Love Your Practice: Recent Episodes
Laura Mach
Dr Laura Mach, DDS, The Life Coach For Busy Dentists, discusses mental and physical well being for business owners, practitioners, parents, spouses and humans. We explore our journey through the mental acrobatics of personal health, relationships, goals and how all these things relate to our thoughts as an individual, a parent, a spouse and a healer.
In this engaging episode of 'Love Your Practice,' Dr. Laura Mach, a general dentist and life coach, discusses empowering women dental practice owners to lead with intention and love their work. Dr. Mach introduces a special small group course focusing on inspiring employees and using emotional intelligence in leadership. Additionally, Dr. Mach interviews Tosha Kozloski, RDH; a hygiene consultant who has revolutionized her dental practice by implementing microscopy and ozone therapy. They discuss the profound impact these techniques have on patient care, behavior, and overall practice profitability. Tosha shares her journey into this niche aspect of dentistry and offers insights into improving patient communication and treatment acceptance. Listeners will learn valuable strategies for elevating their hygiene programs, effectively utilizing advanced dental tools, and fostering healthier, happier patient relationships.
05:49 Tosha's Journey into Dental Hygiene
08:29 Implementing Microscopy in Practice
13:37 Training and Communication Strategies
23:01 Medicated Cleaning for Gingivitis and SRP Patients
23:25 The Role of Ozone in Dental Treatments
25:33 Patient Home Care and Immune System Considerations
26:21 Oral Systemic Health and Patient Communication
27:05 The Importance of Visual Aids in Patient Education
27:44 Coordinated Care and Patient Accountability
31:31 Implementing New Tools and Technologies in Practice
33:53 Calibrating Periodontal Protocols and Verbal Skills
37:48 Financial and Health Benefits of Advanced Hygiene Programs
Resources and links mentioned:
Connect with Tosha: IG @tosh.care, www.Tosh.Care, or email Tosha@Tosh.Care
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura's email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura's Facebook pages:
Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
Love Your Practice
Laura's personal page
To sign up for Dr. Laura's March 21, 2025 class, email her at drlauramachdds@gmail.com.
The video mentioned near the end is added to the end of the YouTube version as well as to our website post for this episode.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by @rebeccapaciorekAuthorsAllies
Hey there, it's Dr. Laura Mach, and welcome to this solo episode of the "Love Your Practice" podcast. Today, I want to share some insights with you on how to be an effective leader in your dental practice by regulating your own emotions. The most important factor in being able to lead your team successfully is how you feel about yourself - being calm, confident, and knowing you deserve happiness.
I'll discuss how an ancient part of the brain called the amygdala can sometimes overreact to non-dangerous situations in the modern world, leading to unnecessary feelings of defensiveness or panic. I'll walk you through steps to recognize when your "inner Becky" amygdala is activated and strategies to talk yourself down in those moments.
The key, I emphasize, is that when you as the leader are calm and curious rather than defensive, it allows your employees to also feel calm and open rather than defensive. This emotional regulation is critical to inspiring your team. I'll also tease an upcoming small group training I'm offering on tactical skills to lead in this way.
Whether you struggle with your own emotions as a leader or have challenges getting your team to follow your vision, this episode provides a framework to lead with more confidence and effectiveness. Listen in for my take on mastering your "inner Becky" to create the thriving practice you desire. Let's dive in!
Highlights from this episode:
00:00 Dentistry Leadership Workshop for Women
05:41 Mastering Amygdala: Confidence & Calm
09:11 Panic in Workplace Situations
10:05 Calming Amygdala Reactions: Steps
13:51 Calm, Confident Leadership Benefits Employees
17:36 "Join the 'Love Your Practice' Movement"
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura's email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura's Facebook pages:
Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
Love Your Practice
Laura's personal page
To sign up for Dr. Laura's March 21, 2025 class, email her at drlauramachdds@gmail.com.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by @rebeccapaciorekAuthorsAllies
Welcome to the Love Your Practice podcast with Dr. Laura Mach. In today's episode, Dr. Mach has a fascinating conversation with her guest Beth Heilman about leadership strategies for female dental practice owners.
Beth Heilman, known as The Burnout Breakthrough Coach for Dental Professionals, spent over two decades in the trenches as a burned-out dental office manager before cracking the code on how to ditch stress, reignite passion, and build a career that doesn't drain the life out of you. Now, as a certified life and health coach and the owner of Dental Life Mastery, she helps dental professionals break free from burnout, overwhelm, and stress in her program where she teaches the 10 skills of mental hygiene. If you feel stuck, exhausted, or like you're running on fumes, Beth's here to hand you the map, the keys, and the fuel to get your life back. With her invaluable experience and insights, Beth coaches dental employees to maximize their career satisfaction.
Highlights from this episode:
The discussion covers the key things dental employees need to feel fulfilled - being heard, feeling appreciated, and sensing that they are being helpful. Dr. Mach and Beth explore practical ways practice owners can provide this to inspire their teams.
They also dive into how to manage your own emotional responses as a leader and owner. This includes acknowledging your primitive "survival brain" responses but consciously choosing a more generous, calm approach.
Finally, they address the difficult topic of when it's time to part ways with an employee who is not following leadership despite your best efforts. While daunting, surrounding yourself with support can help navigate this.
Stay tuned for an engaging conversation packed with relatable stories and actionable strategies for leading your dental practice team with more ease and success. Later in the episode, Dr. Mach will also be announcing an exciting new offering to help practice owners become exceptional leaders, so don't miss it!
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura's email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura's Facebook pages:
Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
Love Your Practice
Laura's personal page
To sign up for Dr. Laura's March 21, 2025 class, email her at drlauramachdds@gmail.com. Beth Heilman's Facebook group: Support for Burned Out, Stressed Out & Overwhelmed Dental Professionals
Beth's website. https://www.bethheilmancoaching.com/
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
In today's episode, we have a special guest - Dr. Kaitlin Haag, a general dentist and practice owner from rural Nebraska. Dr. Haag shares her remarkable journey from being a student in the Rural Health Opportunities Program to unexpectedly becoming a 50% owner of a dental practice right out of school.
She openly discusses the challenges that came with taking on significant responsibility early in her career, from managing substantial loans to dealing with the departure of senior partners who were expected to provide mentorship. Despite the obstacles, Dr. Haag found ways to keep her work engaging, like expanding into pediatric airway treatment.
However, as a young female dentist, Dr. Haag also struggled with feelings of inadequacy, negative self-talk, and the pressure to balance patient care with the business realities of insurance plans. She shares how learning to recognize and challenge her own limiting thought patterns was a turning point, enabling her to recommend ideal care more confidently and find greater satisfaction in her work.
Dr. Haag's story highlights the unique pressures faced by women in dentistry and the importance of seeking support rather than struggling in isolation. Her insights on managing self-doubt, communicating with patients, and finding work-life harmony will resonate with many listeners.
Stay tuned for an enlightening conversation about navigating the challenges and triumphs of building a rewarding dental practice as a woman. Dr. Haag's journey reminds us that who we are is truly enough.
Highlights from this episode:
- Hurdles Dr. Haag faced
- Insurance drama and self-doubt
- Changing her outlook and tackling negative self-talk
- Leveling up her practice and confidence
- How coaching helped her personal and work life
- Words of wisdom for women dentists
- How Dr. Haag's work helps her patients
- How self-doubt messed with her work and personal life
- Turning to a dental-focused professional coach
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Dr. Haag’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkaitlinhaag/
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Podcast and promotion produced by Blue Dot Digital Marketing.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Welcome to another episode of Love Your Practice. I'm your host, Dr. Laura Mach. In today's episode, I'm thrilled to welcome back a very special guest and dear friend, Dr. Erin Sheffield.
Erin and I go way back, having known each other for nearly 20 years. Our paths first crossed when I started a Yahoo group for pre-dental Mormon women, seeking to connect with like-minded individuals. Erin's leadership skills shone through early on as when she was the President of the Women in Dentistry Club at BYU. Recognizing her potential, I encouraged her to apply to the University of Iowa Dental School, where she thrived with a well-deserved scholarship.
Fast forward to today, and Erin has achieved remarkable success in a field where women are significantly underrepresented. As an oral surgeon, she is part of the mere 8% of women in this specialty, making her voice and experiences all the more valuable.
In our conversation, we delve into the challenges and barriers faced by women in medicine and dentistry. We explore the stark gender disparities in oral surgery and discuss how a lack of proactive initiatives to recruit and support women may contribute to this imbalance. Erin shares her insights on the societal privileges that can lead to a lack of awareness and initiative in addressing these issues.
So join us as we navigate the complexities of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and learn from Erin's inspiring journey.
Highlights from this episode:
- Setting policies and boundaries
- Adapting office schedules for better patient/staff outcomes
- Mindset, gratitude and self-care
- Delegating and systems
- Economic impacts on the dental field
- Gender bias in the medical field and the importance of female representation
Resources and links mentioned:
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Find Dr. Sheffield online:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drerinsheffield
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@drerinsheffield
DM Dr. Shellfield if you’re interested in her February retreat. [a luxury wellness retreat for Women Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons] You can also learn more and sign up here to attend. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elevate-summit-2025-tickets-1043083108657?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by Blue Dot Digital Marketing.
In this podcast episode, I welcome Sarah Mueller, a dental hygienist with a unique career path, now working with Swish Bio on salivary testing. Sarah shares her journey from clinical practice to leadership roles and emphasizes the transformative potential of salivary testing in dentistry. She explains how this testing identifies specific pathogens, allowing for tailored patient care. Our discussion covers the challenges of implementing new technologies in dental practices and the importance of adaptability and strong leadership. Sarah also highlights educational initiatives and onboarding processes for practices interested in adopting salivary testing.
Highlights from this episode:
- Sarah’s Unique Journey: From clinical practice to leadership roles and now at Swish Bio, Sarah’s career is a testament to the power of adaptability and innovation in dentistry.
- The Power of Salivary Testing: Discover how salivary testing can revolutionize patient care by identifying specific pathogens and tailoring treatments to individual needs.
- How It Works: Patients simply swish a solution, spit it into a tube, and send it to the lab. The results, color-coded for easy interpretation, provide a clear picture of oral health.
- Implementing Change: Learn about the challenges and rewards of integrating new technologies into dental practices. Sarah shares practical tips for making the transition smooth and effective.
- Leadership and Adaptability: We discuss the importance of strong leadership and emotional maturity in embracing change, and how female practice owners are often leading the charge.
- Educational Initiatives: Sarah is passionate about educating dental professionals on pathogens and their impact. Stay tuned for her upcoming lectures and resources.
- Onboarding with Swish Bio: Interested in salivary testing? Swish Bio offers complimentary tests and personalized onboarding to help practices get started.
Resources and links mentioned:
- Swish Bio https://www.swishbio.com/
- Sarah Mueller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mueller-rdh-068b8810b/
- Email: smueller@swishbio.com
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by Blue Dot Digital Marketing.
In this episode of "Love Your Practice," I interview Dr. Jennifer Stafford, a seasoned dentist specializing in TMJ, orthodontics, and sleep-related issues. Dr. Stafford shares her journey from general dentistry to her current specialties, driven by her personal experiences with migraines. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and mentorship. The episode also delves into the transformative power of coaching, highlighting how it helped Dr. Stafford shift her mindset, overcome feelings of inadequacy, and find greater fulfillment in her work. Our discussion underscores self-acceptance, intentional thinking, and the value of personal growth in professional success. Join us for this discussion of her life-changing journey.
Highlights from this episode:
- Shifts in self-perception and personal growth in the dental profession.
- The importance of self-love and recognizing one's worth.
- Overcoming the fear of mediocrity and embracing new opportunities.
- Distinction between structural changes in practice and emotional growth.
- Navigating challenges in dental practice management, including transitioning to a fee-for-service model.
- The role of coaching in personal and professional development.
- Encouragement for individuals feeling stuck or unhappy in their careers.
- The power of choice in shaping one's career and life direction.
- Continuous learning and mentorship in dentistry.
- The impact of mindset on professional fulfillment and personal happiness.
Resources and links mentioned:
- Dr. Stafford is a member of the International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics
- To contact Dr. Stafford about her services or her new study club, you can email her at: jstafford@bksdental.com
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
In this podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Cori Morris about her unique path to becoming a dentist and her experiences running her own dental practice. Dr. Morris talks about how she made the switch from teaching to dentistry, motivated by a desire to help her husband with humanitarian dental work. Even though she faced some skepticism and challenges along the way, she managed to finish dental school and get her own practice. Dr. Morris opens up about the difficulties of taking over an outdated practice, the need to modernize the space, and how crucial it is to be confident in treatment planning. Her story is all about resilience, dedication, and finding both professional and personal fulfillment.
Highlights from this episode:
- Dr. Cori Morris's journey to becoming a dentist
- Her decision to pursue dentistry and the challenges she faced
- Her motivation to help others and engage in humanitarian work
- The process of owning and managing a dental practice
- The acquisition of the practice and the challenges faced
- The importance of maintaining a balance between personal and professional life
- Renovation and modernization of the practice space
- Incorporating modern dental technology for improved workflow
- Overcoming personal challenges related to discussing costs with patients
- The impact of coaching on gaining confidence in treatment planning skills
Resources and links mentioned:
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by Blue Dot Digital Marketing.
I'm thrilled to share the latest insights from the Love Your Practice podcast featuring a captivating discussion between myself and Brandi Hooker Evans. In this episode, we explored the essential aspects of elevating oral health care through a patient-focused and teamwork-oriented approach.
Brandi and I highlighted the importance of building strong relationships with patients in dental practice and the crucial role of hygienists in understanding and supporting patients' needs. We also delved into the potential consequences of patients making uninformed decisions about their oral health and the importance of a collaborative approach to serving patients.
Brandi, a seasoned hygienist and practice owner, offered valuable insights and tools for implementing her patient-focused approach, including a study club and her book, "Dentists, Hygienists, and Cows," available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book provides practical advice on empowering patients in their health journey.
During the discussion, we explored the burden often carried by dentists in seeking validation from patients and how shifting the focus to offering the best care can alleviate this burden. We also emphasized the significance of teamwork, professionalism, and a commitment to elevating the standard of care in dental practices.
One of the most impactful insights involved approaching hygienists about expanding their responsibilities to provide better patient care. We discussed the potential benefits of this shift for both the hygienists and the practice, such as increased earnings and improved patient care. Brandi also highlighted the financial benefits of scheduling appropriately for hygienists, preventing them from feeling overworked and contributing to increased production and elevated care.
The episode also addressed the importance of involving hygienists in restorative treatment plans and recognizing their invaluable contributions.
We are thrilled to share these insights with you and hope you find them valuable and applicable to your practice.
Highlights from this episode:
- Patient Empowerment: Involving patients in their oral health decisions.
- Team Collaboration: Building a supportive and engaged work environment.
- Hygienist's Role: Elevating the value and responsibilities of hygienists.
- Business Knowledge: Understanding the business aspect of dental practice.
- Patient-Centered Care: Prioritizing high-quality and individualized patient care.
- Energy and Enthusiasm: Cultivating a positive and productive team environment.
- Practice Efficiency: Utilizing scheduling to optimize patient care and production
Resources and links mentioned:
Links for Brandi Hooker Evans:
- Brandi’s Study Club mentioned https://brandihookerevans.com/studyclub/
- Brandi’s book “Dentists, Hygienists, and Cows” on Amazon. https://a.co/d/5ZQyj0G
Link for Laura:
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see! ~ Laura
Podcast and promotion produced by Blue Dot Digital Marketing. www.bluedotdigitalmarketing.com.
Are you struggling to make important decisions to move your practice forward? This happens to all of us, and my guest on this episode, Dr. Seema Amin, opens up about her doubts and struggles with making necessary staffing changes in a timely manner. Dr. Amin has practiced dentistry for 26 years, starting in an associateship and then buying her own practice in 2011. She discusses her transition to practice owner and the challenges of moving into the “employer” side of managing the business, making decisions on her own, and managing people.
