Podcast appearances and mentions of Simon Sinek

This week, Pete and Jen dive in to the reasons to ask for what you want, and what reasons might hinder us from doing so in the first place.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What are some reasons someone might be afraid to ask for what they want?What does it mean to chase the no?How might we empathize with the person we are asking something from?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

 “There is no such thing as strengths and weaknesses - it is all context”  Hey all!! So excited about this episode's topic of strength in weakness and really thinking about our weaknesses in a whole different way.  I share this week about my experience helping my brother prepare for his job interview and then thought about this idea of sharing your weakness.  I then share a few other things that I realized and heard from a few different sources, a guest on Follow him, Jody Moore and Simon Sinek.  Let's rethink the way we look at the things we may think are a “weakness.”For show notes and references come by www.findingthefloor.com/ep154Interested in my newsletter - send me an email Camille@findingthefloor.com or message me on Facebook or Instagramor just come and say hi - I am on Facebook or Instagram @findingthefloor.Thanks to Seth Johnson for my intro and outro original music. I love it so much!

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Andrea O'Brien, the Director of Residential Admissions at A.T. Still University. They talk about communicating your why in medical school applications and the mistakes to avoid. [00:57] Introducing Andrea O'Brien [02:27] Ways to Stand Out as a Med School Applicant  [08:21] Med School Application Mistakes [17:25] A.T. Still University's Waitlist System [19:09] When to Submit Your Medical School Application [22:51] What Andrea O'Brien Would Change About Healthcare Know Your Why for Pursuing Medicine Medicine is a difficult profession, so schools would like to see your authenticity and passion come through your application. Accumulating experience over the long term can really set you apart from other applicants. Medical schools want to see that you've been preparing for it not just in the last few months. Community service and cultural competency are also things you want to highlight in your resume. “Know Your Why” by Simon Sinek is a book that can help you communicate your motive for pursuing medicine.  Avoid These Mistakes in Your Med School Application Choose schools where you're going to feel most comfortable and supported. Align your own goals to the school's mission. If you have encountered a challenging situation which affected your application, be sure to address it. The admissions committee notices any unusual changes and would appreciate an explanation.  Another mistake to avoid is rushing to submit your application. Take all the time you need to build a strong resume. Rejected or waitlisted students would do well to follow any feedback and advice given to improve their application.  Best Time to Apply for Medical School As a general rule, it is always better to submit your application sooner rather than later. Applications that are severely lacking may be rejected immediately. It's wise to let the school know if you're retaking the MCAT so they can wait for your new score. Submitting your application at the very end of the cycle would be disadvantageous because by then, most slots would already be filled. Late August or early September are ideal times to apply for medical school.   To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor.  You can also reach us through our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach Dr. Erkeda's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Jim Steele is a renowned strategist and performance consultant and the author of the book Unashamedly Superhuman, which explores the science of performance and how to unlock human potential.    He has worked with hundreds of organisations throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia and consistently demonstrates an ability to engage leaders to inspire the mindsets and behaviors of the teams they lead.   Drawing from cutting‐edge neuroscientific research, Jim is always seeking new solutions for the ever‐evolving challenges in today's fast‐paced business world.   Jim has over 20 years of experience in the field of leadership development and building high-performing teams and is known for his practical and results-driven approach. He has a deep understanding of the science of human performance and uses this knowledge to help his clients achieve their high goals. He is also a sought-after speaker and has delivered keynote speeches at conferences and events around the world.   Delegates will leave Jim's sessions with tools and strategies to help in the moments that matter most. The blend of business models, neuroscience, performance psychology, and accelerated learning principles, enables Jim to engage people to take the lessons learned back to the workplace with a view to impacting tangible business results, long after the positive mood of the conference has passed.   His work has been featured in a number of publications, including Forbes, The Association of MBS's, Elite Business Magazine, The Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He is also a regular contributor to a number of industry publications, blogs, and podcasts.     Jim Steele shared in this episode:   How he realised his potential and how you can be successful in life too. Becoming superhuman - the approach to realise your potential and self actualise. The three elements of the book, Unashamedly Superhuman, tapping into potential, self-actualization, and becoming more resilient. How to access untapped potential within How daily focused goals can help  you achieve long-term goals. The golden rule: flow follows focus. The neurochemistry of the flow and how to access the flow at will. Focus sprint -  the key to enhancing performance. How to manage the urge to be distracted. Two things high performers do every day, “they push themselves to the edge of their abilities, and then they recover in a world-class way” - Michael Gervais How to build recovery from the flow state to avoid burnout. Why the ‘Wim Hof method' of breathing and cold exposure make a difference to our performance. How to build resilience The importance of exercise, meditation, and breathing techniques on performance How to get sustained and high levels of dopamine The benefits of a cold shower How to raise your stress threshold How to build mental toughness How priming can make a big difference in a day His life-changing question: How can you combine well-being and high performance? And much more… Resources Mentioned In The Show: Jim's website: https://www.jimsteele.com/. Unashamedly Superhuman - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59792130-unashamedly-superhuman   Why - Simon Sinek https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/   Stealing Fire - Steven Kotler https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Fire-Maverick-Scientists-Revolutionizing/dp/0062429655   Justin Rosenstein - disconnecting from the internet https://justinrosenstein.com/category/one-mindful-tech/   If you would like more insights on profit maximization for your business, visit www.ProfitHive.com.au  

How to awaken your consciousness and create energetic healing for your life, body, and business? If you want some tips to design your reality to navigate life and business challenges and go beyond every limitation, then this episode is for you. Are you struggling with allowing yourself to transform in our evolving world? Or has a fear of survival made you afraid to receive money for doing something you love? In this episode, Kimberly of Crown Yourself Podcast, interviews an international-selling author, Holistic Life Coach, and Energy Healer, Dr. Alison J. Kay as she shares how you can awaken your consciousness and create energetic healing for your life. Enjoy, sovereigns! Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast listening platform. You can also watch the episode on YouTube. Moments of Note: The power of asking "What if there's nothing wrong?" [00:00:00] Exploring the concept of questioning whether there is something wrong with oneself and the power of reframing this mindset. The merging of science and spirituality [00:07:00] Discussing the convergence of science and spirituality, and the need for them to meet and balance each other in order to redefine reality. The role of subconscious thoughts in shaping our reality [00:08:54] Highlights the influence of subconscious thoughts on our daily choices and the importance of becoming aware of and working with our subconscious mind to create a new reality. The ego mind and its thresholds [00:11:31] Explanation of how the ego mind limits our perception and the purpose of its thresholds. Accessing the new and moving beyond trauma [00:13:26] Discussion on going beyond the ego mind to access new experiences and clearing trauma through a vibrational upgrade system. Fear of power and self-sabotage [00:15:26] Exploration of the fear of embracing one's power and self-sabotage, and the importance of clearing subconscious beliefs. Humanity's greatest evolutionary leap [00:22:23] Discussion on how the polar extremes of change and volatility are tools for transformation. The Mayan galactic alignment [00:24:38] Exploration of the significance of the Mayan calendar and the transition from one era to another. The impact of COVID-19 [00:27:34] Reflection on how COVID-19 has accelerated the clearing and transformation process for individuals and society. The clearing and evolution of relationships [00:31:30] The speaker reflects on the clearing and evolution of her relationship with her father and aunt, who both passed away and how it has brought her freedom and growth. Connecting with loved ones who have passed away [00:34:17] The speaker discusses how she has experienced loved ones who have crossed over showing up during client sessions and offering help and guidance. Believing in the possibility of positive change [00:39:58] The speaker talks about the resistance people have in seeing how life is happening for them and encourages embracing the idea that positive change is possible, even when it seems too good to be true. Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine Rebalance [00:42:15] Discussion on the balance between action-oriented, achievement-focused masculine energy and intuitive, expansive feminine energy. Accessing the New with Ease and Grace [00:43:58] Exploration of accessing new ideas and success through intuition and energy rather than linear strategies. Owning Your Throne and Vision [00:47:17] Dr. Allison talks about taking ownership of her own throne, being a future visionary, and learning to flow with her maverick nature.

Your ability to ride out the fears, uncertainties, and doubts that cause the stress and anxiety is foundational to your growth, your ability to change, and reinventing yourself. Ultimately, however, to achieve the change you desire, you must create a vision of what you want. A vision is similar to a goal in that it provides something you want at some point in the future. A vision is, in many ways, loftier than a goal, in that it is an ideal future state. A good, clear vision will generate passion, energy, and excitement. It can give you meaning—a reason why you exist. A strong vision will act as a template, a guide, as to how you live your life. It leads to change, transformation, and in the end, reinventing yourself into the reality of your own choosing. When you set a large goal, like a vision, you may experience anxiety and stress, causing you to hesitate. Recognize that this is natural, especially when taking actions aligned with your vision. Instead of hesitating, use the techniques covered earlier, such as riding out the discomfort associated with fear, doubts, or anxiety. Learn to be comfortable with the discomfort knowing it will pass when you take action in line with your vision. A vision is the key requirement for growth and reinvention. It will require you to change. However, some people are reluctant to change, not necessarily out of fear but because they will have to give up some secondary gain (the benefits of not facing or addressing a problem). What benefits do people get from staying locked in their current situation? Why would anyone be reluctant to improve his or her circumstances? The reasons are a little complicated. 

