This Episode is Sponsored By:

CARESTACK | Cloud-Based Dental SoftwareClick the link below and get 1 MONTH FOR FREE + 10% OFF your Annual Subscription + 50% OFF Your Set-up Fee!Check out CARESTACK now: https://lp.carestack.org/thedentalmarketer‍‍Guest: Nkemakonam EgolumPractice Name: Bowie Oral SurgeryCheck out Nkemakonam's Media:‍Instagram: @dr.egolumYouTube ChannelFacebook PageLinkedin Page
‍Other Mentions and Links:EssentialismHoward UniversityHoward University HospitalBank of AmericaWells Fargo@thedentalmarketer‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍‍My Key Takeaways:
In the medical field, insurance tends to dictate how treatment is performed. Try not to be overly swayed by insurance in your practice!No matter how good you are at something, rushing procedures puts a strain on quality.Try being self-motivated! You do not need outside approval and affirmation for all of your practice decisions.Nothing beats a personal lunch or dinner with potential referring dentists.Many referring dentists would rather meet you as the Dr. rather than a sales person advocating for you.Permitting is highly time consuming with a practice buildout. Be sure to be proactive and speak with the permitting personnel often!‍
Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍

434: Dr. Nkemakonam Egolum | Bowie Oral Surgery

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‍How can a dentist like you navigate a career spanning over three decades AND keep their practice fresh and innovative? In this engaging replay episode, I sit down with Dr. Ivan Valcarenghi, a seasoned dentist from Elmhurst, Illinois, to uncover the secrets behind his 36-year-long journey in the dental industry. Dr. Ivan reveals how the charm of Illinois seasons influenced his choice to stay rooted amidst an exodus to warmer climates. More importantly, Dr. Ivan shares his strategies for combating professional burnout by continuously reinventing his practice. From transitioning from public health service to establishing his own practice, and always opting for quality treatments like tooth-colored fillings, Dr. Ivan emphasizes the importance of standing out in the dental field.

Dr. Ivan also shows us the business side of dentistry, which is often overlooked in traditional dental education. He recounts how learning business and marketing skills through consulting and attending business school played a pivotal role in growing his practice from a modest two-operatory office to a bustling, successful enterprise. Building strong patient relations through excellent communication, using digital technology to educate patients, and viewing dental care as a valuable investment are some of the key approaches discussed. Furthermore, Dr. Ivan’s innovative move to combine dental care with facial aesthetics under one practice showcases his forward-thinking mindset, which has greatly attracted patients and added value to his services.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:How Dr. Ivan has avoided professional burnout over a 36-year careerThe significance of distinguishing oneself in the dental professionThe impact of quality treatments on building a solid practice reputationDr. Ivan’s journey from public health service to his own dental practiceEssential business and marketing skills for growing a dental practiceThe importance of effective patient communication and educationIntegrating digital technology for better patient understanding and treatment acceptanceViewing and positioning dental care as a life-enhancing investmentAdding facial aesthetics to a dental practice and its benefitsNavigating economic downturns while maintaining practice growth and success
Tune in to hear Dr. Ivan's insightful journey and transformative tips for any dental professional seeking inspiration and practical advice!‍(This episode originally aired on 9/8/2022)‍‍Guest: Dr. Ivan Valcarenghi
Practice Name: Radiante Facial & DentalCheck out Ivan's Media:Website: https://www.radiantedentalfacial.com/Email: drivan@radiantedentalspa.com‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍
Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

36+ Years of Career Growth: A Case for Constantly Reinventing Your Practice | Dr. Ivan Valcarenghi | 505

Are you an aspiring practice owner feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of starting or buying your own practice? In this episode, Kevin Klingshirn offers indispensable guidance tailored just for you. Drawing from his vast experience, Kevin emphasizes the power of resilience, the importance of seeking mentorship, and the critical need for a clear vision of your ideal practice. We explore how Dentagraphics can be a game-changer in helping you make well-informed decisions by providing location and demographic insights.