Buying her dental practice, Dr. Amin was scared but dreamt of how great it would be to be independent. She soon realized how difficult it was going to be when confronted with managing people. Hiring and retaining employees was the hardest part of growing the practice.
As we worked to develop her vision, she discovered her internal fears prevented staffing changes that needed to happen and learned that much of leadership is looking at the perspective of people we are leading. It’s so important to consider how our employees are thinking to understand their emotions and actions. This helps us set the stage for more productive communication.
If you feel that an employee is toxic to your practice even with your good leadership skills, follow your gut. As Dr. Amin says, “Never let a toxic employee make you feel any different or insecure in your own thoughts.” If you’re unhappy in your practice, something has to change. Don’t let the fear of what could happen stop you from making the decisions that need to be made. You will show up as a better caregiver for your patients.
Listen to this episode now for questions to ask yourself if you think an employee may need to be replaced and the necessity to overcome personal fears and doubts in facing the difficult changes needed to move your practice forward!
Highlights from this episode:
- Reconciling our human side with our business-owner side when changes are needed within the practice
- How setting and meeting standards for success can interfere with how we run our practices as we strive to meet those standards
- Signs that an employee may need to be replaced
- Addressing management issues in a timely manner
- Overcoming challenging thought habits and internal conflicts behind personal fears in good practice management
- Leadership skills: their importance, using them, and looking at issues through the eyes of employees
- Learning to communicate
Resources and links mentioned:
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
As female dental practice owners, we love helping others and putting others first. However, we often forget that we also need to set boundaries and take care of ourselves so we can serve our employees and patients in beneficial ways. In this episode, I welcome Dr. Laura Brenner who helps dental practice owners recognize what burnout looks like and make important decisions regarding continuing on their journey as a dental practice owner … or not.
As dental practice owners, we often create and carry great levels of stress which can lead to burnout! We sometimes compromise how we want to serve because we try to conform to how we believe others are viewing us. However, as leaders, it is essential to give ourselves permission to design our practices the way we want them to be. And this includes trusting others to do their jobs. Situations may arise that are beyond our control, but we have to give ourselves the grace to know that we can do things better in the future. Taking time to create boundaries and define how we want to serve others in our lives can create clarity and help us define how we, along with our employees and patients, can be winners.
Are you ready to design and plan your life right now according to where you are right now? Why wait? Listen to this episode so you can start living right now, and you may be surprised at what doors open to you because you are serving in the capacity you want!
Highlights from this episode:
- How burnout happens within dental practice ownership
- The predictability of the brain and how it wants us to conform for our safety
- Defining how you want to serve and creating boundaries
- It’s okay to say, “No.”
- Giving yourself permission to run your practice the way you want to
- Being a leader and trusting others around you to do their jobs
- The art of developing yourself right now
Resources and links mentioned:
- Laura Brenner’s website: Lolabees Career Coaching (contains the link to her free guide “6 Reasons You’re Burnt Out in Your Dental Career”)
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Is your brain giving you a hard time? Is it telling you something is dangerous that really is not dangerous? If so, know that this happens to the best of us! In this episode, I look at some of my struggles as a dental practice owner of 15 years and discuss how coaching can help all of us who are female dental practice owners.
We all have many elements of our work lives that can cause stress. And our brains often feed into that stress and can cause us to spiral into worrying about things that, in reality, we may not need to be stressing over. This is natural because human brains have evolved into showing us potential dangers in our lives. However, we can choose to look at frightening situations in new ways. This changing of our perspectives can lift the weight of worry in profound ways.
What are you worrying about? Chances are that how you are looking at your situation could be changed! This episode will help you recognize ways to handle situations without the worry so you can enjoy your practice ownership in a more intentional way. Listen now, and put yourself on the best path to loving your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- Stresses associated with a slowdown in a practice
- How quickly our brains can switch to very negative thoughts
- Ways that coaching helps dental practice owners
- Recognizing that it is okay to worry about our practices and that worrying is natural
- The benefits of looking at the facts of situations we are facing to change our perspectives
Resources and links mentioned:
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
To get my FREE class Love Your Employees, text Loveyouremployees (all one word) to 66866
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
When you went through dental school, did you have much training in endodontics? If you’re like most of us, you probably didn’t, and my guest today is on a mission to change that! Sonia Chopra, DDS became a board-certified endodontist as a result of her own personal dental experience and healing process. She is a TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, and founder of Ballantyne Endodontics in Charlotte, North Carolina. In this episode, Dr. Chopra shares details of her path to endodontics and passion to improve endodontic education within dentistry.
Her mission of “helping dentists fully understand and fully embody and embrace endo as a critical part of dentistry and building their practice” is how her award-winning business, E-School: Everyday Endo Made Easy, was founded. This Online Endodontic Continuing Education for Dentists is revolutionizing continuing education through simple, tangible lessons so dentists can properly diagnose patients.
We need to offer the best care to patients, and there are many hidden ROIs on learning endodontic care. Dr. Chopra’s education program offers three primary iterations: an 8-10 week program with coaching calls, independent study, and E-school Live that incorporates in-person training for doctors to work under Dr. Chopra’s supervision on patients who receive their necessary treatments at extremely discounted prices.
As dental practice owners we carry an emotional burden. We absorb much of our patients’ energy through the contagious nature of human emotions. So, Dr. Chopra also offers a coaching program for current endodontists and general dentists to help us free up time so we can take better care of ourselves as well as our patients. It is time to change our culture so we can offer our best care to our patients! Listen to this episode now to hear about increasing your knowledge, improving your practice, and valuable information if you are considering selling your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- Looking at the culture within academics regarding endodontics
- Exploring the hesitancy to offer endodontic care in dental practices
- Why learning endodontics is essential for a dental practice
- Diagnosis: How critical it is to get your patients to the proper specialists
- The benefits of learning within a community
- How different your life as a practice owner can be with some key changes
- The difficulties, realities, and challenges facing dentists who sell to DSOs
Resources and links mentioned:
- Dr. Chopra’s Instagram: SoniaChopraDDS
- Dr. Chopra’s website: SoniaChopraDDS.com
- Dr. Chopra’s E-school: Everyday Endo Made Easy
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlauramach
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
To get my FREE class Love Your Employees, text Loveyouremployees (all one word) to 66866
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
On this special episode of The Fee For Service dental podcast with Dr. Sonny Spera, Drs. Mach and Spera discuss how difficult it is for dentists to mentally face the concept of going fee for service. And, more importantly, what you can do to overcome those blocks. Listen in on this exciting podcast presentation with Dr. Laura being on the guest side of the podcast.
Listen now to learn more.
Resources and links for Dr. Laura Mach:
- Link to Episode on FFS Podcast
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlauramach
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
In this captivating podcast episode, I welcome Dr. Maggie Augustyn, DDS, FICOI, FAAIP, a dental practice owner and inspirational woman. We dive into various topics, including the importance of finding joy in work, overcoming burnout, and learning from Maggie's courageous battle with cancer. Join us as we discuss adapting to changes in both work and life, and how Maggie found her true purpose - helping dental professionals feel understood and less alone.
Dive into this engaging conversation to uncover the unique challenges faced by dental practice owners and gain insight into Maggie Augustyn's journey as a dental professional, writer, and advocate. Find the inspiration to embrace change, work through fears, and build a strong support system for a successful career! Don't miss out on this enlightening episode – check the show notes below for Maggie's articles in Dentistry Today and follow her on Facebook and Instagram for more insights.
Dr. Maggie Augustyn, DDS, FICOI, FAAIP is a practicing general dentist, author, and inspirational speaker. She is committed to helping people achieve their full potential, both physically and mentally. She is a strong advocate for mental health awareness and has spoken publicly about her own experiences with mental illness. Dr. Augustyn is passionate about creating a world where everyone feels accepted and included.
Highlights from this episode:
- Pros and Cons of Dental practice
- Overcoming the challenges of partnership
- Adapting to change
- Navigating burnout and motivation
- Mental health and the role of social media
- Leadership, accountability, and consistency
- The importance of investing in coaching
Resources and links mentioned:
Where to find Maggie Augustyn, DDS, FICOI, FAAIP
- Dentistry Today Column: Mindful Moments
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/maggie.augustyn
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.maggieaugustyn/
Where to find Dr. Laura Mach
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlauramach
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
To get my FREE class Love Your Employees, text Loveyouremployees (all one word) to 66866
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
What is your story? Have you clarified your “why” within your brand? My guest on this episode is Joanna Scott, who, together with her husband, manages Studio 8e8: Dentistry’s Story-Driven Marketing Agency based in Columbus, Ohio. Joanna says, “We all have a unique story, and we’re all on a mission to make the world a better place, especially as women.” This episode will help bring clarity to you as a practice owner so you can effectively communicate your story with your patients as you market your practice!
Simply put, story and connection build trust with patients. Joanna notes, “Dentistry is an inspiring profession … full of humans serving humans,” and we all love and remember stories - especially those about people in our lives. Do your patients know your story? If not, now is the time to change this because we all have unique qualities that can connect us with the right patients for us.
Joanna’s company works to develop a custom digital presence for dentists so we can do a better job of telling patients who we really are. In this episode she shares information about what we should expect from our marketing agencies, the questions we should ask, and the importance of our websites and custom photography, video and more. Listen now to hear great tips and resources to showcase our stories, connect with our current and future patients, and establish trust with patients as we move forward with our practices!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of being motivated by the relationships around us
- Understanding that our teams are not our tribes and how that makes us better leaders
- What story-driven marketing is and how it can improve relationships between dentists and patients
- Stories are remembered so much more than facts
- Three common mistakes with marketing and ways to avoid these mistakes
- How to showcase brands and values
Resources and links mentioned:
- Joanna’s Studio 8e8 website: S8E8.com
- Joanna’s Instagram: @joannafscott
- 13 Questions To Ask Your Dental Marketing Company
- Guide To Story-Driven Marketing
- Client story: Dr. Gigi of Livingston Family Orthodontics in Livingston, NJ
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlauramach
- Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauramachdds/?hl=en
To get my FREE class Love Your Employees, text Loveyouremployees (all one word) to 6686
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Love Your Practice with Dr. Laura Mach
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Are you ready to be kind to yourself and your team members? It’s time to focus on synergy within our lives! In this episode, I welcome Dr. Karen Tindall who is originally from Yorkshire, England. There she was a family dentist prior to entering orthodontics. She and her family moved to the United States when her husband had a job opportunity here. After some time as a stay-at-home mother, she became an internationally accredited professional life coach for female dentists who are juggling their busy careers as well as family life at home.
Noting the outdated nature of “work-life balance,” Dr. Tindall explains why she created a new concept of looking at juggling life at work and life at home. Her new concept is called the work-life synergy approach. She says, “It’s impossible to separate your life from your work and vice versa… It encourages you to blend those various parts of your life together so they work as a whole… It’s much easier to create something that makes you feel good.” This episode focuses on wellness: both your own wellness as well as the wellness of your team. This may mean handing some tasks off to others to manage or finding creative solutions by opening your thinking to how you can manage to accomplish tasks. It is critical that we spread the message of focusing on wellness within dental practice teams, and that starts with YOU - the owner. There is great value in focusing on the ROI of investing in yourself before anything else, and this episode will show you some ways to create work-life synergy!
Highlights from this episode:
- Work-life synergy: what it is and how to view it
- The blending of work life and home life
- Equilibrium’s sliding scale and how it can let you be kinder to yourself
- The mental load concept of owning a dental practice
- How to reduce or remove the mental load by sharing tasks
- The Mint Door as a space for open conversation: its elements and how you can join
- Bringing wellness to the forefront of dental practices
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s free course: Redirecting Your Employees
Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
The Mint Door website
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
How are you doing at this point in 2021? It has been a roller coaster of a year, especially when we, as practice owners, look at our staffing issues. We’ve all experienced ups and downs as we’ve dealt with staffing turnover, but what about changes you’ve wanted to make to your practice? Have you wanted to implement new training, software, or equipment only to have those suggestions met with negative reactions? It is very normal to be uncomfortable with change, and we have to recognize that our employees’ brains react the same way as ours do!
Our brains are wired to like and appreciate the status quo; we like systems and order. So, when we plan to make and implement changes, our brains try to protect us. The desire for the changes we want to make has to be greater than the objections our brain will register. We have to recognize our need to move forward by making the changes we want to make. And our employees’ brains are just like ours; they want to protect them. So, we have to understand that these defensive reactions will be normal. In this episode, I share with you a valuable system to overcome this natural tendency for your employees to hold out against change. From understanding that your employees’ feelings matter to allowing them to ask questions, listen to this episode to understand all the steps to overcoming your employees’ resistance to change and increasing their trust so you can successfully implement changes to YOUR practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of expressing gratitude
- Our brain’s instinctive behavior
- What the speed bump of change is and how to overcome it
- Looking at how your employees’ brains react to changes we want to implement
- System to overcome your employees’ resistance to change
- Why your employees’ feelings matter
Resources and links mentioned:
- Podcast episode featuring Dr. David Maloley: Maximizing Your Team’s Instinctive Strengths
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Sleep… we know we need it, we know how important it is… but are we prioritizing it in our lives? Lacking sleep from sleep-related breathing disorders can have far-reaching detrimental effects in our lives. My guest in this episode is Dr. Mona Patel, a private practice owner for nearly 30 years who now teaches teams how to implement Dental Sleep Medicine into their practices.
Making changes in our practices is often met with fear and resistance. This is a natural response in our biologies. However, it is possible to proceed through this fear to get your practice to the point where you want it to be! Dr. Patel shares her story of overcoming fear and rejection by putting her patients’ health concerns ahead of her fears about making changes within her practice. And sleep issues are serious concerns for patients. From educating your staff to adding new questions to your screening questionnaires for patients, this episode will walk you through ideas to integrate Dental Sleep Medicine into your everyday care for patients. Listen to this episode now to hear Dr. Patel’s amazing path to creating her “Dental Snoozology” business and how you can customize implementing sleep care into your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- Shifting to a new mindset within the dental industry
- Dr. Patel’s path to selling her practice
- STOP-BANG questionnaire: what it is and why it is good to use as a screening tool and introduction to patients
- The importance of integrating Dental Sleep Medicine into dental offices
- Getting your staff on-board with discussing sleep medicine with patients to save lives
- Overcoming your fears about implementing change in your practice
- The process of integrating communication about sleep issues into your everyday conversations with patients
- Where to find a questionnaire right now to begin sleep conversations with your patients
- The Kaiser method and how that applies to your practice
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Mona Patel’s website: Dental Snoozology
Dr. Mona Patel on Facebook: Snoozologist
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
The businesses of dentistry and nutrition have many common challenges and similar goals! This is an interesting episode because I am co-hosting it with nutrition therapist and business coach Rachel Leigh to serve both our audiences as we share our wisdom and inspirations to help you thrive in your business and live a happy life! Rachel and I went through our life coach training together, and, in addition to owning her own nutrition business, she is also a business coach for other nutrition therapists who are building their practices. Our clients have common goals of wanting to feel better, be healthier, and provide amazing services to their clients and patients… So we are excited to bring this episode to our respective industries!
Are you having fun as a nutrition therapist or dentist? If not, now is the time to start! As providers of care to our clients, we want to provide the best treatments possible for their long term health. But we all know that sometimes those treatment plans can be expensive and not covered by insurance. How willing are you to offer the best care options to your clients at the appropriate prices to be properly compensated for your efforts? This episode will help you jump over self-limiting hurdles so you can be open with your patients about their treatment options. We also discuss much more including how coaching has changed our clients’ lives and how they lead their businesses. Your business is a manifestation of what you’re thinking in your mind… And your thoughts can be changed! Listen to this episode to learn how coaching can help you overcome discomforts and build your business to levels your mind may not even be considering!
