Behind The Smiles: With Dr. Gina Dorfman

Making the leap from associate dentist to startup owner is a scary prospect, and many of us focus on the wrong things when embarking on this adventure. Addressing these obstacles today is author, startup consultant, and founder of Ideal Practices, Jayme Amos. Join us to hear what building your ideal startup entails and the steps that you can take. We discuss actionable advice both for those looking to startup and established practice owners. We discover some of the challenges that Gina faced in her startup, and why she succeeded where others did not. Tune in to find out why asking "What" is more important than asking "How" when refining your vision, and the three irreversible decisions that can derail your startup before you've even begun. We hear some wonderful anecdotes of how startups change lives, and examples of people that have made an impact on Jayme after joining his network. Jayme talks us through the major problems with the advice given on online forums ("If you build it, they will come"), and how adding a personal touch to your startup can make all the difference to your patient database. Press "Play" to find out what the three P’s of planning stand for, as well as where you can find some great resources to launch your startup, and so much more!

It’s a shocking truth that so many dentists can’t afford to retire at 62 and maintain their lifestyle. But this does not have to be the case! Today we are joined by David Phelps, a Dentist and Real Estate Investor who has figured out how to own his freedom and even wrote a book about it! In this episode, David opens up about the struggles his family faced that motivated him to sell his dental practice and build a passive income. We discuss some of the reasons why so many dentists struggle to retire and how we can go about avoiding this pitfall. We talk about the mistakes dentists commonly make from abdicating the management of their investments and investing in speculative things that aren’t sustainable.David explains how he came to write the book Own Your Freedom with Dan Kennedy and some of the principles covered in it. Tuning in you’ll hear how to determine what your ‘freedom number’ is, how to achieve it by owning assets, not financial products, and the importance of not just investing in assets but also investing in relationships. To hear David’s valuable advice to investors and business owners in light of the volatile times that we’re living in and to discover how you too can own your freedom, tune in today!

As a dentist, you’d imagine that the only thing you’d have to be good at is solving problems in people’s mouths, but in reality, if you’re going to run a successful practice, there’s a lot more to it than that. Marketing is one of those vital elements with the ability to make or break your business. In this episode, I’m joined by the master of ground marketing, Michael Arias aka The Dental Marketer, who is here to share the wealth of knowledge that he has accumulated after many years of developing his niche. As you will hear today, ground marketing is built around the concepts of reciprocity and relationship building. It has a much higher success rate than guerrilla marketing, costs much less than paid marketing, and can be used across all markets, from car dealerships to retirement villages. Tune in today for a valuable lesson on how to turn your humble practice into a thriving business!

These days, if you want to have a successful marketing strategy, you need to have an online presence. Since most dentists don’t have the time or inclination to curate their online presence, they would likely want to outsource their marketing to an agency or independent company. Unfortunately, most agencies don’t specialize in dentistry, resulting in generic content being used that doesn’t reflect the true character of your practice. Here to help us navigate the quickly evolving online landscape for dentists is Rita Zamora, founder and owner of the social media marketing service providers: Connect90 and Rita Zamora Connections.In our conversation with Rita, we discuss the current social media landscape for dentists, the biggest mistakes practices are making online, and how her company Connect90 supports dental practices with their social media strategy. Tuning in you’ll hear Rita unpack the importance of aligning your values with your online presence and why consistency and being intentional is key. You won’t want to miss this information-packed episode, breaking down all the details of what a practice needs to be successful online!

Continued education, or CE, is an important part of any healthcare and dentistry professional's career. After experiencing firsthand, some of the issues with the requirements and systems associated with CE as a dental hygienist, our guest Sarah Thiel, decided she would set about making these processes much easier for people in the industry! This was the backdrop for the founding of her company, CE Zoom, and in today's episode, we get to hear all about the biggest stepping stones in this journey. We also talk about work-life balance, Sarah's commitment to parenthood, and how she has navigated life as a female CEO. So to hear it all, join us today!

Dentists often have a hard time wrapping their heads around marketing. We frequently spend money trying to promote ourselves through various channels and end up seeing very little in returns. Today we are joined by Laura Maly and Michael Anderson who are the co-founders of  Wonderist Agency, a marketing agency aimed solely at dentists. In this episode, they explain how marketing in the field of dentistry has changed over the years and explain why some of the marketing commonly done by dentists simply does not work. Michael breaks down their three-part system for marketing: tell your story, reach your audience, and capture leads and follow up.  We also touch on how you can benefit from using Yelp and other review sites.To hear about some of the Wonderist Agency’s most successful hacks like looking at what your competition is doing, matching your channel to the demographic you’re trying to attract, and using virtual consults to generate leads (among other things), tune in today!

