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Out Of The Comfort Zone with Dr. Russell Kirk

Out Of The Comfort Zone with Dr. Russell Kirk - Relentless Dentist PodcastDr. Russell Kirk is an old friend I met through podcasting, and someone I admire because of his views on leadership and how he carries out his life in such an impactful way. Dentistry needs more courageous leaders who are able to handle uncomfortable truths and face difficult things, and today we will talk about what it means to be a courageous leader and lessons learned from our mistakes.

Listen in as we discuss where leadership goes wrong, as well as how to be better leaders and practice owners through embracing and learning from the uncomfortable moments. You’ll hear wisdom learned on the Jiu-Jitsu mats that is applicable to our practices, why it’s important to leave behind that risk-aversion we picked up in training, and more.

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Key Quotes:

  • “If I have presented a problem, I want to know about it and take care of it, rather than hear about it later.”
  • “You’ve got to get out of the comfortable. You’ve got to get into places where you’re fearful or feeling awkward, and that’s where growth happens.”
  • “We become risk-averse because of our training and that kind of cripples our growth.”
  • “What opportunity does that moment provide for you to grow?”
  • “What podcasting has done for me personally is providing an opportunity for me to practice by myself but not alone.”

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Impactful Practice Culture with Dr. Paul Etchison

When I talk to dentists, a lot of the conversation is about how to get everyone rowing in the same direction. In this episode, my good friend Dr. Paul Etchison joins me to share his insight and years of expertise on leadership and implementing systems that create a unified and purposeful practice.

Listen in as Dr. Etchison talks about why wanting to be the best is not enough and why it’s important to focus on a bigger, more meaningful picture. He shares how he maintains order and good communication as the business grows, what he does to attract the best team members, and how that, in turn, creates an office culture that allows the practice to succeed.

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Key Quotes:

  • “We’ve grown a lot faster, and when we started taking it exponentially higher was when I dropped down to three days of clinical.”
  • “Over eight years—not a single person has left.”
  • “We want to win. Everyone is working together, and everyone just kind of has that mentality that ‘let’s get better at this.’ I think the results speak for themselves.”
  • “We’re not just being the best in town; we’re changing how the public thinks about dentistry so that we can help more people.”
  • “I’m leading by example by taking good care of patients.”
  • “We have to look at the macro implications of what we do all day. That’s what is inspirational to the team: knowing that even the little stuff makes a big difference. You have to communicate that as the leader.”
  • “We talk about what we need to improve so much that we forget about what we’re doing well.”
  • “Learn from people that are doing it well. Always be learning.”

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Direction Is Greater Than Speed

Direction Is Greater Than Speed - Relentless Dentist PodcastWhat do you want? Too often, people cannot answer that question, but the answer is what should be driving everything you do. After taking a summer hiatus to spend time with my family, work on my businesses, and get clear on what I really want to share on this podcast, I’m back with an episode about the importance of moving forward with persistence and clarity.

Listen in as I discuss what the “turtle strategy” is and what makes for a purposeful life. You’ll learn the habits and thoughts that quickly get you off track and how to re-direct yourself to get your time and focus back. From getting the proper direction and finding clarity to using purposeful planning and reflection, you will discover the next steps to take in order to stay headed in the right direction.

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Key Quotes:

  • “Part of that forward motion requires a lot of direction.”
  • “If we’re going further faster in the wrong direction, doesn’t that make it harder for us to get to where we actually belong?”
  • “A practice is limited by its leader, and a leader is limited by their identity.”
  • “We become the story that we tell ourselves, so we have to systematically reprogram that subconscious that was driving it all.”
  • “If we think we suck as a manager or a clinician and don’t rewire that inclination, we will continue to suck.”
  • “All businesses take on the personality of its leader, and if your personality, your ability, your capacities expand, so will your practice.”

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Powerful Lessons Learned from the Dying with Tom Grass

Powerful Lessons Learned from the Dying with Tom GrassThis episode features the incredibly insightful Tom Grass as he recounts the story of how he found dentistry and the path that led him to this career. This is one of the most powerful conversations I have ever had on the show, as Tom delves deep into the importance of being present and how to avoid always looking to the future or your next achievement.