Highlights from this episode:
- The common challenges of dentistry and nutrition
- Serving our communities in fields that are not covered by insurance
- How to avoid talking yourself out of pricing your services appropriately
- Overcoming the narrative in your head about what your clients may be thinking
- The value of truly understanding what clients want or need to create a connection with them
- Coaching and how it is life-changing both personally and as business leaders
- How to choose your thoughts so you can love your business
- The challenges and rewards of initiating change in our minds and businesses
Resources and links mentioned:
Rachel Leigh’s podcast: 6-Figure Nutritionist
Rachel Leigh’s website: sixfigurenutritionist.com
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
There are many common emotions that we feel as dental practice owners. Do you ever feel frustrated, stressed, fearful or overwhelmed about owning your dental practice? If so, you are NOT alone! These emotions do not serve us well. However, the good news is that there is a biological justification for these emotions, and that once we understand the biology, it's easier to feel something new. This episode will help you understand your emotional reactions to situations so you can ultimately create new, intentional emotions.
First of all, it’s normal and expected to not feel positive, happy thoughts all the time. We are all human, and we have our emotional ups and downs! However, being able to see how an emotion comes from our origins as a human species and from our mental choices gives us the power to create a new emotion… but that takes practice! This episode goes through the process of learning how to feel something new when you are presented with a situation that normally makes you feel an unpleasant emotion. Our brains are wired to protect us and want to be right. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the origins of our emotions so we can use a process to change the emotions we experience. In addition to hearing the informative steps of how to feel the way you want to in a situation, I will also share a couple of examples of how this system works in practical situations. Listen to this podcast now to learn how to move from experiencing a given emotion to actively choosing a new way to look at a situation so you can create the feeling YOU want to feel!
Highlights from this episode:
- Understanding how emotions are created to create more intentional emotions
- The normal human ratio of positive to negative emotions
- The 6 steps on how to feel something new in a given situation
- How to learn how to do a thought download and why it is useful
- A detailed example of how to put this process into practice
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
This is a very special episode. Today I welcome general dentist and practice owner Dr. Parul Dua Makkar, the sister of Manu Dua, a dentist who passed away earlier this year from oral cancer at the early age of 34. Manu was her younger and only brother, and now Dr. Makkar is shining a light on his life and his writings. She has compiled and published his series of blogs that he wrote during his fight with cancer. This episode focuses on her story of her experiences and lessons learned through the process of escorting her brother through the end of his life as well as the goals of his book of finding your inner peace.
Compiling, publishing and promoting his book is part of Dr. Makkar’s current healing process. “This was his message. He was very vocal about his journey. It is to share his wisdom that he felt as he faced mortality… One of the things he talks about is hope.” We are often bound by our own fears and fears of failing. But we can all continue to learn from the opportunities we have. So one of his goals was to help others see that it is okay to try new things and fail. Just give it a try, and focus on the good things in your life. She also stresses his other point of not fearing your death, but rather working to leave something behind that is good for humankind. Are there some things now that will cause others to remember you? If not, what can you change in your life? This book is a poignant read that is written from the point of view of someone who is facing his own mortality. The value of his words is beyond inspirational. “I hope this book becomes a wakeup call,” says Dr. Makkar “that life is short.” So, what makes you happy? Maybe now is the time for a change. Listen now to this episode for encouragement to take the necessary time to reflect on your life and your happiness to find the peace you deserve.
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of stepping back and reflecting on your work as a dentist
- Don’t delay in questioning potential health problems you feel you may have; early detection is critical
- Looking at that feeling of invincibility that people often have
- Dealing with the “isolation” and other complications of going through treatment during COVID-19
- How inspiring it is to hold on to hope
- The value of this book in finding peace within yourself
Resources and links mentioned:
- Manu Dua’s book: “Life Interrupted: Dr. Dua’s Survival Guide”
- Dr. Makkar’s email: Parul_dua@yahoo.com
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Are you interested in some strategies to help you retain your dental practice team? Being the employer and the leader of the practice is often the most difficult part of being a dentist. And right now, it’s no secret that our industry is facing team shortages. But there are some outstanding ways you can keep morale high in your office. This episode, I welcome Dental Human Resources Consultant Kara Kelley who has been working to improve dental team practices for about ten years. She is the founder and CEO of Clinical HR LLC, an advisory firm for dental and medical practices. Kara focuses on cultivating leadership skills, managing employee relations issues and implementing competitive total rewards systems. Our conversation explores ways to keep team members feeling happy and appreciated so they are willing to stay!
As Kara says, “Your perfect employee is out there!” But right now it may seem like a struggle to find that person to hire. However, don’t fall into a negative mindset. There are actions you, as an employer, can take as well as benefits you can offer to both prospective and current employees that will make them smile and want to come into work each day! Covering topics such as showing appreciation and respect, offering stability, demonstrating gratitude, recognizing employees’ credibility, and creating an atmosphere in which they feel protected, this episode will help you retain your precious employees and create an office culture that new employees want to join. You’ll also hear some pitfalls to avoid when offering special perks to your team. Listen to this episode now for valuable information on creating an amazing work-life balance for your team!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of showing appreciation
- Recognizing frustrations and moving on from them
- What employees want from an employer
- Ways to go the extra mile for your employees while also reducing the stress of honoring them
- The attitude of gratitude and how it applies to your dental practice
- How to overcome “scarcity brain” as the practice owner
- Common mistakes and what to avoid with regard to showing employee appreciation
Resources and links mentioned:
Kara Kelley’s company: Clinical HR LLC
Companies that provide Employee Anniversary Programs:
- https://www.blueboard.com/products/anniversary-awards
- https://halorecognition.com/products/employee-service-anniversary-awards/
- https://www.terryberry.com/employee-anniversary-gifts/
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Coaching Signup: Welcome to Loving Your Practice
Mastermind Coaching: Lifecoach for the Busy Dentist/mastermindcoaching
Free webinar: How to Love Your Practice by Only Changing One Simple Thing
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
“Ladies, this is life changing!” says today’s guest, Dr. Ashley Izadi. Ashley is a Baltimore native, completed all of her education in Maryland, and bought her practice in 2012 while caring for twins! Her practice has continued to grow and now has 11 operatories and over 20 staff members who focus on the patient experience. Ashley is one of my Mastermind class members and shares what led her to seek out coaching, her journey through the process, and the transformation that this experience has created in her life as she has increased her awareness and intentionality.
Taking control of your thoughts is empowering! Are you ready to take the first step in changing the rest of your life? My candid conversation with Ashley reveals how she has become a completely different person thanks to joining the Mastermind class. She has done the work to get to a place in her life in which she LOVES where she is. As Ashley says, her journey through the Mastermind class and meeting with the diverse group of dental practice owners has been, “Awesome... I think what is very valuable for me is seeing that other people feel the same way about certain things… Raising my awareness to see how other people are judging themselves helps me to be more conscious and evaluate how I’m moving through something.” All Mastermind participants learn from each other as a community, recognize common understandings of situations within all aspects of life, and motivate each other. The information presented can help you enjoy life. As Ashley says, “Jump in… See what you can learn from it. Give it a couple of months… for it to become integrated into how you think… I don’t need to reach out for support all the time, and that’s really empowering… I feel so much more intentional in my life... I’m leading with intention. I am leading my coworkers, leading my family. I am leading myself with intention and focus on what I want and what I want to do and how I want to spend my time. And that has been really, really powerful.” Now is the time to rise above your thoughts and get to a place in your life that YOU love! Listen to find out how you can join the Mastermind class and change your life!
Highlights from this episode:
- How coaching can help you see things differently
- The impact of judging yourself with your thoughts
- Understanding why you feel a certain way and working your way through the emotions
- Don’t “should” on yourself
- Benefits of joining the Mastermind
- How opening up and being vulnerable allows others to think and have a common understanding
- What The Manual is and how it applies to life
- Applying The Model to how we look at situations
- Advice for someone considering the Mastermind
Resources and links mentioned:
- Coaching Signup: Welcome to Loving Your Practice
- Mastermind Coaching: Lifecoach for the Busy Dentist/mastermindcoaching
- Free webinar: How to Love Your Practice by Only Changing One Simple Thing
- Ashley’s Instagram: @drashleyizadi
- Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
- Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
- Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
- Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
- Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
- Love Your Practice
- Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Now is the time to invest in yourself while creating a practice that you love and want to work in! I am so excited to welcome to the show Dr. Betsy Phillips, a general dentist and co-owner of a practice outside of Minneapolis. A couple of years ago, Betsy recognized that she needed to make some changes. With an overwhelming schedule and struggles of managing a practice, she was not making any time for herself. And adding to that, she had many self-limiting beliefs that were holding her back from making positive changes in several aspects of her life. Does this sound familiar? This episode tackles those concerns and shines a light on how adding a life coach can create amazing changes to your life and your practice immediately.
As dentists, we all want what is best for our patients. And sometimes that comes from taking a step back and making time for ourselves. It has been an honor to connect with Betsy as a student and together develop the life she wants to live. Betsy discusses the changes she has made in her life and says, “I’m actually serving my patients better because I’m taking the time for me.” Are you ready to discover how you can feel empowered to take new actions within your practice and within your life? Listen now to learn how to enjoy your practice and enjoy your time at home, providing you the balance that you deserve and need… And hear about the wonderful opportunity you have to feel like you’re a part of something, recognize there is nothing wrong with you and feel the support of other female practice owners. Take a positive step and listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Recognizing the need for change when life seems overwhelming
- Defining buffering and how people resort to this practice
- How coaching helps overcome challenges
- Changing scheduling patterns and the power that comes from that
- Managing your mind to feel empowered
- Positive changes that come from coaching
- What it’s like and the benefits from being in the Mastermind Group with other practice owners
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Katrina Ubell’s podcast: Weight Loss for Busy Physicians
Brooke Castillo’s program: Self Coaching Scholars
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Are you trying to feel less stressed? Dental office ownership worries about elements such as employees, patients, and dental insurance can be a lot to handle. But as a certified and trained life coach, I can help you feel less stressed so you can have a better life. This episode will help you recognize your beliefs as thought habits, help you see that your thought habits influence how much you enjoy owning your dental practice, and learn how you can create a practice that you love!
Have you ever thought about the power of your beliefs? Your beliefs can be helpful… but they can also be detrimental. Think back to the happy and hopeful thoughts you had the day you bought your practice. Do you feel different today? Our experiences impact our thoughts and create new thought habits. Have some difficult situations arisen in your practice that have made your brain focus on perhaps one problematic person or instance? Worrying is a natural human thought that can create the emotion of discouragement. But now is the time to turn those thoughts around and change the future of your practice ownership journey! Listen to this episode to learn how you can take control of your brain, create new thoughts to empower your experience as a dental practice owner, and create your own positive self-fulfilling prophecies. Change your future!
Highlights from this episode:
- Beliefs as habits of thoughts
- Where our emotions come from and how new thought habits emerge
- The human brain’s job and what it wants to focus on
- Defining and identifying “objection block”
- How to redirect your brain to change your thoughts, creating new beliefs
- Creating your own self-fulfilling prophecies
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
It is a privilege to welcome back to the show for a second time, Dr. Bethany Piziks! Bethany is an amazing dentist who loves taking care of patients and is dedicated to reducing dental anxiety by relaxing patients in a natural way. The product, NuCalm, she is involved with creates amazing calming states without the use of drugs, and she focuses directly on its use within the practice of dentistry. This product’s meditative and restorative properties are perfect for both practitioners as well as patients. If the patient is relaxed, it is much better for us as doctors because when patients are stressed, we absorb that anxiety, negatively affecting our physiology.
Are you ready to turn off the stress? Bethany explains how NuCalm balances the nervous system by shutting down the stress response in someone’s system. Headphones are also employed to pace the brain into a different frequency, slowing the brainwaves to a state of deep meditation. The neuroscience involved in this took 20 years to invent this product! This fascinating episode goes into great detail about the amazing benefits and success the dental community sees with NuCalm. Are you ready to spoil your patients with an amazing product that will allow you to practice better and safer dentistry to patients who are in a much more relaxed state? Listen to this episode to hear Bethany’s experience with and passion for this product, the science that exists to help you care for your patients on another level, and how you can get additional information on changing the future of dentistry.
Highlights from this episode:
- The joy of taking care of patients
- Details about Nucalm’s benefits
- The components of Nucalm that work together to create calm
- Amazing experiences with Nucalm
- What it is like coming out of a Nucalm session
- The wonderful ratings for Nucalm within the dental profession
Resources and links mentioned:
To schedule a call with Bethany for more information: https://calendly.com/drbethany
NuCalm website specifically for dental professionals: http://bit.ly/NuCalmForDentists
Link for a very informational video specifically for dentists about NuCalm and its use in dentistry: https://youtu.be/uNg0WXxeH_4
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
I am so delighted to welcome to this episode my favorite podcast guest ever… my little sister, Marla! She has been such a big part of my life and a very positive influence upon the person and professional I am today. Marla is a loving wife and mother and has been a nurse for 10 years. She cares so much for others, and I am excited to chat with her so you can get to know her… and enjoy our fun and positive outlook on facing the challenges of being a working mom and getting through each day!
Marla works in a cardiac unit in a hospital - undoubtedly, this position can be very stressful! Then she goes home to all of her responsibilities at home, which includes taking care of a son with Autism. So, friends, life in her home can be busy! This episode focuses on “keeping it real” at home, recognizing that things don’t have to be perfect, acknowledging it’s okay to rely on others for help at times, and the importance of taking care of yourself. We laugh our way through this fun episode that also hits on some very important methods of managing life in a home with children… sometimes accepting that organization is best when others “Just don’t see it!” Listen now to our personal, open conversation that may help you realize that it really is fine to manage your home and parenting YOUR way!
Highlights from this episode:
- Challenges of parenting and working
- Debunking the visions of what “proper” parenting looks like
- Letting go of previous standards when new challenges (such as a new baby!) present themselves
- Learning that things do not have to be perfect when you’re a parent
- Helping others shows love, so don’t be afraid to ask for help - it’s someone else’s opportunity to serve
- The importance of selecting chores to let go of with the goal of streamlining your task list
- Helpful advice for moms of young kids
- Managing the sometimes-difficult transition between leaving work and arriving home to the needs there
- What we mean by “Just don’t see it!”
Resources and links mentioned:
Be sure to see the photos mentioned in the episode. You can view those on my website at the link below.
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Are you a busy dentist who works hard at keeping others happy all day? And have you possibly put some of your extra “emotional baggage” into extra physical weight on yourself? Dr. Natanya Brown has experienced this situation and now focuses on mindfulness and taking care of one’s self by first taking care of one’s mind. She is an endodontist and a weight loss coach for dentists, and she is excited to share the key pieces you can focus on to retrain your brain and finally nurture what is going on in your life.
If you’ve ever been on a diet plan, you know that they can be very action-based and focus on eating certain foods, avoiding specific foods, exercising, and more. However, it is essential to look at your thoughts so you can create an action plan that can become a regular part of your life. Dr. Natanya will walk you through overhauling your thoughts and feelings about the actions you want to take… This will help you have the motivation to create habits you can carry with you each day and throughout your life to bring you peace and create a better life for yourself. She explains the thought processes to integrate into your mind as a customized way to manage your life in a new way. Learn to pause, slow down, recognize your urges and take the time to examine what you’re thinking in a given moment before you act. Dr. Natanya will help you prioritize yourself and your wellness beginning today by reinventing yourself through a new way of thinking! Listen to this episode and discover the great question you can ask yourself to help you reach your goals!