Like author Simon Sinek, Daniel Austin of Green Sprig Ag and Little Hen Farm encourages people to start with their “why.” Doing so will help people understand their motivation and refine their purpose in life and work. Knowing both the “why” and the “how” of farming and building soil health is critically important to economic viability, community well-being, and true sustainability. Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt continue their conversation with Daniel by phone to learn more about his “why” and “how” of farming and growing local grains.Daniel emphasizes that farmers need to know and understand their "why" for all aspects of their farm operation. On his farm, he aims to care for and rebuild the soil while also maximizing the number of farm enterprises the land can sustain. Daniel also encourages farmers to continually surround themselves with positive mentors and peers. Similarly, he desires to be a good mentor for others in the same way that key mentors have been instrumental in his own journeyGreen Sprig Ag is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.in Franklin County, Virginia. To learn about the Common Grain Alliance and the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Grain Fair and Conference, please visit https://www.commongrainalliance.org/mid-atlantic-grain-fair Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge

0:00 -- Intro.1:43 -- Start of interview.2:11 -- Suzanne's "origin story" "One of my proudest jobs was working with the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund"14:12 -- Joining the NYSE Board Diversity Initiative. *reference to Chief ("the only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders")15:22 -- Three key NYSE ESG Initiatives:The NYSE Sustainability Advisory Council (tackling the "E" in ESG)The NYSE/Syndio collaboration (tackling the "S" in ESG)The NYSE Advisory Board Council (tackling the "G" in ESG). It was created to help identify and place diverse candidates to serve on boards (*it has placed 38 board candidates, as of the date of this recording).Council: 25 members ("it launched in 2019 with 16 CEOs of the NYSE")Candidates: ~700 CEO vetted candidates.Companies: all ~2,400 NYSE listed companies + private PE/VC backed companies.25:04 -- On placing directors on cross-listed (international) companies. "Over 15% of our candidates are international"26:39 -- On the impact of SB-826, AB-979 and other board diversity efforts. "Intentionality [on this topic] works"28:47 -- On the ESG and DEI backlash. "ESG really suffers from a branding problem."31:46 -- Board dynamics, age and generational shifts in the boardroom. "The avg age of directors has remained at 64 years old."33:57 -- On the evolution and trends in board diversity. On the "pipeline falacy."36:33-- Current state of capital markets. History of the NYSE.40:27 -- Other corporate governance trends: term limits, board evaluations ("it's what you do with it afterwards"), global supply chain, green energy transition and cybersecurity expertise. *reference to E107 with David Larcker and Brian Tayan46:00 -- Books that have greatly influenced her life: Don Quijote by Miguel de Cervantes (1605 and 1615)Start with Why by Simon Sinek (2009)47:54 -- Her mentors, and what she learned from them: "it's more of a collective with other women."48:41 -- Quotes she thinks of often or lives her life by: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it's the courage to carry on that counts." Winston Churchill. 49:18 -- An unusual habit or an absurd thing that he loves: "I love to research obscure dogs."51:35 -- The living person she most admires: Jimmy Carter.Suzanne Brown currently leads the NYSE's effort to place more diverse candidates on corporate and private company boards. __ You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__You can join as a Patron of the Boardroom Governance Podcast at:Patreon: patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

It may come as a shock, but Jen and Pete have never done an episode of the podcast about goals before today! So this week, they dive in to the idea of how we might stack our goals, and how that might help us to adjust them or eventually let them go.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What is the concept of goal stacking?What are some ways that goals can be organized in to projects?How might focusing on more than one goal actually help to move them all forward?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

What do you think are the characteristics of a great leader?I'd seriously love to hear what your thoughts!Recently, I decided to force myself to come up with the top 3 things that stood out to me the most based on the best leaders who have led me like John Maxwell, Simon Sinek, and Josh Coats.Which is what I shared in today's episode!--------------------Want to learn about our INNER CIRCLE and get access to our personal network?Check out all the details on our Modern Leadership YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@modernleadership/join and click the join button to learn all the details.So excited to share our personal network with you!

Chapter 1 What's The Infinite GameThe book "The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek explores the concept of viewing business and life as an infinite game rather than a finite one. Sinek argues that instead of focusing on short-term wins and competition, individuals and organizations should prioritize long-term success and collaboration. He shares insights and examples from various industries to illustrate the importance of adopting an infinite mindset, as well as providing practical advice on how to do so. Sinek's book encourages readers to shift their perspective and mindset in order to create a sustainable and fulfilling journey in both professional and personal life.Chapter 2 Why is The Infinite Game Worth ReadThe Infinite Game by Simon Sinek is worth reading for several reasons:1. Fresh perspective on leadership: Sinek introduces the concept of "infinite game" versus the traditional "finite game" mindset in leadership. He argues that leaders who adopt an infinite mindset are more likely to inspire collaboration, innovation, and long-term success.2. Insights from real-life examples: The book includes numerous real-world examples from various industries and organizations, providing practical insights into how leaders can apply the infinite game mindset to their own work.3. Emphasis on building trusting relationships: Sinek emphasizes the importance of trust in leadership and offers strategies for fostering trust within teams and organizations. He highlights the role of empathy, transparency, and vulnerability in building strong relationships.4. Focus on long-term thinking: The book encourages leaders to adopt a long-term perspective instead of short-term thinking, emphasizing the importance of investing in the success and well-being of future generations and the overall sustainability of organizations.5. Actionable steps for implementation: Sinek provides concrete steps and strategies that leaders can implement to transition from a finite to an infinite mindset. These practical tips help readers apply the concepts in their own lives and organizations.6. Inspiring and motivational: Sinek's writing style is engaging and inspiring, encouraging readers to think differently about leadership and the purpose of their work. The book motivates leaders to embrace a more sustainable and impactful approach to their roles.Overall, The Infinite Game offers a different perspective on leadership, packed with practical examples, actionable steps, and inspiring insights that make it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in becoming a more effective and visionary leader.Chapter 3 The Infinite Game Summary"The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek is a book that challenges traditional perceptions of success and leadership. Sinek argues that many organizations and leaders have adopted a finite mindset, where the goal is to win and beat the competition, which ultimately leads to short-term thinking and unethical behaviors.In contrast, Sinek advocates for an infinite mindset, where the focus is on long-term sustainability and continuous improvement. He argues that leaders who adopt an infinite mindset prioritize building strong organizational cultures, fostering trust and cooperation, and adapting to changing circumstances.Sinek uses real-life examples from various industries, such as Microsoft, Apple, and the military, to explain the principles of infinite thinking and the dangers of finite thinking. He explores the five essential practices for maintaining an infinite mindset: have a just cause, build trusting teams, study your worthy rivals, prepare for existential flexibility, and demonstrate the courage to lead.Throughout the book, Sinek emphasizes the importance of a clear purpose...

If you've ever doubted the ability of a Culture First company to have their delicious Culture cake and eat it, too - Garry Ridge is about to lay down a 20-minute Master Class on exactly how he made it possible.Our guest today was one of the very first CEO's that Simon Sinek recognised as putting his Golden Circle into practice and in this episode, you'll hear Garry talk about his relationship with Simon Sinek and he lets us in on the tweaks he made to Simon's own formula for creating a Culture First company.Garry Ridge's leadership style is unique, bold and a balance of his Australian upbringing and his time on the road as a travelling salesperson. All this combined with his infinite mindset saw him become the longest serving Australian chief of a listed US company - a company that sells one of the most recognisable household items in the world - WD40!This conversation was recorded back in 2020, but we never released it in full. We want to honor Garry's incredible legacy of 25 years as CEO of WD40 with this extended version!If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review.Learn more about Culture Amp at www.cultureamp.com or @cultureamp on InstagramLearn more about Garry at thelearningmoment.net and on Twitter @LearningMomentSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the restaurant industry it's important to focus on numbers and performance because those numbers tell you the health of your business. As a coach, I teach restaurant owners how to use budgets and set goals and then measure them. When hiring managers, it's important to find those who are high performers so they can help you meet those goals. But being a good manager and finding good managers isn't all about performance. It's also about establishing trust. Trust plays a critical role in your manager's success. In this episode of my restaurant podcast, The Restaurant Prosperity Formula, I am going to explain this concept of performance and trust, based on renowned author, motivational speaker and organizational consultant Simon Sinek's TED Talk. Sinek has one of the most watched TED Talks on YouTube and wrote the book, “Leaders Eat Last.” He has inspired leaders and organizations around the world to focus on purpose leadership and create positive organizational culture. Sinek basically says a medium or even low performer who has high trust among their colleagues is more valuable than a high performer with low trust among their colleagues. WHAT? Yes. I talk you through the theory, how Sinek got there while working with Navy Seals and how this applies to your restaurant. If you want to learn more about managing with trust to apply to your own leadership and what to look for in managers for your restaurant, I encourage you to listen to this podcast episode.

In this week's reflective episode, Pete and Jen dig in to the conversation they had with Seth Godin last week, discussing both the conversation itself and also the ways in which they each showed up.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What ideas have stuck with Jen and Pete from their conversation last week, and how might they continue to expand on and explore them?What feedback would Jen and Pete give themselves, on listening back?How did Jen and Pete feel in real-time while conversing with Seth, the one and only guest (so far) on their podcast?Bonus Question: Who might the listeners like to hear on the podcast next?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

This week on #leadingwithlee, Lee continues to reflect on turning thirty and all that is necessary for the next stage of life. He talks about how not to get complacent and keep being determined to press forward. Here are #LeesPoints:1)Your last accomplishment is the floor for the next one2)Appreciation is needed 3)The desire for growth will cost youFollow "Leading with Lee" on Instagram and Facebook for the daily content that will motivate you at @leadingwithlee Follow Lee on Instagram, Tiktok & Twitter at @leeascottii and to book him for events, visit his website at www.leeascott.com

What if you could implement a cash management system today that guarantees profitability, automatically sets aside money for tax season, and ensures you don't overspend on expenses? In this episode, Hala is joined by Mike Michalowicz to break down Profit First, the cash management system that has helped hundreds of thousands of small business owners increase their profits, or generate a profit from day one. Mike Michalowicz is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and is an author of business books for entrepreneurs and small business owners like Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, Fix This Next, and Get Different. Mike is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and regularly travels the globe as an entrepreneurial advocate. He became a business author with a clear mission: eradicate entrepreneurial poverty.  In this episode, Hala and Mike will discuss: - What happens when you constrain a resource - How to think of profit as a habit - The value of practicing fund preallocation - The five bank accounts every small business owner needs - The difference between an ownership salary and profit - How much money should you put toward profit? - Why you should compress your operating expenses - How to pay off debt - How Relay can help you implement profit first with ease - And other topics… Mike Michalowicz is the creator of Profit First, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit. Today, Mike leads two new multimillion-dollar ventures, as he tests his latest business research for his books. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a business makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike is a popular main-stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Get Different, Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan, and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Fabled author Simon Sinek deemed Mike Michalowicz “…the top contender for the patron saint of entrepreneurs.” Resources Mentioned: Relay: https://relayfi.com/profiting Mike's Book Profit First: https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/ Profit First Instant Assessment: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ProfitFirst/PF-InstantAssessment.pdf  LinkedIn Secrets Masterclass, Have Job Security For Life: Use code ‘podcast' for 30% off at yapmedia.io/course. More About Young and Profiting Download Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com   Get Sponsorship Deals - youngandprofiting.com/sponsorships Leave a Review - ratethispodcast.com/yap Watch Videos - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Follow Hala Taha LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ TikTok - tiktok.com/@yapwithhala Twitter - twitter.com/yapwithhala Learn more about YAP Media Agency Services - yapmedia.io/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#424: 50 Multi Millionaires Give You Their Advice About The Struggle In this episode, I share my journey and 50 other multi-millionaires ranging from Mark Cuban, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Spotify, Indiegogo, Simon Sinek, Seth Godin,  LinkedIn and so many others. We all need a bit of motivation sometimes, and if that is you, this is the episode for you!   SHARE, RATE AND FIND ME ON SOCIAL   3 WAYS TO LEVEL UP YOUR GAME WITH ME 1. Connect and chat with Andy about his services.  Re-ignite, Strategize, and Expand https://andymurphy.online/connect-2   2. Total Mind Control Handbook (1 week remaining ONLY) Value $27 for free https://andymurphy.online   3. 8 Figure Thinker University & Genius Trader The most complete mind training systems available https://andymurphy.online/shop   4. The Best Nootropics In The World https://rb.gy/u2j9j3   You can also Hire Andy For Stage, Interviews, and events https://andymurphy.online/speaking   SOCIAL Facebook https://www.facebook.com/andymurphyperformance   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-murphy-070400273   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/andymurphymindset

