as well. Michael: that's Something we've been seeing a lot too, but I feel like whenever we talk to a lot of practice owners, hygienists, things like that, right? And dads too. Dads too, but like moms specifically there's a lot of that. Have you heard of mom guilt? Kari: Come on, don't mansplain it. I just gave a course on mommy bird out from mommy dentist and business. Yes, mom guilt is thing, You they have a special thing for my son Friday at his school, he didn't go to school the other day, but I saw the volunteer thing, and they only had three volunteer slots, and it was already filled, and I was like, I would have wanted to go to that, I wish I had, So yeah, we deal with a lot of guilt and a lot of moms who are dentists or hygienists or assistants or whatever, they're missing out on key things with their kids lives. So key events that the office is saying they can't go to, or one dentist she wrote in a Facebook group when I was doing some like research she wrote that she missed the kid's first day of school. And so she asked the kid, how was your first day of kindergarten? And then you're like, Oh, I told dad already, ask him. Michael: no, yeah, you miss out those key moments. You're absolutely right. So then you have to have a team that also wants to support that as well. Not just for the practice owner, but for like the hygienist for even assistant for everybody. Right. Like Understand Hey man, that's, She has to go see her child or something has to happen right, with the child. So how do you train them to be like leaders, to truly support an inclusive and flexible work environment? Kari: It's gonna have to be really having that flexibility. Open communication and then making sure that everyone is on board. So having a positive office environment, does have to be fair, so if other people aren't able to leave or they can't have that schedule, then what are you doing for them? So if they don't have kids, it's not fair that they never get to leave early sometimes too. So how are you allowing them to leave or allowing them to take PTO and things? So that's what's important, making sure that you're there for everyone. Because when I didn't have a trial, sometimes I face like discrimination in a way at the office. Because maybe I didn't get to see a patient that was as productive and I'm, if I'm being paid base and on bonus structure, I was told well, you have a husband, he's got a good job. It's like, what does that have to do with anything? Or I'm a single mom. So it has to be fair because that coin can go both ways. So you have to be able to understand how someone can feel that it's unfair that someone gets to leave every day. But at the same time, do they ever get to leave or can they come in later? How are you accommodating everyone in the office, which although difficult to do, with good communication and making sure that the team, feels that they are part of the practice. They all want the practice to do well. They're invested in the practice almost like an ownership, then they're going to be more inclined to support one another. Michael: Okay. I like that. So then how do you make sure, I guess your diversity and flexibility policies. Are truly felt by the team and not just formalities. Kari: That takes time. So it may be having someone like a coach or consultant come in and make sure that you're actually implementing those different policies, because I'm sure we've all worked in places that said that, Everyone has that little federal guideline that they're supposed to acknowledge as far as we don't discriminate against race or religion or everything like that. But I've been on plenty of interviews where it's not said, but you know, oh, that is actually discrimination going on. So for that to actually not happen or for it to be a diverse environment, then they have to make sure that they're recognizing all the team members. So Think about the holidays. So not just recognizing one particular religion's holidays, recognizing that other team members may celebrate different holidays. If the office has someone, let's say, who's Muslim and they're, dealing with Ramadan, then are you respecting that and what takes place during that time or Jewish or Christian, whatever. So making sure that you're respecting everyone in their Particular beliefs making sure that you're giving people grace just constantly learning about it. One thing that the office could do is to take continuing education courses together, and that way it's not just put all on one person and everyone's not. Awkward and everything, ideally outside of the office, probably, unless you have someone who's training that to come in, you don't want it to be like the office situation with Michael Scott and how it like goes, I love that show, but how it goes contrary to the whole thing. It's like, this is worst uh, example. So actually making sure that everyone feels supported and included. I know even yesterday. I saw on a Facebook post about is it okay for people to take the day off or a mental day and everything? And so sometimes people need to take a mental day. Sometimes what may be affecting one person isn't affecting the other person. Or you may not understand what's going on. you know, there was a lot yesterday since it was the day after election. So just seeing that there are so many different, Thought processes. So recognizing that obviously not everyone may feel like you feel. Just giving everyone grace and being kind is important. So fostering that team is important. Sometimes having team building exercises can definitely help. Going places as a team conferences are the best, making sure that the office is supporting the team. If they're mandatory going somewhere, they should be paid so that you don't have people who are resenting this mandatory. Event is important as well. Michael: Interesting. Okay. Yeah. When you were mentioning the example of different, make sure you acknowledge it. I thought of the office to media was like, Oh yeah. And Michael Scott. So that brings me to one of my last questions besides like the holidays and stuff like that, how do you celebrate different cultures while making everyone feel equally important? Kari: I guess bringing it up, but not bringing it up. I don't know if it's done regularly, then it's not going to be cringe. Because we know it can be cringe around like certain months it's Black History Month. It's like, uh, you know, so why aren't we just doing it all the time? So why are we just celebrating everybody all the time instead of waiting to a particular month and week and it's like, okay, we got that checked off and everything. We got Asian American month checked off. So it's like, stop just checking boxes and actually just living it. So regularly doing it. And One cliche way is to do potlucks, but I don't necessarily like potlucks, honestly, because see on Instagram and TikTok, not everyone has the same standards. So one way is to maybe go to different restaurants. Yeah, you know, they're, the Board of Health has to come in and everything like that. But at least talking about the differences the food and exploring talking about differences and how ones grew up is a way that can be helpful. I think talking about different culture, I've learned from, different colleagues and, talking about different languages, talking about different places that we visited. So just actually being open to having different conversations where we can talk about things that aren't going to be controversial, but just respecting one another, because when we do that, then we can see things from other's side of the coin or different opinion or perspective. Michael: Awesome. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Kari: Social media is really the easiest thing. So they can follow me on Instagram. KMC dot smiles. My name, Carrie Carter Shirelles is on LinkedIn, Facebook, all those different platforms. And then my email is shirellessmiles at gmail. com. And my link is Bitly Burnout Dental Hygienist. Michael: Nice. Okay. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Kyrie, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Kari: Thank you for having me.…
 
Discover how a dentist from Minnesota merges art and science to create a thriving rural practice. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Heather Holt, who shares her unconventional entry into the dental field, driven by her love for both art and science. Heather candidly discusses the key moments and influences, including her inspiring mentor, that propelled her into dentistry. Her narrative underscores the crucial role of passion and support in shaping one's professional journey, illustrating how a strong foundation of encouragement can pave the way for success. Heather takes us through her evolution from an associate dentist to the proud owner of a bustling practice in Long Prairie, Minnesota. She reveals the challenges and lessons learned during this transition, highlighting the importance of both positive and negative experiences in associateships. Heather provides a detailed look into building a team that values trust, how simple gestures can enhance patient relationships, and the unique hurdles of running a practice in a rural setting. Throughout, Heather's story remains a testament to dedication, the power of community, and the intricate balance between professional demands and personal life. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How art and science can inspire a unique career path in dentistry. The impact of mentorship and family support in career decisions. Insights into transitioning from an associate to a practice owner. Strategies for effective staff management and efficient office systems. Tactics for building strong patient relationships through personal touches. Unique challenges and benefits of practicing dentistry in a rural community. The importance of trusting the process and maintaining empathy in patient care. Balancing professional responsibilities with a fulfilling personal life. Exploring future expansion and the significance of personal values in business. Tune in to uncover the captivating journey of turning passion into a thriving dental practice that leaves a lasting impact. ‍ ‍ Guest: Dr. Heather Holt Practice Name: Prairie Family Dental Check out Heather's Media: Website: longprairiefamilydental.com Instagram: instagram.com/longprairiefamilydental Facebook: facebook.com/LongPrairieFamilyDental ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Businesses/Services: Wonderist Agency Avon Dental Snap Fitness ‍ People: Leanne Mathieu Kramer (Statements Plus Compliance Solutions Inc) Dr. Kathleen Moen ‍ Books: The Starfish and the Spider Everything is Marketing ‍ Insurance: Delta Dental ‍ Products: A-dec Dental Chairs ‍ Organizations: OSHA ‍ Education: University of Minnesota ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.…
 
