Today’s show features a pioneer in dentistry and to dental podcasters.

Dr. Alan Mead is the master behind Mead Family Dentistry and the widely known Dental Hacks Podcast.

Dr. Mead grew up around his dad’s dental practice and quickly found his passion in running a practice of his own at a young age.

Just like with any dental practice business, Dr. Mead has seen his fair share of ups, downs, and everything in between.

There’s something for you in this episode if you’ve been running a practice of your own, wanting to start one, or if you’re in the startup phase.

• How Dr. Mead basically “stole” a practice from someone else
• What happens when you think you’re a terrible business person (and what to do to combat this)
• The mistakes you DON’T want to make when running your own practice
• The advantages of owning a “dive” practice
• What to do if you’re brand new, fresh out of dental school, and looking to start a practice
• The best skill you can have when opening up your first practice
• What to look for, demographics-wise, when opening up a practice in a new geolocation
• An event you need to attend, if you’re serious about dentistry, to meet some of the biggest names in the industry

Running a dental practice is hard.

Every day you have thousands of things that are vying for your intention.

And sometimes, in our desire to make things happen we neglect the the basics.

Which is why I’m so excited to have Kerry Straine, the CEO of Straine consulting on the show today.

Kerry has helped hundreds of practice owners master the fundamentals and take their practice to the next level.

• How a single lunch changed Kerry’s career.
• The largest expense for dentist practices today and how to soften the blow.
• How to calculate supply and demand for your practice and why it matters
• Why picking the “Low Fruit” is so important for your practice.
• The importance of finding your “number” to thrive.. Not just survive.
• Discover the “patient flow litmus test”
• The number one indicator of dental practice success.
• How to use the profit formula for your practice.
• What makes a good business owner in general and how to apply to your practice.
• When to expand your practice to multiple locations.
• How to make the most of your dental practice
• Why your balance sheet matters more than your income statement.

I’m excited to share with you my findings from an analysis of the financials of 25 separate dental practices.

The main purpose of this study was to see if I could find any commonalities between practices that were profitable and successful at what they were doing.

I highly recommend going through your practice’s financial statements to understand better where you are generating revenue and where your expenses are going.

In this episode, I will be sharing with you a summary of my analysis of these 25 separate dental practices, the similarities that I found in the 2 groups and things that you might want to start paying attention to if you want to improve your cashflow.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• Why does some practices make over a million dollars while some struggle to break $500k.
• The co-relations between expenses and revenue – where are successful dental practices spending their money?
• Which areas should you pay attention to if you want to increase your revenue
• What is the one thing that you can change to make the biggest difference in your revenue
• How much should you be paying your associates?
• How to make more money through analyzing revenue for your own dental practice

The right team can determine a practice’s success or failure.

Having the right people to operate a business is key in ensuring that you are moving in the right direction.

A leader is one who talks to his team, one who understands what is happening in the different departments, and one who finds solutions to help improve flow of the business.

Today’s guest is on a mission to help doctors so that they don’t die broke.

Andre Shirdan is the founder of the CREW process. He has been a practice manager and consultant for almost 20 years and has a lot of intimate knowledge with the world of dentistry.

Since 1989, Andre has worked with thousands of practices helping to create systems for treatment planning, staff training, goal attainment, internal and external marketing, and computer systems integration.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode: 

• Why did he start doing practice consultation?
• What are some of the things that the old practices do that he wishes the newer practices would follow
• Are great leaders born or created?
• How to become a leader in your team that people would follow and respect
• The best ways to implement new changes in a practice with staff that are resistant to change
• If he was to start a new practice today, what would he do to build his business successfully

Imagine for a moment that you’re standing in front of a future patient.

But you’re not the only one there. You are joined by two other dentists who want the business just as much as you do.

What will get that patient to choose you over your competition?

Although you may not physically find yourself in this situation, this is the reality when it comes to growing your business.

People get bombarded with ads every day.

How will you stand out?

What will set you apart is the word choice in your advertising, and your lead-conversion strategy.

Today’s guest will help you in those areas. He specializes in copywriting and sales funnels.

Jeremy Reeves is the CEO of Kaizen Marketing Inc. He is also host of the Sales Funnel Mastery podcast, where he shares what’s working and what’s not when it comes to creating automated sales funnels.

