From Burnout to Real Freedom

0:01Well, welcome to the Foundation Dental podcast. I am your host, doctor Jim Arnold, and I am super excited about today's guest. He's my good friend, doctor Jeff Buske. And this is a conversation I've really been looking forward to. We we talk a lot, but, you know, this one, we're we're gonna go deep. It's gonna be a real conversation because Jeff's a dentist. He's a coach. He's a leader who's pretty much lived every version of this profession from clinical mastery to burnout to building a life and practice with real freedom. He's helped Dennis move from feeling trapped by success to actually enjoying the lives they worked so hard to create. We're gonna talk about the personal breakdown that changed everything for him, the principles he teaches today, and why environments like our upcoming Dubai luxury dental retreat can really accelerate clarity in ways most dentists have never experienced.

0:50This is a real conversation about dentistry, leadership, family, and what freedom actually looks like. And, Jeff is just the perfect guest to talk about all this. Good to see you, buddy. Oh, man. Great to see you. Thanks for having me on. I'm honored to be here and, look forward to great discussion today, man. Yeah. No. Absolutely. And, you know, I'm gonna go back. I'm gonna go back to kind of the the start of this sort of transformation that you went through about ten years ago. Yeah. I may not have the the year exactly right, but I think it was around 2016. Right? That's exactly right on, man. Okay. It's exactly right on. Well, you know, from the outside looking in, everything looks so successful. But for you, what what felt the most off that other people didn't see?

1:33You know, either they just couldn't see or you didn't let them see. That's such a great question. You know, you're a 100% right. On the appearance, on the outside, everything looked like I was winning. You know? Like, had the nice house, the the nice cars, the, you know, beautiful wife and great kids and great schools and going vacations, things like that. It all looked awesome, right, from the outside. But what nobody could see or what I wouldn't let people see is how I was actually crumbling or just dying on the inside. And what I mean by that is is that that time I had multiple practices, two practices, and the amount of stress in my second practice I had was a complete startup that was really started in 2014.

2:22And, you know, and I was 52 miles away. And, essentially, I was going over there on Fridays, and so I was trying to build a culture and a practice and run that from outside. And I was working still four days a week in my main practice. Mhmm. So I still had my dentistry that I was doing. Unfortunately, I as a lot of dentists, we don't have really too much training in skill sets in managing stress or at that time, which I wasn't really noticing that I was really burning out and didn't have the tools to manage that. You know, I thought that I knew how to market pretty well, and I did, but not to the perspective of will really where I needed to go to grow it quickly.

3:14And so all those things were starting to take a little bit of a turn on me, meaning that it was compromising my health because of the stress. I was I would say I was overeating or not eating the healthiest foods. I was drinking every single night just to kinda numb out and try to take a little bit of a a hiatus from the stress that I was feeling, which was not healthy for me physically. Yeah. It definitely was not healthy for me in my marriage because when you drink every night, it doesn't allow for a really great connection. And, usually, what would happen is my wife and I would end up arguing, and we'd argue about everything from money to the kids to just kinda what was going on in life.

3:59And I didn't have a great outlet for that. And so, unfortunately, my wife and my kids were kinda the outlet for me. And, you know, I'll just put it bluntly like this. I was kinda more operating like an emotional terrorist than anything else. You know, it's interesting, Jeff. I think, I think a lot of dentists go through that same kind of cycle, but they don't recognize it. You know, where they go too far and things just end badly. But in your case, you know, obviously, you kind of found the way. But, you know, look just looking at your professional life, you know, almost not separate from, but in addition to your personal life that was kind of falling apart to some degree. You know, you were a CE junkie.

4:44I know. I mean, you you achieved clinical mastery relatively early in your career. You know? And for a lot of people, that's like enough. They feel fulfilled professionally. But for you, it sounds like that that clinical mastery wasn't enough for you to feel fulfilled from a professional standpoint. Why why do you think that is? I think innately inside of me, there is such a perspective, and I think this is true for a lot of individuals. But there's was this innate desire to want to really continue to build and just to build bigger than just mastering dentistry or mastering clinical skills and knowing that I was built for more or made for more or designed to create more impact in the world. I wasn't quite sure what that would look like, but I knew that there was a part of me that was not being completely fulfilled just from performing dentistry.

5:42Mhmm. And so there was that desire for something more. Interesting. And so I think that I started to look for that with, well, then I'll just build another practice. You know? And that's where I started to look at that. And it wasn't necessarily the the right scenario when I look back at it. Yeah. Holy cow. You know, I've been through similar pathways, and I Yeah. Need a new challenge, and it needs to be bigger than it is and never being satisfied, being a perfectionist. All those things are I think those are issues that so many of us dentists deal with. You know? So many of us are you're a high achiever. You know? You set a high standard. You're a perfectionist. And those are things that are, like, ultimately not attainable.

6:25You know? Perfection at any rate. I mean, success and high achievement is great. But, you know, for you, I know personally and I know just from other interviews I've seen with you as well that you considered, like, leaving dentistry altogether at one point. So, I mean, that that had to be pretty emotional considering how skilled you were. I mean, what did that that kind of episode tell you about success and what success really means? Man, yes. Earlier on in my career, like, you hit around the head. I was a CE junkie. Like, I'd taken so many courses on being able to I could restore a full mouth rehab. I knew a significant amount about occlusion, both CR as as well as neuromuscular. I could do both.

7:12I could do a lot of things with TMJ, snoring, sleep apnea. I mean, place implants. I had a lot of great CE and was confident and competent. And, you know, with all that, the only thing was is is where I was at in the practice I was at. I was I was literally an associate, and I had taken all this CE and was able to do that. But I felt like the guy who was all dressed up for prom and no date. Like, know, it's the best way that I could put it. Yeah. Right. And I was under this false illusion that if I just took more CE, if I just did this, that the patients would magically just show up. Yeah. And, you know, the truth being is even back in that, in the early two thousands and everything, we didn't have this huge focus on marketing as much back then.

8:06Sure. No. Absolutely. Not many people did. Nothing like it is today. And it was more along lines of, like, I just thought if I had the skill sets that that, like I said, the patients would just magically show up. Yeah. And there was a big dissolution, you know, with with looking at it that way. But you know, you're not alone, Jeff. I think a lot of dentists have that kind of misconception, you know, the build it and they will come sort of mentality. And, you know, at the end of the day, it just takes so many different, not just skill sets, but the ability to attract those patients and the the the knowledge that they don't have any idea what differentiates you from the guy across the street.

8:46They just don't. Everybody calls themselves a cosmetic dentist and all that stuff, and maybe they don't know jack about cosmetic dentistry. And you've done all these courses, and it's frustrating to see them going to the wrong practices. Well and and I will tell this because going back to that time frame, I just and I think this is good for people to hear a perspective because I think it's good to know, like, where I was at. So, you know, we play this comparison game, and Yeah. I want, you know, I want docs to know, especially younger docs to know, like, listen. At that time, like, I I was barely making ends meet, and I didn't have a family. I was just hard trying to take care of myself.

