Owning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes wrought with drama. Meet Dr. Kuba, a private practice owner, and Bethany, a dental consultant, who take real-life examples and talk through issues in an open, honest, and sometimes hilarious manner. Topics are relevant to current dental and employment trends and range from “The Art of Retaining Good Employees” to “The Marriage of Dentistry and Insurance Ending in Divorce” and everything in between. Each episode ...
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Firing an employee should always be a last resort, but many practice owners delay in terminating a relationship with an employee simply because they are not confident in HOW to fire an employee. Firing an employee is an incredibly difficult task, and if the task is not handled correctly, it can lead to an emotional explosion. In this episode, Dr. K…
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How to Deal with Disrespectful and Dramatic Employees
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41:47
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There are times when the team is surprised with or plagued with a disrespectful or dramatic team member. It is unpleasant and can have an impact on every single person. In this episode, Bethany asks Dr. Kuba what she would do in three different scenarios where an employee was dramatic or disrespectful. Dr. Kuba offers office to the practice owners …
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Everyone worries about it, and yet nobody talks about it. It’s a cringe-worthy topic, and yet every practice owner should diligently work to prevent a board complaint AND be prepared for one as well. In this episode, Dr. Kuba enlightens listeners on a typical board complaint process. She then walks through each step and explains how to best navigat…
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Insurance Short Pays, and We are the Bad Guys?
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43:39
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In a world where insurance continues to find new ways to pay less, it is incredibly frustrating when the dentist and team are somehow the ones to blame. In this episode, Bethany and Dr. Kuba discuss what is becoming a chronically reoccurring problem – patients angry at the dentist when insurance fails to hold up their end of the deal. Bethany has w…
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Meet Dr. Ludlow! He and Bethany have worked together for almost 10 years. Dr. Ludlow has a unique practice in that is very large and still privately owned. Therefore, it might be surprising to most listeners that Dr. Ludlow does not have an Office Manager. In this episode, he discusses his strategic decision to grow a large, successful practice wit…
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Dr. Kuba is back in the studio today, and she is asking some very raw questions. She confesses that there have been many times in her career where she simply doesn’t care, so she asks Bethany how to push past these moments. Together, they discuss why practice owners and team members sometimes hit theoretical walls and what to do once you hit them. …
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Oftentimes practice owners groan about the necessity of “morning” huddles. In fact, many practice owners opt to do away with them completely. In this episode, Bethany discusses all of the benefits associated with a daily or weekly huddle. Benefits include preparation for the patient's care plan, accountability for team members to prepare, and setti…
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Negative Reviews – Responding to False Claims Without Breaking HIPAA
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48:01
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This long overdue episode reveals two new scathing negative reviews that Dr. Kuba received in the last few weeks. After lamenting the torture of these negative reviews, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the specific details of the reviews. They also identify the specific claims that the reviewer made which then informed the needed response. They also di…
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So often, there is a spoken and unspoken pressure to push your practice as far as it will go. Grow. Grow. Grow. Push. Push. Push. So many well-meaning people apply pressure to dentists to grow their practice into something massive. There tends to be a simple definition of success that every practice owner is fed, and then they spin their wheels alw…
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Task Management – The Art of Getting Things Done
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31:31
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Most days for dental professionals feel overwhelming. How is it possible to get everything done? With constant interruptions and consistent “fires” to put out, the daily tasks of running a dental office often get pushed to the side. Then, they pile up. By the end of the week, the mound of things to complete feels insurmountable. Dentists and their …