Highlights from this episode:
- Focusing on thoughts that create positive motivation within you
- Creating sustainable habits
- Honing in on your feelings and learning things about yourself from your positive and negative feelings
- Examining inner dialogue that we don’t always listen to
- Realizing that your urges are not actually essential to your survival
- The three options for dealing with urges
- The predictability of human brains and retraining your brain into a new way of thinking
- Next steps for improving your health beginning now
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Natanya’s website: drnatanya.com
Dr. Natanya’s instagram: @dr.natanya
Dr. Natanya’s Facebook group: (20+) Natanya Brown DMD - Weight Loss for Dentists | Facebook
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Employee engagement is the key to a strong business today. Do you want time freedom and a profitable business? If so, learning and tapping into your employees’ best methods of taking action is the way to increase productivity and operate your dental practice (or any business) with efficiency. And, with that, your patients will benefit as well as they recognize your empowered team that works together for their care plan. My guest on this episode is Dr. David Maloley, a Kolbe-certified coach, who shares his viewpoints on the importance of recognizing the superpowers that we each have and the amazing impact that can result from being given the freedom to use those strengths in the workplace.
People operate within their lives in different methods. And it is essential to understand what team members within our practices need so they can be effective leaders in their given roles. This idea of leveraging the individual assets of our team members can create powerful results within our organizations. Dr. Maloley explains how the Kolbe assessment measures the instinctive ways that people take action when they are most effective. There are four types of individuals within this system, and dental offices often attract high-impact “fact finders” as office staff and hygienists. This episode will help you learn how to introduce change in your dental practice management, treating your team with kindness and compassion while giving them the permission and information they need to make the best decisions for patients. Learn how to let your staff “own their zone,” a necessary step as a leader. As Dr. Maloley says, “Manage the process, not the result.” Listen now to this episode that will help you unleash your team’s skills, leading to happy employees, less problems, better business, and a productivity explosion!
Highlights from this episode:
- Defining and understanding the concept of conation
- How to avoid conative stress in the workplace
- The four conation types
- The main type found in dental office staff
- How to introduce change to those who are high fact-finders and empower them to be leaders
- Realizing everyone has superpowers
- The value of focused meeting times and leadership; NOT switching tasks all day long
- How to get started with the Kolbe assessment
Resources and links mentioned:
Kolbe.com
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Most of us feel OVERWHELMED at some point! Owning a dental practice creates crazy days that can be a lot to handle! Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know what to do next because you’re stuck in an overwhelmed state and too busy to move forward with making decisions and properly leading your practice? If so, this episode will help you break FREE from this feeling that you’re experiencing and open up a new way of living and leading!
Do you know it’s possible for us to love our businesses and our lives by only changing how we’re thinking? Our brains are human, created by nature; and they do what they think they need to do to keep us safe. In this episode, I’ll explore how the biology of the brain relates to our reality: why we feel overwhelmed, why it’s bad for our businesses, and how to get out of that feeling. Sometimes feeling overwhelmed can freeze us in place, and then we can’t make good decisions for ourselves and our practices. But we have the power to change what is happening in our brains! Listen to this episode for the steps you can take today to escape from feeling overwhelmed, take care of yourself, be in charge of your life and lead your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- The job of the brain
- Exploring how overwhelm feels to individuals
- How thoughts begin our emotions
- What happens when we separate facts about situations from our thoughts
- Why we feel overwhelmed much of the time
- A look at an “intentional model”
- How you can show up for yourself and your practice
- The feeling that can change your life
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
When we own or manage a dental practice, we get ourselves into a position our brains don’t like, as productivity is sometimes challenged and we have to deal with issues as they arise. However, having proper plans in place can help you handle those situations! My guest this week is dental office manager Jodie Pearson. She has 35 years experience in the dental industry and shares many of her insights, from the challenges of learning her own role to coaching employees so they are aware of their responsibilities and ways they can help advance the practice.
This episode explores some of the tools necessary to set yourself up for success and be confident as a manager. When we get so focused on patient care, we forget about the humans who are helping us with that. But our team is essential to our success. From job descriptions to office policies, it is important to have documentation in writing so that everyone has a clear understanding of expectations. And, it’s important to know that many employees need to be coached along the way. You have experience you can share with them, and there are some really effective methods for coaching. We’ll talk about those in this episode as well as how vital it is to focus on time… development time for your team, time for team meetings and creating team camaraderie, and, very importantly, time to invest in yourself so you can avoid those overwhelmed feelings and be the practice owner or manager you are meant to be. Create the practice you want to work in! If you make the practice the way you want it to be and have a system in place to operate that, you will love being at work! Listen to this episode now!
Highlights from this episode:
- How and why owning or managing a dental practice can be very isolating
- Challenges of management
- “Clear is kind” - what that means and how to implement it
- Setting yourself up for success
- Importance of having clear, clean job descriptions, office policies and more
- Ways to coach employees so they have time to learn
- What to ask employees for so they feel they’re making a difference
- The critical nature of team meetings and team morale building
- Making the commitment to investing in yourself
Resources and links mentioned:
Jodie Pearson’s email: Jodie.diydentalconsulting@gmail.com
Jodie Pearson’s phone: 562-619-8825
Email Dr. Laura for the guide on how to correct your employees
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus book
Bent Ericksen & Associates
Keep Your Practice Happy With Communication With Your Team episode
The Happy Dentist Retreat
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
What do you want for your practice? Did you know that your practice is a manifestation of your thoughts? In this interesting episode, Dr. Laura Mach will help you make changes - not from a to-do list but from what is happening in your mind!
It is possible to redirect your brain to have better thoughts about how you see yourself and your practice. Think about that for a minute. This could be big news for some of you as you learn to think about how your practice can serve your life and make you proud. It is so vital to examine multiple aspects of what drives you, what you want to accomplish and what gives you joy. Essentially, who ARE you? If you need a little help with this, you are in the right place! Dr. Laura walks you through the process of using awareness tools of what the brain is doing so you can contemplate your current situation and the potential for change in your practice. This will open your eyes to a wonderful new vision for yourself and your practice! So, grab a notebook, and listen to this thought-provoking episode that can help you change your future!
Highlights from this episode:
- Defining your actions within your practice
- What drives our actions
- How your practice is a manifestation of your thoughts
- “The Model” - what it is and how it can be applied to your practice
- What making a “vision” means for your practice
- Questions to examine to make big changes
- Using awareness tools of what your brain is doing
Resources and links mentioned:
Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube.
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Are you trying to be a good leader, but nobody told you how? Do you take the proper time needed to be a good leader in your dental practice? With all of the time dentists spend doing procedures, it is difficult to then devote the attention necessary to focus on leadership. However, this episode presents how essential it is to have a healthy brain to have a healthy body and practice. Explore the “Brain Revolution” with guest Christine Curtis who provides you with new ways to consider what and how you are thinking and see how that relates to leadership in YOUR practice!
Consider the fact that our brains are organs designed by nature, and everything nature designs serves a purpose. Have you thought about the fact that our brains process the information that enters them and filters in survival? Some of the information that enters our brains as practice owners puts our brains on defense, and bad habits can be formed when our brains look to the negative instead of the positive. However, host Dr. Laura Mach and Christine share that there are things you can do to move yourself over to a new track in your thoughts about your practice!
From effective morning huddles to proper paperwork in the office, timely paychecks, and more, this episode will help you focus on issues that are important to being a good leader within your practice and some of the thoughts that pass through your brain, influencing those thoughts. Learn to use the techniques available to train the brain and practice those techniques, making them familiar to you so you can teach your patients the techniques as well. Together, we can make many people healthier… listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Examples of flaws in leadership
- The importance of not letting your brain convince you that you have too much to do
- The brain’s job is survival
- How brains work
- The fear of things that cannot be controlled
- What the 5 to 1 ratio is with regard to thoughts and the impact it can have
- How often we hypnotise ourselves
- Separating out facts from thoughts
Resources and links mentioned:
Christine’s book: Your Dream Dental Practice: Happy Patients, Fewer Hours, Easier Life
Christine’s email: chris@christinecurtisrdh.com
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
For a link to Laura’s FREE Webinar mentioned in the podcast, text "loveyourpractice" [all one word] to 22828.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Thanks to human biology, people become judge-y from time to time, and that’s okay because human brains just work that way. However, there is another path - a much more positive one - that can be taken along life’s journey! In this episode, host Dr. Laura Mach acknowledges that looking for problems can be a survival technique, but living life in a negative mindset does not let you enjoy yourself or your practice. As Laura says, no judgemental sentences you tell yourself “are going to put you in a proactive state where you are feeling motivated to make changes.”
During this introspective episode, Dr. Mach moves listeners from acknowledging judgemental behavior to a state of looking at life through a lens of curiosity so that improvements can be made. By asking helpful questions instead of saying how things “should” be, you will learn how you can see options for improving any situation that you are questioning. Changing how you look at things heightens your creativity, allowing you to better develop new solutions to what you would like to see happening differently.
Ready to get your confidence back? Your feelings come from what you are thinking - not from the actions of others! So it’s imperative that you think thoughts that boost your confidence. For example, being in a state of judgement of others makes you suffer: you feel angry because of what you’re thinking. However, if you look at a situation simply from the point of view of what makes you content, you can eliminate your anger! YOU are in control of your feelings! Get your control and your confidence back… listen to this episode now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Understanding self-judgement
- How everyone loses in the comparison game
- Nothing good comes from the state of being judgemental
- Problems with jumping to conclusions and viewing life through a negative lens
- Letting your mind acknowledge negative things but move to a helpful place
- Rephrasing your view of situations from negative statements to curious thoughts, sparking creativity
- Understanding the concept of emotional adulthood
- Boosting your confidence through how you think about elements of your life
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Mindset and Creating Freedom from Third-Party Payers One Step at a Time With Kleer CEO Dave Monahan
Do you think it’s dangerous to break out of the mold of dealing with third-party payers? Are you nervous about eliminating insurance companies? My guest on this episode is Dave Monahan, the founder and CEO of Kleer, a company that helps dentists create membership plan programs, allowing dentists to offer care plans directly to their patients. He explains why you don’t have to feel anxious about growing your independence from third-party payers while you tap into your expertise as a caregiver who can create the care plans your patients need!
Let’s talk about how we want to look at our businesses with regards to third-party payers. How do we want to look at these things in order to be ready to break free? This episode will help guide you on the steps necessary to develop care plans - which are one piece in creating that freedom from discount plans - for your patients, present them to your team, and market them to your patients. Give your patients the affordable care they want and improve their oral health, while also eliminating the administrative costs of dealing with middlemen by working directly with patients instead. Focus on your business, and listen to this episode to understand why this move can be a smart goal for you and your practice! Listen now to hear how you can liberate your office!
Highlights from this episode:
- Problems with insurance “plans” that limit patients’ thoughts about dental care
- Some stats on patient behavior for those with and without insurance
- How membership plans provide better care for patients and more profitability for dentists
- Issues membership plans address
- Components to creating membership plans
- The thoughts and feelings that dentists experience prior to making the leap forward to eliminating insurance companies
- The ways membership plans can provide you with additional time to give your patients better care
- How Kleer can help you transition to membership plans without any upfront costs to you
Resources and links mentioned:
Kleer
The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast with Gary Takacs
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Why are you a dentist? What do you WANT to do in your practice? Consider the fact that YOUR practice belongs to YOU! How you run your practice is up to YOU. You do not have to be a pawn in the game that belongs to the big insurance companies anymore. Today’s guest is Dr. Nicole Vane, and she shares her story of how she has forged ahead in her practice to create a new way of managing her practice so she is the person in charge. Her experience will help open your eyes so you can look at yourself and your practice in a new way.
We can get dentistry back to where we want it to be… but we have to work TOGETHER! Have you been churning out the work in a fast-paced, high-producing practice that is heavy in PPO billing? If so, there are other business models you can incorporate to boost your profits without running yourself into the ground. You can break the cycle of a business model that does not serve you anymore.
Say “Yes” to yourself and to your practice by saying “No” to being controlled by the insurance companies that set the rules for how you bill and the fraction of payment that you receive for your quality work. This is the time to make a change. Believe in yourself and your ability to break the mold of how you’ve been managing your practice. You can get back to focusing on the care of your patients: treating your patients with attention and providing the best services for them, not spending all of your time and energy dealing and negotiating with insurance companies.
Covering topics such as stepping outside your comfort zone, changing how you think about your practice, framing how you look at your work, aligning the culture in your practice, leading your employees appropriately, and building value and trust with your clients, this episode will open your eyes so you can look at your practice more objectively and focus on your patients… while increasing the ROI of your procedures. Listen to this episode to learn how you can continue to do your best work but also change your mindset to recognize that YOUR work is valued!
Highlights from this episode:
- Shifting dentistry to fee-for-service
- How thoughts become beliefs and influence how you run your practice
- Skewing diagnoses based on what the insurance companies dictate
- Escaping the trapped feeling of catering to the insurance companies
- Comparing courage versus comfort
- Breaking through the money scarcity mindset
- Realigning the culture in your practice to change the mindset to work within a new management framework
- Becoming the leader you need to be
- Learning to question your objectives and goals
- Recognizing the trust your patients place in you and value building with clients
- Looking at production and collection totals and lower costs within the new business model
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Nicole Vane’s email: Drnicolevane@yahoo.com
Dr. Nicole Vane’s trifold: email Laura for a photo of her trifold. drlauramachdds@gmail.com
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Today’s interview can enrich your life and make you a more successful leader. In fact, it’s a conversation about conversations! With about twenty years of experience in the dental industry, Robyn Ramirez is a dental consultant and is a Conversational Intelligence Certified Coach… so she understands the neuroscience behind conversations. Based on her experience as a business development coach focusing on helping dentists grow their dental practices, she recognizes that increasing financial numbers in a practice does not necessarily make people feel better. She realizes how important experiencing true happiness from work is, and there is a path to get to that point. One critical component is the art of conducting successful conversations.
Conversations cause people to release hormones. An actual physical change happens. This process changes your perception of reality, and that can carry over into future conversations and affect your whole day. And often conversations are not understood properly. In fact, Robyn points out that a study found, “Nine out of ten conversations missed the mark, meaning that the intent doesn’t equal the impact.” So the information is not being expressed well. In fact, if you want to grow your business, successful conversations are critical. This episode will emphasize the importance of good conversations and how impactful they can be to your practice’s bottom line. If you think most messages you try to get across are “common sense,” then this episode will be effective in helping you see your side of the conversation through a different lens! Learn how to start and conduct conversations more effectively, avoid the pitfalls of your interactions with others, and establish trust within your conversations with Robyn’s eye-opening insight… listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Conversations are often not understood between the participants
- Tips for more effective conversations
- Facing and overcoming the feeling of being overwhelmed
- The #1 conversational blindspot that so many people don’t recognize
- Examining the physical changes that are caused by conversations
- Avoiding the pitfalls of conversations
- What the conversational dashboard is and elements you can implement
- The importance of positivity
Resources and links mentioned:
Let’s Talk Results
Robyn’s email: Robyn@letstalk-results.com
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
My listeners, you deserve to hear this story from my guest, Dr. Sonya Stolze. She shares why she decided to enter dental school, how she began her career working alongside her father, and how she learned about the business side of managing the practice. Everything was rolling along until there was a major crisis in her life and the operation of the practice. This episode is one that every dentist needs to listen to… being prepared for impactful life changes is essential, and this story presents a real-life example of how leadership must continue and evolve during times of crisis.
When a practice goes through a crisis, it can be very difficult for the entire staff as well as the patients. But it is vital to be able to assess the changes that need to happen, pivot to meet those needs, and learn new systems to implement to manage the practice through the critical period. With delegation and staff training, efficiency comes; and this episode delves into Dr. Stolze’s experiences as she recognized her vulnerability and then navigated her way through staff member training and changing the flow of work within the practice. As you listen to this episode, you will hear how this practice transformed and how staff members developed new skill sets and were able to personalize the work they were doing to provide the services and care needed by the patients. This episode will help you discover the importance of deciding what you can delegate to your team, allowing them to develop into their best selves and your entire practice to be more productful!
