Why Most Dental Practices Lose Patients Before They Ever Sit Down

0:00Well, am doctor Jim Arnold, host of the Foundation Dental podcast, and I'm really excited about my guest today. I've gotten to know Susan really well over the last six months or so, and she's just a gem. She's doing some really cool things in the coaching space, and I'm gonna do a formal introduction here for her because she deserves that. So I'm sitting down with someone whose career perfectly represents what we stand for. Clinical depth, business intelligence, and the ability to transform an entire practice by transforming the people inside it. Susan Lekowitz grew up in her father's dental practice, became a hygienist at 20, and spent more than twenty years treating patients before stepping into coaching. She combines that clinical foundation with a finance degree from Boston University nearly a decade as an executive coach at Productive Dentist Academy.

0:40In 2017, Susan founded Dental Coaches And since then, she has guided more than 300 practices through culture change, phone conversion breakthroughs, PPO independence planning, and leadership development. She created the ACE framework, the crush the call bootcamp that takes phone conversion from the 30% range in the sixties and seventies and the case agreement approach that's changing how practices communicate treatment. And the reason doctors stay with her for ten years or more, she doesn't just fix the system, she strengthens the people who run them. This conversation is going to be a master class. So let's get started. Susan, welcome to the show. Thank you, Jim. It's great to be here with you. Yeah. Good. Good. Well, I appreciate it. You know, like I said, I've gotten to know you a little bit over the last six months or so, and you're just a a class act.

1:25And I know that your clients really enjoy working with you and get a ton of value. So, you know, what you do really aligns with what I'm doing with Foundation Dental Alliance. So this will be a fun conversation. Yes. Definitely. Alright. Well, question one. You've talked about your father boiling dentures on the kitchen stove. What did that early behind the scenes exposure to dentistry teach you that still shapes the way that you coach today? It's a great question. But you've never gotten that one before, have you? No. No. No. My dad was, just such a passionate health care provider, and he loved dentistry so much. He talked so many people into getting into dental careers, whether it was a dentist, hygienist, lab technician. And he loved the lab work and the artistic side of dentistry, and he just was a hardworking guy.

2:11So he if he had to bring it home, he he brought it home. And I I really admired how just how much personal satisfaction he got from restoring patients' health and really being part of a community. You know, we grew up and lived in the same town that he practiced, and he just really loved what he did. You know? So it was really nice to be able to work with him and see him and just kinda understand really loving their job. He was just a very loving kinda guy and loved what he did. Wow. What what an incredible gift. I mean, you think about that. And how many kids have the privilege of spending time with their parents, like, at work, and then actually get into that same profession and share that same passion, you know, from a slightly different angle.

2:54I mean, it's really special. Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. It great. It was great. I wish my kids, you know, followed me like that. Man, what did I do wrong? Oh, that's awesome. So was there a specific moment, Susan, where you realized that you needed to transition from clinical hygiene into coaching, or is it something that just sort of built up over time? Well, I I had the privilege of, during my hygiene clinical career, of being coached with different coaching companies and different practices that I worked with. And I really enjoyed having an outside perspective. Someone to come in and tell me, what are other practices doing around the country? And how do we set goals? And how do we grow? And I liked working on a style of a bonus structure, not just an hourly wage.

3:39I wanted to do more, become more efficient, just get better at what I did. I've always been kind of a goal setter, so I like that part of it. And one of the coaches who founded Productive Dentist Academy, Victoria Peterson, she she coached I love Vicky. Yeah. So she coached me when she was with Fortune Practice Management in Connecticut. And she she saw something in me, and she said, you know, I think you'd be a really good coach. And at the time, I was living very close to the practice I was in. I I was very flattered that she had, you know, said that to me. And I said, just the timing's not right in my my life right now. And I ended up moving out of Connecticut, and I was living North Of Pittsburgh.

4:17And I was looking for a cosmetic kinda high end dentist, and I couldn't find one. And I reached out to her. Hey. Do you know any good dentist at Pittsburgh? And she said, no. But I'm with a new coaching company we're hiring. And why don't you come to Texas, meet my team, come to our seminar, see what you think? And I went and sat through their, you know, three day program and really loved the people, loved the the message, the culture, and just started working with them right away. So that was kinda my transition. Oh, man. I love that because I went I took my team through Productive Dentist Academy twice over the years, and, you know, we got so much value out of that.

4:52I mean, obviously, Bruce is just such a huge personality and such force in dentistry. And Vicky, similarly, I think, looking at my books up here, I've got at least two of her books in my in my row of, you know, great dental books. And, you know, I I just I know they're both class act. And what a what a great place to to go and grow and add value. And really, I mean, provide some of the foundation for what you teach now. Right. And learn and be mentored and yes. Yeah. It's it's a so grateful for that, you know, that opportunity and, you know, still admire what they're doing and Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I feel the same for sure. You know, additionally, you're one of the only coaches in dentistry with both twenty years of clinical experience and a finance degree.

5:35So how does that sort of hybrid perspective change the way you diagnose a practice? Well, I, when I went to dental hygiene school, the time when I went to hygiene school, it was just a two year associate degree program, and I wanted to just have something else to be able to fall back on or to get, you know, a four year college degree. And my dad was very big on education. He's like, yeah. I think you should go back to school, get your degree. And I wanted to kinda learn more about the business side of running a practice. And I chose finance so that I could get that background. And it's really been tremendous to be able to kind of blend the clinical and understand, you know, the inner workings of a dental practice, but also understand what it takes to run a successful practice.

6:21So That that's really cool. I mean, again, that's just, I think, really rare. I mean, it's unusual for people to have so much sort of background in finance, and and, clearly, that has paid huge dividends for you and your clients. So kudos to you. That's a lot of extra work. I mean, that's going above and beyond. Let's just be honest. I guess so. I guess so. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Good. So I wanna talk about your ACE framework, align, clarity, engage. It seems simple. Right? But it's transformative. Why does it work when so many other systems fail? Well, you know, I really I love looking at things in a in a real simple kind of way. And and I would look at you know, over my career of coaching, you know, who were the most successful clients?

7:04What did they have the most in common with? And I I truly believed that both the patients were aligned with the doctor and the the culture of the practice and that the team was also aligned with the goals and the doctor. You know, what type of alignment? How can we get really clear with expectations and roles and responsibilities and what why we're here, why we're here to serve the patients, or what does that look like? And then how do we, you know, clarify? How do we get them to understand that, you know, this is this is the like I said, this is the expectation. This you know, these are our goals. We wanna grow. We wanna serve more patients. We wanna maybe change our service mix.

