Love Your Practice

There are many common emotions that we feel as dental practice owners. Do you ever feel frustrated, stressed, fearful or overwhelmed about owning your dental practice? If so, you are NOT alone! These emotions do not serve us well. However, the good news is that there is a biological justification for these emotions, and that once we understand the biology, it's easier to feel something new. This episode will help you understand your emotional reactions to situations so you can ultimately create new, intentional emotions.

First of all, it's normal and expected to not feel positive, happy thoughts all the time. We are all human, and we have our emotional ups and downs! However, being able to see how an emotion comes from our origins as a human species and from our mental choices gives us the power to create a new emotion… but that takes practice! This episode goes through the process of learning how to feel something new when you are presented with a situation that normally makes you feel an unpleasant emotion. Our brains are wired to protect us and want to be right. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the origins of our emotions so we can use a process to change the emotions we experience. In addition to hearing the informative steps of how to feel the way you want to in a situation, I will also share a couple of examples of how this system works in practical situations. Listen to this podcast now to learn how to move from experiencing a given emotion to actively choosing a new way to look at a situation so you can create the feeling YOU want to feel!

Highlights from this episode:

• Understanding how emotions are created to create more intentional emotions
• The normal human ratio of positive to negative emotions
• The 6 steps on how to feel something new in a given situation
• How to learn how to do a thought download and why it is useful
• A detailed example of how to put this process into practice

Resources and links mentioned:

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

This is a very special episode. Today I welcome general dentist and practice owner Dr. Parul Dua Makkar, the sister of Manu Dua, a dentist who passed away earlier this year from oral cancer at the early age of 34. Manu was her younger and only brother, and now Dr. Makkar is shining a light on his life and his writings. She has compiled and published his series of blogs that he wrote during his fight with cancer. This episode focuses on her story of her experiences and lessons learned through the process of escorting her brother through the end of his life as well as the goals of his book of finding your inner peace.

Compiling, publishing and promoting his book is part of Dr. Makkar's current healing process. "This was his message. He was very vocal about his journey. It is to share his wisdom that he felt as he faced mortality… One of the things he talks about is hope." We are often bound by our own fears and fears of failing. But we can all continue to learn from the opportunities we have. So one of his goals was to help others see that it is okay to try new things and fail. Just give it a try, and focus on the good things in your life. She also stresses his other point of not fearing your death, but rather working to leave something behind that is good for humankind. Are there some things now that will cause others to remember you? If not, what can you change in your life? This book is a poignant read that is written from the point of view of someone who is facing his own mortality. The value of his words is beyond inspirational. "I hope this book becomes a wakeup call," says Dr. Makkar "that life is short." So, what makes you happy? Maybe now is the time for a change. Listen now to this episode for encouragement to take the necessary time to reflect on your life and your happiness to find the peace you deserve.

Highlights from this episode:

• The importance of stepping back and reflecting on your work as a dentist
• Don't delay in questioning potential health problems you feel you may have; early detection is critical
• Looking at that feeling of invincibility that people often have
• Dealing with the "isolation" and other complications of going through treatment during COVID-19
• How inspiring it is to hold on to hope
• The value of this book in finding peace within yourself

Resources and links mentioned:

• Manu Dua's book: "Life Interrupted: Dr. Dua's Survival Guide"
• Dr. Makkar's email: [email protected]
• Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
• Laura's email: [email protected]
• Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
• Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

• Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
• Love Your Practice
• Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

Are you interested in some strategies to help you retain your dental practice team? Being the employer and the leader of the practice is often the most difficult part of being a dentist. And right now, it's no secret that our industry is facing team shortages. But there are some outstanding ways you can keep morale high in your office. This episode, I welcome Dental Human Resources Consultant Kara Kelley who has been working to improve dental team practices for about ten years. She is the founder and CEO of Clinical HR LLC, an advisory firm for dental and medical practices. Kara focuses on cultivating leadership skills, managing employee relations issues and implementing competitive total rewards systems. Our conversation explores ways to keep team members feeling happy and appreciated so they are willing to stay!

As Kara says, "Your perfect employee is out there!" But right now it may seem like a struggle to find that person to hire. However, don't fall into a negative mindset. There are actions you, as an employer, can take as well as benefits you can offer to both prospective and current employees that will make them smile and want to come into work each day! Covering topics such as showing appreciation and respect, offering stability, demonstrating gratitude, recognizing employees' credibility, and creating an atmosphere in which they feel protected, this episode will help you retain your precious employees and create an office culture that new employees want to join. You'll also hear some pitfalls to avoid when offering special perks to your team. Listen to this episode now for valuable information on creating an amazing work-life balance for your team!