We dive deep into the intricate challenges that come with starting a business, from spotting the right opportunities to understanding market dynamics. Kevin shares his wisdom on leveraging patient demographics and assessing competition, ensuring you’re well-prepared to build a thriving practice. This episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to harness the power of vision, comprehensive market analysis, and strategic planning in their journey toward successful practice ownership.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why it's essential not to fear failure in practice ownership.The benefits of seeking help and mentorship in your journey.How to define a clear vision for your practice.The role of Dentagraphics in location and demographic assessments.Key challenges practice owners practice owners face and how to overcome them.The importance of understanding patient demographics and competition.
Don't miss this chance to turn your practice ownership dreams into reality. Tune in now!‍‍Sponsors:
Studio 8E8: Dentistry’s story-driven marketing agency. Traditional marketing repels. Story-first dental marketing attracts.We bring your story to life in a way that captivates and connects: https://s8e8.com/affiliates/tdm?utm_source=tdm&utm_medium=affiliate&wc_clear=true‍You can reach out to Kevin Klingshirn here:Website: https://www.dentagraphics.com/Email: kevin@dentagraphics.com‍‍Mentions and Links: 

Businesses/Brands:StarbucksChipotleTargetBank of America‍Software/Tools:Google Meet‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Kevin. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning,Kevin: Monday morning piece of advice knowing your listeners, know, the primary audience is going to be. Young practice owners, and I'll gear this towards those that haven't started a practice or bought a practice, basically haven't entered practice ownership.This is what we help doctors with. one piece of the big puzzle, right? We'll talk more about it in a bit, but demographics, we help doctors figure out like where to start a practice, where to buy a practice, if a location is good or not. We talk to a lot of nervous practice owners. So what I mean by that is.They're going to be first time business owners. They're going to be serious business owners. The general practice is a serious thing. It's a big production. And it comes with a lot of responsibilities. My advice would be just get used to not knowing what you're doing. Get used to asking for help, get used to doing things that are really unfamiliar and you have no idea how they work.The reason why I can relate to it is just because we started this business about 10 years ago now. Seems like a really long time when you say it out loud, but in those 10 years, just as a, a small business owner here at demographics, we've had to do a lot in terms of running a business, hiring operations, fulfillment of the reports and products that we offer, taxes.everything that comes with just being a small business owner. I would guess the idea is, don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid to not know, you're always going to be intimidated, but day. The course, why I want to loop this back is a lot of practice owners. They just won't jump in or they're scared to jump in.it's scary. You're never completely ready. We probably weren't completely ready to. Started business when we started a business, but just with time, with talking to people, figuring out, who, good for your team, who's bad for your team, all the world works. that's the only way you're going to get through it.And that's now how we've created a very successful businesses 10 years later. And I think there's a lot of parallels to practice ownership. Michael: Nice, man. One thing you mentioned is, even if you feel like you're, like, completely unready, still you need to jump in, but what would you say if you're looking at two people who are potentially wanting to own a practice, and you tell them, hey, give it more time to one, and then you tell the other one, oh, no, you're ready, you're just overthinking it.what are the signs of give it more time? Kevin: our case, specifically, give it more time in somebody that just doesn't really know where they want to go. They don't know the type of practice that they want to eventually own.They don't have that vision currently laid out.They maybe have just been almost like peer pressured into, I'm of the age where a lot of my peers are starting or buying dental practices. Therefore I should be as well. Everybody's path different. and this goes back to what I was talking about. You don't need to be ready to handle every part of running a business because you probably never will be.somebody has been trained in a very specialized way through school. And then they do. An associate job for however many years. They still don't learn how to run a business. You'll never know exactly how to run a business, until you really just start doing it. But somebody who is ready versus somebody who's not is having a pretty clear vision for the type of practice that they want to do.Own, they know where, and that's really what we help them with. somebody that doesn't, say, you know, type of patient that I want to work with anybody, where should I go anywhere? Well, I'll make money. That's probably not somebody that's quite ready to jump in. Michael: Now, at Denti Graphics, do you see that a lot?Do you see where people are like, Hey man, I'm just going to be peer pressured? Kevin: The term peer pressure doesn't really come up because it's Negative scary. And maybe they don't want to admit that it is peer pressure, but people that just gone through the motion of school associate work, and now it's probably time to buy a practice or start a practice.So that's what I should be doing, but they're just not ready for it. Michael: Gotcha. Anything you recommend that we can like self evaluate? Because I'm sure some people are listening to this and then they're thinking, Snaps, maybe I've been peer pressured. Maybe I'm looking at my Facebook groups and I'm like, it's time for me to be a practice owner too.Kevin: So for me, I just gauge it by talking to people and you can just tell who's ready, who's not, who's taking this seriously versus who's, just asking the questions that they maybe think they should be asking, or, you know, really green questions. Like, I don't know anything about this. I think I'm looking to start a practice for the first time or buy a practice for the first time.and I guess I should start here. I would go back again to like, knowing generally the type of practice that you want to start or buy in the type of community where you want to start or buy in the general area where you want to start or buy.things like that are what come to mind there. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. And then you also mentioned to get used to asking for help when it comes to what y'all initially do, Is that how that kind of came out to be is like, Hey we'll find the right location, the exact specific thing because you felt that wasn't happening or, Kevin: the business was started by my partner here, Kent, uh, 10 years ago, and his background was in like city planning and figuring out like where within a city might be a good place for a project to take place. my brother actually worked in the dental space. He still does. he was with Bank of America 10 years ago, and he was the one who said, Kent, you know, I think that there's an opportunity for this.and I think you'd be really good at it. And Ken kind of checked it out and he's like, yeah, I do think I'd be really good at that. I jumped on board about a year and a half later, when the business got big enough where he couldn't do it all on his own, but it all started with just like identifying an opportunity.It sounds a little cheesier, funny, but kind of with a focus on things like maps and data demographics. Figuring out like where within a city would be a good place do something. I've always been intrigued with like, how does Starbucks and Chipotle and target, how do they figure out where to put their stores?So then when we had a target on the dental space. It was both, a good opportunity to tackle, and Kent had experience in it. I did not to be frank, but something that interests me, just from the job and everything's where I took off from there. Michael: Nice man. Now I've heard of this and I've seen this and we've had a lot of, uh, people on the podcast who either have looked at a location and then they said, the demographics don't work, but I'm still going to do it.Or they've gone the other way, right? Where doesn't work and I'm not going to do it. Now, the ones where it says, I'm still going to do it. What I guess to you, would you recommend if someone goes through this whole process and says, I still want to do it here and it's okay, then just do it. Kevin: Sure. Michael: But is there a, better solution or what do you think?Kevin: I've always saw it. Cause we've talked to people like that. It's like, I'm from this quaint town in California. That's really competitive. And I'm going to start or buy a practice there. I'm going to start a practice there because there's no practices there to buy. If that's your mindset and that's what you want to do, you should do that.doesn't matter how much competition there is. would say, look at, the type of practice that you want to start or buy. And presumably, if you're familiar with the community, you're familiar with the type of dentistry that you'd be doing there. But I think that the right practice owner can take a practice.Really competitive, challenging market through the lines of a startup and make it work just by being driven, standing out, being different, good marketing. but it is our job to assess it and say like, Hey, based on what you want to do, this could either be tough or this looks like a. full go green light.Now, when we do identify those opportunities where the doctor wants to be there, and then we look at it and it's like, Hey, this looks pretty good. got to think that you're gonna have a better shot there initially than a really competitive market. A lot of it comes down to just like supply and demand.Supply of existing practices in an area demand through demand for dental care to kind of simple things that we want to measure to figure out if it's a good area, not considering what this, practice owner might want to do, but anybody that's just dead set on like, Hey, this area I'm from there.This is where I'm going to open their dental practice. Good for you. You've already identified like, one piece of this vision puzzle that I Talked about initially where what's your vision? What's your goal? Like, What do you want to do? What kind of practice do you want to have? If you already know exactly where that practice is going to be, who am I to tell you that you can't have a successful practice there?Michael: Yeah. Interesting, man. So does dendrographics kind of like you guys assess all that with the practice owner? Cause I always, I don't know why I always just thought like, Oh no, we're just going to find you your location and that's it. Kind of thing. Or like, we're going to look at your demographics and that's it.But do you go through that whole background with them? Kevin: We always want to start with describe to us your ideal patient base. And then how a typical process will look like is it's like, okay, I'm in, greater Charlotte. I'll start a practice anywhere in greater Charlotte that matches my ideal patient base.So if this person tells us my ideal patient base is upper middle income homeowners that's a family centric area with strong home ownership and it's stable and high growth and everything like that. let's go out and find you a practical area. think like population density.There's a large market there for dental care large enough. People living in the area, basically, let's not recommend