7:43We want to always thinking about continually improving. The those are the clients I think that I'm most attracted to or that do the best with our coaching programs is they're like, what's next? And Mhmm. One of my strengths is having a futuristic perspective and, you know, kind of future pacing them based on my experience of growing dental practices. So you had mentioned earlier, I've got some doctors that have been working with me for, like, over thirteen years. And Wow. It's great because we have a great relationship, and they believe that in the marketplace looking for new things and bringing new perspective and trying to, you know, improve what they're doing. So, you know, getting really clear and getting really clear with the patients on expectations of what does this treatment cost?

8:28Why is this treatment important? And I believe that, you know, when people understand their treatment plans and they understand how they can pay for it, it's gonna be easier to get them to move forward with with scheduling and getting really clear on maybe what's holding them back. Right? Is it Absolutely. You know, what are they thinking about? And then engaging is, you know, building that relationship with that patient because Mhmm. Patients will be more comfortable when they trust, when they trust the team, when they trust the docs, when they feel they feel some kind of connection to the practice. And then how do we engage the team? You know, if you're gonna hire a coaching group to come in, and we're going to put some new processes in place, put some new systems, we're gonna stretch people a little bit out of their comfort zone.

9:14We're going to ask them to do certain things. We're gonna hold them accountable. You know? Yes. It for them. So, you know, my philosophy is that if we're gonna grow the practice, it has to make sense for everyone and it has to make sense for the business. But the doctor's gotta be willing to say, okay. You know what? I want my team to be successful personally and professionally. And that's what I feel is very, very important. How do we celebrate that success with the team? I love that. That is such a great answer. I mean, ACE is such a great just acronym, of course. So then when align, clarity, and engage fit that so clearly, I mean, for me, it really underscores the emphasis on being a great leader.

9:56And a great leader has to be have a clear vision, be able to articulate that so that the team has clarity around that. And then in terms of actually implementing that that, you know, vision, leadership, communication piece, there's gotta be accountability. And without the accountability, it still all falls apart. And that fits right in with your engagement. So kudos to you. That's really a I think I think it's phenomenally simple yet comprehensive way at looking at everything. And it passes down to the patients too. You know? Doctor to the team and then doctor and team to patients and then patients back. I mean, it's just a it's a beautiful thing. Well done. Thank you. You know, something else, you know, I I always, do some deep research, you know, when I prep for these conversations because I really wanna know you and what you're all about.

10:41And, you know, I always learn incredible things and just realize, like, how much you've really done, you know, so much more than I had any idea to be frank. And one of the cool things I read that I'd never heard before or even thought about was kind of that shift from case acceptance to case agreement. And I thought, wow. What a cool way of looking at it. So to you, what is that one distinction? How does it change everything for practice? Well, that's a great question. And I have to kinda give credit to this very good dear friend of mine who's a clinical psychologist. And I would sometimes share with her, you know, what was happening in my coaching experiences with doctors, with teams, and and, you know, with that patient journey.

11:22And, you know, she and I both talked about how accepting something almost sounds like negative. I have to accept this. I have to take this. You know? Yeah. And how do we how do we kinda shift that to get agreement? You know, agreement so that patients really do show up for their appointments. Right? Patients really understand why they need it, you know, feel better about it. They still might be nervous, but they're more more willing to move forward with that than just be like, oh, I gotta go to the dentist, and I gotta do this. And, you know, I don't wanna do it, or maybe I'm gonna cancel because, you know, I'll just tell them I have a a meeting or I'm sick or you know?

12:00How do we make that? How do we and I really believe that's a full team effort. Yeah. Not just the person booking that appointment. Right? Everyone on the team has to participate and plays a role in getting that agreement with the patient and getting getting them to feel, you know, okay. Yep. We're gonna do this. So What a fantastic reframe, really. I mean, I think your your psychologist friend, like, hit the nail on the head. I mean, just acceptance is something that's given to you or sometimes foisted upon you, and you're like, okay. I guess I guess I'll accept. As opposed to, hey. We're on the same page. We're in agreement. This is what's most important, and these are our next steps. I mean, I absolutely love that.

12:39And I'm sorry, but I'm gonna steal that. Like, I'm gonna, like, keep talking about that too. You gotta trademark it pretty quick. You know? I'm gonna say, I will give you I will give you credit for it. Okay. I I love it. I'm gonna say, as Susan says, let's talk about case agreement. It's beautiful. Well done. I'm glad you like that. No. I really do. It's one of my favorite things. But another thing, you know, crush the call. You know, on average, practices are converting, like, 20 to 40% of new patient calls, and crush the call is consistently getting them around 60 to 70% conversion. So what are the top mistakes you hear on those calls that cost practices thousands each month? So, well, the top mistakes are team members feeling that they have to answer the patient's question that they ask first thing right off the bat.

13:28They fail to make a connection with that patient and really find out, like, why they're calling. They have a need. They're calling a dentist, and they fail to set the office apart and create reasons like why should, you know, why should I come in Mhmm. Practice. And patients call with certain specific questions because I believe they don't almost know what to ask. And think of dentistry almost as a commodity. You know, how much does a crown cost? Oh, a crown is a crown is a crown. And how you know, are you in network with my insurance? Because I I have to go in network, and they don't understand they have out of network benefits or the limitations of dental insurance. So they don't understand, you know, what, you know, what's important or or what, you know, what should they be thinking about.

14:12So Mhmm. We coach a a four step process of really taking control of the call, connecting with that patient, showing them that you care about them. You know, if someone says I'm in pain, I'm sorry to hear you're in pain. Looking at convincing them they called the right place Yes. And then collaborating with how to how to get them scheduled, what to expect, and get them, you know, connected to that appointment and get them off the phone. Because, statistically, patients will call between five and seven dental offices when Wow. An appointment. Realize it was that. Right? It's crazy. Well and I think they just kinda go down the list. Like, okay. Well, I called this one. They can get me in in two weeks. Let me call the next one, see what they say.

14:52Let me call the next one. Call the next one. And then they don't reschedule or cancel that appointment if somebody gets them in sooner or Yeah. They, you know, they they look at it sort of like a tennis volley. Patient asks a question, they answer. Patient asks, they answer. They don't they don't think of it as I really need to connect with this patient, get them an appointment, get them excited about coming here so they can hang up the phone, and they're like, oh, that sounds great. That experience is gonna Totally makes you stand out. You know? I mean, just controlling the call is so important because, like you said, they're gonna ask, like, questions that, you know, you can answer at some point, but that's not what you wanna lead with.