‍ What happens when patients don't pay their bill? In today's episode, I'm diving into a revealing conversation with Andy Grover Cleveland, the expert behind Collection Agency Ninja. Forget everything you've heard about the conventional timelines for involving collection agencies. Andy advocates for a proactive approach, suggesting engagement as early as 60 to 90 days post-EOB. This strategy not only streamlines financial operations but also nurtures patient relationships through clear communication. Andy reveals the secrets to choosing reputable collection agencies that enhance, rather than hinder, patient rapport. You'll learn why early intervention is a game-changer in maintaining your practice’s financial health without compromising on patient satisfaction. From identifying common pitfalls in the collections process to crafting effective patient communication strategies, this episode equips practice owners with pivotal insights for balancing financial well-being and patient care. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why early intervention with collection agencies can benefit your practice. The importance of notifying patients about balances promptly. How to choose the right collection agency for positive patient interactions. Best practices for encouraging patient payments gracefully. Common mistakes dental practices make in collections. Strategies to balance financial health with patient relationships. Listen now to master the art of patient payment collections in your practice! ‍ ‍ You can reach out to Andy Grover Cleveland here: Website: collectionagencyninja.com ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michael: Hey Andy, so talk to us, what's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Andy: I'm going to give something that probably goes against everything that everyone has ever heard in the dental business. I Believe you should use a collection agency at 60 to 90 days. After the EOB, which is probably very unpopular, but it's really crucial in the business of dentistry. Michael: Interesting. there specific communication strategies that we should implement at 30 or 45 days mark or to avoid escalating to the 60 days? Andy: Yeah, great question. Of course you want to notify. You don't want this to be blind. you do want to notify them that they owe the balance. And even before that, you want to try to collect it at time of service so that you never create the problem. However, you know, you have a real world and you have the perfect world. And sometimes those planets are just not aligned. So if someone does not pay that full balance, After that service is provided, you definitely want to notify that patient at least a couple of times that they owe, letting them know to please pay, but about 60 or 90 days, that's when the tide turns, Michael. That's when people decide, Hey, I'm either going to take care of this obligation or I'm not. So that's the ideal time to use it. Now, if you had interviewed me five years ago, Or 10 years ago, I wouldn't be as staunch on this opinion. It's kind of like merchant services. I don't know if you've seen this trend where now merchant services fees are being passed on to the patient. Have you been keeping up with that? Michael: Yeah, I've seen that. Andy: Okay. So if you asked me five years ago, I would say that's the worst idea. It's cheesy. Don't do it. It totally devalues your practice, but guess what? Every time I order tacos, every time I go to the doctor's office, every time I go to the car dealership, and now every time I go to the dentist, it's passed on. So we're in that kind of spot where it was unpopular, but now everybody's doing it. So why shouldn't the dentist? Michael: Okay. Interesting. So then three steps points or takeaways that you have to streamline this or make it easier, smoother. What would be number one then? Andy: one of the first takeaways is by implementing some type of collection agency strategy that's going to reach out. Number one, it doesn't make you the bad guy anymore. When you think about it, do you want to be known for chasing people for money or do you want to be known for treating patients with clinical excellence? So it's nice to have a scapegoat that you can blame for reaching out for the balance because it's strictly a financial driven practice. So I guess the number one is, it's much more convenient to blame your billing company. Then is for people to complain about someone in your office reaching out too frequently. I think we can both agree the optics aren't that great. Michael: Yeah. I think that's where I guess the patient relationship can get iffy, right? how do you do that then Andy? How do you balance maintaining patient relationships with the need to use a collection agency? Andy: there's no one right answer, but at the end of the day, if you hire someone to help you with the financial part of the practice, you can basically, just stay out of it. So if you're clinically driven, to help patients. That's your focus. Let someone else basically deal with the headache. Now, another part of how that works is it will motivate a certain part of your patient base to come back to be a patient of record. So a lot of times when dentists are doing these procedures, patients will say anything to get out of pain. So once you make that pain go away, it's sometimes could be a little too convenient to not pay. So by having a company reach out, you can actually help motivate that person to communicate with the practice and pay. And ultimately, You want that patient to be a valuable member of your clientele. So you have a divide where you can motivate people who generally value the service you're providing and keep them as a good patient of record. Also, if people choose not to pay the bill, they probably don't value the services that you rendered anyway. And arguably they're going to go somewhere else. So that kind of helps push them in another direction to maybe go down to the practice down the road and not pay them rather than come back for more service and not pay you. Michael: Does that make sense? yeah. So then I guess break it down for me. How does it motivate the patient versus sometimes like, stress them out or irritate him or anything like that? Andy: So it's pretty simple, Michael. If you, you got two phone calls today, once from someone, you owed money to. And it's just their office calling you, Hey, Michael, please pay. And then you get another phone call, Michael, from a collection agency. Again, same thing, you know, you owe the bill, but the collection agency is calling. Who are you going to pay first? Michael: one's a friend and the other one's the collection agency. Andy: They're both the same. you owe two parties. You have no preference one or the other, but one is that business calling you for money, the other one is a collection agency calling the question is, who are you more inclined to pay first? Michael: Oh, I don't know. That's a good question. What are the, data show? Andy: Generally speaking, people are going to pay the collection agency first. Middle class America wants to protect their credit. Michael: So Andy: generally speaking, people are going to pay the agency first. They're going to give it more importance because there's nothing negative that happens if they choose not to pay that original vendor, they'll get another statement or call next month and they'll address it Michael: Interesting. Okay. I like that. So then can you walk us through the process of selecting a reputable collection agency? Like What key factors Should we consider? Andy: Yeah. I mean, You really want to, interview multiple agencies. I would say the number one most important thing that you can do, assuming that people are being ethical, providing good service and being cost effective, which most are is having an agency that works directly with. Your practice management software. So we're in, a digital age and the collections business as a whole has done a very poor job on getting involved with technology. So I would definitely steer any dentist to work with the company that works with the technology. Well, You might ask, why is that important? There's numerous reasons. That's important. Number one. You're going to ensure safe and secure and rapid exchange of information. So accounts will be sent by their team by pointing and clicking, not manually updating a web form. The second thing it's going to do is it's going to tell who's paid. So in the collections business, Michael, and it's obvious you haven't been in collections from some of your responses, which is great. We don't want that for anybody. But sometimes the patient will actually pay as a result of that collection company contacting them. So with companies that work within the software, they should be notified when that happens. So let's paint a picture. Let's just say you're working with a collection company manually. Okay. You've sent patient ABC over for collection and the collection company has been calling them and they will call them incessantly to motivate that person. And let's just say that person paid the bill. Well Guess what? If your front office doesn't contact that agency by logging into the website, calling them, emailing, however that feedback loop is. That agency is going to continue to call that person for money. And it's going to further damage that relationship when they did the right thing and paid. So you want to have like an automatic feedback loop so that if someone does pay, it's automatically reported to the agency. So the agency doesn't cause any further harm. Those are probably the two top biggest reasons. There's many more. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So collection agency is just essential to have in this process, So number two, what would that look like? Bullet point number two. Andy: Yeah, so that was identify and motivate your ideal patients coming back into the practice as opposed to people that are just dentist shopping So we want to motivate people to pay and also be a patient of record. So when you turn people over to collection Granted, they're not happy about it, but it will motivate people that value that relationship with you to communicate and pay the bill. It will also motivate some people to leave the practice because they had no intention of paying to begin with. Michael: Okay. Got you. Got you. Now, how do you measure any of the success of a collection agency? What benchmarks or KPIs do you track? As a practice owner. Andy: So any agency that has technology to support you is going to give you metrics on how you can judge their efficacy. I will share with you as weird as this is, it's not all about the money. I specialize in working with independently owned dental offices. So it's a little more holistic and how they judge you. I would say that most independently owned practices, it's not about the money. That's more of a group practice thought process. Yes, money's important, but not the most important thing. Independent dentists, they don't compete. With corporate offices on cost, right? They can't, the economies of scale are not there. The flip side is also true. corporates can't compete with independent dentists on culture, right? They have turnover, you're getting new associates every six months. It's just a constant churn. So they don't really compete with one another, but at the end of the day, I think most dentists, will gauge the efficacy of their collection company, not only on the money recovered. And of course it has to be cost effective, but even more importantly than that, does it generate negative reviews? Does it motivate people to accept treatment? Does it allow their staff to focus on other things that are more important? So there's an opportunity cost To chasing your own accounts receivable. So it's much more multifaceted than just dollars in dollars out. Most dentists will hire a collection company basically to make their office run better. Michael: Have you seen that a lot, Andy, where some are hesitant to, bring on or call or ask about, money more for the review. Like, Oh man, I'm going to get negative. Andy: Yeah, of course. But in my experience, if you continue to chase your own money, you're much more likely to generate a negative review for yourself. If you hire somebody else to do it for you, they can give a negative review on that collection agency. Michael: Yeah. Andy: And certainly they could tie it back to you, but you can always, claim indifference, right? Hey that's what our billing department's for you know, you need to deal with them and it absolves you from some of that responsibility. Michael: Interesting. Okay. So then what are the financial risks and rewards of sending accounts to collections at 60 days versus waiting longer or not using collections at all? Andy: Great question. So you have this kind of traditional paradigm with collection agencies working with dental offices and that one is a very traditional approach where the office will work the account for months and months and months and years and years and years. And then they turn it over to collections, and then that company's working on a percentage basis. That's the way it's always been, but that is just not an effective way of running a modern or contemporary dental office. Sometimes you cause more harm than good there because if you wait that long, the accounts aren't collectible anyway. Right. If you wait a year or two, they're basically uncollectible. So I'd recommend just writing the accounts off if you're going to do that. The advantage to turning it over at 60 to 90 days is that's a very fresh account. It's still top of mind for that consumer and from a statistical perspective, it's much more collectible than something if you wait a year or two down the road to go after. So it's more about being proactive with that balance. The other thing you also have to measure in here, Michael. is a lot of times these practices are already getting hit with the PPO fee and basically reducing their billable amount. So they're already losing 30 or 40%. And then if you let that patient balance go unpaid. You're losing the rest. So in this environment, it's just too competitive to run a business like that anymore. You have to be responsible with not only the insurance portion, whether you're in network, out of network fee for service, but you also have to address that patient portion. It's crucial because again, you're taking such a big write off a hit in the beginning. It's really not cost effective for you to take another hit later down the road. You're essentially giving it away. Michael: Interesting. So then what common mistakes do practices make that you've seen when sending accounts to collections and how can they avoid these pitfalls? Andy: one of the things that clouds all of our judgment is emotion. So a lot of times, People get upset, and listen, if someone owes me money, I get upset about my own business, right? It hurts, but people still have that mammalian part of their brain that wants revenge, or maybe the patient was really rude last time they came in. So you have this, Emotional part of being owed money that clouds our judgment. that's a big mistake I see some practices, they just want revenge. That's usually where bad things start to happen when you think along those lines. So as a practice owner matures and goes through practice ownership, there's developmental stages where right in the beginning, it really hurts. Then you can start to kind of objectively step back and look at things more objectively. But at the end of the day, recommend the practice owners look at this from a very non emotional, like a CPA would, right? If you're producing a million dollars in revenue annually, and you have less than 1 percent of the people that owe you money, not pay you, write it off. You're collecting 99%. No one gets a hundred percent. I don't care how cool it is to say in the Facebook groups, nobody gets a hundred percent. There are times where it makes sense to write things off rather than pursue it. Especially if those services are disputed or you're dealing with a really difficult person, a lot of times it's just not worth it and you just have to let it go. Michael: Interesting. I love that. Thank you so much, Andy. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find them on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Andy: Probably the best way to do it is going to my website. collection, agency, ninja. com spelled just like it sounds. Michael: Awesome. Collection, agency, ninja. com. that's going to be in the show notes below. So if anyone's interested, want to pick Andy's brain a little bit more and so forth, definitely reach out to him there and Andy. Thank you so much for being with us on this Monday morning episode. Appreciate you having me. Thank you very much and keep up the great work. I'm honored to be here. Andy: Thank you.…
 
