It’s time for … book club! Yup, Kiera is back with her latest read recommendations. These books are just for a good time — they’re full of good ideas that you can instill in your own practice. (Pssst, we linked the audiobooks below so you can listen on the go!) The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn by John C Maxwell The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michaelowicz Fix This Next by Mike Michaelowicz Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Get Out of Your Own Way by Dave Hollis The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer Use these books to start your own book club in your practice! Assign, read, gather, then tell us about it! We want to hear your thoughts: [email protected]. 

Scenario: A key member of your practice goes completely out of commission … What do you do? This week’s office autopsy takes a look at that. Kiera shares an experience a practice went through recently, prompting her encouragement to all practices to have the following in place: Have a COVID-19/shutdown plan Create an operations manual for everyone in your practice Encourage team members to take time off not only for mental health, but so weaknesses are revealed and problems solved Listen up to how the DAT worked through having a key player (in this case, the doctor!) out of the picture. Not sure where to start in creating your own emergency approach? The Dental A-Team can help you! Visit www.TheDentalATeam.com. 

In search of some stellar programs to keep your practice organized this year? Kiera is sharing successful options the Dental A-Team has found like Basecamp, Trello, ClickUp (our current fave), and more. Have your own organization/communication apps that you love? Share ‘em with us: [email protected]! 

Kiera joins the gang at Commercial Real Estate Secrets podcast to share her journey through dentistry, how she purchased a practice, and lessons learned. Topics and experiences discussed include navigating partnerships, managing site relocation, and increasing revenue from $500,000 to $2.4 million in nine months. This episode is a great reminder of the experience and heart that is behind those in the Dental A-Team. We love working with our DAT fam, and hope you love working with us. Visit www.TheDentalATeam.com to continue to support our cause.      

The Dental A-Team is joined by Naomi Cooper, marketing and strategic advisory dental extraordinaire with 20 years in the industry! Naomi discusses with Kiera the difference between doing your job versus doing your career and how to muster resources around you, plus advice for having a work-life balance, three tips of which are listed below: Start out your career “with a clean house” Give yourself and others space to grow Find education opportunities on and off the clock Naomi also shares her best time management hack, tip for delegation, and how-to for team communication. You can find and connect with Naomi at [email protected].  Naomi Cooper Hochman is president of Minoa Marketing, a dental/medical marketing & social media consulting firm based in Los Angeles, California. She is a published author, a sought-after speaker, and a dental industry opinion leader.

Office autopsies — our listeners love ‘em! In today’s office, Kiera shares the background of an office with seven locations and 80 employees and the six-month journey to achieve a better leadership team. Listen to what this office has done and consider your own take-aways for improving your practice with best management practices. As a reminder with these autopsies: We’re showing you the highlight reels of these offices, not the low-lights (the turnover, the sacrifices), which definitely do exist. Make sure you consider that when assessing your own office’s progress. Want to hear about your own office autopsy? Let the Dental A-Team come to yours! Visit us at www.TheDentalATeam.com to contact us today.

Got 12 minutes to stop cancellations in your office? This episode is the one for you! Kiera shares tips on how to stop people from canceling their appointment. Especially if they’re not canceling for COVID-19-related reasons, there is a lot of wiggle room. Press play to learn the magic phrases to use to keep patients sticking to their appointment time and how to implement a 15-minute patient fill when it’s impossible to do so. Want to hear more about combatting cancellations? Listen to one of our first episodes: Don’t Break Up With Me - Controlling Cancellations at www.TheDentalATeam.com! 

