Winter 2022
The Mint Door
Dr. Laura Schwindt & Dr. Karen Tindall
Refuse to be Vanilla Renata Jabuka
What is Your More? Jill Meyer-Lippert
Dentists with a Finger in Every Pie Gathered in “DTx Hayata Dair” Sayna Behkar
The Obstacle is the Way Dr. Summer Kassmel
Menopause - The New Hot Topic Kelli Swanson Jaecks
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Let’s welcome 2022 successes in 2021!
Winter 2022 Editor and Publisher Anne M. Duffy, RDH Assistant Editor
Mary Fisher-Day Inspired Hygiene Patterson D5 Patterson Fuse
Julia Anabo Director of Operations Nicki Mackey Creative Consultant Beth Linesch Design and Layout Brian Rummel Production [CURAtive] James B. Kennedy Cover Photo Stacey Poterson Winter Contributors Sayna Behkar Shannon Blackmon Dr. Mary Bush Diana P Friedman Renata Jabuka Kelli Swanson Jaecks Pina Johnson Dr. Summer Kassmel Jill Meyer-Lippert Dr. Mona Patel Dr. Laura Schwindt Dr. Karen Tindall Marketing Redwood Designs Web Management Bhakti Kulmala Charter Sponsors A-dec Crest
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Editorial Office 12233 Pine Valley Club Dr Charlotte, NC 28277 704-953-0261 Fax 704-847-3315 anneduffy@dew.life Send materials to: DeW Life Magazine 8334 Pineville Matthews Rd Ste. 103-201 Charlotte, NC 28226 Guidelines go to dew.life
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Advisory Board Emeritus Linda Miles Advisors to the Board Victoria Peterson Katherine Eitel-Belt Board Deborah Carrier Dr. Meghna Dassani Cris Duval Vanessa Emerson Dr. Hazel Glasper Suzanne Kump Tonya Lanthier Dr. Laura Mach JoAn Majors Samantha J Strain
Junior Board Dr. Shakila Angadi Christie Bailey Dr. Erinne Kennedy Minal Sampat Dr. Amisha Singh
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celebrating
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Thank you from the depths of my heart for attending our DeW Life Retreat and our Business Acceleration Workshop in November. How precious to be in person! We are thankful to have had that wee window where the pandemic had calmed its scorn. We laughed, cried, and dreamt with one another in utter abandonment. We made memories and partners that will last a lifetime. It was pure joy. We showed, through our communication and collaboration last year, that we are better together. Yes, women are stronger together! If we can excel in the circumstances of 2021, we can soar anywhere and anytime, especially when we are locking arms. Cheers to all of you! Now we say, “Happy New Year! 2022 - bring it on! We got you! This is our year!” Together we continue to grow our leadership, our circles, our alliances, and our results because in reality everything and everyone is connected, and nothing stands alone. Each author poured their heart into their stories about life, work, play, and pray. Let’s read with an open and loving mind. Please read this edition cover to cover. Speaking of our cover, two brilliant DeWs, Dr. Karen Tindall and Dr. Laura Schwindt, are welcoming you to walk through the Mint Door with them. These two women are thriving in their environment of complementing strengths! In this issue, Summer Kassmel encourages us to experience and conquer our obstacles rather than avoid them. Renata Jabuka shows us how our unique qualities are our most fascinating attributes. Pina Johnson explains the neuroscience of trust and why trust is such a significant aspect in the workplace. Mary Bush discusses a few of the intricacies of the publishing journey, and Diana P Friedman shares her particular path to dentistry. And more! Our DeW community is diverse and unique. Hearing from different walks of life, different generations, and different personalities will broaden our understanding of what women in dentistry are dealing with in their personal and professional lives. We have more in common than not, and we learn from each other. You may find the author is speaking directly to you. I hope you take away a few nuggets from each article written by one of your DeW sisters. She had something special to share and we gave her a platform to share it. Be kind and reach out to let them know what their words meant to you. That feedback is love. Nothing stands alone. We got you. We got each other. Let’s DeW it!
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Winter2 2 Dewers
6 The Mint Door
Laura Schwindt, DDS & Karen Tindall, BDS
D eW D i s h 11 12 13
Shannon Blackmon, cfp, csric, rlp Brandi Hooker-Evans, rdh-er, mhe, maadh Eden Ivie, rdh, phdhp
Liv ing Your Streng ths 16 Refuse to be Vanilla Renata Jabuka, RDH, BS
20 What is your MORE? Jill Meyer-Lippert, RDH
22 Dentists with a Finger in Every Pie Gathered in “DTx Hayata Dair” Sayna Behkar
Resilience
24 The Obstacle is the Way Summer Kassmel, DDS
26 Menopause - The New Hot Topic Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH
Success
28 The Neuroscience of Trust and How it Affects the Workplace Pina Johnson, PPC
30 How to Get Published and My Journey to a 3-Book Deal Mary Bush, DDS
Ref lection 32 A Story
Mona Patel, DMD
34 Dentistry – A Graced Journey Diana P Friedman, MA, MBA
DeWERS
THE MINT DOOR
By Laura Schwindt, DDS & Karen Tindall, BDS
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n American dentist and a British dentist walk into a Zoom room at the start of the pandemic. The American shares how excited she is to meet another DeW! The British dentist agrees. The rest is history… It is not every day that you meet someone who will be your best friend and business partner. We began our journey as friends with a mutual passion for wellbeing, self-care, and mental wellness. We are so aware and grateful for the fantastic fortune that brought us together. So we want to share with you what it is like to spend some time behind The Mint Door with two women who are friends first and business partners second.
KAREN: I can't believe where the last two years have gone!
Who would have imagined the magic put into motion when Anne Duffy introduced us at the start of 2020. We were two women who had recently left careers as dentists, and we had both moved our families long distances. Mine across the Atlantic Ocean and yours across the country. What do you remember about when we first met?
LAURA: Wow! It has been two years since we entered that
Zoom room together! I remember Anne's words, "I have someone you just have to meet!" Then I remember how comfortable and refreshing our first conversation was. I immediately felt like we had been friends for a long time as we shared our unique stories with so many similarities,
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and I just knew that we would be having many more conversations in the future. One word that sums up that first conversation is 'authentic'. I think that's the magic that we had been searching for in our careers as dentists that we could never quite find; honest conversations about real feelings, challenges, and wins. How do you feel our discussions have led us onto the path we are on?
KAREN: Our conversations are always real. We never hide
what we are thinking or feeling, and we have created a safe space where we are both open (and comfortable) to be vulnerable. There is never any judgment between us, and we are always honest. The authenticity you mention has allowed us to live in alignment with our values, both as individuals and business partners. I love so many things about the way we work together. One element that makes me smile is how we always start our meetings five minutes after the start time. We understand how busy life can be and always need extra time. So instead of feeling rushed, we give ourselves that space. The 5-minute rule is an example of creating something that allows us to be ourselves. Can you share your experience working together?
LAURA: Yes! I love that we both allow each other that extra 5-minutes of wiggle room! (I always need it!) And you're so
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Uniforms supplied by: Twice as Nice Uniforms The Signature Mint Door Amy Style Dental Jacket. www.twiceasniceuniforms.com
DeWERS right, Karen. It does let us not just be ourselves but also celebrate our unique gifts. A big part of being a DeW is discovering your unique strengths and learning how to use them in your life. (Thank you, Valerie Menzel and Leanne Burnett, for your help here!) I believe our strengths complement each other, which is one of the reasons we work so well together. We are strategic, which means we can distill complexity into simple steps and get things done. I love your futuristic strength because I feel like it balances my intellection strength well. You are superb at peering into the future and coming up with new ideas with a 'let's do it' attitude. Your futuristic strength feeds into my desire to exercise my brain and helps push me out of 'let me analyze this forever' mode and into 'let's do it' mode! How do you feel our strengths complement each other?
KAREN: I love seeing our strengths come to life when we
tackle tasks and take on new roles. We are a great mix of similar strengths that complement each other. You have an incredible talent for technology and social media, which can easily overwhelm me. Understanding our Clifton Strengths has allowed us to quickly and intuitively assign what we each do. It's a highly effective way for us to work. So while you focus on the technology, I can be focusing on the tasks that play into my strengths, as we learned at the DeW Retreat. "I have other gifts!" There's no doubt that the insight into our different strengths works to our advantage. I love that the diversity in our talents makes us stronger. However, our similarities and shared passions have driven us to follow our mission to support women in dentistry and the creation of The Mint Door. I love listening to how you describe how we conceived the idea for our partnership. Can you tell it again?
LAURA: Oh, Yes, this is one of my favorite stories to tell.
I love how it just evolved organically through several genuine conversations. You and I had already decided to develop a group coaching program when you visited me in Bend for a few days. We had just finished presenting our webinar highlighting the program and decided to go out to eat in celebration. We met up with another DeW (Julie Kellogg) and had a wonderful evening. We shared delicious food and genuine conversation. At one point, we all started discussing the digestive problems we had when we practiced dentistry. We were amazed that all of our stories were so similar! It felt so good to share our ideas, challenges, and triumphs. The next day you and I walked around downtown looking for unique gifts you could bring home to your family.
