Can You Be Your Own Hero?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today, I want to share an episode I recorded with Dr. Paul Etchison a while back, which touches on some key things we need to figure out as dentists and practice owners. Paul is the author of Dental Practice Hero, the host of the Dental Practice Heroes podcast, and one of the titans featured in Titans of Dentistry, and he’s someone I really respect because he truly walks the talk. Given his successful career and leadership skills, he’s one of the best people I can think of to have a conversation with about high-performance coaching and being a high-performance individual.

In this episode, Paul and I dive into the subjects of happiness, fulfillment, and figuring out your purpose. Listen in to hear the major lessons we’ve both learned throughout our careers, what it takes to be a great leader, and why it’s so important for us as dentists to gain clarity on what we really want out of our practices—and out of our lives.

Be inspired! Watch more Hints for Happiness podcast episodes

Key Quotes:

“The marketplace doesn’t care what degree you have; it matters how much value you’re adding to the system.”
“We’re all drawn to certain things, and really defining who we are and what we want—getting that crystal clarity—I think is the first step on the escape plan if you feel like you’re on that hamster wheel.”
“Making sure that you’re progressively trending upward on some kind of key criteria in life is what drives a practice because if you just try and drive a practice with brute force, you’ll get growth, but sustainable growth is questionable because if you’re burnt out, your team isn’t going to show up.”
“Make sure that you not only know exactly what you want out of your practice and your life, but why you want it, and if you don’t have a compelling why, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.”
“When the team shows up, batteries included, and you show up, batteries included, patients feel that goodwill goes up, case acceptance goes up, and it all trickles down to the bottom line.”
“You can be confident in leadership, but to think that you’ve learned it all and not be engaged in a lifelong journey I think is a dangerous place.”
“I hope dentists know that if they’re in a tough spot right now, or if they’ve been through a tough spot, or if one’s coming in the future, that’s just part of the game and to anticipate that. To try navigating around that is just wise business, but to think you’ll avoid it completely is a fallacy.”
“It all comes down to marketing, and once that mind shift happens, life gets a lot easier because you realize that your clinical skills are just one small part of the equation.”
“You’re your number one asset and your practice is a close second, and sometimes you have to put all the chips in to make sure that you get the results that you need.”
“If you’re thinking about investing in your team, if you’re thinking about investing in yourself, it’s not hard to get a $1000 idea if you implement it. It’s not hard to get an ROI. It’s making sure you have the intention to actually put your words into actions.”
“Be crystal clear on what you want, why you want it, and then pursue that dream without guilt or apologies.”