Early-career advice: invest in CE

In this episode of the Very Clinical Podcast, hosts Zach and Kevin welcome back special guest Dr. Frank Clayton for a deep-dive conversation sharing essential advice on navigating a dental career from its beginning stages to retirement. The discussion kicks off with lighthearted banter about alternative dream careers—Zach as a baseball play-by-play announcer, Kevin as a morning radio host, and Frank as a game show host. For the early career dentist (Years 1–7), Frank advises working for a couple of years, then investing heavily in CE to establish a clinical niche (like his focus on form, function, and aesthetics), and, most critically, living well below one's means while investing consistently with a dental-specific financial planner—advice that Kevin reinforces by telling listeners to "gamble on yourself." During the middle-game grind (Years 10–25), Frank recommends shedding unhappy or unprofitable procedures to embrace the "boring" but profitable, repetitive work, while utilizing advanced tax-sheltering strategies like Cash Balance Plans; Kevin shares that he reinvigorated his middle career by learning implants, which provided financial and time freedom. Finally, addressing the last third of a career (Years 25+), Frank stresses the importance of viewing the practice as a valuable asset and advises starting the exit planning process five years out, focusing on selling at the top—by knowing the office's maximum production capacity (the Law of Diminishing Returns)—rather than limping to the finish line. In retirement, Frank finds liberation in being "just Frank," free from the burden of daily high-stakes decisions, and encourages other dentists to find a new focus rather than fearing the loss of the "doctor" identity.

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