Jeremy’s insight and strategies has helped numerous business increase their bottom line revenue. Some of his past clients include Mark Hansen (co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul), Than Merrill (real estate investor and cast member on A&E’s hit show, Flip This House), and Loral Langemeire (author of The Millionaire Maker).

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The two most common mistakes that dentists make with their direct mail marketing
• A simple exercise to help you write sales copy that works
• How to narrow down your target market so that you market to the people who are most likely to buy (and where to find them)
• How to decide the delivery method for your marketing
• The one question to find out if the person or company in charge of your marketing is doing a good job or not (if they can’t answer this, get rid of them immediately)
• Why it’s a good idea to understand marketing even if you’re paying someone else to do it for you
• What separates good copy from bad copy

Owning a dental practice gives you the opportunity to make lots of money.

But just as dental school doesn’t teach you the business side of dentistry, it also leaves out the financial literacy aspect.

Building wealth will prove to be extremely difficult (even impossible) if you are financially illiterate.

On today’s show, we welcome back a very special guest, Dr. Tom Larkin.

Dr. Larkin, also known as The Renaissance Man in dentistry, joins us this time to share some instrumental information that can help shape your financial future.

Dr. Larkin is the clinical director for Ideal Practices. He is also the founder of OralWellnessCenter.org, which is doing some incredibly fascinating things as far as linking oral systemic health with dentistry. He is also an instructor at Louisville’s School of Dentistry.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The surprising history of marketing in dentistry
• Four rock-solid financial literacy tips (follow these to set yourself up for long-term success)
• A little-known fact about mutual funds (if you overlook this truth, you’ll be leaving LOTS money on the table)
• A stock market rule to follow that could potentially multiply your money
• What you need to know about human nature and greed that is a key part to financial literacy
• How to increase your income simply by changing your mindset and habits
• A few subjects you should educate yourself on to increase your financial literacy
• A recommendation on how to work together with your significant other to build a solid financial foundation

Marketing is an essential part to the success of your business.

And although it can be a relatively large expense, it often yields poor results (or worse, can be a complete waste of money).

For that reason, new marketing trends are often met with skepticism.

…Especially when it comes to online marketing.

Today’s guest is NOT about hype. She’s about PROVEN RESULTS.

Dr. Anissa Holmes is the founder of Delivering Wow and host of the Delivering Wow Podcast. She is owner of one of the most successful dental practices in Jamaica.

Dr. Holmes has had incredible results using Facebook to grow her practice, and reveals all her top strategies in the FBMastery Course For Dentists.

She joins us on the show today to share some of her extremely valuable Facebook insight.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The advantage that Facebook offers that you do not get with other online marketing tools
• The minor detail within Facebook ads that greatly impacts engagement
• A common mistake made when boosting Facebook posts that keeps you from growing your audience
• The three types of Facebook campaigns that will give you the best results (one of these is NEW to Facebook and you’ll want to start using IMMEDIATELY)
• How online advertising is different for a dental practice than it is for an online marketer (and why you should ignore some of the advice they give)
• Why you’ll get far better results managing your business Facebook page internally vs. outsourcing it to another company
• The MAJOR advantage to implementing Facebook into your marketing strategy now (and what you’ll miss out on if you put it off)
• A Facebook strategy course that you can take advantage of at a very special rate

There are many reasons people get into dentistry.

Without a doubt, one of those reasons is the opportunity to make lots of money.

But in order to make lots of money, there’s a cost to pay:

• Student loans
• Business startup costs
• Payroll

Let’s face it…it’s a high price to pay.

So what’s the best way to truly start building wealth?

Well, I’m SUPER excited to bring on today’s guest.

Reese Harper is the founder of DentistAdvisors.com, a financial planning services company specifically for dentists.

He is also the host of The Dentist Money Podcast, which guides you through the financial challenges specific to dentistry.

Reese will shed some light on the greatest misconceptions about wealth, along with some valuable tips to start building your financial portfolio.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• Why you should strongly consider hiring a financial planner
• A key component to understanding wealth (the majority tend to overlook this critical factor)
• The first step in financial planning
• What a Total Term is (this is how wealth should really be measured)
• The biggest misconceptions about what financial planning is (and what it is NOT)
• Why financial planning shouldn’t begin until this particular ratio has been figured out (this will help you make sense of what’s going on)
• Why it’s important for your financial planner to know how to accurately value your dental practice
• The financial areas you should focus on when you’re getting out of school to prepare you to buy the right practice
• Who you DON’T want to get financial advice from
• How to build up your board of advisors

When patients visit the dentist, they are typically there to address dental hygiene.

