The Dental Marketer

‍Have you ever considered how a single moment of clarity can transform your entire entrepreneurial journey? In this revealing episode, we have Vivek Kinra back on the show to delve into the highs and lows of his unique entrepreneurial path. Vivek opens up about the conception and growth of PPO Profits, detailing his approach to revolutionize practice profitability and navigate through contract restructuring. A true turning point came with the mounting stress from his multiple roles, culminating in a profound mental breakdown in March 2023, which forced him to re-evaluate his priorities. By candidly sharing his struggle with mental health, Vivek emphasizes the necessity of mental well-being in sustaining not just a business, but a balanced life.The discussion takes a transformative turn as Vivek explains his rationale for selling PPO Profits to Benco, focusing on ethical considerations, employee welfare, and ensuring a robust future for his team. Reflecting on his journey, he highlights lessons of trust, competence, and the importance of leading with integrity, both in business and personal life. This ethos paved the way for his company, Verrific, where Vivek continues to uphold the principles of stress-free management and ethical standards. Tune in to learn about his personal evolution towards a life that balances between professional success with personal peace, along with his insights on maintaining high ethical standards to enhance employee well-being and client trust.What You'll Learn in This Episode:What Vivek learned along his entrepreneurial journey.The importance of balancing mental health with entrepreneurial responsibilities.Ethical considerations in selecting business partnerships and buyers.Developing a management style that prioritizes honesty and integrity.Techniques for stress management and maintaining a peaceful work environment.The benefits of fostering a supportive and trustworthy team dynamic.Join us for an insightful journey into entrepreneurship and mental well-being—listen now and discover how integrity leads to both personal and professional success!‍‍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: Vivek KinraBusiness Name: VerrificCheck out Vivek's Media:Website: https://www.verrific.biz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vkinra‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Vivek's Podcast Episodes:309: VIVEK KINRA | SOMETIMES... TOO MANY CUSTOMERS IS NOT A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE – THE DENTAL MARKETER PODCASTMMM [INSURANCE] TREATMENT PLANNING THE RIGHT WAY & MAXIMIZING INSURANCE COMPANY REIMBURSEMENTS – THE DENTAL MARKETER PODCASTMMM [INSURANCE] THE MOST DENIED INSURANCE PROCEDURES & HOW TO WORK AROUND THEIR GUIDELINES TO BECOME APPROVED – THE DENTAL MARKETER PODCASTMMM [MEMBERSHIP PLANS] THE 3 MOST SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE TYPES OF IN-HOUSE MEMBERSHIP PLANS – THE DENTAL MARKETER PODCAST145: VIVEK KINRA | FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS HAVE BAD FEES – THE DENTAL MARKETER PODCAST‍Groups/Communities:The Making of a Dental Startup‍Businesses/Brands:PPO ProfitsBencoMetLife‍Terms:LOI - Letter of IntentGABA‍Books:Dental Coding with Confidence‍People:Elon MuskChuck and Rick Cohen - BencoJeff BezosAlex Hormozi‍Movies:3 Idiots‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please 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.

Is sobriety an all-or-nothing proposition in dentistry? In today's Monday Morning Episode, we've brought on Laura Nelson to uncover the nuanced conversation around alcohol use in the dental industry. Laura challenges the common perception that only those classified as "alcoholics" need to consider sobriety. Through personal insights, she stresses the importance of making conscious, sober decisions and explains how even social drinking can impact professional performance and practice culture. Dive deep into the pressures dentists face that often push them towards alcohol, and learn why open conversations about this topic need to happen more frequently and with less stigma.As the discussion unfolds, Laura passionately advocates for a supportive work environment, highlighting how unaddressed stress can erode a team's ability to thrive. She sheds light on the critical role leadership plays in maintaining mental well-being by demonstrating vulnerability. By setting the stage for honest, stigma-free dialogues, leaders can foster a space that encourages healthier lifestyle choices. The episode wraps up with actionable insights, including how individuals can connect with Laura and her community at Sober Life Rocks, to access peer support and resources for alcohol-related challenges.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Understanding the spectrum of alcohol use beyond alcoholism.The impact of alcohol use on dental practice culture and performance.How to cultivate a supportive environment for discussing mental health.The role of leadership vulnerability in promoting workplace well-being.Strategies for addressing stress and burnout in the dental industry.Ways to engage with communities focused on sober living.Tune in to uncover empowering perspectives that can redefine your approach to sobriety and well-being 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/‍You can reach out to Laura Nelson here:Website: https://soberliferocks.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soberliferocksprofessionalsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/soberliferocksdental/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soberliferocks‍Mentions and Links: ‍People:Dr. Brett Kessler‍If 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/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Laura. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning. Laura: You don't have to be an alcoholic to stop drinking. Michael: Interesting. Can you expand a little bit more on that? Laura: Yes, for sure. I was one who was the typical casual drinker through my life, conferences, events, mommy wine culture, growing up, the whole thing.And couldn't see life without alcohol because I thought to stop drinking, first of all, I wouldn't have fun. Second of all, I had to hit rock bottom. Like I would, didn't consider myself an alcoholic. And I think there's a lot of people who are in that same space that I was in. But I wasn't educated in this area, and so it's important for me to talk about this because I want to make a difference in dental because there's a lot of people who choose not to drink, who feel the pressure to drink alcohol, and don't realize that you can choose not to drink, and it's okay.We can normalize sober choices in our industry. So. Alcoholism is not a yes or no. it's a spectrum. And if we understand wherever you are on the spectrum, it's your decision, what you want to do with your life and it's everybody else's decision. And we need to stop peer pressuring each other into the need to drink alcohol.Michael: Interesting. So on the spectrum here, where do you kind of see most in the industry as far as when it comes to like events and things like that? Laura: Sure. Yeah. So, Alcohol use disorder, if you've ever drank for the wrong reason, drank too much, or woke up in the morning and regretted drinking, you are on the spectrum, because alcohol is an addictive substance and it doesn't usually serve us well.long term, right? So if you ever regretted drinking at any point or drink for the wrong reason, you're on the spectrum. Now, where is everybody in our industry all over? But the thing about alcohol is it is the number one self prescribed way to celebrate or numb feelings or emotions.And it is the most standardized use of drugs that we use our life. we celebrate with wine, we go out for champagne, we have beer tours, we go on wine tours, we go to conferences, it's all about alcohol. So it's so prevalent in our life that when somebody is questioning their use their,relationship with alcohol, or they're at events and they feel the pressure to drink, that's where it goes too far in the spectrum where we're really pushing in on each other.So, In our industry specifically we have an issue in the sense that we have lots of people who are licensed professionals who worry about their license who Have a lot of stress in their lives running practices and alcohol is where we tend to lean When we're dealing with the hard stuff and so, you know, I would say for that regard.There's probably a few who are secretly having the discussion in their head, based off of what they have in their life Michael: What psychological barriers do you think prevent? Practice owners or dentists from admitting to or seeking help alcohol use as a coping mechanism And how can leaders effectively dismantle those barriers?Laura: Yeah So the number one reason isas a society for a long time, it's been something that you hide if you have concerns about your relationship with an addictive substance, with alcohol specifically, in the past, there was a stigma around if you were in recoveryit was real, but it's not like that anymore, Overcoming an addiction, especially with alcohol, it is a personal battle that many people do privately, and we're already shaming ourselves enough when you are like, I don't understand why other people can drink and don't have a problem, but I do, and it's already something you're beating yourself up about.And then as a society and in our industry and