Dr. Pauline Le's mission statement: "We're humans working on humans with humans." In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Pauline Le, a dentist in Jacksonville, Florida, who shares her inspiring journey from her childhood in a disciplined, high-achievement household to owning a flourishing dental practice. Driven by her parents' entrepreneurial spirit and the rich influence of their immigrant experience, Pauline carved her path in dentistry through sheer determination and perseverance. She highlights the numerous hurdles she overcame and the pivotal decisions that shaped her professional life. Her story is a testament to the power of community as she lovingly returned to Jacksonville to build her practice and give back to the community that shaped her. Dr. Le generously shares the inner workings of her practice, delving into the importance of systems and tools like ClickUp, Slack, and Oryx that streamline her operations. Guided by a compelling mission statement, " we're humans working on humans with humans," Pauline underscores the significance of empathy and human-focused care in her workflow. She discusses innovative marketing strategies and unique offerings like her "wallets" membership plan that set her practice apart. You'll also glean valuable insights into the importance of staff training, stress reduction, and establishing a seamless, efficient practice. Pauline closes with empowering advice for aspiring practice owners, emphasizing the importance of action, continuous learning, and a passion-driven "why" in business ownership. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How family heritage can inspire a successful entrepreneurial journey. The role of community in shaping and supporting a thriving practice. Strategies to implement seamless systems and tools for practice efficiency. Understanding the impact of empathy and human-focused care in healthcare. Innovative marketing strategies for dental practices, including membership plans. The benefits of proper staff training to minimize stress and improve workflow. Insights into personalized, retail-style marketing techniques for patient conversion. Advice on overcoming analysis paralysis when starting your own business. Tune in to join Dr. Pauline Le as she grows her purpose-driven dental practice! ‍ ‍ Sponsors: ‍ ‍ Oryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx/ ‍ Guest: Dr. Pauline Le Practice Name: Le Dental Spa Check out Pauline's Media: Website: ledentalspa.com Instagram: instagram.com/drpaulinele ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Events: Making of a Dental Startup Retreat ‍ Tools/Software: ClickUp Monday Slack Open Dental Flex Mango Google Sheets ‍ Products/Brands: Invisalign Morpheus Botox Comcast ‍ People: Rania Saleh ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.…
 