Highlights from this episode:

• The importance of showing appreciation
• Recognizing frustrations and moving on from them
• What employees want from an employer
• Ways to go the extra mile for your employees while also reducing the stress of honoring them
• The attitude of gratitude and how it applies to your dental practice
• How to overcome "scarcity brain" as the practice owner
• Common mistakes and what to avoid with regard to showing employee appreciation

Resources and links mentioned:

Kara Kelley's company: Clinical HR LLC

Companies that provide Employee Anniversary Programs:

• https://www.blueboard.com/products/anniversary-awards
• https://halorecognition.com/products/employee-service-anniversary-awards/
• https://www.terryberry.com/employee-anniversary-gifts/

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

• Laura's email: [email protected]
• Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
• Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!
• Laura's Facebook pages:
• Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
• Love Your Practice
• Laura's personal page

Coaching Signup: Welcome to Loving Your Practice

Mastermind Coaching: Lifecoach for the Busy Dentist/mastermindcoaching

Free webinar: How to Love Your Practice by Only Changing One Simple Thing

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

"Ladies, this is life changing!" says today's guest, Dr. Ashley Izadi. Ashley is a Baltimore native, completed all of her education in Maryland, and bought her practice in 2012 while caring for twins! Her practice has continued to grow and now has 11 operatories and over 20 staff members who focus on the patient experience. Ashley is one of my Mastermind class members and shares what led her to seek out coaching, her journey through the process, and the transformation that this experience has created in her life as she has increased her awareness and intentionality.

Taking control of your thoughts is empowering! Are you ready to take the first step in changing the rest of your life? My candid conversation with Ashley reveals how she has become a completely different person thanks to joining the Mastermind class. She has done the work to get to a place in her life in which she LOVES where she is. As Ashley says, her journey through the Mastermind class and meeting with the diverse group of dental practice owners has been, "Awesome... I think what is very valuable for me is seeing that other people feel the same way about certain things… Raising my awareness to see how other people are judging themselves helps me to be more conscious and evaluate how I'm moving through something." All Mastermind participants learn from each other as a community, recognize common understandings of situations within all aspects of life, and motivate each other. The information presented can help you enjoy life. As Ashley says, "Jump in… See what you can learn from it. Give it a couple of months… for it to become integrated into how you think… I don't need to reach out for support all the time, and that's really empowering… I feel so much more intentional in my life... I'm leading with intention. I am leading my coworkers, leading my family. I am leading myself with intention and focus on what I want and what I want to do and how I want to spend my time. And that has been really, really powerful." Now is the time to rise above your thoughts and get to a place in your life that YOU love! Listen to find out how you can join the Mastermind class and change your life!

Highlights from this episode:

• How coaching can help you see things differently
• The impact of judging yourself with your thoughts
• Understanding why you feel a certain way and working your way through the emotions
• Don't "should" on yourself
• Benefits of joining the Mastermind
• How opening up and being vulnerable allows others to think and have a common understanding
• What The Manual is and how it applies to life
• Applying The Model to how we look at situations
• Advice for someone considering the Mastermind

Resources and links mentioned:

• Coaching Signup: Welcome to Loving Your Practice
• Mastermind Coaching: Lifecoach for the Busy Dentist/mastermindcoaching
• Free webinar: How to Love Your Practice by Only Changing One Simple Thing
• Ashley's Instagram: @drashleyizadi
• Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!
• Laura's email: [email protected]
• Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net
• Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

• Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists
• Love Your Practice
• Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

Now is the time to invest in yourself while creating a practice that you love and want to work in! I am so excited to welcome to the show Dr. Betsy Phillips, a general dentist and co-owner of a practice outside of Minneapolis. A couple of years ago, Betsy recognized that she needed to make some changes. With an overwhelming schedule and struggles of managing a practice, she was not making any time for herself. And adding to that, she had many self-limiting beliefs that were holding her back from making positive changes in several aspects of her life. Does this sound familiar? This episode tackles those concerns and shines a light on how adding a life coach can create amazing changes to your life and your practice immediately.

As dentists, we all want what is best for our patients. And sometimes that comes from taking a step back and making time for ourselves. It has been an honor to connect with Betsy as a student and together develop the life she wants to live. Betsy discusses the changes she has made in her life and says, "I'm actually serving my patients better because I'm taking the time for me." Are you ready to discover how you can feel empowered to take new actions within your practice and within your life? Listen now to learn how to enjoy your practice and enjoy your time at home, providing you the balance that you deserve and need… And hear about the wonderful opportunity you have to feel like you're a part of something, recognize there is nothing wrong with you and feel the support of other female practice owners. Take a positive step and listen now!