that you start over a national park because there's no competition. And the few people that live there are in your target, patient profile, we find you a practical area that matches your ideal patient base.That's also. Not hyper competitive relative to the area, the less competition, the better. If we can match those other two things, practicality, and then a fit with the patient base that you're going for. Michael: So then in Kevin: the case of like greater Charlotte, if we go through the entire area, we'll come back and we'll say, Hey, these top areas, they match what you're looking for the best.Now it's part two of the job is then to go out and we don't know inventory of available. Real estate. Right. So can you go out and figure out where are there available properties in these areas like in greater Charlotte that matches what you're looking for that's in the areas where we've recommended and of course consider other things.The terms of the real estate that you're looking at, uh, are you fond of the area? And that's all part of the site selection process until ideally in the very end, you find a location somewhere that you're fond of somewhere where the price is right. The terms are right. and then where we've generally recommended that you look when we assess the market at the beginning.Michael: Gotcha. Okay, man. That's interesting. So all that kind of comes into, and then is that like a specific, if you don't mind me asking, Uh, for that, is it everybody's different or is it like a set thing or what does that look like? Kevin: So in terms of our services or products we have two types. We have a platform software basically where somebody can go on there.It's a little bit more DIY. And run their own research, work with us directly to like assess areas. So picture you get access to software and then you're working with me on the side to like do Google meets and look at different areas and assess locations. So that would be our subscription side of the business.On the other side is what we call like our legacy business, and that's our custom reports. There's two reports that we sell. There's a single site study and there's an area analysis. The area analysis, that's the first one I laid out where doctors in greater Charlotte, they don't know where to go. We're going to recommend where we think are the top areas for them based on again, competition, ideal patient base, practicality.That area analysis is 699. The site study, that's As in depth as we can get on one specific office location. So is one, two, three main street, Concord, North Carolina, good location for the startup dental practice that I want to get going here. So everything we can tell a doctor about one, two, three main street.Is it a fit with your patient base from very weak to very strong? You know, How do we assess it? But between the. Software in the report side of the business, two different types that we, I would say at this point about equally, sell in terms of like what people buy, but it's, do you want to do it the more do it yourself route?So this is people getting on our web app, running their own searches, we have a lot of cool tools in there. We wouldn't, you know, 15 minutes, unfortunately, wouldn't cover. A full like product overview, but like you can send mailers to off market dental practices. If you're looking to, purchase a dental practice, you can run an instant search on a location.And we've even rolled out like a new tier, which is designed more for like the existing practice owner. It's called the grow tier, where. You can plot your patients at an active dental practice on a map. So like if I have two locations in greater Columbus, Ohio, and they're five miles apart, but I want to see like every patient down to the address level, like where they fall on a map within drive times, where they're coming from, if there's a part of Columbus where you're not getting a ton of patients, but you know, that's an area where.the demographics match your preferred, like patient type. We can like market to those areas. And then there's also a direct mail tool now that we just wrote out it's targeted direct mail, where we can say like, all right, I'm in Columbus, Ohio, I want to target, a pediatric dentist in Columbus, Ohio, I want to go after new movers.With children income of, this number and above how many households meet that criteria. And then directly through our app, send them direct mail at like 59 cents a piece. So it's really affordable. It's super targeted. And it's another tool that we've rolled out to help, not just those starting by doctors, which has primarily been over the past decade, our wheelhouse, but now to, Existing practice centers to help grow their practices.So again, if we did like a total product overview, it would take a bit, but we've grown a lot since those legacy reports, the area analysis, the single site study don't sell a ton of them. But, uh, we're of course always looking for new ways to like fill in gaps where maybe we don't fit. We don't have a product that fits exactly what somebody is looking for.can we create products to do that? Michael: Yeah. Kevin: all sort of under the umbrella of data analysis, competition, mapping, and things like that. Michael: Awesome. Awesome, Kevin. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, where can they reach out to you directly? Kevin: I am easy to get ahold of my emails.Kevin at denta graphics. com. our website is denta graphics. com. You can book a demo on there just to meet one of us here and talk about where you're at in this process, how we can help discuss your search, things like But yeah, we're easy to get a hold of. So anybody that wants to reach out again, Kevin at dendrographics.com is my email or the website's dendrographics. com. Michael: Awesome. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Kevin, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Kevin: Thank you, Michael. Appreciate you having me here. ‍