Today’s guest Fred Joyal is not a dentist, but he founded one of the most useful marketing tools for the field (1-800-DENTIST). Join us today as we discuss all things marketing and more, with Fred Joyal, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and business advisor. Throughout his time running 1-800-DENTIST, Fred was never once asked about a dentist's qualifications; instead, he was asked, "What do other people say about them?" He concluded that people's decisions are driven by our emotions, with the reasoning justifying them coming later. Tune in to find out how you can harness this quality to build the best practice for both you and your patients, and why it’s important to give the patient what they want and not what you want. We dive into how to create value for the patient using trust, and how the negativity bias affects your business decision-making.Discover tips on creating patient intake forms that you can turn into conversations and six books that Fred and Gina feel will change your life. Don’t miss out on this must-hear episode!

Networking is a major part of most jobs, and dentistry is no different. Today we talk to returning guest, Dr. Tuan Pham, about the importance of networking and why he created the Dental Maverick Summit to give dentists a space to do so. From what makes the Dental Maverick Summit so unique (and so much fun!), to how to become a leader instead of a manager, you’ll learn it all in this episode. Find out the star-studded lineup for the 2022 Dental Maverick Summit, and what each of these experts has in common. We talk about why embezzlement happens to doctors, and what we can do to avoid it. Join us to hear about how to best teach dentists, and what you can do to take control of your practice. We also discuss marketing and staying relevant over time, and why reviews are your greatest asset.Discover the unexpected benefits of setting up online scheduling for your practice, and why people are unlikely to cancel an appointment they made using this option. From Giant Jenga to mentorship to growing your comfort zone, this episode has it all!

When Anne Duffy founded Dental Entrepreneur Woman (DeW) in 2016, it was because she had finally had enough of how women were being underserved and undervalued in dentistry. Dew Life is a movement for inspiring, highlighting, connecting, and empowering all women in dentistry. In this week’s episode, we get together with Anne to discuss her journey with dentistry, how she founded DeW Life as well as some of the changes she has seen, and still hopes to see, in the industry. We discuss the immense pressures that women face when balancing life, work, and family and how a lack of support can often lead to burnout. Tune in today for a wonderful conversation with a magnificent woman on leadership, dentistry, and more!

HIPAA compliance is one of those things that those of us with dental practices would simply like to delegate to our office managers and forget about. Even if you think you’re HIPAA compliant, the regulations change so frequently that it’s hard to stay on top of it. Often it’s only when there is a breach or a violation that we truly discover just how compliant we are not. Today we are joined by Danielle Mckinley, the Director of Partnerships at PCIHIPAA who is also known as The HIPAA Chick. Listening in you’ll find out what you can do to protect yourself from breaches and penalties, why you should take a risk assessment, how you can properly train your staff in a practical cost-effective manner, why it’s also so important to be PCI compliant, and how the number one insurance policy you’re most likely to use may also be the one you have completely overlooked. Tune in to hear this incredibly insightful and surprisingly fun conversation on all things HIPAA!

Running a dental practice can be challenging on so many levels, and one of the ways to combat this is to create systems and an identity that feels authentic and unique. Dr. Brady Smith joins us on today's show to share his story in dentistry and the steps he has taken to make his work more enjoyable, impactful, and ultimately successful. Dr. Brady is the founder of HALO Dental Network, an initiative that aims to broaden the charitable work of dentists everywhere. We also talk about education in dentistry and some of the issues that seem to continually crop up in dental schools. The main portion of today's chat is spent thinking about how focusing your work on serving and helping sectors of society that really need it can be such a powerful force, both for those you help and for the success of your practice. Our guest talks about incorporating his love of standup comedy into his work, why he was mentioned on Joe Rogan's podcast, and how he responds to bad press for the dental profession! So for all this and a whole lot in between, tune in today.

Irene  Iancu and Katrina Sanders, hosts of the Tooth or Dare podcast, share their very different journeys into dentistry and what they continually learn about team management and getting the most out of your employees.  We hear from Irene about the key lessons she has learned from being an employer and how she applies that to building a fulfilled and valued team. Katrina discusses her passion for further education in dental hygiene and how different generations are motivated at work and in learning and how to incorporate that knowledge into your practice. Later we discuss the challenges and benefits of delegating and the importance of giving as much consideration to positive feedback as negative feedback.

Many women dentists feel like they need to shrink into themselves or take up 'less space', but today’s guests are here to tell you that it’s ok to be amazing! Dr. Erin Elliot and Dr. Jennifer Kirwan are extraordinary examples of women who are absolutely killing it in dentistry and who are not afraid to own their power. In this episode, we hear more about Jennifer’s background and her lifelong passion for dentistry. We dive into what it is like being a woman dentist, and Jennifer and Erin share their experiences and the importance of having relatable role models in the field you are working in.