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Peer-to-peer feedback is one of the most helpful forms of performance feedback, and yet it is so incredibly difficult to figure out HOW to incorporate peer feedback. Fret no more! This episode provides a detailed description of how to tackle this difficult task. Dr. Kuba shares the specific details of her most recent iteration of her “Engagement Sc…
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No matter the specialty, treatment acceptance is the lifeblood of every practice. In a good number of practices, an excellent treatment coordinator is behind exemplary treatment acceptance. So, what is a good treatment coordinator (TC)? What makes them unique and better than other TCs? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the core qualitie…
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Join Bethany as she discusses the growing popularity of membership plans. As the quality of dental insurance continues to degrade, membership or wellness plans have grown in popularity. Bethany describes the three most popular types of wellness plans, and she reminds listeners of the importance of keeping the plans profitable for the practice and y…
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Bad Blood – When Team Members Can’t Seem to Get Along
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32:16
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It is, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence. Team members argue, disagree, and simply cannot seem to get along. At times, it is related to simple personality differences. Other times, it runs deeper and seems to impact daily interactions. In most situations, the arguments lead to a chronic feeling of bad blood on the team. The doctor is often unawa…
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In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the various disappointments in continuing education courses and dental conferences. It is difficult to find a course or conference that meets everyone’s needs, and it is even harder to justify the cost involved in these classes. Often, practice owners will limit down the number of team members they i…
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Divorce, HIPAA, Worker’s Compensation, and Other Legal Issues
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52:14
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It is often the foundation of stress, the things we dread the most – legal issues. Often times, the things that keep dentists up at night are the fears of being sued for something, anything. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss multiple real-life scenarios. First, they discuss being caught in the middle of a divorce case where Dr. Kuba was…
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Dr. Kuba is back, and she has an agenda! She turns the spotlight on Bethany and forces her to undergo the same treatment that Bethany dished out to her many months ago when Bethany recorded the “What Would Kuba Do?” episode. In this episode, venture into the mind of a consultant. See what she sees as Dr. Kuba has multiple questions for Bethany rang…
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100% of Bethany’s clients have struggled with attendance issues on their teams. Either an employee is chronically late, often asks to leave early, or is simply absent chronically. In this episode, Bethany reminds listeners that some requests to be off should be met with a no. She describes scenarios that could potentially incur an automatic “no” to…
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Bethany flies solo in this episode to tackle an important and often repetitive topic which is maternity and medical leaves. So many practice owners face this issue multiple times over the years of their career. Bethany discusses several simple tips to ensure that medical and maternity leaves are handled with consistency and a clear, documented plan…
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Dr. Kuba is often not often surprised by a raise request in due to the diligent systems she has in place for frequently reviewing compensation. But, in this episode, she and Bethany discuss what may have caused the employee to unexpectedly ask for a raise. They also discuss what they can do going forward to ensure unexpected raise requests do not c…
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A common and practical question often asked is – How many team members do I need? What are the parameters for determining what is overstaffed and what is understaffed? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss three different tools for determining the right number of employees. First, Bethany discusses certain financial milestones that the prac…
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How to Solicit Genuine Feedback from Employees
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44:58
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Many practice owners struggle to find out true feedback from their employees. They desire to know their teams and know how things are going, but it is hard to get honest feedback from them. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the importance of establishing a foundation of good communication and trust with team members. Then, prior to a…
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Celebrating Employee Holidays – Anniversaries, Dental Assistant Week, etc.