Overcoming the Fear of 1st Time Practice Ownership | Kevin Klingshirn | MME

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What does it take to successfully market a practice and bring in new patients in today's world? In this compelling episode I'm sitting down with, Karen Galley, the insightful co-owner and president of Patient News and Practice ZEBRA. With over 30 years of specialized experience in dental marketing, Karen takes us on a journey through the foundational elements of successful dental marketing strategies. She sheds light on the unique offerings of Practice ZEBRA, a versatile software product that enhances marketing efforts through comprehensive services like call tracking, scoring, and detailed KPIs for marketing success. Whether you are just starting out or looking to optimize your current marketing, Karen's vast knowledge provides a robust solution tailored precisely for dental practices.

Throughout our conversation, Karen digs up the common marketing pitfalls that dental practices often encounter. Karen provides a magnifying glass into these errors, breaking them into three categories: strategic, operational, and executional. From the lack of clear differentiation in a practice's mission, to operational inefficiencies like poor call handling, each mistake is explored with an eye toward solutions and optimization. Karen’s advice doesn’t just stop at identifying problems though; she offers actionable strategies to improve your marketing approach by emphasizing consistent brand messaging, thorough market research, and effective budget allocation. This episode is an indispensable guide for dental professionals looking to enhance their marketing game.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to identify and correct strategic, operational, and executional marketing mistakes in your practice.The unique features of Practice ZEBRA and how it can streamline your marketing efforts.The importance of understanding your practice's unique selling proposition.Advice for aligning marketing strategies with your practice’s vision and goals.Tips for efficient resource and budget allocation in dental marketing.How to analyze marketing attribution and channel ROI to maximize returns.Insights into refreshing your online presence with modern web design and SEO practices.
Let's transform your practice's marketing efforts with, Karen Galley, today!‍‍
Sponsors:
‍Oryx: an all-in-one cloud-based dental software created by dentists for dentists.
Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Visit Oryx today for a special TDM offer! (Just click or copy and paste the link here) https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx/‍Guest: Karen GalleyBusiness Name: Patient NewsCheck out Karen's Media:Website: http://patientnews.com‍
Other Mentions and Links:‍Software/Tools:Google AdsPractice ZEBRA‍Helpful Resources:Practice Growth Calculator‍Books:Understanding Dental Insurance: A Guide for Dentists and their Teams‍People:Dr. Shahin SafarianDr. Travis Campbell‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍
Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

504: Is Your Marketing Strategy Missing the Mark? Here's How to Fix It | Karen Galley

Have you ever considered how vulnerable your practice might be to a cyberattack? In this episode, Reuben and I delve into the alarming issue of cybersecurity threats targeting the dental industry. With recent warnings from the FBI about credible threats, it's clear that dental practices need to take cybersecurity seriously. We explore the potential consequences of these threats, the crucial need for comprehensive security awareness training for staff members, and essential steps to prevent email-based attacks.

The conversation goes in-depth into why using Microsoft 365 for enhanced email security is a game-changer for dental offices. Reuben also discuss the importance of working with IT experts to set up robust cybersecurity measures. Whether you're a dental professional or someone concerned about the security of sensitive patient information, this episode offers loads of practical advice. Don't miss out on this vital information that could protect your practice from devastating cyber attacks.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:What are the credible cybersecurity threats currently targeting dental practices?Why is security awareness training crucial for dental office staff?What steps you can take to prevent email-based threatsHow Microsoft 365 can enhance your dental practice's email securityWhy should dental practices consider consulting IT companies for cybersecurity solutions?
Take action today to secure your dental practice's email communications and protect sensitive patient information!‍‍Sponsors:For DSO integrations, startup solutions, and all your dental IT needs, let our sponsors, Darkhorse Tech, help out so you can focus on providing the amazing care that you do. For 1 month of FREE service, visit their link today! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/darkhorse-deal/‍You can reach out to Reuben Kamp here:Website: https://www.darkhorsetech.com/Email: sales@darkhorsetech.comPhone: 800-868-4504Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkhorseTech‍Mentions and Links: 