with people in our circle. there's the shame of like, what are people going to think about me? What are people going to question? and so it's just, prevalent and everywhere. it's such a personal decision and conversation and a lot has to do with the shame around it and the fear.Michael: Okay. So then when it comes to that, especially when it comes to the burnout and stress and your experience, how does unaddressed stress and burnout. Silently erode the culture and performance of a practice over time. Laura: Oh, the fact that we can and we do go to other ways to forget about or numb the bad stuff Doesn't have us deal with the actual issue at hand. So stress depression suicidal thoughts Yeah. you know, All of the things that we deal with as humans, because at the end of the day, whether you're a dentist, a hygienist or a receptionist, you're human. And if we are using a substance to numb the pain, what ultimately happens is we're not dealing with the true issue and we're not dealing with the real emotion.And because we're numbing the pain with a substance that is addictive. Everybody will get addicted to alcohol at one point or another. When do you get addicted? Depends on so many variables. But when we know that we're leaning in to using the alcohol for the wrong reason and not actually dealing with the true stuff going on, that's when it becomes a problem.Michael: What would be using alcohol for the right reason then? Laura: well, To be honest I could sit on a soapbox now and tell you how alcohol is not good for us, but there are people who are in their head right now, they're like, Oh gosh Laura's, reading my mind, right?Having a glass of champagne to celebrate a wedding, you know, having a one glass of wine with a friend, once in a while, alcohol is it's been in our society forever. It's not going away. But if you start with one and now you're, instead of one glass of wine, you're a bottle of wine.Instead of one glass of champagne, you did drinks before you went to the wedding and at the wedding, and then you're post drinking, like there's lots of, we all have stories, right? But research shows the first 20 minutes of alcohol is fun. The first 20 minutes of alcohol, you have the endorphins, you have the dopamine.It's great. But then your body suffers for the next two to three hours. if you're drinking for the 20 minutes and you recognize the next two to three hours and your body is recovering from every glass of alcohol that you have, right? So I could talk about where alcohol is not actually serving you.But if you're using it to numb the pain, if you're using it to get away from true emotions, then that's where I would question why you're drinking the alcohol. Michael: Yeah. Cause I've always understood it in the sense of nutrition, right? Protein is, one gram is four carbs. One gram is four fats.One gram is nine calories, right? But alcohol, one gram is seven and our body doesn't utilize it, right? It doesn't need it for any building blocks or anything like that. So we're just literally poisoning our body, uh, to the sense of that But now we're talking about the psychological part and mental health part, which is increasingly important.Laura: Now, when it comes to this, What are the long term psychological and cultural implications, maybe in a practice that ignores mental health issues, particularly around burnout and depression? Alcohol use. not to get extreme, but we know suicide is a significant issue in our industry.Depression is a significant issue in our industry. And alcohol is usually tied to, a lot of the problems that people have. And soWhen you're suffering, people have a glass of wine when you're upset, let's have a drink.Let's meet over the bar and talk about it and have a drink. And so it's just that it's used so much, and that it's pushed so much. It's just our societal norm to lean into alcohol. I mean, I went to the doctor recently and he's like, how much are you drinking before I stopped? And, I told him what I was drinking.He's like, that's normal. That's not normal. Like we shouldn't normalize that alcohol is our friend. And so when it comes to the stress in the practice, the realities of what's going on, we need to recognize that that is an issue in itself, working on the depression, the stress, the financial issues, your relationships, your whatever it is.if you're band aiding it with alcohol, using that as the crutch to get through life, that is the problem, and the longer you do that, the higher chance you have of bigger problems in the long run. Michael: Interesting. So then how do you ensure. That discussions about alcohol use in the workplace go beyond surface level awareness and truly shift the mindset and behaviors of your team and leaders.Laura: Yep. My bandwagon, my thing I talk about is alcohol others. It's, suicidal thoughts. It's depression. It's divorce. It's financial problems. Like we all have life things. We all have our own dark places, whatever it is. What we need to build and can build is an environment where people can just be okay with what they have.we know our own secrets. We know what's going on in our head. We know the things that have happened in our life, the things we've done. And we always compare the worstof us to the best of other people. Right. The Instagram side of what other people are.If we could actually just build an environment, build a team where people can just have the space to be okay, to communicate their issue, to be allowed to feel, we are humans, you know, no matter who's on your team, we all have real things going on. And if you can build a space that it's okay to Be transparent, be vulnerable and allow somebody to be able to talk about their thing, whatever it is.And so like for me with alcohol, my whole goal in this conversation is just to get people talking. Because if we can't get people talking, we're not going to help people. And so normalizing the okayness to talk about whatever your issue is. Find people who have dealt with what you're dealing with and lean into that because The more we can fill the gap between people who need help and the people who can give help By getting rid of that gap of shame and fear and allowing people to just be vulnerable and be real will change lives and change your practice Michael: Yeah, I agree getting people to talk about it is huge, then I feel like there's that fact of like vulnerability, especially if you're a leader.So I guess, in addressing alcohol use and burnout, do you balance vulnerability and leadership strength, especially when,you may be struggling with similar issues Laura: as a leader. Your team is going to follow you if you set examples, right? So being vulnerable is a completely agreat leadership skill to be able to say, I don't know.Now, I'm not saying that as a doctor, you need to tell everything going on in your private life and in your brain and all of the stress that you have, but To be vulnerable with your team to say, you know, I have some mental health issues. I have some personal concerns I'm dealing with. I have some things and be real with your team.They're going to respect you follow you that much more than trying to fake. that you have it all together because nobody has it all together. And then going and getting the help that you need. Like again, when you can lean into getting help, you can see how it improves in your life as a doctor and as a leaderand then be able to offer that to your team, talk about turnover that we have if your team knows that you really trust and believe in them and you're vulnerable and you're real and you care about them, they're not going anywhere, They're going to be on your team forever.So just be real. It's all we really want. Michael: Yeah. And so that shows strength. Okay. Gotcha. So then, in your work, Laura, how have you seen unresolved personal struggles with alcohol among dentists affect their ability to deliver patient care and are there any interventions or what interventions have proven most effective in these situations?Laura: Yeah, the reality is when I started this journey of sharing my storymy story is a little bit easier than a dentist and a hygienist, cause I'm not licensed. So I can stand on the mountaintops and say, I'm happy to be sober. And this is why I chose it for my life. but for a dentist, there's a real reality of, your team.Your license your patients. And so, the reality is there's a lot of licensed professionals in our industry struggling, struggling with mental health issues, struggling with addiction issues, and they're not getting the help they need. I actually have a hygienist that I'm affiliated with. she was more worried about losing her hygiene license than she was about getting a DUI when she was actively drinking because.That's her livelihood. Many team members are dentists. We know that they're suffering and that's our livelihood. If our dentist has to go to recovery or rehabilitation or, take time out of the practice, what about our jobs? Right. And so it's the reality of what's going on. Luckily I've become really good friends with the incoming ADA president, Brett Kessler, Dr.Kessler, who that is what he wants to change for our industry isto allow and have support for. Licensed professionals. They're bringing in a third party company where you can actually call and get help. You can have real conversations because our jobs are our jobs, but our life is way more important, right?So I'm hoping that the worst cases that I know and the things I've seen, we can make a difference by just starting the conversation. Michael: Awesome. Laura, thank you so much for your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly?Laura: Sober life rocks that is our new Community and group sober life rocks find me on all the social channels or just come to our website sober life rocks Michael: Awesome. So that's going to be in the show notes below and laura Thank you so much for being with me on this monday morning episode.Laura: Thank you