Matthew Jaeh co-founded ProctorU, an EdTech company that grew to over $1 Billion. Now, Matt is the Managing Director of Techstars in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, Matt is an avid triathlete and musician. This conversation covers lessons from building ProctorU, the Alabama startup ecosystem, the power of short form video, Matt's favorite restaurants, the power of music, and much more. Chapters:00:00:00 - The Connection Between Music and Focus00:04:21 - Prioritizing Health and Business00:09:19 - The Birth of Proctor U00:13:53 - Scaling a Company: From 10 Institutions to Nationwide00:18:46 - The Importance of Quality Assurance and Training00:23:03 - The Importance of Taking Care of Your Team00:27:38 - The Importance of Giving Back in the Entrepreneurial Community00:32:44 - Different ways to think about entrepreneurship00:37:31 - The Importance of Corporate Sponsorship and Accelerators in Birmingham's Ecosystem00:42:27 - Finding Joy in Birmingham00:47:07 - The Power of Short Form Video and Analytics00:51:48 - Leveraging Sponsor Content on Instagram and TikTok00:56:20 - Offering a Second Opinion Connect with Matthew:→ Website: mattjaeh.com→ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewjaeh→ Twitter: twitter.com/jaehdawg→ Instagram: instagram.com/jaehdawg→ TikTok: tiktok.com/@realmattjaeh→ Youtube:   / @mattjaeh  → Facebook: facebook.com/matthew.jaeh Check out ProctorU:→ Website: proctoru.com→ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/proctoru Resources Mentioned in The Episode:→ Techstars: linkedin.com/company/techstars→ Simon Sinek: simonsinek.com→ Geek Squad: linkedin.com/company/geek-squad→ Jarrod Morgan: linkedin.com/in/jarrodmorgan→ Jim Collins: jimcollins.com→ Alabama Launchpad: alabamalaunchpad.com→ Chris Heivly (Episode):   • Chris Heivly: Build The Fort - Foster...  → Prosper: prosperbham.com→ Endeavor: endeavorbirmingham.org→ Bronze Valley: bronzevalley.com→ Fleetio: fleetio.com→ Frank Stitt: twitter.com/frankstitt→ Chris Hastings: instagram.com/chrishastings00 Restaurants Mentioned in The Episode:→ CAFÉ DUPONT: cafedupont.net→ Helen: helenbham.com→ Gianmarco's: gianmarcosbhm.com→ Amore: letsamore.com→ Perry's Steak House: perryssteakhouse.com/famousporkchop→ Automatic Seafood: automaticseafood.com→ Good People Brewing: goodpeoplebrewing.com→ Brock's Gap: brocksgapbrewing.com Help The Louis and Kyle Show:→ If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or leave a review!→ Leave a review: Podcast Review→ Drop us an email: LouisandKyleShow@gmail.com→ Subscribe on YouTube: YouTube Channel Follow The Show on Social Media:→ Twitter: twitter.com/LouisKyleShow→ Instagram: instagram.com/louiskyleshow→ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/65567567 Connect with Louis and Kyle:→ Read Louis' Newsletter: Louis's Substack→ Louis' Twitter: twitter.com/LouisShulman→ Kyle's Twitter: twitter.com/_kylebishop→ Louis LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/louisshulman→ Kyle's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kyle-bishop-7b790050

This week, Seth makes a return visit to the podcast, and he, Jen, and Pete dive in to a wide range of topics, such as Seth's new book, bees, meetings, leaf blowers, and so much more.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete (and Seth) talk about:What is Seth's latest book all about, and how might the themes within it show up in our daily lives?How might we think about work differently, in terms of leadership, structure, and enrollment?Where does the water go when you paddle in a canoe?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Axelle Vanquaillie, a Belgium-based entrepreneur, has transitioned from a non-tech background to founding her own tech company. Axelle shares her journey from being a social nurse to creating "Drawify," a platform that simplifies complex content into visual stories.* Axelle's transition from a social nurse to a tech entrepreneur, highlighting her passion for visual storytelling.* The inception and evolution of "Drawify," a platform that turns complex content into visual narratives.* Axelle's advice for budding entrepreneurs: dream big, be authentic, and surround yourself with the right people.Axelle Vanquaillie (Founder of Drawify)I live in Belgium, but I feel like a citizen of the world. My visual story started in 2010. I'd been an HR and communications professional for 18 years when I discovered the magic of (live) visual storytelling for corporate purposes (Where has this been all my life?!). By combining drawing and strategic skills, I hope to prevent information overload and create illustrations with a powerful ability to clarify the most complex strategic content and transform viewers' perspectives.My mission is to inspire and empower anyone in the world to draw to communicate and to learn. My trainings and book Start to draw were the first step to make this possible. During Covid, I started the visual storytelling platform Drawify to convert content into visuals, without having to draw yourself. Together we can make information in this world easier to capture, to understand and bring to life.Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelle-vanquaillie/Instagram:Drawify_comAxelle_vanquaillie_Website: Drawify.com⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower and gives practical advice on how you can apply it immediately.

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” - Simon Sinek. Investing in your team and providing them with a great experience will drive them to perform better. In this episode, Kalyn Ponti, the CEO of Humankind, sprinkles her expertise on how consulting firm owners improve the employee experience for them to thrive in your firm. When leaders develop and nourish a positive company culture, it ripples into your firm and will grow your business. KP poured her heart into their purpose and became the catalyst for their expansion. Start investing in your employees today, and you'll see the magic it will bring to your firm tomorrow. In this episode, you'll learn how to: -Integrate Enterprise-Level Strategies into Your Boutique Consulting Firm-Professionalize Your Operations to Pave the Way for Scalable Growth-Develop and Nourish a Positive Company Culture-Emphasize Purpose-Driven Goals as a Critical Catalyst for Business Expansion-Utilize Three Key Strategies KP Employs to Scale Her Consulting Business-Leverage Video Testimonials as an Effective Tool for Winning New Customers Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.consultingsuccess.com/podcast

This week, Pete and Jen ping pong back and forth about the idea of how chapters and seasons can play a role in our days, weeks, and years.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:When might leaning into the idea of life chapters be most useful?What is the difference between a chapter and a season?How might we leverage whatever chapter of life we are in currently?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Mark Curphey and John Viega join Chris and Robert to explain the details of Chalk, Crash Override's new tool. Mark also talks about why ZAP departed from OWASP and joined the Software Security Project, highlighting some of the value and differences of both organizations. Open Source Software is important to the industry, but Mark calls on companies to contribute to the development and support of the projects they use. The conversation explores the challenges faced by companies, especially large tech firms, in managing their software engineering processes. Many organizations grapple with identifying code ownership, determining code versions during incidents, and prioritizing alerts from static analysis tools. Chalk emerges as a solution to these challenges, providing clarity and reducing friction in the software development and maintenance process.Toward the end, both speakers emphasize the importance of understanding the entire software engineering process to make informed decisions. They advocate for an "outside-in" perspective, urging listeners to step into the shoes of others and view challenges from a broader perspective. This holistic approach, they suggest, can lead to more effective decision-making in the realm of software development.Listen until the end for book recommendations on cybersecurity, business, and personal growth.Links:Crash Override: https://crashoverride.com/about/Chalk: https://crashoverride.com/docs/chalk/overview/The Software Security Project: https://softwaresecurityproject.org/The Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP): https://owasp.org/Books:Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions... by Eugene H. Spafford, Leigh Metcalf, and Josiah Dykstra: https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/cybersecurity-myths-and-misconceptions-avoiding-the-hazards-and-pitfalls-that-derail/P200000007269/9780137929238Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/crossing-the-chasm-3rd-edition-geoffrey-a-moore?variant=32130444066850The Pragmatic Framework: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsStart with Why by Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA: ➜Twitter: @AppSecPodcast➜LinkedIn: The Application Security Podcast➜YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ApplicationSecurityPodcast Thanks for Listening! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A big part of what keeps you alive—among other things—is nitrogen. The plants you eat need it to grow, so for centuries farmers have been applying it to soil to make their acreage more productive.  Prior to the 20th century, nitrogen fertilizer used to come from animal feces, blood, and bones—which is still common in organic agriculture today—but most row crops these days are fertilized with human-made nitrogen, produced by a high-energy reaction known as the Haber–Bosch process. (Or if you take Fritz Haber's view of things rather than Carl Bosch's, you might just call it the Haber process.) The creation of synthetic nitrogen is a big reason we can feed eight billion humans today, since it enables us to produce a lot more food from the same acre of land. But, there's much to be desired about how we fertilize crops today. Not only is it highly energy-intensive to fix nitrogen from the air and turn it into something bioavailable to plants, but the application of all that nitrogen also creates major runoff pollution and air emissions problems from our farms. But what if, instead of doing the hard work of turning nitrogen into ammonia ourselves, we could simply coax soil microbes to do it for us? That's what a startup founded in 2011 called Pivot Bio is doing. They've gene-edited microbes to restore their natural ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen and deliver it to crops by adhering to the roots of the plants. These nitrogen-fixing microbes are applied either in the furrow at planting or directly on the seed before planting, forging a symbiotic relationship that allows the plant to thrive with less synthetic nitrogen. And we've got Pivot Bio's president and chief operating officer Lisa Nunez Safarian on the show to talk all about it. Nitrogen, it turns out, is very big business, with the global fertilizer business nearly $200 billion in value. As you'll hear, Pivot Bio has raised a whopping $600 million-plus from venture investors with a valuation nearing $2 billion—or one percent of the entire global fertilizer industry. Lisa tells us in this conversation that Pivot's microbes were used on three million cropland acres in 2022, reducing the need for a huge amount of synthetic fertilizer, and generating about $50 million in 2022 revenue for Pivot Bio. Even if you don't know much about agriculture, I promise this conversation is a comprehensible and riveting one that showcases the potential for biotechnology to slow climate change, clean up the environment, and produce more food with fewer resources. Discussed in this episode Lisa and Paul both endorse The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager. Lisa recommends reading The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek as well as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage (both by Patrick M. Lencioni). Paul recommends Resetting the Table by Rob Paarlberg, who we had on this show! More about Lisa Nunez Safarian Lisa Nunez Safarian leads commercial, manufacturing, and product development at Pivot Bio. Dedicating her career to advancing agriculture and helping farmers achieve better outcomes, Lisa oversees the day-to-day operations to ensure we are meeting the nitrogen needs of our customers. Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Lisa held several leadership positions at Bayer and Monsanto. Most recently, she served as President, Crop Science North America for Bayer where she launched innovative technologies and go-to-market strategies that grew the business. Before this role, Lisa served as Vice President, North America for Monsanto where she was responsible for strategy, execution, and commercial transformation of the $12B U.S., Canada, and Latin America North seeds, traits, licensing and crop protection businesses.