15:30So if you control the conversation, they're gonna get all the information they want, but you you deliver it to them in a way and in an order that makes sense to make them feel like, wow. They really know what they're doing. They got their shit together. This is, like, the place. Stands out. Maybe they don't even call another office, but if they do, they're actually taking notes. You're like, nope. Nope. This is the one. I've never had an office respond and handle me like this. That's fantastic. I love that too. You're get all these, I think, really proprietary things that are are really they really make you stand out. You know? And the one, I mean, I just love the name of it. You've developed tools like the VaporLock recognition system.

16:08What in the heck is VaporLock, and what does that mean inside a dental team? So you might be able to think of, you know, when when you're in clinical practice. Yeah. You could be talking to a patient and, you know, you're talking about the treatment and going into some detail. And many times, it's just, like, too much. Like, they just kinda shut down. Right? They they it's it's too overwhelming. It's too much Yeah. Then and it's really having a relationship with the clinical team member, whether it's a hygienist or a dental assistant, to really check-in with that patient. Okay. I know we doctor talked about a lot of things. You know? How do you feel about this treatment? You know? Do you do you understand it?

16:51Are you are you, you know, concerned about it? Have you ever had a crown before? What, you know you know, what are you thinking about now? You know? Let's talk about how soon we can get you started with the treatment. So it's kind of almost tag teaming with your team. Like, okay, how did I do? How did that patient respond? Are they just kind of shutting down? Because I don't know how many times you might have remembered this where you really think you got the patient to yes in the operatory. And then Yeah. They walk up to the front desk, and they hand them off. And the administrative team member tries to schedule them, and they go, what crown? What? What do we need? Oh my goodness.

17:29And and they're like, we told them back there because then they're like, you didn't tell them. Right. We did. No. You didn't. They don't remember. You know? So it's like, alright. The front office is like, what the hell are they doing back there? How is the patient not knowing? Right. Because the patient's in a in a fog, the patient is, you know, first of all, maybe not paying attention. Second of all, maybe overwhelmed. Third of all, doesn't wanna appear stupid, like, don't understand something. So they just nod their head a lot and, like, okay. Can I get out of here? I have stuff to do today. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So so a lot of times, what we're doing with our coaching program is I've created a tool that's a financial agreement form, and it it's a Google spreadsheet that's customized to each practice, and it's designed to show a patient different options for paying for care and get really clear with here's the cost of the treatment.

18:19Here's your estimated dental benefits. This is gonna be your portion. We like to have them put something down at time of scheduling to reserve time in the doctor's schedule. This is how, you know, you can pay for the care. So what we've done and I've kinda based this on doctor Baird's practice. So that's where I kinda learned this technique. And the Google spreadsheet form has evolved, you know, over the past seventeen years. But the concept is oftentimes we can take this form and we can cross train the clinical team members on how to get the patient scheduled and how to go over their financial options. And we eliminate that hand off. We eliminate that long walk to the front desk. We eliminate that, well, what crown?

19:01Or I I I gotta go. You know, I I gotta get back to work. And we help that process of that clinical team member really becoming a patient advocate. You know? How Yes. You become the patient advocate and really help that patient. Mhmm. Because they'll start asking clinical questions that you can answer, and it just becomes part of the process. And many times, we get a little bit of resistance. You know, it's a change. Many clinical team members are like, you know, I I went into clinical, so I wouldn't have to talk about the money. But, you know, like Right. Right. But you know what? If we can find a way to easily do it and and help that patient understand Yeah. Let's see what we can do.

19:39You know? So that's part of, you know, avoiding that handoff transfer, Vaprolact, what crown. It you know, it's really important to recognize that because it's one of those things if the doctor and team either aren't aware of it or you're not there to point it out to them, it can really stall growth significantly. And you just wonder, like, what's going on here? Why is it not all coming together? So Right. That's great. So doctors often think they have production problems, but you say they have people problems. What's the number one people problem that's hurting practices right now that a lot of owners just don't see? The number one the number one people problem, not everybody's on the same page, you know, with where where are we going.

20:19You know? What are we are we trying to accomplish? Where are we going? And they and and how do how do I contribute towards that? Right? If we have a goal, you know, what is my my role in helping the practice achieve that goal? So oftentimes, practices will say, well, here's our here's our collection number for the month. You know, if we make this number, everyone's gonna get, you know, a percentage of an overage based on hours we work. And and many times, the clinical team members don't really understand, well, how do I affect that? You know, I I don't collect the money. I don't really know. Or, you know, where are we to that goal, or we're not really tracking it? And it's like, okay.

20:57Oh, we're so far off. We're never gonna make it. So there's no there's no focus or there's no, like, well, what do what are you what do you need me to do? Or how can I help the team and help the doctor achieve the goal? So it's kinda taking your goals, breaking it down, and and giving people actionable things to do to to improve the whole success. You know? You know, that's it's so clear. You know, the clarity that's necessary that comes kinda from the top, like, filters down and everybody needs to kinda be on the same page. It doesn't mean everybody's doing the same job, but they have to understand one another's jobs and what role they play in that process. And sounds like your coaching process kind of gets them to that point of clarity where things are just going to run more smoothly.

21:42That's awesome. Cool. So let's get real about PPO transitions. You know? I mean, you and I are both pretty passionate about that, I think. I always used to say, Susan, that I would rather sell used cars than give insurance companies a 40% discount. And my mastermind is really all about helping doctors transition, you know, either part or all of their practice to fee for service because that's how I've spent my entire career. We work hard and I'm so sorry, but the insurance exec shouldn't get 40% of everything I do. That's just not not cool. So in your case, when you're coaching, how does a doctor know they're actually ready to drop a PPO versus just, like, being frustrated by it? Because we both hear doctors all the time just whining and moaning about it, and then they don't do anything about it.

22:28You know what? What finally gets them to that root cross that Rubicon and actually drop one or or several of them? Well, it's important to really know your active patient base. You know, how many patients in your active patient base are on different plans, And what are what are the worst plans? What are the hardest plans for your admin team members to to work with? You know, how can we how can we create a plan to start, you know, whittling some of these away that aren't gonna make a huge impact on the practice? Because many of these practices join the plans, grow, then they have no room for new patients. And Nice. And the plans are the marketing vehicle, and the plans start to choke out anybody who's maybe looking to come in for cosmetic work or looking to come in who doesn't have dental insurance.

23:21So Mhmm. We have to kinda watch the front door and the back door. You know? And that's where these different analytics platforms really help to say, hey. How many new patients are we getting? How many patients are unscheduled but still considered active? And what plans are we on? And and it's important to have a strategy. I get a lot of clients coming to me who've dropped plans but never really had a a strategy. And now they're worried, and they they're I'm like, okay. Let's oh, we're gonna I'm gonna go back on Delta. I'm like, no. No. No. No. I'm do that. Not that. Gonna We're gonna figure this out, and we're gonna, you know, work with your team. We're gonna work with, you know, new marketing.