‍ 2024 is coming to a close! What learnings did you take from your practice this year? In this final episode of the year, we're diving into key lessons and insights shared by eight previous guests that they acquired in 2024 and plan to apply in 2025. Each speaker emphasizes a unique focus: Dr. Paul Goodman: Advocates for always being in hiring mode and building team redundancy to ensure business stability. Dr. Maggie Augustyn: Highlights the importance of accepting and adapting to unexpected changes, which can lead to unplanned blessings. Dr. Avi Patel: Stresses the significance of focus, particularly in balancing personal and professional life after becoming a parent. Dr. Brittany Dickinson: Plans to blend personal and professional lives on social media to build a stronger community and trust with patients. Dr. Fern White: Encourages investing in personal well-being and leadership skills to enhance professional effectiveness. Dr. Kyle Stanley: Advises prioritizing mental and relational health to improve patient care and team leadership. Dr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: Reflects on the importance of celebrating milestones and being present in the moment throughout the startup journey. Kiera Dent: Emphasizes structuring practices to support personal well-being and fulfillment, endorsing a shift from merely surviving to thriving. Tune in now to gather transformative insights that will pave the way for your success in 2025! ‍ ‍ You can reach out to our guests here: ‍ Dr. Paul Goodman: Website: dentalnachos.com Website: dentistjobconnect.com Dr. Maggie Augustyn: Website: maggieaugustyn.com Practice: myhappytooth.com Dr. Avi Patel: Website: clearaligneradvisor.co Dr. Brittany Dickinson: Website: drbrittanydickinson.com Dr. Fern White: Website: drfern.co Practice: beaconcovedental.com.au Dr. Kyle Stanley: Website: drkylestanley.com Dr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: Instagram: instagram.com/dr.milca Kiera Dent: Website: thedentalateam.com ‍ Other Mentions and Links: People: Tony Robbins ‍ Quotes: Tony Robbins - "Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure." ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Dr. Paul Goodman: This is Paul, Dr. Nacho Goodman. I'm the owner of two dental practices, also the founder of Dental Nachos and Dentist Job Connect. I love this exercise by Michael Arias. Awesome job. One of the things that will guide me in 2025 is remembering, reinforcing how important it is to have redundancy, another R word, with your team members. Life happens when you're making other treatment plans and dental practices and businesses are so vulnerable. by not having a bench of team members that can step in and fulfill roles, whether it's the lead dental assistant or a surgical prosthodontist, or it is a success coordinator in your business. So I want to focus on making sure I am always in a hiring mode. Always able to build my bench. Always knowing good people who can help me. It doesn't mean they need to be hired tomorrow, but just, ABC, always be connecting And I want to change that to ABH, always be hiring, always be looking for new talent. What we do is so complex as dental practice owners and things have happened in 2024 that have left my practices vulnerable, left them stressed. And I want to commit to always be hiring, always be looking for new talent. It's not easy to do in the midst of getting through your day to day, but it's so important to the long term success and sanity of your business, your dental practice, and you. Dr. Maggie Augustyn: Maggie Augustine, Happy Tooth Elmhurst, Illinois. This is a lesson that we keep learning every single year, and I am wondering, and actually I am praying, that this year the lesson sticks. And the lesson is that no matter how much We plan and plan over and recheck the plans that we make for both our personal life and our practice life. They don't always end up coming to fruition the way that we had hoped. And life, no matter which perspective we take, and no matter which way we look at it, and no matter whether it's our personal or professional life, we'll continue. to change and evolve. And we must learn to accept those changes, and we must be able to pivot with those changes. truth be told, some of those changes, despite not being planned for, end up truthfully. Becoming our greatest blessings. And I think that's what I look forward to the most next year. Dr. Avi Patel: So a key lesson from this year that will guide me in 2025 in my personal and professional life is the concept of focus. So I think now more than ever, I have clarity on terms of what I want to do and what I like to do. And after having new addition to our family this year, our daughter, she is eight months old. I'm focused as a dad to be the best version of myself, to have better boundaries with work and home life and with my business and supporting doctors. Learn about and implement clear liners in their practices. I am very clear on what I need to do. And one of those things is to be able to continue to support the ones who are currently in the program and to stay consistent with my messaging, to be sure that I'm getting in front of the doctors who are looking for this program as a solution. So that is what I'm taking in 2025. And I hope you will do the same cause focus is key for anything that you do. Dr. Brittany Dickinson: A key takeaway that I learned a bit from in 2024 that I really want to lean into in 2025 is marketing in terms of community building and almost pulling back a little bit from that technical branding. So what I mean by that is technical branding in terms of a perfectly curated Instagram feed with, colors that all flow together. And, it looks like it's almost been arranged, having a beautiful background for every single reel, things like that, and leaning into building a real sense of community. And what I mean by that is really blurring the lines between my personal life and my business life. When you think about it, dentistry really is a personal business. We work really up close with our patients, especially me as a cosmetic dentist. I am getting to know them really well, and in turn, they get to know me fairly well, also. And I want them to be choosing me because they trust me, they like my work, but they also like who I am as a person. And this is something that was brought up to me by some of my patients that came into my practice this year. They said that, one of them said a friend had recommended to me, one had just seen my business page on social media, and both of them noticed that my personal page was set public. And so they started watching who I was, what I do, and that's what really got them to come in, because they saw that we connected on certain things, besides the fact that they liked the dentistry that I did. And it made them trust me, because I was showcasing who I was. And not only did we say have a friend in common, we also had yoga in common. They could hear me talk through stories and things like that, that I'm more likely to do on my personal page. And they already felt like we had connected on that trust level. And when we came in, I felt that trust already and it made our first appointment go so, so well. So for me, what that's going to look like going forward is keeping up my business page, keeping it there so that people can find it at least, but really when, in terms of building my community, focusing on that through my personal page, doing a lot more on stories, doing a lot more. That's uncurated. just showing who I am, but also showing a lot of dentistry on my personal page, which I haven't done in the past, actually. Something that I've changed maybe in the last two or three months where I'm actually sharing some of my before and afters, which I never used to do. I used to be so terrified that my friends would be annoyed and that they didn't want to look at teeth. And some of them don't, and I'll show up less often in their feeds. But for those who do, it reminds them, Hey, my friend Brittany, she's a dentist. She can help you and they're more likely to talk you up to their co workers, their friends, things like that. So I'm making that little shift in 2025 and I'm really excited to just be able to show up as who I am all the time instead of arrange and make sure my makeup looks good, my hair looks good, the background looks good. It's so much less energy and I think it shows up much more authentically. Dr. Fern White: Hi there, it's Dr Fern White here from Beacon Cove Dental, Port Melbourne in Australia. Now after 21 years of being a dentist and 15 years now of practice ownership, I would have to say that the most important thing that you can invest in, in your practice, in your business, is yourself the CEO, as the owner, hopefully you're the owner and not the operator. So obviously it's so important to make sure that you're upskilled as a clinician and on top of all the technology and all the amazing things that are coming your way in the world of dentistry. But it is more important to into leadership by Practicing what you preach by actually spending time upgrading yourself emotionally, mentally, physically, so that you can have vitality, have energy, but also move away from the doing doing, doing, and allow yourself to flow and be in nature and just to rest your brain. away from those beta brainwaves and allow expansion and creativity where the new ideas come through. So really it's important to put yourself first and focus on some things every single day. The small incremental things that you put away will be the best for you. So you are your best investment. Dr. Kyle Stanley: Hi, this is Dr. Kyle Stanley, and my advice for the coming year would be to focus on your mental and relational health. I think so many doctors put all their focus on their patients, and that sounds very just, and it sounds very virtuous, but if you treat patients, or if you run a practice, you know that if you're not in a good state of mind, you're not doing your best. You're not efficient, you're not performing well, if you're tired, if you're going through depression or anxiety. So as the plane goes down, remember they say put your own oxygen mask on first. And sometimes we need to do that. It's not selfish, it's actually selfless. So when you're in a good place, you can lead your team, you can treat your patients better, you can be there for your family. And that is my. Biggest takeaway from the last few years, and that's why I think it's become one of my main focuses on teaching other doctors now. Thank you very much. Dr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: This is Dr. Milca from Positive Pediatric Dentistry, and looking back at the year, something I'm taking away, and I wish I would have done a better job of, but I still hope to implement into next year, is really just celebrating each of the milestones of the startup journey. There's so many things that go on, and we worry about the next thing, and the next KPI, and the next way to improve collections, and the next way to improve our marketing, and How can we do more? But being more present in the now and celebrating the now and being more grateful in the now is something that I hope to implement starting now and taking further. So hope everyone had a great year. Kiera Dent: Hi, my name is Kiera Dent, and I am the owner and founder of the Dental A Team Consulting, and something that I noticed as we head into 2025 of key lessons that I learned personally, but also from working with hundreds of offices across the nationI think we're in this new era of how we live and how we do our lives. And so really a lot of our offices this year, it was making sure that our practices are set up to fulfill our personal lives to make sure that we're forecasting this year going into 2025 of what vacations Am I going to take to spend that time with my family? What things do I need to do for my body and for my health to make sure that I am my best self for my practice? And it's been interesting because as we've consulted hundreds of these offices and talked to these doctors, when they start to shift to put themselves first, To make sure that their lives are there and then they're able to build their goals around what days off are we going to take? What vacations are we going to build in? What provider goals do we need to set? The practice actually comes together in an incredible way. And so really, really, really taking that into 2025 of you, need to have your practice set up to serve you, to serve your life. You took the risk. You went in, you built a practice. And if that practice is not serving you and allowing you to live that fulfilled highest level life with your family, with your friends, with your personal self, what are we doing and what do we need to change? And so really thinking about the doctors that have done this this year successfully, who are building their leadership teams, who are helping them to grow into this new area, I think is something really important to take. And I know that might sound a little woo woo. It might feel like, are you kidding me? But this year, personally for myself, I actually had a complete and total life breakdown in the end of June. And I took a month off in July for personal health reasons. And it was crazy because I felt like I actually had a forced reset of what are my priorities? What are the things that really matter to me? And I realized in that time. That life is my passion and dentistry is my platform and thinking about what are the lives that I'm helping the doctors that we coach and what are goals and ambitions that they want and are they really living this fulfilled life and doing that at their highest self to be able to then serve at the highest level of dentistry. And when I was able to get that 30, 000 foot view of my own personal life, it was crazy how much came into perspective. It was crazy to realize how Much I was exhausting rather than replenishing. when I started going to the gym again and when I started going to therapy and when I started spending time with friends and family, when I started doing hobbies that fulfill me, I started to become a better CEO and I watched hundreds of offices do the same thing. And so I really think as we head into 2025, set your intentions of the practice in the life that you want to have. And let's make sure that practice is fortifying you is growing. You is driving you. And it's something where I'm so excited because we're bringing dentists together in person next year to be able to share their tips of how they're doing this successfully. We're bringing leadership teams together to be able to help those doctors thrive and not just survive. I think a great quote from Tony Robbins is success without fulfillment is the greatest failure and you can have all the money in the world. You can have the production. You can have the things, but if you're not fulfilled and happy and healthy and having those incredible life relationships, what are we really doing here? as you head into 2025 we're not just going to survive in 2025, but we're actually going to thrive. And that's something I'm just so excited about with our online and our virtual consulting at Dental A team and helping you have that dream life with ease, helping you have that practice that grows you. So thinking of my own life, yeah, this year it's, building my own personal life, making sure I've got the time for the things that fuel me and inspire me so that way I can show up and be my best self. And I would encourage you to do the same.…
 
