Transcript
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Speaker: Join Drs. Savannah Craig and Renetta Sartor as we navigate life beyond graduation. real conversations about forging our own paths in our early years and our careers there's a reason it's called practicing dentni Welcome back everyone and to another special edition episode of Beyond Graduation. We're here at the Ignite Retreat doing in-person podcasts and we have two wonderful guests from Ignite Coaching.
Speaker: So I am Savannah Craig and with me as always, Miss Rachel and Right.
Speaker: you know the genius is behind ignite coaching but we'll let them introduce themselves so candy you want to give us a little intro of your background and how you found ig knight and what you do for coaching right So my name is Candy Velez. I'm a practicing dental hygienist in the state of Florida. I also serve on the Dental Hygiene Council but for the industry for the past six years. So I just got another reappointment in 2020. So a couple more years to go there. I... How did I read? Yeah, how did you read David?
Speaker: Yeah, so I actually met David at an RGH under one group at the breakfast buffet. So, you know, this is like a really funny thing because I've heard this on other podcasts and other streaming platforms. They say, do not skip breakfast because if I would skip breakfast that day, i would not be here. The world really puts you where you're supposed to be. Right place, right time. Yes. Yes. So at that time in my career, i was there for CE. I had seen David on, you know, different episodes of Gloves Off. And so I kind of recognized him from things that I've seen on YouTube and really know who he wants. But I just decided to introduce myself and he gave me a card and we stayed in touch. And then one day he reached out and said,
Speaker: you know, hey, can you help on podcast? And that was my introduction into Unite. Yes. And we thought Candy was the podcast expert. She was like, guys, I've just been like Googling this the whole time. We've got to give your flowers, because in the early days of beyond graduation, you like?
Speaker: Helped us with all the concepts. Yes. Yeah. And Clint wins out. So thank you. You're welcome. Yeah. I really enjoyed that. We started with, you know, dental fuel, creating that Instagram and all of the things. And then when you guys started, we, you know, got all the systems that set up and it's so amazing to see you guys thriving now. You don't need my nothing anymore. We have candy is dizzy now. So we have outsource, but yeah, it was great to help you guys start that journey and see where we're at today and in a live ignite retreat. Yeah. All right, Dawn. Awesome. It's so nice to be with you guys. I feel like we've grown together over the years. How did I meet David? I met David through Teresa Duncan. Teresa and I met in the D.C. area when we were both practice managers.
Speaker: And she introduced me to him and I really think to Charleston. and So... Fast forward, David and I started working together. i started out with just like organizing some things for him. We started talking about coaching and practices and now we're hairy ball with a whole coaching team. So very of my background, 35 years in dentistry, all facets, general, cosmetic, sleep, team J, I think I've Check all the boxes. So tell and tell our listeners what Ignite Coaching is, what coaching is, why it's different and and all of the things. Awesome.
Speaker: I love our coaching approach because we've all been there in the teach position. Like we have Jenna's a candy, David, we are myself. And I love that we customize our approach. Every practice is different. We different obstacles that they're trying to overcome.
Speaker: And we step in from day one, help them overcome those obstacles. Yeah, I i agree with Dawn. That customized approach, really getting to know our teams, just like we get to know our patients and how we help them move through the process of really becoming A patient of the practice long term, this is not a short term relationship. So really investing in that time up front, understanding what our clients needs are and helping them to reach their goals. It's not really about us being coaches and we're, you know, yes, we're there as the experts to help.
Speaker: guide them, but we're there to help our business owners, our doctors, and our teams realize their vision. And that's really our approach for it. I feel like there was a misconception that in order to need coaching, to have a practice that's dying or failed.
Speaker: hey you guys speak to who coaching is for or can be for Should be for? because I think a lot of times people don't even recognize they need coaching, right? They think it's normal to come in and have like a stressful day, to not get lunch, to not give up on time. Like they just think that's what the industry is. But dentistry is so much more when you have systems in place, your processes, your accountability.