Nonetheless, studies show that a person’s oral health may have a direct correlation with other potential health issues.

This is but a small part of what today’s guest has discovered (and is heavily advocating for).

Dr. Tom Larkin’s accomplishments go beyond the walls of a dental office.

Grasping on to mentors from the moment he began his journey in dentistry, his knowledge and influence has multiplied and spans across several facets within the dental world.

A true renaissance man in dentistry, Dr. Larkin is the clinical director for Ideal Practices. He is also the founder of OralWellnessCenter.org, which is doing some incredibly fascinating things as far as linking oral systemic health with dentistry. He is also an instructor at Louisville’s School of Dentistry.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• How Dr. Larkin balanced the clinical duties of being a medical doctor while being a new business owner during the first six months
• The number one thing Dr. Larkin did to get “lucky” (and start making a lot of money from the start)
• The three keys to financial management
• A skill set that has served Dr. Larkin immensely well in dentistry and consulting
• The number one problem that Dr. Larkin had when he opened a practice
• What you never, EVER want to assume when you’re first getting out of dental school
• Some issues that occur after the acquisition of a new practice that students are not ready for
• An interesting characteristic about dental practices that typically go up for sale (ignoring this can be a very costly mistake)
• The two models in dentistry (one of these is the model of the future and has a significant fee-for-service component to it)
• The impact of the correlation between the location you choose to open your practice and the cost of living in that area

Owning a dental practice means you wear many hats (especially when you’re first getting started). As the owner, these are just some of the roles you play:

• Dentist
• Personnel Manager
• Marketing Director

As you fill your dentist chair and get busier, it’s natural to take shortcuts when it comes to certain areas of your business.

But the one thing you always want to make a priority is filling that dental chair.

That’s why today’s guest strongly believes that you should never take shortcuts when it comes to your marketing.

And he has the business portfolio to back it up.

Before becoming a dental practice owner, he owned multiple other businesses, which he bought, built to great heights, and sold.

This gives him a unique perspective that I’m excited for you to hear about today.

Jerry Jones is the owner of Jerry Jones Direct, a company that markets and helps dental practices attract and retain patients. He also owns Wellness Springs Dental, a national franchise of dental practices that is helping people all over the country get started.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The most common misconception that new practice owners have
• How marketing has evolved over the years (and how past stigmas are hurting current practice owners)
• The average cost to attract a new patient across any media
• A recommendation to all young dentists that are looking to start their practices or a practice owner who is looking to open an office in a new location
• Expert advice on how to make the most of your marketing budget
• A warning you shouldn’t ignore when shopping for a company to build your website (there’s a good chance you’ll lose a lot of money if you ignore this)
• A powerful way to leverage local press to get free exposure (and become the expert in your area)
• An ad campaign that was so successful that it caused a scheduling jam
• What limiting copy is (and why it can be helpful to have in your ads)

I felt inspired to do this episode after a trip to Disney World with my family.

It was the end of tax season, and probably the most appropriate time for us to disconnect from the business and have fun as a family.

We were there for 7 days and the experience is phenomenal.

Here’s the thing about Disney:

It gives a complete experience from start to finish, for anyone who’s been there. It leaves memories and stories for families to tell for years to come.

How can this translate to your dental practice?

I shared my entire experience in this episode and how we can use this to grow our practice and give your patients the best experience they can have so that they will look forward to visiting you every single time.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• What’s unique about the Disney experience (and why people are willing to spend tons of dollars for it)
• What Disney does extraordinarily well (and how it compares to our dentist practice)
• How Disney builds up the experience even before you get to the park (this is priceless when applied to your practice’s customer experience)
• Preparing a customer to get the best experience at the park
• Taking away the stress from the customer
• How employees play a huge role in your business 

Decisions are part of of every business...

And with every decision made brings an outcome.

The best way to get a desired outcome is being enabled to makean informed decision.

This is where having the right processes come into place.

In today’s episode, we are going to talk about thebest accounting software for your dental practice.

This episode is a self hosted episode where I share with you mythoughts on the current accounting software available for a dentalpractice and why you need it to run your business successfully.

If you like today’s show, you’ll enjoy the bonus following. It’smy personal Chart of Accounts Template.

