The Jameson Files

https://youtu.be/3er-1SUZwHg?si=c6mP1B689NNeEtDo

Carrie and Jess Webber Talk about the Most Commonly Asked Questions

This transcript with our Jameson Files host Carrie Webber has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Carrie Webber:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Weber, and I am very happy today because I have coerced my partner in crime and all things in life, Jameson CEO, and my partner in business, Jess Webber. Yes. He's also my husband.

Jess Webber:

That's how it works.

Carrie Webber:

So this is probably the first time you have joined me on a Jameson Files episode, which is kind of amazing considering how long we've been doing the podcast, but we finally have lured him in. Today I'm excited because we're going to talk about trends we see– the questions we are getting asked the most from doctors across the country when we're having conversations with them. So thank you for agreeing to join me and being a guest.

Jess Webber:

You're welcome. Since 2020, we've started to see a lot of different questions come up in the industry, and I think it's great that we're going to discuss this with you.

Carrie Webber:

Absolutely.

Jess Webber:

Not at the dinner table.

Carrie Webber:

Not at the dinner table, not in the car. Our kids will be so happy we found a different place to have this conversation. 

How to Determine the Profitability of Your Practice

Most of the doctors that reach out wanting to know about Jameson services start the conversation with me. And often once they are clients of Jameson, for one reason or another, they'll find themselves having a conversation with both of us or with you, when it's about specific things. So that's what I really want to tap into. When we're having conversations with clients, we're certainly seeing some themes in what those conversations are about. Number one being the pain point of the cost of running the practice. That is something that most of you may have experienced in the big jump in inflation, or costs of salaries and so on, that we've experienced over the last 12 to 18 months especially. Let's talk a little bit about what those conversations are, how we're exploring ways that we can help them, and what you're finding as you're looking at P&L’s and talking through this with doctors.

Jess Webber:

Sure. So that's right. Since 2020, the team costs have risen with inflation. We have different types of pressures on costs including salaries and supplies and lab and all the things that it takes to run a practice. So we continue to see those, probably not as much this year as we did last year, but it's still definitely there. And we're not going to kid ourselves, costs have always been an issue and a question in a dental practice. Just now, people are really hypersensitive to it for all of the reasons that we're seeing. 

Carrie Webber:

Well, and what I hear a lot is it's not necessarily that there's a specific area of cost that they're struggling with. But sometimes the question is, I want to know if I'm even in the right realm in terms of my benchmarks and what we call the key performance indicators of cash flow, of the overhead of the practice, and so on. That's a question that we get a lot. I don't know if those of you that are watching have those questions yourself, but a lot of times doctors just want to know if they’re even in the right range. 

Jess Webber:

Anybody, any specialty, GP, it doesn't matter. If you want to know those specific ranges, you can just ask us. We'll tell you it's a lot easier. 

And if you don't know how to figure that out, we can obviously do a little lesson in that math too. But you do need a great P&L. It's easier if you have an accountant do it, because it breaks it down a little bit by percentages and puts it into a normalized type of profit and loss or P&L.

https://youtu.be/mTXoI6XeQp4?si=W4SGsE1A5ejqjDp1

This transcript with our Jameson Files host Carrie Webber has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Dr. Kahn's Dental Successes and Challenge

Carrie:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber, and it's such a pleasure to be back with all of you for another episode. I am so happy today to be joined by a longtime friend and client of the Jameson Group, Dr. Donald Kahn from Long Island, New York. We had the pleasure of meeting with his partner, Dr. Angela Ferrari, and she's a part of a previous episode. But today we're going to talk about a new perspective from their amazing practice– Dr. Kahn as the founding owner of Kahn, Ferrari And Aldieri and his amazing story in his journey through dentistry. You know, for me it's really about his amazing intentional approach to building a culture that matters in his practice for patient care, and to provide the type of dentistry and the way that he wanted to provide it. And that involved amazing partnerships that also led to a very successful transition as Dr. Kahn is now enjoying retirement after retiring this year. I'm so thrilled to have you with me, Dr. Kahn. Thank you so much for being a guest.