Speaker: Then we could have our lunch. We could leave on time. We can have a good work-life balance. Very good. What made it just as controversial that we have mimosas, so we'll get through it. What has been the most shocking you either experience or like generalization and coaching for each of you? Like what are, what were, were there things that you didn't expect when you started going into people's practices? Cause I mean, it's kind of vulnerable, right? They're like looking deep, deep in, in the weeds of their life. I'm looking at these practices. Was there things that were shocking to you going in or did you expect what you found? I wouldn't say shocking. i just had to start working with offices at a different level when I thought that I was going to go in working. I'll be a little bit more about that.
Speaker: Yes. So, you know, being the hygiene coach, helping to develop the hygiene protocol, we understand that a lot of offices are struggling with the periodontal diagnosis, assessment and treatment plan. So, you know, I was thinking coming in as a coach, like we're going to kind of start focusing on Perio, but we had to actually back it up and just start with, you know, diagnostic x-rays. And are we getting all of the diagnostic material that we need to even get to the period diagnosis? So it was even just backing it up further and making sure that we are getting all of those assessments that we need to get to Perio. And then also, i wouldn't say shocking, because we've lived this before, we've lived in different environments. And so we understand what
Speaker: ah these teams are going through. But one thing that I think is something that I'm very passionate about is getting teams to work together and really enjoy working together, getting rid of the toxicity in a dental office.
Speaker: and And we do see that. And, you know, so it's it's very rewarding to get to the other side of that and really see these teams thrive. working together. I think from a business standpoint, when I go in, definitely, would think I'd agree. It wasn't shocking because we've all been in the chaos of dentistry, but it's just seeing where these teams are.
Speaker: and helping them get to where they need to be for stress-free day. Like going in hearing a dentist say, I'm not sure I'm going to make payroll next week. But then they see like $800,000 in outstanding AR.
Speaker: And just helping them recoup that money, putting systems in place to get that money back into the practice, and helping them reduce their stress, I think is where I'd love to see dentists help dentists. Yeah, I can kind of speak to this a little bit. I spent a lot of time with David and Camby and Dawn with my practice. And so my start is a little bit different. I bought a practice that was pretty much dying with the intention that I would have to put in the work to grow it. And so I fit into the category where like I wasn't the reason that practice was dying, but I knew that could help. Yes. It needed help. It gets DPR. Yes. Yes, I did the same. And it's a CPR brief like back into it. But it's kind like what you said, like because Ignite number, I knew, okay, yeah, I need this.
Speaker: But just things from like setting up the systems that you did, you know, even changing the way that the schedule was because there'll be some that you'll like, well, what time are you work? And I wasn't leaving really late, but you're like, well, have you tweaked this? And it was the smallest tweet, but like by 539 on the way home. Right. And that's important.
Speaker: Work-life balance is so important. And that's that's the thing that causes burnout, right? In practices, we see teams that are so stressed and not can't even lunch. I didn't get home till six o'clock.
Speaker: But just tweaking, like perfect day scheduling, making sure you have an easy patient before lunch, easy patient at the end of the day. So team building, admin kind of to prep for looking ahead at the schedule. And if Candy looks for her hijabinist to look ahead at the schedule. Just those tiny tweaks make all difference. Renetta, I'm going to flip this. I want to be the interviewer here. Go for it. Go for it. This is Candy's podcast dream. Yes.
Speaker: So you shared a big win at retreat with Dom day one. You know, we've been out of your practice now for a little bit, but you have been able to continue the success in your office. And so can you share with the listeners what your business team want to do share with Dom this weekend?
Speaker: So I told my team that, hey, I'm going to be hanging out with Dom this weekend. They said, you need to let that for the first time in a long time, probably the first time ever, pretty much our collections are higher, much higher than our production. And so one of the things that you all kind of help the team to realize is, all right, if you go get your care done, if you go make a reservation for food, if you go look a plight, you've got to pay that in advance. And so now we're asking patients for co-pays. And Dawn will tell you, it was as simple as like starting to ask because, you know, it took some time for them to have the confidence. And we talked about birth retage and all those things to feel confident enough to ask and be okay with it the patients that know they could. Right.
