DENTIST, MOM, WIFE, ENTREPRENEUR: WHO AM I? AND WHO HELPS ME DO ALL THAT I DO?

By Dr. Nikki Green

“What hat should I wear today?” I love it when that’s one of the biggest decisions I have to make for the day. That means I’m in Mexico, and the day’s activities are going to involve a mix of adventure, sun, food, rest, water, and waves. And I have to wear the right hat that will endure the day yet also look good on my social media feed!

Can I get an amen? It’s a GOOD DAY when this is the pivotal decision!

That is the reality that shows up most often on my social media feeds; a life that is less hectic, less demanding, and a lot more carefree. But for anyone reading this, this is NOT our everyday! The “hats” we wear throughout our day change by the hour, if not by the minute.

From managing Amazon orders so the family doesn’t go without dishwasher detergent for the fourth straight day in a row, to making a pivotal hiring decision for the practice that you just pray is the right one this time, to prioritizing date night with your husband so you don’t become disconnected again like you did last year. The “hats” just keep stacking on.

This was me and my reality for 15+ years! The hats kept stacking, but the results I was getting in each area were suffering because truly “Who can do it all?” My life as a Dental Entrepreneur did not start on an easy street. At the age of 30, I was a young Dentist in the middle of a divorce, mom to a 4-year-old, moving to a new city, and I had the entrepreneurial “bug” to go ahead and purchase a practice in the middle of the chaos of my changing life.

After all, that’s what we do, right? ”Jump out of the airplane and build the parachute on the way down!”

The Beginning

So in December 2007 (yes, approximately 9 months before the economic crash of 2008), I borrowed the closing cost money from my mother (a lifelong nurse who basically lent me an empty credit card) and took out a 7 digit loan, still in the middle of that divorce, figuring out where my son would go to preschool, and embarked on my Dental Entrepreneurial journey. And boy, am I glad I did!

The Messy Middle

From 2008 through 2021, I was at the helm of a busy growing practice in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, and I can truly say it has been a labor of love. I have worked with wonderful coaches – Gary Takacs, Productive Dentist Academy, Spear Education, and Pankey Institute, just to name a few! In 2010, I became engaged and later married my husband, Dr. Bob Leedy, who owns and operates his own busy growing practice in Abilene, Texas.

In case you’re not familiar, that is 120 miles apart from each other! Together in that time, we have employed twelve different doctors, brought on a 50/50 partner only to go through a “business divorce” one year later, built out brand new facilities in both locations, raised and mentored kids and adult children, and most of that time we spent attempting to manage all of that ourselves.

Around 2018, we both realized we had hit our ceiling. We were never going to create self-managing teams, get the time together that we both so desperately wanted (remember, we live and work 120 miles away from each other), and ultimately enjoy the life we had worked so hard to create.

We began searching for ways to engage, empower, and elevate those around us so we could begin to “buy our time back!”

THE END (YEAH RIGHT, MORE LIKE THE NEW BEGINNING!)

February 2023, we spent 18 straight days in our home in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. We now take 12 weeks off per year to spend together, spend time with kids and grandkids, work on Real Estate projects, spend time with aging parents, and simply live a life outside of our Dental practices.

Ten years ago, this was something I simply could have never imagined! Now back to the original question – How (or maybe a better question) WHO helps us DO what we DO!

A full TEAM of people that we have invested in, empowered, and elevated through the years! We have strong Doctors in our practices, empowered Leadership teams, and Team Leaders who operate within our Core Values and move the businesses forward even in our absence.

One of our well-kept secrets is our remote employees through SupportDDS that take mundane tasks off our plates so we, and those within our organizations, can work on more important items that truly “move the needle” in our businesses.

We have SupportDDS employees within the practice who have the daily task of sitting on the phone with insurance companies so that our patient-facing team deals with higher-level tasks. Our SupportDDS team runs and manages our Recare system effectively and efficiently; freeing up our in-office team for greater impact opportunities.

Leveraging Virtual Teams While Changing Lives And Making A Global Impact

When looking for the right team of people to support you, you’ll want someone who believes business should be about more than just the bottom line. Finding someone who is committed to improving the lives of your team members while making a global impact is key. Commitment to a purpose-driven business has been a key factor in SupportDDS’s journey. They focus on people and their impact, creating a company culture that not only attracts talented individuals eager to work there but also partners with clients who believe in their vision.

Hiring the right team is about striking a balance between increased efficiency and reduced operational costs. But on a deeper level, it’s about finding the right people to work WITH you. When you have a remote team, it is crucial to have them feel like an effortless extension of their offices, like they’re part of the team. How can we achieve that when your team members might be continents away?

It’s why SupportDDS’ employees gain employment and benefits that empower them to provide for themselves and their families. Their teams also operate in an environment in which they are eager to come and work every day. They have a Workplace Wellness department that curates activities, promoting positive mental and physical well-being.

I can safely say that without the support of my team members from SupportDDS, I would not be where I am today. No precious time spent with family. As for jetting off to Mexico to soak in the sun? Forget about it.

A TEAM TO HELPS YOU STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT

I have been utilizing a Remote Executive Assistant through Support DDS since April 2022. I have seen first-hand the amount of relief daily that a remote EA can provide.

The major one is freeing up my time so I, too, can run a business, keep up with daily household demands, perform my duties on multiple professional and faith-centered boards, direct operations for 2 busy dental practices located 120 miles apart, and “keep all the balls juggling in the air” in general. (I am sure many of you can relate to that last statement!)

My EA, Chido, scans my email daily for important things I miss in the course of a day doing dentistry, she manages my home bills (I swear I would have a 300 credit score if she wasn’t making sure my bills get paid on time), she helps me remember a growing family of birthdays and special events, plans my travel, and stays in daily communication with me about things on my calendar and upcoming commitments that I might otherwise forget.

One of my numerous coaches, Dan Sullivan, has coauthored a book “Who Not How,” and that phrase is the essence of making all the many “hats” of our lives work. We buy back our time by finding the Who’s in our lives that free us up to focus on what’s important ... whatever “more important” is for you!

About the author:

Dr. Nikki Green has been providing patients with exceptional comprehensive and cosmetic dental care since 2003. A West Texas native, Dr. Green has become a member of the Spear Faculty Club, which is an exclusive group of dentists who have completed the Frank Spear Mastery Continuum, and now assist and mentor other doctors during the Spear Education process. Dr. Green has honed her skills in the detection and prevention of dental disease, and the treatment of simple and complex occlusal disorders, as well as enhanced her ability to provide her patients with a beautiful and natural-looking smile.