We may not be the very first, but we mean it fully: HAPPY NEW YEAR, DENTAL A-TEAM! Not to beat a dead horse, but boy are we glad to be out of 2020. In this quick episode, Kiera shares a dose of inspiration with some favorite quotes and a push to start doing instead of talking. Our challenge to you: Email us right now ([email protected]) and tell Kiera what your 2021 is going to look like. We can’t wait to respond :)

Yes, it’s time to reflect, but it’s also time to blast off into the new year! Kiera walks through the steps to take to prep your 2021 goals. Here’s what you need to do: Look back at your 2020 goals — did you hit them? Did you not? Why? Set new (personal and professional) goals and know why you want to meet them. Break down your new goals into a roadmap or benchmarks to meet your marks by the end of the dear. Whatever age you’re turning, come up with that amount of fun goals! Break up your practice’s departments, t-graph them up, and divvy up what each department is doing well and what they can improve on. Choose one or two things per department to help your practice reach its professional goal and pick action items to meet the goals. Decide: What’s your word for 2021? Keep these goals in a place where you’ll see them often. Actually print them out and keep them in your agenda or journal or on your mirror. Their presence will keep you honest through the year. Happy New Year’s Eve!

Cody Butler — business coach and marketing expert — joins Kiera to talk about all things marketing (and what your practice can implement to stop leaving money on the table). Cody has coached over 5,000 businesses, so he definitely knows his stuff and how to market the best dental practices to save patients from bad dentistry. The number one problem businesses have? They’re not following up enough nor staying in contact with a patient long enough. How to fix other mistakes? Ask for what you want (like for reviews) If you try to be all things to all people, you’ll be nothing to no one No doesn't mean no; no means not right now Other tips Cody shares include how to best utilize LinkedIn and the two most effective marketing practices you can adopt today. Learn more about Cody at www.codybutler.com and grab a FREE copy of his book at the90daymarketingplan.biz/freebook.

Want to bump revenue from $1.25 million to $2 million and drop overhead by 10%? Then listen to this office autopsy! Kiera shares a success story she’s had in an anonymous office and spills some of the beans on what steps she and the practice took to get from a pretty good point A to a very awesome point B. Revamp morning huddle Track your numbers! Train back office to be treatment planners (DAT’s signature move) Tip-out bins for ordering Order twice a month Negotiate fees And more! Reduce overhead Now, if your office can implement these steps on its own, full steam ahead, but the Dental A-Team is here for you if you’d like! We’re just an email away: [email protected]!   

Merry Christmas Eve! This episode is short and quick, but the Dental A-Team is here for you on all Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Kiera talks her family traditions and her favorite cereals, then looks back on the person she was when she started off 2020 and the person she’s become — the good and the bad. We love you, DAT fam! Enjoy your holidays :)

Picture this: A well-loved doctor whose practice is bursting at the seams, 100 new patients a month, and three hygienists. Something needs to change to accommodate the growth, but what will it be? Cut back on insurance companies? Expand your building? Add an associate doctor? Kiera walks through the choices this practice made and why they did or didn’t make those choices. For example, when do you need to expand your office? DAT’s answer is when you can’t get a new patient in within a month (at the very max; preferably within a week!). Learn the solutions this practice sought and see how their story fits in with your own! And as always, remember that we’re here to help you! Email us at [email protected] to find guidance for your own practice.

Office autopsies are back! In these episodes, Kiera explains the exact prescription applied by the Dental A-Team to an individual practice to get them to hero status! The practice shared (anonymously) in this episode was purchased by a first-time practice owner/former associate dentist and the annual revenue with four operatories was $350,000 per year. The DAT prescription got this practice up to $1.5 million per year by doing the following steps:  Trained the front office Started working on an operations manual Increased the new patient count Tracked numbers daily (and monthly!) Kiera walks through the details of each, so listen in with a notebook and pen! Interested in getting your own DAT prescription? Email us at [email protected] or visit our website, www.TheDentalATeam.com!   

If you want your practice’s leadership team to thrive, you’ve got to give them room to flex. Today, Kiera talks about setting your executive leadership folks up for success. Her tips: Build out a calendar (we have a sample!) Define the structure and parameters for each leadership role Block out one hour a week for these positions to focus on admin time If you aren’t giving guidance and time for your team to succeed, things fall through the cracks. Trust us on this. Let Kiera talk you into it by pressing play!