24:00And I think the biggest thing you need to think about is how are you gonna set your office apart so that people are gonna go in and be be happy to pay, you know, out of network benefits because the experience is so good and feel so comfortable in your path. Just wrote a newsletter about that a couple of weeks ago, and and it really is. I mean, if you just differentiate yourself as someone who is so obviously relationship and high quality based and every experience that they have is elevated from that phone call to the way they're greeted when they come in, to the way they're taken back in the conversations, the clarity that the doctor and team creates, how obviously they're on the same page, how the place looks, how the place sounds.

24:41I mean, all of those things. It's all part of your brand. And I think that unfortunately, too often dentists don't really understand that. And they look, sound and act like every other dentist out there and think, oh, well, everybody else is on these plans. I can't do it without. And I say, well, who cares what they're on? I mean, this is blue ocean. This is an abundance mentality that says that if you do differentiate yourself, then you're gonna attract the right patients. And by the way, they will be more than happy to pay double out of pocket because they know they're in the right place. And that's what we found over the years, Susan. You know, we had maybe 7,000 patients and more than half of them were certainly on PPO plans.

25:20And you know what? Sometimes they leave and they almost always come back because their experience was different. They didn't have that same kind of time and that same kind of attention that they got with us. So yeah. I think that's I think that's beautiful. You know, in terms of client relationships, I mean, you mentioned you've got clients for ten years to thirteen years, but you've also had to walk away from some, which I respect tremendously, by the way. What makes a practice owner uncoachable? Because you and I both know there are plenty of us. I mean, dentists are a rare breed. We have so many weird tendencies and foibles. What makes us uncoachable? Well, a lot of different things. I would say Put me on the spot here.

26:02Really being open and willing to change and willing to try new things and willing to be pushed out of your comfort zone, you know, or willing to be stretched and willing to be the leader of your team to kinda draw the line in the sand, you know, and say, okay. Yeah. Ship to sail. This is where we're going. This is what we're doing. We're gonna try these things for thirty days and then reassess. Because right now in the the climate of the employment, you know, in the dental space, a lot of dentists are afraid. I can't lose my office manager. I can't lose her. Right. She doesn't wanna do this. She doesn't wanna be held accountable. You know? If they're, you know, making a lot of excuses or or just not being open.

26:43Right? Not being open and not wanting to think about getting feedback. Right? So how do you how do you take feedback? How do you think about where you wanna be? And I have I have a great group of of clients, and we host a I host a monthly power call meeting with them. And I've also done events with them, and they've gotten to know each other, which is great. And That's awesome. Helpful for me is, you know, if I'm trying to get this doctor to have his team members go over the financial agreement form in the back of office, and he's resisting. You know, I I use social proof. And I I say, so, Jim, you know, remember when, you know, we talked about doing the team doing the financial agreement form in the back and, you know, how did your team take that?

27:28Oh, they hated it. You know, they didn't want to do it. It was terrible idea. And and I go, and and what's going on now? Oh my god. It's the best thing we ever did. You know? And so I I almost get them to coach each other, you know, because they can relate to each other. You know? Yeah. I know how that what that's like when your team goes no. No. No. And your coach is going, let's try it. Let's try it. Let's try it. So Yeah. That's that's been very helpful. You know? You know what? It it's funny, Susan. Over the years, I've seen a lot of dentists, and I was probably guilty of this when I was a new dentist. You know, brand new and, like, very much control freak and micromanaged everything.

28:06I think that there were times in my early career where I thought, you know what? If I bring in a a consultant or coach or whatever, they're just gonna fix everything. You know? Took me it took me a year or two to realize, wait. No. They're gonna give me answers, but I actually have to roll up my sleeves and do the work. And, you know, it's funny because I'm a firm believer in coaching and, you know, consulting and that sort of thing and done a fair amount of it myself now. But once I recognize that, you know, the light bulb went on, it's like, okay. Now I'm all in. Now it's a matter of actually really paying attention and not just wanting the coach and the team to do it all.

28:43It's like I had to lead from the front. And then once we got to a point, then I could sort of delegate and trust and just know that we're better off without me having to micromanage everything. So that's a that's a cool distinction, and it's cool when you see, you know, sort of that transformation with clients, I'm sure. Mhmm. Yeah. Cool. So you could you worked with everything from family practices to multi location groups. Now this kinda ties into what we were just talking about. What's the hardest leadership conversation you've ever had to have with a doctor? There had to be some that were, you know, dicey to say the least. Yes. I had one I've I've had doctors where I have discovered that the team members are sabotaging the business.

29:27Oh, boy. You know, sabotaging the patient experience, sabotaging stealing, you know, from the practice, whether that's making a lot of insurance adjustments, you know, oh, you know, I'm just gonna adjust this off, but, you know, we need to ask the patient for that money or whether it's downright stealing, you know, so or fraud. So there there have been kind of, like, exposing you know, practices become almost like family sometimes. Right? Yeah. They have a long history with working with someone, but there were times that, you know, we discovered things that were just not above board that we had to we had to, you know, had to talk about or that you know? So that was never never easy, you know, but it happens. Right? It it happens in in practices, and, you know, it can happen even in ways of milking the clock, you know, and just not doing your job.

30:18Like you say, you're gonna doing your job and Sure. Setting up, like, just really strong ways to to encourage people and train people, but also hold them accountable so that, you know, we know what's happening. Yeah. Boy, you boy, I can imagine when when you do become family with your team and they've been with you for a long time, there's certain level of trust and, you know, mutual respect respect and whatnot. When you come in as the outsider and, like, uncover something like that, oh my god. How incredibly stressful, how incredibly painful for the doctor and team and to have to, like, actually confront and address that. Oh, man. Brutal. I I don't think I've ever had that kind of conversation with a doctor, and I I can see how challenging that would be.

31:00Holy cow. But somebody's gotta do it. You know? Don't say it. Nobody will. Right. So so you just launched a new annual planning coaching program. Mhmm. Why do most dentists struggle with planning, and what made you decide the industry needs this now or at least your clients need this now? Well, I am I'm a big believer in annual planning, and I am a big believer in writing down your goals and really looking at reflecting on your year, what worked really well, what didn't work well, what do we wanna do going forward. And we do annual planning every year with our with our with our coaching clients. And I you know, what I decided to do was, you know, how can I do an offering to someone maybe who isn't in a full coaching program to help them, you know, start their year off right, whether it's, you know, in January or any time of year to to really think about different systems in the practice, think about different looking at procedure codes?