Highlights from this episode:
- The need to prepare for unexpected changes in a practice
- How to navigate through changes in the practice when there is much uncertainty
- Changing how you practice to become more efficient
- Implementing new systems to adjust the flow of the office during a crisis
- Acknowledging the need to change the capacity and ability to lead
- The importance of delegation of duties
- What “Clear is kind” means and how you can incorporate this mindset into your life and work
- How important it is to know and communicate the markers of success
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
If you would like to sign up for my FREE Webinar on February 26, 20201, go to my website and scroll down the homepage or directly to this LINK.
Do you question your abilities and struggle with feeling that you are not qualified to be at the level where you currently are? Maybe you are having a negative inner dialogue that needs to be changed. If so, please know you are not alone! This episode will enlighten you to what you are really experiencing, the fact that you are part of a large community of people going through the same thing, and that there are ways to deal with these thoughts! Dr. Laura Mach welcomes Empowerment Coach Dr. Jessica Metcalfe who shares her story and explains how the “Imposter Phenomenon” can be dismantled.
Most people have some elements of Imposter Phenomenon happening. However there are ways to escape it and become comfortable again. When experiencing times of self-doubt, it is important to not push these feelings under the rug; rather, give yourself permission to think about what you’re thinking and acknowledge that your brain is wired to be negative because it’s trying to find potential problems and keep you safe. So give your brain some grace, and choose to look at all of the positives in your life. Sometimes this is not a natural process, but there are easy exercises you can do to overcome this! Listen to this episode for details that will not only shed some light on your thoughts but help you change how you think, which will change how you feel… leading to many positive changes for you and those around you as you lift yourself up and let your light shine! Listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- What the imposter phenomenon is
- The connection between the cues you pick up from society’s messages to the feeling of anxiety when you’re trying to be heard
- The fears associated with asking for help
- The thought processes people experience during transitional periods
- How self-worth is linked to achievements
- The method to becoming aware of your thoughts and making a conscious effort at changing them
- Changing how you choose to talk to yourself
- Finding internal validation and learning to congratulate yourself
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Jessica Metcalfe website: drjessicametcalfe.com
Dr. Jessica Metcalfe’s email: info@drjessicametcalfe.coml
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Sign up for the FREE WEBINAR on my website before February 23, 2021.
If you own your own practice, you know how busy life can be! And, as a practice owner, having a good sense of leadership is essential to creating a positive work environment. But how do you manage to create that good space for you and your employees when there are so many daily commitments to manage? It can be overwhelming!
If you want to learn how to LOVE your practice, Dr. Laura has some ideas for you! First of all, buying a new piece of equipment, taking a CE class or hiring a consultant won’t help you feel better about your practice. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work. You have to change how you think about your practice to change how you feel about it. And that can involve asking yourself some pertinent questions so you can acknowledge and identify your feelings. Are you ready to make some positive changes in how you direct your feelings and have the practice you’ve been dreaming of? By listening to this podcast right now, Dr. Laura will enlighten you and give you some exciting news about a wonderful opportunity to dive deeper into creating the feeling of LOVE for your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- Spending money on your practice won’t help you feel good about your practice
- How to change how you see your practice
- Spending money can magnify the problem
- Why understanding where emotions come from can help you reach your goals
- The steps to examine your thought habits
- Why it’s necessary to separate out the facts in what you’ve been telling yourself
- News about an exciting upcoming event!
Resources and links mentioned:
Natanya Brown, DMD - Weight Loss for Dentists
The Life Coach School
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Sign up for the FREE WEBINAR on my website before February 18, 2021.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Do you ever have doubts about something you’re doing? Maybe you’re branching out into a new area… but then something happens that creates an emotional roller coaster for you. If you feel like you are weighed down and just want to hide, don’t give up!
Know that you are not alone. Dr. Laura has had those same feelings, and in this episode, she shares the reasons why we have emotions, where they start, and how we can control our feelings. Identifying and evaluating the thoughts we have that create our feelings can help us get to the root of how we are feeling so we can then eliminate the thoughts that do not serve a positive purpose in our lives.
Everyone has their own unique qualities that need to be developed and shared. So, keep reaching to achieve your goals!
This episode will teach you the steps to set your brain so you consciously decide the new thoughts that help you feel invigorated to work toward your dreams. Dr. Laura is here for you and ready to help you move forward… listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Biological reasons for why we have emotions
- Understanding where feelings start
- Recognizing the pictures in our brains
- A critical element to being a happy person
- How our thoughts are generated
- Getting rid of thoughts that do not serve us
- Being aware of our feelings so we consciously decide the new thoughts we want to have
- The steps to choose our thoughts
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: LoveYourPractice.net
Laura’s podcast: Love Your Practice!
Laura’s Facebook pages:
Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
Love Your Practice
Laura’s personal page
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
We women need each other and need to support each other through positivity! We are all going through similar challenges… While we may be apart, we are also very much together in our experiences of life’s ups and downs. In this episode, Dr. Laura welcomes Dr. Laura Schwindt who believes in “hacking your happiness chemicals.” Right now, we all need as many of those happiness chemicals as we can tap into, and we can accomplish this by choosing positive thoughts and actions.
Your feelings matter! This episode will enhance your self-care by showing you how you can carefully include well-orchestrated moments of mindfulness and joy into tasks throughout the day. Actively doing certain actions can release chemicals into your brain that create positive feelings and invigorate you. These actions can include a wide range of great activities such as simply practicing gratitude after an accomplishment, complimenting others, playing with animals, being outside, and enjoying nice smells. These actions will help train your brain, and it will begin to focus on positive experiences! Listen to this episode for some easy ways to give yourself more credit for what you accomplish in a day and learn to give yourself the self-care you need so you can recharge and be ready to tackle the next day. We have an amazing mind-heart connection, and physical manifestations will help you recognize the need to focus on positivity. Friends, listen now to fasttrack your path to releasing your happiness hormones!
Highlights from this episode:
- The critical need to engineer moments of mindfulness and joy
- Dopamine - what it is and how to create it
- How to steer conversations in good directions
- What oxytocin is, why it’s important and how to generate it
- The importance of serotonin
- What little things can release endorphins
- How small actions set the tone for appointments and work environments
- Recognizing what it is to be out of balance
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Laura Schwindt’s Reclaim Your Balance Facebook group
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Many times as business owners we risk being criticized. We put ourselves out there in the public eye and can get a bad review, a complaining employee, or a patient who is angry and leaves the practice.
As I find my own voice as a life coach, it's like I am singing a song on a busy corner. Most people keep walking but some people find that the song is exactly what they need. A few say it's horrible. This week as I was singing my song someone who is well known criticized me in a very public space.
This episode goes through the emotions I felt, explains why it hurt, and goes into how to let the emotion pass, and what to do next.
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
It’s natural to open your bank account and check the balance; that’s our human nature! And this year has had so many swings that we have just tried to hang on and make it through. Now it’s time to make some plans and some changes for 2021. Dental practice owners, it is time to get organized with regards to your practice’s finances. Dr. Laura’s guest this week is Barb Stackhouse, author of “Profit First for Dentists,” who sheds some valuable light on how to pay yourself as a business owner!
You work hard as a dentist, and now is the time to take care of yourself first… by paying yourself and taking care of your money before anything else! Step back and ask yourself what you need to feel to give yourself what you deserve. Is it love? Is it pride? What feeling will drive you to make a change to make 2021 better? Know that you deserve to pay yourself. Think about that. And then take the simple steps outlined in this episode to change how you manage your practice so you can get the very fair share that you deserve. With small changes such as opening a few new bank accounts and providing a budget to your team member in charge of purchasing, learn the steps you should take right now to take care of the money first so you can calmly take care of your patients. Listen to this episode, and let it enlighten and provide you with the clarity you need to make some changes RIGHT NOW!
Highlights from this episode:
- “Profit First for Dentists” - what the idea is and how it can benefit you
- How to set aside profit for yourself starting right now
- The 4 core accounts to open and transfer money to
- How and why more work does not add up to more profit
- The new way to look at your accounting to allow you to put YOUR profit FIRST
- Listen to Barb’s webinar
Resources and links mentioned:
Barb Stackhouse at MoreToLife.Dental
Search “Profit First for Dentists” on Amazon to preorder the book later this month
Profit First for Dentists Facebook group - private group for dentists only
Barb’s link for free online masterclass
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Our brains are creatures of habit! We are always multitasking, and so our brains like to take shortcuts and jump to conclusions. And in this crazy year of 2020, everyone has had so much to process and handle. As practice owners, our brains have gone in many directions… and often those directions are merely reactions to situations as opposed to conscious steps toward goals. Friends, it is time to change that!
Have you thought about some awesome goals for next year? In this episode, Dr. Laura discusses ways to create a strategy to accomplish your goals and amaze yourself! It is important to note that our actions come from our emotions, and our emotions come from what is happening in our brain. So, are you ready to change your brain so you can overcome obstacles? Dr. Laura can help you do exactly that. She talks about how to override your brain so you can see the path to achieve your dreams you’ve been telling yourself are impossible! Listen to this episode now, and get ready to embrace discomfort in your life so you can achieve anything you put your mind to… such as YOUR “impossible goal” for 2021!
Highlights from this episode:
- Creating your own future
- What drives our actions
- How to dream bigger and really go for what you want
- Setting goals while being gracious to our brains
- Being comfortable with your discomfort
- Deciding on your impossible goal for 2021
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Experience is so valuable! There are multiple ways people can learn lessons in life. We can make our own mistakes and discover better ways to handle situations. Or… we can also listen to the advice of others who have gone down certain roads before us and absorb their words of wisdom to help us avoid some pitfalls. In this episode, Dr. Laura discusses some concepts she wishes she would have known when she bought her practice, and she is happy to share her valuable insight with YOU!
From actively listening to learning to say, “No,” Dr. Laura offers some great methods she has implemented in her practice and highly recommends to others in the process of making decisions that impact business. This episode will provide you with great experience-based advice to consider in how you look at your marketing, how you treat your patients, buying new equipment, ensuring your employees feel appreciated and much more. Everyone makes mistakes and learns lessons the hard way at times. Take a few valuable minutes to listen to this episode now… This helpful information could save you both some stress and potential lost profits!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of having a vision
- Being clear matters
- Saying “No” is sometimes necessary
- Insight into how to become profitable
- Taking the time to create systems
- The challenges of being an employer and initiating changes in the practice
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Have you ever had a decision to make but you just put it off and off for quite some time? And you just can’t make a decision? This “Decision Fatigue” can be exhausting. This episode will help show you the way to fight through this, make a decision and move forward without regrets!
We’ve all been there. We have a major decision to make, but all of the options run through our brains and grip us so tightly that we don’t move on. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look at the facts surrounding the decision you have to make so you can objectively decide the best and worst scenarios of your situation. In this episode, Laura provides you with methods to analyze decisions you need to make and offers a wonderful mantra to guide you through the process so you can feel confident in the path you select. Are you ready to lower your stress regarding making decisions? Listen to this episode to learn ways to embrace the choices you make and skip the regrets!
Highlights from this episode:
- What “Decision Fatigue” is
- Reasons to make a decision and move forward
- Steps to analyze the scenarios of your choices
- The key to making your decision a good one
- Avoiding being mad at yourself
- Redefining making “mistakes”
Resources and links mentioned:
Podcast episode with Dr. Shakila Angadi can be found here
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
For most of us, as dental practice owners, being an employer is the hardest part of our jobs! My guest this episode is Adrienne Twigg, the co-owner of Bent Ericksen, a dental human resources company that helps clients in all 50 states with their leadership needs. As Adrienne says, we want to be good at everything we do, and being the leader that your team needs comes with many challenges and requires energy and commitment from you… But once your employees and staff members are confident in how you manage the practice, your team can become your competitive advantage!
This episode will help you create a happy atmosphere in your practice that reduces stress and allows your team members to thrive. We discuss some great ways to communicate with and show your employees they are recognized and appreciated as well as some ways to handle situations that require correction. Adrienne points out, “What we accept, we teach.” So, it is important to correct or address issues within about 24 hours so issues are not seen as unimportant, creating the opportunity for the action to be repeated. She stresses the importance of taking the time to handle staffing corrections so the team is strong and patients are happy with the office and feel safe to be there. Listen to this episode for some valuable tips to create synergy within your office and have a positive reputation in the community as a good leader!
Highlights from this episode:
- Handling staff correction issues properly
- Incorporating your beliefs into how you manage situations
- The importance of consistency as a foundation in your practice
- The value of happy team members and how that affects the treatment of patients
- Creating a good reputation in the community
- Approaching things with the right mindset as a leader
- Communication is the root of everything so everyone is heard
- The 5 languages of appreciation
Resources and links mentioned:
Adrienne@BentEricksen.com
Bent Ericksen office: 800-679-2760
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
I’m always working to make the lives of my listeners better! And I’m excited about this episode’s guest, Dr. Josie Dovidio, who has been in dentistry since her part-time job in high school! She has been a dentist for over 23 years and has always been into health and fitness. But over the years, she has become committed to yoga as “It addresses the musculoskeletal issues that dentists and dental professionals face,” she says. We all need to pay attention to self-care on a regular basis so that we don’t find ourselves in a bind in later years!
Dr. Dovidio recently took a sabbatical to focus on caring for herself and reducing stress, and she is now a certified yoga instructor who is in much better health than before. She wants to encourage other dental practitioners to practice yoga and has created “Yoga for Dentists” social media platforms to spread the word of how necessary it is for body maintenance in our profession. If your body is in a state of stress, some workouts can heighten that stress as opposed to calming the nervous system as yoga does when it is done well. She really believes that yoga is needed to counteract what dentistry does to us and is committed to enlightening and encouraging others as to how you can improve your physical condition and your emotional state when you take some time to focus on caring for yourself. Listen to this episode as Dr. Dovidio shares her passion and simple steps for busy people like you to learn ways to begin your journey, get on a confident path to relieve your stress, improve your physical condition and work healthy sources of information into your daily life. This valuable content is so beneficial to our community; listen now for ways to release your stress and better your days!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of not ignoring signs that your body gives you regarding your physical and mental health
- Reaching a critical point: choosing your business or your health
- Yoga’s benefits to your nervous system, when done in its true tradition
- Getting into “rest and digest” mode
- The benefits of taking time off to both you and your business
- What “positive mental nutrition” is and how you can include it in your daily life
- The need to build each other up and make changes about what you let into your mind
Resources and links mentioned:
Yoga for Dentists’ website: Yoga for Dentists
Yoga for Dentists’ Facebook page: Yoga for Dentists
Yoga for Dentists’ YouTube channel: Yoga for Dentists
Yoga for Dentists’ Instagram page: yogafordentists
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
We all work to learn, better ourselves and become better members of our communities. And I know YOU love to better yourself because you listen to this podcast… to improve yourself! I LOVE that about you and am thankful for it!
I think you are really going to enjoy this episode. I share my three favorite things I love about myself and my three favorite things about you, my listeners! And if you’re wondering… yes, I do know a lot about you, my amazing listeners, as you’ll hear in this episode. For all of us, it is so important to take some time to look at ourselves and notice the things we love about ourselves; that action creates positivity for us and gives us that extra spring in our step as we move forward in our interactions with our families, our patients, our staff members and others in our communities. For me, I know that I am strong both mentally and physically, and in this episode I’ll share not only what I love about you but WHY I love those wonderful traits that make you the special person you are. Please join me for this episode as I share some great food for thought about looking at yourself and recognizing the loveable traits you have… and I have a fun challenge for you! Thanks for listening, and know that I love some remarkable things about YOU!
