Podcasts about SRP

Será este el último programa de la temporada?? Será (de hecho) el último programa de SRP para siempre??? Qué música traerá hoy PJ??? O La traerá otro miembro del equipo??? Que disparate, dale al play y descúbrelo tú mismo!!! 00:00 Intro del programa. El podcast realmente no empieza nunca aquí. 13:36 Sección de Cine y Series. Hablamos de un montón de cosas (sin spoilers) aquí las tenéis: 1. Dutton Ranch (Skyshowtime) 2. School Spirits (Skyshowtime) 3. Spider Noir (Prime Video) 4. Jack Ryan Guerra Encubierta (Prime Video) 5. El Cabo Del Miedo / Cape Fear (AppleTV) 6. The Audacity (AMC+) 7. Sherlock A Ciegas (AMC) 8. Veteranos Contra El Crimen (Cosmo) 9. Espiritus Del Inframundo (Crunchyroll) 10. Leonard Y Hungry Paul (Filmin) 11. Ravalear (HBO Max) 12. Idolos (HBO Max) 13. No Aptos Para El Trabajo (Disney+) 14. Alice Y Steve (Disney+) 15. Hoppers (Disney+) 16. The Lady (Movistar+) 17. Dear England (Movistar+) 18. Leyendas (Netflix) 19. The Boroughs (Netflix) 20. Nemesis (Netflix) 21. Turbulencia En La Oficina (Netflix) 22. El Último Refugio (Sundance TV) 23. Fuerzas Especiales / Coeurs Noirs (Xtrm) 24. Anaconda (alquiler en varias plat.) 25. Te Van A Matar (alquiler en varias plat.) 2:01:07 Despedida, Comentarios, Camarote De los Marx, Iván Ferreiro, Pelos Nocturnos, Murdokus, Anécdotas y Concurso (PARTICIPEN !! Oiga). ANIMAOS A ENTRAR AL GRUPO DE TELEGRAM!! Gracias por estar ahí un programa más!!! Y recordad: TENEMOS LISTA DE SPOTIFY CON TODA LA MÚSICA QUE HA SONADO EN EL PODCAST A LO LARGO DE ESTAS TEMPORADAS (Menos la canciones hechas con IA porque no se pueden subir allí). Esperamos que lo disfrutéis. ♥️ GRACIAS POR VUESTRO APOYO Y POR ESTAR SIEMPRE AHÍ!!! Únete a nuestro grupo de Telegram (ES GRATIS!!!!): https://t.me/seriesreality Déjanos tus comentarios y likes en IVOOX, Apple Podcast, Spreaker, Podimo, Castbox, TuneIn, PocketCast, Spotify, Amazon Music y en nuestra web: www.seriesrealitypodcast.com. Aceptamos café virtual en https://ko-fi.com/seriesreality1 Twitter: @seriesreality1 Instagram: Seriesreality1 YouTube: Series Reality Podcast email: seriesreality1@gmail.com La música que se reproduce en este programa : Mica En Mica - Joan Thelorius Get Myself Into It - The Rapture Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Now Las tonterías de PJ y Leo

**Title:**Quick Wins for Honda & Acura Dealers: 5 Digital Moves to Drive More LeadsDescription**:**In this 30-minute Quick Wins session, David Farmer from Intice shares five practical digital marketing moves Honda and Acura dealers can review and implement this month to create better shopper engagement and drive more measurable opportunities.The session focuses on simple, high-impact improvements dealers can make without rebuilding their entire digital strategy, including stronger SRP and VDP call-to-action hierarchy, turning offers into full-funnel campaigns, matching CTAs to shopper intent, aligning ads, landing pages, and lead response, and running a monthly digital health check.Attendees will also learn how better message consistency, offer visibility, CRM handoffs, and lead response scripts can help turn more existing traffic into real showroom opportunities.**Key Topics Covered:*** Strengthening SRP and VDP CTAs* Turning OEM and dealer offers into full-funnel campaigns* Matching website CTAs to shopper intent* Aligning ads, landing pages, CRM leads, and follow-up scripts* Using the Intice Lead Playbook to improve lead response* Running a simple digital health check across speed, mobile, tracking, SEO, accessibility, and offer accuracyThis session is designed for Honda and Acura dealers looking for practical ways to improve website performance, campaign consistency, lead quality, and digital-to-showroom handoffs.