31:58You know, what procedures did you do the most of? Oh, gee. We did not do a lot of buildups. We did a lot of crowns, but not a lot of buildups. Or did we wanna do more? I think we're doing SureSmile or Invisalign or ClearAlign. No. We only really did one a month. You know, like, there's a lot of, I feel like we're doing this. I feel like patients are saying yes. You know? How do we how do we really look at the year and think about, you know, where where do we succeed? Where where you know, could we have done better? How do we raise the bar for next year, and how do we get the team focused, you know, focused on on that?

32:34So I'm also looking at financing options and really kinda studying, right, how many applications for third party financing did you do? How many loans were initiated? Is there an opportunity to think about how we can better serve our patients up with different offerings? You know, how I'm always kinda looking at how can we get more patients to yes within our Because that can really move the dial. It's not like, oh, I need a 100 new patients. Well, you know what if we could get ten to twenty percent of the patients that we do have saying yes, you know, without spending a lot of money on marketing? Why don't we just kinda look internally and fix some internal things? Practice. So good. I mean, at the end of the year, you're looking at the year in review and previewing the next year, and there's so much low hanging fruit.

33:22And you're looking at those exact levers that can really move the needle going into the next year. And it's kinda like marketing. If you don't track your ROI, you don't know where to send your marketing dollars. Same with, you know, the effort you put into the practice. It's like what's working, what's not working, what could be enhanced, and then really attack those things and enhance those things. I think that's a a great perspective, and that's something you cannot do without an annual plan. So that's that's great. So part of the program is helping practices identify the top priorities for the next twelve months, obviously. So they stop being pulled in 20 different directions. What are the most common kind of false priorities that dentists chase after?

33:58Buying new equipment, expensive equipment. You know, how how are you gonna incorporate a new service or a new piece of equipment or, you know, always going to the CE course really gonna make you more productive. You know? Mhmm. Really looking at what kind of team buy in do I need? What kind of team training do I need? What, you know, what what is gonna make this you know, dentists love their toys. Right? Like, what's the biggest toy? Okay. You know, now we have an, you know, AI detecting X-ray, you know, which I think is great. I think those are great. But how do we get everybody using it? How do we get everybody scanning? How do we get everybody doing the things that are gonna make a difference?

34:38Because just because you're excited about it, you know, we've gotta translate that excitement down down to the team level. Yeah. I mean, because so often, you're exactly right. Like, we get excited about something, we spend money on it, and then we never fully implement it. You know? And it's just sometimes I I was guilty of that, especially early in my career when I was doing three hundred hours of CE every year, spending a couple $100,000, jagging my team all over the country. And every week, we come home with, you know, a 100 action plan and, you know, maybe another piece of equipment. And it's impossible to do all of that. You know, you just completely overwhelm yourself, your team, and your practice, and you can actually go in the wrong direction.

35:18Whereas if you implement things intelligently, then, you know, you're investing in the right places and you're really leveraging that investment to do the most the most good for your patients, for your team, for your practice, and, you know, just quality of care in general. So yeah. Good. Very good. Your planning process includes reviewing the practices, procedure mix, production per hour, referral sources, blind spots, analytics. What's one data point that doctors regularly overlook, but when they finally see it, it changes everything? I I love to track production per hour. And I Yeah. Me too. Work with my clients on getting off of the roller coaster. Big day, small day, big day, small day, big day, small. Right. Yes. Accommodating the patients when they wanna come in as opposed to really taking control of the schedule.

36:03Yeah. Growing your hourly production, getting the team focused on a on a daily goal based on that hourly production, and really looking at your year like, oh, well, I wanna take my family on a big trip next July. You know, my son's graduating from college, whatever it is. Alright. How do we make July successful? Because your expenses are gonna stay the same each month. What are we gonna do in July that's different so that we don't drop our profitability profitability or or drop drop in collections. What different procedures do we need to do? What does our schedule need to look like? And getting really focused on production per hour and how to, like I said, how to kinda even out and grow that. So we Yeah.

36:43Get the average dentist in The US produces around $500 an hour, between 4 and $500 an hour. So we wanna grow that by It's barely enough to keep the lights on, to be frank. Yeah. But we wanna grow that between 2 and $300 an hour, but incrementally. And we wanna get the team focused on that daily number. And then Yeah. What we coach is creating this incentive plan that is based on the growth of the practice. So the the growth of the production and the collections and I mean, we have to have a good collection system Right. Pay for this incentive plan. But it's also a celebratory tool for the practice to use, and it's a focusing tool on the team. Because each day, it the bonus progressively gets bigger if they can repeat the goal several days in a row, and we use it as a way to the goal needs to be a stretch.

37:38So we get really clear with if we're hitting this goal, 50% of the time, the goal's gonna go up. So we're gonna grow. We're gonna continue to celebrate. We're gonna continue to bonus, but it's gonna be something that makes sense for for the team and for the practice. Oh, it's fantastic. You know, I think that the hourly thing is huge. You know? And I know and I've always planned that way. I look at the year as a whole and say, hey. If I wanna do 3,000,000 and I'm gonna be in the office for fifteen hundred hours, you know, that's 2,000 per hour, you know, and then you just you reverse engineer it. And and I never really looked at month to month as they all have to be the same because February is a shorter month than August.

38:21And, you know, you have different things going on in different times of year. You do have that cyclical cyclical thing. Thing. So So I would estimate the exact number of hours we'd be in the office each particular month. And so February, you know, your your goal my goal might be 200,000. But then in March, my goal might be 300,000. And then things sort of level out when you are, like, looking at the hourly. And I know that from Pete my time with PDA, you know, they're exceptional at increasing your production per per hour. And let's be honest, that's where the rubber meets the road. Because if you're not producing every hour, well, guess what? You're falling behind your goals. And if you aren't smart enough to sort of divide it out into an hourly thing, it's just a big mush, and you're never gonna make any progress.

39:04So Right. How do we get efficient? Right? And how do we get team working that way? How do we delegate? How do we you know, within reason. Right? You know? But, you know, how do we utilize our space, our chair time, you know, all of those things? What are our high end procedures that don't take a lot of time? What are our procedures that take a lot of time but aren't very productive? How do we balance that out? So offset that, you know. And and when you get the team, like, looking at that and looking and especially the clinical team. Right? You know, the assistants know, oh, this this won't take him that long, but this is fucked one. This is gonna take a long time.