Jameson’s Influence on Dr. Kahn’s Professional Career

Dr. Kahn:

Thank you, Carrie. I really appreciate you asking me to join you for the podcast. Your organization, Jameson, has been a part of my professional career. It has been 34 years since I met Kathy at a study club meeting, and as other people can attest, she just blew me away. I realized at that point what my practice was really missing. So once again, I just want to thank you for having me on because you, and your mom and your dad, and the whole organization, and all the people that I've come in contact with through 34 years of practice management have been just wonderful. It's made all the difference in the world, and it is the number one thing I can put my finger on in terms of why we were and are as successful as we are today

Carrie:

That is so kind of you to say. And I hope that you know that the feeling's mutual. It is such a joy to have been part of your professional career. And I love that we are continuing on to be able to share so much about what you have learned, and the successes, and even the challenges that you've had over the years. What a gift to the dental community! So, as we start, you know that I really feel passionate about talking about building that thriving practice culture, and being so intentional about the evolution of your practice, and finding the right people to be a part of your journey with you. So I'd love for you to share with us, Dr. Kahn, a little bit of your story, a little bit of how your practice evolved over time, and some of those lessons that you've learned, and the things that you felt like helped you be so successful.

Dr. Kahn:

Oh, how long do we have for this project?

Carrie:

I'll try to keep you under control. 

Keys to Successful Practice Management

Dr. Kahn:

I retired this year after 46 years of practicing. I just have one practice. I always focused on just the one practice. I always was in wonder of how people with multiple locations run their practices. It's hard enough to run one practice correctly. And every single time I saw that, that was really what was missing. The one thing I always say, and I've talked about this, and I know that Dr. Hyman, who I know and I've spoken with, talks about the fact that when we come out of dental school, we barely know how to do dentistry, let alone how to run a business. They had one course for 30 minutes, and that was it.

Nobody even told us even how to balance a checkbook. And I'm being facetious, of course, but I mean, there was nothing about practice management. That's it. So when I came out,

https://youtu.be/og1NMmWJqv8?si=lraDnkhbc-mIHVag

This transcript with our Jameson Files host Carrie Webber has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Setting our Team up for Success Regarding New Team Members

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber, and I'm so glad to be with you once again for another episode. As we roll into the end of 2023, something that we're finding in the seasons of our dental practices is perhaps some of you are overcoming that challenge of finding new employees and getting people hired. Today I want to talk about setting your team up for success when you are bringing a new employee or a new member of your team on board whether that is now or in the very near future. We're going to talk about things to consider and ways to successfully and effectively onboard new employees. And then the big question that is often asked is, how do we retain superstar team members? 

I recently did a presentation on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining new employees, rockstar dental team members. When we asked the group what the most important pieces of this topic were that they were hoping that we would cover, the large majority of the requests and the goals and objectives for our time together were how do I retain, how do I build accountability, how do I build engagement in my team? So it really has come full circle to not finding team, but now that I've found somebody great, how do I keep them? So again, today on the Jameson files, we're going to talk about how to set our team up for success, especially when we're talking about hiring, onboarding, and those new employees that are so valuable. Of course all of our team members are valuable, but how do we keep these valuable team members onboard and have them be as successful as possible in their new role? So let's get started.

Have a Clear Structure in Place When Onboarding a New Employee

When I think about the successful onboarding process of a new employee, it's important that we have clear structure and intention in place on that onboarding process and timeframe. We're looking at those 30, 60, 90 days of how to make this successful. We're measuring from all of that time as we're training, is this person the right fit? Can this person do the job that I have hired them to do? Am I training them successfully and clearly? Am I giving clear expectations of the role so that the person that's coming on board fully understands their responsibilities in this position in my practice? And do they have the desire and the willingness to do the job to the level of expectation that I have clearly set? So this is the thing that we want our pro training programs in our dental practices to do. We want them to help a new team member get fully invested into the practice and into your practice's culture, get fully productive in their role so they are as productive as possible and meeting or exceeding the expectations that you have set for that employee, and get interested in being successful.

We want them to be bought in and interested in experiencing full success and excellence in their role in our practice. So remember, we want our new team members to get fully invested, fully productive, and get interested in being successful. That's what a great onboarding and training program is going to do in your practice. So when you think about effective training, I want you to start thinking about what the plan is that we have in place to help this person be successful. We want clarity and consistency in training and onboarding. So as you are preparing for this new employee that's coming on board in your practice or that will be in the future, think about these things and make sure that we have all of these items in place in that training and onboarding window of time. 

