#856: Mid-Year Check-in: What’s Good and What Could Be Better?

The Dental A Team Podcast

We’re halfway through 2024! That means we’re halfway toward the goals made at the beginning of the year. In this episode, Kiera reminds listeners to prep for the end of the year now by touching base with the right people, and adjusting or pivoting where necessary.

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Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:00.622)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and welcome to today. I hope you guys are just having such a great day and I hope it's an amazing day for you. And I truly do hope that you're remembering that life is amazing. Life is beautiful and we get to be so blessed to be alive. Now, if you guys are struggling, I know I have been struggling a little bit lately. that's okay. Like every day is not meant to be a perfect day. And so I think it's just remembering to find out like, what are the beautiful things that we can be grateful for?

In one of my meditations, yes, I do meditate every morning. I try to, I believe that strengthening our minds is kind of like working out, you guys, we deal with a lot of hard things all the time. And so getting that mental stamina, I think is something so pertinent. And the other day I was meditating, I use calm. And then actually just recently found out about a company called inner armor. that really does like they train actually athletes with it and utilizing your breath and also your eyes. so if you guys are interested in our armor,

jury's still out for me on using it. But I was super excited. I got introduced to this company for it. But in my meditation the other morning, they were talking about how they do a gratitude countdown. And she was in this really dark place. And so it's just like, whenever you're kind of in that schmucky zone, just to say like, all right, gratitude countdown, and you can do it with a buddy, my husband, I started doing this. And I actually think it's helped me a lot to get kind of out of my schmucky zone of

like 10 things that you're grateful for. And then the other person says 10 things that they're grateful for. So the other night I've been kind of in a, in a slump, if you will. I think that I'm in this weird, I don't know. It's a morphing. It's a, I don't really know my purpose currently. I'm sure all of us go through this. I meant seven years in the business and I hear it seven year stitcher itch. And so, but that gratitude countdown, I think actually can be so pertinent for us of building that mental stamina. So,

Every day, I know that this lady on the meditation, she talked about how she just does, like even on her daily walk, she'll do 10 things that she's grateful for. And it actually was really awesome to hear my husband's things that he was grateful for as well. And so just kind of like building up that path as opposed to the path of negativity. So if you are not having, if you're on the Cloud9, amazing, keep going with the gratitude.

Kiera Dent (02:19.758)

Maybe you're kind of in a slump right now. Again, remember it's just seasons and this isn't forever. And I think it's just figuring out how to manage those tidal waves again through that mental stamina. So welcome to today. I hope you guys are looking forward to what we have. Our goal in Dental A Team is to bring positivity to the world of dentistry and to remind us why we're here and why we're doing what we're doing and to give you tools in your tool belt to be able to

master your mind, master your emotions and be able to execute on the best team and patient experience. So if you guys are loving our podcast, shout out to you all. You are keeping us as one of the top most listened to podcasts. So I just ask that you guys leave a review, share this in a Facebook group. If people are asking for podcasts or if you heard a great podcast that's helping you, be sure to just share it. You can share our reels that we have out there as well. But that just really helps us do that. So I wanted to say thank you to all of you who did it.

I always love to do a shout out and I actually just noticed a review that I really loved the other day. So I'm actually going to shout this person out. So pulling it up on our podcast page and the way you guys leave a review is just you go to wherever you listen, Spotify, Apple, whatever streaming you've got, go down to the bottom and then you do a, you actually just leave a review right there. So you can either do the five stars or you can write one, but Shelby A actually posted, and that's why I like this one. It's special. It was.

on my birthday. So thank you, Shelby. She said, this is a great resource for dental offices and someone like myself that aspires to be a better dental consultant. Thanks for all your wisdom. And then Jamin came in and said, thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom of all things dental. It's a pleasure to listen to your tips and tricks. There's almost always something that I hear you say that makes my office a better place and me a better person. So just wanted to give them a shout out because I do appreciate and I do read them. So thank you. All right. Today's topic is

on kind of preparing for the year and this is releasing in July. And so we are halfway through the year. And I just want you to kind of do a halfway midpoint check -in to see where are you at? What are you doing and what things do you need to be working on? We have this really, we have two awesome groups in Dental A Team. I've got our one -on -one coaching clients that come to, we call it Think Tank and we do it on the first Tuesday of every month. And it's our doctor mastermind and with such an amazing one.