39:42Or this you know? And you just get a couple people who are good with numbers and good with looking at stuff, and they want the team to get the that grab bag bonus that it'll it works. You know? You just it it's a quick little way to go, okay. We're on goal today. Right. You know, we're short tomorrow. How much? Alright. Let's feed tomorrow. You know? Okay. Two days from now, where are we? And it's really fun to to watch. And and Mhmm. It's a nice way to start the morning huddle with a celebration of, okay. We're gonna all grab out of this random sack of poker chips and great job yesterday, everyone. And, you know, we're gonna do it again today, and we're gonna grab twice the next day.

40:20You know? So I just I just find that it it when it's done right and if the doctor's happy about paying it out, we've gotta be celebrating with the team. Yeah. It works all the time, and it's worked for many of my clients for years. It doesn't get old or stale. Well, and that is great. I mean, incentivization, I think, is really important. And, you know, clarity around the numbers is important. Even if you're not a math person, just knowing what the bottom line is and knowing where how you can impact impact things Right. You know, individually and collectively and how you can support one another to make sure that you actually get there. And I think what a lot of practices don't understand is that efficiency doesn't mean rushing.

40:59It means systematizing everything so it's easily repeatable. Everything from how you numb a patient and how long you're doing something else before you come back and how long the the bur should be on the tooth and how long you know, how what order do you do a crown prep? I mean, everything just needs to be consistent. And that consistency is what creates efficiency, which is what buys us time to build relationship and make people feel even more special. You know? It's not because the procedure took longer. It's because they got me in. They had a great conversation. They made me feel comfortable. They did great work. They didn't hurt me, and they got me out. I wasn't there for three hours, you know, because they're so scattered and chaotic.

41:40Right. So well, that's cool. You know, one of the things I mean, dentistry, think, is evolving and changing faster now than ever before. I mean, I think I'm sure every generation thinks that. But, you know, the acceleration, you know, with all of the, you know, DSOs and consolidation, of course, AI and how that's just proliferating at an incredible rate. Staffing shortages has sort of came out of COVID. What do you think the most that most practice owners are underestimating about the next three to five years? You know, you talked a little bit about being a futurist and future proofing practices. You know, where do we really have to focus our attention to make sure that we're future proofing with all of these crazy changes that are coming at us so quickly?

42:19Great question. I think you you never can lose sight of the importance of the relationships that you have, you know, with your patients and the willingness of your team to really recognize that as being important. Yeah. And there was a a survey done where they asked patients why they left a dental practice. You know, why did you why did you leave that practice? And and the answer was more like no connection. Like, no connection with the people working there. You know? No. Not being greeted friendly, not being, you know, felt connected or caring cared for or not. You know, there's no emotional attachment or connection to that person. And and I I think sometimes with all of these AI answering bots and things like that, people get frustrated.

43:04You know? Like, can I talk to somebody? You know? Can I just feel some kind of connection? So I think there will always, always be a need for that in the practice. And for just training team members on that whole customer service perspective. You know? Yeah. Giving them really clear direction. You know, what does good customer service look like? Mhmm. What we what do we wanna be known for? What is our brand? You know, what what is the word on the street about this practice? Yeah. Because that's that's really important. And when I travel, if I'm on a plane and I'm sitting next to someone I don't know, I'm always, like, curious. Like, well, do you like your dentist? You know? The office that you and it's fascinating.

43:44So they get the answers. Like, no. I don't I don't really have one. You know? I I don't They can't remember their name. Don't remember their name. I'm you know? Or and I've I've even referred, like, okay. I just I coached this dental practice. It's really great. It's it's right near the airport here. Yeah. All this Yeah. All this practice. Okay? You know, you really should I believe you really should love your dentist. You should love the practice. You should you should really be like, this is my practice. This is my dentist, my or my office, whatever. I love the hygienist. I love the gal who greets me when I come in. These scents are always so nice. So I think that is gonna be huge or still continue to be huge.

44:24Well, look. It goes it goes back to what we're talking about earlier, just about differentiating yourself from everybody else, and it is that relationship piece. And, you know, your answer is beautiful because it really is just not forgetting the basics. You know? Whether whether you're looking at consolidation and worried about, oh my gosh. These DSOs are gonna put me out of business because I can't compete. Or, oh my gosh. AI. I'm overwhelmed. There's, like, all these different things, and people are worried it's gonna, you know, replace people. And then they're you know, the staffing shortages and gosh. How are you know, it all comes down to culture. It all comes down to those relationships. It all comes down to, again, clear vision and clarity amongst the team.

45:03Because look. When it comes time to transition, whether you're gonna sell to a a general a dentist or a DSO, it doesn't really matter. At the end of the day, you know, what they're gonna be buying are your systems and your people. And so you better have the the systems. You better have the culture that attracts great talent and then retains great talent at a time when staffing shortages are rampant. And I'll tell you what, good AI and bad AI. You know? And I think there's there's good attitudes about it and bad attitudes. You know? And let me give you an example. You know, I use AI for a million things daily, and I'm developing my own AI tools because at the end of the day, AI kinda levels the playing field.

45:41And if you're in a lot of ways, if you're really good at something and all of a sudden somebody is, like, competing with you and they're using AI and you're not, well, guess what? They're just gonna be more productive and they're probably gonna be more effective. It doesn't mean that they takes away their humanity, but it helps them get to answers more quickly and helps them sort of brainstorm more quickly. And I think the same thing happens in practices to a degree. And when staffing issues are what they are right now, if there is a a tool that can be used in the background that doesn't lose the personal, you know, touch that the team gives them, doesn't lose the relationship building, it doesn't feel robotic, it doesn't replace somebody, it just decreases the pressure and the stress on the team.

46:23I mean, those are things that we have to evaluate carefully. But when you find the right one, you can't be afraid to embrace it. So, yeah, good answer. It all comes back to culture. It all comes back to relationships and communication. Mhmm. So, you know, next thing I wanna talk about is a little bit that just that culture and numbers because you have a firm understanding of both. You know? And, again, I think it does make you unique in the coaching space. Can a practice ever outperform its culture, or does culture eventually dictate everything, including your profitability? You know, how I mean, that just dovetails with exactly what we're talking about. Right. Well, I what comes to mind for me when you talk about that is a lot of times when a doctor's introducing, you know, a coaching company to the team.

47:06Okay. You know, I heard this podcast or I heard this person speak or friend of mine recommended, you know, this coaching program. You know, immediately, the team's gonna be like, oh, all they're gonna care about are the numbers. You know? Oh, the doctor, all they care about is the money. All they care about are the numbers, or they're gonna be like, you know, oh, now what's in it for me? You know? Oh, we're gonna and I really believe that the numbers that we track and the key performance indicators are an indication of how healthy we're getting our patients, how efficient we are when we when we're there. And and what are our relationships like? What are our relationships with each other as a team? And what are our relationships with our patients?