9:27Right. You know, like, I was I was hoping that I could make my car payment and my, you know, my rent and and feed myself. And there was plenty of months where I was eating ramen noodles, and I'm not kidding. Wow. You know? And I'm thinking, this is dentistry? Like, are you serious? This is dentistry? Like, this is where where I'm at? Like Jeez. This whole thought process, oh, it should be not necessarily easy street, but I should be doing a lot better than I'm doing. Dennis, I know. Nice houses and nice cars in there. Going to nice restaurants. Yeah. You know, Jeff, I don't know about you, but we graduated about the same time. My first year as an associate dentist in 1996. And every young dentist out there is like, that's forever ago.

10:09For me, I haven't seen that long ago. It is. But, I mean, $39,000 that first year out. I had a $120 in debt. I was like, what the heck? This is crazy, man. Yes. Well and, you know, so you start to compound that. Right? And then when I had, like, the idea, like, man, you know, ever since I was 17, I I knew I wanted to be a dentist. But when I started to have that showing up for an extended period of time, I was like, you know what? That's why I was looking at saying, well, maybe dentistry isn't right for me. You know? And that's when I really did I can really consider walking away. So, Jeff, you you use the expression, what it, prisoner producer free a lot.

10:56And Mhmm. You know, I I don't know exactly what that means, but you're gonna tell me in a second. But what's a clear sign that a dentist thinks that they're free? That they've they've made it, but they really haven't. I think one of the things is is that we go from this perspective of being you know, starting out in dentistry and just trying to make sure you don't kill somebody and and going from there to becoming what I would consider competent. Right? Sure. And and when you're competent and you're confident as your competency goes up, I think when you start to go from that stage then into what I would call almost like a hustler or a good producer stage. Mhmm. Once you start to produce at a high level, that's when I think dentists start to feel like, oh, I've made it.

11:47You know? I'm finally producing these great numbers, and I'm, you know, I've got money coming in. And Yeah. And I and that's when they start to feel like, I'm free. Yeah. Right. And then they start to realize, oh, shit. Wait a minute. Like, if I am not going in and I'm not producing, then there's no profitability coming in. Yeah. And then they start to realize, oh, okay. Maybe I'm not free. That's where that comes from. That's okay. That makes perfect sense. And, like, we have beliefs about dentistry. You know, when you come out of school, you have certain beliefs. For the the average dentist out there, what beliefs do you think keep them stuck the longest? Keep them from making that that next step that that gets them in the in the direction of freedom?

12:39I think the I think one really significant belief is is that I've gotta play it safe. I really think that that's a significant belief that costs a lot of time. I don't mean be foolish, but listen. If you're gonna keep one foot in this shallow end of the pool and just start to tippy toe into the deep end, you're gonna stay stuck for a long period of time. Yeah. You know? And and then, also, I think the other fact is is that I've got to do everything. Like, the belief of, like, nobody can do it as well as me, so I've gotta do the whole thing. Yeah. You know? I gotta I gotta do the the bookkeeping. I've gotta do the payroll. I've gotta do the marketing.

13:24I've gotta make sure that I oversee the supplies. I've gotta do all of these things. Yeah. And you're absolutely killing yourself and not knowing how to delegate or to what I would say trust but verify with powerful team members. Yeah. Right. And I think the inability to have I think I think there's a lack of leadership. And and that's no surprise because we don't get any leadership training. We don't. We don't. Any management training. We don't get any marketing training. We don't get any business training. So it's no surprise that these things are factors that kinda do begin to hold you hostage. Especially earlier in our career. You know, when we're micromanaging everything because our belief is that we're gonna do it better than anybody else, we become the bottleneck.

14:14When every single decision has to run through us, everything gets jammed up and growth becomes almost impossible. And by the way, you're driving the value of the practice down when you're the bottleneck. If the practice is too dependent on you as the owner or the massive producer, look, you're a risky acquisition someday. And so, you know, you kinda gotta begin with the end in mind and say, hey. This is where I wanna go to. How do I reverse engineer that plan? I know you and I are both of that mindset. Always reverse engineer from that impossible goal. And then, you know, just be really intentional about creating leaders on your team so that leadership is spread out a little bit. Have someone else hopefully come in and do some of the production, and have people who can are empowered to make decisions.

15:02Because then you can start to delegate and trust or verify and trust, like you said. Well and I think you hit the nail on the head too. This belief that if I just grind harder and if I just put in more hours, that I'll be successful. And that's such a false belief. And and it's true. Such a waste of significant time that is one of the most valuable things you'll ever have. And when you get more gray hair like us, you start to be able to understand that, and you start to realize that, man, you know, it goes quick. I mean, shoot. This is 29 now in dentistry, and it's like, I still love what I get to do, but I also have a lane that I love doing.

15:50And there's a there's a big difference with that too, and not trying to do everything. Yeah. Absolutely. And that leads right into the question, you know, you built a $4,000,000 practice on a three day work week. And by the way, kudos to you. Not many people are able to do that. But I think a lot of times people think they have to add a lot of stuff. But in your case, what did you have to eliminate to make that possible? That is so true. It's not and it it's just, as you said, it's more along the lines of elimination. Mhmm. And when you start to look at doing anything like that, whether it be going further in life or whether it be expanding your finances and practice and your productivity and profitability.

16:34Mhmm. It's really looking at not saying yes to more things. It's looking at what am I gonna say no to? And it's the power of no. It really is. And setting very specific boundaries. Yeah. And so this is not just inside of your practice, but this is also at home and setting up and valuing your time. All of those become significant impactful factors. And so inside of my practice, what I started to look at is I got in the habit, and it was also this was started from my my late business partner, doctor Baird, is that, you know, we would start off with looking at every single year. At the very January, we would always do a production by procedure report. And so we would look at all the procedures that we did inside the practice every year, every single thing, all the way from sealants that were done to fillings to implants and to full mouth restoration Yeah.

17:34Veneers, everything. And then we would just pick it apart with a fine tooth comb and look at, okay. What procedures do I want to add if I wanna add anything? And then more specifically, what do I wanna cut? Yeah. Like Absolutely. Me, like, hey. You know what? I don't love doing endo. I don't love doing root canals. So why am I wasting my time doing that? And I could do it. Yeah. But it wasn't like it wasn't something that lit me on fire. It wasn't something that, you know, I do exceptionally well as well as what I think a specialist would do. Right. And so it's making those types of decisions to, like, what do I really love, and what do I love doing? And the thing is, it's easy to jam up your schedule with a lot of procedures that you don't love or a lot of things that just aren't productive.

18:28You know? And and for me, the biggest key was, well, number one, when it was something I knew a specialist would do better, I I just referred. But when I got great associates, I was able to, you know, pass everything that I didn't wanna do to them or Yes. Or or a specialist. But it it it changed my life. It changed my professional life, and I was able to focus on just the types of procedures that I really liked or, you know, the patients that I really enjoyed working with. And it it gave me a lot of freedom that you don't have if you're the only one in the office. And I think I wanna make two points here that are very, very apparent because some people might say, well, I don't have room for an associate, so what do I do?