Businesses/Services:Henry ScheinAspen Dental‍Organizations:HIPAAFBIChange HealthcareUnitedHealthcare‍Software/Tools:DentrixEaglesoftOpen DentalChatGPTOutlookMicrosoft 365G Suite‍People:Bill Gates‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Ruben. So talk to us. What's happening right now for this Monday morning episode, we're going to be talking about something specific when it comes to security, Michael: What's going on? Reuben: Emergency pod. First of all, emergency pod, Michael. Michael: All Reuben: right. You know, those, uh, Reuben: those sirens Instagram are overused, but in this case it Reuben: does apply. FBI warns of credible cybersecurity threats of the dental industry. that's why we're talking today. Michael: Okay. So what's happening. This happened. One of the articles we're looking at is on may 8th, so Michael: like not less than a week ago, less than a week, a couple of days ago, something's going on specifically with this cyber security threat. To all Michael: dental practices everywhere in the nation or Reuben: yeah, so it is morphed into that over the last few days. So basically, uh, the FBI was monitoring, uh, a hacking group, Reuben: connected to change healthcare, connected to United Healthcare, connected to Henry Schein, connected to Aspen. You know, all these groups have obviously made the Reuben: headlines in the last uh, year or so uh, change healthcare, obviously being uh, most recent, Reuben: they were actually investigating a threat because they were attacking the plastics. Surgery market. And Reuben: then they shifted their focus to Reuben: oral surgery. And that's kind of, that was the, the Reuben: splashy update from last week, right? Reuben: May 6th, May 8th. And now the FBI uh, FBI is Reuben: basically saying general dentistry is now being targeted as well. So, Reuben: See, it went from outside the dental industry to a dental, you know, specialty. And now to the majority of dental practices out there are you Uh, actively being targeted. Michael: So then a couple of things, I mean, we Michael: obviously want to know what to look out for, but what's the consequences here? Michael: If let's just say. We did end up accidentally doing something that we weren't supposed to do, like Michael: opening up an email or clicking specific Michael: link, you know, stuff we don't really know. Reuben: Yeah. Let's all the way to the end is you're bankrupting of practice, right? We Reuben: go back one step that is, you know, uh, the Reuben: overwhelming majority of practices that suffer a cybersecurity attack go out of business. All right. So we're starting at the end, we're working backwards. So that, that means. you, Or if you are a doctor or a staff member, you Reuben: clicked on a staff member, clicked on it. an email, a link that downloaded a payload to your office, right? Ransomware is, is most of what we're talking about here. Reuben: And that ransomware, let's say you're running Dentrix or Eagle software, open dental, one of these, uh, you know, server based practice management Reuben: softwares, that ransomware was able to embed itself into your practice management software, right? Patient health information, Reuben: uh, x rays, uh, social security numbers, medical history. You know, all the stuff that we call protected health information or EPHI electronic protected health and Reuben: they get that data and they exfiltrate it or take it out of the office, that is a Reuben: breach, which then feeds me into most practices that go through a breach, go out of business, and then you're, you're no longer an owner of a practice, you're an associated at another practice. I guess that is actually the last step. And that Reuben: is why this is so important is because Reuben: it's so darn easy to protect yourself from this Reuben: happening. But only 6 percent of the dental offices out there are HIPAA compliant. So hackers go, wow, we have a 94 percent Reuben: chance of getting into this office. Thank God. But, and that's why, Reuben: Honestly, it's like Dennis and the, the only really industry Reuben: less compliant the dentistry, Reuben: you guys can make fun of them is chiropractors. Reuben: So, Hey, those are the industries that, that are go after because of the lowest hanging fruit. if you Reuben: have dogs at your house, and Michael, you know, Reuben: I have, you know, 10, 000 dogs that live with me, Reuben: a robber does not want to come rob my house, because they're going to be attacked by a bunch of dogs. they want to attack the house. That the owners are on vacation, there's no animals, it's dark, you know, they Reuben: are opportunistic just like any other profession. So Reuben: that is why they're going after the dental industry specifically. Michael: Gotcha. Something you mentioned, man, where you said staff members click on it. I think the most common Michael: thing. I mean, one of the practices I worked at the actual doctor clicked on it and Michael: ended up paying. But like with, when it comes to the staff members. Do they need to receive specific training for this? Or Reuben: yeah, we call it security awareness training or SAT for short. Uh, not to be confused with the test Reuben: that is, it is coming back now. turns out it's a great predictor. If you're going to be okay at college, Reuben: um, I digress. So basically security awareness training trains your staff. who, You Reuben: know, you got to give to them. They're Reuben: busy. They're your phone calls. There's patients in front of them. They're scheduling, their billing, they're checking people out. There's Reuben: a lot going on. So you kind of have to, you know, if they do have an email come through Reuben: and it looks like it's from UPS, or it looks like it's, you know, from a Reuben: credible source and they don't, they don't have their guard up and they click Reuben: on it. It's Reuben: really hard to come down Reuben: on that person right? Reuben: You're expecting a lot out of them. And, and, and also, you know, be, have your, you know, your hat on your cyber Reuben: hat on and be vigilant at all times for through. So it's really important that you set up like. Let's not do a free Gmail account, right? That Reuben: has no security protection. Reuben: It's really important that you have