47:49And what is our true belief? Do we truly believe that good dental care changes people's lives, creates a better quality of life? Do we do we believe that, or do we believe you know, yes. It's expensive. Yes. It's an investment. But, yes, everybody needs a dentist. Everybody needs a dentist. Right? You know? And and do we believe that we're in a profession that that really impacts people's lives and really changes things for the better? And I I loved being a hygienist. I had a lot of great patients. But what's interesting about me as coaching is is I really feel like I'm impacting more people by helping these practices Absolutely. Develop better patient experiences and create better, you know, better care for everyone involved. So it I just find it very rewarding.

48:35Yeah. Oh, definitely. Definitely. And, you know, having that impact that you know, again, with your hygienist, dentist, whatever, you know, you can have a big impact on the people within your sphere of influence. But, you know, when you're able to expand that sphere of influence, then the people you impact then impact others. And it just kinda passes down the line. And, you know, when you've had the kind of career that you've had in as many years as you've been in the industry and as much as you saw through your father's eyes, you know, there's just so much to offer. And so I think that's a a great way to leverage that knowledge and the relationships and the skill sets that you have. I I feel exactly the same way too.

49:09Yeah. I know. So when you when you look at AI and leadership, communication, all that sort of thing, what part of that do you think that AI will never be able to replace? Because we know there's lots of things that AI cannot replace when it comes to leadership and patient communication. What's the big thing biggest thing for you? I mean, really to put people's minds at ease because there are people who are terrified that, you know, they're gonna and and look. There are industries where AI can come out and do a lot of the things. And Right. That's what you start to hear. And, you know, I would like to put people's mind at ease with regard to dentistry that it's not going to replace them.

49:45What what can't AI replace in a dental practice? I I truly believe it can't replace that that eye to eye connection, you know, the patient. Right? That eye to eye physical body language connection with the patient and being able to really help them with getting the care that they need. Yeah. So nothing AI is never gonna be able to replace team member being able to say to patient, you know, you're in really good hands with doctor Arnold, and he's done this procedure thousands of times. And you're gonna love the way these teeth look when, you know, when you get them restored. And it's gonna feel like to smile in pictures with your grandchildren again. You know, you told me that you missed that. You know, what's it gonna feel like to chew comfortably, smile confidently?

50:35What is what does your life look like? Like, future pacing them? Right. And AI, I don't you know, it could maybe have the conversation or what I love about AI is it can help polish your conversation. Right? I wanna Yeah. Face a patient about losing their teeth and not, you know, being able what should I say? Well, start off by saying this, but I don't think they'll that'll ever miss that eye to eye connection, you know, of with That's so true. And that's such a good answer because I mean, even, like, Zooms are great. It's amazing what we've developed, you know, after the during the pandemic after the pandemic, it makes meeting together so convenient and so much more human. I I'll be honest. I don't even like to talk on the phone anymore because we talk at the same time.

51:19We talk over each other. You can't see facial expressions. You can't see body language. And for me, this is a much better way to communicate. But in person is, like, 10 times better than this. You know? Because there's also that kinesthetic aspect. You know? I I I am very kinesthetic, and I know that there are people starving for touch. Touch of any kind. Conversation, touch. What that means is, you know, most of my career, every time I walk out of the room, you know, I I pat somebody on the shoulder, you know, or I might squeeze their arm, you know, just because it's just how I am naturally. It's not like an affectation, but I do think that it's something that makes people feel just a little more comfortable, a little more calm, a little more at ease, like they're in the right place, and that you actually care about them.

51:59And people who haven't been touched on the arm or the shoulder for Right. You know? That's, like, electric. You know? And so, anyway, you can't do that with AI. Right. It's not yet. Right? So only another time. I don't know. Yeah. So you you've been coaching for more than sixteen years, Susan, which is is amazing. Is there one practice transformation that just, like, pushed you to your limit? Like, a moment where you wondered if it was even possible to make that transformation. And there may not be. There may not be. It might have all just gone very smoothly and then, you know, easy. But I know? I can just imagine, you know, people aren't super easy to work with. Right. I I have this this one client that comes to mind, and and I'll I've I've known him now for four years, and he's grown, you know, one location practice where he was you know, him and one associate took four associates and then another location with two associates.

52:58And Oh, wow. He's backed away from the clinical space, you know, and Mhmm. Taken on more of the the business space. But I would make recommendations or suggestions or, you know, things that we coach that we believe are important things. And he, you know, was very slow to to wanna even consider. Sure. And he he would make a joke because we've gotten to know each other pretty well, and I'll be able to say, well, remember when you didn't wanna do that grab bag bonus and you didn't and and now it's, like, so great. And and he would joke. So you gotta just keep chipping away at me. You gotta chip away at me and chip away at me. And I I would kinda have to find different sort of avenues to, you know oh, let me give him another example or let me open what's gonna influence him to kind of open his mind to, you know, to consider this?

53:49Because Mhmm. But it was it was just kinda funny whereas other other clients would be like, okay. Yep. Let's do it. You wanna do this? Let's do it. Know, help me explain it to the team. Okay. We're gonna get on a coaching call. Here's some documents. You know, here's what Susan, this what you just think about is is parenthood right now. This is my entire parenting experience. Oh. You know, one or two or three kids might say, oh, yeah. No problem. Got it. Gonna do it. Whereas one or two or three, and you say, why? Why would I do that? You know, it's so funny. I mean, as a parent, you learn how to, you know, deal with difficult dentists and teams, I guess. Right.

54:25Right. Right. What a cool transformation, though, you know, for for somebody who is reticent to take your advice at first. Because I'm sure this dentist is highly intelligent, has been very successful in all these things. And sometimes when we are that way, we become our own worst enemies because we're not as open minded. We think we have all the answers, and that goes back to who can you work with, who can you not work with. There's gotta be an open mind. I mean, if you're gonna pay a coach to do something, you gotta let them do their job, and you gotta put some faith in them. Now you may not always agree, and there may be things that you negotiate. But as a general rule, you if you want to make changes, you better take their advice.

55:01Otherwise, you just gotta stick stay stuck where you are. Right. Nothing changes. Nothing changes. Right? Exactly. So, you know, I wanna talk about your dad for just a minute. You know, fifty years in practice. Is that accurate? Fifty years? Yeah. Yeah. It it is. It is. Yeah. That's incredible. Well and the thing that worked well for my dad was my brother bought his practice. So my dad could work just on Tuesdays. You know? Amazing. So call it my office. You know? My brother kinda had they tell my father when he was, like, 76. Okay, dad. You know, it's it's time, you know, to to retire. But I think having my brother, you know, take over his practice kinda allowed him to continue to feel part.