Here are a few things you’lldiscover intoday’s episode:

• The definition of accounting (and why you need a goodaccountingsystem for your business)
• How dental practices did their accounting 10 years ago
• The new and improved way you can start recordingyourtransactions (so that you save tons of time and have a systeminplace)
• Desktop accounting software vs Cloud accounting systems
• Why you should consider a cloud accounting system (and whyIstrongly recommend this)

Dental school will teach you how everything there is to know about oral hygiene:

• Proper care of teeth
• Correctly use of dental instruments
• How to administer treatments

But it won’t teach you how to run a business:

• How to manage people (both patients and employees)
• How to manage debt
• How to make a business profitable

Today’s guest, Dr. David Rice, realizes this, and has created a community that teaches members what you don’t learn in dental school.

In this show, he shares some amazing insight on little-known tips that are sure to propel your business and speed up the road to prosperity.

Dr. Rice is the practice owner of East Amherst Dental Center in New York, and founder and creator of Ignite DDS, an education platform that prepares you for true success.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• What you must know in order to become a leader (this will help you develop great systems and stay on course)
• Why hiring someone with several years of experience shouldn’t be a priority (and what you should be looking for instead)
• A reason to always carry business cards (it isn’t just to draw new patients)
• An amazing tip to recruit the best talent (from places you hadn’t thought of before)
• A major obstacle for young professionals (that can be discouraging and maybe even crush hopes of owning a practice)
• A valuable thing to have if you’re moving to a new place
• The number one thing to do if you’re a young dentist looking to build your team
• Something to keep in mind if you’re intimidated by the idea of reaching out to people who are more successful than you are (who can offer valuable advice and connect you with other great people)
• What Doctoritis is (and how it can rob you of living the American Dream)

As a dental practice owner, there are so many things you can be doing to grow your business…yet so little time.

One of the beautiful things about technology is that you can put it to use even when you’re not working (or working on something else).

Just ask today’s guest, Dr. Shawn Van De Vyver.

Dr. Van De Vyver has mastered the art of automation, so that he can stay top of mind with new and existing patients (and provide them with personalized experiences that keeps them coming back).

Dr. Van De Vyver is the owner of Great Lakes Dentistry and creator of practiceinapod.com, a tool that helps dentists find the best learning resources to build their business.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The types of patients you DON’T want and should gladly let go (so that you can focus on the patients you DO want)
• The most successful way to transition patients from one location to another
• A tech tool that will give you better long-term results than mailers
• How to personalize new patient experiences
• A time-efficient way to train new employees (so that you can spend more time on money-making tasks)
• How marketing your practice is like dating
• How to stay in touch with existing patients (with little effort)
• A way to increase positive online reviews (to remain relevant and attract new patients who use reviews to make decisions)
• How to quickly get a review website up
• An automation tool that saves staff time and reduces patient no-shows

It can take months, if not years, for someone to decide that they’re finally ready to own a practice.

Today’s guest will tell you that there’s no such thing as truly being “ready.”

As soon as he graduated from dental school, he was off to the races.

Sure, it takes a certain work ethic and skill set to run a successful practice, but waiting around can be costly.

Dr. Hunter Smith is a multiple practice owner, and a contributor on DentalTown, where he posts some of the best numbers-related content available.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• What to look for to see if a practice is a good match for you to purchase
• The time when buying a practice with the intention to grow doesn’t make sense
• The number one evaluating factor when determining a good startup location
• Where to start if you’re looking to buy a dental practice
• A problem you want to avoid as a multiple practice owner
• The factor that matters more than the dentist-to-population ratio
• The number one problem that keeps practices from growing
• Scheduling mistakes to avoid

Most people will tell you that if you want to grow your dental practice, you need to get more patients.

This might make sense at first.

But while getting more patients is part of it, it shouldn’t be the priority.

What good is it for you to gain more patients consistently if they’re not coming back to see you on their next visit?

Dentists who don’t focus on returning patients (and the systems required to get them to come back) are leaving money on the table.

In this show, you’ll learn the best (and proven) strategies to grow your business (and increase your revenue).

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The definition of growth (when it comes to a dental practice)
• How mindset plays a vital role in growing your business
• What a limiting belief is (and why it stunts growth)
• The typical growth cycle of a dental practice
• The best changes you can make to increase your revenue
• The mistake dentists makes when trying to grow their business
• How self-awareness plays a role in all of this
• How to come up with a game plan to increase your revenue

Dental equipment is constantly evolving, and your phone constantly rings with salespeople trying to get you to buy the latest technology.