Speaker: Right. And so it's it's almost like when we made that transition, something finally clicked. And every day in the office, we I'm sure our hygienists bring you to Candy and Mirrorhead. And I know for sure I've been Dawn and my friend that's been here, Dawn. And so it's almost like every day we're just like having aha moments of like stuff that we talked about. they were like, okay, okay.
Speaker: Well, Don or Candy said do it this way and it's working. I love that. I love that they had the ah moment. I love that they are trusted us enough to work together. Because it doesn't come natural, right? It's let's change. And change takes trying and being profitable and all of that. But...
Speaker: collecting those copays ahead of time i mean that creates efficiency they don't have to check out it's sitting your chair it also ensures that they're going to be there so that's why we love to collect those copays ahead of time and i'm so out of here that we are excited we'll send you a video and i was like no i'm a teleperson so you both have been in dentistry in different capacities and different roles and it's continued to evolve now we're coaching for you know the the general person what do you wish they understood about dentistry and dentists and hygienists and office managers like what what do you think are some maybe misconceptions or myths or or things you want just you know you met someone on the street you're like and they're the I hate the dentist person like what what would you want them to know I mean as I'd like to Go ahead. Step in here. So it's interesting because just going to plug a little bit with Git Lit Blogs because i i wrote I just wrote something about this.
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Speaker: Missed calls, weak follow-up, patients who never get reactivated, cases that never get accepted, front office systems that quietly break down behind the scenes. That's where thousands of dollars disappear every single month.
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Speaker: I think in dentistry, just what you said, the dentist, the hygienist, the assistant, oh, my hygienists are just horrible. The assistant, I'm struggling with this. the The dentist, they just don't understand. But the dentist is David.
Speaker: The front business team is Don. hygienist is candy. There are people behind those titles. and so I think that we can like bring the human aspect a little bit into it. It would really help us communicate with each other. And, you know, there's such a fear in so many lanes of communication.
Speaker: And we've seen it in coaching day in and day out. It might just take a simple conversation for Candy and Savannah to sit down together as dentists and hygienists and get off the same page.
Speaker: But there is this invisible thing called fear that's blocking us from connecting. And when you realize that that doesn't exist and Savannah and Candy can sit down together, get on the same page,
Speaker: you're going to be a completely different teen at the end of the day. That's that's so true. And Renan and I have been talking about this and it keeps coming up in every conversation we've had for the last like six months about sometimes the the fear of having that conversation or the, I think that's what it is, is the fear of having these tough conversations prevents us in two ways. One, we're not having a conversation that's important, but two, we're also ruminating on something that's probably annoying us or whatever. and we've been challenging each other to just go and have these conversations.
Speaker: And they go so much better. And I don't need to like sit in the shower every morning and rehearse. Like what's going to happen? Because I'm a reasonable human and my team are reasonable humans. And if we need to be like, hey, could you do this one little thing for me? And I'll do this thing for you, move. Yeah, great. It's like, okay, just it's over, you know? It's it's all about the connection, right? And it's about being vulnerable enough to ask for help. Yeah.
Speaker: Like a lot of times i think people or team members don't want to ask the doctor or whatever. I can't ask the doctor. He's the doctor. Yeah. But he's a human... Or she's a human... Right. And the more we can play on the connection and how can I help you? How can you help me work together as a team? And same thing on the patient side. We have to have that connection.
Speaker: I grew up in a phobic. There's debate at the dentist. So when I worked one on one with my patients, that was my connection with the patients is telling my story. So I feel like if we tell our story to our team and our patients, then that makes us more vulnerable as a dentist, a dentist manager, And there's more connection there. We make ourselves few.