Kiera Dent (04:33.71)

And then we also have our group that comes together and they meet all the time. They're meeting every single Thursday and the first Wednesday of the month, we actually do a pretty deep dive, Dr. Mastermind. And I got to be lucky. I got to be part of it the other, the other day. And it was interesting because we were talking about numbers and we were talking about KPIs and we're talking about making sure the foundations of their business are in place from their core values and their org chart to their numbers, to their systems.

And one of the doctors in that group, he said, Kiera, I love how you guys have set this up because you really were intelligent in helping us as leaders build up first. And then we actually do a secondary part where we as Dental A Team, take it to your team for you. But in conjunction with what the doctors have already done. So for example, for the core values, we actually take you through an entire exercise as the, the doctor and the owner of the practice to go through, figure out your core values, figure out your mission. And we do it from a completely doctor business standpoint.

And then we have like a week or two later where you actually can take it to your team. So that way the doctors are creating the vision, but then you take it to the team to execute and to build and to expand it. And he said, Kiera, the way you guys have built this is so brilliant because, and I was so glad the doctor came to this aha moment on their own. He said, you did it in a way to where the team built in and they created the goals with us. And so it's not just us creating these goals and saying, this is what we need to do, but it was all of us.

creating these goals and I can go back to them and say, remember, we did this together. We built these goals together. And I was like, I'm so grateful because that's how you get goals and that's how you get your team bought in is you have them co -create with you. You have them take the autonomy. They're asking me, Kiera, how do we get the numbers to where our team cares about them? And the goal is where it's not Dental A Team just teaching, but it's truly a group mastermind of all of us working together on it. And I loved the group because what they said was,

You know, we actually have gamified it. We've told our team like, these are your numbers, like you take it and run with it. Like, what do we need to do to hit this big goal that we set together as a team? What do you need to do in your department and really take that ownership? And I said, that's the key to making numbers matter with your team is getting that ownership where they feel like that's my number and I own it. Hey, shout out Tiffanie all the time. You guys hear her on the podcast often. But I love Tiffanie for so many reasons. But one thing that I use in this example is Tiff, if you listen to her,

Kiera Dent (06:49.934)

She feels like Dental A Team is her company. And I agree. I don't believe that Dental A Team is just Kiera's company. I believe that it is everyone on our team's company. And I want my team to have that ownership. I want them to feel like they have the autonomy to build things. I want them to feel like these numbers are their numbers. They're not Kiera's numbers. Yes, I'll bring the bumper guidelines of what I want them to be. But ultimately, I want my team to own their numbers. And so,

It was really beautiful in the group. I loved being able to share ideas and our group is amazing. It's very intimate. It's very real. Some people get so nervous about groups, right? Like I don't want to go to it, but it's crazy because I felt the same way. I thought, no, no, no. I only want one -on -one, but it's interesting because I joined Tony Robbins group and I actually have paid to be in the top tier where I actually got to go to Tony's house and I got to be a part of his mastermind. But something I noticed is,

Well, I love talking to Tony. I've talked to him a few times. I've done some interventions with him. He's helped me personally on my personal life and my business, which is incredible. This man is a genius, but it's interesting because he talks about it and he says, oftentimes the power that you guys are getting from these events is not me coaching you. It's you hearing everybody else's experiences and you're learning from them because you're hearing ideas that you wouldn't even come to the table with on your own.

And that's why I love this group. That's why we built the group was because I felt like one -on -one is so incredible. And we still have a ton of one -on -one help. You get to come every single week and ask your questions of your practice. You get to have an online chat that the consultants are a part of. But it's so cool to hear other people's experiences. Like in our doctor think tank, the doctors all are learning from each other and it's like, well, I did this in my practice center. Let me give you this perspective of me who might be your associate. Let me give you this perspective. And I just think that...