55:43And and he had patients that were like, well, you can't retire. You you can't retire. You know? All he needed to hear was somebody saying, well, you you can't retire. Who's gonna take care of me? On another year or two because it Yeah. Yeah. Good. People need me. People respect me. People love me. Right. You know? And and I think that that it couldn't be a more beautiful transition, you know, in terms of coming towards the end of your your clinical career to be able to turn that over to one of your children and to have another child who will help, you know, oversee things and make sure that things continue to to run well, if not just even get far better. So that's a it's a cool what a cool legacy.

56:18But, you know, speaking of that, like, if he could see the work you're doing today, Susan, you know, what do you think he would say? And, you know, like, if you could ask him anything today, what would you love what would you like to ask him? Oh, gosh. That's great. A great question. My dad loved new things. Like, he loved you know, he he would be all over all of the AI changes, all over the CADCAM things. You know? He he had his own lab. He he would he would just love all the new new and better and different ways of treating patients. You know? And Mhmm. We can sedate patients now. Or just like there are so many in the implant dentistry. You know, he wasn't practicing at a time where implants were really Yeah.

56:56Old dentists weren't doing them. You know? So I you know, he he would be really proud of me. I know he would be, and he'd be excited for me. My my dad was very entrepreneurial minded, you know, so he would have been, like, in my ear. Like, go on your own. Go on your own. Go on your own. Do your own thing. And Yeah. I I'm a lot like my dad. We have very similar personalities. I I I don't know why I'd ask him. You know? I I I don't know. He would be he would have loved, like, the PDA experience, and, like, Bruce and him would have been, like, two peas in a pod. You know? Like, it was just, you know, that was that was a cool part of my life is being part of that team.

57:36And, actually, you know, I'm together now doing annual planning for my own business with some of the other coaches that I worked with at PA who are now on their own. So we're having a little meeting of the minds, which has been a lot of fun. Yeah. But, you know, I I think my dad would just always he was a people person, and and like you, he would believe in the fee for service model. He would believe in the relationship importance. Right? You know? Yeah. And just he loved to joke around. He loved people, and people loved him. You know? So I think he'd say never forget, you know, that part of Yeah. You know, of your career or business. You know, what great tribute to him.

58:17You know, obviously, you had just a major impact on your life. Obviously, he was your dad, but, like, to to have had so much respect for him and to have gone into his industry and to have had the impact that you had and have no doubt he'd be incredibly proud of you and would be cheer cheering you on Yep. And and wanting to get back in the game, I'm sure. Right. Let me get behind the drill again. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Exactly. So, you know, if there's a dentist listening right now, Susan, who's, like, successful on paper but just, like, exhausted and overwhelmed like so many dentists tend to be, what's the first, like, small action you tell them to take tomorrow morning to change their trajectory?

58:57I would say get really clear on what you want. Yeah. What do you want from your practice? What do you want from your life? What do you what do you want from your team? I really believe everyone should get a certain amount satisfaction from their career. Right? It's not gonna be everything in your life. You you need other things to balance your life. But what do you truly really want on a day to day basis from your practice? What brings you energy? What where what turns you on? What kind of procedures do you like? What is your favorite type of new patient? Just get really clear on what you want, and and then find someone to help you get that. You know, find the right marketing group.

59:34Find the right mentor. Find the right groups of doctors. But, you know, try to find someone who has what you want and, you know, who are the who's? There's so many great people in the dental space. There's so much help out there. You know? Who are the who's that are gonna get you what you want? Like, get really clear with what what you want. Such great advice. You know, me as a young dentist after a few years out when I was a little bit overwhelmed with just everything. You know, we come out without a lot of communication skills, leadership skills, business skills, and being overwhelmed. I got to a point where I was gonna last. You know? And that's what really did it for me was finding great mentors.

1:00:10I mean, I tell this story all the time, but at one point, I had a piece of paper with 17 names on it. They were the 17 people from whom I wanted to learn very specific things. I didn't feel like any of them had all the answers, and I still don't I still feel that way. I don't really believe in gurus, so to speak. I think that you can learn something from everyone. You can learn more from certain people. But I think that if you find those right people, as you said, doing the things that you want to do, that is the fastest way to success. You know? If someone is a a wealth of knowledge and has been there and done that and helped other people leverage all of those different systems and, you know, strategies to reach success, then that's who people should gravitate towards.

1:00:51So, you know, kudos to you on No. Everything you've done in your career to this point and Oh, thanks. All the value you've created. That's why I named my company Dental Coaches because I learned pretty quickly one person can't know everything Yeah. Happens in in the dental space. So I really love to go to different meetings and belong to different groups like ADOM and network and, you know, who are the experts in, you know, insurance filing and patient billing? Who are the experts? You know, I have more of a clinical background. I've never sat at the front desk, but, you know Yeah. Who are the who's, you know, that can help you instead of struggling and trying to figure it out yourself? I think it's important to, you know, surround yourself with people that that can help.

1:01:31So I love that. I love that. It's it's I think it just kind of wraps everything up perfectly. You know? And, you know, Susan and I have been CIS too a lot of questions, and you boy, you answer them all. I give you an a plus. Oh, great. Are are there any questions I didn't ask or anything else that you wanna share that we didn't cover? And No. This was the most comprehensive podcast, I think. Thank you for all those wonderful questions and really, really, really enjoyed this very much. Good. As did I, Susan. So well, thanks so much. I appreciate you being here and just really sharing your clinical and financial and coaching knowledge. And I I think that anybody who takes the time to listen to all of this is going to get a lot of pearls, a lot of things that are gonna help.

1:02:17But if they wanna get ahold of you, what's the best way to get ahold of you? So my my cell phone number is (860) 657-6693. K. My website is dentalcoaches.com, so it's an easy one to remember. You can schedule a call right on my right on my website. Love to offer anyone, you know, free free coaching call, get to know you call, discovery call. So, you know, my email is susan@dentalcoaches.com. We're putting out a monthly newsletter with tips and love to, you know, have you sign up for the newsletter. We can do that on the website. And your newsletter's excellent, by the way. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Well, I've learned a lot from you. Your newsletter is excellent as well. So Thank you. I enjoyed Yeah.

1:03:01A nice way to give, you know, give some information and yeah. We'd love to help whoever whoever's interested. Well, awesome. So, listeners, if you wanna build a practice of clarity, alignment, and true leadership, definitely connect with Susan at at any of those phone, email, website. And if today added value to your journey, subscribe to the Foundation Dental podcast and the Foundation Dental newsletter, and share this episode with a colleague who needs it. So thanks again, Susan, and we will see you all again next time. Have a great day. Thank you, Jim.