Welcome back to “Say the Things.” In this installment of our summer series on the top 7 issues in Relational Communication, we're delving into the topic of being clear and concise with our words. Our communication has a profound impact on the quality of our relationships and interactions. Join us as we explore the importance of clarity, how to achieve it, and the challenges that can arise when our audience isn't ready for straightforward conversations. Episode Quotes and Links: https://www.instagram.com/nicole_bachle/ “The quality of your life is the quality of your communication.” Tony Robbins "Communication is not about speaking what we think.  Communication is about ensuring others hear what we mean.”  Simon Sinek  

What's the difference between a mentor, advocate and sponsor you, you ask?Well, this week I have a very special guest who breaks down the difference between the three, offers strategies to help you find your biggest cheerleaders and advance your career and leadership journey.My guest is Lenetra King, founder of Watch Me EXCEL®, a pioneering leadership development firm that provides Executive Coaching, Consulting and other services to hospitals, healthcare companies, higher education institutions and associations.In this episode, we discuss her journey from leaving the corporate world to starting her own business, "Watch Me Excel." We explore the challenges leaders face in communication and leadership, the importance of starting with the "why," and balancing clear communication with fostering diversity and inclusivity.Here's what you can expect from the episode:Common communication challenges that leaders face and practical strategies to overcome them.The significance of starting with "why" and connecting authentically with your audience.Balancing clear communication with fostering inclusivity in your leadership approach.Distinguishing between mentors, sponsors, and advocates and how they contribute to career growth.Strategies for women in the workplace to overcome barriers and get noticed.Building a diverse network of mentors and sponsors for equity and career opportunities.How to address biases and systemic barriers hindering certain individuals from accessing support systems.If you'd like to learn more from Lenetra, check out her book, "Unwritten Insights: A Career Playbook for Leaders of Color". During our conversation, Lenetra highlighted the significance of Simon Sinek's book "Start with Why”. This book encourages us to deeply understand the purpose behind our actions and messages.Connect with Lenetra King:Website: https://www.watchmeexcel.com/  Business instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchmeexcel/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenetraking/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenetra-king/ Connect with your host, Kele Belton:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kele-ruth-belton/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetailoredapproach/     Website: https://thetailoredapproach.com    

This week on Acta Non Verba Adam Godfrey shares his insights on leadership, emotional intelligence, delegation, and the importance of personal growth. Listen in as we explore his experience participating in ultramarathons and a desert race, highlighting the lessons he learned about resilience and perseverance. Finally, Adam shares how you can apply this knowledge when facing challenges in your own life.   Adam Godfrey is the Sales Director at FlyForm. You can learn more about his work by connecting with him on linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mradamg or his website: https://flyform.com/   Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Jen and Pete debunk, demystify, and pick apart the phrase "missionvisionvalues".Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What does each component of the phrase (mission, vision, and values) mean on its own?If you're working on a team, do you have to agree on what these words mean?How might one of the three words be prioritized based on a specific context?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

The Business of Meetings –  Ep. 181 My Summer Readings - Ten Books I Enjoyed Today, I am delighted to present you with a selection of ten diverse books I read and savored during the summer months! All of these books impacted me profoundly! I sincerely hope you will take as much pleasure in reading them as I did, and I trust they will inspire and stir you as much as they did me!  Please share your thoughts and impressions with me after reading these books. Your feedback means the world to me!  The Cancel Culture Curse by Evan Nierman  This thought-provoking work, which I had the privilege of listening to on Audible, delves into the insidious phenomenon of cancel culture. Authored by Evan Nierman, the book is a compelling call for awareness and action. Nierman vividly defines the concept of cancel culture, offering insightful criteria to identify its manifestations. Beyond merely diagnosing the issue, he equips readers with strategies to combat this modern-day scourge on our freedom. The book is enriched further by real-world examples, including the cases of individuals like Alan Dershowitz, who have confronted cancel culture head-on. The Cancel Culture Curse is a must-read, as it raises a clarion call against a disturbing societal trend that threatens our liberty. Simple Numbers 2.0 by Greg Crabtree  In Simple Numbers 2.0, Greg Crabtree, a seasoned finance and business management expert, imparts invaluable wisdom to entrepreneurs and business owners. Drawing on his extensive experience, Crabtree unveils a blueprint for managing and scaling businesses. With an accountant's precision and the insight of an entrepreneur, he clarifies the pivotal numbers and ratios that guide business success. Backed by charts and real-world examples, this book provides a practical toolkit for financial growth and strategic decision-making. Whether you are a financial novice or a seasoned professional, Simple Numbers 2.0 offers a treasure trove of knowledge to propel your business endeavors. The Family Board Meeting by Jim and Jamie Shields  Jim and Jamie Shields bring us a heartwarming guide that champions the concept of quality time in our busy lives. Their book, The Family Board Meeting, encapsulates the essence of meaningful connections within families. Rooted in the notion that we have a finite number of summers to bond with our children, the book encourages dedicated one-on-one time without distractions. The authors emphasize the significance of being fully present during these moments, offering a framework for engaging conversations and mutual commitments. This heartening approach fosters lasting relationships and provides a valuable lesson for both families and businesses. 15 Minutes of Shame by Des Hague  15 Minutes of Shame recounts the gripping tale of Des Hague, a man whose life got upended by a single incident caught on camera. Hague's journey from success to infamy is a poignant exploration of the destructive power of online shaming. The book delves into his personal and professional fallout, highlighting the double standards and chaos that ensue when individuals become targets of online attacks. Hague's resilience and determination to rebuild his life after facing the brunt of cancel culture exemplify the spirit of survival against the odds. A compelling narrative interwoven with business and personal growth lessons, 15 Minutes of Shame is a powerful testament to the human capacity to overcome adversity. The Mastermind Dinners by Jason Gaignard  Jason Gaignard's book, The Mastermind Dinners, is a compelling guide for anyone seeking to orchestrate impactful mastermind dinners and events. The book offers a detailed blueprint to illuminate the power of these gatherings in fostering meaningful connections and facilitating valuable discussions among like-minded individuals. With Giagnard drawing on his life experiences, this book equips readers with practical steps to curate successful mastermind dinners that inspire collaboration and personal growth. A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy by Dr. Dan Engle  Dr. Dan Engle's A Dose of Hope delves into the groundbreaking realm of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Through the lens of this transformative treatment, Engle presents a captivating narrative that highlights the potential of MDMA to address conditions like PTSD. The book encapsulates the experiences of individuals undergoing this therapy, shedding light on the profound impact MDMA has on their healing journey. Engle's expertise and passion shine through as he explores the promising future of MDMA therapy within the mental health realm. How to Work with Almost Anyone by Michael Bungay Stanier  Michael Bungay Stanier's How to Work with Almost Anyone offers insightful guidance for navigating complex interpersonal dynamics in the workplace. By drawing on his expertise in coaching and communication, Stanier provides readers with practical tools to foster effective collaboration and understanding. With thought-provoking questions and strategies, the book empowers individuals to build more harmonious relationships with colleagues, ultimately enhancing productivity and teamwork. The End of the World Is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan  Peter Zeihan's The End of the World Is Just the Beginning presents a thought-provoking exploration of geopolitics and global trends. With meticulous analysis, Zeihan dissects the collapse of globalization and its implications for various sectors, from energy to manufacturing. Backed by data and historical context, the book offers an illuminating glimpse into the shifting geopolitical landscape, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of our world's evolving dynamics. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck  Carol Dweck's seminal work, Mindset, delves into the concept of mindset and its influence on personal and professional success. Examining the distinction between fixed and growth mindsets, Dweck reveals how our beliefs about our abilities shape our behavior and achievements. The book provides insights into fostering a growth mindset, offering valuable lessons for parents, educators, and individuals striving for self-improvement. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek  Simon Sinek's The Infinite Game challenges conventional notions of competition and success in business. Sinek introduces the concept of infinite games, emphasizing the importance of a long-term perspective and collaborative mindset. Through engaging anecdotes and illustrative examples, Sinek urges readers to reevaluate their approach to leadership and decision-making, encouraging them to prioritize purpose and sustainability over short-term gains. Conclusion I'm thrilled to have shared this array of impactful books that enriched my summer! Every one of these titles resonated deeply with me, and I trust they will do the same for you. I eagerly anticipate hearing your thoughts and insights. Your feedback holds immense value, as it fuels meaningful conversations and learning experiences. I trust that the knowledge and transformative influence within the pages of these books will nurture growth and inspire meaningful connections! Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Episode 85 with Greg Crabtree Episode 164 with Evan Nierman Episode 180 with Michael Bungay Stanier Episode 100 with Jason Gaignard  Books Mentioned: The Cancel Culture Curse by Evan Nierman  Simple Numbers 2.0 by Greg Crabtree  The Family Board Meeting by Jim and Jamie Shields 15 Minutes of Shame by Des Hague The Mastermind Dinners by Jason Gaignard  A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy by Dr. Dan Engle  How to Work with Almost Anyone by Michael Bungay Stanier The End of the World Is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan  Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck  The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek   