Curious about the untold stories behind building a dental startup from the ground up? Today we've brought on Dr. Lauren Koch to unravel her unique journey and the profound lessons learned along her path to ownership. Lauren recounts how her career was sculpted by a series of unexpected turns, starting from her undergraduate years to the challenges faced during her dental school applications, right up to her transformative relocation to Chicago. In this episode, Lauren shares the pivotal mentorship experience that ignited her professional growth and ultimately led her to realize her dream of opening her own practice. As she navigates through various professional settings, including a DSO and other associate roles, each twist in her path is a testament to resilience and adaptability. In Chicago, surrounded by family and the lively urban atmosphere, Lauren delves into the real-world dynamics of running a practice. She candidly discusses the triumphs and trials, emphasizing the necessity of a respectful team culture, effective scheduling, and transparent communication in a successful office setting. As Avondale Dental Studio nears completion, Lauren articulates the thoughtful decisions guiding its creation, from equipment selection to staff hiring, aiming to craft a patient-centric, community-integrated practice. Her story is enriched with practical insights for dental associates and aspiring entrepreneurs alike, highlighting the significance of networking, mentorship, and trusting one's instincts to navigate career choices confidently. Lauren's enthusiasm and dedication light the path as she prepares to unveil her new venture, committed to fostering real connections and delivering exceptional patient care. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The journey and challenges leading to opening a dental practice. The impact of mentorship on professional growth and decision-making. Key strategies for establishing a successful dental office environment. Practical advice on managing a dental startup. Dr. Koch's ground marketing plans to promote her practice. Insights on navigating different work environments and their influence. Essential networking tips for budding dentists. Tune in now to discover Dr. Lauren Koch's life-changing journey from student to dental practice owner and glean insights to empower your own career path! ‍ ‍ Sponsors: ‍ ‍ Darkhorse Tech: For DSO integrations, startup solutions, and all your dental IT needs, let our sponsors, Darkhorse Tech , help out so you can focus on providing the amazing care that you do. For 1 month of FREE service, visit their link today! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/darkhorse-deal/ ‍ Guest: Dr. Lauren Koch Practice Name: Avondale Dental Studio Check out Lauren's Media: Website: avondaledentalstudio.com Instagram: instagram.com/avondaledentalstudio ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Events: Midwinter Meeting ‍ Products/Services: On Point Benco Joseph Rossi & Associates Joseph Rossi & Associates Team: Dominic Rossi DCI Series 5 Chairs Midmark Chairs Belmont Chairs Forest Chairs ‍ Businesses: The Alderman Starbucks ‍ People: Dr. Bill Simon ‍ Groups: Chicago Dental Society ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals. ‍…
 