Unlock the secrets to a beautiful smile while learning from one of the most innovative minds in cosmetic dentistry today. In this enlightening episode, I'm in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Korinne Grieger, a functionally driven cosmetic dentist whose pioneering approach is transforming the field. Korinne shares her journey, revealing how advanced tools like biometrics, JBA, and T-Scan enhance her ability to precisely diagnose and treat dental issues. By ensuring a stable bite before any restorative work, she provides long-lasting and superior care. This episode explores how Korinne's blend of scientific rigor and creativity sets her apart in providing exceptional dental care.Dive deeper as Dr. Grieger discusses her adept use of social media to educate and connect with her patient community. Her approachable style and concise videos about dental procedures not only build trust but also attract patients who value transparency and expertise. Korinne also unveils the inner workings of her Scottsdale practice, focusing on her strategy of fostering a team full of critical thinkers and independent workers. Her management philosophy creates a nurturing environment where both patients and staff can thrive. With personal anecdotes, Korinne shares her growth in empathic patient communication and highlights the importance of understanding diverse perspectives.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How Dr. Korinne Grieger is revolutionizing cosmetic dentistry with advanced techniques.The importance of establishing a stable bite before cosmetic work.Effective dental marketing strategies using social media.Insights into building a smart, autonomous dental team.The role of effective communication in enhancing patient relationships.An overview of team dynamics and practice management at KORsmiles.Personal anecdotes and lessons in sleep dentistry and patient care.Listen now to discover how cutting-edge dental artistry and science create lasting smiles!‍‍Sponsors:‍‍Gusto: Dentist payroll for the modern practice. Gusto’s cloud-based software provides all the payroll and HR tools you need to run your dental practice efficiently. Having it all on one platform keeps our prices low, and makes your job so much easier. Enjoy best-in-class support, benefits like health coverage for your team, and more. Visit or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://gusto.com/tdm‍Guest: Dr. Korinne GriegerPractice Name: KORsmiles DentalCheck out Korinne's Media:Website: https://www.korsmiles.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@korsmilesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/korsmilesdental/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korsmilesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KorsmilesScottsdale‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:JBA - Joint Vibration Analysis‍Equipment/Brands:T-ScaniTeroInvisalign‍Continuing Education:Clinical Mastery SeriesSpear Education‍Tools/Resources:IndeedCraigslist‍TV:Michael Scott - The Office‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please 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.‍‍

Is your dental practice running smoothly without your constant supervision? In this enlightening episode, we delve into the heart of effective leadership with Dr. Sarah Blair, a seasoned expert in guiding dental practice owners toward efficient and engaged management. Dr. Blair candidly discusses the pitfalls many leaders encounter when they aren't actively involved with their teams, especially when it comes to key responsibilities like patient interactions over the phone. Through her insights, you'll discover how attentive leadership can turn potential lost opportunities into lasting patient relationships.Dr. Blair also shines a light on the often-overlooked back-office inefficiencies, using supply management as a prime example. Drawing from years of experience, she shares practical strategies to bolster team performance by focusing on comprehensive training, streamlined systems, and the critical importance of setting clear expectations. As the episode wraps up, Dr. Blair invites listeners to connect with her for more tailored advice, ensuring that leadership gains aren't just theoretical but actively applied to foster a thriving dental practice.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The impact of active leadership on team performance and patient engagement.Strategies to enhance patient communication over the phone.Common back-office inefficiencies and how to address them.Importance of clear expectations and consistent training for team effectiveness.How to transform practice management with effective systems and leadership.Tune in now to unlock revelations that will transform your dental practice's leadership dynamics!‍‍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. Sarah Blair here:Website: https://www.indiepractices.com/Sarah's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.blair.961993Indie Practices Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndiePracticesTop 10 Team Management Solutions: https://www.indiepractices.com/digital-resources‍If 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/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Sarah, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning. Sarah: All right. So my piece of advice is to be aware that the work that your team is doing when you're not around probably isn't as good as you think it is. That's a little controversial to hear. It's not what everyone wants to Michael: So, well, First let me clarify a few things. first by not around. I don't mean you're on vacation. I mean that you're just not present. So it means you're busy, you're distracted, you're not paying attention. that's what I mean by when you're not around. And I also want to clarify that this is not anti team by any means.Sarah: We are super pro team. We love teams. it's just that there, is a disconnect between what the leader should be doing and should be providing and what the team is actually receiving. So I've been a team member myself. I was a dental assistant. I worked at the front desk. So again, we're super pro team.This is more of a leadership concept here. Michael: Okay. Gotcha. So is it more in the sense of like, Hey, we're doing what we're supposed to be doing clinical work, right? Talking to the patients, being with patients, but then we don't know, really know what the front office is doing. They're doing busy work, but not productive work.Sarah: That's a great way to put it. Yeah, the truth is that your team is almost certainly underperforming some areas if you're not engaged managing. So as coaches, we get to see and hear this a lot. owners don't always want to hear this news, but we get to look at the metrics and we get to listen to the phone calls and when we look at these data points, we can see that the team is not performing as well as The way that the practice owner has been hoping or the way that they have always believed that their team is performing.Michael: So why does this happen? Is it from the beginning, from the get go, is it happening like that? Or is it more like they fall into a lull and now they're not performing as good, but they figured a way to, make it look like you are. Sarah: We actually have the top 10 list of all of these key areas.The ways that teams typically underperform, and the ways to address it. And we're going to have that on our Facebook page. It'll also be on our website and under the resource library. So we probably wouldn't get through all 10 of those today. And like you said, some of them do apply early on. Some of them can apply to long term team members that have maybe started out super energetic and fired up and things have drifted off into a different place at this point.So basically as leaders. We're failing our teams if we don't provide guidance, AKA training and systems, clarify expectations, monitor the results and hold the team accountable. So as we like to say inspect what you expect. Michael: Okay. So then What would you say are the most common that you've seen time and time again?Sarah: primary one that I would say is on the phones. So we're seeing, really common things happening on the phones that owners are totally unaware of. They're trusting and hoping that their teams are doing a great job. In fact, sometimes they genuinely. Believe that their team is doing a great job and it can be really frustrating and disappointing for them when they find out that's not the case.So I would say phones and what's happening on the telephones is One of the biggest areas, and luckily for us as coaches, one of the areas that we're able to document and observe the most closely is the way, especially incoming new patient phone calls are handled Michael: So then when you're listening into these phone calls, where do you see them drop the ball the most?yeah, so the most common theme is just Reactively answering the first