Today's motivation is all about improving yourself. Audio Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcgxhRPdz8 Quote of the Day: “When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.” ― Simon Sinek --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/motiv8/support

How do we encourage more people to accept help when it's offered, and ask for help when it's needed? That is the big question this week's guest difference maker Ashley Usiskin is focused on answering. With a successful career that spanned branding, marketing and start-ups across 4 countries, in early 2022 Ashley was diagnosed with lymphoma and a rare auto-immune hemolytic disease that required months of debilitating chemotherapy. This led to a life-changing and transformative experience; from being self-reliant and independent he was suddenly helpless requiring the help of others. This led to his realization that accepting help is a gift; since you give the chance for the help giver to experience joy, pride and the feel-good factor of supporting someone they care about. Ashley is now on a mission to change our perceptions of asking for help; transforming help rejectors to help receivers. In doing so he aims to enable people to realize that accepting help has a life-changing impact not only on their own livelihood but also on those who offer them help. He is now working to offer practical tools to change mindsets and motivate us all to ‘Help yourself by helping each other'. TImecodes00:00 Intro02:10 Who is Ashley? 03:30 What made Ashley who he is?07:10 Developing independence08:30 His early creative ambitions 10:50 The value of Grey and BBH13:35 What is Ashley working to achieve?17:43 Recognizing the power of accepting help18:55 His barriers to asking for help21:16 Ashley's mission to share his learnings26:40 The Gift of help Podcast29:10 Some tools explained32:29 How serendipity led him to Simon Sinek 40:25 What ChatGPT says about barriers to asking for help44:15 The evidence Ashley is witnessing46:45 The impact on society in our meta crisis50:00 The Japanese TV show 52:00 The changing corporate culture53:10 Ashley's ambition 55:27 The help Ashley is asking for?57:58 Remaining resolute and resilient59:57 Ashley's gift or talent01:02:46 The actions we can all take to create a help exchangeSocial Links Ashley's Email Gift of Help Podcast Linkedin Instagram Show Links Bridge appCaroline ArdittiCameradosSimon Sinek Nir Eyal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I want to tell you about our sponsor for this episode,  Olsen  Dental  Chairs!‍‍Imagine you're a dentist and you spend your whole day around the chair...   Well, Olsen has over  40 years of experience in making those long hours as comfortable as possible for both the dentist  and the patient! ‍If you're a dental professional looking for high quality, cost effective, dental equipment, check out Olson dental chairs!Click this link and mention this episode for a limited time FREE installation with your purchase!‍‍Guest: Kristine GraziosoPractice Name: South Shore Children's DentistryCheck out Kristine's Media:‍Advisor Email: info@sherodentaladvisors.comAdvisor Website: www.sherodentaladvisors.com‍Practice Email: info@drgrazioso.comPractice Website: www.sscdsmiles.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/kristine.love.peace‍Other Mentions and Links:Dr. Arnold WeissBoston Children's HospitalDelta DentalBlue Cross Blue ShieldMassachusetts Dentists Facebook PageMetlifeCignaGuardianStarbucksDentrixStart with Why - Simon Sinek‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalmarketer/‍The Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍‍‍My Key Takeaways:Your staff needs to be on the same page if you're switching to fee-for-service! They have to believe in it for it to work effectively.Believe in your practice, have good customer service, and be good at what you do. With these points of focus, your office will thrive!Tracking is especially important in a fee-for-service practice. Make sure you know where your patients are coming from so you can optimize your marketing.Take the extra time to double check the data you're putting into your practice management software. If you feed it data with even small errors, the generated reports can be misleading.Know your geography! Do practices around you ALL take insurance? This will be helpful info when deciding whether or not to drop insurances.Ask for help! Don't be afraid to ask your fellow dentists for advice. Many of them have been where you are now and would love to help.‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)Michael: Alright, it's time to talk with our featured guest, Dr. Christine Graso. Christine, how's it going? Hi Michael, how are you? I'm good, I'm good. Thanks for asking. Thanks for asking. If you can, Christine, start off with telling us a little bit about your past, your present, how'd you get to where you are today?Kristine: All right, so I am a pediatric dentist and I started my practice in 1999, way back when, when things were really different. There wasn't the technology we have today, there weren't the rules and regulations necessarily. So things have really changed. But I have been a dentist for 30 years and a pediatric dentist for 27, practice owner for 23.it's been a great ride. I love it. So was Michael: practice ownership always something you wanted to do or how did that come about? Kristine: I, yeah, I think I always knew that I would be an owner, how that would look. I didn't know, and I really didn't decide to be a dentist till I was a senior in college.So it wasn't like a lifelong dream. It just kind of happened and it ha and I love it. I wouldn't wanna change anything. Yeah. Michael: What were you wanting to do before that? Kristine: Oh, let's see. First I started as an wanted to be an attorney and quickly learned that was not for me. Then I thought an optometrist, and then when I got into physics junior year, I realized, no way, not my strong point.So I had a little bit of an existential crisis and had to figure it out, and dentistry kind of fell in my lap as an option. And I got a job in a dental office, happened to be a pediatric dental office, and. I knew immediately it was immediate that I had found what I was gonna do for the rest of my life.So I was really fortunate in that. So Michael: what was the immediate thing where you're like, this is it now you came home, you're like, I'm gonna do this. Kristine: What was that? It was really more of just a feeling. So, The first day I walked into, I got a job as a dental assistant and I knew nothing. I knew nothing about dentistry.And this dentist, who is many pediatric dentists, know his name, Arnie Weiss. He mm-hmm uh, took me in and said, I'll teach you everything, you know, work in a year with me before you apply to dental school. And We have a deal. So he took me in and it was really just a feeling. I had this overwhelming sense of this is where I belong, and this, I loved it.I just loved it. So it really was not really tangible, but I just knew. Mm-hmm. Michael: What did you learn from Arne that you still take Kristine: on today? A lot of the behavior management he is a master at, he's retired now, but he was a master at behavior management and you know, how to charm the little kids. So I learned really, that was the main thing I learned, but I learned a lot more than that too.Michael: Yeah. But that was the thing, the ma major, major takeaway Kristine: how to yeah. How to deal with children, so, Michael: Okay. Yeah, that's interesting. So then you went into dental school and then from that point on, you decided to immediately own your own practice. Was it in dental school or was it out you were associating?Kristine: Nope. I went to, well, well you have to do a residency to, to go into pediatrics, but I had to break a year between dental school and residency because I was getting married to someone who was in the medical school and he had to go immediately to residency and as a dentist you can just go out and practice.So I waited and followed to where he did his residency, which was Philadelphia. Pennsylvania and applied to my pediatric residency, then worked for a number of actual pediatric dental offices, then learned so much, went into my residency, leaped and bounds ahead of, if I had just come outta dental school.And then I came back to Massachusetts and worked with Arnie Weiss again, and I thought I would likely. Become a partner with him. But due to geography and my husband and I choosing to leave the city and move down onto the south shore of Massachusetts, I knew I wanted to open my own practice. So it was kind of gradual.And then I opened a practice and had a baby at the same time. Oh, me. So talk, talk to me about Michael: that then. How. How was that? Was that any moment where you thinking like, maybe, maybe I shouldn't open the practice right now. Put a pause on it. Kristine: I had the moment immediately after I gave birth for like the first month, I, I said something to my mother along these lines, do you think you could have told me what it felt like to be a mother?You never once told me that maybe I would be like, whoa, what am I doing? So I had that Feeling. And then when my son was 11 months old, I got pregnant again. And I was just in the process of actually building out the space that I still am in more than 20 years later. And. I think I was a few months into that pregnancy doing the build out, having to make decisions.Also having, still another baby at home that I had some second thoughts, but my husband kind of put the kibosh on that. He is like, nope, you've come this far, you've got it. You're just hormonal. And truthfully, at the time it didn't feel supportive, but he was a hundred percent right. And you know, I have to say, I think that I have been very fortunate.I was never five days a week clinically, ever since I opened my own practice, other than during the pandemic years. When I went all in again, I really, I practiced three days a week and that was a wonderful way to balance being a mother and a practice owner. Michael: Mm, okay, gotcha. So it's always been three days a week up until the pandemic you said.Kristine: For me personally, the practice grew to five days a week. I have, I had associates probably starting at around year seven or eight. So, but I, you know, one thing, and if young dentists are listening to this, that I think it's lost, is don't realize that it takes time to grow. It doesn't just happen immediate, so your practice isn't all of a sudden you're open and you have a hundred patients that week.It just doesn't happen that way unless you go someplace that is just, you know, there's no other dentist. But where most dentists seem to like to go there, we have a lot of practices already, so it takes time. So it wasn't a big deal to start at two, three days a week and grow it and grow it, and once those days were full.and then I want 'em to expand to other days to hire someone else to help me with that. So I think that's a really important thing for younger dentists to realize is that it's not immediate success. And just like when you come outta dental school or residency, you're not gonna make the same financial living that someone who's been doing it 25 years is That's not how life works. Yeah, Michael: that's true. So then, Christine, let me ask you, when will it feel like. When, if you were examining me and you're like, okay, Michael, let's, you're on year five and you, you should have grown more by now, or is it like, no, it's okay. It's okay. Give it, give it a more, when, when is the breaking point where it's like, we're not growing, I, I I need something, I need something to change.Oh, Kristine: I think you always should keep seeing forward growth in the, even in the first few years. But, so it was easy for me. I had a husband who worked and. We weren't counting on the money from my practice right away. I did, I actually, I, I should mention this, that I stayed in other jobs. I was an associate for the first two years that I was opening my own practice was another funny story. So, a good friend of mine from dental school, also a pediatric dentist now, her boyfriend at the time, was a pediatric dentist and he opened his own practice while we were still kind of getting out of residency and doing. That. And he used to say, I keep looking at my bank account and I think, all right, next week I'm probably gonna have to shut down.And then eventually as you get towards the end of that first year, it changes and you start seeing that you can support the bills and you're not only living uh, you know, you're not paying yourself. That's, I think, another mistake. People think, oh, they should be making all this money right away for me and colleagues in my.Generation, we just assumed we weren't really paying ourself right away, that we kept investing in the business. Mm-hmm. That's kind of a different philosophy I see these days too. They all wanna be making a lot of money, but can't necessarily right away. You have to put the time in. That's what I'd say.so I think it's really hard for a practice to fail. So just be like, oh, I'm just gonna give up. I, I do think that's kind of hard to do if you are in an area that your services aren't necessary. So, I mean, don't open up when there's five other pediatric dentists within 10 miles. If you open a practice there, it's a little bit harder, right?If you are in an area that practice is necessary or you buy an existing practice, that seems like a good way to go. And you. Are good at what you do and you offer really great customer service. 