Highlights from this episode:

• Recognizing the need for change when life seems overwhelming
• Defining buffering and how people resort to this practice
• How coaching helps overcome challenges
• Changing scheduling patterns and the power that comes from that
• Managing your mind to feel empowered
• Positive changes that come from coaching
• What it's like and the benefits from being in the Mastermind Group with other practice owners

Resources and links mentioned:

Dr. Katrina Ubell's podcast: Weight Loss for Busy Physicians

Brooke Castillo's program: Self Coaching Scholars

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

Are you trying to feel less stressed? Dental office ownership worries about elements such as employees, patients, and dental insurance can be a lot to handle. But as a certified and trained life coach, I can help you feel less stressed so you can have a better life. This episode will help you recognize your beliefs as thought habits, help you see that your thought habits influence how much you enjoy owning your dental practice, and learn how you can create a practice that you love!

Have you ever thought about the power of your beliefs? Your beliefs can be helpful… but they can also be detrimental. Think back to the happy and hopeful thoughts you had the day you bought your practice. Do you feel different today? Our experiences impact our thoughts and create new thought habits. Have some difficult situations arisen in your practice that have made your brain focus on perhaps one problematic person or instance? Worrying is a natural human thought that can create the emotion of discouragement. But now is the time to turn those thoughts around and change the future of your practice ownership journey! Listen to this episode to learn how you can take control of your brain, create new thoughts to empower your experience as a dental practice owner, and create your own positive self-fulfilling prophecies. Change your future!

Highlights from this episode:

• Beliefs as habits of thoughts
• Where our emotions come from and how new thought habits emerge
• The human brain's job and what it wants to focus on
• Defining and identifying "objection block"
• How to redirect your brain to change your thoughts, creating new beliefs
• Creating your own self-fulfilling prophecies

Resources and links mentioned:

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

It is a privilege to welcome back to the show for a second time, Dr. Bethany Piziks! Bethany is an amazing dentist who loves taking care of patients and is dedicated to reducing dental anxiety by relaxing patients in a natural way. The product, NuCalm, she is involved with creates amazing calming states without the use of drugs, and she focuses directly on its use within the practice of dentistry. This product's meditative and restorative properties are perfect for both practitioners as well as patients. If the patient is relaxed, it is much better for us as doctors because when patients are stressed, we absorb that anxiety, negatively affecting our physiology.

Are you ready to turn off the stress? Bethany explains how NuCalm balances the nervous system by shutting down the stress response in someone's system. Headphones are also employed to pace the brain into a different frequency, slowing the brainwaves to a state of deep meditation. The neuroscience involved in this took 20 years to invent this product! This fascinating episode goes into great detail about the amazing benefits and success the dental community sees with NuCalm. Are you ready to spoil your patients with an amazing product that will allow you to practice better and safer dentistry to patients who are in a much more relaxed state? Listen to this episode to hear Bethany's experience with and passion for this product, the science that exists to help you care for your patients on another level, and how you can get additional information on changing the future of dentistry.

Highlights from this episode:

• The joy of taking care of patients
• Details about Nucalm's benefits
• The components of Nucalm that work together to create calm
• Amazing experiences with Nucalm
• What it is like coming out of a Nucalm session
• The wonderful ratings for Nucalm within the dental profession

Resources and links mentioned:

To schedule a call with Bethany for more information: https://calendly.com/drbethany

NuCalm website specifically for dental professionals: http://bit.ly/NuCalmForDentists

Link for a very informational video specifically for dentists about NuCalm and its use in dentistry: https://youtu.be/uNg0WXxeH_4

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

I am so delighted to welcome to this episode my favorite podcast guest ever… my little sister, Marla! She has been such a big part of my life and a very positive influence upon the person and professional I am today. Marla is a loving wife and mother and has been a nurse for 10 years. She cares so much for others, and I am excited to chat with her so you can get to know her… and enjoy our fun and positive outlook on facing the challenges of being a working mom and getting through each day!

Marla works in a cardiac unit in a hospital - undoubtedly, this position can be very stressful! Then she goes home to all of her responsibilities at home, which includes taking care of a son with Autism. So, friends, life in her home can be busy! This episode focuses on "keeping it real" at home, recognizing that things don't have to be perfect, acknowledging it's okay to rely on others for help at times, and the importance of taking care of yourself. We laugh our way through this fun episode that also hits on some very important methods of managing life in a home with children… sometimes accepting that organization is best when others "Just don't see it!" Listen now to our personal, open conversation that may help you realize that it really is fine to manage your home and parenting YOUR way!