In this very special Dental A-Team podcast episode, Kiera is joined by Taylor James, host of The Waffle Shop podcast, to discuss mental health. Suicide and mental challenges is especially prevlant among dentists. Kiera and Taylor share their own journeys with mental health, what they’ve done, and why no size fits all when it comes to addressing your own mental health. This topic is incredibly important, and remember that so are you. If you’re in need of a helping hand or a nudge in a certain direction, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: [email protected].  Remember that your experiences don’t define you, but they do shape you — hopefully for the better rather than the worse. Reach out for help today. You can find Taylor on Instagram! www.instagram.com/waffleshoppodcast

Efficiency — we love it, we want it, and this episode is all about it! Kiera shares tips on finding those pockets of time that you can streamline to make patient visits go way more smoothly. The secret? Note templates! Listen up as Kiera spells out how this works. Want to get your hands on the Dental A-Team’s checklist for framing your patient visit, hygienists? We have the form! If you want to smooth the edges of your visits and get your patients out the door AND have all your notes completed at the same time, this is the episode for you.

WOW, we are 300 episodes into this journey! Thank you to all our Dental A-Team family members — old and new. As Kiera reflects on what it’s taken to be consistent with a three-times-a-week podcast, she invites listeners to think about their own life staples. What is it in your life, personally or professionally, that’s requiring you to show up? What could you do to enhance your life? Kiera shares her own tips for accountability. We love our DAT listeners. Missed one of our 300 episodes? They’re allll at www.TheDentalATeam.com for your binging pleasure :)

If you had 100 extra hours of time each year, what would you do? Well, we have an idea of how to get you more freedom: hiring an assistant! Don’t believe us? Start by time journaling out your life and then figuring out where you could use a helping hand. Personal assistant: Takes care of the personal things — grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, housekeeping, etc. Administrative assistant: Helps with smaller task business items like responding to emails, creating forms for the practice, running errands Executive assistant: Moves the practice forward. This person is a high-level thinker who can work autonomously while looking at the direction and focus of the business. (Could be your operations manager, but does not have to be.) Kiera explains the pay range for each; where to find the good ones; and how the Dental A-Team can help! Psst, we can send you the most recent assistant ads we’ve placed — email us at [email protected]!  At the end of the day, it’s not going to hurt to hire an assistant.

Try as it might, COVID-19 canNOT ruin holiday cheer! This episode will inspire you to host the best holiday party this year, even if it’s virtual. If you recall, the Dental A-Team is a virtual company, meaning we’ve got virtual parties in the bag. Tune in to hear about how to celebrate, what games to use, and how to give the perfect gift to your team members. Need more help or ideas? We’ve got you: email [email protected]! 

Why are you the way you are? No, really: What is your WHY? What is the need in your life? In this episode, Kiera encourages Dental A-Team family members to understand why they are the way they are so you can all make smarter, wiser decisions about why you function the way you do! Start by taking Tony Robbins’ Driving Force quiz, and use the results to launch yourself forward into continued success! Like what you’re hearing as far as the purpose framework? Visit www.WomenDentistsConnect.com to hear the full talk, then www.TheDentalATeam.com for more podcast episodes about excelling as a person!

Sarah O’Brien is back to talk fee schedules! Here, she shares with Kiera what it means to negotiate a fee schedule, how often it should happen, and the secrets of getting an increase across the board … and then an additional increase. And umbrella companies’ roles when it comes to reimbursements? Sarah has advice for that, too. If you fall in love with Sarah and her awesome knowledge, make sure you listen to all her episodes! She’s kind of a regular :) Head over to www.TheDentalATeam.com for the goods. Sarah O'Brien started remote dental billing in 2017 when she was asked to help a newly graduated dentist who had purchased an existing office with higher-than-anticipated outstanding claims, some seriously crazy accounts, and a sweet front office person with very little experience.  Since that time, dozens of dental offices and dentists have used her remote billing services to send or post claims, get help with high AR, create statement protocols, and train staff to be better dental billers.  Three years later, Evolution Dental Billing was created when Sarah and her friend Kiera Dent (The Dental A-Team founder and CEO) came up with a plan to completely change the way we do dental billing.