Highlights from this episode:
- What I love about myself and how those elements have shaped me into who I am
- The main strength I have that has helped me to become the coach I am, allowing me to work with you to figure out what you need to do to improve yourself in the ways you desire
- Things I know about YOU, my listeners
- My gratitude for who you are and the effort you put into your life and community
- A challenge for you… a fun way to spread positivity
- More information on my fall special that you won’t want to miss
Resources and links mentioned:
Laura’s email: DrLauraMachDDS@gmail.com
Laura’s website: The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Laura’s podcast: Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
Laura’s business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DrLauraMachDDS/
Laura’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laura.fauchier
Orange Theory Fitness
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Would you like to make more money in your practice? I bet you answered, “Yes!” If so, this is the episode for YOU! Join me as I walk through my process, “The Model” for how we get results in our lives and see how you can apply that model to your dental practice to get the money flowing into it. So, stick with me if you want to make more money!
Friends, there is a simple action you can take to make your practice more profitable! In this episode you’ll hear me say, “Our businesses are a manifestation of our thoughts.” This is because our businesses are an accumulation of all of the actions that happen on a daily basis, and those actions are a direct result of what we are thinking. I will guide you through the process of examining how you approach patients based on various thoughts you could be having… and look at the impact those thoughts can ultimately have on your practice’s success. Recognizing that your thoughts will create certain emotions in you that affect your actions will help you get to the end results you seek. You may have to learn how to better accept rejection along the way and possibly how to retrain your brain to make necessary changes. Listen now to learn how valuable your thoughts are and how to apply the skills presented in this episode to increase the money flowing into your practice!
Highlights from this episode:
- A review of “The Model” for getting results in life and how that applies to your dental practice
- Recognizing where your dental practice actions actually begin
- How making offers to your patients are actions that can result in higher profits for you
- Samples of thoughts that create various emotions that affect the actions taken in dentistry
- The necessity of offering services to patients and the potential business you can create
- Your services are valuable… believe it!
Resources and links mentioned:
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Our days can be so busy that it is easy to go home feeling exhausted! Ever since the COVID shutdown, there have been changes in our practices that are just wearing us out… possibly due to our new PPE or a lack of order to our days. With so much coming at us, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and tired. However, there are several actions you can do to help you not only get through your day better but also avoid feeling exhausted at the end of your day!
In this episode, I share my list of actions that I have for you. These pointers are changes - both physical and mental - that you can incorporate into your life to help you manage your days and your feelings so that you are not so tired. From actions as simple as making a concerted effort to drink more water and work in some exercise to understanding the vital concept of “emotional adulthood,” I will walk you through practices that can change how you progress through your days, take steps to trigger positive feelings from your thoughts and satisfy the basic human need in all of us to help others around us. This episode will help you get back to enjoying your days and benefitting both physically and mentally!
Join me in this episode to hear about the methods and benefits of incorporating these practices into your day so you can avoid going home exhausted… and I’ll tell you about a current special on my coaching services and why now is a great time to get some guidance with using your incredible brain to your benefit! Listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of focusing on physical changes and the benefits you will see from those changes
- Looking at the mental changes you can focus on to help you manage your day and your emotions
- What “emotional adulthood” is and how you can practice it and incorporate it
- The benefits of working with a coach to guide your brain
- Why now is a good time to reach out for one-on-one coaching with me
Resources and links mentioned:
Creating a Safe Space for Our Transgender Patients course
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Have you had an event in your day that upsets you… and then you stay focused on that one negative instance for the rest of the day? This can be frustrating as you try to proceed through your day! However, there are some great steps you can take to stop this process from happening to you and, instead, allow yourself to end the day in a much better way.
In this episode, I present actions to deal with a negative event or feeling. There is a process to this so that you can not only acknowledge the negativity but move out of that space into a much better place. Our brains pay attention to things that are shocking or negative, and those instances then hold our attention. So, it is important to take the steps to move beyond that stage. Do you practice gratitude? And do you regularly take time to do things you enjoy such as hobbies or helping others? I will tell you exactly why those activities - things that bring joy - are so important! This episode will help you increase your awareness of what is going on in your brain. If you don’t want to go home grumpy because you’re focusing on something negative, you have to be aware of your brain’s activity and how you can move past that, giving your brain new things to think about. Listen to this episode to learn the steps to go from a negative thought to feeling much better!
Highlights from this episode:
- What “evolutionary perspective” is and how you can apply it to your life
- Why it is important to acknowledge a negative feeling or frustration
- The benefits of practicing gratitude
- Giving yourself something new to think about such as hobbies or service work
- Why “thought awareness exercises” are important to look at your thoughts
Resources and links mentioned:
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
We all want less stress in our lives! And this episode can help you get to that point! I have the pleasure of welcoming Grace Rizza, owner of Identity Dental Marketing, to the show. She began her company at a young age; and now, in her business, she is excited for challenges such as COVID-19, as she sees those challenges as what happens before a growth spurt. I love that Grace says, “Mindset is the difference between feeling trapped by your career and feeling empowered by your career.” That is so true. As I like to say, “Discomfort is the price of your dreams.” The uncomfortable place is the path of where you want to go. This ties into Grace’s comment because if you manage your mindset, your business follows. For us as dentists, part of managing our mindset includes looking at the elements of our businesses that cause us stress and getting help in the areas where we need it. Marketing can definitely be one of those key spots.
In this episode, we discuss how you can get to a point in your practice of seeing how marketing can decrease stress instead of causing stress. When you figure out the marketing mix that works for you and is predictable, a weight is lifted! Listen to our discussion on topics to help you examine your marketing practices and your expectations for your various types of marketing, brand building, target marketing, building the education and demand for services you want to offer, focusing on profitability, and more! We also discuss family life and the importance of being kind to yourself so you can enjoy each stage of your life and of your children’s lives. Don’t miss this episode!
Highlights from this episode:
- The importance of finding your marketing mix that is predictably producing for your business
- Ideas on measuring the results of your marketing
- Brand building - what it is and how you should use it to build the reputation you like
- Targeting the business you would like to have
- Focusing on the profitability of your practice
- Understanding the development lag time between creating marketing campaigns and when they actually produce
- Tips for time management with both running a business and managing family life
Resources and links mentioned:
Identity Dental Marketing
Contact Grace at grace@identitydental.com
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
The actions made by your employees matter! But did you ever stop to consider just how much you can influence those actions? This episode explores that question and also provides some valuable insight on various ways to handle situations in your office.
A dental business is an accumulation of thousands of actions during a given year. Many of those actions are made by the dentist… but there are also countless actions being taken by employees. And those actions are extensions of you, the dentist. They are actions being made by people who represent YOU. So, yes, those actions matter! The actions need to be consistent to make the business a good one. In this episode I discuss the fact that actions result from emotions, and those emotions originate from thoughts in our minds. This fascinating cycle, when understood, can help you manage your employees. Be sure to listen to this episode to learn how your leadership can ultimately influence their actions!
Highlights from this episode:
- How you can influence what your employees think and do through leadership that reflects understanding of the human brain
- Knowing that words matter
- The cycle of appreciation - what it is and examples of when it does and does not work
- Why sincerity matters so much
Resources and links mentioned:
Constructive Correction for Your Employees
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Your feelings matter, and it's not why you think! It's not because I think, or anybody else thinks, you deserve to be happy (which I do!). It's also not because you SHOULD be happy. Your feelings matter because your feelings drive what you DO, and that includes how you run your dental practice.
In this episode, I discuss the feelings that we all have, their importance in our lives, and the fact that our feelings drive our business decisions. Actions are driven by feelings, so they play an incredibly central role in our lives. For example, your to-do list may exist, but if you’re not in a good spot emotionally to deal with those items on your list, they’re probably not going to happen! Or, if you are in a great spot, feeling completely confident, those feelings can drive you to make wonderful decisions that propel your business forward. Also, do you know new feelings can be created? Be sure to listen to this episode to learn about a tool to not only manage your feelings but also create new ones! Take charge of yourself today, and be sure to listen now!
Highlights from this episode:
- Where our feelings come from
- The importance of recognizing feelings that you are experiencing
- Feelings such as shame, confidence, optimism, gratitude and more… and how they apply to dentistry and how we practice
- A technique you can learn to create a new feeling
Resources and links mentioned:
Constructive Correction for Your Employees
Kris Plachy podcast
Feeling Good: A Podcast for Dentists
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Dr. Ronni Brown is a practicing dentist, speaker, author and a public dental health specialist who enjoys working with patients in the community. Her career took an unexpected path when she accepted a position as the dentist in a jail. She has been there for 23 years and recognizes what a pivotal moment it was when she accepted that role. Early in that position, she was introduced to patients suffering from extreme dental decay and discovered that it was due to their use of methamphetamines. The patients were honest with their use, allowing her to explore the effects of substance abuse on a person’s dental condition.
In this episode, Dr. Brown delves into the challenges and complexities of recognizing the addictions people have and how those impact their dental treatment plans. She has recently written a book, “A State of Decay - Your Dental Guide to Understanding and Treating ‘Meth Mouth.’” This book has transformed the messaging of key concepts in her presentations and was written for dental teams as a resource for those who attend her presentations. It is also for anyone to read as a resource on managing people with addictions and trying to begin conversations to prevent patients from ever starting drugs. Be sure to listen to this episode - it could be life-saving.
Highlights from this episode:
- The dental devastation created by methamphetamine use by a patient
- The idea of buffering… a person’s method of separating themselves from dealing with stress, problems or concerns by turning to some other activity or possibly a bad habit such as an addiction that triggers the reward center of the brain. (Hint: dentists do it, too!)
- An intriguing story featuring how she learned about professional responsibilities and ensuring the safety of patients
- Acknowledging that addiction can happen to anyone and the importance of reaching out to and having empathy for them to understand the complexity of that challenge for them
Resources and links mentioned:
Dr. Ronni Brown
“A State of Decay - Your Dental Guide to Understanding and Treating ‘Meth Mouth’”
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Leading Better Starts with Feeling Better - free E-course
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
My journey to becoming a life coach is one with some obstacles, and I’m proud of having overcome them to reach my goals. From growing up in poverty, to challenging my family’s religious teachings that said women should not work, to marrying young, my path to dental school was riddled with challenges.
However, I succeeded in becoming a dentist and having a very profitable practice. But by 2018 my leadership and morale suffered because I was not enjoying my work. And then my numbers suffered because I was in my “scarcity slump” of not looking at things in a way that demonstrated abundance. Luckily, thanks to life coaching, I had an epiphany: I can be in charge of my OWN feelings! After going through the coaching process, I myself became a certified life coach; and this is good news for you, too, because I now know how to train dentists to train their minds, and I am sharing this information with YOU!
Highlights from this episode:
- Overcoming obstacles to reach goals
- The amazing sisterhood of dentistry
- The realization that YOU can be in charge of your own feelings
- Good news - I am sharing the process of training dentists how to train their minds right now in a free E-course that can be downloaded
Resources and links mentioned:
Brooke Castillo
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists
Leading Better Starts with Feeling Better - free E-course
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Have you been questioning various aspects of your life lately? If so, you are NOT alone! During this pandemic, many people have taken time to do some soul-searching and consider what changes they may like to incorporate into their lives. And, my friends, let me tell you that I am one of those people!
In this episode, I demonstrate how my mind has gone multiple directions during the recent months while my practice has been closed… even so far as to think about the outcomes if I sold my practice. I put my coaching tool, “The Model,” to use in analyzing these thoughts and intentionally creating what I want for my life. And you can use this process to work your way through whatever circumstances you are questioning as well.
Highlights from this episode:
- The principles of what the brain wants and what its mission is
- The motivation triad and how it adds meaning to why we do what we do
- Applying “The Model” to the consideration of a circumstance such as considering closing a dental practice and how you can use The Model to apply it to your situation
- The importance of being intentional
Resources and links mentioned:
The Life Coach School Podcast
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
If someone takes an action that goes against your thoughts or beliefs, how do you react? Do you lash out or take time to think about how you want to react? This episode explores a system for analyzing any problem or anything good that is happening, and it is a way for you to help yourself create what you want for your life. This system is called “The Model.”
In this podcast I explore the very relevant topic of my child’s gender orientation and demonstrate the method I have used in certain opportunities to be a bridge person and show up with love instead of defensiveness. I also discuss how “The Model” can be used in any situation, including dentistry. It can help you understand yourself, your practice, your team members, your patients and how to intentionally lead your practice.
Highlights from this episode:
- What “The Model” is and how it can be applied to various situations
- The method to being a bridge for future change of heart while drawing boundaries
- How it is possible to feel love even in difficult situations
- How “The Model” can be applied to dentistry
Resources and links mentioned:
Leading Better Starts with Feeling Better - free course
The Life Coach School Podcast
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists - YouTube channel
The Life Coach for Busy Dentists - website
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
Perspective is everything! Life is certainly presenting some challenges these days, but how are you facing the changes to your daily life? Today I am pleased to welcome Dr. Noemi Cruz-Orcutt, DDS who practices dentistry in Mason City, Iowa. This is a fascinating bonus episode for you as she shares her incredible story of recovery after losing her practice to a fire.
Hear her emotional journey from going through the shock of the loss, her immediate thoughts of her team and how they would be affected, the process of recovering, and the positive effects that ultimately dawned from this disaster. This timely episode clearly focuses on the importance of putting things in perspective and how gratitude can get you through a crisis. As Dr. Cruz-Orcutt says, “Trust that it is going to be fine… There is always a silver lining.”
Highlights from this episode:
- Facing the challenges of a property loss and recovering from it
- The emotional process of moving forward after a loss
- How focusing on gratitude changes perspective in times of crisis
- Dealing with things that are out of our control and how our minds become occupied and little problems fall away
- Redirecting your brain to create intentional actions
- Consider how you want to come back after a crisis
- The importance of staying connected to your team and patients to help alleviate concerns and make this a unifying time for all
Resources and links mentioned:
Special thanks to Dr. Noemi Cruz-Orcutt, DDS
“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
I am thrilled that we are able to welcome Dr. Shakila Angadi to this episode today. She is a general dentist and a Social and Emotional Intelligence coach. She focuses on emotional processing, awareness and learning how to use our emotions as information. This is so vital to our current world situation right now!
People are worried and fearful of the unknowns of the pandemic we are all experiencing. Fears can lead to reactive behaviors that do not make sense because people are in survival mode and filled with panic. We need to recognize these emotions, listen to them and process these big emotions. And we need to realize that there are no right or wrong ways to process these emotions. When it comes to these big feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, as Dr. Angadi says, “We don’t get over it, we get through it.” This may be uncomfortable, but it is so important to realize this.
In this episode we explore these emotions we are all experiencing and the fact that we deserve some grace during difficult times. We have to leave our expectations behind right now and just deal with each day as it comes. We can’t keep up with tomorrow, so give yourself some grace! Big expectations are not helpful right now. We need to accept ourselves just the way we are, grant ourselves permission to alter the courses we choose and give ourselves some compassion for the decisions we need to make.
Listen to this episode for some ideas on how to process the emotions we are all experiencing and ways to recognize the special opportunities hidden within the chaos of our current reality.
Highlights from this episode:
- Promise yourself that your future self will not look back and criticize decisions made now
- If you get new information, give yourself the grace to make a new decision
- What realistic optimism is and how it can be applied in your life
- The idea of giving yourself an intention before changing your attention or direction
- It is okay to give yourself some acceptance of change
- Practicing mindfulness as prevention helps you handle difficult times when they arise
- Don’t make permanent decisions on temporary emotions - only handle what you have to handle and leave the rest for later
Resources and links mentioned:
Connect with Dr. Shakila Angad on social media @shakilaangadi
Dr. Shakila Angadi, DDS, S+EIQ Certified Coach
Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!
~ Laura
We’re doing things a bit differently on this episode of Feeling Good. We’re still talking all things wellness, but we switched it up and this time my guest will be interviewing me! Chuck Blakeman, a fellow dentist with a podcast of his own, asks me why our best leadership skill is our emotional intelligence.