Highlights from this episode:

• Challenges of parenting and working
• Debunking the visions of what "proper" parenting looks like
• Letting go of previous standards when new challenges (such as a new baby!) present themselves
• Learning that things do not have to be perfect when you're a parent
• Helping others shows love, so don't be afraid to ask for help - it's someone else's opportunity to serve
• The importance of selecting chores to let go of with the goal of streamlining your task list
• Helpful advice for moms of young kids
• Managing the sometimes-difficult transition between leaving work and arriving home to the needs there
• What we mean by "Just don't see it!"

Resources and links mentioned:

Be sure to see the photos mentioned in the episode. You can view those on my website at the link below.

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

Are you a busy dentist who works hard at keeping others happy all day? And have you possibly put some of your extra "emotional baggage" into extra physical weight on yourself? Dr. Natanya Brown has experienced this situation and now focuses on mindfulness and taking care of one's self by first taking care of one's mind. She is an endodontist and a weight loss coach for dentists, and she is excited to share the key pieces you can focus on to retrain your brain and finally nurture what is going on in your life.

If you've ever been on a diet plan, you know that they can be very action-based and focus on eating certain foods, avoiding specific foods, exercising, and more. However, it is essential to look at your thoughts so you can create an action plan that can become a regular part of your life. Dr. Natanya will walk you through overhauling your thoughts and feelings about the actions you want to take… This will help you have the motivation to create habits you can carry with you each day and throughout your life to bring you peace and create a better life for yourself. She explains the thought processes to integrate into your mind as a customized way to manage your life in a new way. Learn to pause, slow down, recognize your urges and take the time to examine what you're thinking in a given moment before you act. Dr. Natanya will help you prioritize yourself and your wellness beginning today by reinventing yourself through a new way of thinking! Listen to this episode and discover the great question you can ask yourself to help you reach your goals!

Highlights from this episode:

• Focusing on thoughts that create positive motivation within you
• Creating sustainable habits
• Honing in on your feelings and learning things about yourself from your positive and negative feelings
• Examining inner dialogue that we don't always listen to
• Realizing that your urges are not actually essential to your survival
• The three options for dealing with urges
• The predictability of human brains and retraining your brain into a new way of thinking
• Next steps for improving your health beginning now

Resources and links mentioned:

Dr. Natanya's website: drnatanya.com

Dr. Natanya's instagram: @dr.natanya

Dr. Natanya's Facebook group: (20+) Natanya Brown DMD - Weight Loss for Dentists | Facebook

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura

Employee engagement is the key to a strong business today. Do you want time freedom and a profitable business? If so, learning and tapping into your employees' best methods of taking action is the way to increase productivity and operate your dental practice (or any business) with efficiency. And, with that, your patients will benefit as well as they recognize your empowered team that works together for their care plan. My guest on this episode is Dr. David Maloley, a Kolbe-certified coach, who shares his viewpoints on the importance of recognizing the superpowers that we each have and the amazing impact that can result from being given the freedom to use those strengths in the workplace.

People operate within their lives in different methods. And it is essential to understand what team members within our practices need so they can be effective leaders in their given roles. This idea of leveraging the individual assets of our team members can create powerful results within our organizations. Dr. Maloley explains how the Kolbe assessment measures the instinctive ways that people take action when they are most effective. There are four types of individuals within this system, and dental offices often attract high-impact "fact finders" as office staff and hygienists. This episode will help you learn how to introduce change in your dental practice management, treating your team with kindness and compassion while giving them the permission and information they need to make the best decisions for patients. Learn how to let your staff "own their zone," a necessary step as a leader. As Dr. Maloley says, "Manage the process, not the result." Listen now to this episode that will help you unleash your team's skills, leading to happy employees, less problems, better business, and a productivity explosion!

Highlights from this episode:

• Defining and understanding the concept of conation
• How to avoid conative stress in the workplace
• The four conation types
• The main type found in dental office staff
• How to introduce change to those who are high fact-finders and empower them to be leaders
• Realizing everyone has superpowers
• The value of focused meeting times and leadership; NOT switching tasks all day long
• How to get started with the Kolbe assessment

Resources and links mentioned:

Kolbe.com

Watch Laura's podcasts on YouTube: Love Your Practice!

Laura's email: [email protected]

Laura's website: LoveYourPractice.net

Laura's podcast: Love Your Practice!

Laura's Facebook pages:

Leadership Coach for Busy Dentists

Love Your Practice

Laura's personal page

Thank you so much for tuning in to this podcast! I would love it if you would share it with others and leave a review for others to see!

~ Laura