‍ Navigating the financial intricacies of maintaining a dental practice can be challenging, and this Monday Morning Episode offers a timely conversation with Ashley Best, Director of Partnerships at Dental Intelligence, on just that! Delving into the controversial topic of surcharging patients for credit card fees, Ashley provides a comprehensive look at why this practice might do more harm than good. She sheds light on the potential damage to patient loyalty and the complex web of regulations that complicate imposing such fees. Instead, Ashley advocates for refining payment processes to sidestep unnecessary costs while sharing insightful statistics on consumer attitudes towards these charges. Ashley doesn’t stop at highlighting the problems; she offers actionable solutions that can redefine your approach to practice management. Listen in to discover alternative strategies such as renegotiating insurance fees or updating your fee schedule, all without alienating your patient base. For those practices that have already embraced surcharging, Ashley offers practical guidance on reversing this decision and regaining patient trust. This episode is a treasure trove of advice for any practice owners aiming to curtail costs effectively while nurturing valuable patient relationships. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The impact of credit card surcharges on patient loyalty. Regulatory challenges related to patient surcharges. Insightful statistics about consumer opposition to convenience fees. Alternative strategies for managing practice financials without surcharging. Effective methods for reversing already implemented surcharge policies. Tips on negotiating with insurance companies for better fee structures. How to reassess and optimize fee schedules in your practice. Gain valuable insights into managing patient fees effectively—tune in now! ‍ ‍ You can reach out to Ashley Best here: Email: abest@dentalintel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashley-best-9052b022 Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Articles: Credit Card Processing Fees: Why 71% of Customers Are Avoiding Certain Businesses ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michaela: Hey, Ashley. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning. Ashley: Thanks, Michael. Appreciate it. I thought long and hard about this and my biggest piece of advice for new practice owners, existing practice owners is to really take a look at your payment methodology in the practice. And I know we have a lot of doctors considering surcharging their patients for those credit card fees, which I'm the first to admit, like they're getting higher and higher, right? It's, a cost of doing business, but absolutely do not pass that charge along to your customer. It's what's called surcharging to the patient mainly because of the impact that's going to have on the practice. I know it seems like an easy fix and a really quick way to. Avoid the processing fees that you're paying from those credit card companies, but there's a whole set of implications that come with it internally for the practice. Things like requiring you to notify the credit card companies. If you're going to do this me. Can't just start doing it. It's illegal in some states. And so not knowing your state's legality can get you into some trouble there. And then. Furthermore, you do have to display specific signage in the office. And so it's not one of these things where you can just try to slide it in and hope it has to be its own line item. Right. So the press see it anyway on the statement, but you have to publicly display that. And what worse way to commoditize your practice than having that little plastic sign that says we're passing along our fees to you. Michaela: Yeah. Interesting. So have you seen this? Spike, a lot recently practices asking about this asking you actually, how do I present this to the patient? Ashley: I have. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Started in dental marketing from 2015 to 2021. And in those six years, I cannot tell you I was ever asked about this once. And I know there are companies out there that do, that's a piece of their software in terms of payments is to push the charge over to the patient. So I think that's why it's becoming top of mind because they're hearing it at shows, Hey surcharge, surcharge, and it's top of mind. But what I don't think they've thought through completely in the conversations that I've had is the implications losing patients being a big one. There's actually a study done that said 71 percent of small business customers say that they try to avoid companies that charge a fee to use their credit card. So that's a big number. That's a huge number. 57 percent of consumers think it should be illegal. So we're talking about a big number here. It's not just a few people that are passionate about it in consumer landscape. And making sure that they're following the guidelines if they do it. So you have to cap it at whatever rate you're paying. So if your 2 percent and you come display a sign that says 3%, like my nail salon does, Again, I don't need Dennis out there that wants to be seen as a commodity or like a nail salon, or that is a commodity. Right. And that's where I see it in my day to day at my nail salon. So 3%, believe 3 percent is the cap, and it's only eligible for credit cards. Can't do it on debit cards, my nail salon. They're trying to do it on debit. It's like they don't know the ins and outs of it. And they're so it's a can of worms in my opinion, not to mention the fact that patient loyalty is going to just dissipate. I firmly say if I walk into my dentist next week for my appointment and this is displayed, I'm finding a new dentist and I really like my dentist, but I'm with 71 percent of consumers that think, wow, I'm going to avoid. And I don't know that the offices that I've spoken to about have thought through the domino effect of what's going to happen it's a cost of doing business. It just, unfortunately, I encourage them to take a look at their fee schedule the last 10 years in dentistry. I have offices who. They haven't raised their fees, obviously for their fee for service patients. When insurance is involved, it's obviously fee negotiations there and their fee schedule with insurance. But even then there's opportunity. There's companies out there galore that will help you negotiate higher fees with insurance. SoLet's put it this way. If I go to my dentist next week and they've negotiated 3 percent higher fees with insurance or I'm paying out of pocket because I'm fee for service, I'm not going to notice that. But what I am going to notice is that Sign on the plexiglass that says I'm paying for your credit card processing case. So let's just avoid it. If you want to be seen as a trusted advisor, you want to set yourself apart from the competition. There's so many dentists in your area, right? I don't want to be seen as a commodity. What's my unique selling proposition? How can I offer a service to patients? This is just not the way to go about it. Michaela: So then If you don't mind me asking, Ashley, what's the emotion behind it? Like the surcharge, is it more like, I don't want to pay that extra, however much dollar amount, or is it more like you can't cover this. You can't cover this for me. Ashley: I think it's the latter. Yeah, for me, 3 percent of whatever number. Now, I will also add to that, Michael, I have a pretty healthy mouth. So 3 percent of my fees, what I'm paying, it's probably a small number. But to me, it's more about the principal. But if I'm coming in for a big case, and we're talking a big number, 3 percent of a really big number, That's impactful to people's pocketbooks. It just is. So for me, it's the emotional side of it. And like, come on, really, for me personally, just because I'm not investing thousands and thousands of dollars at my dental practice, but there are people who are. Michaela: Yeah. No, that makes a lot of sense. I know, for example, whenever you order something, at least I do this, I don't know if you do this actually, but like there's Amazon or something, and you make a big purchase or Let's just say like big purchase, like a car, right? Not an Amazon, but a car. And then they try to do the little, Oh, the shipping is this. And you're like, Oh my gosh, nevermind. I mean, but it's like, like a little small fraction of the whole thing. And technically we're like, we're already paying this. We should pay for that. Ashley: Right. Michaela: But that ops me out. It's the mentality Ashley: of it. You know what? I had this conversation with girlfriends and they'll go shopping online for clothes, whatever, spend a couple hundred bucks and then go to checkout and it's 7. 95 to ship it. And they're like, no, I'm done. Like they don't check out. And we're like, why it's 8. We were going to spend hundreds on clothes. And it's the, frankly, I would rather that sweater cost 7 more and the shipping be free. There's something about the mentality. It's just, I can't get around it. It's really hard for me. And I think there are others who have the, same thought as I do on it, and then let alone the people who are spending big bucks at the practice and then realizing, oh my gosh, now I have to cover this 2 percent fee that you're trying to pass along. Michaela: Okay. Is there ever I guess for someone who has already, they're listening and they're like, Oh, yeah. Oh my gosh, Ashley, I've started doing this a year ago though, and they have been seeing the drop off or they have been seeing the negative effects. How can they just stop doing it? Is that it? Do you just stop doing it and that's it? And take off the sign? Or? Ashley: That's a great question, Michael. I don't know the ramifications with the credit card companies. If you chose to reverse this, if you saw the negative implications and said, Oh, I made a horrible decision. I can't imagine the credit card companies are going to be upset about that because if you think about it from the credit card company's perspective, what you're doing is encouraging that patient to pay by cash or debit card or write you a check. So the credit card company wants their processing fees, whether it's coming from the doctor or the patient. So my guess and total speculation is. It's not going to be too hard to just stop doing it, which obviously, other things involved, like you're going to have to probably obviously get rid of the signage, but then redo the way that your current setup is because when you collect that fee from a patient, you're not actually collecting what the fee was. It's above and beyond. So reconciling that with the practice management system is a beast too. And so there are systems that probably do it for them, but if not, and they're just going rogue and surcharging there's a bigger set of complication there because if your total bill, Michael's supposed to be 1250, we placed a crown and it was 1250, you're paying out of pocket, and then that's added on you're collecting a different amount than the balance that was actually due, if that makes sense. So to reconcile that in the practice management software, because the office is walking that 1250 out onto the patient's ledger and then collecting. 1250 plus. So that's just a nightmare. If the software is not doing it for you, but I would argue even if it is, there's ways to stop doing it. You're not locked in to doing it, and I'm sure there are people listening that are trying it and haven't seen a huge drop off. Maybe their existing patients are staying and they do have loyal patients and that's great, but how many new patients are not coming? They'll never know. You'll never know. can't tell me just because I didn't leave. If my friend says, Ashley, I'm thinking about going to Dr. Smith. Is he great? Is she great? I'm going to say, yeah, but guess what? They pass along their credit card fees to you. They might go somewhere else. So that wasn't necessarily a loss. I didn't leave, but I prevented three of my friends from coming as new patients. So I think there's things that you can't track. You'll never really know the extreme implication, but I think there's a lot. Michaela: Do you ever think there's like practices that say this is minuscule or small. We just need to care more, do more, be better, streamline the process better, or present the surcharges in a way that the patient's kind of like, Oh yeah, of course. no problem. Ashley: how would that sound? I can't think of a way to make it not sound like it's about me because as a patient and humans in general, it's what's in it for me. maybe I'm just like got my blinders on. But if you're a patient, Michael, I articulate that to you in a way that didn't make you feel like it was me? Me, me, me. Michaela: Yeah. Ashley: About my bottom line so much that I'm willing to pass that charge on and potentially lose you as a patient or prevent you from referring others. I don't know how you articulate that well. Michaela: Yeah, that's true. Yeah. because if you are doing it, there could be a good way to articulate it well that you're not doing it anymore on behalf of them or something like that. You know what I mean? Ashley: Potentially, yeah, yeah. I was going to say the places that I've frequented or seen this happen, it's never been verbally articulated. It's always that sign that says, If you pay by credit card, you're going to pay a 3 percent surcharge. You're paying a 3 percent fee. Never have I ever had a conversation. It's never come up and I'll see it and roll my eyes and like, okay, like it is what it is. Like you're at the nail salon. I'm going to keep using that. Cause by the way, that's the place that does it in my neighborhood. I, Don't have any medical providers that I see doing this. I will tell you that dermatologist, dentist, my eye doctor, none of them are doing this. So that's great. But the nail salon, like your nails are already done and you don't have cash. What are you going to do? you're going to pay the 3 percent you are. But it's never been a conversation. So I don't know how you articulate that you're. Starting to do it and make it not sound about you and, kind of self centered from the practice perspective, but I can see your, point of view, if they stop doing it, being able to say, Hey, we tried that we care so much about our customers. We're actually not going to do that anymore. We're waving it. Yeah. However you want to articulate it. But yeah. think that would come across well. I just don't know of a way to deliver that message when you're doing it. Michaela: No. Yeah. But it's interesting. I like this topic because I remember seeing it a couple of times in a couple of Facebook groups. And that's when it was like made aware that, Oh yeah, it is. a pain point that practices are experiencing. And I guess it could be an easy pain point that you just erase. If you're just, Hey, this is the cost of doing business. Like we gotta eat it right. Ashley: Yeah. There's so many other things they make that exception for in their practice. When you think about everything that they're investing in, there's lots of things they're making exceptions for and costs of doing business Make this one of them, right? find other ways to get that, like literally hire a company to negotiate your fees for you. There's so many good ones out there. I've seen some awesome ones. And then taking a look at your, fee schedule for your fee for service patients. Not that you're penalizing them for being fee for service, but looking at it from both angles or finding an area in the practice to save. think if a doctor sat down and have partners that I work with that do this, they do an analysis of your spend and where everything's going and try to, make things more efficient, start there before you just default to, Hey, I'm going to just pass that along to the patient is my advice. Michaela: Yeah. Any specific companies that you recommend that can help with negotiating? Ashley: Yeah. Yeah. We have a few, I won't throw any out just because there are so many, I don't want to seem like work with all of our partners and I have another team that works with our partners. So I definitely don't want to seem like I favor anyone else over the others. But yeah, if you Google dental fee negotiation The good ones will pop up. I've done those searches recently and the good ones are kind of rising to the top, but yeah, I mean, offline, if somebody wants to shoot me a message on LinkedIn or, something like that, I'm more than happy to provide a few resources, but there's plenty that I've been doing it a very long time actually. And they're really good at it. So I would love for practices to start there if they're able to, obviously there comes a fee with that too, but I think the benefits outweigh the fee or the negative there. So, Michaela: Yeah. Awesome. Ashley, I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find it on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you? Ashley: Yeah. LinkedIn's great. I'm very active on LinkedIn. It's Ashley best director of partnerships at dental intelligence. If you're trying to find one, I don't know if there's too many actually best out there seems like a common name shoot me an email. You can always email me a best at dental intel. com. I'm happy to answer questions provide referrals or references to the companies that I know do this really well with practices. Michaela: Awesome. Awesome. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Ashley, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Ashley: Thanks for having me, Michael. Take care.…
 