Josh Singh, sales director at Turning Point Technology Services Josh Singh didn’t arrive at Dell Technologies World simply as a partner – he arrived as someone who spent nearly eight years on the vendor side, in Dell sales roles, before crossing over to Turning Point as the company’s sales lead. That dual perspective shapes everything about how Turning Point operates. The Vancouver-based solution provider, founded in 2012, runs exclusively on Dell in the data center – a deliberate, all-in single-vendor bet that Josh frames not as a constraint but as a competitive advantage. Nearly half of the team is ex-Dell, which means when a customer needs an answer fast, Turning Point knows exactly who to call inside Dell’s notoriously complex internal matrix. That navigational fluency, Josh argues, is the kind of differentiation that doesn’t show up in a spec sheet but shows up every time there’s urgency. Turning Point recently formalized that depth by opening what Dell designates as its first official solution center in Canada, in their Vancouver office, giving the team and their clients hands-on access to the full portfolio – including the GB10 for deskside AI development. On AI, Josh’s read is that the “AI factory” framing was right directionally but too large a first step for most of the Canadian market. Dell’s move toward more modular, consumable AI infrastructure – starting at one or two servers, proving a use case, then scaling – is what actually unlocks adoption for SMB customers. Small wins first, then the appetite for something bigger. On security and resilience, Josh drew a clear line: backup is the last line of defense, and if that last line gets hit – or gets frozen by a ransomware insurance claim – you’re rebuilding from scratch. Dell’s Data Domain and its proprietary DDBoost protocol, alongside Veeam, form the core of what Turning Point puts in front of customers who need to actually recover, not just theoretically recover. And rounding it out: the supply chain disruption, compounded by Broadcom‘s reshaping of the virtualization market, is forcing Canadian organizations to plan differently – more external awareness, more budget flexibility, earlier commitment. That’s a challenge across the industry, Josh notes. But for partners who can guide customers through it, it’s also an opening. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel community for the last sixteen years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, and your host for the show. We’re continuing our series from Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas. This week, we’re deep on the partner perspective. Today’s guest brings a point of view you don’t usually get. Nearly a decade inside Dell Technologies, followed by a move to the partner side – specifically to a partner that has made one of the most deliberate, all-in single-vendor bets you’ll find in the Canadian channel. Josh Singh leads the sales team at Turning Point Technology Services, a Vancouver-based solution provider founded in 2012 that operates exclusively on Dell in the data center. Not mostly Dell, not primarily Dell – exclusively. In a channel where diversification is almost reflexively treated as risk management, Turning Point went the other way, and they did it right at the beginning of Dell’s channel investment cycle, which turned out to be good timing. Josh brings to that an unusual lens. He spent almost eight years in Dell’s sales roles, where he learned early that the channel was the key to his success, and that knowing how to navigate Dell’s internal matrix is an advantage that translates directly into faster, better outcomes for customers. Roughly half of Turning Point’s team is ex-Dell. They recently opened what Dell designates as its first official solution center in Canada, right there in their Vancouver office. We talked about what it actually means to make the single-vendor bet and why it’s holding up. How the AI adoption conversation is changing for SMB customers who weren’t ready for the Dell AI Factory, but might be ready for something smaller. The security and data resilience story, and why backup shouldn’t be confused with business continuity. And what the supply chain situation, plus Broadcom’s disruption of the market, is doing to how customers have to plan. Let’s get right into it. My chat with Josh Singh. Josh, thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it. I’m sure it’s been a busy week. Josh Singh: It has been a busy week, and thanks for having me. Robert Dutt: I guess to open it up, I want to start with a question that frames the perspective that you have at an event like this. Turning Point made the explicit call to go all-in on Dell on the infrastructure side, as I understand. A lot of partners diversify, carry multiple vendors, pick and choose their spots. What’s the logic behind that bet? What does a week like this one – where Dell’s making a lot of big moves around AI and the direction of the partner program and all that – feel like for a shop that’s tied its future to the Dell story? Josh Singh: Very good question. I’ve been asked this numerous times, and it’s clear you’ve done your research on us. As you said, Robert, we are 100% Dell-exclusive in the data center. We do have other technologies that are complementary to Dell to give our clients an end-to-end ecosystem of technology, but we have doubled, tripled, and quadrupled down on Dell in the data center. Turning Point was formed in 2012. Three founders – Lee, Sean, and Lauren – they came from a value-added reseller that sold a multitude of technologies. What they found out at the time was Dell had a portfolio that covered the end-to-end, especially in the data center. They branched out, all three of them from [Seven Group – verify company name], and they formed Turning Point. They just realized that Dell was at the beginning of their partner program. You’ll see a legacy fabric still embedded in some aspects of Dell Technologies where they still are partial to selling direct, but they have put a large amount of emphasis and investment in the channel over the last fifteen years. Turning Point was formed at the very beginning of that cycle. Since then, we have had no regrets. Dell has really come to the table as a really solid partner for us, allowing us to offer our clients the end-to-end data center strategy with Dell Technologies. Robert Dutt: Your lens is unique too in that you have some time at Dell EMC – a viewpoint that a lot of partners don’t have in terms of having seen both sides of that fence, especially around the same vendor. What does that vendor-side time teach you about what Dell actually needs and wants from partners, and the reality of what Dell values in a partner? Josh Singh: Yeah, that’s a really good question. I spent almost eight years at Dell in various sales roles. I learned very quickly, and early on in my Dell sales career, that the channel was the key to my success. The core reason why is I’m one individual. I have a solutions engineer, I have some overlays, and we manage a pretty large territory. I found that if I could just introduce a channel partner into the mix, I could lob it over the fence, play quarterback a little bit, get enough updates from the channel partner so I can update my leadership – because that’s really important. But I was able to scale my business significantly when I started to work with the channel. Actually, Turning Point was one of those channel partners that I worked very closely with. So it’s a bit of a full circle moment for me to come back and I lead the sales team at Turning Point. Robert Dutt: I have to imagine the Dell team is happy to have you, because clearly you’ve got that lens for exactly what they are looking for from you as a partner. Josh Singh: Yeah, you know, every vendor has their own methodology and go-to-market culture. And so it does help. Actually, almost half of Turning Point’s team is ex-Dell Technologies employees. So that really gives us a unique perspective on how Dell wants to sell, how to update Dell, what’s important to them – what’s important to each level in the organization, from the sales rep to the manager, to the director, to the senior director, to the president. So we understand what is important to Dell Technologies. And also, for our customers, it’s really important to pick the right technologies. But as we all know, this world is moving so fast and our customers need answers, and they need us to be on their requests in a really time-sensitive way. And so, typically with most vendors, you know your account executive and that individual is the key to the organization. When you come from Dell, you all of a sudden know how to navigate the matrix of Dell. And so when a customer has a question, you know exactly who to call. You can pick up the phone and get that answer in a much more time-sensitive way than navigating the matrix of Dell, which can be large and daunting. Robert Dutt: So the secret sauce is as simple as spending more than half a decade inside the company itself. Josh Singh: Simple. Yeah, easy peasy. Robert Dutt: Big week for AI infrastructure here, and the Dell AI thesis – in so much as they’ve for a while been pulling on the idea of running AI models on-prem and on their infrastructure – was really amplified this week. Between that, desktop agentic AI, and the whole server and storage announcements underneath that, how does what was announced here resonate with what you guys are doing now and what your customers are asking for in terms of technology and how it’s delivered? Josh Singh: Yeah, no, that’s a really good question. So I’ve been at Dell Technologies World almost every year, and I’m finding a big difference in the talk tracks this year. AI was a concept, it was a lot of buzzwords, it was a lot of fluff, to be honest with you as well. Everyone’s trying to chase what AI means to them. But I think this year is the first year where I started to see concepts materialize into practicality, whether it comes to data locality or infrastructure, or really how to go to the next steps of adopting AI. The Canadian market is more pragmatic in their approach to adoption of technology – a little laggard, but not in a negative way, just a bit more conservative. And so what Dell Technologies World enables me and us to do is learn from people actually deploying AI in a much more meaningful and scalable way, for us to then be able to go back to Canada and start to talk about potential use cases, potential outcomes – because it is a very daunting topic, AI, sometimes it can be very overwhelming. So Dell Technologies World allows us to take some key facts about AI, bring them back into our local market, and then help them through that journey. And also, we’re meeting a lot of experts here as well. So it’s not just that we take these concepts and go back to Canada and try to do it ourselves – we’re really supported by the Dell channel ecosystem as well, to help our clients evolve in their AI journey. Robert Dutt: What are the ideas that you’re hearing that specifically are making you think, “All right, this is going to change something in how we do business internally, or this is something I have to take to customer X, customer Y, customer Z,” because it maps to what they’re thinking about or where they should be thinking? Josh Singh: Yeah. I think Dell, when they first wanted to address AI, they came out with the Dell AI Factory, and that was the message. So for a lot of Canadian organizations – which are largely SMB – adoption of an AI Factory is not consumable. It’s too large. They need to prove the model out. And then as soon as they get some small wins and successes, then they can scale out, because the smallest AI Factory was large for them. And this is what we noticed, actually, in the last twelve months. So what Dell is doing now is making it a bit more economical, a bit more consumable – in the AI data platform, starting at one server, maybe two servers, a little PowerScale, and then using that to prove out a use case. And then once we prove out a use case, our customers say, “Hey, there’s really something to this AI thing that everybody keeps talking about.” Now they can really start to invest in a much more scalable, larger way. So I think what Dell has released – very small products with the GB10 all the way up to that massive AI Factory – I mean, you saw when Michael Dell came out with Jensen, and he came out on stage and showed the entire portfolio of AI with a small little itty-bitty – not quite Raspberry Pi size, but not too far from that. Robert Dutt: Really, yeah. Josh Singh: And then having Jensen talk about the next model and how much more powerful that next model is – 100x, 100x, 100x, all the way up to that big AI Factory. So I think it just allows us to be a bit more practical in AI adoption rather than, “Mr. Customer, you have to adopt an AI Factory and that’s how you’re going to achieve AI.” So yeah. Robert Dutt: Has some of the stuff they’re talking about – deskside AI, and specifically deskside agents – when you talk about a GB10 and the lower end of that, and even for more casual users, they would make the case down to the AI-enabled PC – how does that kind of map with how your customers are approaching AI, given that they aren’t going to be going out and buying even a bottom-end, full-on AI Factory experience as a day-one thing? Josh Singh: Yeah. So at Turning Point, we have our data center – it’s actually a solution center. Dell has multiple across the world. There was none in Canada. So actually, with Dell leadership, we opened up Dell’s first solution center in Vancouver in our office. There was a big unveiling with the president of Dell Canada, all Dell leadership came out, and we stood up our solution center in conjunction with Dell. So in that solution center, we have every piece of technology that Dell has – from PowerStore to PowerScale to ObjectScale. And we recently adopted the GB10 so we’re able to actually learn it, use practical use cases that actually help Turning Point, and then we can actually know how to speak to our customers as an adopter ourselves of the GB10 and some of the use cases. So anything from OpenClaw to using different language models and trying to help business productivity in that manner. We serve customers in almost every single vertical. So we are working with healthcare – we’re doing some work right now with healthcare and looking at different use cases when it comes to X-rays and things like that. And then we also work with legal, looking at contractual ways to actually pull out data from thousands or millions of contracts to find commonalities to help an organization improve their operational efficiency. So we’ve got our system in our solution center and we’re actually going through those use cases ourselves so that we can better serve our customers. Robert Dutt: Given that you’ve got that data center and you’ve got that – choose your own analogy, eat your own dog food, drink your own champagne – approach to things, how have you guys approached AI internally, and what have you learned from how you’ve done that over the last year or two? Josh Singh: So it’s a good question. Admittedly, we are a little bit at the beginning of that journey as well. So at Turning Point, as well as many of our customers, we were a bit overwhelmed with what AI meant. And so we have a practice when it comes to consultation to navigate what AI means for them. We do specific workshops to get a client to understand what they want out of AI and to conceptualize what AI is capable of doing. Now we’re really getting into how product is going to help that. So this is the next iteration of our AI journey to help our customers – going over and beyond the consultative nature of how AI works and models and inferencing and all those buzzwords that customers understand but don’t really understand. And then we’ll take whatever is the output from that workshop, and now with our solution center, we’re looking to actually take the results of that and try to replicate it using product and technology and actual outcome. Robert Dutt: How often do you find that the outcome of the workshop – “this is what AI would do best for you” – maps with what they came in thinking AI would do best for them? Josh Singh: It’s fascinating to see, actually, because in a lot of SMB organizations, there is no AI data scientist, there is no AI leader. So it’s essentially decision by committee. And that committee could be a storage admin, a network admin, a compute admin, an application admin, all the way up to leadership, cybersecurity, of course, for governance and compliance. So seeing the different perspectives in these AI committees is really interesting – to watch the customer look at each other and each individual have their own expertise and go, “Oh, that’s interesting. Oh, that’s interesting. Why did I know you viewed the world through the lens of this?” And so coming in with these workshops, it’s typically not one outcome. It’s actually allowing a conversation between these committees at our customer organizations to really help push what AI means for each of those individuals. And then they branch out, actually not with Turning Point but internally, to foster more discussion. And then we come back in and help prod and push in certain areas with our AI knowledge. But really, it’s more contextual. It’s not really about language models and things like that. It’s more about blue sky – like, what do we want to do? And what’s success for you, and what’s success for you, and what’s success for you? You’ll notice that success for each of these individuals is very different. So it’s been fascinating for us to watch. Robert Dutt: It’s funny how often some of these things do – for all the technology behind it – come down to breaking down internal silos. Josh Singh: Yes, yes, yeah. It’s a big part of our job. We help bridge technology to business, to legal, to cybersecurity, all the way up to business goals. So it’s really – it’s an honor to work in this industry and see those conversations play out. Robert Dutt: We saw some fairly significant changes to the partner program and the rollout of the Modern Partner Platform – in terms of the agentic AI stuff that’s rolling into the partner portal and the partner experience, deal registration improvements, a whole bunch of things – especially where you guys are at as a boutique, exclusively Dell-focused operation on the data center side. What did you see in there that really caught your interest – “okay, that’s going to make my life better”? And in a more art-of-the-possible mode, what do you think AI appearing in partner platforms is going to mean in the long run in terms of what you can do, and what you can get from the overall experience you have with key vendors like Dell? Josh Singh: Yeah, good question. So they haven’t fully rolled out the One Dell Way platform yet – they’re chipping away at it. First is with CSG on the client side, and they’re starting that internally. So we haven’t actually seen the result of a lot of that change yet. But I do know theoretically what the plan is for that, and I think it’s going to be really advantageous for us. We are seeing a little bit of the benefits right now where human intervention – as vendors start to consolidate a bit more in sales and back office – the role of the sales rep is changing. There are a lot of tasks that that sales rep now has to do. And so they can sometimes be the bottleneck of operational efficiency. Let’s talk about deal registration, for example: they will get an email, and if they’re busy in meetings, by the time they get to that email and press OK, it could be twenty-four, it could be forty-eight hours, it could be seventy-two hours if that person’s out of town. So then you have to chase – and with how fast IT is moving with our customers, we can’t afford to wait that long. So we’re starting to see a bit more intelligence and automation in how deal registrations are approved. It is a bit of a complicated topic because the channel relies on Dell’s ability to recognize who our accounts are, who our loyal customers are. And so there have been some conflicts since then. But I do see that Dell is on it and they are working it out. And I do love the transparency and honesty from Dell in owning up where mistakes were made and correcting them in the field. So I am seeing some AI adoption when it comes to the partner program, but it’s not fully rolled out yet. So I am looking forward to seeing what they come out with. Robert Dutt: In terms of future state – whether it’s stuff that they’re already discussing or stuff that’s just possible but not yet on the roadmap – what would be the most impactful for you and your organization to move to a more automated, more agentic motion with a key vendor like Dell? Josh Singh: Yeah. I’m sure you’ve heard of Dell Sales Chat. It’s basically their version of GPT, but it references all of Dell’s information – presentations, documents, white papers, service briefs, and things like that. So the Dell rep just types in a query into Dell Sales Chat, and an answer comes out while referencing all Dell documentation. What I really want to see is Dell enabling that for the channel. And so I’ve talked to Dell leadership – specifically people that own this product – and that is the plan. And so I’m really, really excited for that, because especially when we respond to RFPs in public sector, it’s a very time-consuming endeavor. And so for us to be able to type in queries on very specific questions that public sector has about technology would be really valuable. And I do know that there are compliance and governance issues as well. The labeling of documentation has to be accurate – otherwise, the channel would get access to potentially confidential data from Dell Sales Chat. But that’s the biggest thing that I’m waiting for Dell to offer the channel. Robert Dutt: Cool. I wanted to talk a little bit about security and data resilience, because that was another theme here at the event – an area where you guys have a fair bit going on with vCISO and MDR, cyber recovery, all that kind of stuff. Basically, how does the Dell cyber resilience narrative from this week connect with what you’re already doing? Does it strengthen the story you’re telling clients? Does it give you new opportunities? How are you viewing the message here? Josh Singh: Yeah. So I actually come from the security and resilience team at Dell – that’s my most recent role there. So it’s near and dear to me and my heart, and I am seeing a lot of product updates when it comes to security. That’s really exciting for me to see, actually. So Dell has a security and data platform in Data Domain, and there are other partners in the ecosystem like Druva and others. There are some partnerships with CrowdStrike and other MDR companies. And that’s what I really appreciate about Dell – they did have Secureworks for a period of time, which got spun off, but I do appreciate Dell constantly looking at where their gaps are from a technology perspective and then partnering up with other vendors to complete the end-to-end strategy. As I mentioned, each individual product in the technology portfolio – they are releasing a lot of security updates and functionality embedded in PowerStore, more in Data Domain when it comes to immutability and things like that, and PowerScale anomaly detection in each of the different products, end-to-end encryption with secure [HPAs – unclear; possibly “HBAs” or “APIs” – verify]. So there’s a lot of attention right now when it comes to security. And to come back to AI – AI is really cool and it can create a lot of really cool outcomes. That’s if you’re wearing a white hat. If you’re wearing a black hat, it can be equally exciting for them as well. And so Dell has to keep up now with not just asking what are the positive outcomes that can drive more efficiency and unlock human progress, but what are the black hats going to be doing with AI, and how do we respond? Robert Dutt: I was sharing a detail this week that backup infrastructure is kind of a primary target for attacks. Curious – does that kind of match with what you’re seeing? And how do you, especially with customers who are newer to you or just going through the process, help them reconcile what they think they’re protecting with their backup versus what they actually have in terms of protection? Josh Singh: Yeah, this is – I mean, every backup vendor says the same thing. This becomes really difficult, actually, to undo a lot of the conditioning from a lot of the backup vendors. I joined DPS – which is now the SRP, the Security and Resiliency Platform, at Dell – for a very specific reason. I actually used to also work for Secureworks. And I realized that talking to people about managed security services was resonating at the time. But the answer was always, “Hey, we just go back to our backup target and we restore, we recover, we’re up and running within a couple of hours.” So I thought, I could spend the same amount of time with a different team and a different product and achieve much more success, because that’s what most organizations are relying on. So they really rely on backup. Now, backup should not be confused with business continuity. Backup is the last line of defense – and it really is the last line of defense. So when you have a last line of defense, you need to make sure that that is locked down. If you don’t trust your last line of defense, it doesn’t really matter what you do on top of that. You can spend millions of dollars per year operationally on subscriptions and monitoring and things like that. But if you don’t trust your last line of defense, you are hooked. And so Dell’s backup product, Data Domain, is the most secure, purpose-built backup appliance out there in the market – hands down. It’s not even a comparison, from my perspective – and it could be a biased perspective – against other competition and other vendors that also play in the same area. There are just so many features in Data Domain when it comes to immutability and governance and compliance and DDBoost, which is a proprietary protocol – it’s not CIFS, it’s not NFS. A bad actor can scan a CIFS or NFS directory so easily and then just encrypt it. So while we do work very well with PPDM – which is Dell’s backup software – we also use Veeam as well. And so the Veeam-to-Data Domain story is very powerful, and it’s really good for the SMB market as well. So we’re constantly looking at the market and seeing what’s compatible, what plays well with Dell products, and we’re introducing that into our ecosystem as well. Robert Dutt: All right. To wrap it up – sitting where you sit as a partner who’s made a pretty significant single-vendor bet on Dell, what’s the one thing from this week that you sit back and go, “Yeah, that validates the decision”? And also, was there anything that gives you pause – that makes you go, “Okay, I need to learn more about that before I’m sure that we’re aligned”? Josh Singh: Yeah. I mean, I can’t deny that we haven’t been forced to think about more vendor adoption. And as every company needs to iterate and evolve and stay on top of industry trends, we need to constantly be surveying other technologies. And we do. We look at NetApp all the time. We look at Pure. We look at HPE constantly. And what we’ve noticed is we don’t need to take on a different vendor. And especially – one thing I will say about Dell, and I’m not sure if this is an answer to your question, but I do have to mention this – Dell’s supply chain is second to none. So we’re in this world right now which is shifting aggressively to shortages and components and things like that. And that’s where Dell’s really shining right now – in their ability to go to different geographic areas and fast-track product from other areas. So that’s just one thing that I have to plug Dell for: very impressive about what they’re doing there. But from a Dell perspective, they’re constantly innovating. All the thought leaders of the world – in different companies and different partners and vendors – they’re all here. And so if we have that big bet on Dell and they’re constantly innovating and adding new partnerships and are at the forefront of innovation, then that means we are too. And if we are, then we don’t need to look anywhere else – and we’re going to double down on the bet. Robert Dutt: To go back to what you were saying about the supply chain situation – it’s no doubt wild times trying to get infrastructure for everyone on the planet right now. And we hear pretty clearly from Jeff Clarke the idea, the message to customers: put your hand up early – really early, if you can – because that’ll give you the best chances of getting what you want when you want it. If you’re thinking two years out or something, how are you approaching timelines and guidance to customers on – okay, so you want to be here at some point – speccing that out in light of the uncertainty of availability, the uncertainty of price, all the fun stuff that’s going on right now? Josh Singh: We’re living in that world right now and it’s changing the way customers have to respond to their stakeholders in their organizations. Back in the day – and by back in the day, I mean six months ago – a customer needed compute and they would buy compute and they would get it within three weeks, likely two. Now we’re looking at two months, three months, sometimes six-month delays, depending on if they need very specific components. So it is a little bit like the COVID days, where there was a big push to remote connectivity. Now customers are looking at public cloud again in a bigger way because they need immediate resources. So what we’re trying to do as an organization is say, “Yes, you could go to the cloud – that is an option. It always has been an option and always will be an option. But is that the right thing for your organization economically, from a security perspective, from a latency perspective?” There are so many more considerations, especially in the Canadian market with data sovereignty. And so the shift of parts shortages – and this wouldn’t be a current interview unless we talked about Broadcom and the changes they’ve made in the market as well. These two very big changes in our market are now affecting the way that organizations have to respond to their stakeholders and the immediacy of resources. So planning now is critically important. The way that customers are now trying to secure budget within their organizations is changing, because they need to be a bit more adaptable and flexible to what’s externally offered. Previously, it was internal operational methodologies on how they adopted technologies. Now they’re being affected by the external. So they have to be a bit more flexible and adaptable as to how they need to support their growing environment – by way of data, by way of compute resources, and especially AI. Now that I need GPUs and memory and CPUs, which are now in shortage, it is a very big challenge. But it’s not a Dell challenge, it’s a customer challenge. It’s happening across the entire industry. So that’s a good thing for us. If it was a Dell challenge, then we’d have a challenge ourselves and be in a bit of a corner. But it’s a global challenge right now that we are constantly seeing changes to. And I suspect we’ll continue to see changes for the rest of the year. Robert Dutt: It’s wild times when you hear folks who are very intelligent on these things saying this is going to be a multi-year kind of cycle. I guess AI giveth, AI taketh away. Josh Singh: Yes, yes. And geopolitics – we’ve got some leaders in the world right now that are making decisions that are affecting our geopolitical climate as well, which is then downstream affecting IT. So it’s interesting times. Exciting times. And I think we’ll look back on today just like we looked back on COVID – we’ll get through it. We’re all in it together. Robert Dutt: Here’s hoping the war stories end up good at the end of the day. Josh Singh: That’s right. Robert Dutt: Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it. Josh Singh: Thanks very much, Rob. I appreciate it. Thank you. Robert Dutt: There you have it, Josh Singh from Turning Point Technology Services. I’d like to thank Josh for his time in Las Vegas. The full-circle element of his story – spending years inside Dell, working alongside Turning Point as a channel partner, and then joining the company he was selling through – comes through clearly in how he talks about the business. And I think that perspective showed throughout the conversation. A few things I’d like to take away from this one. First, the single-vendor bet argument. A lot of partners hedge on vendor relationships as a form of risk management, but Turning Point went the other way. And the case Josh makes is essentially that depth beats breadth – that knowing how to navigate a large vendor’s internal matrix quickly is itself a competitive advantage for customers. When someone needs an answer today, knowing exactly who to call inside Dell and getting it done in hours instead of days is a real differentiator. Doesn’t show up in a product spec, but it does show up in the relationship. Second, the AI adoption ladder. The AI Factory is the right concept, but maybe too large a bite for most of the Canadian market. What’s changing now – and what you heard Josh describe with the solution center and the GB10 pilots – is AI becoming consumable at the entry level. Small win, prove the model, scale it up. That’s how it actually gets adopted in the mid-market and SMB space, and the partners who figured out how to structure that journey are the ones who are going to win those accounts. And third, backup is the last line of defense, not the first. Josh put it plainly: if you don’t trust your last line of defense, it doesn’t really matter what you spend on top of it. And if your backup infrastructure gets hit with a ransomware attack – which is increasingly the whole point of the attack – and you’ve filed an insurance claim on top of that, you can’t touch it until the insurance company is done with their analysis. You’re building from scratch. That air gap, clean recovery point is the whole game. Not a nice-to-have. If you’re enjoying the show, please follow or subscribe wherever you listen. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, the usual suspects. And if you have a moment to leave a rating or review, please do. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