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We were remarking how we enjoyed all of the great conversations of the visit and commenting that this was missing when we practiced dentistry. We often felt alone and had no one to have honest, vulnerable, or authentic conversations with. That was the lightbulb moment! It didn't exist when we were practicing, but we could create it now—a private member's club for women dentists. A bespoke and custom-made space where they could feel comfortable just being themselves. The following day you woke up early and got busy on your iPad brainstorming. I remember how excited you were to show me your ideas. Maybe you can describe how we decided on the name and details of The Mint Door.
KAREN: Yes! Inspiration is a beautiful thing! For me, I experience it as an energizing and exciting feeling. One that flows around my mind and body, and it does tend to wake me up early in the mornings!
Once more, we started with values but with our members' club in mind. We had a solid base on which to build with these in place. We considered what our members are experiencing right now, the conversations they have kept quiet until this point, and how they want to feel due to being in the group. It was so important that we could create a space where women dentists feel comfortable, safe, and confident to be themselves away from the professional face of everyday dentistry. We know what it is like to be a woman in dentistry, and we have seen how it can be different. It is something we strive to share. Imagine having the keys to unlock a life you want and need for yourself. We have the keys to achieving that life, so we thought about a door. We want to open that door for women dentists. The inspiration for the door's color came from the freshness of mint and its close relation to dentistry. As we created our new concept, we not only considered what the club would mean for our members, we also thought carefully about what The Mint Door would mean for our lives too.
LAURA: We carefully curated the concept of The Mint Door to live in harmony with our values. Every decision we make always comes back to our values of family, friendship, balance, service, and joy. (Oh yes, and a love of dogs and alpacas!)
We knew we could turn to the DeW community, so we reached out to two DeWs that are business partners, Melissa Turner and Sonya Dunbar, and asked for their guidance. Shortly after visiting with them, we decided a
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big part of The Mint Door would be collaboration. Leaning on the value of abundance, The Mint Door will continually highlight other amazing women who offer something that can enhance the wellbeing of women dentists. Every day we are inspired by so many astounding women, and we want to make sure as many women dentists as possible know who they are and how they can elevate their lives!
KAREN & LAURA: We are incredibly grateful for the DeW
community and their support. We have harnessed our strengths, which have allowed us to grab onto our dreams as we both realized our purpose: to support other women dentists. The Mint Door is the space that every woman dentist craves. It is a home where she can be herself, focus on her wellbeing, gain wisdom, and establish wonderful connections. In essence, The Mint Door is the missing link to her total wellbeing.
Now that I think about it, this brings me right back to Anne Duffy and the spirit of DeW. Anne lives and breathes the DeW movement of inspiring, highlighting, connecting, and empowering all women in dentistry. Because of her, we met, and so ultimately, she set the stage for the birth of The Mint Door!
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DeW Dish 10
SHANNON BLACKMON www.thomasdoll.com
What do you do to turn around a bad day? First I give myself 20 minutes to feel whatever it is I need to feel. I have 20 minutes to cry, scream, sulk, or feel sorry for myself. Then it's time to regroup and turn things around and I like to take a walk for a change in scenery to gain some perspective.
What is your guilty pleasure? I love period dramas with elaborate costumes and stories of forbidden love in spite of repressed social norms. I'm so glad Bridgerton is coming back for another season!
What “DeW” leaders do? DeW leaders bring good people together. They empower and connect. They want the women around them to be successful because they understand the incredible power of women working together.
They are playing your theme song as you walk on stage. Name that tune! What is the best part of your job?
"I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross
The best part of my job is having heart to heart conversations with clients about their values, their goals, and what's most important to them. I love seeing clients realize their dreams.
What is your dream vacation?
Who has been the most influential woman in your life? The most influential woman in my life has been my grandmother. She was widowed with three young daughters and raised them all by herself while she worked nights as a nurse. Later, when she was a private nurse, one of her clients taught her how to invest in the market. She was a very good investor. In fact most women are!
How do you measure your success? I measure success by the quality of my relationships. At the end of the day nothing feels better than a genuine connection with someone where you can each be authentic and accepted.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? Initially, it was hard to find mentoring in a profession like financial advising, which has historically been a man's world. I'm sure women in the dental industry can relate!
Anything with a body of water! I would like to retreat in Portugal and go paddle-boarding along the coastline, looking at the rock formations and investigating caves.
What does balance look like? I find balance by waking up early every morning, meditating, reading, and going for a walk. That way, whatever the day brings I've prioritized self-care and internal time. Moment to moment I try to focus on the task at hand and do one thing at a time. That way I can find flow, rather than trying to multitask which just doesn't work for me.
What movie always makes you laugh? Not exactly a movie, but Curb Your Enthusiasm always has me cracking up.
What is the best gift you ever received? I love children's art so the best gifts I get are paintings and crafts from my children. I save every piece of artwork and display it proudly. There's so much freshness in how they express themselves.
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BRANDI HOOKER EVANS @StellarOutcomes
What advice do you have for the new person in your office? Welcome home! Treat this team and your patients as though we are all family (you actually like) and you will thrive and delight in being home with us!
What does balance look like? Ahhh, the elusive B word. I have been the queen of imbalance at times in my life. What I can say is, I can tell I am enjoying some semblance of balance when my anxiety is shooshed; when I am sleeping well and all my hats in this life are a joy to wear. My goal is to have that 80%+ of the time. #workingonit
What “DeW” leaders do? Courageously take each next step to serve, educate, support, and uplift our communities and one another. We, the DeW leaders, are the change we have been wishing to see in the world. Let's DeW it!
What do you do to turn around a bad day? What is the best part of your job? The reason for and best part of my work is seeing the joy and relief wash over a team when they finally get to provide the high quality of care they dreamed of in dental/dental hygiene school. Bonus best part–I get a kick out of the shock they experience when it is easy and their patients are grateful!
Loud music, a couple of tears, a list of grateful fors, and good conversation with someone(s) I love. My mom Kathleen, stepmom Shelly, my Gran Carol and my bestie Janica are at the top of that list. We utilize the "piss and moan with perspective" model for venting then move to problem solving!
What is the best gift you ever received?
A handwritten note from someone I love. I have saved all my husband's letters, cards from family and friends, and have sticky notes and scratch papers from my kids Learning that it isn't a woman, it's THE WOMEN, has been decorating my office and memory books. A written kind the most powerful influence in my life. The blessing of word is the answer to most of our prayers worldwide. gaining from many women has taught me that the gifts of others are coming from all directions if we allow them to. Side note–it also means as a woman and mother, I don't What obstacles have you overcome in your have to be everything to everyone–wahoo! #DeWstyle, It career? takes us all <3 Being seen as an expert outside of my own operatory.
Who has been the most influential woman in your life?
My bubbly personality and big smile have misled some to think that I don't have much to offer a team or a business. How do you measure your success? Turns out...not true and moderately offensive. I always The degree of connectedness that I feel to my God, my think "Book, Cover, Be Me, Me is loud and friendly, We all people, my body, and my purpose. I also love full bellies have our own demons, Other people's opinion of me is and happy hearts all around me–come on over to my place none of my business." in Idaho and I will show ya what that looks like.
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EDEN IVIE Director of Client Success at MouthWatch
What is your guilty pleasure? A hot bath with a glass of wine.
What advice do you have for the new person in your office? Help wherever you can, even if it's "not your job." And be polite, please and thank you go a long way!
What “DeW” leaders do? DeW leaders get out of their comfort zone to reach their potential and they encourage the people around them to do the same.
What is your favorite Indoor/Outdoor Activity? I love skiing with my kids. We have so much fun! I also love camping and hiking. Outside is my happy place.
What is the best part of your job? Being part of creating a product that is revolutionizing dental care. Teledentistry has the potential to really move the needle on oral health and I love making it a reality.
What famous person living or dead would you like to have lunch with and what would you ask them? Dr. Maya Angelou, I would ask her where/how she finds her strength.
What is your dream vacation?
Who has been the most influential woman in your life?
Sailing through the Galapagos Islands to see all of the wildlife!
I can't choose just one! The most influential women in my life have been and are my amazing friends who are constantly leveling up, challenging themselves and challenging me to do more, be better, and expand my way of thinking. There is a long list, but at the top of the list is Michelle Strange, Machelle Galloway, Sarah Thiel, Jasmin Haley, and Cindy Purdy.
What does balance look like?
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
What is the best gift you ever received?
I've had to overcome my own limiting beliefs. I've had to quiet the voice that said "who do you think you are?"
Balance to me means setting specific hours for work and scheduling my tasks so that I can really knock things out. If I'm efficient with my time while working, when my work hours are over I can walk away and fully engage with my kids and other things that bring me joy.
A set of pink tools. My mom sent them to me the Christmas before I got divorced and there was something so powerful about owning my own screwdrivers and wrenches. It made me feel like I could handle anything.
What do you do to turn around a bad day? I get outside and go for a walk! Moving my body and breathing some fresh air helps me reset.