19:11Okay. That's when you first start to say no to having your schedule be so chaotic. Right. That's when you start to organize your days and how you schedule based on productivity, not just block time, but based on productivity. There's a very specific formula to work with that. You can totally change your practice with just learning how to schedule things appropriately. So that's one thing. Like, if you didn't have room to add an associate or you didn't want to, by learning how to schedule things effectively, that's a significant way that you can impact your productivity and profitability as well as significantly decrease your stress. And by the way, it also that efficiency frees up more time for relationship building with patients. Totally does. It's never about rushing through things.

19:58It's about having repeatable systems that you do over and over and over again, and your bur is touching the tooth less time than it is for somebody who's dinking around for an hour. Yeah. Systems, processes, people. That's right. Are absolutely paramount as well as then leadership, which those first three fall into. And so And by the way, those are the things that increase valuation more than anything else because buyers are buying your systems and your people. They are not likely to buy a risky practice where everything is predicated on one person showing up every day because you get hit by a bus, you move to, you know, Hawaii, and they've all of a sudden got an asset that just There's no value. Went through the floor in terms of valuation.

20:45So Well, and to come back to the second point then, if you do have room inside of the practice, then being able to bring in a great associate or a great partner in that and define what can we look at doing from offsetting things that you don't love to do or what they are really great at doing. You know? And you start to find those things to also boost the value of the practice. And that's what we found, you know, inside of our practice, like having the docs who are really great at some things, and now we start to operate in a way that just fuels the practice Mhmm. Fuels the productivity, and to your point, allows us to spend more time creating relationship and having excellent communication with the patients to where nobody's feeling rushed.

21:31And it is so much more filling, including us as the docs. We're not running around like a chicken with their head cut off between every single operatory and just killing ourselves. Your schedule like I said, when you schedule based on productivity the right way, you've got more than enough time to complete what you've got on your your schedule or your plate and usually then some to where you can actually add in some same day dentistry, take care of any emergencies that can also become more productive. It is just such a more relaxed and fulfilling way to practice. No doubt. Those are the things that you start to then realize, okay. If I say no to these things and I'm not trying to be everything to everyone and to be a master of everything and really a master of none was what you end up with.

22:18Jack of all trades, master of none. And when you look at that from that perspective, you start to really get honed in on, k. What what do I want my practice to look like? And and just asking yourself that question and going back to your point, which you so eloquently put earlier is like, what do I want? Like, what do I want not just in life, but just, you know, what do I want for my practice? What do I want for marriage? What do I want for my, you know, my family? What do I want for my health? And getting really clear and dialed in on those things. And then to your point, okay. Now let's reverse engineer that. That's right. You know, Jeff better way to do it.

22:55This is taking me right back to Dubai last August because these are exactly the kinds of conversations that we have over five days while we're there. And it's not just during our conversational education sessions in the boardroom. It's while we're in a a Mercedes Sprinter going to our next VIP activity. It's over, you know, our our amazing dinners and all that kind of stuff. And those are those are things that I think create real breakthroughs. And when when you look at that, when you look at the experience that we had in Dubai last August with some some amazing dentists, why why do you think dentists are more likely to have breakthroughs in that kind of environment than, like, at a typical dental conference? I think it comes down to one word, which is proximity.

23:39Yeah. That's exactly right. Like, when you sit here and think about it, we're in a very, very tight container. Mhmm. And when you look at it, like, compared to going to a conference where there's several 100 people. Yeah. Or let's just say that there's, you know, 50 or 60 people, and you got one or two speakers, and then you've got a myriad of people who are rushed up at the end trying to talk to the speakers, and you might have thirty seconds to try to answer a question that's very important to you. Yeah. And so you have that experience. Mhmm. Now you have an experience where you have spent at least half a day getting educated from the speakers. And now you have not only all that incredible information, so it's not just been hit to you in forty five minutes to an hour.

24:30You've spent half a day getting incredible education, and now you're hanging out not just during that time, but you're hanging out at lunch. You're going to dinners. You're having other experiences, VIP experiences. And, you know, here's a great testimony. After the first night of dinner, hearing the participants say, you know what? This has already exceeded my expectations, and I've got more than my value in just the first day and the first night's dinner. That says a lot. Yeah. And it's because of those types of intimate conversations where, hey. Everything was on the table to ask. Nothing was, like, hidden, and it was just, you know, we're gonna open the full kimono for you to look at and see everything and ask anything. And that's, I think, what was so beautiful and to hear varying perspectives.

25:23Like Yeah. You know? Because not everybody agreed on every aspect, and I think it was so great to hear that balance. That's right. To be able to ask continuing questions based along that dialogue. Well, you know, I've never been a big believer in in gurus per se. You know? I think everybody has something of value, but I've never, like, found somebody with, like, everything. Like, this is exactly how wanna do it because we're all different. We're all different. But, you know, when you have four speakers and you have that access, that proximity, those conversations that last for hours, I mean, one conversation could be worth millions of dollars. One idea, one new relationship. And it was funny. I mean, I I felt like after the first couple of days, like, we are already all really connected and we kinda blend started to blend together, like, who are the speakers?

26:09Who are the attendees? Yes. You know, what and what surprised you most about that? Like, how Dennis showed up after that first night or the second day or whatever? What what surprised you when they were out of their normal environment? Out of their normal environment, you're right. There was a there was a connection and there was a comfort level as well as an openness, meaning that everybody was open to the point of feeling like, okay. And I think that part of that came from the vulnerability of the speakers. Mhmm. And I think and then also too, none of the speakers had ego attached to it. And I think there was a big part in that, so everybody was open to any type of questions. Yeah.

26:50And I think that that was surprising because generally speaking, when you look at speakers, a lot of times egos have a hard time fitting through the door. Well, you know, and that's I mean, obviously, I was very intentional about how we designed this because my best experiences is both the student and educator were in small groups where you did have that access and you had those real conversations, and you got the full story and not just what you could cover in an hour or whatever. Right. And that's why, I mean, you and Steve Rasner and Elijah Desmond I, I mean, it was just a great combination of people, you know, because we are all really open and we all are have empathy and we all want to make sure that everybody gets, you know, massive ROI and massive relationship capital and everything else.

27:33And Yes. It really made it magical. And then, of course, the setting itself was pretty damn cool too. Hard hard to beat. I was just like that is such a bucket list item, and it was just incredible. Setting was amazing. The food was amazing. The the VIP experiences that you curated were just absolutely incredible. And the service was impeccable and as well as the education was impeccable. And you're right. There was many ideas that were shared of which just one of those ideas had an opportunity to put millions and millions of dollars into a practice and a positive ROI. That first night, I felt like she made $2,500,000. You know? And then the next day, there was somebody who I know she made about $250,000.

28:21And then the next day, there was somebody who has new direction on her whole career and her first practice and everything else. And Yes. Hey, man. That's fun. And, you know, they still tell me, you know, thanks for changing my life. You know? I mean, I keep in touch with them every couple of weeks, and and it's been it's been fun to watch them, you know, after the fact, you know, continue to to succeed and flourish. And, you know Love it. Did you did you see, like, internal shifts happening in real time after the first couple of days? Yes. Because you could start to see where their confidence level started to begin to shift along the line of the belief of, like, okay. I can do this.