question of course is usually do you take my insurance or how much does this cost? And so they just go directly into the nuts and bolts of answering that question without building any connection building trust without building value for the practice and talking up the doctor in the practice and why you're going to love it here.Sarah: They go right into the nuts and bolts of complicated insurance plan, something like that. So not taking control of that phone call right from the beginning is where we see team members fall off the tracks most often for this. And again, this is a, leadership issue because the team members don't have the training, the systems in place.to have those successful conversations with new patient callers to get them into the schedule. So it's not a team problem. It's a doctor problem. Michael: Providing the guidance. Could you Sarah give us like a script to that reaction? So like let's just say it's super common, right? Or it's hey, you take my insurance Sarah: usually people it's a lot of nose. It's a lot of going down rabbit holes and oh we don't play some plants here. You'd have to go see a Surgeon, it's a lot of roadblocks You And a lot of denial. So I think a lot of team members are afraid. To give unrealistic expectations so they shut things down right away and consequently the patients are like, okay, I guess not coming in.it's so sad and I hear, we just hear hundreds and hundreds of these calls all the time where it's like a dead end. It's a roadblock. It's a bottleneck in the conversation. So instead, so we have to take that tough question. Sometimes I like to envision it as a brick or something that if somebody's handing you this object, you have to take it.It's not what we're going to deal with immediately. We're just going to set it right here. And then we're going to draw the patient in by connecting. And by building value for the practice before we get to that tough thorny question that we're going to deal with soon. So it could just be something like, First off you answer, you know, hi, my name, practice name. How can I help you today? And then they're going to give tough question. They're going to hand you the brick and you're going to say, awesome. That's such a great question. I'm so happy to help you with that today. Let me just get a little bit more information so I can help you out with that.And then you just go right into, get their name, use their name through the rest of the call. And then you're going to ask, find out why they're really calling. So patients are asking about insurance and pricing because they don't know what else to ask. But what they really want to know is, are you guys nice?Are you guys good? So you got to build that connection. You got to build a value. So you're going to say Oh, you just moved here. That's awesome. Welcome to the area. You're going to absolutely love it. And you're going to love our office. Dr. Jones is amazing with whatever it is that you wanted.So if you asked him how to crown, he's awesome at crowns. you're already building that value and that connection. And team members invariably think that's a waste of time. We don't take their insurance. Let's just end the call, but you're going to lose a hundred percent of those callers. If you at least build a connection and you're building trust, you're building value, so much more likely that you're going to schedule and that that patient's going to actually show up.Michael: like that. I like the way you put it like as a brick. I remember there was a, thing where they said like in different cultures, more like Japan, Japan. When you bring a gift to them, it's considered rude to open it in front and be like, Oh my gosh, compared to here, like in America, right here, we want to open it immediately and we Sarah: expect, Michael: but over there, they say like, put it to the side and acknowledge the person.Don't worry about it right now. Sarah: That's great. Think of it as a gift that someone just handed you because the gift is they're presenting themselves to you as a potential new patient. This is not some. Terrible problem that someone just handed you. It's a potential new patient and it should be the most exciting and important thing in your entire day.But sadly, team members don't get the training on this. They don't know how to take that call and take control of it and turn it toward the things that really matter. Of course, we're going to answer that tough question. We're not going to be evasive. We're not going to be dodging questions. We're going to deal with it, but we have to build that connection first.Michael: I like that. And then real quick for the back office where do you see it? Where it's like, Hey, you guys are being busy, but not productive. Sarah: Yeah. A couple of different areas where your team is probably not optimizing and they're underperforming in certain areas in the back. one area that we've seen recently, a lot of supplies.if the team member is ordering supplies. they probably don't have designated time set aside for themselves to do that. They're just fitting it in wherever they possibly can around a busy schedule. They probably don't have a system, so they're just ordering whatever's easiest with no way to price shop and look for the best possible options.we had a client recently who is.Supply costs were almost 20 percent of their revenue their minds were blown when we shared this data with them because they hadn't looked at it. with just three simple changes, which setting aside time for clinical assistant to actually do this task,training her on how to do it and what system they were going to use, and setting a budget and setting some really clear expectations.They cut their costs dramatically without sacrificing one bit of quality. And in fact, it's actually much easier for everyone on the team now. that's just an example of where if you're not paying attention, if you're under managing and not inspecting what you expect, you're going to get a result that is really out of line with what you're hoping.And you're going to see it in the numbers. Michael: I love that. Inspecting what you expect. Awesome. Sarah, I appreciate your time and if anyone has further questions, where can they reach out to you directly? Sarah: Yeah, absolutely. So you can email me directly. It's sarah indie practices.com.That's I-N-D-I-E practices. or you can check out our websiteor just chat with me on Facebook. So just reach out to Sarah Blair on Facebook and message us on in practices on Facebook. We're always putting out new content and you can check out what's going on.Michael: Awesome. So that's gonna be in the show notes below. And Sarah, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Sarah: It was a pleasure. Thanks so much, Michael.

What drives a dentist to specialize exclusively in pediatric care? Join us in this insightful episode as Dr. Anthony Brown, founder of New Leaf Pediatric Dentistry, opens up about his heartfelt journey into pediatric dentistry and the origins of his practice. Dr. Brown shares candid stories of mentorship and inspiration that fueled his passion for working with children, leading him to create a dental practice that is renowned for its compassionate, non-judgmental approach. With a focus on forming a welcoming environment, Dr. Brown discusses how his team ensures that parents feel supported and understood, revolutionizing the way pediatric dentistry is perceived.Get a behind-the-scenes look at the logistical hurdles faced when establishing a new practice, from choosing the perfect location and overcoming construction woes to implementing effective marketing and operational strategies. Dr. Brown delves into the art of hiring the right people, valuing instincts and professionalism, and the crucial role of mentorship in his career. Tune in for valuable insights into managing new patient outreach through digital platforms and efficient internal systems, and hear Dr. Brown's honest reflections on balancing the many personal challenges that come with running a new practice.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The inspirational story behind New Leaf Pediatric Dentistry.Key traits and values for effective pediatric care.The role of mentorship in personal and professional growth.Logistics and challenges in launching a new dental practice.Hiring strategies that align team values with practice goals.Creative marketing techniques for client engagement.Operational systems for streamlined patient care.Balancing personal challenges and professional responsibilities.Listen now to discover the heartbeats of a thriving pediatric dental practice!‍‍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. Anthony BrownPractice Name: New Leaf Pediatric DentistryCheck out Anthony's Media:Website: https://newleafpediatricdentistrync.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newleafpediatricdentist/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newleafpediatricdentistrync/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newleafpediatricdentist‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Practice Management Software:Open Dental‍Services:Affordable ImageGet ReachMVP MailhouseStaplesCrown Realtors (Jim Minuto)Stark ConstructionCarr‍Tools/Software:ZoomGoogle AdsMeta Ads‍People:Alex Crisp‍Organizations:OSHA‍Banks:Bank of America‍Places:Duram Bulls Stadium‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please 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.