Part one of Kiera's conversation with Howard Farran on the Dentaltown podcast. They discuss how many details a dentist should know about their business, what about the COVID-19 pandemic still haunts practices, the AI of dentistry and the human care of patients, hidden gaps draining profitability, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera. And today we are sharing a guest interview I did on another podcast. And it was too valuable not to bring you guys here.   this episode, you're gonna hear this host lead the conversation and then I'll wrap us up at the end. I cannot wait. It was truly one of my most   episodes and I truly hope you enjoy.   The Dental A Team (00:17) It's just a huge honor for me today to bring back Kiera Dent. How are you doing, Kiera? my gosh, Howard. It's so great to be back. I remember my very first podcast with you. I was actually at an office in Alabama and I went like hid in this room because I was starstruck podcasting with you. So to be able to be back on the show with you ⁓ several years later is just fun. I love what you guys are doing. I love Dentaltown. I love your posts. so it's really fun to be back. So thank you. ⁓ the honor is all mine. Just remember Kiera likes Shakira.   And Dent is just her nickname. The full name is Dental Queen Goddess. So thank you. And ⁓ she is the founder and CEO of the Dental A Team, committed to elevating dentists and their teams to their highest level through customized in-office and virtual consulting and training. Her vast experience ranges from the front office to assistant, regional manager, and dental practice owner, giving her a perspective few consultants can claim.   She and her team work with hundreds of dental practices nationwide and confidently say we don't just understand you, we are you. Among her many accomplishments, Ciara has grown a practice from 500,000 to 2.4 million in just nine months with a doctor straight out of dental school. She's coached hundreds of practices, authored numerous articles, and designed a customizable operations manual manual that serves as a roadmap for systems and team success.   Her Dental A Team podcast has amassed nearly 2 million downloads, making it one of the most impactful resources in all of dentistry. Kiera lives every day by her core values. Do the right thing, ownership, passion for excellence, ease, grit, innovator, die, and fun. Her motto says it all. There is always a solution. And my gosh, I just want to tell you the truth. And the reason I was so excited to bring you on. It seems like dentistry has turned into two groups of dentists.   There's all the old farts like me who, you know, we had, you know, we had great practices, great lives, great careers. And then you got these younger dentists that look at us and say, ⁓ man, you graduated in the good old days. You know, you didn't have five hundred thousand dollars of student loans, you didn't have DSOs, Delta hasn't given us a raise in four generations, and and and they're mad at the ADA. I think they're even mad at their mom. I I they're I think so and they're not happy. Do you have any good news?   For these dental graduates with $500,000 of student loans, or did they make the wrong decision and should have become a plumber? I mean, you know, plumbing is always a backup plan if dentistry doesn't work. So I think you're like at least in that realm. Like, you know, there's always options. But I love dentistry and I actually, ⁓ I think we're actually in the best time of dentistry. And I know that yes, there's the good old days. Then Howard, those were great days for you. But I think like, how many options do people have now? We have AI, we have these innovations, and I mean.   Your my example of a student straight out of dental school, we actually had one million. So I actually called her 2.5 because we had $2.5 million. So from student debt to practice loan debt to buying another location, all within a couple of months of us starting the practice. And so I called her 2.5 every time I walked past her. I was like, get that back straight, girl. Like we got 2.5 mil of debt on us. but to be able to grow our practice in nine months was   Absolutely incredible. And I think that that's where dentistry is amazing. There is no cap, there is no ceiling, and you have a way to truly impact and change people's lives. And I'm like, you have DSOs as options. Like there were not the times where you were getting the multiples that you get today. You also have like there are so many avenues that dentistry can afford you. but I think it's a it's a matter of what you choose to focus on, is what you're going to find more of. If you want to sit here and say, ⁓ my gosh, it's awful. We have 500,000 of debt. And I'm like, Yeah, but guess what? My husband had   Not quite the same, but we had several hundreds, thousands of dollars of debt. And he's a pharmacist. And so I understand what it's like to come out of school and have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt on us. But guess what? He's making, you know, hundred, hundred and fifty. If we're lucky on a good day, we're capped out. It took us forever to pay back our student loans. But as dentistry, you have untapped and uncapped potential. And so for me, you get to change people's lives, you get to give them confidence, you get to help them have better health, and you're able to make people smile like.   I can't think of a better opportunity to be a part of. And I'm not just Pollyanna over here. I coach hundreds and thousands of offices. I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and the in between. But I'll tell you, depending upon how you choose to view this, you can either find the good or the bad. And I'd recommend like, let's find the great because it's a gold line of opportunity if you want to see it. What what do you say to dentists who say, Mm-mm, you know, I I really don't want to complain really a bit. I mean, on paper my   My practice looks perfect. I got two hygienists. I do a million dollars. I do all this, but just internally it just feels chaotic and stressful. So it looks like on paper he's doing everything right. But she says, I still feel like chaos and stress. What's what's that about? I think like welcome to being a business owner. I think that there's two sides of success. In the word success, there's literally the word suck. Like there are parts of success that are going to suck. Like that's just how it is, guys.   And so that chaos and internal turmoil, I think I there I have lots of offices where you don't have to be that way. And I think going from like operator doing all the pieces, being stressed out into like a CEO of a business. ⁓ I think sometimes dentists are such gunners doers, they're so hands-on that they have this internal chaos. But there there are paths again that don't have to be that way. But I also think this is part of the game of business that we signed up for. And I think when you get to the level like Howard.   You've seen, I've seen over our career, we've got the gunners and the doers and the like zero to two year business owners. Like it's freaking chaos. It's psycho. Like you're learning these things just like you're back in dental school. But as you mature, you start to realize that the chaos is just part of the game. And the more you're able to learn to weather it, to see it, and to not do all the pieces, elevate your team, get great people, do like hire it out. You can hire, I mean, a practice is doing a million and you got great profitability and overhead.   You can hire a lot of great people to take away a lot of your problems. And so like, let's get some of those things done. And then you actually become happier and you make more money. So that you don't have to sit in that chaos. I think that there's a part of it that will always suck. but there's also a part that can really be the successful part too, that's fulfillment and enjoyment. But you got to make the steps and take the steps to do it rather than just sit and complain about it.   Love it, love it, love it. ⁓ what do you what do you say about the ⁓ the dentist who got out of school, goes and works for a major DSO, say say he's working for Rick Workman, Heartland, and he works there two years, and you know, he you know, he's working for a guy that owns eighteen, nineteen hundred dental offices, but he can't tell you the code for a profit. Can't he'll say, like, you know, are they paying my pay right? Really? You can't check at you. I mean, it it's like   It's like they'll listen to a forty hour lecture on the difference between two different composites, but they did I mean th they worked through two years, they don't know insurance codes, they can't check out a patient, they don't know the software. I mean, I had one guy tell me, ⁓ the only thing you could tell me about the practice manager software is the brand name. He couldn't tell me and then he's asking me, you know, it what which one you know, but anyway, do you think do you think a dentist doesn't need to know all the business details?   Or do you think that's a blind spot and you can't delegate anything till you can do it and master it? I think that there's two types of owners. And I think that there's some that are really great at hiring people that they are great at hiring people, knowing it, listening to podcasts, hiring coaches, training the team, and like having somebody spot check for you. Then there's others that like they've got to know the ins and outs. But I think that like Howard, there's   To me, there's also a middle ground where I think that you can go sit with your biller for one day and just like say, like, walk me through your process. So you have a general idea and an understanding of what they do. Go watch to see how they schedule. ⁓ I think when it comes to billing, I do think the dentists have a very big blind spot. And to me, that is like as a business owner, not to know how your money comes to you. To me, that feels like a pretty big blind spot of like even just understanding that knowledge. And so   If I were to say, I don't think you need to know the ins and outs. I love like I recognize this. I was a business owner of it. I own practices. I worked with hundreds of dentists at Midwestern University's Dental College. Like, I hear what you guys are taught. Plus, I'm a team member on the other side. And so I created a billing course and an office manager course because I just want a dentist to know like, what should I be able to expect? And I think like if you want to just have a general overview so you don't get blindsided, you you can have it. I think you can quickly within like a week.   Know the bulk of like everything you need to know in a practice very simply, very easily. So that way you can delegate. That way you can have it. You're not gonna be perfect. but I think just having a general awareness. And then I love to give doctors just a quick checklist, like once a month, go spot check, go grab an EOB. Even if you don't know what the heck that EOB is, go ask your front office for it, check it. And just the more you learn that language, just like the language of business, I think it doesn't need to be an overnight sensation.   But I do think the more you're aware of it, I don't think you have to do every single role though to be a successful practice owner. And I mean, shoot, if Heartland can do it, I think it's a good example. But I think who are you? And are you a hands-on tactical person? Are you somebody who's really good at hiring people, t trusting other people, getting the checklist and spot checking? I think you can do it either way. But my recommendation is like just like one week, go like sit in every seat of your practice and get a general awareness and educate yourself on the things that you don't know. I'm really big on money, understanding at least how insurance works. And then also how do we like   present cases, what are kind of the flow that way those big zones that really impact your financials, you can you can be aware of. So those courses, those online CE courses, your website is The Dental A Team. The Dental A Team. Now I think the A Team, you need that guy with the Mohawk and all the bling. I mean that's who I am in my like spare time. This hair is just a facade. Like, you know, I hang out as Mr T. Mr T. Mr T, Mr T, yeah.   That's why I was thinking the A Team, but is that on your on your website, the th those courses? Yeah, they are. So we have an online library, it's all C E. We've got downloadable checklists, we've got operations manual. You got it. That's exactly right. And Howard, in real time, I'll have our marketing team actually put together a code. If you guys put in Dentaltown, since you're listening, we'll make sure that you guys get a coupon code for that as well. Well, since it's my compass podcast IRS that you just put Fabio.   you want Fabio? Okay. well in that case. So ⁓ so is I also see you have a ⁓ Summit twenty twenty six is live on Friday, April twenty fourth. Grab your ticket. Where's where's that show gonna be? Is it Reno where you are? You know, that's actually virtual, Howard, and it's one of our like favorite comebacks constantly. And the reason I do it virtual, people have been asking me for years, like, why don't you do it in person, Kiera? And what I found is   Because it's so like again as a team member, I really struggle to get my team ramped up, amped up, and have it be financially affordable. So what I found is if we can have it virtual in your practice with your full team, you guys are able to get this boost and surge of energy and have a good time. So it's for leadership teams, it's for doctors. ⁓ we've been doing it for six years strong and we tend to have hundreds of offices. You get your whole office there, you have a good time.   But yeah, it's virtual and it's C E and it's a great time. ⁓ I attend a lot of Tony Robbins, a lot of Brendan Bouchard, Rachel Hollis. So we've learned how to do people have told me the online experience is so fun. ⁓ we just get continual people coming back year after year after year. So yeah, come join us. It'd be a great time. I love Tony Robbins because ⁓ you know, my boys they wrestled year round from age five to fifteen.   Yeah. Made our garage. I got two real wrestling mats from the manufacturer in Pennsylvania delivered by an AJ Miller. So I never ever parked in my garage ever. And we would we were listening to that Tony Robbins 30 day, 30 day personal power. Yep. And then I and then I bought my first laptop when I went to MBA school. And so I took notes on it. And then when I was done, I I ⁓ closed down Saturday and I went to a studio Saturday, Sunday, and I ranted out my notes.   And I said, this has got to be 30 hours because I mean it's still Tony Robbins 30 day personal power. And that was the 30-day dental MBA. ⁓ and it worked out to be about thirty hours. But I'm telling you, the pandemic changed everything. That was when ⁓ online CE at Dentaltown just went through the roof and it hasn't come back and dental meetings haven't come back. Cause why do I need to fly to Chicago to listen to you if I got a Zoom call or   or streaming video or this event. I mean, I mean, just think of the plane ticket, the hotel, the sitting and attending. If you're in Phoenix, you know, just to get to New York is a five hour flight. I mean, why I I gotta fly five hours each way when I could see you on YouTube or a podcast or or whatever. But I wanna but I want to go back to that pandemic because that pandemic, I really think the reason you can really do this so successfully today is because of that pandemic. That's why we realize   I don't have to be in the flesh to learn knowledge. And and like I I I feel fine talking to you. I me too. The only thing I regret is teaching my mother how to do that. I got her FaceTime and all that kind of stuff. And because she calls to tell me about ever every one of her exciting things is junk mail she has. She's eighty seven and she believes every piece of junk mail. I love it. She's always free freaking out on her junk mail. But but I want to talk about the pan the dark side of the pandemic.   And that is a lot of people think about 20% of the hygienists left to practice. Before, you know, when I got out of school, your labor was supposed to be twenty percent, your overhead was supposed to be fifty percent. And by the time it was it didn't even take 10 or 20 years, and and due to insurance, I think not keeping up, ⁓ overhead went to basically two thirds. It went to about sixty-five percent and labor went to about twenty five, sometimes twenty-seven percent.   I'm hearing thirty percent labor all the time. And I mean I mean I'm talking about serious dudes who know the business of dentistry. And I don't I don't want to get my buddy Rick Kirstram out of me. He owns a hundred comfort dentals and he said he can't he said he's got the mean and lean where labor is twenty. He says he's got mean and leans with labor at twenty-eight, twenty-eight and a half. So so the the pandemic is ⁓ it that was five years ago. Why do you think it   seriously impacted labor cost of the pandemic. I do, Howard. And I think I think we kind of have this perfect storm, right? Like I think we've got multiple waves coming at us that have impacted. I think the pandemic pushed out those that were like, you know, I'm done. Like, like I'm good. I'm at the end of my career. I don't really want to do that. ⁓ a lot of hygienists are female and I think a lot of them realize they did not need two incomes anymore. And so it's like, you know, I want to be with my kids. I want to be home.   And then hygiene schools don't pump out a lot of hygienists and it's usually like a two year span. So yes, I have actually seen like hygiene is it really did, and then it clicked up. So the cost of hygienist has gone up astronomically. I mean, I think the highest I've seen of a hygienist being paid was 85 an hour. And to me, I was like, at that point, that was up in ⁓ it was up in Washington, up by Bellevue, Mount Vernon, that area. And I literally saw the the posting for 85 plus a a bonus, and I was like,   Screw that at that point. Like in all respect to hygienists, I'm gonna hire a dentist for that cost. Like I truly will. And that's not being disrespectful. It's just like a dentist is a more multifaceted. I understand they are not great hygienists, but if I have to and I'm gonna be putting this number up, like we've got to get to a space where it does work. So yes, I do. However, there are more hygienists coming onto the market. I still know that this is one of the hardest things, but ⁓ I have a practice that's out in Maui, rough life, huh, Howard? I get to fly to Maui to go do work, like.   You know, shout out to that office. ⁓ but what we found is we were able to find a way to get the hygienist to be paid exponentially higher by doing assisted hygiene. And so I think I'm seeing people innovate. I think I'm watching them create. I think I'm seeing people do some more outsourced costs in the front office. And so they're able to then offset the costs of the clinical team. ⁓ I think that people are just getting innovative and creative. And what I want to highlight is while this feels annoying, this is also business. And if we don't innovate and if we don't continue to evolve,   We actually decay and decline as an as an organization and as an industry. And so I know it's annoying and I absolutely empathize. And you're right. Like for me on our payroll, we're at 30%. Like I've had that as our metric for our clients for the last five years because payroll costs have gone up. But I'm like, but just because they've gone up, like let's look at several other industries. I mean, we're not here to like love on or hate on McDonald's, but I'm like, they have kiosks. They figured it out.   I checked in at a hotel in downtown San Francisco. There was no person there when I checked in. It was literally a person on Zoom just like this. I clicked in, they said hello to me. They took my information, but they didn't have to have a physical body in the office. And I think with AI and technology, dentistry is going to evolve, but I think the art and the care of patients does not need to evolve. And so, like, let's put our dollars where that matters and let's be able to look and innovate in other ways that keep our costs low. ⁓ I still think dentistry, I mean, why is there a one percent default rate on loans? Like,   Banks are still lending. We had the first down year of DSOs last year and the first uptick of private practice last year. And so when I look at these things, like it is still a great business to be in, even though labor costs, like, guys, again, it's just another flavor of business. So like let's figure out how to innovate. Let's figure out how to do it. And like, yes, I'm gonna pay for great people. I see team members as assets, not liabilities. And I'm gonna cut and chop on other areas that I can, but I'm also gonna be smart with my labor costs and make sure each person hitting their KPIs, they've got numbers that they're driving.   We are running this as an efficient business while like loving and taking care of our patients at the same time. I'm glad you mentioned bank loans because it's less than one percent default rate. Yes. All the defaults have the same thing in common. They all had their license taken away. Right. Always. And and if it's for drugs or alcohol, they now treat that as a medical disease. And the dentists still say, Screw you, I'm not gonna quit doing biking. And then they run south of the border. And that's why whenever you find a dentist down there that looks like me.   They're running for free Vicada. They they they said I'm not peeing any. So unless you, you know, do something just horrible. I mean, and you know, you have you have to get your it licensed in your way. But I w I wanna tell you about you know, there's just so many other things that you can focus on besides labor, like increasing their productivity. ⁓ I know dental offices. you can get a full if you pay a dentist in the Philippines five dollars an hour.   You get the best dentists in the Philippines. And I and there's dental offices that with Zoom and things like that are doing all their insurance and their claims and all that stuff. I mean, ⁓ so the with with with ⁓ with the internet, I mean you can literally have someone ⁓ be at the front desk ⁓ on a on a kiosk that's actually a dentist from the Philippines from five dollars an hour who when he's not busy can be calling your insurance companies all that. I I want to ask you another thing that's really hot on Dentaltown.   today. Everybody keeps talking about these dental insurance EFTs versus virtual credit cards. but basically everybody's reporting that major dental companies like even Delta are gonna stop sending paper checks and you gotta do it all electronic. And I guess that that electronic could be free, but it could be you know it could be another three and a half or three percent credit card fee on all your claims. Or what or what are your thoughts on all that? I'm hard on that   I have and I'm a hard no on the credit cards. Like, why? Why are you doing that? EFTs are so fast. Like there's absolutely no reason to be paying this. Explain to my home. A lot of them don't even know what a EFT. Mo I I bet 80% of the the dentists listen don't even know what we're talking about. Will you explain it? Will you explain it like I just graduated from dental school eight minutes ago? Of course. Well, I think that this is also where going back a little bit where you said, like, do dentists need to know the business? To me.   You don't even have to know that much, but I want to just challenge you that if you're getting a three, three and a half percent cut on your payments for quote unquote ease, that's a real big hit. And I would just challenge you to think about like for what and why. And so coming in, there's different ways the insurances are going to pay you. So they're gonna pay you via paper check, they're gonna pay you via EFT, which is a electronic fund transfer, or they've got this new thing where they're gonna pay you via credit card. And like honestly, to me, the credit card is so scammy.   And I've talked to so many people and like educate me, like, why would anybody do this? Like, I cannot comprehend. Like, I'm already taking a cut on insurance as is. Like, thank you for my marketing fee to be an insurance. Like, that's how I view that that write-off. Like, I know you hate it, but you're also gonna, you're either gonna have to do that, or you're gonna have to pay for marketing to bring in fee for service patients. So, like, again, let's just think about that. But I'm like, so I've already got a cut there, but I'm then gonna take another hit in addition to that for a credit card ease.   So as we're talking about that electronic fund transfers, they deposit straight into your bank account. The reason that some offices don't care for electronic fund transfers is because like trying to match it up is a like it kind of dumps and chunks into your bank account. So all you need to do is help your team members. Like there's ways that you can have it where it automatically emails your team when that comes through. So then they can go online and they can find out what the EFT was, so then they can balance and like enter it in.   I do think dentistry software is so dated because what happens is when we get paid from the insurance company, we get either like it's called an EOB, it's an explanation of benefits, and it's like batch checks. So when they dump this money to you, Delta's gonna give me like 20 grand. But like, who do I allocate that 20 grand to of all these patients? So that's I think where some people have like, well, electronic funds are so annoying and this and that. But I'm like, they're very quick, they're very fast, they're a lot safer than paper checks. Paper checks people do get embezzled on.   That I literally see no reason. Like, I don't care if you get it like one day sooner with a credit card, you are paying a huge hefty fee on that unnecessarily when electronic fund transfers are pretty much just as fast. Like maybe a like smidgey of a delay. But to me, that's a that's a very worthwhile smidgey of a delay. Because you're getting your payments so much faster. And as long as you're staying on top of it, you should still be able to maintain a 98% collections rate, even if you do checks or if you do electronic fund transfers. It just is so.   So dumb. I've yet to see a reason. But to me, I'm like insurances are so smart because it's just another way for them to take a chip out of what they're paying you and to have it come back to them. So again, think of the motive as to why they're offering. These people are not dumb. Those insurance companies, if you've ever gone to a business who's the biggest building in the entire city, it's your insurance companies. They're not dumb businesses. And I think we need to be smarter business owners that out think that. They always but Delta always says, we're   Yeah, so is Rolex Watch. Rolex Watch is a non profit. And and some of the CEOs of some of the anyway, we won't go there. But ⁓ yeah, ⁓ so what other ⁓ besides you know, when when someone tells me about their overhead, I tell them, look, I can't call the government and have my tax rate lowered. I can't call the nuclear power plant SRP or APS and tell them to lower my electric bill. I mean, something I i if the hygienists can   Wants a dollar an hour and if I say no, I'll give you 75 cents and she can go get a dollar across the street. I mean the market sets many, many prices. So the only way to fight that back is to ⁓ increase your productivity. You know, I mean if if if you have a dollar in labor and they do a dollar in dentistry, your overhead is a hundred percent. But if your dollar in overhead can do two dollars in dentistry, now it's down to fifty percent. So how so ⁓ are there other   ⁓ hidden gaps that are quietly draining profitability, or has it just come down to production? Or is it both I like I'm so glad you brought this up because I think like it's so easy to sit here and say, like, dentistry's not profitable. But I'm like, go find me another business that has a one percent fell rate that usually can run twenty to thirty percent profit margins if you run a business right. And this is not just Kiera sitting here fluff. This is like I got real clients running at these margins consistently. They've got large practices, small practices.   And so when I look at this and I'm like, okay, how do we make this more efficient? A lot of people want to go to the first thing of like, let's cut insurances. And I'm like, yay, pop the confetti, but be real smart. Because again, you're gonna then increase marketing fees, you're gonna lose a lot of your patient base. Like, let's just think through the ramifications. And so there's lots of different ways that we can increase productivity and not have to go for the cut. So I look at three levers that I found that can increase a practice. So one is we can increase our production. We're talking net production, not gross, like please feed your family, not your ego. So that's number one.   Number two is what's your collection percentage? Cause half the time doctors feel like they're broke and they don't have money, but your money's sitting in AR, which is your aging reports or your accounts receivable. We're not collecting the money and we don't have a good billing process. We got to get our collections up to 98%. And then the third thing is like we cut costs. And so looking at that, a lot of people want to go to just cut costs. I'm like, but in dentistry, let's break it down. If I want to add 10 grand more to my practice.   I love to help teams. Most offices are working four days a week. So if we're wanting to add 10 grand to a practice, working four days a week, let's do 10,000 and we're working 16 days a month. That's an extra six twenty-five a day. Well, how can we make six twenty-five in a dental practice? Let's think about our fluoride applications. Let's think about FMXs. Like I'm just talking, this is your lowest hanging fruit for you. Let's talk about could we add one or two fillings? Could we add like same-day dentistry, which is going to make more raving fans for our patients? There is so much ease in there.   Now, to increase our production, we can also look at our case acceptance. Doctors have so much case acceptance. And also, what are we diagnosing? I'm like, doctors, if you want to be producing 100 grand a month, the statistics are you need to be diagnosing three times that amount. And then we need to make sure our treatment coordinators are really good at diagnosing explaining treatment to them. They're not diagnosing, but they're explaining the treatment. They're presenting it in a way. We're not using insurance as our main driver. We're using it as like a coupon. And then we're really good at our follow through and our follow up.   Gotta have a right person, right seat in your treatment coordinator seat that's obsessive with hitting the right goals. And so there's like so many little ways. Like you can in I have added block scheduling, which I know is like a consultant's number one favorite thing to talk about, but like make it really make sense and easy for your team. I've added a million to a practice with no extra days, no extra work. We literally are just being more strategic with how we schedule. And so there's just so many little ways that I want dentists to realize like,   To me, I get really excited. This is where I geek out as a consultant. I geek out and I love to help that is because I'm like, how can I like squeeze more juice from the lemon you're already in? Like, let's just make more lemonade. Let's figure out ways to do it. And then let's make sure our costs are effective. So we teach your teams how to look at the business as a business. We teach each team member about their one KPI that's really going to drive it forward. We help them track. I just did this with an office manager this week and she's so lit up to look at her numbers, to look at her metrics, to see how she can do it.   And when they start to see how they can click it through, it's not you trying to push and drive more money. Like doctors, I tell everybody, every team member, you want your doctor to be so freaking profitable. Because if they're profitable and they're like they're secure, your life is so much better. So like I'm like dentists, we got to get you profitable, we to get the cash flow, we got to get you less stressed because you're gonna be a better dentist and a better business owner. But how are there's so many little easy ways where it's just low-hanging   Typically I'm able to add 10 to 30% of production in usually 90 days to an office, like very consistently with just small little reps, no real extra work. How are we doing our exams? Are we being directive in our treatment planning? Are we using like, okay, next visit I want to see you for this? And when do I want to see you back? And how much time is this going to take? Like, let's break down the barriers of treatment planning. There's so many little simple things that if you just implement, you can be very profitable very easily.   And then look at your P L. If you're not looking at your P and L every single week or month, like just being aware, getting into the language of business, that's also gonna help you too. So yes, cut. ⁓ but I found that it's always a lot easier to make sure our collections match, our production matches, and we use those little low hanging fruits. ⁓ and it's there. Like dentistry is such a magical, like, like it's a great lemon tree. You can make a lot of lemonade out of a dental practice. I want you to tell me if I'm right or wrong or or   I think I think there's two threes to double your price. Number one, if three people call your front desk, one is going to come in because they're smart and they need to they know they need to get their teeth clean. One isn't gonna come in for anything and you can hear them vaping and smoking and drinking beer and eating Cheetos on the call. But one out of three needs a little extra push. And if you train the person answering the phone, they can close that one out of three. And if they do, they doubled your practice. Then when they get in, you still got the now you got three people in chair.   One's gonna do what you say because you're a doctor and they've done their their author search and and you say they got a cavity, they're not gonna argue with you. One's not gonna do anything. In fact, in fact in fact I was like I had about a dozen patients that in the middle of my treatment plan, they asked me if they could just take a cigarette break ⁓ from my presentation and they went outside, had a cigarette, came back. They're gonna do it. But the other one in three needs some some closing skills. And so if you if you can close on the phone   You doubled your practice. You you got two butts in instead of instead of one. And if you fix your treatment plan presentation, you're gonna do two cases at one. And I think it's so funny now because the dentists have never let their hygienist or assistant, let alone receptionist, do any diagnosing treatment plan. But now AI, Pearl, and Overjet diagnosing all the cavities. So you wouldn't let your hygienist while she's in there for an hour.   Diagnose and treatment plan and sell the dentistry, the assistant while they're taking FMX, they they can't point out, yeah, see, that's a cavity, you don't need a filling and a root now. yeah, they couldn't do it because they were humans. But now Pearl and Overjeck can do it all day long and you're good with that. I mean, so so what how do you how do you double the close rate from one out of three to two out of three on the phone? How do you double the treatment plan acceptance rate from one to two out of three? Yeah. Do you do you agree those are possible goals?   Absolutely, Howard. I think again, this is the low hanging fruit that people are like, but that feels so hard. And I'm like, choose your hard. Like, is it harder to spend a little time with a front office and train them how to do this? Is it a little like, or is it harder to be cash flow negative? Like you choose what's your hard to me? Absolutely. Let's go after that. And I agree with you. Like teaching a team to preheat an oven, I call it what would doctor do. And so like, let's train our hygienist.   Like I tell all hygienists, doctor should be the second opinion, not the first opinion. And you got Pearl and you got Overjet. And so just spending a little bit of time with your team. So what we typically do for case acceptance, like let's go hit that one quick and then we'll talk about scheduling. Is I'm really big on let's get the whole team where we're talking the same language. So we recommend, like, what would doctor do? I recommend you run this over the course of six weeks, is typically how long it takes, anywhere from six weeks to maybe three months.   but we're gonna sit there and we're literally going to go through. We're gonna pull up an FMX. We're gonna do it one day over lunch. Hygienists, doctors, and if you want front office and dental assistance, rock on. But really, I want my like people that are seeing the bulk of my patients with doctor and hygiene. We're gonna look there and I want all of our hygienists to start like if we have an FMX up there and the interaurals, what is doctor going to recommend and how is doctor gonna talk about it? We're not just gonna sit here and have a nice little chit-chat. We're each gonna write it down because I wanna make sure every hygienist starts to get very, very comfortable. And the goal that I tell all hygienists is   Your goal should be at the end of this, what would doctor do training over six weeks? And if doctors are really consistent with it, I'm like six weeks of training to be able to double your practice and increase your case acceptance to me is a very good use of my time. So if I can do that, doctors and hygienists, you should be able to have 95% accuracy with your doctors at the end of this. And they do it. So hygienists get really lit up and they get very excited about it because now they're able to preheat the oven. They're able to talk to patients about it, use Pearl, use Overjet.   And then doctors, when they tee it up to you, and I say like hygienist, you've got to be the ones who first like introduce it, talk about it with the doctor as soon as they come in, but be real quick. So we introduce the patient, we compliment the patient on something, we recap the treatment that's discussed and we say something personal. Hygienist, you do that, your doctor exams will be much shorter for you and doctors will love it because it's very quick. If we can get that dialed in, and then doctors, you have a very like confirm the treatment.   then recommend exactly what needs to happen. And then we take that same baton up to the front office and front office, we schedule first. We then present the treatment. We use insurance secondary. I'm never leading with insurance. You do these little items which seem like, ⁓ no, that's like very quick, easy things. You're going to rapidly be able to help those ones. And then I do a two two two follow-up. So if they did not close for me and I'm going to go through it and I'm going to work through and I'm going to track all the people that didn't say yes to me and all the people that did say yes to me.   I'm gonna look for patterns. What are people saying yes? Like those are easy ones. Those are the gimme's. Those are the easy patients that Howard said. I'm looking for the people that say no and what's my pattern in there? And how do I change my verbiage? Because treatment planning is 80% psychology, 20% skill. So like what are you thinking? How are we presenting it? What are the words we're saying? One or two little changes usually will close that. What are the patterns and how can I get that number up higher? And I follow up with them in two days, two weeks, two months to make sure that they don't follow off.   People are like, Kiera, you really make your treatment coordinator do that? And like, yeah, I was your treatment coordinator that closed $50,000 same day. And this is exactly what I did. This is how I've trained co offices across the nation to do it. You just have these simple little things that help them out. And then you flip over to our scheduling. Like, I think scheduling's easy, Howard. I genuinely do. I'm like, half of it is just be nice. Like you got the COVID crank, and so many people are so grumpy and so like.   Annoyed when they pick up the phone, then I'm like, you can already leap your ahead by just being nice and being excited to welcome a patient. Then take like charge of that conversation. So let's take the ownership of that conversation. If someone's Do you take my insurance? I'm going to quickly redirect and say, my gosh, how did you hear about us? I'm going to answer that, but I want to find out how did they hear about us? If it's our Google reviews, if it's a referral, if it's somewhere else, I want to like say, my gosh, you're so lucky to be here.   We love our patients. We love our reviews. I can't wait for you to be a great raving fan too. let's talk about this. I can everything can be overcome. Please do not let being out of network stop people. It's a thousand dollar coupon and we're turning people away over that. No, no, no. We are better than that. And if we are the best dentist, they need to be coming to us. We need to win these patients over, make them feel so loved. Let's get them scheduled. Let's make this a great experience for them. Let's make them feel so excited. I did it with PT called like six offices.   And the office I chose, like so many people were annoyed I was calling. Can I put you on hold? Can I do this? And I was like, no one really wants my business. If you're just nice and you take control of that conversation, you can easily turn and transform your practice. So hopefully that was like not too much. I like I love these things. I love training treatment planning. I love training how to like take control of a phone call. I love helping teams overcome those little simple objections because it's very, very simple things.   that make massive leaps and bounds of change. And it's a great way to double your practice very easily, like you said.   The Dental A Team (36:13) All right, Dental A Team listeners, that was the guest interview that I absolutely loved. And I hope that if there was one idea that stood out to you, don't just agree with it, but actually go implement it this week. And if you need help setting this up in your practice or you need help just navigating or need a friend, head on over to TheDentalATeam.com and I'll be able to help you guys out. Click on the book of call or any way that we can support and serve you. That's what we're here for. That's what we're obsessed with. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.