Have Clear Roles and Responsibilities Lined Out For the New Team Member

https://youtu.be/BYqBZ89Jtd4?si=QlFSJspjQ2wmxA0v

How Authenticity Can Help Your Marketing Efforts

The following podcast has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Carrie Webber:

Welcome back to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Weber, and so excited to be coming back. While we're recording this, we are entering into the fourth quarter of 2023. And why I wanted to bring that up is because today's topic is going to be all about the trends in marketing, what we see happening, because what I hope that all of you are doing is preparing yourself now for the year you want to have in 2024. I'm thrilled to be joined with my guest friend and teammate, Nate Porter, who is the chief marketing officer of the Jameson Group. Nate, thank you so much for joining me today.

Nate Porter:

Yeah, thank you for having me. Excited to talk about this topic.

Carrie Webber:

Yeah, and my hope is that in this episode we can share with you what the Jameson marketing team has been seeing, as of late, in terms of what's getting results in marketing or what's happening that dental practices or dental business owners need to be aware of. And also, like I said, how to plan for this upcoming year–what you need to review and what you need to strategize for so that we can help you grow your practices or your businesses, whatever the case may be. So, Nate, I want to pass it over to you for a little bit. Tell me what you're seeing and what your recommendations would be at this point in the year.

Authenticity Breaks through the Noise in Marketing

Nate Porter:

It's interesting to watch trends and see what's happening with marketing in general. One of the things that we see a lot of is a really widening gap in terms of what people are doing for marketing. Things have evolved and some people are still looking back at their 2015, 2016 strategy, and they think that it’s going to continue to work, and it may in some markets. But what we are seeing is that there's a lot more people who are really advancing in their marketing, and they're really putting a lot of effort, a lot of resources behind their marketing. And so what that looks like is, as we've been talking about over the last number of years, is a trend towards more authenticity.

And so they’re moving away from this templated, very static, very generic feel to online marketing, to social media, all of that sort of thing, to a much more genuine approach. And, I think, as you look at the marketing industry as a whole, and you listen to leaders in the industry, what you hear is the importance of understanding the signal-to-noise ratio. So as you have more demands on attention, more demands on people's time, more competition, frankly, in the marketing space, including dentistry, you have a harder time breaking through that noise. And so what can break through is not shouting louder about your list of services that you offer, or being more pushy about your message, but being more authentic.

And so what we see as tools for that are creating a conversation with your potential patients or even with your patients online. That conversation needs to start online.You can't wait for it to start in your practice. And so that can be things like video, like what we're doing here today, where we're having a conversation about topics that are relevant. It can be authentic photography of your team, and your practice, of you interacting with patients. Dentistry can be something that creates anxiety. This feels warm, it feels welcoming, it feels like something that you want to engage with. The contrast has gotten so much clearer between what was common in the early 20-teens to today. It’s night and day from people who have kept up and kept moving their marketing forward.

Carrie Webber:

I love this point. I think the hangup, especially in dentistry,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFBFU64O-TU

Dr. Dimple Desai and Her Career in Cosmetic Dentistry

The following podcast has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11pxopvZ9Fq2Tk2OrGS96Ttyo7XfndvHC/view?usp=sharing

Carrie Webber:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber, and we are back recording live episodes at the AACD annual meeting in Grapevine in Texas. I am so thrilled to have with us today our Jameson marketing client, Dr. Dimple Desai from Newport Beach, California. Dr. Desai, thank you so much for joining me. 

Dr. Dimple Desai:

Thank you for having me. 

Carrie Webber:

Now, I can't wait for this conversation because we have just met. You've been working with my team, but I haven't had the privilege of getting to know you, so this is going to be my opportunity to learn just as much about your story as everybody else. 

Dr. Desai’s Beginnings in Dentistry

Dr. Desai practices extraordinary aesthetic dentistry in Newport Beach, California. When you're walking around the AACD meeting, she's on videos, she's in the magazines. Your work is incredible. I would love to know how this all started for you. Tell me a little bit about your story in dentistry. What led you to dentistry, and especially what led you to this specific focus in dentistry?