Are traditional retirement plans holding you back? In this eye-opening episode, I dive into a conversation with Kyle Christensen, where he disrupts conventional financial strategies queued up for dentists. Rather than funneling earnings into several miscellaneous traditional retirement savings like 401ks and IRAs, Kyle introduces the novel concept of "fake assets" that might not serve you as you imagined. He advises dentists to channel their investments into their sphere of expertise—into themselves and their practice—in order to craft paths towards abundant wealth genuinely.Kyle breaks apart the paradigm of diversification and advocates for other arenas like real estate, intellectual property, and personal development ventures such as coaching. Discover the lengths to which specialization can forge wealth without waiting decades!What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why 401ks and IRAs might be considered "fake assets" for dentists.The importance of investing in one's expertise and practice for optimal wealth creation.Strategies for maintaining high liquidity to seize strategic opportunities.Understanding the value in real estate, IP investment, and self-improvement coaching.Kyle's take on why diversification strategies might be outdated.How specialization, rather than diversification, leads to increased wealth.Ready to reshape your financial future and mastering the art of specialization? Dive into this episode now!‍‍Sponsors:Studio 8E8: Dentistry’s story-driven marketing agency. Traditional marketing repels. Story-first dental marketing attracts.We bring your story to life in a way that captivates and connects: https://s8e8.com/affiliates/tdm?utm_source=tdm&utm_medium=affiliate&wc_clear=true‍You can reach out to Kyle Christensen here:Website: https://uniqueadvantage.biz/Kyle's Book "Principals Based Planning": https://a.co/d/8576RD3Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unique_advantage/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558072766116LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqueadvantage-planning/‍Mentions and Links: ‍Terms:Fica Taxes‍People:Bill GatesElon Musk‍Books:FAKE: Fake Money, Fake Teachers, Fake Assets: How Lies Are Making the Poor and Middle Class PoorerThe Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth‍Videos:Why diversification is for suckers: Warren Buffet and Mark Cuban‍Businesses/Brands:MicrosoftAppleBerkshire HathawayWalmart‍Places:Wall Street‍If 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/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Kyle. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Kyle: My advice is to don't gamble with your financial future. And there's a reason I'm saying that. Michael: What's the reason behind it? Kyle: I think most of your listeners are probably being pressured, by the conventional wisdom out there to start quote, saving for retirement.And basically the way I look at that is they're divesting money from their control and their use and their expertise, and they're putting it in things that they have no control, expertise or use. And that's generally encouraged by the financial planning industry. Okay. Michael: So would you say, Don't start putting funds into that. Kyle: I know. Sounds crazy. Doesn't it? Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. The financial institutions that are promoting the philosophy of retirement and retirement planning, they only have one objective, and it's actually a huge conflict of interest.Their objective is to get asset center management. Their objective is to get your audience to send them money on a regular and ongoing basis and not touch it for decades and not receive any income for decades from those supposed assets, Robert Kiyosaki in his most recent book called fakecalls 401ks and IRAs mutual funds.He calls them fake assets. And the reason is he says a real asset is something that puts money in your pocket. And a liability is something that takes money out of your pocket for years. And that's why he calls those kinds of things, fake assets. Michael: So then from your expertise, where should we be putting our money then?Kyle: They should be putting it in what they're experts in. I've been to plenty of dental industry events, conferences. throughout the country. And I can tell you by looking at all the exhibitors of these events, there's plenty of opportunity for, dentists to invest in themselves and to grow and to expand.They're being convinced, however, to, move their money and invest in things that are not in their expertise, which I just finished reading Andrew Carnegie'sautobiography earlier this year. And in his book, he talks about that exactly. He says, I've never seen a man be embarrassed by investing in anything other than things outside of his expertise.his recommendation, which he's the richest American thatthat's ever lived. You know, we think, Bill Gates is super rich and Elon and they are, but comparatively Andrew Carnegie would be worth 300 billion in today's dollars. So he knows what he's talking about.And I think there's some wisdom in what he's saying. He's saying that, look, you should be investing in thethings you can control, and influence. Michael: Interesting. So then what are some strategic investments specifically for dentists that they should be investing in?Kyle: Yeah. So number one, I would say, don't be afraid of having cash. Don't be afraid of accumulating cash because cash means opportunity, think everybody's heard the phrase cash is King and there's truth to that. The people who have cash have opportunity. I'm sure most of your audience has dealt with loans, practice loans, or equipment loans, or things like that, right?What if you could get to a point in time when, you're only using loans strategically. You're not using them because you have to, but you're using them strategically. Maybe when the interest rates are really great and you're making more interest in where your cash is at, right?So at that point in time, it might make a lot more sense to just maintain the cash, take the loan, right? But in most people's cases, they're taking loans because they don't have the cash. So I would say, don't be afraid to build and maintain high levels of cash because cash equals opportunity. I'm thinking about one of my dental clients that's in Oklahoma.I started working with him whenhe bought into his first practice and he was making about 250, 000 a year. so that was in about 2014 when I started working with him this year.in fact, a conversation that I had with him last week, he's buying in three more practices.So he'll have a total of six practices. He has over 10 doctors working for him, his annual income just from what he does managing the practices, he makes over 2 million per year. That's where people should be investing right in their own ideas, in their own business, in their own property. Investment, for a dentist could be, investing in coaching.That's a great investment. In fact, this particular client, that was one of the first big investments that they did is they invested into coaching for their practice. And the amount of increase in efficiency in their practice went through the roof. So those are the kinds of investments that I think that your audience should be considering and, should weigh heavier than things that they have no expertise in.Michael: Yeah. Interesting. was that revenue profit or cash? Kyle: That was net profit per year for him. Michael: Oh, interesting. I like that, man. So then how would you plan for long term, I guess, like financial security and wealth building Kyle: So one of the things that you can do is you can start to invest into real estate, right?For example, maybe the property that your practice is in, that's an opportunity, right? And that's actually a way to, change the character of your income. Let's say that you're paying 20, 000 a month in lease, for your office lease if you were to own the building And now you're practice is paying that to you that twenty thousand bucks a year.You're Recharacterizing two hundred and forty thousand dollars a year now. It's not going to be subject to fikaSo you're saving fifteen point three percent of that money in taxes And now you're going to pay ordinary income tax, which you would have anyway, but you save a huge chunk of money over time if you sell that practice in the future, you could still Keep the building, it's a cash flowing asset to you.You can look at investing in other, what I would call real assets. Real assets are basically things that financial institutions can't sell you. So real assets might be owning a franchise. It might be owning, other real estate property, intellectual property. I think about the inventions that have taken place in the dental industry in just the last 10 years.And it's incredible. If you've been to the dentist regularly, you've seen it, the way they take x rays, the way they do imaging, everything. It's amazing how much technology, how much improvement has been made. What's the genesis of most of that improvement? Is it somebody who's not in the dental world or is it somebody that's in the dental world that came up with those things?And I would say it's mostly things that were brought up or invented Or at least thought of by people in the dental industry. Your audience might be, as they go along, be coming up with ideas that are multi million dollar cash flowing ideas.And what I'm saying is, that's the sort of thing they should be investing in. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So then how do you balance reinvesting in the business with diversifying your portfolio for long term wealth here? Kyle: So diversification, just submit is a marketing idea. Really? Michael: Okay. Yes. Kyle: in fact, I would encourage everybody to look up what Warren Buffett says and Mark Cuban says about diversification on YouTube.Diversification is an excuse for lack of knowledge. So specialization is what creates well, it's having an inch wide. Knowledge, but it's a mile deep, versus the Jack of all trades that has a mile wide basis of knowledge. And it's only an inch deep the whole way.People get paid for what they know. this idea of diversification, it's wall street. Wall Street is encouraging diversification because an excuse for their inability to pick winners and losers, which all the research actually says that they cannot do. And so we pay all these mutual fund managers and these money managers a lot of money right, every year, so that they can pick winners and losers, and yet all the research says that they can't, and what do they tell us we have to do?Diversify. We have to diversify. We have to asset allocate, We have to change that so that if something goes down, which is out of our control, which is a key point, I think then not all of our money will go down. So my question is. Should Bill Gates have diversified out of Microsoft should Steve Jobs have diversified out of Apple should Warren Buffett diversify outside of Berkshire Hathaway, I would say no, I think that those guys know exactly what they're doing.And they're investing in the things that they know that they're experts in. Michael: Interesting. Okay. So then if we do have a portfolio and our consultants are, are, you know, financial advisors are telling us like, yeah, you need to diversify. We did it already.How can we start scaling back? Or do we just take everything out of our mutual fund 401k RAs and stuff like that? Or, Or what are your thoughts? Kyle: Here's my question. How much controller influence do you have over how that performs?Michael: None. Like If I bought Walmart stock, how much influence do I have over that? buy something at Walmart, but nothing happens. Kyle: But it's not going to move the needle, right? It's not going to change the stock price, right? So I have no influence over that. So in reality, if you look up the definition of the word invest or the word gamble, What is that more like, Is it really investing or is it really gambling? I think that's the first thing we need to do. Let's call it what it is. And some people like to gamble and that's fine. for some people it's exciting. It's a fun game, but I don't think that people want to rely, put their entire financial future on gambling, right?But they're being told that that's what they should do. So what should you do if you already have, most of your investment in that kind of situation? Well, number one, does it make it better to put good money after bad? in the business world, don't put good money after bad, right?So if we're already doing something and we realize maybe this isn't the direction I want to go, then don't keep putting money in that direction. Does that make sense? So that's the first thing I would stop contributing If you realize that, hey, you know what? I really do have more confidence in what I'm doing than I do in putting it into something I have no clue and I have no control, no influence over the outcome, right?I'm actually penalized if I touch my money, Here's the other thing. Don't let the tax tail wag the dog. So what I mean by that is, taxes, yes, are an important factor to keep in mind, But they shouldn't be the sole deciding factor, if my entire goal is to avoid taxes, you know what the easiest way for me to avoid taxes is?Don't make money. And I don't know of anybody who has that as a goal. That's not a goal for anybody. It's not a good goal. I don't think to not make money. So avoidance of taxes isn't really the goal. Financial freedom is your goal. It should be your goal. And I think that's what most people have in mind when they think about retirement, even though that's not what the word retirement means.I think that they think about financial freedom, you know, I want to be able to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Well, The problem with retirement accounts is that they don't provide you with any. income. They don't provide you with any velocity. That's the principle. It's called velocity of money.So you put money into a retirement account and you can't touch it for a long time. Michael, you seem like you're in your thirties, maybe. Are you in your thirties? So if you're in your thirties, when can you touch that money without paying a penalty? 30 more years. Yeah, it's 30 more years. And who benefits from that?Is it you or is it the financial institutions? Michael: I don't know if I'll be here in 30 more years, even like so. Kyle: that's true. It's absolutely true. There's no guarantee that you'll live that long. Here's the thing. Those products, those accounts are not designed for financial freedom. They're designed for retirement, which is an age.Retirement doesn't mean capability. And so here's the question. Would you rather pay the tax? And maybe even the penalty. Right now we're at, the market's still at, near it's all time high. It might make sense actually, to cash out. And pay the tax and the penalty. Which seems totally crazy. I'm the only financial planner that you'll ever hear that suggests that that might be a good idea.And here's why. Because I believe in you. I believe in you more than I do Wall Street. They have a conflict of interest actually. Their conflict of interest is this. If you take out your money, they make less. That's the reality. that's an actual financial conflict of interest. So when do they want you to take your money out?Never. Michael: Yeah. Kyle: Yeah. It's never. that's the game. They're just pushing it down the road for 30 years. And if you've put money into the retirement accounts, you've agreed to that condition that you won't touch your money for 30 years. Which only benefits them. It doesn't benefit you in any way, but they're trying to convince you that that's true And then when you get to 30 years from now because we just said what's their conflict of interest?They don't ever want you to touch your money. They get financially injured if you take the money out when you hit 30 years from now, do you think they're going to still want you to take your money out at that point? Nope. They're going to give you every reason why you shouldn't because you might outlive it.It's not enough. it didn't grow as much as we thought it would and so on. I would rather you have half of that money in your full control and your full use. Michael: Love it, man. Awesome. 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?Kyle: You can go to my website, uniqueadvantage. biz. And the last letters are B I Z, Boy Island Zoo. Our email addresses are on there. You can, reach out. I'd love to answer any question.Michael: couple other ways you can find out more, right? You can go to amazon. com and you can buy my book, principles based planning, a better approach to financial planning. The other ways you can find us we're on Instagram.Kyle: Facebook and LinkedIn. So we'd love to have you follow connect. We'd love to see on there. Michael: Awesome. Yeah. So that's going to be in the show notes below Kyle's book. I saw social media handles. Please reach out to him if you have any questions and Kyle, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode.Thank you.

Imagine an AI assistant handling missed calls to your office, rather than sending patients to voicemail. In this episode, we're bringing on Connor Ludlow, the visionary founder of Annie—a groundbreaking AI-driven front desk assistant tailored for dental practices. Connor delves into how AI solutions like Annie can alleviate the mounting burden on front desk staff by handling routine yet critical tasks, such as phone call management and appointment scheduling. Instead of cutting jobs, this technology enhances job efficiency, helping dental offices run smoother and significantly improving patient experiences.From his roots as a CTO in software for dental offices to founding Annie, Connor reveals an intimate understanding of the stresses that challenge practice owners daily. This episode explores the nuances of practice management, illustrating how AI can alleviate business responsibilities piled on clinical duties. Highlighting the surge in AI acceptance, largely driven by ChatGPT, Connor shares practical insights into AI's potential beyond the hype—focusing on ethical integration and improving operational efficiency and patient engagement in your practice.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How AI can transform the task management in dental offices.The role of AI assistants like Annie in augmenting—rather than replacing—human employees.Practical business challenges confronted by dentists.Impacts of the increased AI interest triggered by tools like ChatGPT.Strategic steps for seamlessly integrating AI into a practice's daily operations.A real-world case study of AI in action, boosting appointment bookings while easing workloads.Ethical considerations in employing AI solutions to support a dental office.Don’t miss out—enhance your dental practice's efficiency by tuning in to this episode!‍‍Sponsors:‍‍Gusto: Dentist payroll for the modern practice. Gusto’s cloud-based software provides all the payroll and HR tools you need to run your dental practice efficiently. Having it all on one platform keeps our prices low, and makes your job so much easier. Enjoy best-in-class support, benefits like health coverage for your team, and more. Visit or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://gusto.com/tdm‍Guest: Conner LudlowBusiness Name: AnnieCheck out Conner's Media:Website: https://helloannie.co/Schedule a Meeting: https://meetings.hubspot.com/conner43/annie-demoMention you came from the show for: Free demoFree setup25% off‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:LLM - Large Language ModelAGI - Artificial General IntelligenceVision AIPredictive AIAI Tools:ChatGPTPearl AICompanies:Nvidia‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please 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.‍

Adrian Dray shares his transformative journey from emotional and financial lows to a thriving career in the dental field. He challenges the conventional pursuit of purpose, advocating for courage and personal mastery instead. Adrian discusses overcoming emotional struggles with positive thinking and highlights practical strategies for resilience. He emphasizes exploration over rigid expectations and provides insights on managing negative thoughts to enhance performance in both personal and professional arenas.