A new study may help improve cleanup strategies for groundwater and sediment contaminated with persistent chlorinated organic pollutants. Funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program, researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore County used modeling tools to better understand and optimize their cleanup technology that combines pollutant-degrading bacteria with an activated carbon sorbent, called bioaugmented sorbents.

This Progress in Research webinar series, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP), showcases research from 6 schools funded by SRP in 2025. These awards were made as part of the P42 grant solicitation RFA-ES-20-014. In the two-part series, awardees will highlight their research projects, accomplishments, and next steps. The newly funded centers, including Oregon State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California, are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to tackle complex problems related to hazardous substances. The Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center is driven to identify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment, to characterize their toxicity, and to specify the environmental concentrations at which they pose no threat to human health. The OSU SRP Center studies the composition of complex PAH mixtures, the changes in composition after remediation and natural attenuation, and the implications of PAH mixtures for human health. The University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill SRP Center addresses serious public health challenges faced by communities in North Carolina and across the nation related to inorganic arsenic (iAs). The UNC-Chapel Hill SRP Center is working to identify these factors that would facilitate the development of novel solutions/interventions to reduce the prevalence of iAs-associated diabetes, as well as other diseases associated with iAs exposure. The University of Southern California (USC) SRP Center works to develop problem-based, solution-oriented scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to address the issue of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water contamination in Superfund and other sites. The USC SRP Center has the goal of specifically addressing PFAS in relation to their effects on liver disease and addressing urgent concerns regarding water quality and human health in populations affected by PFAS exposures and Superfund sites. To learn about and register for the other session in this webinar series, please see the SRP website. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRPPIR26_060126/

This Progress in Research webinar series, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP), showcases research from 6 schools funded by SRP in 2025. These awards were made as part of the P42 grant solicitation RFA-ES-20-014. In the two-part series, awardees will highlight their research projects, accomplishments, and next steps. The newly funded centers, including Oregon State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California, are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to tackle complex problems related to hazardous substances. The Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center is driven to identify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment, to characterize their toxicity, and to specify the environmental concentrations at which they pose no threat to human health. The OSU SRP Center studies the composition of complex PAH mixtures, the changes in composition after remediation and natural attenuation, and the implications of PAH mixtures for human health. The University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill SRP Center addresses serious public health challenges faced by communities in North Carolina and across the nation related to inorganic arsenic (iAs). The UNC-Chapel Hill SRP Center is working to identify these factors that would facilitate the development of novel solutions/interventions to reduce the prevalence of iAs-associated diabetes, as well as other diseases associated with iAs exposure. The University of Southern California (USC) SRP Center works to develop problem-based, solution-oriented scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to address the issue of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water contamination in Superfund and other sites. The USC SRP Center has the goal of specifically addressing PFAS in relation to their effects on liver disease and addressing urgent concerns regarding water quality and human health in populations affected by PFAS exposures and Superfund sites. To learn about and register for the other session in this webinar series, please see the SRP website. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRPPIR26_060126/

Dr. Beckett continues his hobby “education” series by using a gifted 25-26 Upper Deck SPX Hockey box (3 cards per pack, 8 packs, ~$150 SRP; 20 boxes per case) to explain how collectors are really buying probabilities and should evaluate true scarcity and expected value rather than relying on luck. He estimates production by totaling serial-numbered parallels across a 165-card set (roughly 50,000 serial-numbered cards implying about 50,000 boxes, or ~2,500 cases) and shows how even a hypothetical $1,000,000 card would add only about $20 to a box's expected value at 1-in-50,000 odds; similarly, 165 one-of-ones are extremely unlikely to hit. He discusses non-serial “gold” and “silver” parallels, arguing serial numbers could change perception, compares buying sealed product vs singles, and notes David Adams' discounted random-team breaks versus case pricing, plus grading backlogs and volatility that reward informed, math-savvy decisions.   01:05 Box Basics and Pricing 01:40 Buying Probabilities Not Cards 03:37 Estimating Print Run 04:47 Expected Value Reality Check 06:28 One of Ones Math 07:19 Gold and Silver Scarcity 08:31 Buy the Product 09:23 Breaks Versus Cases 10:45 Volatile Prices and Grading      