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DeW Retreat 2021
DeW DATES Mark your calendars:
The Dew Learning Crew February 15, 2022 Virtual
Women in DSO March 9-11, 2022 Aria Resort - Las Vegas
Chicago Mid-Winter meeting February 24-26, 2022 Chicago, IL
The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting March 17-19, 2022 Atlanta, GA
National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference March 3-5, 2022 Sahara - Las Vegas
The Dental Festival July 6 - 10, 2022 Nashville, TN
LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
REFUSE TO BE VANILLA
By Renata Jabuka, RDH, BS
W
hat does ice cream have to do with women’s leadership and entrepreneurship in dentistry? Well, let’s grab a spoon and have a taste!
Vanilla is the one-size-fits-all flavor. Liked by most people, it is a comfortable, predictable, and safe choice. It’s also a great metaphor for how dental professionals tend to operate. Fitting in and working as a ‘team player’ seems like a solid default in a generally conservative industry with traditional roles and hierarchies. We’re all familiar with this dynamic and the bubble of routine and security. Now, along comes purple yam. Far fewer people like purple yam ice cream. It is a distinct and polarizing choice. And, I would venture to say, a fascinating one, because the people who like it usually love it—like crazy, crazy love it. While there aren’t as many purple yam fans around, this standout flavor has a competitive advantage. Rather than dumbing down its taste for the masses, this colorful oddball focuses on its niche: a raving fan base with a taste for the unique. The goal of purple yam is not to appeal to everyone, but to engage fewer people at the highest level of enthusiasm and loyalty. As a fledgling or experienced female leader/entrepreneur in dentistry, are you vanilla or purple yam?
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I Yam What I Yam I’m ultra-passionate about all things fascinating, especially when it comes to entrepreneurial branding, product development, and business building. I guess I was always a closet purple yam, trying my hardest to be vanilla. But something always felt off, or at best, out-of-sync. Why did I hate wearing the same scrubs as my teammates? Why was I always in search of a better way to do something or be more efficient, when others accepted the status quo? Why couldn’t I do patient scripting when asked to communicate in a prepackaged or specific way? And why was I so very competitive? Why, why, why?!
My answers came from an unexpected source Deep down, I had an unspoken need to be my own person, do my own thing, and operate differently. I wanted to do what felt natural and comfortable. How frustrated I was, working in a profession that, at that time, did not seem to allow for the creative flow of individual contributors. Things got better for me once I transitioned into corporate sales and sales leadership. I could express myself more freely, account for my own efforts and be rewarded for them, and influence and get results from my sales team.
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
As a sales leader, I was always looking for ways to inspire, motivate, and get better results from my team. Happy, incentivized salespeople keep revenue goals growing and their enthusiasm to achieve is high. An ongoing part of my leadership role was to demonstrate new ways to work, communicate, and improve everything to do with sales. But something was missing for us. For all the self-assessments, self-searching, and sales challenges I put out there, a nagging gap still existed. It was not until I left the corporate world that I stumbled upon Sally Hogshead and her emerging startup, How To Fascinate. Instantly attracted to her methodology and motto, “different is better than better”, I jumped in with both feet. In 2013, I was among the first people Sally trained to become an advisor, and I have never looked back.
Closing the gap with Fascination Sure, you can change who you are to be accepted, but becoming more of who you are makes you extremely compelling to others. Unlike typical personality tests, the outward-facing How to Fascinate assessment helps individuals understand how the world sees them at their best—not how they see themselves. The assessment identifies unique personality advantages with powerful language that helps you elevate your credibility, knowledge, and business skills. It is a roadmap to defining your value, differentiating yourself, and growing your personal brand. You become more fascinating and distinctive, and less like invisible spam, taking up space in this overcrowded world.
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Back to ice cream (wink, wink) So, why do we women leaders and entrepreneurs need to be more purple yam than vanilla? And what does this have to do with fascination? Purple yam is different. As such, it is more exciting, and yep, more fascinating. Do you struggle to be the best, or are you ready to aim higher and project a different, more fascinating version of yourself and/or your business in a world of ordinary? Building a standout career or business in dentistry today means being different, not better. You want your brand, reputation, and business to spark that unique and intense emotional focus and connection in your patient/client/ upline manager. Knowing how to captivate frees you from self-imposed distractions so you can ‘hook’ people the moment you start communicating with them. Creating this kind of unique experience enables you and your business to generate the ‘must be a part of’ type of emotional loyalty that most dental practices and sales professionals can only hope for.
So, what makes you different? Do you… • Offer unique skills that would make an employer sit up and take notice? • Take a business process and make it different, compelling, and proprietary? • Turn something mundane into a quirky feature that attracts purple yams?
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS • Communicate process, product, or situational flaws with confidence and make them appealing to your specific fan club? • Motivate others toward a higher level by making all things seem possible, real, and attainable? Captivated people want to hold on to the deliciously positive feelings you generate and do something with them. Their desire is your opportunity to lead more authentically, sell more product, emerge on a team as an essential member, or just plain get better results and win! When you communicate to your audience, you are either boring or fascinating. In this distracted millisecond-tomillisecond world, there is no in-between.
You are cordially invited to Fascinate At The Women’s Launch Table, a company I recently cofounded, we use How to Fascinate assessments to help our members see their innate qualities and quirks as intentional strengths and brand pillars. Come share your originality! The real you is inherently fascinating. Show others your true worth and be seen by others and yourself as more valuable, memorable, and ultimately, more successful. Learn how to clearly define your “why” (your passion and big purpose), and you can start moving in a more positive career or entrepreneurial direction. When you create fascinating experiences that elicit strong and immediate responses, well, you’ll know which flavor you prefer.
Be a purple yam. Refuse to be vanilla.
About the author: Renata received her B.S. in Communications and Dental Hygiene from Eastern Washington University. She is a member of the Association of Talent Development and holds certificates from Carew DPS Sales Development, Selling Solutions and is a Menttium Executive Mentorship Graduate. Her inspiration and balance revolve around her family. Pastimes include Pilates, rowing as a rookie, gardening, and reading. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.stickythinadvisory.com www.thewomenslaunchtable.com Facebook -www.facebook.com/renata.jabuka Instagram - @rjabuka LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/renata-jabuka-9730827
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
WHAT IS YOUR MORE?
By Jill Meyer-Lippert, RDH
A
s silly as it sounds, I was destined to work in dentistry. As a small child, I loved to brush my teeth and even looked forward to my dental appointments. Papers from a kindergarten assignment attest that my favorite color was blue, my best friend was Barry, and I was going to be a dentist when I grew up! My first job in a dental practice was with on-the-job training as an assistant with some administrative duties, starting in 1992. This time accompanied a great deal of personal stress as I was scheduled to begin classes for dental hygiene within a couple months and my mom announced that she received a breast cancer diagnosis that would be treated with a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy. As I witnessed her suffering with severe dry mouth and oral mucositis, I felt frustrated with the lack of information available about how to lessen her pain. I was confused at how her suffering was dismissed as “just part of treatments”. I felt compelled to increase my personal knowledge in this area and find a role with more autonomy with patient care. I wanted more. I continued in this role while pursuing my degree in dental hygiene. The amount of hours that I worked in addition to classes and being a family caregiver was overwhelming but I was determined to succeed. After receiving my license, I found myself quickly disillusioned. I envisioned that being an RDH would provide more independence and increase my passion for dentistry, yet I felt my spirit being squashed. I had worked too hard to get this far but, inside, I still wanted more. Through the years, I encountered a growing number of patients that were cancer survivors and felt compelled to question them if they had also experienced oral side
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effects during the treatment process. What I learned surprised me! While not everyone experienced problems in their mouth, many did. And for those who did, very few reported being informed of what side effects may occur. Even fewer reported being provided any information on ways to prevent or lessen these issues. The focus appeared to be mainly reactive rather than proactive and preventive. And sadly, some of the recommendations or solutions being provided to patients were detrimental to oral health and contributed to problems long after treatments are complete, such as sucking on lemon drops to ease dry mouth discomfort. Some patients were transferring a great deal of time, money, and stress previously invested in treating their cancer directly into a dental setting. I realized that the effects of cancer and cancer therapies do not necessarily end when treatments are over and we, as healthcare providers, should be mindful that it is not just about surviving but also about maintaining as much quality of life during the treatment process and throughout survivorship. The quest began to take any and every class available to learn more. Unfortunately, because of a divide between medical and dental education, I was denied access to various oncology courses being an RDH. But I was persistent to find opportunities and discovered that oral side effects are not only quite painful for some but can increase risks for dangerous infections while the immune system is suppressed. I learned that because oral health was not considered part of the equation from the beginning, some patients were entering into treatments with active decay and/or infection being completely unaware of how this would cause dangerous complications with their care. There was rarely encouragement to see a dentist before treatments began