‍What does it take to turn a single practice into a multi-location success story? In this episode, Brett Walters of Villagio Family Dental in Katy, Texas, unveils the strategy behind their expansion, which wouldn't have been possible without blending technology innovation and quality patient care. From updating their management software to upgrading operational policies like extended evening and weekend hours, Brett's story offers a refreshing look at modernizing a traditional business model. His tech-savvy approach to transitioning to Oryx cloud-based software showcases new ways to enhance security and data management while also sharing practical insights on managing marketing and expenses to avoid financial pitfalls.Navigating the challenges of staffing with a unique three-day workweek model, Brett discusses how Villagio Dental keeps their team motivated and burnout-free, all while providing exceptional care. Marketing, staffing, operational pivots during COVID—Brett unpacks it all. Beyond business strategies, he shares personal experiences on the importance of self-care and maintaining mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. Hear how the Electronic Light Orchestra's "Hold on Tight" kept Brett hopeful through it all, offering inspiration and encouragement to young dentists just starting their journey.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The strategy for growing a single-location dental practice into multiple thriving locations.Insights on transitioning to cloud-based management software and its benefits.Effective marketing tactics including pay-per-click strategies without overspending.The impact of a unique three-day workweek model on staff motivation and patient care.How to balance a flexible and strong staffing framework with high patient influx.Personal reflections on maintaining overall well-being and health as a business leader.Ready to revolutionize your professional and personal life with expert insights from Brett Walters? Tune in now!‍‍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/‍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: Brett WaltersPractice Name: Villagio Family DentalCheck out Brett's Media:Website: https://www.villagiofamilydental.com/Website: https://www.villagiodental.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villagiofamilydental/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VillagioFamilyDentalKaty1st Practice Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ua4TzP5p8xXASov7A2nd Practice Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JsigBYFLJHbTq7Rs7‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Practice Management Software:Dentrix‍Services:TNT DentalChrisadCloud DentistryKwikly‍Tools/Software:Google AnalyticsPay-per-click‍Songs:Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight‍Brands:Amazon‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please 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.‍‍

Trying to decide whether to purchase a practice or a home first? In this jam-packed episode, I sit down with Morgan Stump to unravel this complex decision-making process. With 15 years of diligent industry experience, Morgan delves into a point-by-point comparison of these life-altering choices, examining the ramifications for your long-term financial health, risk profile, and adaptation to shifting market conditions. Whether you're a first-time buyer or reconsidering your next investment step, this episode is brimming with expert advice tailored just for you!Morgan doesn't stop there. To help doctors looking to relocate, he dishes out practical tips to ease into new markets while understanding the challenges posed by mortgage lenders. He explores why top-notch financial health and liquidity remain crucial, sheds light on economic telltale signs, and navigates the turbulence of market fluctuations. Wrap up your listening with direct access insights from Morgan—offering personalized advice just when you need it most.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Detailed comparison between buying a practice and a home.Key factors in assessment: financial health, risk, market conditions.Practical tips for medical professionals relocating.Tackling mortgage lender challenges.How to maintain strong financial health amid economic uncertainty.Interpreting economic indicators for informed decision-making.Take a deeper dive into financially transformative decisions and smart relocation strategies by tuning in to Morgan's episode today!‍‍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/‍You can reach out to Morgan Stump here:Website: https://www.getprovide.com/Phone: 503-686-3284Email: morgan@getprovide.com‍Mentions and Links: ‍Terms:Escrow‍Communities:Dentaltown‍If 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/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Morgan. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Morgan: Sure. Thanks for having me, Michael. I really appreciate it. So the one piece of advice is surrounding a question that has been brought up over and over again during my 15 plus years in the industry.And that question is, should I buy practice or should I buy a home first? So what do you think about that? Michael: Interesting, man. I think a lot has to go into that like, the financial health of the person, risk assessment. Economic market considerations, right? All these things. But what are your thoughts?because we see this a lot on the forums, Facebook groups, even downtown, right? They want to do one or the other. Morgan: Well, I see this specifically come up a lot when a doctor is looking to relocate to buy a practice. And, the housing market, the rental market is really crazy.And a lot of folks that are especially going to be larger earners, a lot of folks that might already have a family or be married, they don't want to put off buying a home for two years, Pretty much every bank, every mortgage bank has required that you own a practice for two years before they're going to lend to you to buy a home.The really cool thing is that some banks have adapted to that. And that includes us. In a practice scenario, we're able to actually use the target practices historical cash flow to qualify the new buyer for a home. So as soon as you close on the practice, you can close on the home simultaneously.There still are a few mortgage lenders don't go that route. And so to speak to your larger audience. while it might be a little bit painful to think about renting for a couple of years and then moving again, one of these assets is going to earn your household money.The other is going to be your largest debt. So if it comes down to one or the other, I would always go with buying the practice first. Usually when you're buying a practice, you're buying it for a reason. The demographics fit the procedures that are being done in that practice fit.You might have a good relationship with the seller. And I would argue even in times like this, where, the housing inventory might be a little bit light, I would say the practice acquisition and target practice. Inventory is even lighter. Particularly if you're looking for the right fit, we see doctors have all sorts of, different risk tolerances, where some folks just say, Hey, do you know what?I'm going to buy this practice. I'm going to invest in myself. I see that the seller is somewhat declining. Maybe they're referring out a ton of procedures, that the buyer is going to be able to capture. So now they're not referring out that business, and they're keeping that revenue in house. But I would say eight out of 10 times, nine out of 10 times a buyer is buying that practice because it's a really good fit for them.And that is not an easy thing to find. So I would typically default to buying the practice before you buy the home. Now just to kind of, Back up a little bit. The reason why it is so difficult for mortgage lenders to wrap their head around financing a new buyer is mortgage holders and mortgage banks are much more comfortable underwriting to W 2 or 1099 income.So if you absolutely need to buy that home first, And the bank that you're working with, the practice finance group that you're working with does not offer the option of closing them simultaneously, then your best bet is to qualify for that home as a W 2 or 1099 associate. That's going to allow you to get into the house.And then once you're in that house and it closes, you are free to go, because you've already bought the home. As long as you're making payments on time, there's not going to be any issues with your mortgage. So that's my advice there, but I am very encouraged that banks are starting to adapt and recognizing the difficult situation that this puts doctors in.So this is a topic that has gotten easier to answer over time. Michael: Nice. Okay. So then what would. Those conditions look like where you tell them like, yeah, can see why you do that. Morgan: where they want to buy the home before the practice?Michael: Yeah. Morgan: So in that scenario, they're already making income as an associate in the area that they want to practice. That is really key because if you are trying to buy a practice and you know, okay, we've got 90 days to close. But it's out of state or more than a couple of hours away from where you currently live, then the mortgage bank is going to be collecting bank statements.They're going to be collecting paycheck stubs. And if you're trying to buy a house in another state, but you're showing bank stubs, and paycheck stubs that are out of state or hours away, it's