We discuss what Tom calls the UFO method and how to use this when approaching unpleasant discussions or delivering difficult news. You’ll learn how to create satisfaction out of inherently unsatisfying experiences. Listen in as we share personal stories about making connections with the people in our lives and touch on the responsibility you have to yourself to do the same.

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Key Quotes:

  • “The minute you turn your patients into problems, tasks, or room numbers, you’ve failed.”
  • “Dentistry checks all my boxes; you get to take care of people for a long time, you get to know people, and you get to be hands-on.”
  • “Hospice is really good at showing you all the pieces and parts that surround someone’s life.”
  • “You don’t know what people are living with, what people regret.”
  • “Tell people what you need from them and give people what they want from you.”
  • “When you are caring for people, you are giving away your emotional energy to them.”

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Foo Fighters and Your Most Productive Appointments

Foo Fighters and Your Most Productive Appointments - RD Podcast

One of the biggest things to work on in life is making sure to not take your work issues home and not take your home issues to work. This week I’ll share about how I made a shift in my life and mindset where I don’t put work first and I’m not afraid to take days off. This doesn’t mean work isn’t important, it’s all about making sure to fit in the most important things and be intentional about your scheduling.

By fine-tuning your priorities and sticking to your non-negotiables, you will be able to fit in the most important things in your life and practice. I’ll share a list of the most important things to make sure you fit into your schedule and make a priority – everything else should come after these. From taking care of yourself and developing your skills to spending time with family and truly feeding into your team, it’s so crucial to make sure you are being intentional and scheduling in what matters the most so that the little things don’t steal your days.

Key Quotes:

  • “The practice shouldn’t run you. There are times it demands more of you but you should be able to harvest cash flow and time.”
  • “If you don’t rise as a leader, the practice will suffer. It’s all about how you show up. If you’re dragging your feet and having a case of the Mondays, you can guarantee your team will too.”
  • “There’s always some undone thing that I kinda want to work on but I need that time [lunch time] to make sure that my afternoon is productive.”
  • “To take days or half-days to really work on your business is something you really need to do on a continual basis.”
  • “Make sure you’re developing the legacy you want.”
  •  “It’s almost a badge of honor to talk about how busy you are but everyone has the same amount of time and it’s about priorities.”

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Influence and the 80-Year-Old Man

Influence and the 80-Year-Old Man - Relentless Dentist Podcast

Today’s episode is all about the power of influence and living in a way that inspires others to do their best work. Leadership is all about figuring out who we have to become for our teams, and it’s up to us to ask ourselves if we’re really walking the talk—or if we’re all talk.

Inspired by his father’s recent 80th birthday party (where celebrating the way his father has lived his life drove home the fact that making an impact is all about integrity and honoring your word) Dr. Dave discusses why we all need to think about how we’re showing up in our practices. Listen in to hear what he says makes a great leader and his advice for all dentists to level up their lives, as well as their practices.

Key Quotes:

  • “Leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.”
  • “If you want hard workers, be the hardest worker in the room. If you want integrity, you have to honor your word and do what you say.”
  • “If you walk a straight line, if you practice what you preach if you develop a mission and core values that are very clear and you embody those values, it may take some work, but you’re bound to have a team that supports you in that mission, that vision, and those values.”
  • “As dentists, we often get wrapped around, how do we do this? What’s the strategy? What’s the recipe? Because that’s how we’re taught dentistry. … But leadership and running a practice and having an epic life is much different from that.”
  • “I think it’s important that, first, we know exactly what we want; that’s the clarity piece of high performance. Then, it’s important to know why we want it.”
  • “Goals are important, but the who—who do you have to become?—is probably the most important strategy to leveling up your life and leveling up your practice.”
  • “Think about what you want from your practice. Get that clarity. But realize who you have to become, what sort of leader and influencer you need to be, and start walking that.”

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