Join Kat Azima with Denteo Marketing Group, Malika Azargoon (our Dental Zorro) and S. Natasha Gillis (The Smiling Lawyer) as we discuss why insurance acceptance isn't always the reason why your practice feels commoditized.  In fact, the key offender is usually lack of effective branding. Listen in as Kat provides some effective tips on how to use yourself to brand your office by telling a compelling story and showcasing your practice's work to drive loyal patients (and staff) to your office. Kat also provides some thoughts how to effectively use videos and gives us her honest thoughts about the effectiveness of TikTok in establishing your branding.  To contact Kat Azima, please visit www.denteomarketinggroup.com or email her at [email protected] 

To contact Malika Azargoon with Zar Dental Consulting: www.zardentalconsulting.com

To contact Natasha Gillis, Esq. with The Gillis Firm: www.thegillisfirm.com

Our first Voice showcases Shohreh Ghassemi, a fourth year dental student at VCU School of Dentistry.  Tune in as she shares her experiences as an Iranian-American woman whose family fled religious persecution to find refuge in the United States.  Shohreh talks to us about hurdles she overcame, her inspiration to pursue dentistry and her passions.  If you are a D4, you absolutely don't want to miss it.  If you are an experienced, practicing dentist, tune in to see how you may be unexpectedly inspiring someone like Shohreh. For more about Shohreh Ghassemi and to get her email address, check out our Facebook Page: "Dental Bites with Dental Zorro and The Smiling Lawyer" (https://www.facebook.com/DentalBitesSLZorro/ and Instagram #DentalBitesSLZorro.  To join us on our virtual business study club group, find us at "Empowering Business Women in Dentistry on Facebook" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2335189716581443/). To listen to previous episodes, look for us on iTunes, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic and Anchor!  

Join us as Malika Azargoon, our Dental Zorro, plays a little game of devil's advocate with Natasha Gillis, The Smiling Lawyer, as we explore one topic with 2 perspectives.  Malika leads the discussion for dental practices who are looking to add associates-- when is the right time to expand and how do you position your practice to bring on top talent?  For employees (mainly dental school grads), Natasha will share her secret to an easy contract review using 2 highlighters and a pencil.  Tune in for this extremely informative conversation as we welcome our graduating dental students into the job market.  Do you have questions? Contact Malika at [email protected] and Natasha at [email protected] 

Whether you are a practice owner who has applied for PPP or is expecting to apply, you don't want to miss this concise overview of how to maximize your chances of obtaining loan forgiveness of your PPP loan.  We welcome Ryan Levy, CPA, CFP®, principal and owner of Ryan Levy, CPA, LLC (levydentalcpa.com).  Ryan is a dental specific CPA for dental practice transitions, business advisory and tax planning services.  He has advised dental practices in all things accounting for over 15 years.  He is a certified financial planner and member of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants (ADMC), which is dedicated to the advancement of dental professionals.  Tune in as Ryan answers the most commonly asked questions through his dental lenses on subjects like: "Aside from monetary payment to staff potentially being forgiven, should I expect payroll benefits like health insurance to be forgiven?" "Will staff bonuses (including to associates) potentially be forgiven?" "Should I expect payments to my independent contractors to be forgiven?" And more.  Questions about this podcast?  To reach Ryan Levy, please visit www.levydentalcpa.com or email him at [email protected].

Welcoming Kat Azima, owner and principal marketing consultant at Denteo Marketing Group!  Kat has almost 20 years of brand-building experience and has worked for big corporate giants like Johnson & Johnson in a variety of roles including corporate communications, public relations and brand management  She has helped manage many well known dental consumer brands like REACH and ACT and founded Denteo Marketing Group in 2011 to help dentists, specifically, with their branding and marketing needs.  In this episode, we dive into video marketing:  should you be using video?  Do you risk "de-professionalizing" your practice by using it?  What is the best way to film video?  How can you effectively pivot video during COVID-19 as a team building opportunity with staff and to teach patients what to expect during their next visit? Questions about this podcast?  To reach Kat Azima, please visit www.denteomarketinggroup.com or email Kat at [email protected]. 

Join us as our dental consultant and Dental Zorro, Malika Azargoon, gives some practical insight on how to effectively open your office doors as dental offices plan their re-openings after COVID-19.  She provided a comprehensive presentation with the Virginia Academy of General Dentistry which we dive into, summarize, and focus heavily on the unique challenges specifically facing pediatric and orthodontic practices.  For a copy of your own sample protocol and re-opening roadmap, please contact Malika at [email protected] or visit her website www.zardentalconsulting.com. 

Join Your Smiling Lawyer, Natasha Gillis, Malika Azargoon your Dental Zorro and our **spotlight speaker, E. Andrew Gerner,** Certified Financial Planner and Vice President at R.K. Tongue Insurance  (endorsed by the Virginia Dental Association) for an engaging and informative discussion with practical insurance dental bites that you can easily digest and use in your everyday practice operations.  

In this segment, Andrew provides a quick summary of the top 4 issues that most dentists are asking, now:  1) Should I expect my malpractice insurer to defend me if a patient claims to have gotten infected with COVID-19 when visiting my office?; 2) Why can't I use business interruption insurance for COVID-19 related losses;  3) Considerations for employers v. practices who contract out services; and 4) Navigating liability minefields in light of PPE shortages.  Like what you heard? Please visit www.rktongue.com for more information and a link to Professional Protector Plan and **risk management resources** (https://www.protectorplan.com/risk-management/)

DISCLAIMER:  This podcast should not be construed as providing legal advice but should be considered for educational purposes based on insurers that R.K. Tongue commonly works with and policies that they often broker.  These tips are intended to serve as "food for thought" to allow you to review your own policy and ask the right questions of your own insurance team.  Naturally, if you want to work with the RK Tongue team, feel free to reach out to them. 

Tune in to our first episode with your Smiling Lawyer, Natasha Gillis, and your Dental Zorro (dental consultant and superhero) Malika Azargoon as we explore three simple things you can do TODAY to plug in the holes and keep your practice afloat during COVID-19 (and no, it does not involve spending more money on services you really don't need!).  It's time to cut the fat off,  ration and cook with what you have to weather this storm.  

Are you looking for another dental podcast that talks about the same things in the same ways?  If so, this isn't for you.  Are you looking to hear about new and current topics with one of your hosts wearing a Zorro mask?  Then listen in.  Join Natasha Gillis, your Smiling Lawyer and Malika Azargoon, your Dental Zorro, as we take a big bite into current events and topics crafted around running a dental practice as a successful business.  We'll provide a lot of food for thought with legal bites, business bites and consulting bites that you can take away and use NOW.  

About your hosts: Natasha, principal and owner of The Gillis Firm is a practicing attorney in Virginia whose work focuses on healthcare professionals, mainly dentists. Natasha works with practices throughout their lifespans including associates, start-up practices, partnerships, and buyers/or sellers in existing practice acquisitions.  Malika Azargoon is the principal and owner of Zar Dental Consulting. Her and her team are in and out dental client offices every day providing a range of services including operational consulting/management services,  insurance credentialing/negotiations, staff placement services and staff training.  Natasha and Malika have joined their efforts to provide you with a fun but educational series that you can tune into and finish by the time you've finished your breakfast.