28:59Yes. And I am showing up in a way that's powerful for me because I'm gonna take what I'm learning here, and I'm gonna put it into play. So when you start to see that and you start to hear their verbiage shift Mhmm. And you start to know, okay. This is not just a momentary change. This is actually transformation. Yes. Exactly. There's a big difference between change and transformation. You know, change is is what I would consider as more external. Mhmm. And that also requires quite a bit of time motivation. Mhmm. So, like, motivation lasts as long as the speaker or then, or the information is present. Mhmm. And then it's easy for that to disappear when that speaker or that information is not thought about every single day.

29:49That's for sure. Well, know, you get back to the daily grind. Yeah. Well, transformation, though, is different because now that's internal, and you're creating a new series of stories that you tell yourself. Mhmm. And then those stories told over time then begin to shift beliefs. And that is a whole different opportunity because that is, like I said, creating inspiration that is created around something typically that's bigger than you. So what I got to see from my perspective is watching attendees start to learn that they can have a big dream or a big vision and that sometimes they might not have given themselves that permission at that point in time. And that's what I was wanting to do. Yeah. Absolutely. That that's such a great perspective.

30:40So, I I mean, in the big picture, do you do you feel like like the luxury of Dubai that we all experienced? I mean, did did that make it easier, more comfortable for people to do the work, or did it make the work harder? I think well, I think it it's I think it made it easier because the fact is is that, listen, you're in an incredible environment. And the environment, like I said, the way that you curated curated it and set it up was very intentional. Mhmm. And it was set up as a a container as I would I would look at it to allow training to really set in properly. And when I look at that, it's when you're introducing new concepts, new ideas, and everything, there's the teaching of it, but then there's the training of it of how is the environment that's there to help enforce that.

31:33And I think that's what was so great about Dubai is this is high end and this is luxurious, but every single individual that was there was a desire for them to look at. They wanted to have that inside of their practice as well as their own personal life. Yeah. And so I think it just enhanced that opportunity and that outcome, really. You know? And, Jeff, I gotta give you kudos because a lot of the success of that goes right back to you. You know? Our conversations are what led to the the vision for what we put together. And then just your leadership and your ability to, I think, articulate a vision or help me see it more clearly and then just your support and then you being there for the dentist.

32:19I mean, it it wouldn't have happened the way it did without you. And I I'm so appreciative. And I'm I'm super excited about going back this May with a new group of dentists. Yes. It's it's as good as it was last August. I mean, I picked up a few little things, and think it'll be even better this time around. So super excited about that, man. Well and I received that, and I appreciate that. And, yes, I'm super excited too going back. I I can't wait. And, you know, just like everything evolves, you know, I've got new things that are gonna be able to be presented and Awesome. And different things that I always continue to test. I put myself out on the front edge of things, test things continuously, put things into play in my own world before I ever distribute them to my coaching clients.

33:06I don't I'm never of this type of, like, I'm gonna read it in a book and then tell you that's what you need to do without me putting things into play. You're really good about that too, and you really set the standard, set the example, and you you you not only inspire and motivate people, but you also are really good at keep holding them accountable. You know? I mean, hey, you said you're gonna do this. How's it going? And that's really important to all of that. And, you know, again, I said we had such a great lineup last August. We had such great people and, you know, we're gonna recreate that. This May, just a slightly slightly different group. Arun doctor Arun Garg is also going to us, and he's been one of my best friends for years.

33:48And he is of that same mindset and has that same heart for mentorship and for helping dentists move the needle both personally and professionally. So he's gonna be a really solid addition. I'm I'm excited, you know, since he's my my good friend too to share the experience with him. And, you know, I mean, selfishly, hey. I built this for the dentist we serve, but I get so much out of it too. Spending time with my friends and having really great conversations and learning from one another. I mean, it's just Yes. It's there's such a a a richness of conversation, personalities, and opportunity for all of us. I think one of the things that you've done such fantastic job is is in choosing the individuals that that are presenting everything.

34:36Every single individual has a an abundance mindset. And that's why there I think that's also one of the unique things to it when you said, you know, what what allows people to get the results that they've gotten. And I think there's a lot of that is is that there is that abundance mindset, and there is no holding back. It's just Right. Like, I want we wanna pour into you as much as you'll as you'll take. You know? Sure. Feel like, I'm sure kinda like a bit of a a fire hydrant too, I'm drinking from one. But at the end of the day, you are gonna be well equipped to be able to not only change your life, but to transform your practice and as well as your home life and just give you different ways to think and different things to be able to consider.

35:23Right. I think that's one of the other things is, like, giving yourself the opportunity and the possibility to dream and to dream big Yeah. And to not settle for mediocrity or playing small. It's about being in the right room. You know, being in a room with people who have done or are doing what you'd like to do. And, you know, we can give them the cheat code. You know, basically Yes. Compress time. You know? If they can learn from our successes and the things that didn't go so well. I mean, talk about a beautiful way to fast track success. And you and I have always looked up looked for mentors, and we've always capitalized on the expertise of others. And while we're both creative people and do things, you know, our own way sometimes, you know, we neither of us has ever felt like we had to reinvent the wheel because we have spent time with so many smart people with abundance mindsets.

36:15Do know, I wanna I wanna pivot back to the practice side again for a minute. You've I I mentioned in your intro that you've kind of experienced everything in dentistry. And one of those things is you have practiced corporately, you've practiced independently. And I think that there are a lot of misunderstandings about that. You know, what for you what what would give a dentist a sense of security either corporately or independently? Just from your perspective and your experience. Because I I've also been there, and I I know it's it can be scary. I think the the thing that gives you a sense of security is a good plan and a and a great plan and a great what I would consider a great blueprint. So whether you choose to practice independently or whether you choose to practice corporately, again, getting really clear and dialed in on, you know, what do you want your life to look like.

37:09I think if you just take even the corporate or the independent out of it, I think first getting really super clear on what is it that you want. And then once you're clear on what it is that you want or you you're very distinctly clear on what your practice want what you want your practice to look like or how you wanna practice Mhmm. Then it's easy to now, again, reverse engineer that. And that's what's gonna give you some of your greatest sense of security because, look, you know, when you and I grew up, we had this, you know, idea that we wanted to own everything in our practice. You know? And Right. There's a lot of individuals nowadays that that's not necessarily true. Yeah. You know?

37:51And so it really is looking at meeting the individual where they're at, and I think that you can have comfort and security in both ways because I've met plenty of docs who are like, man, if I can just have a great place to come in and work and perform dentistry at a high level, and I take a little bit of some of the maybe the business and the management and some of that out of the equation Yeah. I would be happy and secure in what I'm doing. Absolutely. And I think that that's, you know, there's something there for those individuals. Then you also have the very entrepreneurial minded doc who's just like, man, I wanna own, and I wanna be able to produce, and I wanna be in charge of my own, you know, success, whatever that may look like.