As a dentist, you are also running a business, but perhaps knowing the numbers is not your strongest skill. Today's guests, JoAnne Tanner and Rick Willeford, aim to make the business of running a dental practice as smooth as possible. JoAnne runs Tanner Management, a consultancy that helps dentists buy and sell their practices. Rick is the owner of DentaMetrix, a platform that provides professional-strength analytics, dashboards, and reports for consultants, Dental CPAs, enterprise owners, and sophisticated practice managers. Find out how JoAnne uses DentaMetrix to help her clients gain insights into the number, and why, even though there are so many moving parts, it is still better to buy than to start your practice from scratch.

Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen, together with her husband, Dr. Nate Jeal, established not one but five dental practices before encountering a bit of burnout in the process. Since then, they have invested in mentors,  learned how to be better business people and marketers, and learned the importance of focusing on what you enjoy doing while letting others handle what you don’t. You’ll also hear about how they started a side project growing practices, flipping them, and selling them, and how they have channeled what they have learned about marketing into their Fast Growth Practice program, a business advisory program.

Dr. Gina joins Irene and Katrina of the Tooth or Dare podcast for this special crossover episode sponsored by YAPI paperless automation software.  Dr. Gina provides some much-needed triage of Irene’s difficult experiences in the nuances of managing her own new dental practice.We cover some of these dental topics and much more:How do you bankrupt a dental office?How do you train staff to use new technology?What should discipline look like in a dental office?How can you tell when an employee is not a good fit?

In this episode of Behind The Smiles, Wendy Briggs, founder of Hygiene Diamonds, shares her 20-year journey helping dental practices to champion the role of the hygienist, developing hiring and onboarding processes, and how elevating patient service leads to increased production. She discusses:How to attract the right candidates in your hiring adsThe importance of core values for leading a dental practiceThe 3 key roles of a hygienistCreating an onboarding processProduction-based compensation Request your free copy of Wendy’s book here: The Ultimate Guide to Doubling and Tripling Your Dental Practice Production. Wondering how developed your team culture and hiring process are? Complete Wendy’s Practice Pulse Scorecard in less than 10 minutes to see the results before booking a free consultation.  You can find the Double Your Dental Production podcast with Wendy Briggs, and Dr. John Meis “Love Your Practice,” on iTunes by clicking on our show notes.  Wendy Briggs reveals the secrets to boosting your practice’s production revolves around the right team, core values, and the powerful role a hygienist plays in elevating patient care.Show Notes: https://www.hygienediamonds.com/https://theteamtraininginstitute.com/wendys-free-gift?Id=483&CurrentLS=WendysFreeGifthttp://www.practicepulsescorecard.comhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/double-your-dental-production-tomorrow-team-training/id584153001?mt=2

Welcome back to another episode of Behind The Smiles with Dr. Gina Dorfman.In this episode, Dr. Laura Mach joins us to talk about:Balancing dentistry with motherhood How coaching changed her life, her practice, and her employee's lives. How your brain and its habits form and affect the success of your practice. How to create a mindset of abundanceHow she coaches dentists to manage their thoughts around their practicesHow Dr. Gina started a software movementWhy dressing up instantly helps to boost your mood and productivityYou can find Laura's podcast, “Love Your Practice,” on iTunes, YouTube, and Spotify here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-your-practice/id1485030035You can find Laura's website here to learn about her upcoming webinar on Feb 26th called, "How You Can Fall In Love With Your Practice by Simply Changing One Thing, here: http://www.loveyourpractice.net

Welcome back to another episode of Behind The Smiles! Today's episode features none other than entrepreneur, author, speaker, and business phenomenon, Mike Michalowicz. In this episode, Mike and Gina chat about...What is the defining component when a business doesn't need the owner? What is the goal of a four-week vacation? It's not about you taking a vacation from the business, but the business taking a vacation from YOU.How an owner and business relationship is more like that of conjoined twins than of a parent and child. How we solve the problem of being terrible at delegating to others What the QBR (Queen Bee Role) is and why every employee needs to know what that role is in your company.You can find free chapters of Mike's books and resources here: https://mikemichalowicz.com 

Welcome to another episode of Behind The Smiles. Today, Dr. Gina Dorfman chats with the founder of BoomCloud, a robust dental membership plan software that helps your practice create, organize and automate a dental membership program for your patients. In this episode, they share...What BoomCloud can do specifically for your team AND for your patients - why it is a Win-Win.How BoomCloud helps you to attract patients without insurance and reduce your dependence on PPO's.Why it's important to consider BoomCloud, especially in our post-COVID world.You can learn more about BoomCloud here: https://boomcloudapps.com