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS to remove or repair any problems. There was little if any communication between oncology and dental teams to effectively coordinate care. Patients were not being provided with the information they needed to best help themselves. In my mind, they were being denied power to take control over their own care, their own body, their own life. They deserved more. My father also became ill in the late 90’s and required several years of care prior to receiving a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2004. I clearly remember his first chemotherapy appointment and being provided with a large 3-ring binder filled with information about what to expect. One small paragraph on the bottom of page 26 addressed oral side effects. While he did not experience these specific issues, the other effects of chemo were too much for his body to take. Within just a few months, we were faced with the decision to continue chemotherapy and he would most likely not survive from the side effects, or discontinue treatments and let the cancer run its course. Treatments were discontinued and I was heartbroken. I no longer just wanted to do more, I NEEDED to do more! I presented the idea to my dental teammates of creating a volunteer program at the oncology clinic where my dad received his treatments. With their help, each patient receiving chemo or radiation to the head and neck region would receive a “goody bag” that included easy to understand information about the most common oral side effects that they may experience along with simple tips to manage them. The kits also contained a sampling of products that were generously donated by various companies. The program was well received and it brought me extreme joy as the nursing staff and patients would reach out to express how grateful they were. Eventually, the product donations became harder to come by and by 2012, it was time to make a decision; give up (again, insert broken heart here) or find a way to do more. I desperately searched for resources and ways to become more involved in this area of care. It was hard to understand why there was such a lack of information and opportunities that were available. The need was evident to me and I asked myself, “Why isn’t someone doing something about this?” And a voice entered my head to ask, “Why don’t you do something about it?” In 2013, Side Effect Support LLC (https:// sideeffectsupport.com/) was launched as an online resource for cancer patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers to reduce harmful oral side effects or treatments. The goal to improve the cancer care experience, not only during the treatment process, but throughout survivorship is achieved by providing:
for patients and family caregivers • Free educational blog article for healthcare providers with the goal to bridge the communication gap between medical/oncology and dental teams • Printable “Cancer Treatments & Oral Health” patient brochures • Affordable over-the-counter oral care products appropriate for their unique needs • Virtual dental care within 10 minutes or less 24/7, 365 through a partnership with The TeleDentists (https://sideeffectsupport.com/pages/ teledentists-saves-you-time-money) • Presentations for support groups and for medical/ oncology providers • PACE-approved continuing education for dental professionals sponsored by Custom Dental Solutions (https://customdentalsolutions.com/) • A new “Partner’s Marketplace” that will offer direct access and discounts for products and services with partner companies It was very difficult to expand this resource to what I envisioned while continuing to work clinically full time. 2019 brought an amazing opportunity to hang up my scalers and join Custom Dental Solutions as their Community Relations Manager and allow me flexibility outside of the operatory to grow our reach. While Side Effect Support is the epitome of a small business and what I often refer to as my “one man show”, it serves people world-wide who are facing incredibly difficult health challenges. It is nothing less than joy to continue to build this one-of-a-kind resource. While the primary goal is to help others, it also provides me with an indescribable fulfillment. It provides my heart more.
About the author: Jill Meyer-Lippert, RDH is the founder of Side Effect Support LLC (https://sideeffectsupport.com/), an online resource for cancer patients and healthcare providers to reduce harmful oral side effects of treatments. Jill provides educational and community relations services with Custom Dental Solutions (https:// customdentalsolutions.com/), is a 2014 Sunstar Americas/RDH Award of Distinction recipient, a member of the Oral Cancer Foundation’s RDH Advisory Board, and a member of TeethCloud's Thought Leaders (https://teethcloud.org/).
• Free educational, easy to understand blog articles dew.life
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
DENTISTS WITH A FINGER IN EVERY PIE GATHERED IN “DTX HAYATA DAIR”
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o introduce myself, my name is Sayna Behkar, 21 years old, and my hometown is Tabriz, Iran. I grew up in a small family where everyone follows their interests. My mom is a painter and my dad is a dentist. Since my childhood, I always had a passion for painting and piano (or dentistry). I have been following my passion, and I can proudly say that I have accomplished a lot of things on this journey. I am working as a painter worldwide; I mostly paint medical, dental, and anatomical works. I started my painting business while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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By Sayna Behkar
dentists, we try to motivate students and dentists who have a passion for dentistry and need a light to manage every other aspect of their social life and decisions. This program will take place in a conversational atmosphere where experiences and career plannings come to the fore, apart from scientific aspects. On this day, our listeners are going to have a short trip in the chapters of our speakers’ life as dentists and how they determine other paths in their life, work hard to be successful, and become one in a million.
As a student majoring in dentistry at Ankara University, I have recently joined the student association of my faculty and got a chance to become one of the directors. Our main goal is to draw more attention to scientific and social activities and become more qualified dentists, not only in our field but also in any other projects besides our profession. When I first got the offer to take part in this team, I never thought that everyone is going to work this hard to do amazing things in a very short time and with great enthusiasm. Our goal is to create a platform for dental students of our faculty to chase their passion in any other fields such as music, sports, art, traveling, just to name a few, besides organizing various congresses with innovative topics.
Among our 11 guests, some of them become the deans of dental universities and join into political activities besides their job, or a few artists who are songwriters, yogists, marathon runners, comedians, musicians, writers, and willingly join charity teams to visit the countries in need and give help to them in the catastrophes of their life. As you and all of us can notice, our field is never a barrier to us until we let it be. Can you imagine how interesting it is that all these people and even more of them are not only working in their clinics but also doing incredible social things besides that. As one of the directors of this program, I also get a chance to play piano between the conferences just like other musician speakers who will play their instruments during their speeches.
Recently, we have put all our effort into a congress with the name of “DTx Hayata Dair” which means DTx (Dentx) about life and will be a first in the world. In this program, our focus is to choose well-known role models as speakers who can have a finger in every pie. As I mentioned before, with the help of these distinguished
It’s a big inspiration for me and all of us to see the progress of our colleagues and their unique activities by shedding a light to us, thinking to ourselves, “why don't I try something new besides my work?” or “why don't I follow my wishes and combine it with dentistry?”. If you hesitate to answer these questions because of your
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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
busy occupation, just think a little more and follow many many other people who are doing exactly what you want to do in an incredible way and believe that you can do it, as well. For sure, as a dentist, we can be in any other field and become prosperous. At the end of the program, our listeners can write their dreams on a small piece of paper and hang them on our DTx Christmas tree and make our decoration well-completed. On the other hand, we also have DTx T-shirts for anyone who wants to get autographs from speakers. We also take action for sustainable development goals in our program and give recyclable products to the participants. Painting and playing piano in different programs alongside my university, I am pretty glad to get a chance to join this program and work with this amazing team who work as hard as they can to manage even very little details of this organization. Our DTx team has 15 members and we're planning to organize “DTx Academic” and “DTx International” in the following months to achieve our other goals as well. Lastly I want to appreciate all our team directors, Deniz
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Baran Bek, Sena Özgüven, Sait Coşkun, Ali Korkmaz and our team members, Selin Tuncer, Elif Ertekin, İrem Durmazuçar, Uğurtan Bulut, Umut İlhan, Yalın Alp Kıran, Eslem Sümer, Mustafa Onur Külük, Ali Kaan Öztürk, and Zeynep Bilgi for their cooperation and making this organization grow day by day. We are looking forward to participating in more activities and adding something from ourselves to the students and everyone who follows us to achieve their beloved goals as much as they can.