'cause to me that's really the key. Customer service is the key to success. Then you are going to see yourself grow and become successful, and then you just have to decide what success means to you, because it means different things to everybody.It's not only that you make money. Mm-hmm. That satisfied in your life, in your career, that you have the lifestyle you wanna have, that you have time off, you have time with your family. All those things lead up to what I would call success. Not just how much money you make. Michael: Got you. How long or did it even take you a while for you to realize that when you were starting out, your practice, having your children and everything?'cause I feel like that's like your, you're boggled down in the moment. You're, did you also start your practice, have a child and you were an associate. Yes. Kristine: Wow. Yes. And then I think I got out of, oh, and I started working a day a week at Boston Children's Hospital teaching in the residency.But that didn't last that long. That was only like a year and a half, two years. So there was a lot going on, and I think especially women, we just multitask and go forward and we handle a lot. So then Michael: what did you feel was being spread too thin in that whole moment? I mean, what would you have done differently Kristine: if anything, the one thing, it doesn't fit what you're asking me of what I would do differently as far as time-wise, but what I would've done differently is had a greater appreciation for, Purchasing the real estate.I do not own the real estate associated with my practice. I've always leased and I felt back then, how could I possibly buy it? I can't afford this. I wish I understood that I could have taken loans and it would've been okay to have some debt regarding real estate from my practice. So early on I wish I had done that.It seemed so expensive. But now in hindsight, all these years later, it wouldn't have been, I. Michael: Hmm. So that's the thing you wish you would've done is Yep. Bought the whole Kristine: building and everything. Yeah. Or found a, a space and built a building. It seemed unattainable to me. I do think that younger dentists these days are much more willing to do that, to take on the debt, and they're not as risk averse, but, For me, back then, it was too overwhelming and too scary to contemplate doing.Yeah. 'cause the property has always been expensive here in Massachusetts. Right. But in hindsight, it's, would've been a smart thing to do. Michael: Yeah. I mean, you were already taking a lot of risks, Christine, if you think about it. You know what I mean? Sure. You were doing a lot. So it's kind of like you think about it now you're thinking, oh, I gotta take another risk on, you know what I mean?So maybe hold off. at that moment you were thinking that, so I could totally, I'm putting myself in your shoes. Understand that, you know, So now you're in your practice, let's, if we're rewinding back, you decided to start your own practice and where you're at now. Mm-hmm.And has it been, when did you start going fee for service or have you always been that way or Kristine: So When I started, the PPOs weren't really, they were just starting to come into the environment and the people I worked for, Arnie Weiss being one, and then another practice In Needham, Massachusetts, they all just were in network with just like these premier plans.So Delta Dental, premier, blue Cross Blue Shield, they used to call it indemnity and that was pretty much it. So that was the advice you got and you took those and at the time it was, you know, an 8% discount. reasonable help build your practice. It's just that over the years and there, honestly, there was only one pediatric dentist that I knew that was completely out of network with everything, and she was like, this unicorn, we didn't even, I didn't even think about it or understand it.I was like, I don't even know what that's about. because everybody took these two plans and then as the PPOs started coming in, I just always said, no. No to all of them because I was like, why am I gonna take that discount? Why, you know, I knew what it cost to run a practice. Mm-hmm. But the overhead was, this is a little bit of a long story, so I'll tell it and you can interrupt me when you would like, So I took those two plans and I really didn't pay that much attention to what was going on. I just went about my business. My practice was growing. I ran my business by my gut. I wasn't data driven at all. I didn't look at the numbers that much. All I knew is I was profiting. I every year. I made a better living, even through the recession of 2008.You know, growth happened. I had this a, a vibrant practice that I loved and it was, it was becoming profitable and I never like, looked deep into the data. 2016 hits and one of the large insurance companies sent out every dentist in Massachusetts, a contract that was basically most, a lot of people just signed it because we hadn't, we never used to have to renew our contract.I hadn't signed a contract since I opened, you know, it was like, 15, 18 years, they never used to make you resign. All of a sudden we get this big contract. And some of us were like, what is going on? And they basically were trying to force us all into a P P O, 30% pay cut kind of right up front is what it looked like.So some of us got really nervous and started, we hired attorneys to review it and realized there was no way we could sign it. It opened my eyes and I really started digging into the numbers and I noticed that, oh boy, I wasn't taking an 8% discount anymore. We were down to like 17% and it was only going to go up.So then when all this was happening, you saw, wow, you know, when you weren't paying attention, they were discounting your reimbursements more and more. And that was routine in the practices of insurance companies, and I was supposedly not in PPOs, well, they were acting like PPOs without calling themselves that really, so, well, a couple things happened.I realized there was no real good place for dentists to communicate and we were also. Being told you couldn't communicate because you would be under collusion, so you're not allowed to talk about this stuff. So a group of, I formed a Facebook page, the Massachusetts dentist Facebook page, as a place for dentists to have to communicate.We were, I hired an attorney to make sure that there was no collusion or anything that was said. They monitored my page so that we made sure we did everything correctly, legally, and at that same time, we didn't feel that our dental society spoke for us in this matter. They were kind of agreeing with the insurance company and going along with it.So a group of us got together and over a. A matter of 4, 5, 6 months, we formed an alliance and we made it a nonprofit. Again, had attorneys to make sure we did everything right. And we became a, a force that went in front of the division of insurance and lobbied the legislature and we had our attorney's right.An appeal to the Attorney General. So we did everything legally and it kind of got my, I got fired up for advocacy. I really did, and at the same time I realized that I couldn't sign that contract anymore. It was taking away all my rights as a dentist, and I felt like the rights of my patients, there was too much control from the insurance company.So I started, I. Working with my office manager to really look at what it would mean to go out of network. And I talked to a lot of pediatric dentists around the country who had already done it many years before. And in other parts of our country, people never even took insurance. This was just normal what they did.But up here in Massachusetts, and I know other states you, you went in network with insurance, so. I started really doing my research, as they say. I talked to a lot of people. I read books. I got on every Facebook page I could that would talk about this, and then I made a plan. In my office and I spent two and a half years educating my staff, making sure our customer service was elevated and we made a, a deadline that as July 1st, 2020, we'd be out of network with all insurance.So I was getting out with the two insurances I was in and also with Medicaid. I had started being a Medicaid provider 15 years prior because I wanted to do the right thing. I wanted to help patients and I wanted especially to help my special needs patients. So I decided for me, I had to drop all at once because I didn't want any one group of people to feel that they were being discriminated again.So to me it was easy to go all at once. Now I wasn't in 20 plans. If I was in 20 plans, I would've done it differently. So just coincidentally the drop date of my insurances. 'cause you had a plan, you had to give six months notice to one company. 90 days was right. In the beginning of the pandemic, so things got a little messed up in the process, but here I am three years later and I'll tell you what, no regrets.No regrets. I love that. My practice is, we're not a truly fee for service practice. There's different terminologies. I call it an out-of-network practice because we still do all the work for our patients. We, the part of the customer service we give is to do all the insurance work. We file for them. We still look into things and we accept assignment of benefits on all the plans.I always accepted assignment of benefits on. Like the MetLifes, the Cignas, the guardians that I was always outta network with. So we didn't change anything for those patients. The plans that won't do assignment of benefits in our state, our Delta Dental and Blue Cross Blue Shield. So now my patients have to receive that check.And that was a big hurdle to overcome. But now that we've overcome it, it's really not as big of a deal as every dentist think it's going to be. It's not. You just have to plan and appropriately Train your staff and educate your patients. So, most dentists are a little bit afraid of doing this because they're afraid they'll lose all their patients.So that means they're gonna lose out financially. And you know, many other reasons, but every dentist I talked to had told me, you are gonna lose patients. You are gonna be slower, but you're going to stay the same financially. And frankly, they're right. So it's a different mindset. It's taken me a couple years to accept, you know, my head and my heart coming together to realize that we are slower.We do have less patience, but the profitability in the end is the same. And I'm a really, I've changed and I'm really data driven now. So we track everything in my office. 'cause I wanna know, And this is a big point. I, I started actually marketing. We hardly ever did marketing before, and now we put a lot more effort, energy, and money into actually marketing.But where it used to be, so I told you in 2016, 17, I looked and we were probably at a 17% discount. It went up. By the time I dropped in 2020, we were over, like we were probably 21, 20 2% insurance fee discount. Now my dis my discounts or my write-offs or adjustments, better word to use instead of a discount.But adjustments are one to 2% a month. So, so you can spend more on other things like marketing. Wow. That was a Michael: fantastic though. It's fantastic how it all kind of, You created this whole movement, right? Especially when it came down to, to Massachusetts. You talk about making a plan and training your staff.Can you kind of break down to us instructions wise, like what is the plan that you created? Kristine: Well, the first thing I did, and this was on advice of one of my colleagues, he had me read a book by Simon Sinek called, start With Why, and I read that book and I found my why, and then I decided to educate. My staff on the why, because one thing that really surprised me was.They were not on my page. They were like, no way. We can't do this to our patients. Mm-hmm. Everyone's gonna leave. I wouldn't pay more money to come for cleaning. They're used to, they were not on my side. And I thought for sure, because I, you know, I thought, well, I've led them in, in every other aspect of this.They're just gonna say, okay, well you're the owner, you know, and that was not the case. That was a big surprise. But it was really good because it made me work harder. It made me work harder to train them. In addition to that book and then presenting my why, we did a full day staff meeting, slides and everything about the book.I. About how I found the why for me, how I what it meant, and then teaching them to understand it. We also did a whole day staff meeting on customer service, and we used the Starbucks example. We read a couple books about Starbucks and we used their customer service model. We broke it down into dentistry.And so, and my office manager, she was, she was really in charge of that presentation. She even went and gave that presentation