Alan Ashby, senior director of Americas data center presales and specialty sales at Dell. Today’s episode of In The Channel comes to you from the floor of Dell Technologies World 2026, where the expansion of the Dell AI Factory has been dominating the headlines. But what does that mean for partners who aren’t selling multi-million dollar deployments to the Fortune 500? To find out, we sat down with Alan Ashby, senior director of Americas data center presales and specialty sales at Dell. Ashby breaks down the practical realities of the AI infrastructure boom, explaining how partners can start small by deploying “AI supercomputers” like the Dell Pro Max GB10 directly to SMB desktops to unlock local, highly secure agentic AI workflows. We also dive into the economics of on-prem AI versus the public cloud, how partners can help customers escape “prototype purgatory” by narrowing their focus, and the massive opportunity remaining in traditional data center modernization—including the staggering claim that Dell’s new 18G platforms can consolidate 13 legacy servers into one. We also touch on how Dell is leveraging its Customer Solution Centers to help partners de-risk these complex deployments before the customer signs the PO. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In the Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel community for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca and your host for the show. We’re coming to you today from the floor of Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas where the expansion of the Dell AI Factory and new agentic AI capabilities have completely dominated the Day 1 headlines. But as we know, the keynote hype doesn’t always translate immediately to the loading dock. To understand how partners are supposed to actually size, architect, and sell these new AI infrastructure solutions, I sat down with Alan Ashby. He’s the senior director of Americas Data Center pre-sales and specialty sales at Dell. We dig into the economics of on-prem AI versus the public cloud, how partners can get mid-market customers started with an AI supercomputer right at their desk, and why the traditional data center refresh is still a massive and highly lucrative play for the channel. Let’s get right into it. My chat with Alan Ashby. Alan, thanks for taking the time. Appreciate it. Alan Ashby: Absolutely. Thanks for having us. Robert Dutt: Americas Data Center pre-sales and specialty sales. That’s a broad title. A lot of ground to cover there. To set the stage for MSPs, solution providers, folks listening to this, what can you tell me about what your team actually does kind of day-to-day when it comes to working with partners around infrastructure and AI solutions? Alan Ashby: Yeah, absolutely. So we’ve got a handful of folks that, you know, we’re aligned and dedicated to the partner ecosystem focused across the Americas. We have a couple of primary roles. So from a pre-sales perspective, helping support our partners from a technical enablement, understanding our product portfolio, understanding how to position the products correctly, both amongst the portfolio itself, but also kind of competitively in the marketplace. We also run what we call a technical account plan with our partners. So, you know, supporting them on their certifications, their enablement motions, etc. And then we also run what we have a program we call Heroes for our partners. So Heroes is our foundational enablement motion for partners. We run in the Americas somewhere between 15 and 30 regional face-to-face sessions every single quarter. Those we’d love to see partners participate in, try to do them all over the country. And those are deep dive sessions, you know, going through products and roadmaps and futures and how to position products, etc. And, you know, those have been an enablement motion for the last several years and been incredibly successful. Robert Dutt: All right. We’re hearing a lot this week, obviously, about the expansion of Dell AI Factory and the idea of bringing AI on-premise to the edge, closer to the enterprise itself. And from an infrastructure perspective, you’ve got PowerRack, the pitch there being you go to live customer workloads from kind of the box to deployed in six hours and change. For a partner who’s trying to sell into the mid-market or the enterprise, you know, how does that kind of speed of value fundamentally change the conversation that they’re having with their customer, whether that’s the CEO, CIO, or the business leader? Alan Ashby: Yeah, I don’t think there’s been a more exciting time for our partners with what the market’s putting out there for us. You know, when we look at, you know, you mentioned the mid-market space, I actually think there’s a massive opportunity for partners to go support those customers, especially with some of the agentic workflow processes that we announced today with some of the platforms. You know, it may not be those 100 million, 200 million dollar opportunities, but almost every single small business and medium business, you know, you start with maybe a product like the Dell Pro Max GB10, and you start there and you start building out that agentic workflows, you know, building out automated dashboards with AI assistance built into it. You know, a lot of great things that a partner could go deliver that everybody can see value in. Sometimes in that mid-market space and small business space, it’s easier to get started on some of these agentic flows because they don’t have data that’s kind of messy. They don’t have legacy debt from a data center infrastructure perspective. And then from a larger enterprise or commercial customer, you know, we have seen a number of very good successes across our partner ecosystem with delivering services and value to our customer sets collectively, you know, to help customers really try to find value through their AI journeys. Understanding and identifying key use cases or workloads that they think they can get value out of it, understanding the infrastructure, the architecture that’s designing it right. You know, early days, you know, we had a lot of times where, you know, customers and partners struggle with just, you know, how do we deploy this thing because power and cooling needs are maybe bigger than what I was expecting and, you know, managing through that challenge. So partners have a phenomenal opportunity, I think, to help provide that value to our customers collectively together. You know, every one of our partners, they bring a unique skill set and differentiators on their own to the marketplace and help support those customers to that kind of their own journeys together. Robert Dutt: What is that infrastructure pitch down to that, especially that mid-market or even SMB customer? In the past, there was interest in doing it, I think often they would end up, if they were going to do it, doing it on public cloud, because the alternative was a big old infrastructure solution that doesn’t really fit them, unless maybe a partner can bring it on and kind of do a multi-tenant kind of situation there. But where are we at in terms of having right-fit infrastructure to make that work? Alan Ashby: Yeah, I think, you know, even the stuff that we announced today on stage, you know, products we announced at GTC, I think really helped kind of build out that situation and story for a small customer to be able to scale. You think about going back to the Dell Pro Max GB10, you know, you can take that device and you can, you know, run a small business basically off that depending on the concurrent users and be able to move up from that to some of our Pro workstations all the way up to the GB300. You know, we can run a model as big as a trillion parameters, it’s kind of crazy what you can do on a desktop, you know, and that doesn’t require any unique power requirements, I can plug that into a normal outlet. And then I could scale into, you know, actual infrastructure depending on the size of what the need is. And that’s where I think there’s a lot of opportunity for partners to think through, you know, how do they help customers scale through that. And so we talked a lot today at the show around, you know, the economics of everything. And in the long term, it’s going to be very challenging economically to run things in a public cloud. Yeah, on-prem is going to be a massive opportunity. And the fact that Michael today even talked about things about running foundation models and open source models on-prem, you know, your data is fully secure, you manage it all yourself. You know, it’s a lot easier to think about how I actually, you know, pull and extract value out of those different solutions. Robert Dutt: Well, and that’s the pitch right for the desk-side agentic AI solution is the idea, I think that the number was 87% reduction in token cost and in terms of comparing the cost of acquiring, deploying, running the solution on-prem. I think the break-even was three months or something like that against running the same kind of solution in public cloud. Alan Ashby: Yeah, I think that’s where customers are challenged today is, you know, you can have a lot of different, you know, foundational models and, you know, some of the agentic tools that are out there today that are subscription-based, cloud-based. And you can run through usage real fast without getting a lot of value out of it. When you start thinking about deploying stuff on-prem, you know, you know exactly what your output per day could be, and you can scale accordingly. Robert Dutt: How does that change how a partner approaches both selling and thinking about running, maintaining that infrastructure as opposed to something that’s all outsourced to the cloud and has those significant question marks of cost attached? Alan Ashby: I think there’s a lot of stuff we’re still figuring out, to be honest. You know, I think a lot of partners are trying to understand that and every customer is going to be a little bit in a different spot in their journey. And I think, you know, that’s where some of our partner ecosystems have tremendous value to help meet them where they are and help them take that first or second step forward to try to be able to deliver overall value to the company. Robert Dutt: Do you see that kind of time to value, that reduction in overall costs being something that can get unstuck some of those classic cases of AI workloads that are getting put into prototype, into test phase, but never quite see the light of day, partially perhaps because of that economic headwind that you discover when you start trying to scale these things? Alan Ashby: I think there’s that. I also think sometimes some customers probably try to maybe bite off more than they can chew at one time. And I think when we start thinking about these AI use cases, sometimes we’ll talk with some customers and partners helping them through them. They have, you know, two, three dozen things they want to try to accomplish out of one solution or one opportunity. It’s how do we narrow that down a little bit to where we actually extract value out of that particular use case that you’re trying to drive value with. And we’ve seen some really great success with some of our partners being able to help, you know, negotiate and navigate partner customers through that journey. You know, I think it takes a skill set that’s unique, and we’re starting to see more and more of our partners, you know, invest in and put attention to building out dedicated AI practice teams, helping them understand the skill set. The market’s moving incredibly fast, unlike ever before. And so, you know, it takes somebody who has a real passionate interest and a lot of curiosity to understand how these things all work together and all the pieces fit together and how do you take advantage of everything as you go forward. Robert Dutt: How do you see the co-delivery model evolving over time as you say, things are moving fast. When it comes to deploying AI factories, I think we heard earlier that, you know, the model is sort of Dell handling deployment and management of the overall environment while partners are being asked to focus on the application, the vertical, those kinds of things. How do you see the role of the channel, I guess, especially professional services and advisory-type partners evolving? Alan Ashby: Yeah, I think that to your point, I think it’s evolving. And I think that, you know, there’s a lot of opportunities here from an educational services perspective, consulting services perspective, services for our partners, you know, very few customers, especially when you think about, you know, a traditional commercial customer, mid-market customer, know exactly what to do and what to do next. You know, they might have started a pilot out in the public cloud. And then they’re trying to figure out where to go from here. And like, there’s a lot of service opportunity for our partners there. When it comes from, you know, other deployment services, I think there’s opportunities there for our partners, you know, depending on the solutions. When you look at post-delivery of the product into the customer, I think that there’s even more opportunity for partners of how, once things are deployed and installed, what’s next? And how do you help customers really extract value out of the infrastructure they spent a lot of money on, and have pretty high expectations of the ROI and the benefits they get out of it? I think there’s a massive opportunity for partners to help those customers through that journey. I think there’s a big opportunity for partners to take a product like our GB10, GP300 products and say, how do I go show you how to build an agentic workflow on those systems that can deliver value for your customers? You know, those are all going to be partner-delivered opportunities. Robert Dutt: All right. It sounds like even though it’s relatively early in the process, we are at the point where some of those next steps are becoming clear then. Alan Ashby: Yeah, I would say so. I mean, the question is, how fast do things change? You know, and it’s one of those things like I look at the agentic opportunities, probably one of the biggest things that can bring value for our partners. We’re really looking for a partner ecosystem that has the skill sets to deliver those for customers. Robert Dutt: Speaking of things changing, moving from traditional virtualization workloads to AI is a pretty big shift in how you think about structure, infrastructure, especially around storage, IO, networking, GPUs, needless to say. How’s the pre-sales team helping partners to figure out what the right size is for these solutions, both for current state and future state, so that you’re not either over-provisioning or under-provisioning customers? Alan Ashby: That’s a great question, actually. I mean, we’ve done a lot of things internally at Dell to get better ourselves and have the right talent and resources to support the partner ecosystem. You know, we have teams that can help support partners, both from a sizing, scoping of the opportunity, all the way down to configuring and deploying that solution if the partner needs that help. We’re also trying to help up-level our partners to be able to do it on their own. It’s kind of self-service and building the tools to help them through that motion. A couple of years ago, we started launching AI workshops, the different skill sets to help up-level and help that motion for a lot of our partners. The partners that have participated in those have seen a lot more success than those that didn’t. We do those multiple times a quarter and encourage partners to participate through those motions. We have an AI workshop multiple times a quarter in North America, and we go through every step of the phase from how do you have a conversation with a customer all the way through, how do you narrow down use cases, to all the way to how do you actually develop, design, and build the systems for what you need. Robert Dutt: Along those same lines, but a little bit more customer-facing and kind of looking at the economics of it, AI projects carry a lot of financial and technical risk for CIOs. What resources are there, whether it’s proof of concept, technical validation, or specialty engineering teams that partners can tap in to kind of prove the math and de-risk a solution such as AI Factory for customers? Alan Ashby: Yeah, there’s a couple of them actually, and I encourage all partners to kind of look at the options. We have at Dell, we have what we call our Customer Solution Centers, and those Customer Solution Centers have the ability to be able to work with a pre-sales specialist, a pre-sales expert on various different solutions. We have data centers where partners can take advantage of and leverage to be able to do proof of concept for customers, proof of value with those folks, and that can vary from any size of the architecture, from small all the way up to very large, and help support them through that. Also encourage partners to reach out to their Dell teams and how do you take advantage of those CSC resources. It’s a very simple process, but work through Dell teams. Same thing would be to go spend time with us in our labs. We have a great lab up in the Hopkinton area where AI factories are manufactured and built, and love to take partners through that facility to be able to see what’s possible there. We have an AI lab down in Austin to help them through that as well. So there’s a lot of opportunities. I would say the other one is we have a lot of partners also building out their own capabilities, their own labs, and we’ve helped support them through that as well. I think that they’re providing some amazing value to their customers, being able to do their own POCs and demonstrations and whatever it might be to help support that customer throughout the process. Robert Dutt: AI obviously gets the big headlines because it’s the 2020s as it is. But customers still have traditional enterprise apps and aging infrastructure that is going to need a refresh. I guess, how does your team handle guiding partners around going after the new shiny thing, the big opportunity that’s out there versus the kind of day-to-day operational challenge of standard data center modernization and refresh? Alan Ashby: Yeah, it’s hard when they have two of these really big shiny objects out there that have a lot of potential value for customers, both with AI but also just traditional data center modernization. We’ve seen a really great success over the last year of helping customers, I would say, clean up the data center, think through what they’ve got today in there and how to modernize it and right-size everything. When you look at some of the things that we’ll announce here at the show, it’s pretty exciting, honestly. There’s some great announcements we had in the Day 1 keynote, Day 2 keynote will be just as exciting, more from an infrastructure perspective of things. I’m really excited what we’re doing just with traditional servers and we’ve seen a lot of great success by our partner ecosystem over the last several quarters with them going in and helping customers look at consolidation of those environments. Our 18G server platforms, which we’ll announce, can consolidate 13 legacy servers into one. That’s kind of crazy math when you think about that. It’s easy now to think about how do I help customers free up space and modernize things that makes it so AI is possible in their own data centers; consolidating racks in the servers is kind of a crazy concept. Then you think of how we’re looking at modernizing just traditional architecture with HCI architecture and the disaggregated architecture providing real value for customers with right-sizing, both compute capacity and storage capacity to be able to extract as much value as possible across the ecosystem of the portfolio. Robert Dutt: Along those lines, any other, I guess hidden opportunities for partners, things that maybe don’t get the big attention of the desk-side AI or PowerRack or some of those things, but still represent—sort of along the lines of the data center example you just gave—opportunities that are worth pursuing, that are worth looking at, but maybe not quite the highest profile? Alan Ashby: I mean, 100%. It’s easy to get excited with what we’re doing in AI. The market’s obviously kind of dictating a lot of that, but there’s a lot of opportunity, a lot of money to be made for our partners to be able to focus on classical data center architecture. We’ve got some great solutions. Our Dell Private Cloud is one that’s extremely exciting for partners, the opportunity to be able to help those customers through that process and think through that. I also am extremely excited with what we’re doing around the security front with our data protection portfolio, our PowerProtect product lines. Security is one that I think in the age of AI, we need to think through security differently. There’s some additional opportunities for partners to think about how do they provide those services, those extra value pieces to help make sure all of these customers are ready for what could be an AI security threat. Robert Dutt: I assume there’s a better together story to be told there between the hardware, the infrastructure, and the cyber protection. Alan Ashby: 100%. That’s one of the biggest values that we have at Dell. There’s inherent value between the products themselves being able to support each other differently, but also they have the large Dell value prop with the Dell supply chain, our security chain, how we build products. Everything provides value across the entire portfolio. Robert Dutt: What’s the single biggest misconception you see customers have around the idea of deploying on-prem AI in particular? Alan Ashby: That’s interesting. The big one I would say is where do I get started and how big do I need to get started? I think that we saw early days, a lot of customers thought initially you had to just get in line for supply on large GPU systems when you could run a lot of workloads, really interesting and exciting AI workloads on a server with a PCIe-based GPU, and now even more so with some of the other platforms with workstations or GB300, GB10. The biggest misconception is just thinking about how big I have to get started. I would encourage almost every executive, every leader of every company to start thinking differently about you probably should have an AI PC in your office and on your desk. You should have one of our, I always call it an AI supercomputer on your desk with the GB10. It’s about who’s going to be the most curious. There’s nothing that limits you from capabilities with what the models can do today. We really just need people to start using and playing and practicing and helping support the overall value to the customers and to our partners. Robert Dutt: It’s an interesting concept that a computer with a better NPU or GPU on board can unlock that curiosity towards AI and ultimately drag to infrastructure refresh down the road, I think. Alan Ashby: I think the key thing is you don’t have to be a coder. You don’t have to be a developer. Really today, anybody could be a developer. You could build your own application if you wanted to. You can build your own dashboards if you wanted to. You can run it 100% on-prem if you wanted to. You can use a coding assistant to help you manage through that. All you have to do is understand how to talk to it. How do you manage it like an individual and how do you manage it like an agent? It’s a secondary employee that helps you basically give you superpowers. Robert Dutt: If an MSP wants to get serious about the data center and AI with Dell, what’s the first step if they’re already in terms of certification, competency, that kind of thing that they should be looking at? Alan Ashby: Yeah, again, the portfolio is changing very quickly. I would say that table stakes obviously is having a good understanding of our compute platforms with what we’ve got put together with NVIDIA. That’d probably be step one. Step two would be thinking about what you can provide from a storage perspective and how you take advantage of both PowerScale and ObjectScale and all the way up through our lightning file systems, having good understanding how you can deploy that for your customers at scale. Then the other one would be how do you work closely with the Dell teams? That’s one of the things that is always encouraging for partners to think through is Dell has this incredibly large sales force that can help give them scale, give them opportunity. How do you share as a partner? How do you share your value back to the Dell teams? Make sure that they understand where you can be supportive of their customer experience. How do you work collaboratively with the Dell teams across the ecosystem? So forth. Tons of opportunity. We’re always looking for partners that have the right skill sets and the right capabilities. Our Dell teams want to bring them into customer accounts because we need their support. We need their help. Robert Dutt: Acknowledging this might be a wide range, what are some of those common threads that make for a good partner for you in terms of skill sets, areas of focus, that kind of thing? Alan Ashby: Yeah, I think it’s evolving over time. Today, I look at partners that have unique skill sets are incredibly important. Partners that have a competency across our portfolio. Table stakes of having competencies around our compute platform, our storage platforms, but then thinking even deeper, how do you have competency around some of our more isolated platforms like what we do in our unstructured storage space with PowerScale and ObjectScale and access scale that we announced today? Same thing with our data protection portfolio, our cyber resilience platforms, our SRP platforms, like partners that have deep technical specialty expertise in those areas, they’re always going to be needed and valued in our partner ecosystem. AI is one other area to differentiate a partner from, but there’s a lot of those opportunities. Even today with our Dell Private Cloud, I always tell partners that whenever you see a pivot change in our portfolio, like we did when we launched the Dell Private Cloud, this is an opportunity to differentiate yourself as a partner from other partners. To jump in early and be able to build the skill sets that our Dell team is looking for out of a partner to support their customers. Our Dell teams are always looking for those partners that can help lead the charge, especially from a technical perspective with the customers to validate the solution themselves to be able to provide that extensive value to the customer themselves. Robert Dutt: All right. Last one for me, without naming any names or with naming names, should you feel like doing so? What’s the most creative, unexpected, surprising use case for a Dell AI factory that you’ve seen a customer deploy thus far? Alan Ashby: Wow, that’s a hard one. I mean, there’s a lot of really interesting ones I’ve seen. I mean, early days, some of the ones I thought was some of the most exciting stuff that we did with Amarillo County in Texas. It’s a county that there’s a lot of languages natively spoken there and the community there needed to provide basically language services to a very large broad-based set of individuals in the community in their native tongue. And the Dell team worked closely with those folks to make that happen. All the way down there to where we got a number of partners helping small entities, both commercial and public entities, really think about how they can drive agentic workflows and some of the things that are dealing around that with dashboarding. Chat, agents, obviously is an easy one. And then helping customers through kind of how do you do code assist models. Those are probably the really big ones that we see from a use case perspective from our partners. Robert Dutt: No shortage of opportunities. Alan Ashby: Oh my gosh, it’s unbelievable how many there are today. Robert Dutt: Thank you for taking the time. Alan Ashby: Absolutely. This is great. Thank you. Robert Dutt: There you have it. Alan Ashby from Dell. I’d like to thank Alan for his time, carving out a few minutes for me amidst the chaos of day one here at DTW. My big takeaway from that conversation is that you don’t have to be deploying a multimillion dollar PowerRack system to get into the AI game with Dell right now. Between the new desktop workstations running localized agentic workflows and the massive 13 to one server consolidation plays they’re seeing in the traditional data center, there’s a very practical immediate path towards revenue here for partners in the mid market. I’d like to thank you as always for listening to the show. If you’re enjoying our coverage from Dell Technologies World, please do take a second and follow or subscribe in the podcast app of your choice. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your audio. And if you have a moment to leave a rating or review, always hugely appreciated. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for channelbuzz.ca and I’ll see you in the channel.