About the author: Studying in Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry, I started my painting business on social media where everyone can have their order there. I continue my studies and follow my passion in any other fields without any hesitation. In the journey of my life, I’d like to reach higher levels of my education, work harder, and improve my social skills as much as possible, beside my field of study. Only in this way, I know that where I have to go in the middle of a hectic day to recover is myself! Becoming a successful woman in my dental career and a role model in other activities and social life is what I definitely crave, and I can proudly say that I’m getting closer to that day by day. https://linktr.ee/saynabehkar saynabehkar@gmail.com student association instagram account : @audhfogrencibirligi
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RESILIENCE
THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY By Summer Kassmel, DDS
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n 2014, I was a practicing dentist with two small kiddos in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. I owned one office, with 6 dental operatories, and I was EXHAUSTED from remembering: payroll nuances, did I.T. comply with the latest HIPAA regulations..? And oh yah, do I finally confront the dental assistant that always shows up just a little late, everyday? The year was 2013 and I had been practicing for 11 years. I prayed God would help me figure out something different, because I was burnt out and felt as if I failed in every area of my life. I was constantly tired, frustrated, and this so-called “work life balance” seemed like a fairy tale. As a very strange answer to prayer, I started having horrible, relentless pain in my lower back. After ignoring it for several months, my back went out and I was unable to stand up for several days. I went to the doctor in 2014 and after many tests, I found out I have severe hip dysplasia. As the ligaments tore that held my hip together, my back tried to compensate. I was told I would have at least 18 months of surgeries, PT, wheelchair, and crutches. As only God can provide, my classmate had reached out to see if there were any opportunities to practice in my area. Dr. Melanie Albers joined me in July 2014, and I went in for my first surgery in August of that same year. I had very little business acumen and before the surgeries, very little time, with a busy practice and two small children. With the uniquely wrapped “gift” of multiple surgeries, came the opportunity for a metamorphosis. For the first time in my career, I was given time to decide if I wanted to quit dentistry or start learning how to run a profitable practice, without the use of my own hands. For some people, being backed into a corner is scary, but I now find I actually enjoy what I can become precisely because of these moments. Don’t hear me wrong, it was scary, and I had to trust myself that I could learn how to be a smart
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businesswoman. This trust formed slowly as doubts of my own limited abilities had to constantly be squashed. I started consuming every book and podcast I could, and I made lunch dates with successful business people. As a result, I began understanding PnLs and what the numbers meant. Little by little, I would learn, implement, monitor, and systematize. I started spotting trends in the business and began making better projections. I began to deeply enjoy the satisfaction of watching the numbers change based on the “behind-the-scenes” deep work I was doing. The other area I focused heavily on was my own self development and improving both my leadership and communication. Once again, I found incredible podcasts and books that I devoured (and still do to this day!) to begin changing my own thoughts. My favorites are: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Many of my perceived worries, frustrations, and concerns were all fear based and, in all honesty, the result of not fully owning my choices. I wanted to often blame the circumstances or the team (or insert every other excuse possible here). I then realized much of what I saw around me was the result of a choice I had made previously or a choice I keep making. Sometimes, this could be allowing poor results, enabling poor behavior, or the choice to not do anything at all. I was at the Dental Success Summit in 2016 and heard a speaker say, "look around at your office, your life, your relationships... Everything you see reflects your own choices. If you aren’t happy with what you see, it’s time to have the tough conversations with yourself and other people”. I was a woman on a mission and a woman on fire. As I focused on becoming a true CEO of my one location, I also started a dental assisting school from my office in dew.life
RESILIENCE 2015, which is still running and supplying my own offices and those around me with quality dental assistants. This endeavor was arduous and long, as it takes 4-12 months of paperwork and diligence to have my state finally grant me a Private Occupational School certificate. Despite the initial uphill climb and cost, it has proven to be a fantastic service to my offices and the entire community. Many young men and women leave high school and want more education, but a traditional 4-year college is not the path for them. The dental assisting school has afforded hundreds of bright women and men the opportunity to build a bigger future while still working their day jobs. I now sell this program to offices around the country so doctors can start a dental assisting program in their own office. A dental assisting school offers a nice secondary income and is mostly driven by auxiliary team members that enjoy teaching aspiring dental assistants. Since that moment in 2016, I have acquired four offices, merged them into two locations, expanded hours and have 6 fantastic doctors giving patients in our mountain valley the most comprehensive treatment possible. One of my favorite parts is empowering a leadership team of women that hire, train, lead, and grow other team members. I am extremely honored to work with a team of women leaders that have grown to coach other offices and run our companies with a deep mission to serve others. I also enjoy watching young doctors learn that numbers aren’t scary, rather, they are just indicators to where they are “wowing” patients or potentially missing an opportunity to provide impact in someone’s life. The light bulb moments where doctors help themselves improve by understanding their own level of control on situations is magical, and I find it helps them be more transparent with their teams. I have been granted the gift of not having to practice clinical dentistry, but I choose to practice 2 days per week doing only Invisalign in the offices. The other 2 days are used solely for deep focused CEO time working on the offices and other entities I own. I now coach with Dr. Mark Costes and Dental Success Institute (DSI) and have the opportunity to speak with doctors across the country and help them use numbers and systems to create a level of accountability in their practices they didn’t know could exist. DSI is very proliferated with an “ownership” mindset, ensuring that doctors are ready to take FULL responsibility for the results they are seeing around them. This then empowers doctors to change things and create healthier environments, even when that means letting go of a toxic, long time team member. Besides coaching, I also am faculty for Dental Success Network and run the Lady Leaders room. I have found that I deeply enjoy helping other women doctors define success on their own terms, whether that is running one highly profitable boutique office, multiple offices
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with several other doctors, being a super GP associate in a high-end practice, and anything you can imagine in between these options. I am saddened when I hear women doctors feel “let down” by the career path they chose and worked so hard to attain. I often listen to stories of burnout and exhaustion and feelings of just trying to “hold it all together” rather than ever feeling a level of thriving in life. The amount of guilt, shame, and perfectionism abound in women doctors. I sometimes wish I could tell myself 20 years ago, “learn something from everyone and every situation. Try it all and find what lights you up. And then, realize that what lights you up now, may morph into something else and that’s fantastic! Meet new people and figure out how to help them, as you never know when the connections you made in the past will come back to prove valuable later. Stop reaching for goals if you have no intention of enjoying the journey. It’s that journey, that struggle, that discomfort that is where all the good stuff comes from for you and your relationships. Be kind to yourself while still holding your standard and personal integrity high. Truly, don’t sweat problems that can be fixed by money or a hard conversation. And finally, Summer, two things will change the world around you, despite your circumstances... ownership and gratitude. Use both daily.” I wish every DEW reader a joyful journey and companions around you that make it beautiful. Life is too short to settle for less. If you wish to connect with Summer, please email: skassmel.dsn@gmail.com If you want more information about DA Schools Delivered, please go to daschools.com or email: info@daschools. com
About the author: Dr. Summer Kassmel is CEO of Castle Peak Dental, Avon Dental, Vail Valley Dental Assisting School, and DA Schools Delivered. She is a practicing dentist and owner of two multi-doctor offices in the Vail, Colorado area. Summer owns and operates a dental assisting school out of her flagship practice and is Owner of DA Schools Delivered, a Dental Assistant program other doctors can purchase to train DAs out of their own offices. Summer is passionate about helping all doctors build practices and lives of their dreams but is especially enthusiastic about supporting women doctors to grow thriving practices they love. Summer is currently a Black Belt Coach for DSI, where she coaches other doctors to elite levels of systemization and overhead control. She loves using numbers to help doctors make smart decisions that allow them to work with intention rather than at a frenetic pace. She is also faculty for DSN facilitating the Lady Leader Group to encourage and help other women.
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RESILIENCE
MENOPAUSE THE NEW HOT TOPIC By Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH
D
EWERS - Are you in it?
Do you wonder if you are pre-menopausal or in perimenopause? Does it feel like your body is betraying you?
Women are suffering in silence with hot flashes, soaking night sweats, and brain fog. They become dry everywhere, see their bodies physically change, and they wonder “What the H--- is going on?!”
Does this sound like you? All women will experience menopause, although each journey is a bit different. I am a menopause survivor, and the author of the book and companion workbook, Martinis and Menopause - Strategies, Science and Sips That Empower Women to Beat the Hormone Groan. I teach women strategies to not only survive but thrive through the menopausal years. While going through menopause is a natural life stage for women, we are still steeped in shame and secrets instead of talking about it. For years our culture has been silent about menopause. Do you know your mother’s or grandmother’s menopause story?
Here’s a bit of my menopause story. I had survived and thrived during my natural menopausal journey, by researching and partaking of many different healing modalities and mental wellness strategies (see my book for the details). Enter my cancer diagnosis in late 2019. This necessitated a double mastectomy, and
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anti-cancer medications as a daily part of my life, now, and for years to come. Today, I am cancer-free–Hooray! But the consequences from the diagnosis and treatment have put me into my second, and then third, menopause.
How? What? I know, I couldn’t believe it either. For about 10 years, pre-cancer, I was on very low doses of bio-identical hormones, to help with my natural menopause symptoms, and post-menopausal health. The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) reports that about 1.4 million women in the US are using bio-identicals. From personal experience, I know the power these hormones have for energy, brain clarity, sexual desire, and combatting hot flashes. In addition, estrogens protect our brains, bones, and hearts. I, and many health providers, believe that the benefits of low-dose bio, or body-identical hormones can immensely help the menopausal woman navigate this season of life as a more balanced, less hot, less forgetful human being. My breast cancer was estrogen and progesterone positive, as is 80 % of women with BC in the United States. Does this mean my bio-identical hormones caused my breast cancer? Not in the least. They were one small risk factor in the mix of my total health. Every woman’s diagnosis and treatment are very personal. I had to immediately discontinue use of my bio-identicals. Within three weeks, I was in menopause for the second time! My body was flashing multiple times during the day and my moods were erratic. My medical oncologist prescribed a small daily dose of Lexapro to control the hot flashes and thankfully, it worked.
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RESILIENCE After a few weeks of recovery from my mastectomy, I had to start taking anti-estrogens, to lower my risk of getting breast cancer again. That little daily yellow pill threw me into my 3rd menopause! This time my symptoms included rapid weight gain, depression, painful sex and low energy–I then found relief in another prescribed medication, along with leaning into meditation, and being consistent in an affirmation practice. I’m happy to report I seem to have stabilized and am thriving again.
contributing to the bottom line. You want to support and retain her. How can we best support the menopausal woman in the workplace? Is she you, your staff, your patients?
What would a menopause-friendly workplace look like? Start with a level of understanding so women don’t feel like they must hide their symptoms, like brain fog or hot flashes.