at like dental courses and stuff because it was really good. So we spent time, I literally spent time and then we spent days role playing, role playing, role playing. I. By the end of all this, my team was bought in.The ones who weren't kept it to themselves, and they came to me six months. A year later, they're like, oh my gosh, Dr. G, we thought you were crazy. Like, we're like, we thought you were gonna destroy your practice, and this is the best thing you ever did. They're happier. They like the, the pace. truthfully, the hardest, most difficult patients.99% of them left. all the great patients stay. So my front desk will tell you that it's rare for them to have, they're not chasing people for money. They're not being argued with, they don't have like the people who give attitude. And unfortunately our world's a little crazy right now. All the crazy we see everywhere is in every dental office too.Makes sense. Right? So that's true. So that's how, how we did it, we, we. I made sure I knew what was important to me and that my office manager was on the same page. I have a fabulous office manager, I have to say fabulous. And she and I work really closely together. And then the other dentist in my practice, one is my associate, but we're partners in a second practice.I do have a second practice and she, you know, I made sure they all agreed and, you know, understood where I was coming from so that it was just, it was a lot of time and effort, but it's so worth it. Yeah, Michael: no, a hundred percent. So you got your whole staff, first of all, I guess, to get on the right mindset, to understand your why, right?Instead of being like, Hey, do this, do that, do this. We're changing it up, right? And then maybe they might have in front of you been like, okay, yeah, but behind your back they're like, what the heck is Kristine: she doing? Right? They wouldn't be able to effectively communicate if they didn't believe it. So you have to have the staff around you that believes it.And I think that scares some people too. They look, they're like, I don't know that this one, that one. And then finding staff right now, we all know it's a challenge. We're, we're living in a very different time right now, so it's under understandable to be worried about that. You actually though end up needing less employees when you go out of network and your fee for service because you have less patience.You just do. It's rare that you don't, right? Rare that there's exceptions to every rule. Nothing is a hundred percent, but, I'm in a saturated area. When I opened my practice there, there were two pediatric dental practices within, five to 10 miles of me. They were there before me. Then maybe a year or two later, another one opened maybe 20 miles away, and in the last 10 to 15 years, four or five, six or seven, I can't remember how many have opened within 10 to 20 miles of me.So we're saturated and I'm the only one out of network. So it's possible to do. But you have to make sure that you believe it, that you are good at customer service and that you are good at what you do. I, I have great pride in my practice and it's not all about me. I said, I have other people who work with me and for me, and they live my vibe and my dream, and I thank them for that every day.That's, you know, I, it's clear to me that they are doing it the way that I dreamed and wanted without, they don't parrot me. But, you know, that's, mm-hmm. I don't know Michael: if that you do. Yeah, no. You do what you want. Yeah. Yeah. And so you officially went out of network before the pandemic, right? Like Kristine: literally like little July?Well, we gave the notification, but the actual date was July 1st, 2020. So we just got back into our offices. We were out from, I. Mid-March until we started being back for emergencies mid-April and then we kept back to like back to normal business June. So we were only in our office a month normally, and it wasn't normal, it was anything but normal.Mm-hmm. But seeing, you know, all kind the full schedule of patients, but all socially distance and all that. But we were only in the office for a month. And I will say that we kind of were so wrapped up in all these changes with the pandemic. I mean, we changed so much that we let. Go of all the planning and all the, the process of being on a network.So when July came, it was a little bit of a nightmare. We had a tough month. It got better each month, but the, it was a little bit out of our hands. I mean, I look at it and I was like, we were in such chaos in the pandemic that the chaos of going outta network. I'm kind of glad it all happened at one. Yeah.Yeah, that's Michael: true. In that month, what was out of control at that time?Kristine: I, we could have had better conversations with the families about being out of network. Mm-hmm. But we were also wrapped up in asking about the. You know, if anyone was sick, did they have a fever? Did we do this? Did they were calling from the car? I honestly, I can't find fault with us because it was such an unusual time and every dentist knows like crazy.Yeah, yeah. You know, and especially in Massachusetts where a state that really believed that it was a dangerous virus and all that, we weren't running our, you know, People were scared up here. We had, we'd lost a lot of people early on in the pandemic, so people were Michael: scared. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. I agree.Now you mentioned to get your team involved, right? Let them know your why. Things like that. Does that involve just like, all right, we're gonna do a team meeting, 45 minutes. Let me show you this thing. All right. Everybody's on board. Cool. Let's get, let's hit the ground. Or how, how often the consistency Kristine: I would say every couple of months we had full day staff meetings or half day staff meetings, and we talked about it at morning huddle all the time. And no, it was, it was intense and it would've continued to be intense had the pandemic not happened. You can't just have, you can't just talk about it in two minutes.We did role playing, months of role playing. I still actually break out into role playing I still check in. It's three years later and I notice some things might've slipped a little 'cause we've kind of gotten comfortable.So I check in with the staff and if I'm like, well, we could be saying it this way. We have a quick meeting and we talk about it. And we role, role play a little bit because, again, Well, that's one thing I learned. This is off topic, but you can't just sit back. you have to have your finger on the pulse of your practice.And I will tell you that even from a distance, 'cause I've been a little distant from my practice the last six months, but even from a distance, I keep my finger on the pulse. Even if I'm not physically there, I am working behind the scenes and I'm diving into the data and I talk to my office manager every day and I check in.So that's really important for practice owners to remember. Micromanaging is one thing you don't have to do that. I've been guilty of it, especially in the last three years. I did a little bit too much of that, but again, we all were thrown up. You know, we didn't know what was going on, but I do think you have to know what's going on and I do believe you should look at your data.Michael: Yeah. So you're the one who always, how often, what data, what data are you looking at specifically? Like I know like, okay, yeah, let's look at production collection and things like that. But when it comes to specifically what are you keeping your finger on the trigger, what are you like saying, okay, office manager completely trust you So where does that Kristine: fall? right now we're really, because we went out of network, we are really good at tracking new patient calls where they were referred from. If it's multiple places, knowing where, how many of those calls convert to an actual visit, what the people who don't convert, why they didn't.Was it because we're out of network with their, their insurance? And that's. Pretty much what it would be. So we track all that and I'd get a, a report on new patients every single month. We also implemented a few new things that we are doing to try to increase our new patients, and we track if we're seeing a benefit and we've found some interesting things.So it's all about the new patients. in, in the new patients we track, where these referrals come from. So are they coming from families that are already our patients? Are they the siblings of the existing kids? Are they coming from the pediatrician, from other dentists, from Google, from Facebook?Where are they coming from? And then we really have been looking to see where our resources should be going for when we market to these things. Because before it was kind of willy-nilly marketing, but now we're looking, so we're tracking the data to see where our marketing. Efforts are paying off and where we should invest more, where we should invest less.I, of course, the financials, I look at the production, the adjustments, all of those things. You know, they like to say KPIs, key performance indicators. I couldn't even list what all those are. I know what I wanna know in my practice. those are the main things that pop into my head right now.Michael: Okay. Okay. And do you have like a software for that mainly, Kristine: or, I'm using Dentrix currently. I've been using it since I opened. Every program has flaws and I'm looking to go to the cloud, but that's another project. So Dentrix, we, we spend a lot of time and effort making sure that the information going into Dentrix.Was correct so that the report's coming out because there's flaws in reporting in almost anything. So if you don't have good data going in, you're not gonna, you're gonna get flawed data coming out and a lot of practices suffer from that. And we have checks and balances. I have two different, three different women who have different tasks, and they are the ones who will draw the data.They and I have monthly meetings now. I get reports on everything. and we meet and they tell me what I need to know so that I'll stay on top of it. 'cause it's easy to just like not think about it. Mm-hmm. I also, another thing, having my finger on the pulse of things, I even now have a clinical meeting every month where they have to report in.What's going on with equipment? Are there any equipment, breakages, what do we need? You know, any of the issues there. I need to know what, make sure they're on all the same schedules for, making sure the autoclaves are clean and all these things. We are very systems oriented, so we have tasks, charts, and check boxes for everything, because if you don't have a system in place, Things don't go the way they're supposed to.And that's like, you know, now I think dentists are better at starting their practices that way. Back when I didn't even have a computer when I started, you know, it, it, and then eventually I got a computer. I used to do all my billing by hand. Mm-hmm. Set. I wrote out insurance forms and sent them off. I mean, it was so different.Really different than today. We didn't have the technology, they didn't have digital x-rays, you didn't have digital charting, none of that. Mm-hmm. So it is a little bit different, but I think the quality of your data going in is so important to get quality reports coming out. And then my office manager's really good at, she set up a lot of spreadsheets that do the calculations and everything.So you are able to do it on your own. You don't need to hire companies, but if you're not good at that, then they do have companies out there. Yeah. To get Michael: the right, right. Data. Interesting. And. You mentioned marketing. What right now is working where you're like, this moves the needle and other stuff where you're like, no, let's, let's drop it or invest less into that.Kristine: So interestingly, back in the day, the things that were the number one referral sources for pediatric practices. Now I can't speak to general at all. This is all pediatric, where you wanted to have a presence in the schools, the pediatricians, things like that. The schools are a little bit less important, it turns out.So you don't need as much of a presence 'cause people don't really care about hearing from the school anymore or the fact that you visited, which, you know, it's kind of sad, but it's true. Really online presence and I'm not talking about your Facebook posts, that's not what builds a practice. I don't care what anyone says, you have to do it, but it's really you being talked about in.Town groups, mommy groups, and then your Google presence, your s e o placement and all of that. Michael: Okay. And reviews. Are you doing, Kristine: reviews are huge. I should have said that. Yeah. Having good reviews I think are really important. 