So often we're not looking at that. And so using your team, but then also being a part of a community or a group where you get to learn and not have to go through the success tax on your own. Being able to learn from other people, I think is one of the most valuable pieces we can do. And I thought about myself and what do I value in business? And I said, I value being around other people that are like me, smarter than me, and can guide me where I need to go. And so just when I'm having you guys look at halfway points of your numbers, your overhead, getting your team bought into this,

Kiera Dent (09:02.286)

being in places where you do have other people that you can lean on for support because going back to even the beginning of this podcast where I was talking about mental stamina, I think oftentimes mental stamina is required, but the way we have it and we're able to fortify and continue through is by having people and connections. I was talking to my therapist the other day and she said, you know, Kiera, what makes life worth like having meaning is connections in life. And I've thought about it. How, how many connections do we have?

that aren't necessarily like patient connections or team connections. Do you have colleagues around you? Do you have friends around you that are supporting you, that are pushing you forward, that are reminding you, hey, it's our halfway point. How are your goals? How can I support you? What can I do? These are some of the things I've done. Let me share them with you. Because I think back to, you know, go back 50, 60 years ago and community was so much more. People lived in their same places. People grew up in their same places. People didn't travel as much. We're more of a transient society now. And so,

Do you have community within your work? Like I purposely have joined DentalAid, Tony Robbins, because as a business owner, and especially as a consultant, where do I go for that support to be able to buoy myself up? Where do I go to have people that can work on my business for me? Where can I go with people that are like me? And that's actually what we've tried to create in Dental A Team is a space for doctors to come and connect together, a space for office managers to come and connect and learn from each other. So really building a community.

So with that, as you guys are looking at your end of year, I hope you're thinking about a community and who do you have and do you have someone guiding you? Do you have someone giving you these checkpoints that's also holding you accountable to it? That's something I'm really, really big on is that you don't just come and hear words, but you actually take actions. So going from podcasts of listening to action and implementation is truly where the magic is. So for your end of year, I hope you guys are meeting with your CPAs right now, that you are.

taking the time to look to see where you at, have you saved enough for taxes? I believe that when people have a bad December, it's due to lack of planning. And so right now you're at mid -year, be the proactive office who reaches out to your CPA and finds out where am I at? What's my profit? What do I need to have saved for taxes? Am I on track or am I off track? Because you still have six months through the year to be able to make up if you haven't had it versus trying to catch up next year when it's another year. Are you guys on track with your?

Kiera Dent (11:23.726)

numbers and your goals of where you wanted to be for this year. And if not, can you pivot? Can you pull your team together? Can you lean on the community of doctors around you and ask them for support of what do they do to be able to move forward? I know all of our doctors are leaning on each other. I know all of them are working together. Are you looking at what you need to build and making sure you have a good block schedule in place that's actually going to support your goals rather than it just being a hope and a wish? I believe that goals can be hit successfully with a plan.

And so often we just set a goal, but we don't actually have the plan or the pieces in play to actually make it happen. Are you getting your team re -engage? Are you taking the CE that you want to do? It's mid point. How are you doing on your goals personally as well? Are you doing the things you want and how can you pivot and adjust so that way at the end of the year, it's not like, well, just had another year with no goals being hit, but you can actually say, no, we had a plan we pivoted. And I don't believe this is where we change goals. I'm really big on.

Keep the goals consistent. That way we can make better goals and we can learn from them. Goals are stars to guide by, not sticks to beat ourselves with. And so with it being this midpoint portion of the year, I really hope that you guys are working on the mental stamina, that you're getting your team bought into your numbers, that you're watching your numbers, that you are, and not for the numbers sake, but to make sure that we have the systems in place to give the best patient and team experience that we can. People often have this negative mindset around numbers and goal setting. And...

My question is why? What is it? And most people don't want to feel like failures. And so I'm like, how can we pivot it to be winning to where it is kind of this like out there goal, what we're working towards and we're striving towards because otherwise we just flounder, right? If you don't have any direction, then it doesn't matter where you end up. And so I know all of us have some type of direction, but we often don't have the discipline or the support of a community around us to be able to hit the goals with ease, to be able to do the things that we want.

to be able to figure out when we're off track, what do we do to get back on track and to have people that are supporting us. So when you're like, hey, I'm off track, there's a whole group of people or resources around you to be able to support you. And so I would just say it's mid -year. Mid -year is the time to be having your consultant look at this, to be having your CPA look at this, to be talking to your financial advisor to find out what exactly do I need to be doing to make sure I'm on track personally and professionally.