Dr. Dimple Desai:

So when I was, I believe 13 or 14, my mom's local dentist needed an assistant. So my mom said, “Hey, Dimple, do you want to go help out?” I said, “Sure.” So that was my first real exposure. Thereafter, I knew I wanted to do something in healthcare. At 17, I started school at USC, and I didn't know what to do. I was like a lost puppy. Mind you, I'm also the first female who ever went to college in my family. So I didn't really have any guidance or support. I just had to figure it out and take it from there. So I went to the counselor and I said, “I need help. What do I do? This is where I want to be, but I just don't know which avenue to take.” So she said, “Well, why don't you look into dentistry? The dental school is on campus. Go on over there.”

So next thing you know, I was there every single week, and they would hear my footsteps and the admissions director's name was Mark Mitchell. He would hear me, “Is it Dimple? Is that you again? Oh my God, You're too much.”  I said, “Mark, you know, I'm 17. I don't know what to do. I need help. I think I'm going to be a dentist.” He said, “Okay, so let's help you out here.” 

So they had a program where you can go through dental hygiene school and then move on to dental school so you can shave off a year from dental school. At that time, that's what sounded good. And he said the same. You can learn great chairside manners, practice dental hygiene, which is a great career in itself, and build your skills to that level.

So I did everything he told me to and started dental hygiene school at USC my third and fourth year. I did all the prerequisites and so forth. Thereafter I finished, and I decided to work six days a week and make a little bit of money. So I practiced dental hygiene for two years and then went back to dental school and the rest is history. Then obviously I got married, I had my children, and so I was just an associate, but I would always go to continuing education courses. I never stopped and I'd come back Monday morning super hyped like everybody else from learning and ready to implement. However, it's different when you're an associate and you're not able to implement right away because you have an employer who's not always on board.

Desai Opens Luminous Smiles and Focuses in on Cosmetic Dentistry

So finally I decided that I need to practice dentistry the way I want to, and I opened Luminous Smiles.  I call it my third child. It's five years old now,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RagPVYRK1w0

Dr. Cappy Sinclair Shares About the Power of Vision in Dentistry

The following podcast has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsfYdt8jDBr6H-lmkSWfcjxdjG7znpfw/view?usp=share_link

Carrie Webber:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber. Thanks for joining us for another episode. We are really excited to be joining you today from Grapevine, Texas at the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry's annual meeting. We're thrilled to be back at the AACD meeting. It's been some time and we’re so happy to be here with the Jameson team. I'm especially thrilled that we're spending some time today with our client, a great friend, Dr. Cappy Sinclair. 

Dr. Cappy Sinclair: 

Thank you. 

Carrie Webber:

Dr. Sinclair, thank you so much for being with us. 

Dr. Cappy Sinclair: 

Glad to be here.

Carrie Webber:

Before we started this episode, we were reminiscing that Dr. Sinclair was the Jameson Files’ very first podcast guest when we launched the podcast in 2019. 

Dr. Cappy Sinclair:

And I got invited back.

Carrie Webber:

I know. It was a success. So we'll see how you do this time. No pressure. I’m thrilled that you’re  here. There are two episodes with Dr. Sinclair from very early on in the podcast, and I invite and encourage you to go find those episodes because I still feel like they're very powerful, and you shared some great information and insights in those episodes. 

Dr. Cappy Sinclair:

I talk about that probably at least once a week to someone that reaches out and wants to know how I got to where I am and what was the most important thing that I did.  I still feel like one of the most important things was setting up where I wanted my practice to be. Without that vision, I would not be where I am today. 

Dr. Sinclair’s Beginnings with the AACD

Carrie Webber:

I love that. I love that. And speaking of establishing that vision of where you are, not only in how your practice runs, but in the clinical skills that you do, you have chosen to become deeply involved with the AACD and have been for several years now. Would you tell us a little bit about how you chose to be a part of this organization and a little bit of how you started within this, because now you are an accredited member? For those of you that aren't familiar with that process, boy, that is a feat. That's a lot of work and effort.

Dr. Cappy Sinclair:

Besides starting my practice, I would say that's probably the one thing that I've learned more about anything else in dentistry– making myself a better dentist, seeing what education I should take, where I direct my attention– all of those things were because of trying to become accredited. Now being on the other side, we're starting to mentor other people that are going  through this process. Having the insight of going through it myself, I can give them experiences that I learned along the way that hopefully will help them out. 