going to raise some red flags saying, Hey, why are you living? Here, meanwhile, you're working hours away or in another state.So you really got to be aware of that because you don't want to put yourself in a really bad position of getting far down the road in the mortgage process, the home buying process, and all of a sudden you get qualified and these questions start coming up, which could really blow up escrow, really, Kind of turn things a little bit sour.So that would be my one big piece of advice to look out for if you are trying to buy a home before the practice, utilizing your W 2 or 1099 income from a job that you know you are going to have to leave. So out of state or multiple hours away, You're not going to have too many options unless you secure some sort of associate position closer to the home that you're buying So be very aware of that And if you are going out of state and the practice finance group that you're working with doesn't have this Mortgage option for youunless you've got a spouse that also makes money might be able to qualify for loan on their own Then you're probably looking at a situation where you are going to have to rent for a couple of years before you buy that house Michael: So when it comes to the mistake here, your eyes, it's like, Hey, you should have gotten the practice first. Right.assuming they're not an associate there. Is it more an emotional decision?Morgan: It's absolutely an emotional decision, especially people with families. You know, If you're married, you've got kids, you want a stable home, and you've also got a partner that's probably pushing for you to buy a home. The flip side of this is, when you're qualifying for a practice, the liquidity level, so the cash in the savings account, cash in checking, stock market, life value life insurance.All of those are considered liquidity. And that is a very important metric when you're buying a practice, most lenders want to see that you've got at least seven, sometimes 10%. If you're buying a big practice. They're wanting to see that you've got 7 to 10 percent on hand that you can show as verifiable liquidity when you're qualifying for that practice.So the banks aren't typically going to take that money, I want to point that out. They just want to verify that you've got it. That makes the bank feel warm and fuzzy, that you've got some reserves sitting there, that you've been reasonable, saving your money with your eye on the prize of buying the practice.So Usually buying a home, there's some good docker loans out there that have very minimal money down, but oftentimes you have to put 10, 15, or even 20 percent down to secure the lowest interest rates. So that's another thing to consider because if you're trying to buy a practice, but then you want to buy the home beforehand, let's say you're looking to buy a million dollar practice.That's a pretty standard average number. In that scenario, most banks are going to want to see that you've got about 70, 000 liquid. So using this example, if you're buying a home that is. 500, 000 and you're trying to put 20 percent down to secure the lowest interest rate in the best terms for yourself, then that 500, 000 home is going to cost you 100, 000 of your liquidity.So you really want to avoid a situation where you're buying a home, you put money down, which completely drains your liquidity position because that is going to then put in danger your ability to buy a practice until you build that back up to about the 7 percent range of the practice that you're looking to acquire.Michael: Okay, so when it comes to that liquidity and financial health, what advice do you give? about maintaining financial health and liquidity when taking on significant investments like a home or a practice and how can they avoid overextending themselves? Morgan: That's a great question. And to be honest, the answer is pretty nonsensical.I grew up on a farm in Oregon, right? Pretty conservative, from a fiscal standpoint where I was raised to not carry debt. That was just, How it was, you pay your bills on time, you don't accrue debt. And we're seeing the average dentist and doctor come out with 400, 500, 000 of student loans, sometimes six, 700, 000 for specialists.So a lot of people have that mindset of I've got to pay this down, that's how they were raised. That's the mindset that they have. If you're looking to buy a practice. Well, and a home, I guess you're looking to buy a practice, soon after graduation, maybe you're going to associate for six months, a year, two years.You've got to put yourself on that income based repayment program. I know it's painful. sometimes you're going to watch the balances rise during that short period, but it's a means to an end because you need to start stacking your liquidity, stacking cash. To get to that 7 percent mark. So let's say you come out of school, you've got 400, 000 of student loan debt.It's stressing me out, but you do know that, Hey, I've got my eye on the price here. I know that making 150, 000 as an associate is not going to, pay down that debt quick. It's going to accomplish my goals of, saving liquidity to be able to buy a practice. Because if you buy that million dollar practice, now you're looking at income levels, likely of 300, 000 plus.So the way I talk to my doctors is, put that out of your head, right? When you get out of school that, Hey, that loan balance on the student loan might be growing a little bit, but this is a path to being able to get out of debt sooner because I'm going to put in a position to be earning more money.Then I'll go pay down those debts as I'm bringing in more income for me and my family. So that'll help you accomplish not only the goal of buying a practice quickly, But also buying a home because liquidity is the name of the game for both of those products. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. I like that. So given like the fluctuations in real estate and business markets, how should practice owners weigh the timing of these purchases? Are there economic indicators that should heavily influence their decision? Morgan: I try to stay away from looking into that crystal ball because this is such a unique time, with so many homeowners holding on to their houses because they're, in a 30 year fixed rate at 2.675. That's what I got in at back in 2018. If I was to try to sell my home and buy a similar house at today's rates. I've been taking on an extra 1, 500 to 1, 800 a month in monthly payments, So my advice to doctors is look at their current situation, prioritize what is the most important thing for you and your family.Is it buying a home? Is it buying a practice? Do I need to relocate? I also try to tell my doctors to go back and look at history. I'm kind of a nerd when it comes economic history. So if you look at the prime interest rates in 1980, 1981, they were upwards of 20%. So I think that a lot of us got very spoiled, coming off of 2008, 2009.Coming off of the pandemic, lenders and the Fed were basically giving money away. The cost of funds for banks were down near zero. So you were seeing people secure these mortgages at two and a half, three percent, three and a half percent, which historically is just. Not relevant, nor is it sustainable.So if you're able to get in right now, The fed just came out and said, Hey, the indicators are that inflation has slowed. He's indicated that we are going to be lowering rates. The prime interest rate, maybe multiple times this year and into next year.So if you do have a little bit of time to wait, I am a believer that interest rates will be coming down a little bit, but at the same time, if you're able to get a 30 year fixed interest rate, or maybe you're confident that rates are going to go down in the future. You could get a 30 year amortization that keeps your payment low, but only lock that rate for five years.So you would have to refinance before five years. But there's usually as much as almost a full percent discount to that interest rate, if you're willing to take that shoulder money. So right now you can likely get into a home for five, five and a half percent interest on one of those adjustable rate mortgages, which historically is incredibly low.So I tell people to not get too wrappedup in the past or the future because all you can do is live for right now and what you and your family need to do over the next year or two. And quite frankly, in this crazy world, nobody really knows what's going to happen. There's so many, global factors involved.There's elections involved. There's all kinds of things that you can't control. So you need to focus on what you can control. And that is Hey, I found this house that I like, the mortgage rate is this, that equals this payment. Am I able to afford that? That should be the bottom line. You shouldn't start speculating about too much in the future because then you're going to get, decision paralysis, which, in my world doesn't usually lead to the best decisions.Michael: Nice Morgan. I appreciate it and appreciate your time as well. 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? Morgan: I try to make myself super available. So, Name of our bank is provide.My email address is just Morgan at get provide. com. You're also welcome to text me. I don't mind giving out my cell phone number. Set up a time to speak that's five zero three. 686 3284. Michael: Awesome. Thank you so much. That's going to be in the show notes below. And Morgan, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode.Morgan: My pleasure, Michael. Thanks so much.‍