Should dentists be worried amidst a declining economy? Xaña Winans joins us today to delve into the strategic world of dental practice management during economic fluctuations. Xaña, a seasoned expert, opens the conversation by contextualizing the recent economic tumult and its effects on patient behavior, emphasizing the pressing need for practices to adapt swiftly. She shares invaluable insights on fostering patient loyalty and retention amidst adversity, underscoring that establishing a loyal patient base requires a harmonious blend of technology and personal interaction. Xaña argues that while automation is crucial, the human touch remains paramount for cultivating long-term relationships with patients. Beyond personal connections, Xaña dives deep into the significance of membership programs and the strategic articulation of a practice's unique selling propositions (USPs). These strategies not only solidify patient loyalty but also stabilize practice revenue flows. Special attention is given to effective communication through social media and maintaining robust marketing efforts during trying economic times. While many dentists want to cut costs during a recession, Xaña shows how the opposite approach may boast a 246% return on investment! What You'll Learn in This Episode: How economic changes affect patient behavior and practice dynamics. The role of personal connection in minimizing harmful cancellation rates. Strategies for creating meaningful patient relationships through automated tools. The benefits of implementing membership programs for patient retention. Importance of clearly defining and communicating practice USPs. How to maintain effective marketing strategies during economic downturns. Utilizing SEO and digital advertising to grow market share. Crafting consistent, emotionally resonant messaging on social media. How investing MORE when the economy is down could give you a 246% return on investment. Tune in to change your practice's approach to patient loyalty and economic resilience! ‍ ‍ Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here: Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/ ‍ Guest: Xaña Winans Business Name: Golden Proportions Marketing Check out Xaña's Media: Website: goldenproportions.com Your Perfect Patient Match Webinar: bitli.pro/2eP73_4cf464bf (Contact Xaña to inquire about the recording!) Xaña's Go-To Phone Script: Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Dental Membership Plans: Kleer BoomCloud ‍ Software/Tools: Google Ads Google Analytics ‍ Insurance Companies: Aetna Blue Cross Blue Shield ‍ Brands/Companies: Netflix Amazon Walmart Whole Foods Market ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.…
 
‍ How can you transform problem-solving into an art in your practice? In this Monday Morning Episode, we welcome Dr. Pauline Le, who provides a fresh perspective on common dental practice challenges. Dr. Le reveals how universal these challenges are and how essential it is for businesses to identify and candidly discuss them. With a focus on collaborative environments, she delves into the power of professional groups and demystifies the often-tricky realm of team dynamics. Dr. Le breaks down the renowned three-step problem-solving process from the book "Traction," offering listeners a foolproof approach to untangling business issues. By fostering an environment where discussing issues is not only encouraged but expected, businesses can distinguish between personal and professional problems and maintain focus on solutions. With actionable tips on nurturing a transparent culture and keeping an up-to-date issues list, Pauline’s advice is invaluable for practice owners seeking to empower their teams and effectively address persistent hurdles. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Strategies for tackling common business issues in dental practices. The significance of open discussions in resolving workplace challenges. Benefits of joining professional groups and improving team dynamics. How to implement the three-step "Traction" process for problem-solving. Techniques for creating a safe environment for issue discussions. Understanding personal versus company issues in a business setting. Importance of maintaining a consistent issues list for effective meetings. Tune in now to uncover transformative strategies for overcoming dental practice challenges with Dr. Pauline Le! ‍ ‍ Sponsors: ‍ ‍ Oryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx/ ‍ You can reach out to Dr. Pauline Le here: Website: ledentalspa.com Instagram: instagram.com/drpaulinele Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Books: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business ‍ Software: ClickUp ‍ If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms: My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041 ‍ Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) ‍ Michael: Hey, Pauline, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Pauline: I would say that we all have issues. Michael: Interesting. Can you expand on that a little bit more? What do you mean? Pauline: In any business, we all have the same exact issues and the sooner you will admit that you have issues and identify them, we can discuss them and we can solve them. That's Michael: Okay, so then many practice owners feel they have challenges that are one of a kind, right? at what point did you realize that the issues you were facing were not unique to your practice? And then how did this change your approach to solving those issues? Pauline: When I started joining different groups of other dentists, other practice owners, and a lot of the Facebook groups are really helpful. I just started seeing a trend where people were posting the same questions, the same issues, the same problems and grateful for this community, right? But what I was finding was some of these groups can become where people are just coming in to vent and they weren't necessarily actually solving the problem. issues. So that's when I started noticing that, okay, it's the same recurrent problems. And I grew up where my parents owned businesses. And although different businesses than mine I started seeing things parallel, people have the same complaints, whether it be about patients. People, your team or procedures, right? So processes people always end up having the same types of issues in whatever business they have. So I just started seeing things parallel. Michael: Interesting. So then in these groups specifically, what were some of the things where you feel like. Man, you're just venting like this is a common thread where people just vent and vent and vent Pauline: I think the most common one lately has been what they can't find hygienists. They can't find quote unquote good people good employees It's the same vent. It's the same complaint that all business owners want to fall victim to Michael: Let's just talk about that, fixing that specific problem that everybody's complaining about. I can't find a hygienist or a team member. Pauline: in the general idea of issues, first off, I think it's a mindset thing. We need to own that. We all have issues. Every single one of our businesses will have issues and we should actually welcome them and we should foster a culture where your team can openly talk about issues, right? It's not a safe environment to bring things up, then you're just going to have an ongoing nagging to do list or unresolved issues. And that's just going to slow down the growth of your business. So the sooner you can build this. Culture, and it starts with your leadership team of having open, honest conversations about issues. The sooner you can actually solve them and save energy, save time. So when it comes to issues, there are three main steps that we take here at Laudanusvall, and we learned it from the book Traction. So first step is you want to identify the issue. And really every single business. There's really three main types of issues. it's either going to be a true problem that actually needs to be solved, it can be information that needs to be communicated or agreed upon by the team or an idea and opportunity that needs feedback, brainstorming or insight, right? And once you actually identify the issue, then you can move on to the next step where you discuss it. This is where you're probably going to spend the most time in your meetings is discussing the actual issue. And then when you are discussing, you'll find that sometimes you go off on tangents and then sometimes other issues. arise from these discussions. So it is really important to foster a culture where you can talk about issues, but you can also say, tangent alert, or can we put a pin in that? Or can we just list it on our issues list and then get back to it, right? So it's not gearing you away from discussing that one issue that was first brought up. And then, You would go into solving the issue. So this is the main point, why we should be having an issues list, right? Because we need to solve things and keep things moving. And what I find in these dentist groups and, you know, being around my other colleagues, is sometimes they don't actually want to solve things. Pauline: And sometimes people just want to vent or feel like okay, there's other people like me going through this, which, there is importance in that. But at the same time, we need to be leaders and we need to solve issues and keep things moving for the rest of our team and the rest of our practice. And you'll notice as you start solving issues, you don't want to make the mistake by solving just the very top issue down. You need to prioritize issues. So you'll notice that as you start solving the bigger issues that hold higher priority, your other issues below it start diminishing, start disappearing. Because really, you're already solving it when you solve the bigger issue and all these other things start being like, oh my gosh, that makes so much sense now. Okay, that already got resolved because we talked about this bigger issue. So I think regarding the hygiene problem that a lot of practices are having. identifying the actual issue, right? My issue might be different because I'm a fee for service office, might be very different than an office that is PPO or an office that's HMO. Even though the chief complaint would be we can't find a hygienist, Identifying the actual issue is going to be so different in each of our practices, So my practice we are a fee for service office, you know, we ask a lot from our team members because we deliver a very, patient centered type of care. We data collect, we scan, we are very thorough and comprehensive. So that's not for every hygienist out there, and so that goes into being very clear with your vision and your expectations and your hiring process is going to be a lot longer, than. most practices, I would say. So like I said, actually identifying the issue and then discussing it and then how you're going to solve it is going to be so different between the three different types of practices, even though the chief complaint is the same. Michael: interesting. Okay. So then if we rewind a little bit, you said you want to foster an environment where it's safe to discuss about issues. How do you know you're in an unsafe environment? Pauline: Based off feedback, right? So a lot of leadership. Isn't true leadership. I would say some practices. I think some business owners already know how they want to answer without even involving, I guess, their leadership team and discussing the actual issue. when people bring up ideas or they bring up An issue, like how you respond to it, is so important. If you shut down your team member or, you know, you're blaming it on them no one's going to want to keep coming to you with an issue then, because that's just how you're going to react. Versus We all make honest mistakes here and communication is the biggest of it all in order for us all align and be on the same page right where one person might be only looking at it from one viewpoint and another person might be looking at from a different viewpoint like oh my gosh I didn't even see that what you saw thing. by discussing it you're actually able to then solve it and that's really important. An open communication a safe environment talk about things versus oh you didn't do this. This wasn't done Versus the understanding the why maybe this happened or that happened And that's why the issue was there in the first place Michael: I like that. So let me paint you a scenario like we talked about hygiene, right? you ever had issues with like team members, Like a team member. All the time. Every single business. Yeah. So like let's just say team member A has an issue with team member D and you're listening. You're like, talk to me about team member D then team member A, right. and you're listening and stuff like that, but they continue to bring you with issues that team member D is I guess creating happening or whatever. Do you start prioritizing team member A saying like, Hey, We need to sit down all three of us and discuss and then team member D is like, I didn't even know there was something wrong. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was rubbing you the wrong way. And then, you know, when you confront it, it's like nothing's wrong. But then two days later, it's like something's wrong again. How do you handle that? Pauline: the first example you gave where team member A is. listing all these issues they're having with team member B, right? And then you're asking do we put us all three together to resolve these issues? I think You're making it now a personal problem versus every week we have department meetings and every team member is to bring An issue to the meeting and we have in our click up. a list. It's our quote unquote issues list and it may not necessarily be an issue. Like I said, it may just be an announcement. It may just be a discussion that we want to have that we were trying to resolve. If you don't. So comfortable bringing it to that meeting where it could be discussed whether it's operations meeting, sales meeting, admin meeting, then it doesn't really sound like it's a company issue then, right? And sometimes it may be very well a personal issue. Then that goes on to, okay, are we spending our resources and our company time resolving this when we're all adults here? Could they have resolved this on their own? Or is this actually a true company issue? If it's a true company issue, now what department does that lie under and what department is tackling that issue then? Michael: That makes a lot of sense. So then if it's a personal issue though, Isn't that just as much as a red flag? Cause it's like, Hey, there's no unity in the team. What the heck? how do you handle that? Pauline: So that now goes into like the people portion of your business, right? Like I said earlier, there's going to be like. Your patients, your people, and then like your processes, So now you're now going into the people portion, which is your team members, your employees. So that goes back to having the right people. So what does that mean? We use the people analyzer here and including me, the business owner, you should have your employees also rate you and analyze you as well. So they have to align with our core values. You have to define the metric that you want to analyze people on for that. We only have three core values, so you have to have all of them, not just two out of three or one out of three. So it has to be a plus or minus there. And we need pluses there. And then it goes from core values. It's either you get it, you want it, or you have the capacity to do it. And that's just now analyzing the person. Okay. Right In that position, and that will then start resolving a lot of that. And then you're able to remove that personal aspect out of it. So like when we have leaders, who are onboarding and training, and I see them getting frustrated with team member B, I asked them to start dissecting down. Is it any of the core values that they're having issues with? Or is it? They get the assignment, They get the job, they get the expectations, but do they want it? Some people don't want it, right? Going back to hygienist position in my practice, we scan every single patient here. Not every hygienist wants to do that, and that's okay, but we need to know that when we're hiring, right? And then do they have the capacity to do it? Okay, if I'm asking them to take x rays, scan, 2D photos, Am I giving them enough time in their appointment slot to do that, So that just now allows you to start dissecting all the different compartments of it versus just taking on this, Oh, this person doesn't want to do their job, or they're not, doing a great job. Then they start taking things personally, or she's giving me an attitude when I'm asking her to do this, right? It's okay. Well, Maybe they didn't get it. Did we lay out clear expectations? Of needing a scan on every single patient. Did we lay out clear expectations that I expect an updated scan every year? Was that on us? Did we clearly convey that? Did we communicate that? Okay, if they get it we communicate all that. So that part is checked off. Now, do they want it? And that was where, Okay. We identified the issue here the hygienist did not want to do that. So then it comes down that it's not oh, she's giving me attitude when I asked her to scan that becomes personal, right? Michael: Makes a lot of sense So then one of the last questions I want to ask you is when you guys are discussing the issue And you mentioned that lot of times we go on tangents, right? And you're like, Hey, tangent alert. Does that make the issue list grow? Is it an ever ending? Pauline: So there has to be a time limit for sure. So our meetings every week are only an hour. we start with a segue personal best business best five minutes. And then patient employee had headline five minutes and then rocks review five minutes. And then our issues list. the bulk of your meeting is going to be that issues list. And like you said, when you start going off tangents, it keeps growing, but you're not just like adding to your issues list and expecting to tackle it, that meeting. So throughout the week, for instance, let's say suction is down in room four. We're not just like. panicking and, alerting the rest of the team this is the issue. If it's something that needs to get resolved, but it can wait until the weekly meeting, put it on the issues list. And we know that it's going to be spoken about during our weekly meeting. So that issues list is constantly growing but it's also constantly getting resolved. And when we onboard people, we also have them like, Hey, go through our issues list that we've solved in the past, because the questions that you're having probably have already been asked and we've already discussed it and we've solved it. So go through and read all that because the same issues you're having, we once had as well. Michael: Awesome. Pauline. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Pauline: My Instagram, Dr. Pauline Le. Michael: All right. That's going to be in the show notes below. And Pauline, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Pauline: You're so welcome. Happy Monday.…
 