38:39Absolutely. Or I want to maybe own multiple practices, whatever that is in that regards. And for security for them, then it looks like your systems coming back to what we said before, your systems, processes, and people have to be on point in order to have that security and in order to build. I was just talking with somebody here just the other day, and they were talking about man, they they were talking with a doc who had 10 practices. 10 practices. And so when you hear that, you're like, oh, they must be massively successful. No. They were they were not as profitable as a single million dollar practice Yeah. Which says a lot. So, you know, there's what we see and what we think. Yeah. But just because sometimes there's a greater amount of offices or things of that nature doesn't mean that that's always the most profitable way to be.

39:38Well, you know, Jeff, I think you're you're absolutely right. And one great thing about dentistry is there's 50 different ways to run a practice. There's 50 different ways to be practicing dentist. I mean, from the procedures we decide to do, from the types of people we decide to work with, whether we wanna be owners or associates or own for a while, build a valuable asset and then sell at some point transition. That's it's it's all it's all kind of a moving target too. You know, sometimes our priorities can change over the years and we have different goals, different desires, different things that are gonna make us happy. And look, I I think that there are a lot of dentists, tens of thousands probably over the five years, who are gonna be looking to transition.

40:18And it's so important to not only focus on creating a valuable asset that that will not just be sellable, it will be desirable. You'll have multiple people coming to you. But I think that dentists also do have to have an open mind about who they transition with. You know, unfortunately, when you've got a big practice that's profitable, there aren't a lot of dentists with pockets deep enough to actually buy you out. I mean, not to say it can't happen and maybe you're willing to take several million dollars less to do that and more power to you. There's a good buyer for everybody, I think. But I I think that when you look at the DSO space, you know, there's some really good ones out there and there's some that that aren't so good maybe.

41:02And, you know, one that might not be a good fit for you, may be a good fit for him. And and I think that having an open mind and having advisers or somebody who can kinda walk through that process with you who's been there, done that, I think that makes all the difference in the world too. Because the choice of partner is every bit as important as how much money you get. Because you don't wanna have major regret a year down the road after you've made that decision to transition. And I think you hit the nail on the head having somebody who's been there to walk through that and to be able to just even pose questions that allow you to see something that you might not have thought of before.

41:42That alone can be worth millions of dollars. Oh, absolutely. You know? And as you know, with the Foundation Dental Transitions, that's what my my partner Brian and I do. You know? He's worked with 5,000 dentists, done 400 transactions, and I've done about 60 transactions. And we've both been on the corporate side, the independent side. And, you know, I I know what questions keep doctors awake at night, you know, when they think about selling their their life's work. And Brian spent most of his career sitting on the opposite side of the table. In fact, that's how we became friends. He was on the opposite side of the table, but he was so good. And, yeah, he he made a deal that was very, very advantageous to his PE firm and his his employers, but it was good for me too.

42:27And to have him on now the dentist side of the table and using kind of the the I don't wanna say the playbook against them, but making sure that we're leveling the playing field. You know, making sure that, you know, we're not a dentist going to a gunfight with a feather, so to speak. Listen. That game is so far typically out of most dentist comprehension Oh, yeah. That if you don't have somebody who has some of that knowledge base, you are showing up to a gunfight with a knife. And you're gonna leave pretty bloody, you know, or you're leaving a lot on the table. Absolutely. And that's you know, just to your point, you don't wanna be a year or two down the road and kicking yourself going, man.

43:15Yeah. I did okay, but holy cow, I really did myself a disservice as well as doing your family a disservice. Absolutely. And that's what you don't wanna get to and have that regret. And look. There are a lot of good brokers out there. There are a lot of good companies, and there's some that I don't really think are that good. You know? I I feel like sometimes dentists feel like they have to rush through a transition, and I think that it's important to pick somebody who not only has the experience and knowledge and empathy, but also is willing to take a step back and say, okay, doc. I see where you're at. I see ways that we can improve the practice and maybe make you an extra half million or $2,000,000 depending on the situation.

43:58And and I think that that's like a really important element to that whole process. And and again, you know, you may not want a traditional broker. You may want a traditional broker. Or you may want, like, a transition architect who has it all mapped out, all the different stages, all the different phases. And you just, you know, get have your handheld through every single one where you stay in control and stuff like that. So I I would encourage everybody who's going through a process like that is to find somebody. I mean, whether it's us or somebody else who does a similar type of thing because it does it makes a big difference ultimately. I think, Jim, I think that if you're in and you own your own practice, I think it's never too early to start to look at, okay.

44:42What does my exit actually look like? I don't care if you're two years into practice, ten years into practice, whatever it is. You should really start to have that idea from the beginning. Because if you don't have that end in mind, then you are just no different than the rudderless ship just going whatever way the wind blows you. Yeah. And, you know, when you start to look at when you have a plan and you have, like, hey. I wanna exit at this time of my life. You know, I wanna have this much for my value. I wanna create this. When you start to get really clear on that now granted, it can change over time. I mean, that's okay. Of course. But if you just start to get yourself thinking from that perspective, that's a very different operator than somebody who's just going and showing up like Groundhog's Day again and again and again, just producing, producing, producing.

45:40Not really having an endpoint in mind. True. That's no different than getting on the treadmill and and starting to run. And if you have your running coach there and you're like, hey, coach. When do I stop? And they're like, never. You're like, never. You know? You're like, okay. But that's Hey, man. And that's the hamster wheel that most get on. I tell you what, we've talked with, two dentists this week who kind of did that. They left everything until the last minute, and now they're both, facing health problems that were unexpected, but they didn't they never knew what their practice is worth, and they never understood the levers that you could push and pull to increase that valuation. And and, you know, they'll both end up doing fine, but the sooner you start planning, I mean, definitely the better.

46:26But I wanna flip back to kind of like some of the cool stuff that you do with with dentists. I mean, terms of your mentorship, you know, body being balanced in business and and all of that because it made a big difference in my life, you know, when we got together and started talking and, I mean, you were such a good mentor to me. But one of the things you say a lot is the body is a tool of production. And, you know, when dentists it's another thing that we tend to ignore a lot of times. We ignore our practice. We ignore our bodies, our health, that sort of thing. If we don't if we don't really recognize our bodies as tools for production and we neglect it, what what kinds of things start to break down first in our lives?

47:07Man, I I love that. I look it is a tool of production, and I look at what can we do to weaponize it. Right? And what I mean by that is is, like, listen. Our body goes everywhere we go. Last I checked anyway. And, you know, with that My mind doesn't always go with me, but my body's always there. Your body's always there. But with that being said, it also requires a significant amount of energy on how you show up. Yeah. And so you are responsible for fueling your body efficiently and effectively. It's no different than if you owned a Ferrari or a supercar. You're not gonna just pull up and just put regular gasoline in there. You're gonna pull up and put the super fuel in that.

47:52Right? Right. Because you wanna supercharge that so that it is running at top line efficiency and effectiveness. Same thing with our bodies. I mean, we have to start to look at choosing, like, what fuel are we actually putting in our bar coal. And when we can start to consider that and operate it in a way in which we're creating movement, I don't care if somebody has, you know, six pack abs, but I do want my docs to be very functional and physically fit in a way in which their body is serving them energetically Mhmm. And allowing them to show up and practice. Listen. So many docs have broken down from their necks to their backs to all the aches and pains, and those things start to show up.