You don’t need all the latest bells and whistles to run a profitable business.

But what you do need in today’s digital age is a marketing plan that reflects the latest trends.

If you want for your business to be around in the next twenty years, you can no longer rely strictly on referrals.

Today’s guest, Jake Puhl, understands the power of the internet. It can be the difference between a sustainable (and profitable) business, and one struggling to keep their head above water.

His marketing tactics have helped dentists grow from zero to $5 million dollars in revenue (or in one dentist’s case, from $1.2 million to $8 million).

Jake is the co-founder of Firegang Digital Marketing, a SEO and Google analytics expert, and an Amazon best-selling author.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The biggest mistakes dentists make with their marketing
• A traditional method of growing a dental practice that will no longer hold a practice up (and a modern marketing strategy you need to stay in the game)
• The key to a reputation marketing program that generates great reviews
• Why being on top of your numbers and processes is important (and how your marketing dollars will go to waste if you don’t pay attention to them)
• Why getting new clients shouldn’t be your only priority
• The main metric you need to look at when working with any marketing company
• The biggest differentiators that will give online traffic a compelling reason to choose your practice
• How to “buy low” when acquiring a practice
• What a retargeting ad is (and why it’s so powerful)
• The key factor for online traffic analytics that you should zero in on (that many marketing companies don’t look at)
• What a longtail keyword is (and how this impacts your online visibility)
• Recent changes to Google ads (and what that means for your business)
• Best practices to run good ads (that Google will reward you for)
• A covert way to scan your competition in an area you’re looking to start or acquire a practice

Having a successful dental practice comes down to one thing:

Keeping your dental chair filled.

Keep that chair filled week after week, year after year, and you’ll be profitable and have the opportunity to scale.

An important key to having steady clientele is marketing.

But the problem with many marketing strategies is that they are generic.

What works for a neighborhood restaurant may not work for a dentist.

That’s why you need someone who understands the dental world well enough to know how to measure the metrics that will give you the best results.

In this show, Mark Dilatush shares some little-known insight that can save you from throwing away marketing dollars that won’t work.

Mark is partner and president of New Patients Inc, a full service marketing firm that specializes in dentistry.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The two marketing segments that determine if a new patient comes to see you because they want to save money (or because they value your services)
• The number of appointments needed to go full time when you’re first getting started
• The only thing you should base a startup budget on
• Why some startups take (painfully) forever to get going
• The reason why banks are quick to lend money to startup practices (despite the risk of it failing)
• The hidden truth about the marketing budget for a startup (and a valuable piece of advice to make sure you fill the seats needed for the practice to survive)
• How to mitigate the high cost of a startup
• A smart way to partner with local businesses to grow your client base faster
• The reason why hiring a marketing company is often ineffective
• The risk of sending the same message to your entire marketing sphere

When you open your own practice, there are things you must commit to:

• Long hours
• Hard work
• Sacrifice

Sadly, one of the biggest regrets dentists have is putting so much into the business that they don’t enjoy life outside of the office.

They go into the business thinking they’ll be able to enjoy life when they retire.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There are many ways to create passive income streams (and make yourself replaceable so that you can enjoy that extra cash flow).

Dr. David Phelps specializes in helping dentists create a long term vision business (and their personal life). He then recommends ways to accumulate wealth through various sources.

He is also a former practice owner, and creator of Freedom Founders, a place where people learn how to manage profitability.

• The biggest regret dentists have after running a practice for several years (that would have allowed them to have more freedom sooner)
• The difference between a technical provider and a business owner
• The reason so many associateships fail
• A key decision that revived a practice that was close to going out of business
• One of the key parts of a business that most dentists don’t value
• The type of customers that many dentists overlook
• How becoming a better speaker can grow your business
• What to look for when you’re finding a place to work fresh out of dentist school
• The difference between wealth and money
• A word of caution about financial advisors

Every day I talk to consultants and dentists who are very good at what they do.

And every day I realize more and more that there are many out there, like yourself, who can get tremendous value out of these ideas.

I share many of these great ideas on this podcast, but I know that some of you are wanting more.

And that’s why we are creating the Ambitious Dentist Mastermind.

Masterminds aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around for centuries.