Speaker: I think you made a good point because you you brought up the team feeling like I can't go to the doctor. But I think you and I had lots of conversation where I would carry so much for myself. And you're like, you've got a team. And I know y'all don't mean, like, why are you doing this too? Yes. We have to empower our team, right? We have to put those job descriptions in place. We have to have a accountability lane. Like, you shouldn't have to babysit. They should be coming to you. You should set up administration meetings.
Speaker: Team meetings, we see a lot of times that well times practices, Joel Madman leads, they don't have a huddle, they don't have team meetings, we don't plan for that. That's where the power happens. That's where the team comes together and that's where the perfect extension comes in. That's where team camaraderie comes in and support happens.
Speaker: How old the heck did you go from being a dental phobic to running practices? Short story. I started in pediatric dentistry. In pediatric dentistry, I was in banking and I started with AR. Pediatric dentists have a AR. So she hired me and I said, I'm a little phobic.
Speaker: I will help you, but please do not make me go into the operatory. She said, no worries. i grace You don't have to. A few months later, it's just, she and I were at the practice. a little boy had a traumatic accident and she said, I'm so sorry, but you're going to have to help me. And so as mom, my mom brain kicked in because I have a little one. yeah And so I helped her with that. And it was not a fun procedure for the little boy. And he was not on for best patients. But after that, i was home.
Speaker: It was, it was a godsend, I guess. Yeah. And yeah. Yeah. just bother me now that's such a o that like gave me chills of of overcoming this hard thing in your own life to help somebody else and like that's that's incredible yeah and look at it now no i don't think that She hangs out with all of us on the regular. She's a Disney teen whisperer. Yes. Yes. And also the, you know, John understands my brain in ways that nobody else does. And I love it so much. The organization brain and all of these things.
Speaker: I want to pivot, if you guys are cool with it, to more of like personal things because you two are such inspirations in how you live your lives, the intention that you have.
Speaker: Can you talk to us and our listeners about, is this something that you just like naturally had or had to work towards and and how you would recommend people be more intentional about their lives and their dreams and their goals and all of these things?
Speaker: I was not always positive. I grew up, I think a lot of people my age grew up with more of a negative upbringing. It wasn't always positive. So my way to check out from that was to entirely build myself up. And then i did have a consultant that we worked with to do like an inspiration, like like how does dentistry help you achieve outside of work what you want to achieve?
Speaker: Your self-determined future. And so I love planning up my dreams. I never wanted to get to the end of the year and not feeling accomplished.
Speaker: I know Renetta and I have talked about this. When you make your dream list, you make your wish list, don't erase it. You will need to check it off so you can see where you came from. Because a lot of times you forget where we came from. Like we forget all the things that we've accomplished. And I love to start team meetings, huddles with wins.
Speaker: We always start with what's going right. Actually, I circled back to my dream list last night. I think we're like, is anybody still keeping track of this? I checked off like a ton of professional goals and I was like, oh, time to meet new ones. See? I'm going to see Dawn. She's being really nice, but was really upset with myself because I was deleting them. And I was like, I'll just start highlighting. Yeah. You need to see where it came from. Yeah.
Speaker: So as far as the inspiration or just being more intentional, I like to discuss, you know, a lot of the burnout in dentistry. We discussed it earlier in our interview. It's just in the chaos, you're you're working in a way that really goes against three values. So really understanding who be far as a person, that gut check and really continue to follow that. I think it's really important me to continue on. Okay. Samantha's over there checking our camera. But for me personally, I try to craft practice mindfulness and, you know, starting my day with intention every day. And, you know, that's just something that I've been on each side of the coin. I've experienced quite a bit in my life, the chaos and the all the other things. That's just not mine. Not my light. So we have to do everything that we can to get on the other side of that. So that's just not where I drive as a person.
Speaker: And I think that's important, right? We start our day with intentions at home. So we get to the process and we bring the right mindset. We're ready for the day. The bottle's active, it's fine. And we're ready to chop up what's ahead.