We’re here with your a-ha! moment for the day: Making sure your life is balanced. It starts with an activity that requires a piece of paper, pen, and six highlighters. Let Kiera walk you through how to check and see if the time you’re spending each week is actually fulfilling. Ask yourself these questions: Are you in balance of fulfilling activities? Can someone else do your job better and faster? We’re curious about your results! Feel free to share them with us: [email protected]! 

Yeah, it’s Thanksgiving and we’re feeling grateful. We’ve reached a massive milestone of 300,000-plus downloads on this very podcast you’re listening to! And we’re not even two years old! Also, we have a killer fam at The Dental A-Team. What’s not to be thankful for, even in 2020?! Our challenge for you today is to take the time to genuinely thank your team, and thank them specifically. Find subtle but direct ways to show your appreciation. Inspire a culture of gratitude!  Remember that every person on your team brings a special piece to your workplace.  Thank you, DAT gang. And Happy Thanksgiving!

The Dental A-Team is full of love, space, and grace for you today. Whether you’re on fire with success or burnt out from stress, Kiera is offering a helping hand. Listen to this episode now, then save it for a dose of positivity for future bad days. The DAT is always ready to offer support. Be part of the gang: www.TheDentalATeam.com. 

We’re fresh off Women Dentists Connect, and Kiera’s here to share the pearls of what was talked about! Think overhead control, a profit-first mentality, and knowing your available funds.  What your office is spending money on is important to know. As you get your hands dirty with knowledge, encourage your team to participate! What can team members do to reduce overhead? The fine points are in this episode, but the full rundown is over at WomenDentistsConnect.com. Go check it out!

More end-of-year talk! This time, with Sarah O’Brien of Evolution Dental Billing who provides a laundry list of items to clear out for the new year. Some topics: Close out problem claims and problem accounts Look at all the numbers for 2020 Other ideas Sarah discusses with Kiera is how often your practice should change office fees, what to keep track of for next year, and how to reward your ever-so-helpful patients. Missed our previous end-of-year-tips episodes? Head to www.TheDentalATeam.com to find ‘em all! Sarah O'Brien started remote dental billing in 2017 when she was asked to help a newly graduated dentist who had purchased an existing office with higher-than-anticipated outstanding claims, some seriously crazy accounts, and a sweet front office person with very little experience.  Since that time, dozens of dental offices and dentists have used her remote billing services to send or post claims, get help with high AR, create statement protocols, and train staff to be better dental billers.  Three years later, Evolution Dental Billing was created when Sarah and her friend Kiera Dent (The Dental A-Team founder and CEO) came up with a plan to completely change the way we do dental billing.

This episode is all about the six reports your practice should be running on a regular basis. Keeping yourself honest with this information will yield smoother production and happier staff + patients! Know your production collection Claims not sent Procedures not attached Aging report Unscheduled treatments New patient report + have every referral report filled in (don’t waste marketing dollars!) These are the six reports that Dental A-Team coaches are looking for when they travel around the world to practices. Get these rolling consistently and you’ll bump up to an A+ team member!

Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Paton is HERE!  You’ve probably heard Kiera talk about ‘traction’ more than once on this podcast, and now, we get to talk with one of the masterminds behind the idea. In this episode, Mike and Kiera discuss Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and how it brings structure and discipline to entrepreneurial companies; ways to keep motivation alive in 2020; and what pivoting and innovating should look like. This year has been challenging, but the world still needs excellent dental care. Don’t forget that YOUR practice, YOUR team, and YOUR equipment can provide that. As Mike says in this episode, the best entrepreneurs will succeed profitably no matter the constraints. You won’t want to miss this latest chat with a Dental A-Team legend! Mike Paton has been learning from entrepreneurs for most of his life. Today he works hard to give back – as an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, Certified EOS Implementer, and as the visionary for EOS Worldwide. Mike discovered the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) a dozen years ago while trying to take a $7 million company to the next level. Feeling stuck and more than a little frustrated, his search for answers led him to Gino Wickman and EOS. Having helped run four entrepreneurial companies, Mike instantly recognized the power of this simple, holistic “way of operating” a small business. He quickly became a passionate advocate, joined the Professional EOS Implementer Community, and dedicated himself to helping other entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses. Since then, Mike has conducted more than 1,200 full-day sessions with the leadership teams of more than 110 companies and helped thousands more entrepreneurs by sharing EOS in dynamic talks and workshops the world over. During that journey, Mike wrote Get A Grip: An Entrepreneurial Fable with Gino Wickman and then succeeded Gino in the role of visionary for EOS Worldwide. In that role, he leads a close-knit community of more than 250 Professional EOS Implementers around the globe – each passionate about helping entrepreneurs run better businesses and live better lives. Mike lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Kate. Together they have five boys.