an email system. I recommend Microsoft Reuben: 365 for all businesses that will stop those emails from coming in to begin with, because it never made it through Reuben: the spam filter. Right. Uh, the phishing filter. Reuben: So what's it worth that your staff. Doesn't even have to see that email that's worth a lot, right? Reuben: And then secondarily, let's say it is something that's more sophisticated, right? AI is obviously Reuben: playing a huge role in these emerging threats because it's no longer, you know, Prince of Nigeria Reuben: asking you for money who doesn't speak good English. It's like a perfectly crafted Reuben: email that's written by, uh, Beauty. so what security awareness training does is it, uh, it's a campaign. So like, if Reuben: I set this up, I'll randomly send out emails to your employees, right? If they click on a message that they Reuben: shouldn't have. have. Reuben: They are forced Reuben: down the training loop of, okay, Reuben: you have to go to school to realize like, what does a real email looks like? You know, is this Reuben: an external sender? Is it an internal sender? So it Reuben: really, it's just another, uh, training element, but you know, we're in the prevention business, right? I don't, I don't want Reuben: to clean stuff up. I want to play default. I want to block stuff from happening. And Reuben: of course the client wants that too. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So then right now, what steps can we do or what to look out for? What can we look out for? What steps can we do when it comes to preventing this threat that's happening today? Absolutely. And Reuben: I'm going to focus on email because that is, the Reuben: FBI is, the warning is specifically tied to email. It's the easy, again, we talked about ease of Reuben: access is the easiest way to get into a Reuben: business is to send someone email. I can Reuben: send Bill Gates an email right now. Right. It Reuben: It doesn't matter. I have his email. I get sent to him. and so there's hundreds, thousands of practices out there that use Reuben: friendly smiles at gmail. com. So the Reuben: to action is sign up for a Microsoft account. It's Reuben: going to do two things. One, uh, it's going to give you that increased protection we talked about. Reuben: Two, It's more professional, right? It's more professional to receive an email, not from friendly smiles at gmail. com, Reuben: but office at friendly smiles. com, right? You're using your domain name. Reuben: tied to your website. It's professional. Maybe you have a signature. It just gives your, the people you're communicating with Reuben: patients, staff labs. an air that, you know, you are a professional Reuben: business. So, it Reuben: just have to be for cybersecurity. It can be to kind of raise your professionalism as Reuben: a business. Gotcha. So get that first. Microsoft three, six, five. Reuben: Microsoft 365. It's a, it's a suite of products, right? We use Microsoft 365 Reuben: for open dental cloud hosting, but we also use Microsoft 365 for email for Microsoft teams, for one drive. So Reuben: there's a lot to it, but we're really specifically talking about, email or some people refer to as outlook, which Reuben: is a specific email product that Microsoft offers. Okay. Michael: Okay. So we do that next steps. Would that be the only step or that's it? Reuben: We're only going to focus on. Protecting yourself from the credible threat Reuben: the FBI, we can have a hour long about all the other stuff you need to do, but please, the takeaway from this is really bolster your email security. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So get that So if we have it already, we don't got to worry about Reuben: IT company check it your it company, check it out, Ask them a question. Hey, am I doing Reuben: I need to do? If you don't have an it company, I run one. I Reuben: can help you out, but there's a lot of companies out there. So, either, you know, if you have an incumbent IT company, just reach Reuben: out to them, say, Hey, Can you guys get me set up with this? Or hey, I'm running this. Is there anything better we can do? Cause Reuben: there are some nuances there that are a little technical, but you know, you as the, uh, you as the client really shouldn't really have to worry about setting that up. Gotcha. Michael: Awesome, man. Any other pieces of advice you wanted to mention in this episode? Reuben: The FBI got involved, so they don't just like, Reuben: uh, creep into the dental industry, Reuben: uh, just cause they get bored. Reuben: So this is, it's a credible threat and just, it's a great reminder to just do the, Reuben: honestly, I'm just asking you guys to do the bare minimum here. Reuben: it's just sign up for secure email, which is also a HIPAA Reuben: compliance requirement, just. Just for the record. Yeah. Michael: Is that the only option? Microsoft Office Michael: 365? Or we can go with another one? Reuben: I mean, G Suite is also an option. So there is free Gmail right at gmail. com. And G Suite is Google's business version. And Reuben: that, that does have a much higher level of security than the free Gmail. You Reuben: do have to add, uh, an encryption element to it to make it HIPAA compliant, but I Reuben: just bring up Microsoft 365 because it is the lowest expense, easiest way to do this. Oh, lowest expense. how Michael: much is it? Reuben: Four bucks an email. Man. Yeah. So it's Michael: pretty easy. It's Reuben: cheaper than G suite. Yeah. It's, it's just, and then you don't have to worry about the whole. Encryption piece, uh, like you do with G suite. So Reuben: that's why I mentioned Microsoft 365 and also most it companies have a relationship with Microsoft and they can set this up for you. Gotcha. Michael: Awesome. Ruben, thank you so much for this. We appreciate it. Anybody listening go take action right now. Michael: And if anyone has further questions, where can they reach out to you? Reuben: Hey, sales at dark horse tech. com. I'm all over Facebook. You can bother me Reuben: on there or 800 868 4504 be happy to help anybody out. Thanks Awesome. Michael: that's going to be in the show notes below and Ruben, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Reuben: Thanks Michael.