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41:29
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Get ready for crusty Dr. Kuba! Today, she talks about her natural aversion to forced holiday celebrations. She confesses that she has never celebrated dental assistant week, administrative assistant day, etc. She and Bethany talk through all the reasons why she resists these celebrations. Dr. Kuba confesses that she gets cranky even thinking about …
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The Highs and Lows of Family Members as Employees
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40:32
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Bethany has her dad, Dr. Jones, in the studio today. Together, they discuss a hot topic – hiring family members or friends to be a member of the dental team. Dr. Jones has employed multiple friends and family members throughout the years of his profession. For him, it felt like a dream come true, but he discusses that it is critical to have clear e…
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While work culture has always been a “thing,” it has become a very important “thing” over the last few years. Whether it is due to post-pandemic depression and anxiety trends or workforce generational gaps, work culture has taken a hit. It has become increasingly difficult to keep teams working together well and staying focused on the main task of …
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While accountability may seem simple, it is actually quite complex. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the many reasons why it can be so complicated. On one hand, a practice owner cannot be too soft, and yet on the other hand, a practice owner cannot be too rigid. Accountability requires a strategic mind, good communication, and consiste…
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Protecting Your Practice from Embezzlement
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33:20
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It’s a word that makes every shudder – embezzlement. In this episode, Dr. Kuba asks Bethany questions to ensure that her embezzlement resistant strategies are enough. Together they discuss the most vulnerable places for a practice. Then, they discuss several strategies to strengthen the weak spots. One of the most important aspects of protecting th…
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After airing the recent episode “What is Servant Leadership?,” many fans requested information on other leadership models that work. In this episode, Bethany unpacks several examples of other successful leadership styles that she has seen at work in her clients’ practices. She covers the laissez fair leader, transactional leader, authoritative lead…
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When the Sh!# Really Hits the Fan: Part Two Lawsuit
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32:20
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In this episode, Dr. Kuba faces her first liability lawsuit after a child hurt herself on a gaming console in her pediatric dental office. She and Bethany reflect on the event that occurred nearly eighteen months ago. After many months of assuming that the worst had passed, Dr. Kuba received an unwelcome visit from a constable with lawsuit papers. …
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Dr. Kuba inserts some drama of her own into today’s episode! She discusses the difficulty of sharing feedback with a colleague of her own. So, Bethany offers her own advice. Throughout fifteen years of consulting, Bethany has had to work diligently on the art of giving feedback, and parenting a tween has furthered her desire to perfect the craft. S…
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Every person has a sphere of influence – impact. Practice owners, associates, and team members are all leaders. So, what does it mean to lead? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss a popular leadership concept – servant leadership. Bethany admits that this style is her favorite style of leadership and discusses the basic mindset behind this…
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Interview with an Associate Dentist – Meet Dr. Michael!
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37:49
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For the first time in Managing Dental Drama history, we have an associate dentist on the show! Dr. Michael took a calculated and detailed approach to his associateship plans. Prior to completing his pediatric residency program, he developed a plan to merge together two to three different types of practices to give him a full-time schedule. His goal…
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In the last episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany encouraged listeners to courageously take the time off they need to stay mentally and emotionally healthy. Bethany commented that time away really shouldn’t cost the practice anything if planned correctly. In this solo episode, Bethany unpacks step by step how to control and maximize your 2024 schedule. Ste…
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The end of the year is the PERFECT time to make really good plans for 2024. Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of building out your 2024 schedule IN 2023. By the time the rush of January hits, most individuals are simply too busy to slow down and schedule everything that needs to occur in the year. Then, important items can get overlooked,…
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Dr. Kuba is back in the studio today with Bethany! Together, they discuss an incredibly relevant topic – burnout. Many dentists drag themselves into December after a long, often difficult year. The holidays often add an added layer of stress onto an already stressed doctor. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany give listeners critical advice for ma…
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Meet Dr. Marr – Deep Reflection, Finding Joy, and Setting Team Goals
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48:51
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Bethany embarks on her third “rendezvous and record” session! Dr. Marr is a pediatric dentist in the Dallas, TX area. After many years successfully growing her private practice, she has a fresh and encouraging perspective built upon reflection, positivity, and overall gratitude. She shares with listeners the importance she places on reflection, eve…