Speaker: It's more of mine. You know, speaking of starting the day, like if I'm driving to my practice, like every morning, I just am in the car and I'm like, you know, thank you for this day. i'm Great for this day. Please give me the strength to help anybody I can throughout the day. And the words to, you know, to help inspire somebody or help somebody like that's how I start riding.
Speaker: Not rushing out the door saying, oh my gosh, I don't have time to do this. Oh my gosh, I can't. I don't want to go to work today. Those are two different ways to start your day.
Speaker: Truly. Depending on how you start, it's going to be finished. Right. oh we We see that patients too, right? They come in, they're hurried, they're rushed. If you just are that calm. person in the moment, right? that That helps them to relax and sit back, that refocus and think as well. like We can translate that from home to patients as well.
Speaker: Absolutely. I mean, energy is so important. Thanks for dealing with the technical difficulties. It's live theater, people. We we don't know what we're doing. If you guys had, and and Candy, you can speak to this from a you know from your hygiene hat or your coaching hat, but What is a piece of advice that you would give a brand new dentist coming right out of school? What, you know, right after graduation, what is something that you think they should know or or new hygienist? So from the dentist or both. So there's one question. okay i love this it's the mimosas can we cheers yes cheers okay before you prepare for your double question okay the next question would be what advice would you have someone who is who probably desperately needs coaching but is afraid to take a sip okay so we'll start with the second question first okay
Speaker: Remember, fear is invisible. That's something we create within ourselves that it's doesn't exist. So when you take out the fear and you think that you need coaching, what you do? You make the call. And there's a discovery call.
Speaker: There's you know no commitment on that part. But to explore all your options, that's where you start. Make a call, have ah a discussion with David and Dawn, and we can work through some of these questions to see if this is really the path for you, but there should never be a fear not to just make the call or send the DM or the email or whatever it is. First, introduce yourself at breakfast. Introduce yourself at breakfast. I said, you know, in this is a little bit going off topic, but I've always told, you know, people who are interviewing for jobs or heard a new dentist, a hygienist, This job is mine. I'm going to decide whether I want it or not. We always have a choice and it doesn't always have to be, you know, the yes, it's your choice. So if you decide to move forward, great. If you don't, then that, you know, maybe that's the right path for you, but we always have the choice. So as far as the new dentist who's starting with the team and getting into a new practice, I think the first thing to do is just really connect with your team, understanding who's there, you know, you know, how are things currently working, really understanding. assessing that environment first, and then, you know, start slowly bringing in your vision. And if there is, you know, if there's any issues that don't align, we have to start bringing each other into alignment. So one of the great things with our coaching, not only do our coaches meet individually with doctors, with the office team,
Speaker: But as the hygienist, i work with the team with whole team meetings because alignment is extremely important. Calibration is important. Everybody on the team knowing the role of each person and how important each role is, is ah is very important.
Speaker: So we learn together. We grow together. We elevate together as a team. Heck yeah. Definitely. And knowing each other's role is super important. Like how do each of us contribute to the goal? How do I help the doctor? How do I help as visit person? How do I help the doctor? How do I support the schedule? Like follow the blocks? How do I support the assistant hygienist? How do I build her an agent? $2,400 kind of thing. So i think...
Speaker: We're all in it as a team. And I think recognizing that early all on and creating those lanes of accountability, job descriptions, it's key. And I want to just pin back on what Dawn just said. You know, she said, how do I support?
Speaker: How do I support? How do I support? Not, this is not my job. Why are you monitoring me out? My door is closed. My door is closed. Get out of my hair. I don't have time for you. Like those two, those things are different. So, you know, how, how are we approaching our team members? How are we,
Speaker: Supporting each other throughout the day instead tearing each other down. Lex, I'm going to add another flavor to this question. so the new grad will assume is an associate in a practice. And i I don't, I believe that everybody is a leader in their own.