You may not know it now, but all of us dentists need emotional intelligence if we want to run a successful dental practice.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is our ability to not only be aware of our own thoughts but to understand the way our staff and our patients are also thinking. No, this doesn’t mean we all have to become mind readers. Having emotional intelligence means you’re able to recognize how others’ thoughts will influence their feelings and actions.
Too often we’re all in survival mode and only thinking about “me me me”. But with emotional intelligence, you’re able to understand the way others think about themselves and empathize with their thoughts, their feelings, and ultimately their actions.
This episode of Feeling Good is all about developing your emotional intelligence. The process is very simple, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. As a life coach, I’ve spent my career teaching other dentists how to use metacognition, and we talk a bit more about what that process looks like on this episode.
To use metacognition, you first have to be aware of your thoughts and the impact they have on the world around you. For us dentists, this means that your thoughts influence the way you run a dental practice. If you don’t know what it looks like inside of your head, take a look at your business. That will give you a good gauge at how aware of your thoughts you actually are.
How does your dental practice look? Do you wish it would run a bit differently? No matter how you answer this question, you’re already on the path toward making new thought habits and developing your emotional intelligence. Once you’re aware of what you’re thinking, the process for changing these thoughts and being able to tap into the thoughts of others becomes much easier.
Your best leadership skill will be your emotional intelligence, but you won’t develop this powerful leadership skill if you don’t first understand the power of your thinking. In order to move forward, you will have to dive into your thoughts and get uncomfortable. But nothing worth doing is ever easy, and Chuck and I are here to help dentists at every stage of their careers develop the emotional intelligence necessary to run a successful dental practice.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- The three tiers of thinking 2:28
- How thoughts create feelings and results 4:00
- The role neural pathways play in your train of thought 8:48
- The two mindsets that influence your thought process 13:21
- Steps you can take to move forward in your own thought process 18:13
Some Questions We Discuss
- Why does Chuck think I’m kind of a weirdo? 1:42
- What is a BFO? 7:34
- How can we use metacognition to make new thought habits? 10:39
- How willing are you to get uncomfortable in your business? 15:29
- Why do the best leaders have high emotional intelligence? 20:08
- How can dentists be more emotionally intelligent? 25:30
Resources
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Check out Chuck’s podcast: Get off the Treadmill
- Connect with Chuck online: Rehumanizing Business
- Some of Chuck’s favorite books: The Power of Purpose & The E-Myth Revisited
Today we have a special bonus episode! One of my clients volunteered to be coached on the viral pandemic we are experiencing while being recorded so that you can listen in. Hearing someone be coached is a very powerful experience and helps each listener also see into their OWN minds. Don't miss out on this episode: listen as the two of us talk about the worry of the virus and the responsibility of making the "right decision." I then guide the client through seeing what she is thinking and believing about herself, and help her work through what she would rather believe and feel.
We like learning about mistakes on this podcast. I mean, how else are we supposed to learn if we don’t make a few mistakes along the way? Fellow life coach Kris Plachy is my guest on this episode of Feeling Good because she knows a thing or two about making a mistake. More importantly, she knows how to help dentists overcome our most common mistakes.
As dentists, we all face similar challenges in our practices. We may have gone to dental school, but not all of us went to business school. Being a dentist isn’t always about dentistry. But you’re just as much an entrepreneur as you are a dentist. Running your own dental practice comes with its own unique share of trials and tribulations. You’re bound to make mistakes with your staff, but Kris is here to show us ways to learn from these missteps and keep moving forward.
One of the most common mistakes we make as dentists is not having the infrastructure in place to hire and manage our staff. Of course, most of us were never trained to be managers. But is that a good enough excuse? If we can learn to become dentists, then we can learn to become managers. The advice Kris is sharing on this episode will help us all become better dentists and better managers.
Kris is sharing the right processes dentists can use to hold their staff and their office managers accountable. Too often, dentists rely too much on their office manager and forget that they should be running their own business. Your dental practice can’t reach its full potential if you rely on your office manager to manage everything. Kris shares techniques you can use to oversee this critical role and guarantee that your dental staff works like a well-oiled machine.
But we all know that even the best machine won’t work perfectly every day. That’s why we're talking about the ugly part of these mistakes too, especially when it comes to managing. Disciplining our staff isn’t something we want to do, but if we don’t hold our team accountable we won’t be able to run our business. Creating consequences that clarify your expectations and get your point across isn’t easy, but Kris has tips for even the friendliest dentist.
When you start your dental practice, you need to tell yourself the truth: you’re becoming a business owner and a manager. You didn’t become a dentist just to work as an employee. You became a dentist to help people and to build a business around your talents for taking care of people. But you can’t be expected to do it all on your own. Life coaches like Kris and myself are here to give you the tools you need to overcome these dental mistakes and build a successful dental practice with a team you’re proud of.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- The most common problem Kris’ clients have 5:00
- How to set up your office manager for success 7:55
- How to hold your staff and yourself accountable 12:53
- The right process for disciplining your employees 24:01
- Why women have different beliefs about making money 37:21
Some Questions We Discuss
- What are some of the things we do wrong as dentists? 1:14
- Where can we find the time to invest in our dental team? 10:00
- Why is it so much easier just to let our staff get away with things? 16:52
- How will the right consequences change our behaviors? 29:03
- Why don’t dentists pay attention to their money? 31:55
Resources
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Check out Kris’ podcast: Lead Your Team
- Kris’ favorite book for women entrepreneurs: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
I’m very excited about my guest on this episode of Feeling Good. I met Dr. Ankur Gupta at a dental conference in January, and we had such an interesting conversation that I had to invite him on the show! Dr. Gupta used his own dental practice as a personal and professional experiment in self-improvement, and we’re discussing all the ways we as dentists can be healthier and happier in our practices.
Success isn’t just measured by numbers. No matter how much money your dental practice can make in a month, that kind of success isn’t guaranteed to make you any happier. Too many dentists focus too much on making as much money as possible and ignore the other ways in our lives that we deserve to be happy. According to Dr. Gupta, when you take on too much in the dental office like that, you’re just making yourself age faster.
Dentists need to make sure that the demands we’re putting on ourselves and our practices don’t exceed our capacity for handling that level of stress. Dr. Gupta shares ways you can minimize stress in your daily life, and some of his strategies might surprise you, especially when he starts talking about being a little weird. That’s the biggest takeaway you’ll get from my interview with Dr. Gupta - It’s okay to get a little weird!
Even as a dentist, we can all afford to get a little weirder. It can help you maintain your mental, emotional, and physical health. With a little weirdness, you won’t fall into the typical habits of being “normal”. In a world where it’s normal to look at your phone for an hour on your lunch break, you should get a little weird with it. Take a walk, feed some ducks, and be a little weirder. Your neural pathways will thank you!
Dr. Gupta and I each share our techniques for taking on the different burdens we all experience as dentists, and he even asks me a few questions about life coaching. This interview is filled to the brim with nuggets of information that will get you thinking about yourself and the way you run your dental office in a brand new light. Hopefully, we help you develop some new weird, yet constructive habits that allow you to build up your sense of self-worth instead of your sense of self-doubt.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- A bit of Dr. Gupta’s background before we start the interview 1:30
- How the subjectivity of fighting and conflict can influence your whole day 8:17
- Why your posture is so important when being a dentist 15:27
- What’s really happening in our minds when we’re lusting over luxury items 25:59
- How you can replace negative habits with more constructive ones 31:35
- Ways you can check in with your thoughts and start feeling better about yourself 34:45
Some Questions We Discuss
- What trend did Dr. Gupta see in successful dentists that inspired his teachings? 4:24
- Are you demanding too much of yourself? 11:41
- What is the principle of pre-suasion? 13:23
- Why does Dr. Gupta want us to be a little bit weird? 20:45
- What does the concept of “buffering” mean to your thoughts and feelings? 29:20
- Why are the burdens more complicated for female dentists who run their own practices? 39:30
Resources
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Learn more about Dr. Gupta’s first dental event: Happiness, Success, and Longevity Retreat 2021
Loneliness is really daunting for a dentist. That’s why this episode of Feeling Good is dedicated to understanding where this loneliness comes from and the strategies you can start using today to start feeling less lonely.
Modern humans, with all of our self-driving cars and smartphones, are lonelier than we’ve ever been. Connectivity is essential to our survival, and individual human beings are wired to be interdependent. This doesn’t mean co-dependent. Rather, this is our evolution telling us to connect and work together with other members of our species. Unfortunately, with all of our modern amenities, it’s become much harder for us to connect and get those warm fuzzies from being together with the members of our tribe.
In this episode, I’m taking a closer look at this tribe mentality with a little help from Sebastian Junger’s book Tribe. I pull some examples from his book as well as from my own experiences as both a dentist and a life coach to get a closer look at why it’s so lonely being a dentist.
It’s a thing I call “the isolation of the dentist” - where we’re loved by some, feared by others, and the people we spend the most time with (our staff) is paid to be there. None of these experiences help us interconnect, but I’m sharing a few strategies that will bring that connectivity back into your daily life.
The biggest strategy I’m sharing on this episode of Feeling Good is how you can change the way you think about being lonely. Remember from my previous episodes where I discussed how thoughts become things? Keep that in mind as you listen to this episode. Your lonely pattern of thinking will only increase that lonely feeling if you don’t manage your thoughts.
Here’s a few tricks to help you change that mindset:
- Hack your biology by reaching out to help someone who looks lonely, whether that’s a friend, a patient, or a stranger at the grocery store.
- Stop looking at social media to find a connection. Reach out to those friends online and make plans to meet up in real life.
- Think back to a time when you were connecting with your favorite humans and let that positive memory influence your pattern of thinking
That is just a sneak peek of the strategies I’m sharing today. I go into these tricks and so many more for managing your lonely thoughts. If you’d like to learn more about what it means to be a lonely dentist and how you can change your thinking, tune in now and visit my website The Life Coach for Busy Dentists.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- The biological reasons why humans want to be with other humans 2:45
- How our hormones drive us to be interdependent 6:24
- The ways this interdependence is missing in your modern lives 8:44
- What loneliness feels like for a dentist 11:22
- How your lonely thoughts can isolate you even more 14:00
- Some strategies you can use right now to feel less lonely 16:16
- Ways to manage those lonely thoughts 18:49
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Read the book from this episode: Tribe by Sebastian Junger
- Check out Oprah’s podcast: Super Soul Conversations
Welcome to the landmark 10th episode of Feeling Good! I’ve got another interview lined up, and this one is extra special for #10. Kelly Hanlin McCormick is a fellow life coach who specializes in anxiety. Life is stressful enough, but dentistry adds a unique layer of stress on our lives that can be a little harder to deal with. That’s why Kelly is here - to share with us her strategies for battling anxiety.
Therapy is amazing and can really help us process our emotions and feelings, but what happens when we lack the tools to apply all that we’re learning in therapy? That’s the question Kelly sought to answer for herself. She knew her own panic attacks couldn’t be the right way to handle her emotions, and she went looking for a new way to handle stress. What she learned is that anxiety is not just an emotion, it’s a physical response that can send our thoughts and emotions on a rollercoaster ride.
Kelly shares the meta-cognition techniques she learned to help us all deal with the rollercoaster of stress and anxiety in our own lives. There are ways to look at your stress and your triggers and use introspection to keep track of all those runaway thoughts that can make our anxiety worse. Runaway thoughts and emotions like disappointment and embarrassment can send our stress spiraling, and Kelly has tricks to help us keep those thoughts in check.
The biggest takeaway from today’s podcast is that anxiety is actually a cover for those uglier emotions, like disappointment. As dentists, if we’re disappointed in our performance or we made a mistake with a patient, we might get anxious about how to deal with it. Rather than deal with it, we focus on the anxiety and let it get the better of us. But not today! After hearing Kelly share her own anxieties and how she battles them, you will be inspired to take a new, refreshing look at your own anxiety. Once you accept that you can’t be perfect all of the time, you’ll notice your stress levels drop and start recognizing the ways you can stop those anxious thoughts right in their tracks.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- What inspired Kelly to pursue life coaching 2:42
- The process and training that goes into becoming a life coach 6:30
- How to look at anxiety as a messenger rather than an attack 13:40
- Where anxiety comes from, including different triggers 17:34
- The options your brain gives you when it comes to anxious situations 24:10
- The personal mission Kelly is taking on with her clients 30:20
Some Questions We Discuss:
- What are my clients saying about my podcast? 1:13
- How does Kelly apply her life coaching to her own anxiety attacks? 10:00
- What does a typical life coach appointment with Kelly look like? 15:20
- Why does anxiety show up as a cover emotion? 20:11
- How can we stop feeling so anxious as dentists? 27:30
- What is the Fierce Calm Project? 36:05
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Visit Kelly’s website: KellyHanlinMcCormick.com
Check out Kelly’s favorite book: Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck
Get ready! We’re doing something a little different on today’s podcast. I’m having my very first interview ever on Feeling Good, and I couldn’t be more excited. I just spent a weekend seminar with fellow dentist Dr. Christopher Phelps, and I want to share the insights we made over the weekend with all of you, my favorite listeners.
Dr. Phelps is sharing with us today his experience with the power of persuasion. Or, as he calls, “pre-suasion”. Working with Robert Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Influence, Dr. Phelps is changing the way we think about our patients and their treatment plans. We’re talking today about Dr. Phelps’ techniques and how you can use them in the dentist’s chair. It’s all about setting the stage for helping patients accept the treatment options you’re explaining and how to offer them the best possible treatment.
Where did this unique perspective come from? Dr. Phelps answers that and many other questions about his dental career today, but the most important question we dive into on this episode is how you can change not only our mindset but also that of your patients’ and your staff.
When it comes to the powers of persuasion and pre-suasion, it’s all about looking closer and what we say and the questions we ask. Ultimately, you want to get your patients into a “proactive mindset”. According to Dr. Phelps, this proactive mindset is what separates the perceptive patients from the more stubborn ones. If you want patients to respond positively to your treatment options, you have to prime them to be proactive. We discuss the persuasive techniques you can use in your own dental practice to achieve this mindset, including setting the mood and asking the right questions.
It’s like I’m always saying - your thoughts have the power to create your reality. What we say matters, and you do have the power to create a proactive mindset in your patients and your team and even yourself. If you’re ready to be an influencer and take on the proactive mind, tune in right now to hear the nuggets Dr. Christopher Phelps is sharing with us.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- What my listeners are saying about this podcast 1:20
- All about Dr. Phelp’s dental experience and entrepreneurship 2:40
- How to recognize the different ways people make their decisions 8:20
- How to prime a proactive mindset in your patients 10:55
- What a proactive mindset looks like in the dental chair 18:55
- Tricks for setting - and sticking to! - your goals 24:29
- Where you can learn more about the 6 Principles of Influence 26:20
Some Questions We Discuss:
- What entrepreneurial strengths can be applied to our dental careers? 4:10
- How did Dr. Phelps start training with these principles of influence? 6:06
- What’s the difference between “persuasion” and “pre-suasion”? 10:13
- What is a mindset and how do we shape it? 11:50
- How does language shape our mindsets? 14:51
- What are the most common mistakes dentists make when it comes to persuasion? 20:22
- What is Dr. Phelp’s favorite movie and how does it influence his mindset? 28:34
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Visit Dr. Phelps’ website: GuideThemToYes.com and Drphelpshelps.com.