Send us Fan MailThe SRP election caught most Arizonans completely off guard, and then it became one of the most-watched utility board races in state history. What started as a sleepy, low-turnout local election turned into a four-times-higher-than-normal turnout event the moment Turning Point USA put its logo on candidate signs, and the fallout is still rippling through Arizona energy policy, water politics, and the 2026 election cycle.Chuck Coughlin is the CEO and President of HighGround Inc., Arizona's longest continuously operating public affairs firm. A five-time winner of Arizona's Best Political Operative award from the Arizona Capital Times, Chuck has run gubernatorial and congressional campaigns, worked alongside Senator John McCain, and has been a strategist and lobbyist for clients including the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, and the Salt River Project itself. If anyone can break down what actually happened and what it means, it is him.What you will learn in this episode:Why most Arizonans had never heard of an SRP election before this year, and why that changed overnightHow SRP's voting structure works, including the acreage-based system that traces back to 1903 federal lawWhy SRP territory residents have essentially no water insecurity, and how electricity revenue subsidizes that water supplyWhat actually separated the two slates, including the real policy debate over natural gas as a peak-power resourceHow Turning Point's logo on candidate signs triggered a partisan wave in a nonpartisan election and produced historic turnoutWhy the new board majority could create friction with SRP management and what that means for rate stabilityHow Arizona utilities are expected to double their generating capacity in the next decade to meet data center demandWhy SRP, APS, and Tucson Electric are all requiring data centers to sign base-load contracts so ratepayers are not on the hookThe key structural difference between SRP as a not-for-profit federal franchise and APS as a for-profit investor-owned utility regulated by the Arizona Corporation CommissionWhat Attorney General Kris Mayes taking on APS over rate increases could mean for Arizona consumersWhat the Project Blue data center fight in Tucson reveals about how communities can push back and winWhy Chuck believes open primaries are the only structural fix for a political system he sees as built to oppose rather than governConnect with Chuck Coughlin:Email: info@azhighground.com Facebook: facebook.com/AZHighGround LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/azhighground Instagram: instagram.com/azhighground

Send us a text and chime in!Mesa's 20th Annual Hydration Donation Campaign is underway to save more lives during Arizona's extreme heat season. The campaign has started and continues through Sept. 30 to help Mesa's most vulnerable residents. This morning's kickoff event at United Food Bank included cash donations totaling approximately ,000 from several businesses, including EdgeCore, Holder, DP Electric, SRP, and EdgeConnex. Walmart delivered a semi-truck filled with more than 46,000 bottles of water to United Food Bank's warehouse. Mesa's community partners are urging the public to help collect 500,000 bottles of water to assist people in need. This includes a target of ,000 in...   For the written story, read here >> https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/mesa-hydration-donation-campaign-aims-to-save-lives/ Check out the CAST11.com Website at: https://CAST11.com Follow the CAST11 Podcast Network on Facebook at: https://Facebook.com/CAST11AZFollow Cast11 Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cast11_podcast_network

QUOTES from the episode: "Utilities are no longer just incentive providers. They are becoming design partners." "High performance is not a luxury in affordable housing. It is a necessity for predictable living costs." "If you want this to scale, it starts with early coordination and shared goals."  In this episode of RESTalk, we head to Tempe, Arizona, where extreme heat, rising energy costs, and housing needs are converging, and where a standout project is redefining what ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction can look like in a hot, dry climate. Bill is joined by Rebecca Smout of Salt River Project (SRP), Joe Keeper of Copa Health, and Jacob Alvarez of Desert Skies Energy to unpack the story behind La Victoria Commons, an ENERGY STAR–certified multifamily development designed with both performance and people in mind. At the center of the conversation is a powerful idea: utilities are no longer just incentive providers; they are becoming design partners. Through early collaboration, flexible program design, and deep involvement from HERS® raters, this project demonstrates how technical rigor and cost awareness can coexist. The team walks through how early modeling, integrated design, and verification helped align multiple programs and certifications while still delivering a practical, buildable project. But the real impact shows up at the resident level. As Joe explains, high-performance construction is not just about energy savings; it is about creating predictable, manageable utility costs for families in affordable housing. Combined with transit access, EV infrastructure, and community services, La Victoria Commons becomes more than a development. It becomes a replicable blueprint for housing equity and market transformation in some of the most demanding climates in the country. Rebecca's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-smout-31a08644/ SRP: https://www.srpnet.com/   Jacob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-alvarez125/ Desert Skies: https://desertskiesenergy.com/   Joe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-keeper-183aa13ab/ https://copahealth.org/   LaVictoria Commons in the news: https://www.tempe.gov/Home/Components/News/News/18749/   To the RESNET® community, we hear you and want to engage. Learn more at www.RESNET.us. For more info on this topic, contact RESNET at INFO@RESNET.US  

People with higher lead exposure before birth may have lower cognitive function in late adulthood, according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. This finding was most significant for women exposed to lead during the second trimester.

The boys are back from their post-Super Round haze and geez there's a bit to unpack here with less than a month to SRP finals.Two Aussie derbies in Round 12 meant a double-points weekend for Reds and Force fans while the Tahs are on thin ice and the Brums look shaky in sixth.Are any Aussies a genuine chance come finals or will we be making up numbers?On a cheerier note, Super Round was a blast and we cannot recommend it highly enough - our full breakdown + tips for 2027 and beyond!Also floating around - ANZAC Day Test rugby, Wallaroos wobbles and a few U20 sneak peeks - tune in for the whole kit and caboodle. Patreon - https://patreon.com/ScrumbagsRugbyWallaby Shop - https://wallaby.sjv.io/WyRyVGLinktree - https://linktr.ee/Scrumbags_rugbyInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/scrumbagsrugby/Twitter/X - @scrumbagsrugby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Released in February 2026, the King of Kentucky Small Batch is a premium, limited-release bourbon from Brown-Forman, featuring a blend of 12-to-18-year-old barrels. The 2026 series introduced three distinct batches (105, 107.5, and 110 proof) with a $299 SRP. It offers12-year aged, high-proof, complex flavors with a 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley mash bill. Cheers!

Dr. Beckett discusses what collectors call “cash grabs” in the sports card hobby and why the term is subjective, often depending on whether something feels gimmicky, low-effort, or overpriced versus a real innovation. He contrasts short-term profit plays with building long-term trust, argues that profitable companies should reinvest, and cites examples such as Fanatics debut patches, Topps Now, PSA upcharges, LCS pricing above SRP based on replacement cost, and even stadium concessions as “captive audience” pricing. Beckett emphasizes market forces, reputation, and consumer choice—buy, boycott, grade elsewhere, or not at all—while warning against judging intent too quickly and noting that sustained customer resistance and competition can correct pricing and product excesses.   00:54 Defining Cash Grab 03:29 Pricing Power And Ethics 05:05 Reputation And Bad Actors 05:55 Who Sets Fair Price 08:04 LCS Pricing And Comps 09:58 Expected Value And SRP 10:56 PSA Upcharges And Fees 11:58 Optimizing Not Maximizing    

Dental peeps, this one is super personal… what happens when oral care is overlooked in cancer patients? We see these patients in our ops, but what happens when that patient is your Dad? My dad... My patient In this episode of the Tooth or Dare Podcast, I share the story of my father's battle with cancer and the parts of care that too often get missed. It began with the kind of phone call no one is ever ready for: “Your dad is coughing blood.” While I'm elbow deep in a 6mm pocket during an SRP.  From that moment on, life changed quickly. Emergency visits. Hospital admissions. A diagnosis that had likely been developing quietly for some time. The truth is, many lung cancers are not found until they are already advanced. But this episode is about more than the diagnosis and the outcome being tragic. It is also about something rarely talked about enough: oral health during cancer treatment. What I learned, what we created and how I shared it with the folks at the Cancer Center. If you want the same download, you can grab it here: Oral Cancer Products Digital Download from Toothlife.ca   We discuss: ⚪ How life can change in a single moment ⚪ Warning signs that were easy to dismiss: chronic headaches, rapid weight loss, persistent coughing ⚪ The emotional reality of watching a parent go through cancer ⚪ My memories of my dad: motorcycle rides, soccer, scuba diving, and the bond we shared. #1 dental dad.  ⚪ How families can be close, yet still silent about health concerns ⚪ What hospitals commonly recommend for oral care during treatment ⚪ Why “rinse with baking soda four times a day” is not enough   Clinical + real-world insight: ⚪ A firsthand look at how oral health can be overlooked in hospital settings ⚪ The absence of dental professionals on many cancer care teams ⚪ Four separate hospital admissions within 4 months and oral hygiene was never meaningfully addressed ⚪ The effects of radiation and cancer treatment can have on the mouth ⚪ Why preventive oral care should be part of treatment planning from day one At its core, this is not a story about my loss. It is a call to do better, and perhaps for us dental people who have not seen this journey firsthand to trust me and talk about this with our patients and teams.  Oral health is connected to overall health. Always has been, not new news to us, but to the folks at the hospital, I was speaking gibberish, apparently.   And when that connection is ignored in critical care, patients feel the consequences even if they don't know it. Increased risks of infections, lower immune response... the list goes on, and we discuss that here.  A simple takeaway: Awareness → Advocacy → Integration   Because patients deserve complete care, and that includes the mouth, too.  If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment. Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️