I have experienced menopause 3 times. I know how important it is to be your own health advocate, to know “I don’t necessarily think companies need to create your body, and to honor your body’s needs. policies around menopause, they just need to educate their staff – including the men – and demonstrate Fortunately, today there is a movement happening in the through action that it’s not this unspoken taboo,” corporate world around menopause. This transitional she explains. https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/ phase of a women’s life is gaining attention in the United union-leader-calls-for-bosses-to-act-on-menopause/ States and around the globe. From finance and capital investments to movie actresses, trendsetters, and the medical establishment, folks are talking about menopause, and even menopause in the workplace. This is what our world is finally waking up to: • Two million women a year in the US reach menopause • 27 million women are coping with menopausal symptoms while at work • 80% of women experience menopause symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life • Over 75% of women experience hot flashes & night sweats • Menopause happens usually between the ages of 40-55. Sometimes starting as young as 35
It's time to talk about Menopause, and how to best support the menopausal women in the workplace. We start with education and knowledge, talking about the issue, raising awareness. Promoting understanding and a positive work culture around menopause. I bring that level of understanding to companies through my Martinis and Menopause presentations and workshops on women’s health. I am a menopause survivor, who writes about menopause, speaks about menopause, and coaches women through menopause. And…who has been thrown back into menopause again because of my cancer journey. I know what works to lower hot flash severity and clear brain fog. How to get all the dry areas (a-hem) lubricated again, and how to calm the racing inner thoughts.
Let me know if your workplace could benefit from “There’s a $600 billion global market opportunity for education and awareness around menopause and the menopause–a universal experience that impacts hormonal shifts women experience throughout their every aspect of a woman’s health: mental, physical, lifetime. Together, we can lift one another up, show and emotional. It’s a space that has been ignored compassion, and celebrate our womanhood! for years due to social stigma, a fragmented healthcare system, and under-investment in women’s Let’s start the conversation. healthcare,” said Alessandra Henderson, Elektra CoFounder and CEO. “Fortunately, we’re at a turning point. Menopause is finally getting the attention it deserves.” https://hitconsultant.net/2021/08/10/ elektra-health-evidence-based-menopause-care-funding/
Why should we address the issues of the menopausal women in the workplace? She is usually the one with deep knowledge of the company, who has her pulse on what’s happening, and what needs to change. She understands the systems, clients, and deliverables. She is valuable talent dew.life
About the author: Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH has a mission to empower people to optimal health through education and entertainment. She is a prolific blogger and author. Kelli holds a Master’s degree from Oregon State University in Communication and Adult Education, where she taught Leadership and Public Speaking. She received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from Oregon Health Sciences University in 1996.
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SUCCESS
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TRUST AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE WORKPLACE
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f I were to ask you to list the top three traits that a successful business should have, what would you say those are? Would you say that it's the latest technology, great location, excellent marketing strategies, keeping overhead rates low, high productivity, client or patient perception of your business, great systems and protocols, and maybe loyal employees, or low turnover rates? What if I told you one of the main ingredients of a successful business is Trust?
The Science of Trust and Our Brain Many years ago, a neuroeconomics and psychology professor by the name of Paul Zak and his team of scientists ran experiments for over a decade, trying to figure out if oxytocin caused trust to happen. A couple of key things that I want to highlight is that they were able to determine that indeed, the more oxytocin is released, the more trust and trustworthiness occurs. His research proved that the more trust was given, the more oxytocin was produced.1 They discovered that organizations with high trust environments were most successful. Oxytocin is both a hormone and neurotransmitter that is associated with not only controlling the reproductive system, but also human behavior like trust, empathy, relationship building, and “hugging”, if you know what I mean! Simon Sinek referred to it as a "selfless chemical” that creates bonds of love and trust.
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By Pina Johnson, PPC
According to scientists, the biggest inhibitor of this hormone is stress.2 As we all know, not only can stress make us ill, but when we are stressed out, we might not be the easiest people to work with. This has become one of the most studied and well researched conclusions for so many issues facing the workplace. It was once said by Simon Sinek, "When the leaders of an organization create a culture that inhibits the release of serotonin and oxytocin, it sabotages our careers and the success of the organization.” According to studies, "compared with people at low trust companies, people at high trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 76% more engagements, 13% fewer sick days, and more.”3 Given this information, we know how critical it is to find ways to create better cultures and work environments, especially after the rough year we all had last year. It is time to get creative with the way we lead in our dental offices.
How to plant seeds of trust in your organization One way to begin improving trust is to give people autonomy. So long as they are not doing anything that does not align with the values and mission of your business, allow people the opportunity to use their creativity, critical thinking skills, and strengths.
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SUCCESS
Micromanaging no longer is acceptable for this generation of workers. Especially for the climate that we are in now, where finding just about anybody that wants a job is difficult. People have so many options! Therefore, finding new ways to encourage people to reach the same goal–or better, utilizing their own ideas or techniques– creates opportunities for them to feel trusted and even excited about coming to work. Believe in people and trust them to make the right decisions. Another way to cultivate trust is listening to understand, not to hurry and "give them the answer they need.” In my business, I coach many dentists and their office managers and I cannot tell you how many issues arise from the lack of this key skill needed for effective communication. This results in great employees that are ready to walk out the door due to the fact that they are not feeling heard or understood. If we made a conscious effort to sharpen our listening skills, we would not only create an environment of higher trust and psychological safety, but also retain high performing employees. A few ways to improve your listening skills are to 1) Listen to understand and quiet your own mind, 2) Embrace silence, and 3) Do not interrupt. Another thing that I have learned from coaching people over the years is that sometimes, they just want you to hold the space for them and hear them out. In addition, showing vulnerability as a leader can be very powerful. Asking for help instead of demanding or telling someone to do something goes so much further. The days of authoritarian leadership are behind us. It no longer works, and if it is getting you results, it might be because people are acting out of fear not inspiration. When I was an administrator for a large endodontic practice with multiple locations, I would go out of my way to ask my team of office managers for their help with projects. Sure, it would have been easier for me to work alone in my office, come up with a strategic plan to implement xyz project, and then ask them to execute, but there was so much more receptiveness and open communication that opened when I included them in these things. They trusted me so much more and in return would ask for help and share their vulnerability with me as well so we can improve together and grow the business even further. And, when I did not know something, I was not ashamed to tell them so or admit my errors. After all, if we are honest here, nobody likes a "Miss know it all". Lastly, knowing your purpose and helping them discover theirs. When you have a clear purpose, and you know your why, that can be the motivation and gift that keeps giving, once uncovered. The next time you sit down with
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an employee you can ask them, "What makes you get up and come to work every day?” and see what comes up for them. Then practice your new listening skills and try to connect it to their day-to-day tasks, so they do not become mundane. I remember one of my clients saying to me, “What am I doing with my life?” It was clear. She was burnt out, and lacked purpose. This was affecting her relationships with everyone at the office and created a ripple effect throughout. However, that statement posed as a question, created an opportunity for a wonderful coaching conversation that was full of curiosity, exploration, and discovery that ended with a newfound meaning and inspiration for her. Then she was able to lead her team with coming from a place of purpose and meaning which began to shift the employee response and engagement. Reminding people of their purpose, or their why, brings a sense of joy that withstands the tests, the storms of life, our ever changing emotions and circumstances. For me personally, my purpose is in God, in whom I trust. Therefore, I am able to give my trust to others without fear. "You will keep them in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on You, because she trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3.
Paul J. Zak, “The Neuroscience of Trust: Management Behaviors that Foster Employee Engagement,” Harvard Business Review (Jan-Feb 2017) 2 Paul J. Zak, “The Neuroscience of Trust: Management Behaviors that Foster Employee Engagement,” Harvard Business Review (Jan-Feb 2017) 3 Paul J. Zak, “The Neuroscience of Trust: Management Behaviors that Foster Employee Engagement,” Harvard Business Review (Jan-Feb 2017) 1
About the author: Pina Johnson has over 21 years of experience in the dental field, with 18 of those years in business management and as a practice administrator. She managed a multi-location specialty practice with over 40 staff members and 11 doctors across the Bay Area of California. Pina specializes in coaching dentists, office managers, and groups. She coaches many dental teams with great success, resulting in increased employee engagement, reduced stress, improved performance, and enhanced communication.