- Check out these books by Robert Cialdini: Influence: Science and Practice and Pre-suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
Story vs. Fact Welcome to the 8th episode! I just want to give a shoutout to all my fans and say “thank you!”. Starting a podcast has been on my to-do list forever, but I’ve been doing this for a month now and I couldn’t be happier. I asked for reviews and you guys responded in droves! It’s been such an amazing experience that I’ve decided to share it with everyone. I’ll be reading a review before each of my episodes from here on out just so any new listeners - and my longtime ones too! - can really engage with what others are saying. What I’m talking about to do is such a freeing concept. Once you hear about it you’re going to feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. That concept is Story vs. Fact, and it’s going to give you a brand new perspective on your career. You’re going to look at your dental practice in a whole new light, I promise. Story vs. Fact isn’t about the news or social media. The stories and facts I’m talking about are our own interpretations of the world around us. Our five senses are responsible for interpreting all the data and all the emotions we run into as we go through our day on this planet. We see, taste, smell, hear, and feel everything in the world around us, and we organize this information based on how it affects us. Unfortunately, you can’t always trust these interpretations because your brain gets very comfortable with routine data, and it can sometimes rush over or stress over certain data points. Think about it. When you hear some bad news at your dental office, your brain starts running over all the possible outcomes. These possibilities aren’t always positive ones because your brain is trained to prepare for the worst. What I’m here to tell you on today’s podcast is that these kinds of thoughts are automatic. We can’t stop them from happening because it’s how our brains and bodies are programmed to survive. What we ARE capable of is deciding to give meaning to those thoughts, or not. If you remember from my earlier episodes, I talked about how thoughts inspire feelings. Feelings then fuel our actions, which means that your thoughts are ultimately in charge of all of your actions. How powerful is that? You are in control of your life, and today’s episode is all about how you can harness the facts in your thoughts instead of listening to all of the stories. The trick to mastering this concept - and what I’m diving deep into on this episode - is recognizing that all of your thoughts are neutral until you apply a negative or positive emotion to them. But if you can think positively, or at least remain neutral about certain things, you’ll notice how powerful it can be to simply change your thoughts. It’s more than just looking for a silver lining, too. What I’m talking about today will teach you how to actively participate in your thought process. I want you to stop worrying about the stories of things that could be but haven’t even happened yet and find a thought that generates a positive feeling inside you. That’s what today’s episode is about. So tune in now and ask yourself - what stories have you been telling yourself? In This Episode You Will Learn: * What some of my listeners have been saying about my podcast 1:45 * Where I learned this concept of Story vs. Fact 4:00 * How your brain really interprets sensory data 5:02 * When and how your perspective starts to affect your interpretation of this data 7:45 * All of the ways your thoughts affect and empower your life 11:15 * Why the Story vs. Fact principle is so critical to the success of your dental practice 14:37 * The kinds of negative stories other dentists tell themselves and how you can break that thought process 18:07
Resources: * Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com * Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast * Listen to Brooke Castillo’s podcast: The Life Coach School Podcast
Have you ever walked into a room and just KNOW that you interrupted an awkward conversation? You happened upon all that negative energy and now it’s influencing your entire day. It even has the power to change the trajectory of your day, for better or for worse. But what happens when you take control back from those emotions and choose to be in a different mood?
That’s what we call “emotional intelligence” and I’m unpacking it all on today’s episode.
Humans are pack animals. That means we pick up on each other’s emotions. We can communicate without words, and we pick up on these nonverbal cues more than our conscious mind is aware of. That’s our emotional intelligence at work, and it’s responsible for driving our moods and ultimately our actions as we go through our daily routines.
As dentists, our emotional intelligence is our biggest factor in determining the success of our practice. We set the mood for the day with our mood. Our assistants and our patients both pick up on what subtle emotional cues we’re giving off for that day, which means it’s our responsibility to set everyone up for success with - dare I say it - a positive attitude.
Tapping into your emotional intelligence is as easy as simply choosing to be in a better mood. As the communication leaders in our practice, we need to encourage positive discussion among our employees and redirect any conversations when they get too bitter or cynical. It’s like putting your best foot forward, even if you don’t really want to. But even on those hard days, you can still find ways to channel your energy into something positive.
My dental happiness experiment was inspired by just that, with a little help from Primal Leadership, one of my favorite books. I’m discussing that book and how it inspired me today, and I hope that you try out your own happiness experiment after tuning in. I have a little project for you at the end of this episode, and I really hope you participate because I can’t wait to see what kind of techniques you’re all using to hype up your mood and bring the right kind of energy to your work day.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- The definition of emotional intelligence and what it means to us 1:39
- How our moods drive our actions 2:42
- How our mood affects our dental practice, our assistants, and our patients 4:20
- All about my dental happiness experiment 7:43
- What it means to act like a toddler when you’re running a dental practice 11:45
- How to share the right kind of mood with your employees and patients 14:30
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- Read my blog: The Dental Happiness Experiment
- Read the book from today’s episode: Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman
Today we’re getting raw and personal. If you’re ready for some juicy details, then tune in right now. I’m taking you through all the ups and downs of my weight loss journeys. That’s right, we’re talking about more than one weight loss journey today. Because losing weight is never a one-and-done kind of thing. There’s lots of twists and turns. My adventure even comes with a bikini contest!
We’ll all try anything once if we think it will help us lose weight. For any dentist who’s ever struggled with their weight, you know how frustrating it can be to lose those pounds and keep them off. I’m sharing my personal journey with weight loss on today’s podcast so you can see that you’re not alone in this.
Remember when I was talking about over-desire and over-hunger? This was back in Episode 3, but I’m giving a quick refresher today because this desire and this hunger are all contributing to your weight loss roadblocks. Over-hunger is why we’re always starving when we’re on a diet, and over-desire is why we ate that entire box of girl scout cookies for dinner. Both of these emotions are triggered by our hormones that are in charge of digesting our foods. Once you know what they are and where they come from, you can finally tap into a weight loss plan that actually works.
As you listen to my personal journey today, you’ll probably notice how distracted I was from healthy living. It’s not easy to lose weight, especially when other variables come into play. Growing up poor means not having access to healthier foods, and raising a family and starting a dental practice makes it even harder to find time to exercise and live well.
Having a lot of things on your plate, so to speak, sometimes means health and wellness falls to the wayside. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Life happens. What matters is that you’re here today listening to how you can improve your lifestyle and get back to making healthy living a priority. My life coach techniques will show you any problem and how you can change your reaction to it. And if you’ve been following me, then you know that I do free consults.
After listening to today’s episode, if you have any questions or are curious about starting a new kind of diet, visit my website. I would love to meet you and talk one-on-one about your goals and how you can reach them!
In This Episode You Will Learn
- The definitions of over-desire and over-hunger 1:14
- How I started on my own weight loss journey 4:00
- What my weight loss plan looked like after dental school 7:43
- All about my second adventure in weight loss after my divorce 9:30
- How over-desire snuck into what I thought was a perfect health plan 10:55
- Why I signed up for a bikini contest 12:40
- What changed my mind in January 2019 16:55
- How my life coaching techniques work 18:25
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
Welcome back to Feeling Good! I’m very excited about today’s episode because I’ve been nerding out on thoughts, feelings, emotions, and where all these things come from. So many of you are telling me that you’re stressed and worried, whether it’s about your dental practice or your health and wellbeing, and believe me, I know how you feel. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. But I don’t want you to feel discouraged. I’m here to tell you that it’s totally possible to feel better, and here’s how:
You are fully capable of feeling better no matter the circumstance when you understand where all your thoughts and emotions are coming from. Today I’m breaking down our evolutionary and natural development of emotions and why they motivate us to feel or act a certain way. All animals have emotions because it’s nature’s way of keeping us alive, but these days our emotions are manifesting in modern ways.
Nature uses emotions to agitate us into action. These emotions cause a vibration that gets us to move within and react to our environment, but this modern environment is not in our evolutionary genetics. This causes our body to react in ways we might think are weird or out of place. I’m sharing tips today that can change the way you think about your emotions and therefore change the way you react and feel about certain modern hindrances, like a fear of rejection, for example. We all have that fear, whether it’s in our interpersonal relationships or in our dental practice, and there are ways to combat this negative emotion and feel better, happier, and more at ease.
The techniques to fight off these negative thoughts and feelings are known as “meta-cognition”. I’m explaining what meta-cognition is and how you can do it in today’s episode. These techniques will help you create a more positive pattern of thinking. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can watch the way you think and feel better no matter the circumstances, this episode is for you. Tune in now and visit my website to learn more ways to practice meta-cognition.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- Where all your complicated feelings and emotions are coming from 3:00
- Why I refer to emotions as vibrations and what this means to our wellbeing 7:20
- Where feelings come from and how our thoughts influence the way we feel 10:02
- Positive meta-cognition techniques to combat negative feelings 14:48
- How to practice and get really good at meta-cognition 17:19
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
If you’ve been listening to my podcast, you might be wondering: what in the world is a life coach for dentists? What does she mean by that? What I mean is that dentistry is more than just drilling and creating tooth dust. Life is stressful enough, and my job is to help my fellow dentists reduce that stress and live better, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Dentists face special challenges when it comes to our relationships and managing our stress, and I’m specifically trained to address these unique challenges.
I’m talking about one of those unique challenges today. Today’s episode is a follow up to my previous episode #3 Why I Was Overweight. I’m going to be talking about how you can make some really big changes to your lifestyle that will help you lose weight and live healthier.
Nature has goals for you that influence how and why you eat - and sometimes overeat - certain foodstuffs. But we don’t live in that prehistoric environment our bodies were designed for. We aren’t hunter-gatherers anymore, we go to the grocery store and pick our favorite foods off a shelf. While this so much easier, it’s also so much easier for us to gain weight. I have tips that can help you recognize this evolutionary process and use it to your advantage, and that’s what I’m sharing with you today.
I’ve got 6 key principles to help you lose weight. These principles will help you reduce that over-hunger and over-desire for sugary foods and help you actually stick to a diet that doesn’t leave you feeling hungry all day long. You’ll be able to finish that last crown at the end of the day without your stomach growling at your patients. If you’re ready to learn a new way to lose weight, and actually stick to it, tune in right now to the Feeling Good Podcast for Dentists!
In This Episode You Will Learn
- 3 basic ways I help dentists live more fulfilling lives 1:03
- Steps for reducing over-hunger and over-desire 3:39
- How supernormal stimuli influence our hunger patterns 6:05
- How to avoid the most unhealthy foods 8:28
- All about intermittent fasting and why I call it “dining in” 11:40
- Techniques to train your body to become fat-adaptive (and what I mean by that) 14:29
- The right ways to plan ahead and “cheat” on your weight loss plan 16:30
- My favorite self-help weight loss books 18:40
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
- The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz
Welcome back to my third episode! This is a more science-y episode, but don’t expect it to be as dry as a high school textbook. I’m talking today about the two main reasons why I was overweight. You might see a lot of similarities between my lifestyle and yours, and I hope what I’ve learned can help you finally kick that weight.
Yes, weight gain can be narrowed down to two big reasons: over-desire and over-hunger. In my last episode, I talked about dopamine and how it can relieve your stress and make you feel great. Unfortunately, this dopamine is released whether the behaviors are healthy or not. This can trick you into eating more, especially when it comes to our favorite sweet treats and candies, or what I refer to as “concentrated foods”. You start to desire these kinds of foods that aren’t always good for you and can cause you to gain weight, or make it harder for you to lose weight.
Modern food is designed to hit that bliss point in our brains and release that surge of dopamine. This only entices us to eat more and more and more, and you know exactly what that leads to. Luckily, I’ve learned a new way to eat that overcomes this desire and helped me finally lose weight over this past year. You don’t have to fight the dopamine anymore. There’s a way you can break free and lose weight, and I’m talking all about it in today’s episode.
Tune in now to hear how sugar influences your physical hunger and why this sugar just makes you hungrier and hungrier. This hunger combined with your desire for concentrated foods is what makes it so hard to lose weight. I’ve designed a weight loss plan, tweaked it for the dental community, and made it possible for you to eat, stay full, and lose the weight so you can get back to the healthy lifestyle your body is really craving.
In This Episode You Will Learn
- How over-desire triggered my weight gain 0:58
- What triggers the emotions and feelings around food and weight gain 2:50
- All about concentrated foods 5:15
- Which combinations of foods hit that “bliss point” in our brain 8:25
- All about physical hunger and why you get so hangry in the middle of the day 13:24
- Where sugar is hiding in all of these “healthy” foods 19:36
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
Want to grab a glass of wine after work? Yes please! I’ll meet you at the bar and enjoy myself a glass of red with you.
But why are we craving this glass (or two) of wine after work? What’s happening to our brains and bodies after a long day at the dental office? Where do these cravings come from and why do we always seek them out after a particularly stressful day? The secret is in the dopamine, and I’m explaining why in today’s episode of Feeling Good.
Nature developed systems that keep your body in line, and every action our brain thinks is essential to our survival is rewarded with a treat. In this case, that treat is dopamine, a neurotransmitter that boosts your mood and reinforces certain behaviors. Dopamine is our natural stress reliever, and we will seek out whatever action, that glass of wine, that sugary treat, or maybe even a hug from a lover or friend, in order to get that rush of dopamine. Our brain doesn’t realize that some of these behaviors are unhealthy, but we seek them out because they’re normal, easy, and they’ve become a part of our routine.
This doesn’t mean we don’t deserve those glasses of wine after a hard day’s work. What I’m here to explain today is WHY we want that glass of wine. Once you understand why, it’s easier to retrain your brain and develop different ways to release dopamine and relieve stress that makes sense for our lifestyle as dentists. You don’t have to keep relying on the supernormal stimuli to relieve your stress, and my way of coach-splaining in today’s episode just might inspire you to start looking for new ways to retrain your brain! Tune in now to hear all about the secrets of dopamine and dentistry!
In This Episode You Will Learn
- All the physical and mental challenges we work thru in the dental office 1:50
- How the Motivational Triad influences our behaviors 4:46
- How our bodies use dopamine to influence our actions 5:47
- Why our brain rewards us for bad or unhealthy behaviors 9:50
- How a bird’s behavior mimics our own human behaviors 12:00
- How life coaching can help you retrain your brain 14:59
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
Welcome to the brand new Feeling Good Podcast for dentists! I’m Laura Mach, a practicing dentist and professional life coach. I’ve been practicing dentistry for 12 years now, so I know a little something about stress. That’s why I started this podcast. I’m here to help dentists manage their stress and start treating themselves better. Whether that means balancing your schedule, managing your dental office, or just learning how to talk to yourself better - this podcast is for you.
In today’s first ever episode I’m giving you a sneak peek of the stress management techniques I teach as a life coach for busy dentists. I’m running my own private practice on top of being a full-time wife, mother, and life coach, and I know the toll stress can take on your life. I started this podcast to help dentists “deal with the feels”, as I like to say. We all have emotional reactions to our worrisome thoughts, and I have a few tricks that can help you manage that kind of anxiety.
These emotional reactions are completely normal. It’s also completely normal to worry about your dental practice and your patients. But all this worrying can disrupt your life, especially your sleep schedule. If you’re losing sleep over your dental practice, tune in right now to learn the keys to worrying less. I’m here with tips on how you can let go of your perfect expectations, accept the sometimes messy disorder of the dental life, and break that vicious cycle of negative thinking. No matter what the day throws at you, from payroll to patients, you can still manage that stress and get a good night’s sleep, I promise.
The biggest thing you’ll learn in today’s episode is my technique for meta-cognition. I’m talking about how you can learn to watch yourself think and train yourself to ignore those anxious thoughts. We have over 60,000 thoughts a day, and not all of them are correct or even important. I have a few ways tricks to help you organize your thoughts so you can stay focused on what really matters and stop stressing about the things that don’t.
Of course, you can’t get rid of your stress overnight. That’s why there will be more episodes of the Feeling Good podcast coming your way. Listen now to our first ever episode so you can learn the keys to worrying less and kickoff your new, stress-free lifestyle!
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- How I can help dentists manage their stress and balance their lives 1:30
- What a stressful day for a dentist looks like 2:38
- 3 theories I have on why dentists worry so much 6:22
- Why we have such emotional reactions to stressful thoughts 11:47
- 3 key ways to worry less 15:00
- The practice of meta-cognition and how to do it 17:34
Resources:
- Visit my website: TheLifeCoachForBusyDentists.com
- Listen to more episodes: Feeling Good Podcast
- The Life Coach School