Dental A-Team is all about case acceptance. In this episode, Kiera shares how a practice can double its case acceptance in one month (or even one day! She has receipts!). She gives five tactical tips practices can apply today to refine that acceptance and start upping that percentage of "yes." Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent- Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today is a great day. I hope that you're loving it and I hope that you remember just as a quick little motivational thought for you that what's right is just as available as what's wrong. And I think so often we're looking at what's wrong in my life and why isn't this working versus thinking what's going well, what's right in the world, what's what's and I'm not saying to   belittle, miss sunshine and not see all the things that are really going on. But I do think that what we focus on, we attract and we achieve more of. so practices that are high performing practices that really have great cultures, they're looking for what's right in this world. They're looking for the good, the positive, they're building that. But that does not mean that they're not seeing the things that need to be impacted and fixed. And so I just really want you to, to think about that today as we as we tackle a fun topic, and that's about case acceptance. And if you know me, you know that I'm obsessed about case acceptance and   Today we're gonna go through how to double your case acceptance in 30 days or even just one day. And it's really true. I've done this multiple times. We've taken practices from 50 % case acceptance to 100 % in one day. I have some practices, they know who they are, they listen to the podcast, shout out to them, where we coach their treatment coordinators. And we've been doing this for several years and we've added multiple millions to their practices. We're not quite to the billions, no pressure team. I know you guys like a good challenge, ⁓ but genuinely, and it's through helping.   just people have better lives. And I think about case acceptance and people are like, but you know, case acceptance, Kiera, it's about like money or it's this objection. And I just want to say that realistically, most treatment coordinators, what happens is we accidentally plant weeds in our flower gardens, aka objections in our case acceptance, unintentionally. And I can have the exact same patient, exact same scenario, different treatment coordinator, different result. And so what I found, and this is why I love this, this is where I got my start.   You guys know that I'm obsessed with helping patients and teams and dentists just have their best lives possible. And so really just giving you guys some tips on how we can do this, how you can boost your case acceptance. And these are tactical ways. So like take the recipe today, take this in, apply it. But what I want to say is I believe that case acceptance is a journey and it's not an overnight sensation. And these practices I alluded to, again, they are some of my favorite clients to work with. The team is amazing. They show up, they have grit.   and they recognize that it is always a next level to improve. And so that's why we work together because we are like, I've trained them for years and yet they keep coming back and we keep refining and we keep going to the next level and we keep improving because there's always a next level within case acceptance. And I think when you recognize that and you see that you can actually be an even stronger treatment coordinator. you guys know, Dental A Team, we are obsessed with making your life better. We love to work with doctors and teams. We love to   do it virtually or in person with you and to possibly influence and impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. So I'm so glad you're here on the podcast with us. If you love our podcast, please be sure to like, subscribe, share this with people, leave us a review. I do personally read those reviews and I'm so thankful for you guys. I'm thankful for this community. I'm thankful for ⁓ the, I think just the lives that have been changed. I love meeting you in real life. I love hearing from you in emails. I love.   this community of people. I just love people in general. And so I hope that you know that I just truly love and adore you and I hope that you feel that and if I was in person, I'd give you a giant hug today and tell you that I know you're doing better than you think you are. And they're simple tips. ⁓ I can speak very confidently to case acceptance. I was speaking to a candidate that I'm interviewing and there was this there was this humble confidence about them where   They didn't have to prove anything to me on the interview. was like, Kiera, I've done this. I've done this many times. It's like, I know how to get the winning championship and it's not hard. And I don't say this egotistically. I will say that I do know how to get case acceptance boosted and our team knows how to do this. And I think this is one of the greatest services you can give your patients is helping them say yes to dentistry that's necessary. And so I hope that you feel that what I'm teaching you today comes from very strong.   Experience is not just theories and ideas, but genuinely been there done that done it successfully and I'm here to share that with you So a couple of things is number one. I'm really big on when we are working with this So first steps first I work hard on making sure that we have the right mindset I say mindsets everything So if you think a patient is gonna say no to you You're gonna make yourself correct if you say a patient is gonna say yes to you You're going to make yourself correct. So whichever one it is and to me. I'm like both of those are free   Thoughts are free, words are free. Let's pick the ones that serve us. And I'm going to choose the one of everybody says yes to me. I even have doctors that text me and they're like, remember Kiera how you say this? And I'm like, I genuinely believe it. It's because I believe in my doctors. I believe in what we're doing. And I believe that patients deserve to have the best dental treatment and new doctors and new teams are the ones who are going to give it to them. So I'm not going to let this patient leave me just like I'm not going to let somebody who's looking for a great consultant.   Leave me, I know we are the best freaking consulting company you could ever have. So if you wanna have the best consultant, call me, call our team, let's work with you because you're going to see results and that's what I'm about. So with your office, same thing, you should have that same level of confidence in your practice. You should be able to say, I want these patients, I'm going to help these patients. Now that doesn't mean I take on their problems, but I do believe that mindset is 80 % of the game of case acceptance. So that's step one is we gotta start with that. Doctors, when you walk into the room, I wanna when you put your foot on that threshold, walking in to do an exam,   You come into doctor 2.0, whomever it is, like patients say yes to you. Your job is to give them a very clear diagnosis and to be able to guide them into correct decisions. Words create worlds. What world am I creating for our patients? What am I doing for our patients? Am I helping them see like this is easy to say yes or am I making it so confusing and hard with multiple options? Doctors, I'm calling you out on this. I know you wanna explain everything. You're freaking brilliant, but sometimes that's called confusion. And that makes a patient not wanna say yes to you.   Complexity is the enemy of execution. I'll say that again. Complexity is the enemy of execution. So if you don't have clarity and you don't drive people with clean, concise routes, you can give them the options, but let's talk about, do they want fixed or removable? You've got to be very clear and you've got to be very confident when you deliver. Patients are buying your confidence. So number one, I want you to 1,000 % change your mindset. I don't care what you got to do, who you've got to be, but you've got to start with a correct mindset. And if you will do that, your case acceptance will automatically just with that one thing,   go up and that's between treatment coordinators, team members and dentists. All of us patients love us. They want to say yes to us and we have a moral obligation to help them. Number two, I'm really big on you guys know we have this where we're going to have doctors having great presentations. So I talk a lot about ⁓ child Dini's principles of persuasion and whether you like those or not, that's fine. Words are free. Options are free. Thoughts are free. Take them if you want them and I'm obsessed with this because if I can get a patient in the mindset of saying yes to me,   I've already teed them up into that confidence space. So I recommend doctors when you lean the patient back, you say, can I lean you back? They will say yes. Can I do an exam? They will say yes. This is helping them prime and we're priming them to get them into the mindset to say yes to you. Really, really, really important. And I know you don't want to do this, but guess what? It's very easy. So we have the mindset already there. Then we get them to be saying yes to us. Be very careful treatment coordinators. This does not always apply to you because the last thing I want you to do is do you want to get treatment scheduled? We are not leading them to answers with no.   We are only leading to answers of yes. So if you're going to use a yes or a no, you've got to make sure it's gonna lead to a yes. I do not want you planting them with nos. You've gotta be very careful with this. Then step three is going to be, we do comprehensive exams and we wrap it with the NDTR. You guys have heard me preach about this. This was made up in a practice, I don't know, 10 years ago. Shout out to ⁓ my Tucson practice. I know you listened to this. It was your office because your office manager didn't wanna use a route slip.   So I made up this acronym that has stuck with us for years and it's become one of the bread and butter of dentistry that I use. And I will tell you, you put this into place, you're going to add multiples to your practice. We call it the NDTR, next visit, date, time, re-care. You get those items, you put it in a nice pretty bow, doctors, you do a comprehensive exam, you make sure you don't have too many of them being crazy. Like get them into pretty much where they're onto one solution. If you are my mom or my grandma or my dad or my brother or my sister, whatever it is.   This is what I would recommend for you. If cost wasn't an option, what would you select? You can ask them, what's the most important thing to you? Cosmetic function, cost or longevity. There are ways you can tee people up and then you can guide conversations into exactly what they want. This takes finesse, this takes practice, but ultimately we're after results, we're after the W, we're after helping the most amount of freaking patients that we can, all right? So for you, if you want the W, to me, case acceptance, the way we win is by helping more patients say yes.   If you're a great doctor, I want patients saying yes to you. If you're not a great doctor, I want you to become a great doctor so more patients can say yes to you. That's where we're at. So we've got to wrap our pretty little treatment plan up with the next visit. It's clear. What is our exact next visit? Kiera, I want to see you back for the crown in the upper right. I want to see you back in two weeks. That's the date. And I need about an hour and a half of that. Please, for the love of everything, this is step whatever. I don't know. I think this is step three for you. But I want you to make sure it's very clear and concise because   Complexity is the enemy of execution. If they're walking up of like, don't even know what treatment I'm coming back for. I don't know what I need to come. A crown is gonna take me all day. I can't do that. Your patient is subconsciously planting objections and why they can't say yes to this. But if you eliminate those, like we're clearing the fog, it's very easy. I just need to see you back in two weeks. I need to see you for an hour and a half and we're gonna take care of that crown for you in the upper right and the fillings. Or we're gonna do implants, whatever it is, I don't care.   or like, hey, we're gonna see you in three visits. We're gonna start with the upper right. We're gonna take care of that. Then we're gonna go and do your SRP. And then we're gonna finalize with all the rest of the fillings. I don't care, but make it so clear and simple for them. They don't need it all. And I know we sometimes go, this is where we go from clinical jargon to patient simplicity. Make it simple. When I go in and I'm trying, I remember I was at the van store and this girl was like, so do you want a bag? And I was like, no. Do you want this? Do you want that? Do you want this? I'm like, just like I'm done.   You guys mean far too many questions. I don't even want to come back and talk to you. Like keep it. I don't even want to buy it. And I think we often forget that our patients, while we're trying to educate and explain, and there is a line of that, this isn't their passion. And I say that with the most amount of like love, like, know, I know you care about this so much, but they don't. What they care about is, are you the right person? And how are you going to get me healthy and confident? Now they might have questions that they need answers to. That's okay. But for the bulk, people want to know.   Where am I at? Why does this need to get done? And what are my steps to get it fixed? I was at the jeweler the other day and like, my gosh, it was like, you have these chips, you've got this, you've got this warranty. And I just, I didn't do anything because it was too much. I don't care about jewelry and chips and this like, is my diamond going to fall out or not? And what do I need to do to prevent that? And then they were like, well, it's this amount. And I was like, okay. But the ring didn't even cost me that much to begin with.   So you've got to make sure that it really makes sense to patients in the simplicity. So confidence, number one, you've got that. Words create worlds, you're gonna walk in there. Number two, we're gonna tee them up with giving the yeses. Number three, we're gonna give a very simple NDTR, give it to the patient, make sure it's clear and concise, what is the very next step. It's very clear, very simple for them to go through. And then we take them up to the front office and every person, if they follow this, we use route slips, we have handoffs, I don't care, you can have a virtual.   hand off, I don't care, you can type it in, but we need next visit date, time, so we're all saying the exact same thing. So this patient knows my goal for every practice is that that patient leaves the operatory, walks to the front office, which they should not do, but the visual is there that they walk up and like, hey, Kiera, Dr. Smith wants to see me back in two weeks for a crown and it needs an hour and a half for that. If it is that clear, and I need to schedule my cleaning with Sarah. Do you think that patient's bought in? The answer is yes.   You've already got them like 90 % of the way. Now all we've got to do is deal with finances. Like that's truly it. And sometimes that's not even the issue, but we need to make sure that we have that. Now, step four is schedule first. Put the emphasis and the priority on the schedule. People are like, so we got to do the crowds. It's going to be this amount. No, why are we talking money first? Dentist diagnosed it. We need to get this treatment done.   Why are we sitting here wondering if money is the issue or not? It's not, let's get the treatment done. Let's assume they want to do treatment. Remember, everybody says yes to Why would they the dentist if they don't want to get treatment done? They are here because they want to get their mouth healthy. They don't come here because they're like, well, I'm not gonna do anything with it. I went to the jeweler because I wanted my ring fixed. They made it so hard, I walked out of there because it was too hard for me. If they would have said, Kiera, perfect, your two choices are, we can either do it on warranty and this is how much it is, or if you don't, this is how much the total is.   If they would have just said it that simply for me, I would have probably fixed my ring. But it was all this nonsense that I walked out. So think about your patients the same way. So schedule first, that is our next step. Hey, perfect, so Dr. Smith wants to see you. He wants to see you back in two weeks. You're like, care of my schedule is so booked. Fine, when your schedule and my schedule align, please stop making objections for things that are simple. I need you to get out of your own way on case acceptance.   You sit there and over explain, give too many options, don't think it's good to give them urgency, cause you're like, well, the two is not gonna break. I hear you. But what you're lacking is they're gonna leave your practice, go to Costco, be thinking about cereal and the kids and dance. This is the time that they're dedicating to themselves to get their dentistry done. Be respectful of their time and make them a raving freaking fan. Make it so easy for them. I think about Disney. Disney makes it so easy for me to spend money with them.   It's a mobile app. I don't have to go stand in lines. I have this, I have that. They make it so easy for me to say yes. And my question to you is, are you making it easy for your patients to say yes to you or are you making it so hard that they don't want to? Are you making them so confused? They're like, I don't even know what just happened. With IVF, do you know how many words they talked to me about that I don't even know? But it was like, Kiera, this is your next step. This is the total of how much you'll pay and here are financing options if you need them. Now, the only reason I use that as an example,   is because IVF is about $50,000 per treatment. Just like you're all on excess cases, that is the appropriate time to talk about financing there because not everybody has 50 grand just sitting there, just like in that. But most people usually are okay with one to two to three to five to 10,000 even. Not all the time, and I'm not saying that, but be careful that then with treatment coordinate, and this is the fifth step, is we need to make sure that when we're presenting treatment, we don't assume that it's money. We don't assume it's all these things. It's not, it's your confidence in how you're saying it.   Schedule first, talk money second. Now when we're talking money, we go into it and they're like, but what's it gonna cost? No problem, I'm go over that. You're gonna be super confident. We're gonna make sure we take care of all that. Dr. Smith's super busy and I wanna make sure I reserve that time for you. I have Monday or Wednesday, which works best for you. Control the conversation, make it very simple for them. Make it very, very easy for them. Then after that, what we're gonna do is we present the totals. Here's the total amount. Here's the estimated insurance amount. This'll be your total when I see you on Wednesday.   What questions do you have for me? I want you to be super confident moving forward. I say super confident moving forward. I am guiding them. I am saying what I want them to do. This is all words again are free. Use them. I believe that this patient deserves it the best dentistry and I wanna make it as easy as possible. There was no pressure on it. There was nothing. It is very, very simple. I've told you what you need. We've got you scheduled. Here's the total. What questions do you have? Some people will be like, let's talk about financing.   Absolutely, we've got financing. Do you have savings or do you want to talk about third party financing? I'm not just throwing out my Rolodex because what happens is, and I did this, we were buying bikes. My husband and I were buying bikes back in COVID. And I remember they were like, ⁓ and or you could do this like thing and you won't have any interest. My husband and had the money. We would have paid right then and there, but because they would not stop talking and assume we weren't going to say yes,   They offered financing. And I know a lot of people fight me in the industry on this and like, no, Kiera, you should offer financing. Like that's the way of the world. I am really pro simple equates results. And if I can have simple things, I'm going to get a lot more yeses. So treatment coordination, we're going to have financial options. Make sure you have it. We want to have them immediately. We want to be really, really solid with this. We are going to present all of our treatment there. And then if they are not on a yes, I go past it two times.   If they're still not a yes, I'm gonna follow up with them in two days, two weeks, two months. Follow-up matters. You have got to follow up on this. We need to check in with them. People get busy, they've got questions. Love them. Do this out of love, not obligation. And that might be like my best line for you. Do everything with case acceptance out of love. I told the team the other day, I just imagine when a patient sits with me, I'm giving them a warm hug. And it's like, not an actual one. Please don't get weird. But like, how can I make you...   feel like you are the most important, incredible human being sitting right in front of me and I'm gonna help you get the best dentistry possible and I'm gonna make your day just a little bit better because you happen to be in my world today. That's the direction to come from. Doctors, that's the direction to come from when you're doing your case presentation. Hygienist, this is how we tee it up to our doctors. These are simple little steps and I promise you, if you will do these items, your case acceptance will flourish. If you choose to pick and choose like this as a buffet, it won't grow. It is all of these steps.   consistently every time when we look at the results, we review the results, we see how are we doing and we refine. Case acceptance is about refinement, it's not about perfection. Where am I having that one or two words where I just need to do that, just change it a little bit, what needs to happen? And I promise you, you're going to get it. So if you want help with this or you wanna be like the team where we're adding multiple millions, please, please, please join us. Reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. But you, your practice and your team.   deserve to have the best case acceptance. You deserve to have patients that love you, that wanna work with you. This is what it's about. They love you. So let them work with you. Make it easy to work with you. Progress over perfection is where it's at. And I am obsessed with this. Just think about it. People are like, well consulting, can cost so much. And I say, if I helped you get one or two more cases closed every single month, we'd pay for ourselves. And you have a fairy godmother on your team.   And you have somebody you can talk to about finances and you have somebody who grows your team and you have somebody who's going to help you with the business side of it. And you're going to have somebody who's way freaking smart in dentistry. And you're going to be able to have access to our entire group. And you're going to be able to come to a mastermind. Like why not? It is that simple. And this is what we do. And this is how we pay for our consulting. Plus give you your life back, plus help you with your patients and make your life incredible. So reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.

Iran blinks and the people who wanted war don't know what to do with peace. The crazy thing is global media outlets get it, as British news understands the Trump playbook while American media like MSNOW reads soap opera-esc monologues about war crimes and the end of our own civilization. What happens when you have skeletons in your closet and you're a leading candidate for governor in California? Well, Swalwell is in hot water. Plus, some RINOS side with Dems on a new bill that is basically amnesty, Dems try to separate themselves from a hateful communist associated with big name candidates, SRP rates are going to climb but there's more to know, Mamdani poll numbers, and so much more on your Conservative Circus show.

In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act. What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to servicerequest@99pi.org. Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program developed a new biocatalyst technology to clean up chlorinated hydrocarbons, or CHCs, a large class of persistent groundwater pollutants.

Welcome to another episode of AZREIA Show! In this episode, Mike Del Prete sits down with Barry Paceley, Arizona native, construction company owner, longtime Phoenix planning volunteer, SRP council vice chair, and candidate for SRP vice president, to explain why the upcoming SRP election is so important for real estate investors. Barry shares the history of SRP as the first federal reclamation project in 1902 and how its power generation helped fund Arizona's water infrastructure. He explains why buying in SRP territory can mean roughly 20% lower electricity costs than APS, along with reliable water and flood irrigation tied to entitled water, benefits that can directly impact property value and cash flow. The conversation also covers SRP's growth-driven energy needs, its focus on affordability and reliability, common misconceptions about data centers, and the current energy mix as the utility transitions from coal to solar, natural gas, and nuclear. Mike and Barry also guide investors on how to check voter eligibility and cast their vote online or in person by April 7, emphasizing why being informed in this election can make a real difference for anyone investing in Arizona real estate. 01:39 Meet Barry Paisley 04:10 Real Estate Wealth Playbook 07:34 Barry Role at SRP 10:35 What Is Salt River Project 13:10 Why Investors Choose SRP 14:32 SRP Territory Boundaries 15:35 Flood Irrigation Water Rights 16:38 Buckeye Water Sources 17:30 SRP Rates and Value 17:52 Why This Election Matters 19:36 Affordable Reliable Track Record 20:23 Data Centers Explained 22:42 SRP Power Mix Future 23:47 Solar Fields and Land Use 24:32 Debunking Campaign Myths 26:10 Transparency and Public Plans 27:16 Why He Said Yes 29:10 How SRP Voting Works 30:51 How to Register and Vote 33:43 Final Message and Wrap -- Contact Alden of Silver Crest Opportunity Fund at http://silvercrestopportunityfund.com "AZREIA does not endorse specific investments. Please do your own due diligence." Want to grow your real estate business?

SRP Researchers developed an advanced cell culture model that better represents the human lung.