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Another Dr. Jones – Creating Good, Achievable, Meaningful Goals
44:49
44:49
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Bethany embarks on her second “rendezvous and record” session! This time, she is back in Arkansas with her dad, Dr. Jones! At 72 years young, Dr. Jones definitely has plenty of excellent advice regarding building good quality goals. In this episode, he encourages listeners to set reasonable and attainable goals but also goals that push you in an ar…
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Meet Dr. Jones – Marketing and Team Culture
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39:08
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In this first “rendezvous and record” series, Bethany hosts a client of hers – Dr. Jones! Since Bethany met Dr. Jones a few years ago, she has been impressed with the level of respect and appreciation that Dr. Jones has fostered with his team. In this episode, Dr. Jones explains how he and his wife have prioritized respect and appreciation amongst …
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Bethany encourages all listeners to be excellent goal setters, but all excellent goal setters start with a very important step – reflection. In this episode, Bethany unpacks the broad picture of how to reflect on personal, family, and work satisfaction. Then, she reminds listeners to use the reflection to inform and create strong goals for the next…
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Bethany trapped Dr. Kuba in the studio today and forced her to answer some deep and probing questions. Bethany recommends these “annual retreat” questions to be completed each year in order to ensure that life, the practice, and family life is moving in the right direction. These questions are meant to slow things down to ensure an appropriate amou…
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Dr. Kuba poses a question and subsequent subject matter – What is good customer service? In this episode, she and Bethany discuss how good customer service goes far beyond a simple smile and peppy tone. Instead, it requires preparedness, attention to detail, delivering what you say you will deliver and much, much more. Part of the barrier in provid…
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Although it may not be the most glamorous topic, increasing fees is a critical aspect of keeping a dental practice profitable. In this episode, Bethany has several tips for evaluating fees as well as strategies for analyzing your current fee schedule against competitors. She discusses the pluses and minuses of certain fee analysis strategies while …
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Clear Expectations and Sticky Conversations
37:30
37:30
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Bethany throws two difficult scenarios at Dr. Kuba today to get her take on how she would handle them. First, she asks Dr. Kuba how to handle a partner or associate who doesn’t handle the responsibility as expected. Dr. Kuba is able to dialogue about this deeply and personally because she recently was experiencing dissatisfaction with her associate…
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After hearing from Dr. Smith last week, Dr. Kuba had some deep questions on what he and other successful practice owners do differently. What guides them? What unites them? In this episode, Bethany covers three examples from her clients – three practices that are unique and yet are united by a strong, authentic leader. Dr. Kuba and Bethany challeng…
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Bethany and Dr. Smith have worked together for almost 10 years! Today, you get to meet Dr. Smith! Many might consider his practice a unicorn – one that only exists in the figment of an imagination. However, he has thrived for many years at a small, out-of-network dental office. His small team of four proves every day that doing dentistry differentl…
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This epic three-part series comes to a close today! In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the specific details of how they conducted the meeting with Thief to determine if she was “guilty.” Meetings like this can be very difficult to navigate as emotions swell. However, Dr. Kuba and Bethany tag-teamed the meeting in a way that helped the…
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You have waited in eager anticipation! Part two of “Mama Said They’ll Be Days Like This” covers the storyline of “thief,” one of the three people that Dr. Kuba had to fire in one singular day. In this episode, you will learn more about what Thief did to earn her place on the termination list. To complicate the nature of this triple firing, Dr. Kuba…
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Ever had to fire three people from your team in a single day??? Well, Dr. Kuba did last week. She and Bethany discuss what led to the triple firing as well as the thought process that went behind each decision. Each termination was due to a different reason and all were potentially consequential to the practice. Yet, three terminations in one day c…
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An important member of Bethany’s team is joining the podcast today – Danielle! She is behind the scenes in so many aspects of not only serving Bethany’s clients but also ensuring that an episode drops every Monday. One of the ways that Danielle (and our beloved Sydney too) helps clients is by overseeing their job posts and forwarding on good applic…
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Anniversary Episode: Dr. Kuba Lessons Learned/Bethany Podcast Dreams
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Bethany and Dr. Kuba are thrilled to be ringing in a third season!! In this celebratory episode, they allow you, the listener, to get to know them a little better while also providing some good reflection questions. First, Dr. Kuba reflects on what she would tell her former, brand-new practice owner self (she would have to go back 13 years to talk …
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