48:37And they start to show up. Massage my shoulders every few minutes. Well, you know, and those things do. They start to show up, and they start to leak into practice. And just as you mentioned a couple minutes ago, those are things that can start to shorten a career. Right. And a lot of dentists put health on the back burner and saying, I'll get to it. I'll get to it. I'll get to it. And you chase all this time of building the productivity of the practice. I want you to think of it this way. What if you actually then instead of then putting that on the back burner, and then on the back end of that, now you're taking all that money, and now you're having to pay to get yourself healthy because you're sick.

49:16Right. What if you just actually took care of yourself all the way through? Totally different dynamic. So, you know, when you look at body being balanced in business, with the the dentist you've worked with, which of those four kinda core four priorities are they most likely to resist the hardest? Body being balanced or business. I mean, everybody's different, but do you see a pattern at all amongst us? I are a rare breed. I I I laugh because let me just put it like this. Let me just kinda let me just reshape that a little bit. I get a lot of docs who come in saying, I've got just a production problem. Mhmm. And after talking and just going through and kinda figuring out where they're at, what we end up really seeing in a lot of patterns is is that there's also typically a an issue may be going on inside of relationships, especially it could be with spouse, could be with children.

50:15Because, unfortunately, a lot of times as we're building that practice or those practices or that, we tend to also put not only our health on hold, but we tend to put a lot of relationships on hold saying, I'll get to my marriage later. I'll get to my kids later. That's true. That is significant. And we have this delusion that as dentists, we we we know that we're pretty smart. And we also think that I can just leave all that stuff at the back door of the practice when I walk in. Yeah. The truth of the matter is those things still eat up space, and they hijack space. Meaning that if I'm there with a patient and and I had a fight with my wife that morning, I'm there's no way I can be a 100% there with my patient.

51:00It's true. So I'm still gonna kinda I can still do some decent dentistry, but I'm and really reality, I'm still gonna kinda suck that day. Mhmm. And so when I look at it from that perspective, I think that that's one of those hidden gems that looks at it from the point that I'll put it this way. I used to look at my family as interfering with me being successful. Like, they're stealing time. And, again, hear me out because I'm being very transparent here. I used to look at it as, like, stealing time from me building what was gonna make us successful. Yeah. And in the end, it was actually stealing from my success business wise as well as health wise, relational wise, and everything else.

51:44Mhmm. The reality is is now my family is my superpower. That's right. I realized that the more connected I am with my wife. So the more connected you are with your spouse, the more you are intentional and are present with your children Mhmm. That you create memories and you're creating experiences and you're creating adventures for you and your family. The more that is on point, I will guarantee you the more that you will take that energy and transfer that into your business as well. And, you know, Jeff, it's absolutely right. And, you know, since we got to know one another, like, a year and a half ago, I really did look at that, like, my my body, mind, and spirit. The stronger I am in body, mind, and spirit, the better my relationships are likely to be.

52:35And as as a byproduct, my business is also going to excel and do better. And to that point, you know, when when you became a better leader at home, how did that transfer over into how you led your team? Because there's a connection there. There is a connection there for sure. And you're right. And even backing up before I became a better leader at home, that started out with be being a better leader to myself. And that goes all the way back to integrity. And as my old mentor used to say, with integrity, nothing else matters. Without integrity, nothing else matters. Wow. That's pretty profound. And when you think of it that way, you're like, okay. Doing what I said I was gonna do. And so for me, that means everything from keeping like, I have eight commitments that I keep to myself every day.

53:34You know, every morning, I've got a morning ritual that I do, and that allows me to put myself in a great place where I've already won the day. Mhmm. And it's that starting to create that consistency and that discipline. And when I create the consistency, the commitment, and the discipline, that allows me to actually show up very differently. Because now I'm starting to lead myself and create confidence that, okay, I am operating in a very different way. I'm not operating by excuses. I'm not operating by, hey. If I feel like it or not, it doesn't matter if I fucking feel like it or not. It's like this is what I committed to. Right. And when I have that mindset, that's a different way to operate.

54:15That's very intentional. Right. So now when I can operate that way, now I can show up not only lead myself more effectively. I'm gonna show up and I'm gonna lead my family way more effectively. Mhmm. I'm gonna carry that now into my practice. I'm gonna show up as a much more powerful leader with my team, and I'm also gonna be able to lead my patients in a much more profound manner too. Yeah. Absolutely. You know, and and when when we started talking, you know, I went into the same same process that you were in, and I think I maintained that eight eight daily commitments to myself for a couple hundred days, you know, and then, like, one thing had fall off and another thing. And and I haven't been as consistent.

54:59One thing, I I did five hundred and forty two days of workouts in a row, which which I feel really good about. I mean, I lost about 60 pounds and, like, regained health that I had lost over the previous few years. And definitely, you know, meditating the majority of those days and doing a lot of journaling. And, you mean, all those things really made a huge impact for me. And I also got to a point a couple weeks ago, Jeff, where my my streak, it it kind of became one of those things where it was just it was for me, it became more of a number rather than, like, a real commitment. I was just I get up at five. I'd be working all day.

55:37And then, like, 11:00 at night, it's like, oh, man. I gotta go work out. You know? And and I ultimately, after about a month of that sort of mentality, just say, you know what? It's time for me to to kinda pivot and Mhmm. Take a little have a little downtime, let my body kind of reset. And I'm super excited now to be, like, back into it, you know, going through the routine, going through the process again, and being more excited to hit the gym than, you know, having it just be part of a a streak or a number. So I that's so important. There's a big difference between, you know, creating a checklist or and a routine compared to a ritual. And you're right. I teach you.

56:21Yes. Everybody you know, a ritual has an outcome that's beyond just performing the task. Mhmm. And whereas, you know, your check you know, you're checking off the box a lot of times in a routine. Now routines can be very powerful. And I'm a big believer in, you know, having checklists, especially in the systems at work and everything there. Don't you have to start with a routine to get to the point of ritual too? Do you have an idea or a concept that enters your head, and then you have to start to look at creating a routine so that you can now create a powerful habit. And then inside of that habit, now you start to create this, like, this desire that's like, okay. I'm doing this not only because it feels great, but I'm seeing such powerful results.

57:07Yeah. And then you start to see what's actually at play that's bigger, and that's when you start to create your ritual. And to your point, what I was gonna say is, you know, just because I might keep eight promises to myself every day doesn't mean that that's what everybody else has to do. What everybody else has to do is is try things out and find and feel for what is the right thing for you so you can create your own ritual to put yourself in a great place of I call it a power, which means just you've got the capacity to do Yes. So that you've already won the day. I love it, Jeff. And, you know, that early morning routine that you've established for yourself and for so many of the dentists you work with, it it's so valuable on many levels, but one of them is just like, hey, man.