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SUCCESS
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED AND MY JOURNEY TO A 3-BOOK DEAL
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n June of 2019, my dream of becoming a published author came true. I still remember the day I received the news. I was sitting at a car dealer with my husband, waiting to pick up his new car, when my phone chimed. I looked at the screen and noticed that I had received an email from Bloodhound Books, a publisher I had submitted my psychological thriller, A Simple Lie, to. My heart immediately began to pick up a few (make that many!) paces as I quickly opened the email. I stared in disbelief at the message that stated my book had been accepted for publication! Not only that, they wanted two more. How did all of this start? Well, here is my journey. I love writing. It’s my hobby. My passion. After I’d been doing it for a number of years, the point finally came when I became brave enough, and I’ll admit this happened after a couple of glasses of wine (maybe a few), to have someone else read my work. Who did I turn to? My family. Poor, unsuspecting, yet always supportive souls! Who did I choose first, my husband Peter–my biggest supporter– and more importantly, the person I could count on to be honest with me. He doesn’t candy-coat things. If my writing wasn’t up to par, he’d let me know it, gently of course. Tough to swallow, but you have to accept the truth. When I handed him my pages to read, I held my breath. A couple of days later, Peter came home with a desktop computer, installed page layout software (state of the art
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By Mary Bush, DDS
at the time for writing), and set up our spare room as an office and said, "you need to start writing your stories seriously". He said some other really nice things, but that alone told me that he believed in me. Fast forward to a laptop, MS word, and my family room couch as my ‘office’ and the rest unfolded with a complete manuscript called, A Simple Lie. Writing A Simple Lie wasn’t easy initially. The main reason, I didn’t want my main character, Val to be involved with murders. I wanted to write women's fiction. So I gave Val a coffee shop to own, inserted a love interest, set the novel in a small town and well...that was it. The story wouldn’t come. It went nowhere. As soon as I said, "OK Val, here’s a dead body, what are you going to do with it?", she morphed into a dentist who gets a job at the medical examiner’s office and the book took shape. Along the way, I learned Val loves to solve crime. Turns out, she’s good at it too. Is Val a little like me? Yes, a little. I’m a dentist who currently makes a living as a university professor of dentistry, a tangent of what I do is forensic dentistry. In this capacity, I work on cases (not all are criminal) in which teeth are the evidence. What I am not is a crime solver. Though maybe I live life vicariously through an alter fictitious ego. I acquired a literary agent after I wrote A Simple Lie.
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SUCCESS Yippee! But that’s only one hurdle of a two-hurdle challenge. The next step was having the agent submit the book to publishers.
and then decide to represent you or not. It isn’t easy to get an agent, and the latest figure I’ve seen is that agents accept 2% of what’s submitted.
During the submission process with A Simple Lie, and no real prospects coming our way, my agent advised me to write something else, that if this book didn’t sell well the character needed to be shelved. No sense writing book two if book one is a bust. But alas, my agent and I parted ways after A Simple Lie wasn’t acquired. So, I created another series. Loved writing it. I went back to the querying trenches with my newly crafted novel in hand, and optimism in my veins. This time around though, this manuscript had a lot of agent interest, and I received several offers to revise and resubmit, no one agreed to take it on by the time I pulled it from consideration. That’s because A Simple Lie took me on a new, exciting, path!
Once you get an agent, they submit to publishers in the same fashion you queried them, with a letter and a pitch. Only now, they write the letter, but it’s usually based on your query. Basically, having an agent is a vetting process for the major publishers on your writing and overall publish-ability. Having an agent is not a guarantee to get published. As I said above, I had a literary agent who could not sell A Simple Lie. Why? The biggest reason was that no one wanted to read a story featuring a dentist. Hah!
Growing frustrated with querying again, I dusted off A Simple Lie, and immediately saw some of the problems with the manuscript, reasons why it might not have been acquired by a publisher. I re-wrote it and submitted to three publishers who accepted unagented manuscripts. Twelve days later I heard from the amazing Bloodhound Books–they wanted to publish A Simple Lie! I couldn’t have been happier! Moral of the story: Never give up! We all have our paths to publication. They are all unique. But they do have a common thread: perseverance. This is a subjective business and you only need one ‘Yes’! Now, let’s talk about this publication business. There are several ways to be published and a variety of different types of publishers to publish with. The decision of which one to go with is dependent on what you would like to achieve. If you’d like to get an advance from a major publisher, be published in hardcover, and have your book in stores such as Barnes and Noble, then you’re going to need a literary agent. How is this all done? First you must find agents that not only you’d like to work with, but are reputable. No reputable agent will ever charge you money to read your book. If one does, run away fast. They only make money when they sell your book, as they get a percentage of the deal. This is why it’s a challenge to get an agent because they have to believe they can sell the book. An excellent tool to research agents is QueryTracker. Once you have your agents in mind, you write them a query letter. What is a query letter? Think of it as a brief description of you and your book, a pitch per se. It’s all about a page long and there are plenty of resources that will instruct you on how to do this. If the agent likes what they read in the query, they’ll ask to read the manuscript
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If you do not want to go the route of getting an agent, you can submit the book yourself to smaller publishers that take unagented work. These are typically called independent publishers. Again, you must look at the reputation of these publishers before sending anything to them. They do not charge you to publish your book. They pay you when it sells. Many independents do not give an advance but instead give a percentage of each book sold. This can be as high as 45% on the kindle version. They also take care of all of the publishing details, just like a major publisher would with regards to things such as cover design, editing, production, printing, distribution, and marketing. Marketing though, you always have to be involved with. You’ll have to do this with a major publisher too. The third type of publishing is self-publishing. Here you do everything yourself, and pay for all of the production yourself. The benefit is that you get to make all the decisions and keep all of the profits. Only you can tell what type is best for you.
About the author: Dr. Mary Bush is the Associate Dean of Students Affairs at SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. She is also the Past President of the American Society of Forensic Odontology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. In her fictional life, her credits include A Simple Lie, a psychological thriller which features a dentist as the main protagonist. It was a Gold Medal Winner for the Independent Publishers Book Awards Best Mystery/Thriller E-Book, Bronze Medal Winner for Crime Fiction in the 2020 Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards and Finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards, Thriller Category. The sequel to A Simple Lie, The Secrets We Bury, was released June 2021.
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REFLECTION
A STORY
By Mona Patel, DMD
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nce there was a little girl. She was not allowed to express herself. She had to be a good girl, a nice girl.
Her body shut down, the little girl didn’t realize that not acknowledging her anger meant not acknowledging all her other feelings–joy, gratitude, compassion, and love. Her Ego made a story to make sense of it all, to justify her behaviors and responses.
Don’t make noise, always be good and obedient. Sit quietly, look nice, but do what others tell you. Respect your elders because they know better. Follow them blindly, don’t question. Anger was bad, she was told, nice girls, good girls can’t get upset, shouldn’t show anger, it’s bad, not nice. People won’t like you. It’s shameful to be angry, to use your voice. Anger was never allowed, her feelings never to bear fruit in her. Always pushed down, far, far down. Suppressed until feelings did not exist, but just numbness. Pleasing people became the way, letting her boundaries be compromised and she acted more and more different from who she was meant to be, turning that anger into shame and self-deprecation, hiding herself, hiding her light.
Her Ego told her she was a victim and that it was not her, but others. Her Ego taught her that she didn’t have to take responsibility for her feelings and actions and that the empty feeling inside was a way to protect herself from everyone, to stop her from being hurt. Her Ego told her don’t trust, it will hurt her. Her Ego told her she needed to be perfect for people to like her. Perfect hair, clothes, makeup, things, all shiny on the outside but nothingness on the inside. Empty, no feelings, no joy, no compassion, no connection. What is her essence? Nothing. A shell. And then one day she met herself in a faraway land, lush and green and full of life force. Nature, healer, stillness. Herself told the little girl that it’s ok to feel.
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Reassured her that anger is normal and part of her, it’s not dangerous and hurtful. It’s a friend that she can meet and learn the lesson, understand the emotion. It’s 100% her choice and responsibility on what action to take. She learnt that it was okay to feel the emotion, but she did not need to be the emotion. The anger could help feel when her boundaries were compromised and help her stay true to herself. The little girl was reminded that her Fire could give warmth and comfort to those who needed it. It could destroy, when necessary, in order to allow protection. The little girl started to thaw, she had built an ice cave around her Fire and her feelings. She started to feel her heart, to feel kindness to others, to forgive and to have compassion. The ice left, the tears came. She awoke. She loves. She trusts. She forgives. She cries. She laughs. She feels. She lives. She is. The little girl was not so little anymore. She is me. I am surrendered, I am love, I am joy, I am flow, I am sovereign,
About the author: Dr. Mona Patel practices in Abington, Pennsylvania. She entered the University of Birmingham Queen Elisabeth Dental School at the age of 17, obtaining her Bachelor of Dental Surgery at 21. Dr. Patel practiced in England for a short time until she moved to the United States in 1992. She attended the University of Pennsylvania Dental School, obtaining a Doctorate of Dental Medicine. Dr. Patel is passionate about smile makeover design, and offers advanced tooth replacement with dental implants, full mouth rehabilitation, and more, combining technology and technique to support overall health and wellness. She is on faculty for three curriculums, Clinical Mastery Series, Awaken2Sleep, and Sleep Group Solutions, and is the Course Director for the Clinical Mastery Series 2-day foundational course in Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr. Patel was also a clinical faculty instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Dental school, teaching third- and fourth-year dental students.
I am truth, I am.