Carrie Webber:

I love that. I love the story of the beginning of your relationship with this organization. I think it's pretty special for young doctors that are just getting started and really trying to find their way. Will you share that with the audience?

Dr. Cappy Sinclair:

This meeting's special in particular for me in Grapevine because this location was the first AACD meeting that I came to in 2010. I was actually working close by. I worked in Oklahoma City. I actually did not know you guys at that time, which is crazy.

Carrie Webber:

That's a strange connection.

Dr. Cappy Sinclair:

I worked for a group practice there and I just wasn't happy. And so long story short, I ended up quitting that job in May or April. And I knew this was going on in Dallas, so I tried to time my leaving that job with co...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEcKkM2Qcn4

Our transcript of the discussion between Lois Banta and Jameson Files host Carrie Webber has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Utilizing Your Dental Practice’s “Why” to Help Navigate Relationships with PPOs

Carrie :

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber. Thank you so much for joining us once again for another episode, or perhaps for the first time. We are certainly so glad to have you with us as we continue to bring information and resources and experts to you to help you be as productive, as profitable, and as fulfilled in your dental practicing life as you can possibly be. Today, I am so excited. We are coming to you from the Jamon offices in Oklahoma City, and look who I have here, our dear friend and colleague in the dental realm, Lois Banta. 

Lois Banta:

So excited to be here and doing this with you for the first time. A real honor, and I'm sure we'll share a few giggles.

Carrie :

Maybe so. We just need to try and keep ourselves under control. We'll see.There are no rules in this. I'm just so glad to see you face-to-face and to have you in the room with me. This surprised us because we have collaborated together, and we have Lois as a guest educator and presenter on the Grow pathway that is launching as we speak on the very popular and needed topic of how to navigate PPO relationships in your practice. It’s going to be a phenomenal resource for all of you that are on Jameson's Grow learning platform. We’re very excited to share your knowledge with the members of Grow. 

How to Make Healthy Decisions about Your Relationship with PPOs in Your Practice

Today we're going to dip our toe into that topic a little bit because it only seems right to keep carrying forward the conversation that we've started here about PPOs. How do you navigate those relationships? How do you make healthy decisions about your relationship with PPOs in your practice? Do you have one? Do we need to perhaps step out of one? Do we need to do something different in the months and the years to come to help you in your pursuit of your ideal practice vision? Really, that's what it all comes down to.

Lois Banta:

It's such an important decision to make, and it’s one of the most difficult decisions that practices in our industry make. It’s scary. There's a lot of thought that has to go into it, and if you don't do it the right way, you could lose all your patients. So it's a pretty serious topic right now, especially with the insurance reimbursements being lowered across the board with many of the plans. Practices are taking a really big financial hit. It's really time to consider where you are in that relationship and where you want to go.

Carrie :

It's interesting because you've been educating dentists and teams for a long time, 23 years now. Jameson has been in the industry as a company for 32 years, and over those years, the landscape has really, really changed. We're seeing this continuous shift, and truly two paths diverged in a woods, and you need to decide what path to take. As you’ve said, it really has to align with your “why”.

Lois Banta:

Yes. You have to be very passionate about why you're making the decision. As soon as you can wrap your heart around your “why", the decision becomes fairly easy, but you still have to pay very close attention to the process in making that decision. But ultimately, back in the day when insurance was even invented, I think in the seventies, there really weren't a lot of in-network plans. It was just insurance coverage, and it typically covered most of the patient's dental care for a 12 month period. And now those maximums haven't changed, not because of the insurance industry, but because of employers' budgets not wanting to pay high premiums for those benefits.

https://youtu.be/aybdFJs9nig

Our transcript of the discussion between Dr. Angela Ferrari and Jameson Files host Carrie Webber has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Dr. Angela Ferrari Speaks about the Importance of Team Development

Carrie Webber:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber, and we are so excited to be presenting to you this episode live from the AACD annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas. I am very excited that in this episode we are with a client of Jameson. I don't even know how long; you might have to tell me– Dr. Angela Ferrari of Long Island.

Dr. Angela Ferrari:

Oh, it's such a pleasure being here.