'cause nobody will pick their dentist now if they haven't checked out their reviews.So if you have strong reviews, I don't have an exorbitant amount, maybe little under 500, but the majority of them are five star and they're all authentic. we do ask people to give them to us when they leave and you know, only a small percentage do, but. Still Michael: that's stoke really, really good.Yeah. Like yeah. I thought you were gonna say, oh, I only have a little under like, you know, 50, but five hundred's. Fantastic. Kristine: You know what I mean? Yeah. I'd like to get to a thousand. Who doesn't want a thousand? Michael: Yeah, no, that's really, really good. Okay, that's interesting. And so I have a question when it comes to now, ' cause this happens sometimes, Christine, where you've probably heard of it and it is in your Facebook group, I'm sure.Like where it's um, They are a startup, they're about to open, but they want to go a hundred percent fee for or out of network or fee for service right now From the beginning. Sometimes, I mean, we've been on some interviews where they're like, Hey, I'm, I'm gonna take on insurance 'cause I can't make it.And then sometimes they're like, I'm gonna fight through it. I don't care. where's the balance here in your opinion? Like what, where's the good mindset? Kristine: So I think the balance is you need to know where you're opening, right? So all of my friends in the south, they never took insurance.So if you're opening in North Carolina, you don't need to take insurance. You'd be crazy to take insurance right from the start. Yeah, take it, help with it. But don't be in network. North Carolina, South Carolina, all you know. I would say know your geography, so know what's going on, and then talk to the area practices, the dental community, we should be helping each other. Not, we're competition, but, we don't have to be competition in that way. As a matter of fact, I, my office manager has gone into a woman's practice near me who opened up right near me in the town. That was my main draw, and we tried to help her with running reports and looking at the financial data.'cause she just wasn't doing it. I don't know if she is now or not, but I'm like, why not help others? It, it's, Silly to not, right? Mm-hmm. You come on a podcast like this and, and share, you know, I opened, I told you I had the Massachusetts dentist page. I also run the fee for service pediatric dentistry page.I opened that. It's all about sharing and helping. So go ahead and call the dentist around you. Too many of 'em are trying to hide all the time, and like most of them didn't. No one called me and said, I'm opening a practice near you. when I opened, I went to the two practices around me, met with them and told them what I was doing, and they gave me great advice.Nowadays, people just open and they hide it from you. I don't think that's a good idea. Go talk to the dentist around you. Ask for advice. Find out who's in network and who's not. If no one's in network, you'd be crazy to go and network you. You have the patients are, know what that's like. So I think that's the most important thing, You need to be educated in what it all means. And here's the other thing. New dentists often have no clue about insurance at all. I didn't. Mm-hmm. You know, I didn't, and I'm still learning. There's so much, I don't know. 'cause I never took all these lower end plans. I call it a lower end plan, but lower reimbursing, pain in the neck, p p o plans.But I look at it like, why would you ever wanna work for 50% of your charge? No one goes to work and gets. Discounted. So And if you wanna give to me the best care with the best materials that you could afford, all that you need to be reimbursed. 'cause another really important point is being busy is not being profitable, right?Mm-hmm. Profitability and busyness are two separate things, and that I. I wanna jump back. Remember when you asked what I checked the data? Mm-hmm. Profitability is so important and it often gets overlooked. People look at their production, what's my production? What's my collection? But where's your profitability?What's your overhead? How, you know, that's what's really important. that's true. And then, and back to choosing insurances. the point I'm at today, I like it this way, So I'm happy I did it, and if you can open without ever starting to take these low paying insurances or insurances, that really, it's not only about the reimbursement, that's a big part of it, because that's how we run our businesses.But it's about, Basically the control the doctor, patient, patient relationship gets interfered with. If an insurance company's in charge and can say when a patient come to you, what services they can have, all those things. So better off not being controlled by a third party administrator.Michael: You're technically, I guess like they're the leaders, right? Kind of thing. They're the managers and they're telling you like, what, 'cause the patient's gonna do it, right? Like whatever my insurance covers kind of thing. And then, They get, they get boggled down with that. But that's interesting.Okay. Because yeah, like I told you, there's sometimes where people, they're like, man, Michael, I'm gonna have to take, I, I'm doing everything I'm gonna, but I never thought about asking them like, well, why'd you pick where you're at? Right. Like Beverly Hills, why are you in Beverly Hills right now where everybody else is taking on, like Delta Dental right.Kind of thing. starting off, it's hard for them to just fully be. I love you. You know what I mean? Kristine: Right. 'cause you have to build a reputation. And I will say, so, you know, I had a 20 year reputation, before I went out of network. So I admire the people who start that way. But just now knowing what I know, like I said, so many of my colleagues started that way.It's just, you just have to know what you're doing and how to talk about it and how to explain it, and your staff has to know, so, Michael: yeah. Interesting. And one of the last questions I wanna ask you, Christine, is throughout the process, let's talk about from the moment you decided to own a practice till today, what's been some of the biggest struggles or pitfalls that you've experienced?Kristine: Hmm. you know, I can barely remember way back when because it was such a frenzy as we talked about being a young mother or wife, and then owning my own practices. So I think the biggest pitfall people don't understand is the emotional toll it can take because you feel very responsible to your patients and to running this business and to your family because you, you're trying to make money as.to support your yourself and your family. So it can be emotionally draining. And when you work with the public, and in our case it's the parents, because the kids, you know, they can. Scream and cry or whatever. You never blame a child. You understand behavior. You, your goal is to try to make it as good as possible, but people can be cruel.Their parents. So you, I think growing a thick skin is really, really hard. And we take things on so personally because we're providing care. It's what we're doing, we're giving all day long. So, that's a struggle to learn how to, you know, deal with the public You're just, you're opening yourself up to it because it gets, if you get attacked verbally or nowadays, these reviews that people leave for you, we didn't have that back when I started.you take it personally because we all, you know, our practices are our babies, really. And even if you're an associate, you would take it personally if someone said something negative about you because they can go right. Other struggles are time management because it's hard to do it all right.You, you have to find a way to prioritize and then realize that your practice isn't the most important thing in your life. It never can be. It's important because it's your livelihood and you wanna take care of other people, but, you have to put your family and yourself first. Yeah. Michael: When did you, how did you realize that, Kristine: My mother has always had always said about me that she would call me Chrissy.You know, Chrissy, you really work hard, but you're not a play hard too. I think I just always, you know, I don't know how, but I'm kind of blessed with Emma. Positive, optimistic person. But I'm a realist too. I'm not, I'm not like living in some naive world. But, so I think I was really kind of just lucky and I'm, I am an extrovert most of the time.I like my alone time, but I like to be around other people. So I think for me, I never really had a realize it. It just was what I did. I always surrounded myself by a lot of people, friends, family. I just always did. Part of why I think I was good at being a practice owner and a pediatric dentist, 'cause I really like people.I'm not the person who says they like dogs better than humans. I like humans better. I love dogs, don't get me wrong, but I call myself a humanist. So, Michael: yeah. So was there a moment where you started realizing you're going away from that and you started just owning just all about the practice all the time or?Kristine: No, I never made it all about the practice all the time. Mm-hmm. That's my point. I guess I just never did that. I've worked really hard, but I always, three days in the office, four days with my kids, so I was like a stay-at-home mom. But yeah, when they went to bed, I stayed up late and would be at my dining room table doing the ledgers.But it's just the process. I look at it as like the process and the way life, you know, is, and I here's a big thing. Ask for help. That would be what I would say. I always ask for help. I was never afraid to, I'm not afraid to ask other people for things because I know I would do it for them.So many people think they have to do everything on their own, that it makes them weak if they ask for help. So if you're a young practice owner, get a few mentors. Go online now we have Facebook. It's so, you know, for as much as we hate social media, there are some benefits. You have, thousands of people who've done this before, sharing their knowledge with you, listen to 'em because they've been there, you know?So yeah, I, don't know if I answered your question. No, that's, yeah. Michael: Yeah. I love that. And then real quick, for the emotional draining part, Where it feels like we gotta grow thick skin, but still be super loving to the, parents, the children. But even then, when you are, sometimes you're like, we, you were just in my office and you left me this review.How come you didn't tell me that in person or or even just emotionally draining in general, what advice do you have for that? Kristine: it took me probably 10 years to realize that I just needed to get away. I always liked to get away, but I didn't do a lot of that. You know, you don't have the money.You have young kids, you have the practice. Around 10 years in, I'm also an empath and I used to take on every problem of my staff. Hmm. You know, members, I, I would feel their pain and I realized that it was sucking me dry. 'cause I was always feeling everybody else's pain and worrying about their problems.So I got really good at what I call compartmentalizing and putting it where it belonged. I could listen to it, I could feel it. I could understand it, but I had to let it go. I'm not exactly sure, you know, everyone has their own method to do that. But I started just making sure we got away as a family. We went on vacations and I, didn't communicate with the office very much, if at all.Sometimes there was some communication and I always regretted it. I could tell you and So getting away, making time for yourself, and I did a lot of, you know, the catchphrase, self-care, but I early on started doing that even when I couldn't technically afford it and things like I would get, I.Massages. to the point I was doing weekly for many years, but, or at least every other week because it relaxed me, but it also did help with all the neck and shoulder pain from being a dentist and it, the relaxation. I would do girls weekends away and leave my kids and my husband because, Again, I needed to recharge with other things that were just fun, right?So I think that's really important is to take care of yourself. And I do think everybody, male, female, should I. Talk. So if you don't, aren't comfortable talking to your loved ones or your family, or you need outside, you should get therapy. I think that everyone could use therapy at some point in their life.I tend to talk so much. I'd be in a therapist all the time, except I talk out loud to all my friends. So, No, but I do think that's really important for, that goes back to what I said about relying on other people. So many people think they have to be in charge. They can do it all, and they shouldn't have help.I really believe you need help, and I think you need it emotionally. You need it in so many ways. So you just have to find people you trust and can rely on a little bit. We're not islands alone here. We are in communities. So to me, that's the biggest piece of advice I could give. And then, Not to be trite, but really focus on the good in your life and focus on what you do have, not what you don't.And that goes a long way, you know, telling your blessings as they say. Michael: Mm-hmm. Wonderful. Christine, thank you so much for being with us. It's been a pleasure. But before we say goodbye, can you tell our listeners where they can find you? Kristine: Oh, sure. Well I didn't mention this and it's, I hope it's okay. Just recently I did open a consulting company with another dentist and