Benjamin Franklin was a part of a mastermind that met every Friday night to debate politics, morals, philosophy, business goals, and anything you can think of that would help them take their life (and their business) to the next level.

So if someone like Franklin valued the opportunity to be in a mastermind, then that goes to show the impact it can have.

In the Ambitious Dentist Mastermind, we’ll be applying some of the same principals that have proven to help people achieve powerful results.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The definition of a mastermind
• The two questions asked in Benjamin Franklin’s mastermind (that helped him become one of the most intelligent and accomplished person in history)
• The singular focus of the Ambitious Dentist Mastermind
• The two major problems with seeking feedback online
• The problem with having a great idea but no one to share it with
• The four goals of the Ambitious Dentist Mastermind
• Answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the Ambitious Dentist Mastermind

When you’re starting your dental practice, there are some key things you need to look at:

• Finding a good location
• Knowing what equipment to buy
• Hiring the right people

But so many dentists tend to overlook a powerful aspect of the business that sets the framework for years of success:

The culture.

When you build a culture that customers (both external and internal) are excited to be a part of, you then have a story to tell.

Having a story allows you to create experiences.

And experiences are what people love to talk (and hear) about. Both online and offline.

Dr. Anissa Homes is a master of creating experiences.

You may have heard some of her experiences on her podcast, Delivering Wow.

Anissa is the founder of Jamaica Cosmetic Dental Services, was voted one of the Top 25 Women in Dentistry, and as you’ll find out, a Facebook wizard.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• Why giving good service isn’t enough on its own to run a successful business (and what you can do to have an amazing dental practice)
• The importance of having a vision (for yourself and for your team)
• How to promote your culture and core values within your practice
• Tips for creating systems to train new employees more effectively (and have consistency)
• How cross-training can prove to be valuable (especially when you’re short-handed)
• Places where you can recruit talent (where you normally wouldn’t think to look)
• The difference between building your culture and building your brand
• The best way to build a brand
• How to get testimonials that make others eager to come see you
• How to generate 1500% ROI using Facebook for your dental practice
• What you should promote (before you start promoting offers)

Owning a business can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life.

But along the journey come the not-so-fun moments: the failures.

It’s easy to have a meltdown when the going gets tough. But those who push through the challenges reap the greatest rewards.

That’s why Dr. Mark Costes’ story is so inspiring.

It’s hard enough to bounce back from a failure or two. Now imagine bouncing back from several (twenty-one to be exact).

That’s the number of dental schools Dr. Costes applied to (and was rejected by) before finally getting accepted.

But that’s all he needed to become one of the most respected icons in our industry.

He is now an international speaker and best-selling author, founder of the Dental Success Summit, and host of two amazing podcasts (Six Figure Side Gig and Dentalpreneur).

So whether you’re going through some challenges, or looking to level up, you’ll appreciate the valuable lessons Dr. Costes shares with us on this episode.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The 3 ways to know if you’re ready to run your own dental practice (and why being able to understand numbers isn’t as crucial as most dentists think)
• What to look for in a demographics report to find the best location to open a practice (and two mistakes that many overlook)
• The techniques used to take a practice from $240,000 to $1 million in a year and a half (on more than one occasion)
• The mindset behind breaking old habits that limit you (and replacing them with habits that will help you grow and increase your profit)
• How the 80/20 rule applies to your practice (to get you the results you want)
• What the Alien Abduction Manual is (and why it’s so important in systemizing your business)
• The different ways that you can improve your practice without spending a ton of money
• What to do if you’re fresh out of dental school to start preparing yourself to open your own practice (and gain the edge over your competition)
• How failure and perseverance is an essential (and challenging) part of the journey
• The difference between a Healer and an Entrepreneur
• A unique view on wealth (which motivated Dr. Costes’ to open multiple practices despite being criticized by his mentor)

It’s one thing to know how to use a sickle probe. But knowing how to make your practice profitable is another.

And to be profitable year after year, you’ll need to adapt to certain changes:

• Modern dental equipment
• New technology
• Relevant marketing strategies

But there’s one part that doesn’t change:

People.

To run a stellar dental practice, you need a good staff.

And if you’re wondering what it takes to have a good staff, there’s no better person to turn to than Sandy Pardue.

Sandy is the senior consultant at Classic Practice Resources, a key contributor to DentalTown, and director of the Spice Up Your Practice training events.

If you’re looking to grow your staff soon, you’ll appreciate the bonus. It’s Sandy’s employment application that will help you identify the best fit for the role.