MME: The FBI's Warning and Tips to Protect Your Email Inbox | Reuben Kamp

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How can an artist's creativity and eye for detail translate to success in the dental industry? Today we're diving into the journey of Dr. Jessica Pushee, an aspiring artist turned respected dentist, who shares her path from student to practice owner. Listen as Jessica unravels her realities – the challenges of shared ownership, the unexpected upheavals, the bounce back from failures, and the rekindling of her passion for ownership. Gain a unique understanding of her perspective on what it's like to construct one's own practice, from securing loans to pinpointing the perfect location.

The episode continues with an emphasis on the powerful role of community engagement and specialist referrals in building a solid patient base. Not only can you sneak a peek into Jessica's secret, strategic playbook, but you can also get a personal perspective on the delicate art of maintaining work-life balance, creating something uniquely personal, and nurturing a business culture rooted in integrity. Jessica also shows her forward-looking aspirations for her practice, marking her place in a fascinating narrative, laced with fortitude, resilience, and tenacity.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:The unique journey of an artist turned respected dentistThe challenges and nuances of shared ownership in a dental practiceThe rigors and rewards of building a dental practice from scratchArtistic touches that set apart Jessica's practiceMaintaining work-life balance as a successful dentist and business ownerThe significant role of community engagements and referrals in building a patient baseThe importance of business culture and integrity in growing a practice
Let's get into this episode with Dr. Jessica Pushee and witness the perfect blend of art and dentistry on her journey!‍‍
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Other Mentions and Links:‍Software/Services:Google AdsIdeal PracticesCARRFacebook AdsLegalZoom‍Places/Establishments:Tufts University‍Banks:Bank of America‍Brands/Businesses:StarbucksSmoothie King‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍
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434: Dr. Nkemakonam Egolum | Bowie Oral Surgery

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