Elijah Desmond

Elijah Desmond is somebody I’ve grown close to over the years.

We have a lot in common. For one, we both enjoy connecting and helping dental professionals all across the country. We both believe in the “Abundance Mindset” mentality. And we’re both two of the most charming men in Dentistry (well, at least that’s what our wives tell us). All kidding aside, what really draws people to Elijah is that he truly believes EVERYONE has something significant to give to dentistry if given the opportunity.

And its with that spirit that I introduce you to the Elijah Desmond I know and all the amazing things he does for our industry.

There’s a reason this man is all the hype.

Elijah has been in the dental industry since 2009, practicing as a hygienist. After graduating from Ohio State University, he moved to Hawaii for a few years, then Vegas, and now Florida.

Three years ago, Elijah had the idea to get trained to become a professional DJ. In December of this last year, he graduated from Scratch Academy. During school, he was DJing at events and even took seven months to go on tour on a 46-foot tour bus, stopping at dental conferences to MC or DJ. Since then, he’s had once-in-a-lifetimes experiences DJing on the Nile River in Egypt, Cancun, Jamaica, Cabo, the Bahamas, and more than 25 U.S. states.

Elijah has found that DJing is a great way to help fellow speakers with introducing themselves to a crowd. Instead of reading a list of speakers from a podium in a boring way, Elijah gives them a fun walk-on song that brings about an explosion of energy. Folks have directly told Elijah that these walk on songs have brought about the best intro they’ve ever had, which provides Elijah with an even greater sense of purpose.

For Elijah, there’s no better feedback than being invited back for the next event. To work with amazing people as well as high level organizations and receive such positive responses means a lot to Elijah—it’s one of the best sources of validations and best compliments he can get—not to mention that he finds a lot of fulfillment providing those experiences. And as someone who has seen Elijah up close when he’s DJing, I’d be the first to say that he truly brings a whole different level of energy.

How’d this legend get into hosting CE events?

Authenticity is important to Elijah, and he had long been feeling that the dental conferences he was attending were full of people who just weren’t showing up as their authentic selves.

Everyone is wearing a shirt and tie, acting formal and professional, and never taking off their “masks.”

So, being the entrepreneur that he is, Elijah made a mission to humanize dental conferences and make it so everyone is in the same playing field. He wanted the type of event where you might go in to see one speaker that you enjoy only to come out with five new favorites—all for the price of one ticket.

That’s how the Dental Festival was born. Thanks to the Dental Festival, Elijah has multiple different dental conferences all under the same venue (the next event is going to take place from August 24th through the 26th). There’s something for everyone whether you’re a front desk team member, a cosmetic dentist, an orthodontist, or even someone who ventures in the territories of real estate, crypto, and so on. Over 200 dental celebrities show up, and they’re always willing to talk to you—it doesn’t matter if they have a million followers or are the CEO of a massive company. Where else would you find a Forensic Dentistry conference at the same venue as a Business of Dentistry Conference?

Elijah’s goal is to put everyone together on an equal playing field, announcing on the stage that this is a place where everyone is free to be themselves—to dance, sing, go to the pool, or do whatever makes them happy—that no one is better than you, and to embrace human connection instead of worrying about impressions.

Elijah doesn’t just host CE events, though—he also hosts retreats.

Typically, Elijah is more interested in hosting massive events like the Dental Festival, where almost 1,000 people showed up, or Smiles at Sea cruises where hundreds of people say “Bon voyage.”

However, there’s now an upcoming event you can participate in if you’re an entrepreneur. This event is called “Destination Unknown,” where 20 entrepreneurs of all levels will gather. It doesn’t matter if you just have a vision for a business, are an established business owner, or are just a dentist who is looking to surround themselves with fellow growth-minded people.

The tagline for Destination

Unknown is “You never went so far not knowing where you’re going.” The idea is that you’ll be going somewhere around the world, but you have no idea where until you actually arrive at the airport. It’s a bucket list item—meaning it’s a once-in-alifetime trip—and you’ll need your passport as it is international.

Elijah pays for the plane tickets, hotels, and excursions, and he’s not taking the “affordable” route—this is a luxury vacation. You won’t only get some respite and relaxation, but you’ll also come out of there with a 12-month business plan and, most importantly, an accountability partner. You won’t have anything to do with one another’s business, but they’ll hold you accountable to your goals and you’ll do the same for them.

Destination Unknown boasts a mastermind setting, and what’s really interesting is that you’ll be paired up with two to four people who like the same music as you—at the same volume levels—and you’ll all go into a war room together for an hour at a time to reach peak creativity. Afterward, you’ll bring your business ideas to the full group of 20 and they’ll serve as a sounding board and help you organize your business plan. Elijah bases this session on a German philosophy term, “Gestalt,” which basically means that you can only share something if you’ve had experience.

The truth is, Elijah and I have been accountability partners since way back. Not only that, but I take my team to his events all the time. My team is obsessed with the Smiles at Sea cruise, always asking me when I’ll take them on it next. They talk about how they miss Elijah and his team, not to mention how much fun they have cruising through the tropics.

Elijah has some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Elijah thinks any aspiring entrepreneur ought to join a mastermind after utilizing these brainstorming groups for at least six years now. You’re going to surround yourself with people who have years of experience that they can bestow upon you with minutes or hours. When you find yourself stranded in the desert and you don’t know which way to go, they’ll be the ones to lead you to the water they’ve already been to. They’ll share their knowledge, offer their resources, and get you there way faster than you would on your lonesome.

I always like to say that if you’re the smartest person in the room, then chances are you should go to another room. If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur or a person, you can’t be complacent—you need to keep pushing and surround yourself with people who are even brighter.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to Elijah.

A lot of entrepreneurs or “big shots” pride themselves on not being accessible—being too busy to make the time of day— using gatekeepers for people to communicate with them. But, no matter how big Elijah gets, he always makes a point to remain accessible. He doesn’t want to just be accessible for people on the top, he wants to be someone anyone can confide in—whether they’re just starting their entrepreneurial journey or are well-established.

If you want to talk to Elijah about anything, it’s very easy. Just scan the QR code and schedule a time to talk. It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, DJ, or what. You won’t have to pay for his time, either—he’s willing to just lend a helping hand.