I originally wrote this blog post on November 15, 2013. It was 2 years after I had officially quit dentistry. After blogging for some time, I met the first of many other dentists who had also experienced life after dentistry. I was so excited to meet Rick, a dentist and fellow blogger. A lot has changed since then. I no longer hide behind the screen name, Lolabees, and Rick has also evolved his own career. That is the great thing about taking that leap the first time– once you do it, you never fear changing again. Check out his guest...
I wrote this blog post on March 14, 2013. At the time, I reflected on what worked for myself in creating change. Despite having no experience coaching at the time, these are some of the principles I use today to help others create their own path and design their career on their terms. If you’ve followed my blog over the past 11 years, you’ve had a front row seat to witness my huge and daunting career change. “Huge and daunting…” Hmm. Today I read that and am intrigued by that description from 11 years ago. Indeed, that was exactly how...
Ever wonder if you should become a dentist? If so, knowing the REAL pros and cons of dentistry is crucial. For years, US News and World Report crowned the dentist as the #1 best job. I first wrote this post in 2013, and being a dentist won that designation for years. In 2018, something changed, and they caught onto what some of us already knew. It slipped to #2 and stayed there, but in 2021, being a dentist slipped all the way down to #9! Maybe they’ve started to see the pros AND the cons of dentistry. What changed? Could...
Help me celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of 10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too! On November 17, 2011, I turned in my last key to the last dental office I ever worked in. It was a momentous day. I had spent 10 years as a dentist and hated dentistry and my life. For years I felt stuck in the wrong career, and I didn’t know how to change. I thought I had no other skills besides being a dentist. Couple that with the fact that no one in the field ever mentioned they hated dentistry as well. Thinking I...
I recently shared with you my dilemma about my cold cap. The question was whether I should allow myself to go bald, or whether I should suffer through the pain of wearing the cold cap for mediocre results. It’s amazing what writing down your thoughts can do to help you gain clarity. I had been struggling for a good month to come to a decision. It was weighing heavily on me, but in the days I put it in writing, a few things happened to help guide me in my decision-making process. I finally feel confident in my choice. I’ve decided to...
I often wonder if I will ever come to appreciate my cancer journey. Right now it’s hard to imagine finding any gratitude for it. In this moment, all I want to do is get through this. I want it to be behind me. While I want to be super-duper positive with you, you know I’m not one to lie about my experiences and my feelings. All I want is to put my head down, put on the blinders, and grind through my treatments. When you’re in that state of mind, it can be hard to want to celebrate and have...
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. I have cancer. It’s still weird to say it, and it’s just as weird to read it back. You may (or you may not) have noticed I’ve been quiet lately. It’s because I’ve been busy having cancer. (See? Even with cancer, I still can’t help being silly at times.) Before you get too worried about me, I’d like you to know that there is good news: it is curable. Even though we are planning for a happy ending, it’s still hard. I still have to go through the physical, emotional, and mental crap of wondering...
Most of us really value the importance of work life balance. Especially now, it seems to be more important than ever. My guest today is Andrew, a dentist in the UK. Andrew came to a crossroads in his career when he was forced to make a tough decision. He had to choose between continuing on in a very happy, successful dental practice or walking away from that to maintain the most important relationship in his life. See how it turned out for him… Three years ago, I came to a junction in my life where I really struggled. It turned...
Every so often we get a wake up call. It’s the call that jolts us into remembering perspective. It’s the call that reminds us how important self care is. We can get so caught up caring for everyone else, that sometimes we neglect ourselves. In 2014 it was Robin Williams’ shocking suicide. The man that brought happiness and laughter to so many suffered a struggle that no one could imagine. A year later came the death of Amanda Peterson, aka Cindy Mancini, the beloved ’80’s teen idol we admired from Can’t Buy Me Love. She fell victim to drug and...
How often do you avoid making work changes because you don’t know what will happen? This occurs with many work changes, whether it’s deciding to hire new staff, revamping your practice model, or even quitting dentistry. I remember being an associate in an office with a hygienist who brought a lot of negativity with her. She was amazing in so many ways, but her undercurrent of negativity affected the energy of the entire office. It was hard for us to see it until she left on her own. I came to realize that the practice was holding on to her...