Through associateship, starting her own practice, and all the challenges along the way, Dr. Landi Rosenau's journey is a testament to resilience and ambition. From her initial career as an ER nurse, Landi discovered her passion for dentistry through firsthand exposure within her then-husband's practice. This pivotal encounter, combined with an unmet need for continuous patient care in nursing, motivated her transition to dental school. The story truly takes shape during the COVID pandemic, when Landi seized the opportunity to reinvent her career, establishing her own practice. Her decision was fueled by the desire for autonomy and improved work conditions, which she successfully achieved through strategic patient management and strong internal communication protocols. Take a deeper dive as Dr. Landi Rosenau candidly shares the ups and downs of developing her practice. Building her business mainly on referrals and word-of-mouth, she underscores the essential role of an efficient, coordinated team. Yet, her path was not without challenges, facing critical issues with external partnerships like her IT company and other vendors. These setbacks not only taught her the power of instinct and control over financial aspects but also strengthened her resolve. As she reflects on these experiences, Landi provides invaluable lessons about balancing personal and professional demands, making patient-centered choices, and emphasizing the importance of a supportive work environment—insights that resonate deeply with anyone navigating the dental industry. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The journey from ER nurse to entrepreneurial dentist. How the COVID pandemic influenced Dr. Rosenau's career decisions. Key operational strategies for a successful dental practice. The significance of communication systems and patient relations. Overcoming challenges with external partnerships and financial management. Insights on team coordination and its impact on business growth. The importance of resilience and adaptability in dental careers. Dr. Rosenau's process for maximizing patient benefits. Tune in now to discover how Dr. Landi Rosenau turned challenges into opportunities in her practice! ‍ ‍ Guest: Dr. Landi Rosenau Practice Name: Flourish Family & General Dentistry Check out Landi's Media: Website: flourishdentistry.com Facebook: facebook.com/drlandij ‍ Other Mentions and Links: ‍ Insurance Companies/Services: Delta Dental Wisdom Dental Billing ‍ Brands/Products: Lowe's Botox Benco Dental Galderma Patterson Dental Dentistry Support ‍ Practice Management Software: Curve Dental Open Dental Dentrix ‍ Press: Change Healthcare Data Breach ‍ Books: The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups ‍ Host: Michael Arias ‍ Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/ ‍ Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society ‍ Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes ] ‍ p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.…
 
Loading …

ขอต้อนรับสู่ Player FM!

Player FM กำลังหาเว็บ

 

คู่มืออ้างอิงด่วน

ฟังรายการนี้ในขณะที่คุณสำรวจ
เล่น