Ugh, collections. No fun for anyone. BUT the Dental A-Team is here to lighten your load by sharing our favorite collections protocol. Kiera shares the policies your practice should have in place for collections even enters your mind, then walks through the process of contacting a patient for payment. Hint: Red paper can work wonders. Establishing a clear-cut protocol gets your dental team in the zone for what can be a sticky subject, so you’re going to want to listen to this episode. Looking for more advice on developing your collections protocol? Email [email protected]!

Did you know that dental practices that are Dental A-Team members were able to minimize 2020’s shockwaves? Yup. We’re here for YOU, and today’s tip has to do with a recent Happy Mail/party in a bag we sent out to the DAT fam. Included was a list of billing breakdown tips, and that’s what today’s episode is about: resources for billing protocol. We’ve scheduled out what your billing should be broken down into for a daily, weekly, and monthly task list. By abiding by a schedule, you’ll be kept honest to infinity and beyond.

More end-of-the-year tips for your practice! Today’s topic is how to bump collections immediately in your practice. Kiera talks listeners through the following: Making sure your over-the-counter collections are strong Checking end-of-day reports Reviewing AR reports Think outside the box We did some quick math for you, as an example, and Kiera found some easy ways your practice can rake in $56,000 over ten months. Yeah, you don’t want to miss out on this information. And if this tickles your fancy, feel free to ask us more! Email [email protected].

Yikes, are you still feeling knocked off your axis from everything that’s happened in 2020? This episode, which includes road warrior Tiffanie Trader, is all about getting back little pockets of time and getting back into rhythm. What’re we talking about? You've heard it before, and you’ll hear it again (because it’s important!): time journaling. By incorporating this act into your practice, you can tighten up the screws on workflow in the practice and know what to delegate. Kiera and Tiffanie have the good for you, so press play.

It’s time to get your end-of-year letters out! Doing this will both crank your production and help your patients not waste money. Broadcast, broadcast, broadcast — emails, texts, TV screens around your office. Looking for a blanket email to send to everyone? We’ve got you covered. Email [email protected] for a sample. You can also target specific patients! Tune into this episode to understand how to go about that. Help your team and help your patients earn a VIP experience.

We talk about it all the time on the Dental A-Team podcast: coaching calls and how awesome they are! In this episode, we head back to the foundation. Tiffanie Trader joins Kiera to talk about the benefits of checking in with a coach who’s there JUST for you. These calls are full of active tips — issues are addressed, solutions provided, anything you can think of can be discussed. Have we piqued your interest? Head over to www.TheDentalATeam.com today to sign up for a coaching call!

Kiera shares tips on interacting with patients, what types of filters to apply to them (trust us, this works), and breaking down assumptions...continue reading...

Scott Haberman and Art Wiederman, both of EideBailly, are here with the tax advice you need... Continue Reading...

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Kiera talks listeners through finding one or two things to consider changing, and what actions would need to happen to get there. Kiera even shares her own flaw...Continue Reading..

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2020 has jaded many folks, and dental practices often are recipients of negative and angry emotions... continue reading...

It’s office autopsy time! Kiera shares insight for a practice she visits, one that is specifically “bursting at the seams” of its work capability...Continue Reading...

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Kiera is joined by Kim Creer, office manager for a dental practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In Kiera’s words, Kim is one of the most incredible office managers ever — and Kim spills details on how she gets her team to work successfully... Continue Reading...

Kiera and Tiffanie have some tough love for you: It’s time to accept that life can suck, but it doesn’t mean you get to have a bad attitude about it... Continue Reading...