Speaker: way on my team and and you know even myself, I'm an associate in in a practice. And because I know all of you, I come in as a leader and i you know even if I don't agree with things, but what would your advice be to that associate who wants that alignment and maybe is not... you know How do you... Would you advise them to balance what they're feeling in their role tactically, maybe with coming up against maybe an older doctor who doesn't, you know, there can be a higher OP there too. So what would your advice be for that that associate who has this greater vision for themselves and their practice to facilitate that, even if they don't have, they're technically not the the boss? I would say seek first to understand why he or she is doing the way and has done the way that He's doing things. Yeah. A lot of times I think we project what we want to do without first understanding where they came from.
Speaker: Yeah. So I would first empower him to share, him or her, to share their story with you. And then share your story and kind of collaborate, right? Like how do we meet in the middle? Like these are things that I see that we can't accrue on. Yeah. I understand your position, but now we have all these new tools and today is today. So how can you support me and how I support you? Yeah. And for just like to go down more technical terms, some some people are, again, have fear to have this conversation. Yeah.
Speaker: So it never happens. and we talk about this a lot with coaching when we are having some of the crucial conversations. It's really important to take the emotion out. So just to give you a little bit more of a strategy on somebody who is fearful to just have a conversation, just write the things down, right? If you get to edit your words, when you write it down, you take out from the emotion. And then you get a little bullet point list and either you approach that doctor and request to me or email, however you communicate. And then you're both prepared. You can send that doctor a little outline of what you'd like to discuss and i create like a little agenda.
Speaker: And both of you guys can work down that list and leave the emotion out of it. You're going to be so much better on the other side if having a conversation in the moment. is really either not the right place, the right time, or there's you know tension building because of what's been happening. And I think too, you also have to remember, it's not a people problem, it's a sister problem, right? So it's not a him problem or her problem, it's a sister problem that's broke, that we need to fix. Yeah. Guys, if you have just one tidbit of advice, like advice, our listeners are primarily...
Speaker: dentists in their first 10 years what what would be your what even like i said even just life advice that you would want to impart on our listeners i would say take a first step don't let fear stand in your way coaches are very valuable and don't let fear hold you back from from reaching out no matter what story you've heard like i i hear a lot of dentists say i already coached they didn't work And typically what we find is that if you put in the work, coaching works. Yeah. So I'd say don't be fearful. Take the step now. Don't wait until you're $800,000 and AR is outstanding. And then the practice is salt on fire. Generally, just to just i be a little bit funny, but if you don't know what AR is, you might want to call a coach. Yeah. We'll plug the info later. No, but seriously, working with teams and working with dentists and everybody, you know, there's a lot of moving parts in the middle office and we all just need to give each other a little bit of grace.
Speaker: Stop being ourselves up so much. It's not that serious. It's, you know, if anybody is feeling like they're walking on eggshells in their practice and like that was just, there's no need for that. So just want to kind of f throw that stuff out there and we're all human. And so...
Speaker: Yeah, that's that's why I say give it ourselves a little bit of grace to just enjoy this journey because it's not about the destination. all about the journey. Love it. Well, we thank you both for being on our podcast and finally coming on.
Speaker: We know where to find, but can you all let the people know where to reach out to you? I'm sure. and Best is our website, at nightdds.com. We'll have a coaching page there in your forest house coaching. You can also email probably David is the easiest, David.rice at nightdds and meet the team on our website. We have contact information on there as well. Thank you both. This has been wonderful. Thanks listeners for checking in and we'll catch you back next time. Thank for joining us for this episode of Beyond Graduation.
Speaker: If you enjoyed this week's episode, be sure to share it with a friend. Connect with us on social media at Savannah Craig DBS and at Dr. Sartor.
Speaker: And remember, you are not alone on this journey. ADEC certified pre-owned equipment is a sustainable, affordable choice that makes genuine ADEC equipment available to every doctor. Each package is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you see one you like, contact your dealer. For more information, go to www.adec.com backslash findadealer. Thank you for listening to Beyond Graduation brought to you by Ignite DDS and Future Dentists. This episode was sponsored by Ignite DDS Coaching.
Speaker: We build self-determined futures. For more information, please reach out to the Ignite DDS team.