57:53You almost gotta do it before the rest of the world wants you and wants your attention. You know? If you can if you can do it early, I mean, hey, by 07:30, 08:00, you can be working and have a full workday, but already feel like you accomplished a lot before you even start that. And and I'll be honest, my my work has overflowed into kind of everything lately. And and that's that's why I'm resetting, and it's like, gotta have my priorities first. And it may be it may be a little bit abbreviated from what it was before, but I'm still gonna do the things because those are the things that led me to a much better place mentally and, of course, physically. So, I mean, any dentist any dentist who like, if any of this resonates at all, I mean, you gotta reach out to Jeff.

58:38I mean, Limitless Dentist Academy and what he does for for male dentists is just, I mean, nothing short of extraordinary. He has helped change numerous lives and probably kept dentists from, you know, some of the some of the statistics that we see too often in dentistry, you know, whether it's substance abuse, divorce, suicide. I I know that Jeff has personally saved some lives through changing the lives and and holding people accountable. And I just have so much respect for all of that, Jeff. Thank you. You know, this conversation is so good right now and, you know, people are gonna see bits and pieces of it. But, like, this is the kind of conversations that happened to Dubai. Right? I mean Yes. These are the kind of conversations that you're not gonna have in a dental office.

59:24No. Or a traditional traditional conference or whatever. It's gonna be a small group. Yeah. And that small group is what I said. It it allows you to have that proximity to ask the questions that are important to you. And, you know, that's what allows you to have a customized output. Mhmm. And that's why every single conference is different. I mean, that because there's different participants. Mhmm. Sometimes there might be a different speaker, and and and the evolutions are gonna be different. The outcomes are different. The excursions may be different. All of them, though, are curated in such a way that allows you to really get out of it what you want. And I think that's the biggest thing is is that, like, what do I really want?

1:00:13And when you start to evaluate whatever it is, what any type of CE, any type of purchase for your practice that when you're evaluating it, you're looking at, okay. What is my what is my cost on this? But more importantly, what is my ROI? Yeah. You know? What you know? It's an investment. It's not an expense if you pick the right opportunities. You know that poor people ask how much is is cost, and rich people look at what is my ROI on this investment. Right. And that's the way I've always looked at continuing education that way. I've always looked at coaches that way. I will pay for speed and efficiency all the time. All the time. And, you know, Jeff, that is part of having an abundance mindset.

1:00:58You know? Unfortunately, sometimes we get stuck in a scarcity mindset at different times in our lives. And when we do, we kinda get stuck, and we're afraid to make those leaps of faith. We're afraid to spend money that will help us make more money or get more clarity in life or improve our relationships or, you know, whatever. And, you know, that's really one of the biggest things I learned from you just with the Limitless Dentist Academy and going to one of your retreats. I I learned I learned so much about the things that sometimes we think are just ancillary to our businesses, but they're all critically important to our businesses. And so I I what I what I love about what you do is you combine them all.

1:01:41You combine them all and you show very clearly how they're all connected. And while I I've always said, like, balance may be a misnomer in that different stages of life. You know, there's certain things we may put more focus on. And so somebody could from the outside could say you're out of balance. But at the end of the day, we're all at different places on all of those different categories, and we can all improve across all categories. So if we're focused on that and super intentional, you know, with with your program in particular, sky's the limit, man. Well and and, Jim, just to your point, we all are at different seasons. Mhmm. And I think that's why, you know, meeting somebody where they're at is so imperative and so important.

1:02:28One of the biggest things that we look at doing is is really clearly defining, like, out of those areas, like, what is gonna be your biggest domino? Like, what is the one thing that if we start to tip that, it's gonna make the rest of the world easier. Yeah. And so then you start to hyper, you know, intentionalize your focus. Mhmm. And now it starts to create a better opportunity to create this traction. And now you start to create this momentum. And by that, guess what? Now you're gonna have a greater opportunity to reach your outcomes. Absolutely. You know, for for Dennis, who I've talked with over the past year about going to Dubai for our retreat last August, and then again for our upcoming retreat this May.

1:03:18Some I've heard several say, well, gosh, you know, why would I do that instead of a vacation? You know? And I'm like, well, you kinda get the best of both worlds. Right? Yes. So, you know, when you when you look at what we have going on this May, you know, and you've already experienced it once. I mean, who should absolutely come to Dubai? And and, you know, there are dentists for whom this isn't a great fit. No matter how much money they make or how successful they are, like, who do you think it's a good fit for? Who's it not a good fit for? Man, I think it's a great fit for individuals who are serious about increasing their productivity and profitability. Mhmm. I think it's a great fit for opportunities if you have anything in the if you're involved in anything implant dentistry wise, you're gonna be one of the the best clinicians that has written how many books now?

1:04:18Like 21 or 22, I believe. Yeah. So just a few little bits of of information there. So you have that. And then also a clinician who is considering anything around the exit process of their practice. And then looking at how do I and then also the clinician who's like, how do I consider balancing all these things happening at once? Meaning this. Mhmm. How do I look at growing my practice Mhmm. And making sure that my family also continues to rise at the same time as well as the what we were talking about, making sure that my health continues to go up as well as my purpose or my spirituality. How do I connect and interrelate all those things so that they have a positive cascade as opposed to as opposed to one pulling away from or detracting from the others?

1:05:10So I think it's appropriate for anybody that any of those things that I named off Yeah. The experience that you will have, I can guarantee you, you will have a positive ROI on it because there is going to be something that you hear or that you ask that you get from information. And as long as you actually apply it and implement it, it will more than pay for itself for an ROI on the investment. No. No question. And I I agree. Excuse me. Goodness. You know, I agree. And, you know, interestingly, you know, there is something for everyone, but everybody gets something a little different too. Because like you said, we're all in different seasons of life or or practice or whatever. And, you know, if you do wanna learn that, like, to be one learn from one of the best surgeons in the world who not is not only gonna talk about that, but he's also, like, a crazy serial entrepreneur with, like, multiple businesses and multiple, you know, avenues to to build wealth outside of dentistry or even within the industry in different ways.

1:06:19He's just a a brilliant guy, and you're a brilliant guy, and Elijah's brilliant, and I'm not dumb. And and and we're we're pretty fun. You know? And I I love you know, one of the things I loved most, and I think I learned this from you and a little bit from Curran as well, you know, four hours of conversational education in a small group is awesome because you can, like, actually ask a question in real time about your situation. And and then to to continue the conversation over lunch, and then continue the conversation into our afternoon activities, and then continue the conversation into dinner. And it's and it's so much more comprehensive because we are getting to know each other as as humans and not just as dentists.

1:07:02Yes. And you know what's what's really interesting too, Jim, is is that I I saw every one of the speakers do this at the last event too. As we continue to get to know the participants and that unlocks you know, then it allows us to actually present content that is relevant right then and there to not only answer present questions Yeah. But it also allows us to steer what it is that we're delivering so that we can make sure that they are intentionally getting what they came for. That's right. And I saw every single speaker do that. You know? And and, Jeff, I thought one of the coolest things was on the last day, you and I spent four hours with our attendees and, like, individually going through an action plan for them based upon what they wanted to accomplish, based upon everything they heard, based upon maybe how some of their their goals and expectations shifted.