The Beginnings of her Dental Journey and Their Involvement with Jameson

Carrie Webber:

I feel like we are kindred spirits. We are just so happy to be together. And I'm so thrilled that you said yes to being on this episode because I feel like a lot of pieces of your dental story and your dental practice is going to resonate very deeply with listeners or viewers of the podcast. And so, to start with, I'd love for you to share a little bit about your dental story. What has led you into dentistry to where you find yourself today? Then we’ll go from there. Would that be all right? 

Dr. Angela Ferrari:

First of all, I just love you. Thank you so much for having me here. This is just an honor. Thank you so much. As for my story, I figured out that I wanted to be a dentist when I was in high school. And actually my own dentist, Dr. Donald Conn, became my partner, but that's getting ahead of ourselves. I shadowed him as a high school student, and it was one of those Oprah “aha” moments, where I was interested in science, I was interested in medicine, but that didn't quite fit the bill. I watched, I shadowed for a summer and I felt like, “This is it”. This is exactly what I want to do. The patient care, how he was with his patients, the work he was doing, working with his hands, the artistry, I realized this is for me. From that point on, I knew that this is what I wanted to do. It was just like eyes on the prize– focus all the way to the end.

Carrie Webber:

Wow! I love that. And today you have quite a significant practice. You all have really built something wonderful. Share a little bit about what the practice is today, your size, what you  focus on, and the energy that your practice is for you.

Dr. Angela Ferrari:

I want to start from that history. When I graduated dental school, I went to Donald's and I said, “I'm done. Do you have a place for me?” And he said, “Come on in.” So we started working together and I said that I have one more person to bring into the group. And it was my husband who I met in dental school. So Dr. Aldi and I were like a pair and…

Carrie Webber:

He is in the wings as we speak right here. So I feel like you need to lean in and wave. Come into the camera. I love it. 

Dr. Angela Ferrari:

So our practice became a real family. Donald was definitely a mentor to us. I joined in 2001. We became partners in 2005. So it was all history after that. It was the three of us. Donald actually introduced us to Jameson, and that was in 2003. So it's been a really long time that we've had Jameson to help us grow as providers.

Carrie Webber:

And we continue to work with you. You still have Cathy at your practice.

Recognizing Each Member of Your Dental Team as Important

Dr. Angela Ferrari:

It became the fabric of how we work. It really resonated with us with how we want to practice– the methodology and being there for your patient, not only with your skills and your clinical excellence, but with how you treat people and how you treat your team. Your team is everything. And I feel like that is what Jameson brought to us, and that's why we continuously have Jameson back. It refreshes us and fills the bucket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht1ztyldHc

Dr. Klein Discusses the Importance of Airway Treatment in Your Dental Practice

Below, we’ve compiled the key points discussed in the Jameson Files Episode 149. To enjoy the full episode you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Carrie:

Hi everyone. Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Weber. Thank you so much for being a part of our Jameson Files community, and for watching or listening wherever you connect to us, right here on our pod podcast. We are recording live once again at the ADA annual meeting, Smile Con 2022 in Houston, Texas. And I am over-the-moon thrilled to have a special guest with us for this episode, Jameson client and friend, Dr. Cassie Klein. Dr. Klein, thank you so much for joining us today.

Dr. Kassi Klein:

Of course. It's my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Carrie:

I'm excited to talk to you. Dr. Klein is from the Houston area, Spring, Texas, not too far from where we're sitting right now. You are native to the great state of Texas, went to undergrad at Texas Tech, and then got your DDS from the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston. Correct? 

Dr. Kassi Klein:

That's right. 

Dr. Klein’s Early Days in Dentistry

Carrie:

Since graduating, you have an amazing practice where you are starting to really expand your services and clarify a vision for the treatment you want to provide and the practice that you have. And that's been a journey for you, so I want to talk about that journey a little bit and share that story, but then also talk specifically about your passion for airway treatment for your patient family. So we'll definitely want to get into that later, but to start, Dr. Kline, I'd love for you to share a little bit about what led you to dentistry and to where you are today.

Dr. Kassi Klein:

It's so funny. People always ask me that and I never feel like I have the perfect answer for that.  Maybe dentistry found me; maybe I found it. Somewhere along the line, I realized I loved looking at people's teeth; I love people's smiles. That's kind of my focal point when I talk to somebody, and literally one day I was sitting there and decided that I should be a dentist. And so I did. That's what I decided to set my focus on. Maybe it was fate because I absolutely love what I do.