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DENTISTRY – A GRACED JOURNEY By Diana P Friedman, MA, MBA
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rofessional paths and careers are often defined by singular incidents which allow us to pivot towards our purpose, actualize ourselves, and excel. Such was my journey into dentistry. In my mid 20s I was faced with a life altering medical disease. Alone and despondent, I struggled to find the fortitude and determination to work through this journey towards wellness. One of the most significant challenges I faced was the side effect of my care, which caused deteriorating oral health. This started impacting my ability to nourish myself and regain my strength. Mounting medical debt and inability to work full time made seeking dental care a scary and tenuous process. I was fortunate to come across a dentist whose practice was a block away from the hospital where I was treated, who saw me as a human being in need of help and offered to treat me, gratis, simply because it was the right thing to do. I trust this was the pivot point in my recovery and pathway to health. I was fortunate to experience first-hand and appreciate the power dentistry has. Dentistry is not only about teeth or gums, it is about so much more! Dentistry is about wellness, health, nutrition, proper oral function, self-perception, individual confidence, and much more. Following my recovery, I found myself thinking–what a better industry to dedicate my career to! Reflecting on
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the life altering gifts a dentist granted me, I chose my path into dentistry, not as a clinician but as a business executive. This was the start of a most incredible and affirming journey, which continues to grace me to this very day, nearly 40 years later. During the years of ill health, I was determined not to waste valuable time and make every day count. I had great faith that I would recover and be able to live a long, happy, and productive life. For this reason, I chose to use those tough years to complete my academic education at Arizona State University. ASU allowed me flexibility to earn a living as a teaching assistant and assistant editor of an academic journal while I navigated through the surgeries and requirements for my medical care. During those years of treatment, I was fortunate to complete an MA degree in Sociology, a dual MBA in Management and Marketing, as well as my studies towards a PhD degree in Social Psychology. I was very fortunate early in my dental industry career to operate at 'ground zero’–the front line where dentistry is practiced, where patients seek and receive care, where dentists define their treatment philosophy and execute on a practice strategy and operating plan. I worked in a few dental practices as an office manager, before transitioning to practice management consultancy at The Michael Schuster Center for
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I was fortunate to experience first-hand and appreciate the power dentistry has. Dentistry is not only about teeth or gums, it is about so much more!
Professional Development (Practice Management Consultant and lecturer) and later The Levin Group (Vice President of Business Development). At the time I did not appreciate how going deep to understand the machinations of a dental practice is so critical to being able to drive value and success in this complex business. These were the cornerstones to my ability to become an effective and successful leader down the path. The years I invested in learning the art and craft of dentistry and the optimal management of patient care and practices, shaped my thinking, ways of working, and leadership style. During those first years in our great industry, I was fortunate and blessed to welcome the first of many mentors who dramatically, and positively impacted my career and life journey. Among them were Dr. Michael Schuster, Dr. Cecil Barton, Catherine Kolkowski, Mark Battiato, Steve Kess, Dr. Lou Shuman to name but a few. Their lessons of kindness, wisdom, sharing, and mentorship shaped the professional I am today. I stood on the shoulders of these and many other giants, who taught me to be a lifelong giver, mentor, teacher, and resource to others in our industry. This aspect of my career has and continues to enrich my life even in semi-retirement. As I recovered my health, I had a tremendous sense of gratitude and indebtedness. I felt my life was spared in order to do some good in our gracious world. For this reason I chose to volunteer two and a half years for two international aid organizations, working under the auspices of USAid. Both organizations engaged in helping train business executives and entrepreneurs in establishing new businesses in developing countries. This was the period right after the fall of the wall and the opening of Eastern Europe and the USSR to the west. A great need existed for experts to travel to Russia and the Republics to help the transition to a free economy. I traveled to Central Asia and led entrepreneurial projects, living in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Russia proper. During these incredible years, I taught business entrepreneurship at several universities and business associations and supported the development and expansion of privately- and government-owned business enterprises.
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My only regret was that, in this equation, I gained so much more than I could even have been able to give. I gained better entrepreneurial tools and learned firsthand how to build businesses from scratch–grassroots entrepreneurship, develop and train professional executives and operational associates, create jobs, exercise empathy, and, in a small way, be a change agent making a difference in the world. The changes I was humbled to be a part of were not on a grand scale. Often, it was one person, entrepreneur, or small business. Yet, observing the impact on small communities in the regions I lived in was beyond gratifying. I shall forever be respectful to have been given the opportunity to serve in these beautiful countries. Before departing the region, I was gifted a small, beautiful, red, hand-woven Turkmen rug. I have placed it by my bedside. My first step every day of my life is in Turkmenistan–giving thanks for that region and its incredible, tenacious, beautiful people. This region shall forever remain my soul’s home. Returning to the USA, I re-engaged in my professional career. My goal was singular–to ascend to the role of CEO of a dental company and serve on industry NFP boards so that I may earn the ability to impact this great industry for the better. I needed to make up for the years invested in regaining health and volunteering and so I had to be extremely strategic in career choices. My first 'big corp’ role was at Philips Sonicare. I joined as Director of Professional Marketing, Education, and Professional Relations. Sonicare was a labor of love, focused on educating clinicians and patients about biofilms and the breakthrough technology that Sonicare offered to help consumers achieve better oral health and a brighter smile. These happy years involved great engagement with the dental hygiene and periodontal communities. This was the first time I understood the power of science (evidence-based innovation) and data in driving success, as well as how to build and proactively defend a global brand. In assessing my path, it became clear that pharmaceuticals and biologics would become more central to oral care. My entire experience had been on the device side of the business. This is why I was fortunate to join Novalar Pharmaceuticals as Vice
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REFLECTION President of Marketing, leading the commercialization of Oraverse, a first in class anesthesia reversal agent. This was my first experience dealing with an FDA approved drug, and leading a commercialization process from infancy–developing product name, pricing, packaging, value proposition, marketing launch strategies and commercialization execution plan.
The professional path I journeyed on includes incredible mentors, customers, colleagues, and friends. In recognition of the advice, time, knowledge, and heart they showed me, I remain to this day a mentor to others. This has been the highest privilege of success, in my eyes, and an activity that humbles me daily and fills my heart with great satisfaction and gratitude.
At this juncture in my career, the professional journey I was on brought me to my first President and CEO role at Sesame Communications. The six years I spent in Seattle were challenging, rewarding, complex, and exceedingly gratifying on a professional as well a personal level. This role allowed me to expand my tool kit to understand corporate culture development, building high performing teams, scaling up a business, and leading a company through a successful exit. Great lessons with an incredible team of professionals!
You and I find ourselves servants of the greatest industry I know, dentistry, and its many and diverse stakeholders. I wish you a journey filled with great mentors, roles, colleagues, products, and customers. These were some of the cornerstones which made my life worth fighting for, forty years ago.
During the years in Seattle, I refocused my energy and heart on philanthropic and NFP activities, serving on the Board of Directors of incredible organizations such as The Dental Trade Alliance and the Seattle Symphony, as well as association committees such as The American Association of Orthodontists and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The main focus in dental organization was understanding and finding solutions for the access to care issues plaguing broad swaths of the population. This was hard and rewarding work, being of service to an industry of professionals, caregivers, and patients who seek oral health. The successful sale of Sesame Communications allowed me the opportunity to pivot and relocate to New York to work at Henry Schein as Vice President of Data Analytics and Market Intelligence. My goal was to master understanding of data to optimize business performance and sales growth. What better company to do this in than the largest distributor in the world! My final career move was to Danaher, now Envista. I joined the company with the goal of leveraging my turnaround and business scaling experience to optimize results in specific businesses the conglomerate owned. My first stop was in Wisconsin, as General Manager of Orascoptic, the top visualization company in the USA. I greatly enjoyed being in a manufacturing work environment, working on the plant floor and understanding a completely new business. After successfully steering the company, I was given the opportunity to join Implant Direct as its North America Commercial Leader. After completing my task at ID, I chose to retire early to enjoy life with my beloved husband and balance family first. During the pandemic, as the world shut down, I pivoted and am now working part time as a corporate consultant, executive mentor, as well as serving on two boards of directors.
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About the author: Diana P. Friedman, MA, MBA has been an effective leader with a successful track record in top USA and global dental companies. Diana served as CEO/President in leading dental companies including Orascoptic, Sesame Communications, and Implant Direct. She is a recognized speaker, author, industry advisor, and Board of Directors member.
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When patients need care, you’re there. When patients need a way to pay, we’re here. As patients come in for preventive care and needed dentistry, many may be more cost conscious. Being able to pay over time with the CareCredit credit card may make it easier for them to move forward with recommended care.
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Learn more at www.dentalcare.com/iO or
® contact your local Crest® + Oral-B representative. ® ® © 2021 P&G
contact your local Crest + Oral-B representative.
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© 2021 P&G
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For You, About You, By You!
DeW Life Magazine is both a digital and a print publication devoted to highlighting and empowering all women in dentistry. Our goal is to inspire women to connect and move each other forward, lifting one another up to heights we only dreamed possible. We are delighted to receive general submissions from you,
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DeW Learning Crew
Unburden: The Workshop to Lighten Your Mental Load with Laura Schwindt, DDS and Karen Tindall, BDS Tuesday, February 15 7:00-8:30pm EST
“Intentionally cultivating consistent moments of self-care allows you to unburden from the mental load you carry. You can then create a world for yourself that you don’t need to take breaks from regularly.” -Karen Tindall and Laura Schwindt
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