1:07:56And then, like, giving them real clarity about, okay, this is what you said you wanted. Do you still want this? And what are the action steps that you need to take when you get back? You know, that's the beginning of accountability. I mean, I think that there are times where we've all been to conferences where, you know, we fill up a whole notebook with notes. We go home and it doesn't happen because we get flung back in the busyness of life. Or, you know, there's not really any follow-up and that's fine. I mean, you go to a big conference, you hear 10 speakers. I mean, they're not gonna follow-up with 300 people necessarily. But this is one of those things where I think we've done a good job of, like, maintaining contact and and availability and access.

1:08:38You know I mean? It's like, I really feel like after that, they're like family for life. Yes. You know? Whether they join my mastermind or they join the Limitless Dentist Academy, I mean, there's just so many opportunities for us to kinda help them continue on that journey, and that's what I'm most excited about. And just having that access is so key, you know, to have to have somebody to, like, a mentor, you know, coach in your life that you can then bounce things off from and and feel comfortable, like. Reach out to it anytime? Yeah. Absolutely. You know, at the end of the day, every single individual that's there, they they want you to win. You know, they're they're gonna they're gonna pour into you and give you their full the fullest that they can.

1:09:24Jeff, you've you've had a lot of success now across a lot of different domains. And, you know, you've built some really special things, you know, between your practice and, of course, your family and what you're doing for dentists. I mean, just a lot of really cool stuff. At this point in life, like, at what point do you feel like it's enough? Like, what what is enough? Is there ever, like, enough of anything? That's such a great question. And to answer the question, you know, I think the way my mind works is is that our I think one of my purposes or I think one of a purpose in life is continuous expansion. Mhmm. And so when I look at expanding, whether that be in knowledge or what I'm putting into application or that, I don't ever feel like I've ever arrived.

1:10:22You know? And so if I play the game that way, then I have a greater propensity to you know, when the end of my time on this planet is done on this spinning ball of mud, then I wanna feel like I've left it all on the field. And Yeah. I love that. So to answer the question, it's not necessarily about creating a number. It's not necessarily about, you know, creating this many businesses. To me, it's more about creating impact. And and, you know, for me to feel like I've done what I was called here on this planet to do is gonna be represented by the number of people that I've impacted, whether that be in my dentistry or my coaching or just friends and just Yeah.

1:11:10And just the conversations that are that happen, that to me is really the key. And so, you know, I've I've come to have this saying that success is different for everybody. Right. And for me, success is really looking at creating a life that I love waking up to. Oh, man. That's such a good answer. And it's so and it's so true. And and what that means for everybody, how we all define it, it can be different. Exactly. And I I think that you exactly the right mindset. Just continuous growth, continue to have impact, you know, whether you're 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80. I mean, years there are always people who can learn from you, and there are people from whom we can learn. And being in those right rooms where we continue to have those conversations that lead to growth, you know, in two directions, that's just really special, I think.

1:12:04And, you know, going back to to the Jeff of 2016, you know, when you were at rock bottom, like, if you could tell that Jeff or any other kind of dentist who's in a similar place to where you were and to where I was just a couple of years ago, like, what would you say to them to give them hope that they're actually gonna come out of this? And at some point, they're gonna have have freedom and and have a life that that that makes them feel fulfilled. I would say, you know, one of the first things is is to get radically honest with yourself. Mhmm. Because I I think that the reason, at least that I'll speak for myself, that I got into that position is is that I was just continuing to lie to myself.

1:12:53And it's not the fact that most people go around lying to others, but we lie to ourself the most of like, oh, it's not that bad or, oh, I can do that later or, you know, this can happen someday. Well, someday either never comes or guess what? Sometimes life's cut short. We don't know how many tomorrows we have. Right. And so I would go back and say, look. Get yourself radically honest with the truth of exactly where you are and know that you are right where you're supposed to be. And, you know, it's hard to hear that sometimes because you're like, well, I don't really like where I'm at. And so Sure. But you're right where you're supposed to be, meaning that you are where you are because of the decisions that you've made or the actions that you've taken or the lack of actions or the lack of decisions that you've taken.

1:13:45And so because where you are, if you're not where you wanna be, guess what? There's no better person on the planet to shift that or to change that than you because you've gotten yourself to there. So the neat thing is is just what you touched on a minute ago. There's always gonna be people to our right that are ahead of us or doing the things that we want to be doing or or what we perceive the life that we desire to create. And then there's always people to the left that we're ahead of Yeah. That we could support and that we can help. And so if I were to look back and and look at that, just say, man, don't hesitate to take the time to invest in yourself.

1:14:30Absolutely. Find a great mentor. Find a great coach. Find a great community and invest in that because it will fast track you to get to where you wanna be. You're gonna make far less mistakes, be able to stand on their shoulders, and take advantage of you know, many of the the coaches and the mentors that I've had in my life have spent millions and millions and millions dollars on themselves, and I can say the same for me. I've spent well more than a million dollars just on my continued education for dentistry alone as well as my personal growth and education. So take advantage of that and of that knowledge that can get passed along. Mhmm. Now they say that knowledge is key, and I think that's bullshit just from the standpoint that it's not the knowledge that's the key.

1:15:21It's the activity or putting that into activation that is the the the key to being successful or the key to moving in the direction that you want. So there's no shortage of information. That information that gets compiled into knowledge, but then when we put that knowledge into play Yeah. That becomes our own experience now that becomes our own wisdom. That's right. That's right. Can then look at that now, that is wisdom that we can pass along to to the others. And look. Every experience we have in life, positive or negative, it makes us the people we are today. And sometimes those difficult times that we go through make us stronger later and prepare us for whatever's next. So, Jeff, thanks so much for sharing all these words of wisdom.

1:16:02I mean, really, it's it's been a powerful conversation, man, and all my conversations with you are like that. So if if anybody listening actually feels stuck, like, successful on paper, but, like, misaligned inside, I hope that they heard from you clearly, like, what's actually possible. You're in the best stage of your entire life right now after hitting rock bottom ten years ago. And so, you know, for those who wanna go deeper, Jeff and I are gonna be working together again in Dubai this May. Yes. Feel free to reach out to either of us directly and and we'll see if it's the right fit for you. So Jeff Jeff, if somebody wants to get ahold of you, what what's the best way for them to get to you?

1:16:42You can find, just some more information at, www.limitlessrevolution.com. And you can also then one of the other easiest ways to get ahold of me, can find me on LinkedIn. But you can find me on Instagram at d r dot Jeff Buskey, and that's it. It's easy. So it's super easy. Reach out to me anytime. Happy to help in any way, answer some questions, and you know what? See if it's a great fit. I love it. I love it, buddy. So, hey, if this conversation resonated, that experience may be exactly what you need. Jeff, thanks for your honesty, your leadership, and just hanging out with me today, man. It's always a pleasure, and I I appreciate you, buddy. Such a pleasure to be here and thank you, Jim.

1:17:26I appreciate you, man. My pleasure. Well, if if any of this resonated with you today, if you got any value out of the podcast conversation we just had, please like, please subscribe and please share it with a friend. Until next time, have an amazing day, and we'll see you again next week.