Kiera Dent (13:38.19)

to get your team back bought in. Maybe you have a mid -year kickoff again of like, let's reinvigorate ourselves. What KPIs do we need to track? How can we innovate within our practice? If we're off track on our numbers, can we add in an ortho week? Could we add in a Botox membership? Could we reach out to Dental Menu with Paul Lowry, who's really brilliant on being able to build not just membership plans for our dental procedures, but also for additional ones like Botox or whitening or other things that are.

generating revenue in the practice and are great for patients as well. And if you haven't reached out to them, be sure to reach out to Dental Menu with and let them know Dental A Team sent you. I've never seen Botox work in a practice except for one that had it on a membership program. And I was like, that was so smart because then it helped it to where it was like basically my free pass because I'm already paying for the membership. So why would I not come in and get it? And it was a great revenue booster for a practice. So all these different little pieces, how can we innovate right now to ensure that we're going to hit the goals by the end of the year?

I feel like it's mid -year slump or mid -year trump. Like which way are you going to go? Are you going to like trump the year and have it be your amazing time or are you going to slump and be like, well, if we just had another miss of a year. If you're listening to the podcast, I don't think it's going to be another miss of the year. And sometimes we just need the accountability. I use the example of me with my personal trainer. I had a personal trainer and I worked out for six months, you guys. Like I had gone from no working out to working out. I did, I think I missed maybe five and five workouts.

in the total of a six month period. And I worked out every single week I was on the road. Like I was very disciplined. I was very dedicated to it. And as soon as it stopped where I had to show up for my calls, I could do not. I went to Bora Bora in March and I did not work out again until June 5th when I rehired this girl and I started doing it again with the accountability.

And so know thyself. For me, like I did a perfect experiment, right? I went six months, I was amazing. I tried to do it on my own. I thought I'd built the habit and I wasn't. I literally dropped off the bandwagon and I rehired her. And I'll tell you, I already feel better. I'm working out more. I have more confidence in myself. And it was simply from that accountability of just knowing I had to show up for someone else other than myself. I think we often try to willpower through our goals when the reality is there are people that are there to help us, to support us, that will not let us fail. And I love that we do that as a consulting company.

Kiera Dent (15:54.83)

Whether you're in our virtual group, whether you're on our one -on -one, we do not let our clients fail. That's something I'm really big on. You have to show up and do the work. That's something I will never take on. You've got to show up as an active player, right? Like she can be there all day long supporting me, but if I'm not willing to do the workouts and I'm not willing to do what she tells me to do, that's not she's a failed trainer. That's because I didn't show up. So it's a two -way street, but I'd say reach out, get the help you need. If you're off track for those goals, it's not too late. We still have half of the year, but also let's not wait until we're into that

fire spot of Q4 and then it's really, really hard to come back from it. Now is the time halfway. So I wanted to get on today and give you that halfway midway point of what can you do? How can we ensure that you're successful? Because I truly do believe that success should not be a guessing game. Success can be consistent. Success can be something that you can count on. Success does not have to be a hope and a wish and hoping we hit our goals every year, but it can be more consistent and more predictable. And I would love to help you guys if Dental A Team is the right place for you. Reach out.

We do a free call with you. It's very easy. You can email [e-mail] You can go on our website and just click a time that's good for you. It's like 15 minutes. It's very easy. Or you can join us every Friday at 8 am Pacific time. We actually have like a what is it like to work with Dental A Team? What is it like to work as a as a client? And you can just come. It's always there is always running. I would love you guys to join us. So either of those ways, whatever is easiest for you, email us [e-mail]

Click on our website to go to TheDentalATeam.com click book a call or come to our weekly FAQ with Dental A Team I apologize. It's 8:30 not 8 am So 8:30 Pacific 11:30 Eastern very simple go onto our website. It's right there You can join us every single week come and ask I try to make it very easy for you because I know when it's time to reach out For help or when you're like, I would just love to know a little bit about this. It's always better when it's easy.

So reach out, I'd love to help you, but it's midway point and I want you guys to make sure that 2024 is not a year where it's a hope and a wish of success, but a guarantee of success. And with that, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.