Carrie:

Love that. We've known you for a while. You work with our dear teammate, Drew Halverson, and have worked with her over the years. But I know that you started as an associate, and then you started into building your own practice. So tell me a little bit about that. Think back to that time. When did that vision for your own practice start to take root? How did that transpire for you?

Dr. Kassi Klein:

So right out of school, I went into a clinic practice. I saw lots of patients every day, all age groups, all kinds of dental issues, and became very good at working on teeth through that experience. I wanted something a little more slower paced where I could connect with my patients a little bit better, so I sought out a private practice that I could work at. I started a couple days a week. Then I felt like I really liked that atmosphere better and then found a more permanent position in a private practice. 

I think I was with two different private practices and then kind of the same thing–maybe it found me, maybe it was fate–but I decided I need to do this. I need to do this my way. I mean, not that anybody else's way was bad, but as a practice owner and building something for yourself, you get to practice how you want to do things, and you develop your own relationship with the patients. And I wanted to open up something close to my home, close to my community, and really have my patients as my family. So that's what we did.

Carrie:

Yes. When we work with doctors in strategic planning and creating vision,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V_PjUGI3EA

Jameson Files Episode 148– Carrie Webber and Josh Briebahn discuss Dental Practice Transitions

Below, we’ve compiled the key points discussed in the Jameson Files Episode 148. To enjoy the full episode you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Carrie:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm Carrie Weber. Thank you so much for joining us for another episode. Welcome from ADA's Smile Con 2022 in Houston, Texas. We are a part of their podcast influencer area here at the meeting, and so we're so thrilled to be a part of ADA's meeting and of Smile Con 2022. I'm so excited to have a good friend as a guest with me in this episode, Josh Griebahn, who is the transition sales consultant for Henry Schein Dental Practice Transitions. Josh, we've known each other for several years in various roles that you've played through the Henry Schein organization. It's so good to have you. Thank you for being willing to join us today. 

Josh Griebahn:

Thank you for inviting me. It’s a pleasure.

The Role Henry Schein Plays in Dental Practice Transitions

Carrie:

Of course. This is so great. And it's especially great because of the topic we're going to talk about. It's such a hot topic. A lot of our Jameson clients are starting to enter into the realm of considering whether it is time to transition out of practicing. We also work with a great deal of younger dentists and associates that are looking for the next chapter in their careers. So we're going to talk about practice transitions. What does this look like in today's dental environment? To begin, Josh, can you share a little bit about your role as a transition consultant for Henry Schein? What is your primary role? What do you feel like your role and your goals are in the work you do with your clients?

Josh Griebahn:

Great question. A little quick fact about Henry Schein that most people don't know is that we're actually the largest dental practice transition broker in the country. We perform over a thousand practice valuations every year and we help anywhere between 300 to 500 doctors transition or exit their current practice situation throughout the country. So there's actually 60 to 65 of me in all parts of the country. 

We have an amazing team– people that have been established for 20 to 30 years– so that really helps me and our team give guidance from exit strategy planning, to valuating a practice, to giving guidance on how to improve, to letting practices know the options available to them whether that’s now or four to five years out. What does that look like for me? Do I need to add an associate? Do I need to cut my days back? Do I need to add more days? Do I need to improve my office? You know, what do those things look like? Do I need to find a new CPA? Things like that. They've been through it. They know how to acquire; they know how to manage a team. Typically, HR is all set up. They have managers or chairside owners that are extremely entrepreneur minded, and they just want you to stay for a little bit, and then they'll fill in behind you.

Carrie:

Right.

Some Transition Opportunities May Take Years

Josh Griebahn:

A lot of that is culture based, so they're a little bit more flexible. Then you've got number three- the big guys– your TSOs, dental service organizations, your DPOs (dental partnership organizations), your private equity groups– whatever those look like. Those are great options; however, to some they might not be great options. Every single category may or may not be a great option to somebody else. The corporate groups pay a lot of money; they offer partnership opportunities; they're more reliable. They're more looking for EBITDA, and location, and number of operatories. Will you stay along and work for three to five years? Will you stay and work for eight years? 

Carrie:

So do you think that the larger the group,