Get that here.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The mistake that will get potential clients going to see other dentists instead of coming to see you (and how to avoid it)
• What job title to avoid to prevent confusion in responsibilities (especially with larger age gaps)
• The four parts you need to fill in your front office (and what personality traits to look for when hiring for them)
• A key characteristic to pay attention to during interviews (that may cause problems if overlooked)
• The difference between an interview and an outerview
• What to do before, during, and after an interview to find the best candidates for the job (and maybe even get new clients out of it)
• The staffing ratio formula to make sure your business runs smoothly
• Why block scheduling can be a costly mistake
• How The Hawthorne Effect can be applied to your practice to make it more efficient
• Red flags when buying a practice (and the first thing you’ll want to do as a new owner)
• How to tell when someone’s not doing their job
• The key metrics to maintain a high performing office

Free Episode Bonus:

If you want to improve the quality of your hires, this bonus will come in hand.

Sandy has provided an employment application to help you find the qualities you’re looking for, rather than relying on a resume that only shows you what they want you to see.

Click here to access that now.

Quote:

“Nothing in your practice is more important than time.” – Sandy Pardue
Resources:

Classic Practice Resources Website
Contact Sandy Pardue via Email

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this show wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

You obviously chose to go into dentistry for a reason…

And for a lot of aspiring dentists it’s because the field is still growing.

Smart decision.

Unfortunately, that makes plenty of people out in the wild look to exploit new (and existing) dentists as a chance to siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.

Jason Patrick Wood is a partner in the Law Firm of Wood & Delgado and he see’s it happen everyday.

Lucky for us, he’s here to tell you exactly what to look for when acquiring a business or looking to partner with anyone.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• The aspects of most dentists that get preyed upon and taken advantage of by others (and why this is a major issue in the industry)
• How to make sure you’re always getting the best deal possible (even with people you’ve done business with for years)
• Why running a dual brokerage is usually an illegal operation (and how to protect your dental business and partners)
• What separates the people who know their stuff from the pretenders (and what to do in order to spot both of these in the wild)
• The right way to interview anyone you’re bringing into your business – like banks, employees, and partners (and the questions you can ask to find red flags)
• How one little line in a contract could cause you to lose $100,000 when you got to sell your practice
• The critical way to think when acquiring a practice or a startup (and the pros and cons of both situations)
• Why you should never trust a demographics report from this specific kind of professional
• The biggest mistake being made when acquiring an existing dental practice (and what numbers to focus on to avoid this mistake)
• How to guarantee you and your families financial well being through retirement
• The type of mindset that plagues some dentists and ruins the dental industry
• Why females are highly targeted in the dental industry when it comes to dental practice ownership (and why it’s so important that women become dental practice owners)
• Why dentistry is the most “bankable” industry (and why this is critical to your livelihood)
• The after-hours and off-site conversations happening by Dental Professors with aspiring students (and what happened when the school found out)
• How to approach acquiring a dental practice (even if you’re new and fresh out of school)

In the dental business you have the good:

• Working with great patients
• Having a thriving business
• Building a team of incredible people

And, just like in life, you have the “not-so-good”:

• Patients that push you to the edge
• Down months where you aren’t certain where the money is going to come from
• Having to let go of people who aren’t the right fit in your practice

No one knows this better – and has learned from it – than Dr. Joshua Austin.

You might know Dr. Austin from his hit podcast, AcciDental Geniuses.

Dr. Austin is a speaker for reputation management, hosts of Austin Dental Seminars, and a private practice owner.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

• How to tell if you’re ready to own a dental practice (and a resource to help you make the decision)
• Why you might not want to trust even the most reputable sales person in the dental field
• What to do if you’re doing the hygiene in your business and want to find someone to replace you (to free up your time and scale your business)
• How to tell if one of your employees is writing fake prescriptions in your name
• The biggest battle of running a practice (this makes everything else seem easy)
• The bright side to letting go of people in your practice (and a movie to watch to get you ready)
• What drove the biggest amount of traffic to Dr. Austin’s business (and why it wasn’t enough at the end of the day)
• The surprisingly effective form of marketing most dentists avoid (or use incorrectly)
• A modern form of reputation management that can steamroll into major success in your dental practice
• What to do if you want your customers to spread your dental practice’s name across the town (and beat your competitors to the punch)

Click here to access that now.