Because my training in dentistry was so specific, I have no other skills. Have you thought that before? I have, and I hear that all the time from other dentists! I thought it for much of my career. This thinking kept me stuck for years. It made me believe that I had no creativity and no options. Over time, I learned that this belief wasn’t true at all. After working with a career coach, getting therapy, and doing a lot of personal development, one day it hit me like a ton of bricks! I suddenly realized the truth: Dentistry is...
If Covid-19 highlighted one thing, that is the need for easy access to support for our mental well-being. A few months ago I was lucky to connect with a new friend from across the globe. My friend Ziv founded an amazing coaching program that can be used anytime, anywhere– all on your smartphone. The program is called Kai. Kai is “an AI-powered, personal companion designed to help ease anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and many other psychological stressors by integrating wellness tools, techniques and exercises according to the Acceptance Commitment Therapy ACT model.” Their mission is to make support for mental...
I’ll just cut to the chase here. This doesn’t need any introductions or explanations. I would love for you to join my FREE Dentist Career Change Masterclass! Join me on January 31st at 3:00 PM EST. This is a great way to get 2021 started, and it will not be recorded, so schedule some time to take care of yourself! If you have spent years wondering why you feel unfulfilled but not sure why, there’s no time like the present to consider that you have options. I know… we don’t really think our dental careers can look any different than...
As I watched 2020 roll out and the excitement for 2021 build, I couldn’t help but remember my New Year blog post from two years ago. It was a surreal New Year for me, different from all the others I’d experienced in my lifetime. What’s even more surreal is how applicable those old musings are today. As you read this, imagine changing out the details of my cancer journey to what happened to you in 2020 and what you anticipate for your 2021. I hope it gives you an interesting reflection on how we label time. FYI, The only words...
The other day I saw a 2020 hindsight meme. It made me laugh, but of course, now I can’t find the exact meme. Ugh. That is so 2020. It got me thinking, though, which I guess is a good thing. 20/20 is a term used to describe visual acuity or sharpness. To me, that means clarity. I actually thought 20/20 was defined as “perfect” vision, but a quick Google search clarified that for me. I’m glad for that. We should really ditch the pursuit for perfection anyway. Some might consider it a cliche, but it’s so true. At some point...
My favorite part of dentistry was always creating the positive and fun relationships with patients. In fact, the good relationships may have been the only thing I liked about practice. I’ve always enjoyed connecting with people. Unfortunately the actual practice of dentistry got so hard for me that I lost sight of that for a while. Now that I get to help people while filling my own bucket, I remember how important connecting with people is to me. Since I’ve begun coaching, I have had the chance to connect and get to know the most incredible people– mostly dentists, of...
Last Thursday I had a really good cry. I can assure you it was a good, long, ugly cry. And it felt so good. That day was the one-year anniversary of my last targeted chemotherapy infusion. It’s been quite a year, a tough one for many. But given how 2019 was for me, 2020 has been a breeze. I’ve been happy. It seems almost suspiciously happy, the kind of happy that you don’t think is humanly possible. Most of the time it’s a carefree feeling. I’ve not been bothered by the small things, and when I am, I can quickly...
Ever wonder why some organizations run like well-oiled machines, and others face problem after problem? It all comes down to one thing: leadership. Leadership creates the culture. Everything trickles down from the top. I have worked in several different offices during my time in dentistry, and they were all different. One of the offices had okay systems in place but also got by without systems. The boss was more of a dictator-type leader. He was always right, and what he said went. We rarely challenged him, but I learned over time that if I could suggest an idea in a...
When I look back on my career in dentistry, the parts I loved the most were networking and creating relationships with other dentists. Working in private practice was not that fulfilling for me. I always felt burdened, like I couldn’t do enough to please my patients. That left me feeling empty and unappreciated. But when I went to the Pankey Institute to try to save my career, I absolutely loved the learning environment and the friends I made. When I got involved in the local dental society, I loved the sense of community that brought. Now that I am hosting...
In January of 2018 I started a new series of interviews titled Celebrating New Beginnings. Each week I featured a dentist or hygienist who had an innovative dental career or made a career transition outside of the traditional roles in private practice. It was really fun to highlight how other dental professionals were finding career happiness. Life got in the way, and I had to shift gears for a bit, but now we are back! I often focus on dentist career changes, and today I’m excited to highlight a hygienist’s career change. Welcome my guest, Amy. Amy grew up in...