Tiff and Trish break down what it means to have the right person in the right chair that's best for your practice. This means gauging comfort levels and the ability to stay calm, but it also means supporting each position so they feel like they can win at their job. Listeners are invited to review their positions based on what personality would thrive there — not only to increase treatment, but to make everyone's lives better, too. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. We are here today with, honestly, really fun one. These are some of my favorite subjects, the things that we talk about on here. I tell you guys that all the time, but I have Ms. Trish here with us today. Her internal nickname, Dental A Team name, for all of her clients, you guys can use this, is Tada. There's all kinds of reasons for it. We don't need to hash out today, but just know Tada is here. And I know I've said this on the podcast before, but if you're new here, you haven't heard it yet, I love.   podcasting with these women and I love also handpicking the topics. get topics given to us from our marketing company. We have a lot of input and say on them as the consultants, but really we just kind of look, I look ahead and I'm like, that's what we're doing in the month of March. So fantastic. And then I kind of handpick which consultants I want because I love when   I get to watch someone and partake with someone speaking on things that they're passionate about, that they truly thrive in and they love. And Trish, this topic specifically today, I know I tell you guys this, I don't know if you believe me or not, maybe you do, maybe you don't, but I know this is something that lights you up and I'm excited to be here with you. Thank you for blocking your calendar for me. Thank you for getting this set up. know it's like, both of us are like a little chaotic storms.   when it comes to things like this. So I know both of us were like frantically getting ready. So thank you. How are you today? And how excited are you to be here? Like just, you know.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (01:24) Thanks. ⁓   Thank you. Thank you.   I'm doing great. I always love it when I get to podcast with you.   The Dental A Team (01:34) Thank you, thank you. I ⁓ feel like all of you ladies bring your own sense of ease to podcasting for me, which is fantastic, because then I don't feel like totally exhausted by the end, so thank you. ⁓ Something you're really phenomenal at is people, Trish. I think you read people really well. I think you read people quickly, and I think that it's very easy for you to determine.   where people should sit or what they should be doing, what they're really great at. It's very easy for you to walk into a room and say, my gosh, this person is born to be a treatment coordinator. She is born to be a billing representative. you mentioned, gosh, what were we on? We were on some call this week. And you mentioned that you were a really great treatment coordinator. And I think we did it. It was on our coaching call we did together.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (02:24) Yes.   The Dental A Team (02:24) last week and you mentioned that you are a phenomenal treatment coordinator and is your passion and I think that reading people piece is part of that. It's part of who you are, it's part of your personality and it's part of what makes you a phenomenal consultant but also what fed into that piece of treatment coordinating for you and I think Trish if I had to read you correctly I think you love it and I think it lights you up to be able to read people and get people established in something they can be passionate about.   because you can read personalities. So very easy to see why this kind of topic we're doing, know, personality versus experience when it comes to team members. Very easy to see why that was such an easy fit for me to choose you to be here today. And before we dive in too much Trish, I want to ask what, ⁓ gosh, what about reading people and being able to peg that?   What do you love the most? What do you love when you walk into a room and you can say, my gosh, this, like what lights you up the most about it?   Tricia Lee Ackerman (03:28) I think what lights me up the most is like I can easily target somebody who is comfortable talking. So if somebody just kind of looks like their, you know, their shoulders are down, they look like they're at ease, that's going to be a pretty easy person to go and approach. Then you have your people that smile and they obviously they still look very friendly, but there is, it's, again, Tiff, it's like they don't have something written on their forehead. So it is really a read.   It's an internal emotional read that I have where it's like, you know what, that person actually probably doesn't want me just going up to them, just like starting a big conversation. And even if I do, you can read a person's body language and see how they're engaging back. And if the engagement back is kind of light, then like that's not a person that you push on. I'm not gonna make them have a conversation with me about a recent wedding they attended if they...   The Dental A Team (04:04) Yeah.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (04:24) clearly see if it's showing that they just kind of don't want to do that. So I don't know, like, I don't think there's a book that you can read on how to do this. Maybe there is. I, I personally think that this is something that you either kind of have or you don't. That's just my, that's just my thoughts on that. because again, I mean, some people really struggle, really struggle with knowing how to read a room. I'm sure they don't want to, but yeah, if there was a secret sauce, I would   love to share it, but I do think it's kind of an internal characteristic that you may or may not be born with.   The Dental A Team (05:01) For sure, I totally agree. actually, have my son, you he's 17 now, the recording of this and we've always, myself and just the people on my side that have been involved in his life and forming him into the kid that he is, we were always really big on being like socially aware and really just aware of his surroundings. One, because you know, as a parent, was a single mom scared to death that somebody's gonna steal my kid, you know.   So I made sure like he was always insanely, intentional about watching his surroundings, but then also being the one that's courteous to everyone else. Like you just don't be in the way and not so much that you make yourself small, but don't be in the way because it's very easy to just be like, ⁓ awesome. Yep, you go around, know, like don't make it a thing. Just be super aware. And I know that Brody's got that kind of intentionality and that intuitiveness that   he can read people as well. And I wonder, often I watch him do it, and I'm like, gosh, is that because you're so aware of your surroundings and you're watching for your next move, right? Because I know for me, it's like, where am I going to step next even of a crowded grocery store? What's the easiest path? When I'm driving down the street, well, which lane is going to be the easiest for me that I'm not an inconvenience to other people as well? So kind of like double dipping there.   So I watch him do these things and I think to myself, there are so many people that are not aware of their surroundings. Is that a piece of it, right? And like you said, it's kind of ingrained as personality. Anyway, it's high tangent there, but I think one thing to do is to really ramp up your awareness of present, I guess really, right? It's being present with where you are at and the people that you're with. Because when we're in our heads ahead or behind,   we're not here and we're not intentionally paying attention to the things going on in the people around us. How do you feel like then? I mean, where can we talk about hiring? We can talk about all the pieces, but realistically, we get the biggest question is like, gosh, do I hire for personality? Do I hire for ⁓ experience? Do they have to have dental experience? Do they have to have management experience? But really, I think this also applies to looking at the team that you have today and making sure that   Tricia Lee Ackerman (06:59) Anyway.   The Dental A Team (07:23) We say this all the time, right? Person, right? Seed. It's a massive piece. And I think these pieces you can take and apply to both. When it comes to personality, Trish, and it comes to not just like, that's one thing, to be able to read personalities and be able to be in a room and navigate the situation, but personality versus experience. How do you help practices differentiate the two, even in any situation at all?   Tricia Lee Ackerman (07:50) Well, obviously, ideally, personality and experience at a high level, both. That's perfect. That's awesome. But but more than more times than than than not, we do have that situation where the doctor will say like she was really not, you know, hiring for an office manager. She was really nice. She was really great. She was all these things. But that's awesome. However, that's a position where we do need to see the skill set.   What type of leadership ⁓ experience does she have? And maybe she doesn't have any, but can we set her up for some? And how quick, how sharp is this individual? Because if they're really, really, I use the word cool. We can train skills, but we really can't train cool. You kind of either cool or you're not. And if they really like this person and they're sharp, then maybe we should entertain giving them some leadership activity homework.   and see how that comes. If it's somebody that has all the experience in the world, say like as a treatment coordinator, they've been doing it for a very long time, but they're kind of cold, they're kind of direct, ⁓ they kind of really don't know how to like maybe laugh or break some ice. Is that really the best treatment coordinator? Because that is really a role where you have got to be able to do both.   The Dental A Team (09:12) Yeah.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (09:15) And that's where I shined and loved it so much because I was able to read the room and I was so passionate about what I was actually getting ready to sell to them. But I could also tell if, if, mean, if they started sweating and like, okay, slow down, back up, let's start to find like what's happening with this person. So the personality, you know, that's, that's great. Most offices are looking for somebody that knows how to smile and   and things like that. The skill set, it doesn't always have to be right on point as long as we can give them some tools slash tests, which we can and we could deploy those to monitor like almost like their sharp skill set. Like how sharp are they? How quick are they? Because if they're nice and quick and sharp, it might just be our person. Some of the best people that I have hired through the years had zero dental experience, but they were sharp.   They were quick. were in the restaurant industry. That's an amazing industry because people know how multi-task like crazy they can order drinks, they can order food, they can serve, and they have to do it all with a smile because their tips depend on it. those are perfect. That particular group of people are excellent examples because most of them do have the personality and they're sharp. Easy to.   The Dental A Team (10:16) Mm, I agree.   Yep.   Yeah, I agree.   I totally agree with that. have hired, I tell practices all the time, when you're at a restaurant and you have a hostess or a server or somebody that you love, give them your card, whether you're hiring now or not, give them your card. ⁓ I totally agree. I think too, as you're chatting through all of that, I agree 100 % with all of it. And I'm thinking too, as you're saying that, yes, you're front office lead, you've got to have the leadership skills, you got to have these pieces, and does the dental   Is the dental necessary? Not necessarily, right? My best treatment coordinator ever, she didn't have any dental experience, but she loved people and she believed in the product, like you said. So she didn't even, half the time she didn't even know what she was selling. She was just like, I know that they said this was going to make you healthier. So like, why would you not get this done? And I was like, this is wild. Like, it's an SRP. Yeah, yeah. And they would schedule and it was great. And they would prepay, right? And it was like, gosh, she blew my mind with it, but she believed so much in the people being healthier.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (11:26) And it works. Yep.   The Dental A Team (11:36) that she just did it. But I'm also thinking as you're saying this, yes, there are personality pieces for that that's necessary. And then it's like, yes, there's also personality pieces for our billing coordinator. So I think that's where the avatar comes into play, right? And knowing what are the goals of this position and what kind of a personality can do that? Because you're bubbly, like for sure this person can do billing.   Right, I can do billing, Trish, can do billing. If we sat down, we can do it. But I'm gonna be bored out my mind and it's gonna take me 10 times longer than the personality who was built for it. Because my personality, I need to be, I need to move. I need to move more, I need less details. I am not a detailed person. And I need to just, I need more interaction. So that billing personality might be someone who's a little bit more muted, a little bit, you know.   and more introverted, ⁓ detail oriented, loves the numbers, wants to dig in, and you probably are gonna want some experience if you can find it, but again, a skill set that can be taught. How do you help your practices kind of navigate those avatars?   Tricia Lee Ackerman (12:51) Just yesterday, literally just yesterday, this was a topic. And it's an office that does have, that like the skillsets is there for all of the team members. However, they weren't in the right seats. So when I started digging a little, because of course case acceptance is always something that I really want to target, because what does that do? It increases production and it's just a big win. Okay. But what we discovered was that,   The Dental A Team (13:02) Awesome.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (13:18) the team member that was actually more say like the checkout seat that was kind of finalizing and kind of closing up the treatment plan was, was like really shy when it came to money, ⁓ really shy when it came to like asking for any kind of deposit. And so what we found was that when that particular team member is in that seat, we had less people scheduling.   So meanwhile, I had gotten to know this front office team a little bit more over the last even just six weeks. And I thought to myself, hold on a second. I know exactly who needs to be in that seat all the time. So no more rotating of seats. We're going to lock down this chair is for that person, this chair. And I had ⁓ a touch base this morning with the O.M. They're already feeling like less anxious.   because the person that is now there is good at both. She has no problem, you know, wrapping up a financial piece of things, but she can also talk dentistry if any of those questions do come up. we, and that was a fun exercise. I do like doing that. Like, let's look at your team. Who are all these people and where did they shine? ⁓ okay. But they're sterile tech. Maybe just maybe.   The Dental A Team (14:19) Yep.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (14:42) We could just hire a sterile tech and this could be your main treatment coordinator. So evaluating those seats and I think consistently evaluating the seats, because we do evolve with change, that is a really successful and not time consuming project that I think a lot of OMS and doctors could and should do regularly.   The Dental A Team (15:03) I totally agree with you. I love that you just did that yesterday. ⁓ And I love that you keyed in on the rotation of seats because I feel like a lot of practices do and I hear a lot of managers and team members and doctors say, yes, but I want everyone to know how to do everything. Cool. I do too. I want you to be able to fill in if someone decides to take a vacation. Absolutely agree with you. I don't want things to go left undone. But being responsible for everything.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (15:21) Yes.   The Dental A Team (15:31) because no one's responsible for anything, and then that means no one's, everyone's responsible for nothing, is a whole lot of things not getting done effectively and a ton of underlying stress that people don't even realize they're feeling. The anxiety of not knowing how to win in your position or not feeling fully confident in the things that you're doing because you're doing so many things that require different brain sets.   You actually, you, you feel it, but you really don't know that it's happening until you get stabilized in that seat with clear goals and a clear way to win and in a space and a seat that you thrive in. You're like, I feel free. Like I feel so much less stressed and I didn't even realize I was stressed. It's, so much fun to watch. And if you've ever felt it, you know what that feels like and Trish.   you keying in on that right now might be to me at least the biggest piece of this whole podcast because so many practices and I think both of us experience this fight that like no we all do it right we all do it we all we help each other we don't want to be a team that can't help each other ⁓ golly if you become a team that can't help each other because you're in a treatment coordinator seat instead of this float seat where you're doing 15 000 things that's a different issue   Tricia Lee Ackerman (16:44) Yes.   The Dental A Team (16:57) That's completely separate and your culture needs to be fixed. But right now, you're not helping each other. You're actually holding each other back and you're, as the manager, I think I'm gonna just, hard truth, as the manager and the doctor, allowing a space like that to exist is a detriment to the people that you've hired. And it, to me, says, I don't think you can do one thing really well, so we're gonna do all of the things all together to make sure nothing gets missed.   And in reality, there's so much stuff that gets missed.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (17:31) Yeah, a lot of missed opportunity for growth there. And it can be so, and now like this, in this case, the gal that is now in this seat and she's not moving, she's going to be so empowered. And then the other two that we moved into the seats that are appropriate for them, same thing. They're going to feel so empowered. And that, and I'm looking forward to a check in with them in two weeks. That I really truly am, but.   The Dental A Team (17:34) for sure.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (17:56) That's the key. The right people, right seats, we say it all the time, almost every day to at least one client or more. That's the ticket. Who are your people? Where do they shine? Where are they currently sitting? And where could a better seat be for them?   The Dental A Team (18:15) Yeah, yeah, and I think what are the seats that you have and what's the goal of that seat? Because when we don't know, when we just say, well, I've got five front office team members or three front office team members, cool, but what are those seats? Well, we have two that sit at the front and then one that sits in the back. Okay, but like, what is the seat? So if we're saying we've got a check-in, a check-out, and an office manager who does billing and treatment planning, great.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (18:30) Right, I did.   The Dental A Team (18:44) We got five seats, label the seats. What is the seat? What is their main goal, the main duty of that seat? And how can they win in that seat? I did that exercise. I think it's very similar to what you just did, Trish. I did this with a big practice, three doctors, lots of hygienists, lots of, and I've done it with, we've both done it with so many practices. The big guys are the ones that are the most fun to untangle because those webs are deep.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (19:08) Yes.   The Dental A Team (19:11) But we started untangling them and the doctors were like, wait, I like, want to, I want to help with this. And they untangled the seats and the goals. And even as far as three metrics per position in the front office that they can say this position is winning so that now that front office gal can take this job description and say, great, these are the things that I'm going to do. This is my operations manual for my seat.   on how I'm going to get there. And just being able to have that clarity alone, even for the doctors, they think it opened up a ton for them and I can't wait till they deliver it to the team because it's just, it's empowering. And when you're hiring, that's how you know if you've interviewed the right person. Does this, this seat, the seat that I've created, the job description, the goal and the metrics, what kind of a person will thrive   reaching those. I'm not going to put a like introverted, great with numbers person. I want great with numbers for a treatment coordinator for sure, but they're not selling anything. They're just reviewing it, which is fine, but if you want a different result, you've got to do it differently.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (20:29) Something else that comes up Tiff quite often is, and this can be such a hard decision for a doctor, they might have like their best dental assistant that they've ever had. And those two work so well side by side. However, that particular say dental assistant could be an absolutely incredible treatment coordinator. But when we bring that to the doctor, that's when they're like,   because they just can't imagine not having that person side by side with them as their assistant. And the doctors that do recognize it and go, ⁓ my gosh, you were so on to something. Those are amazing transitions because number one, that dental assistant that we're even considering putting into like a full-time treatment coordinator role, she knows that doctor inside and out. She believes in him. I she knows everything about him, the dentist.   that is somebody that can really grow a business, then we just hire, we replace the dental assistant and sharpen those skills with the same ones, the one that stepped out. But like that is also something that doctors don't, sometimes they don't even entertain that idea. We have to entertain it for them. And then when they see that, it's like, and I can only imagine, it's very scary for them to lose their key person sitting next to them all day, every day, but it can also be a,   The Dental A Team (21:45) I agree.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (21:54) really great move.   The Dental A Team (21:56) I totally agree with you. Totally agree. Love it. Thank you. I knew this topic would be fun for both of us. We both kind of love moving people around. I love seeing, I love when we can move someone, like you just said, like giving someone the empowerment to try something they've maybe not really done before, but that growth opportunity to go from chair side dental assistant to treatment coordinator and just like learn a new skill set is, it's super cool. Super fun to watch. So.   Thank you Trish. I think if I had to pick out some action items for everyone, I think based on what Trish is saying here, evaluate the people you have. Look at their personalities and look at their skill sets. Trish, said, like, where do they thrive? So what do they love to do? Oftentimes, too, when I say that, I like to look at their personal lives. Like, what kind of sports are they playing? Like, what activities are they doing? Are they knitting? Are they pottery? Are they, you know, are they volleyball players? Like, look at their personalities.   And then also look at your positions and what personality would thrive in that position, not only to get us more treatment on the schedule, but to fulfill them, to make their lives better, to make them happy, to make them love where they work, and in turn, make you love where you work. So I'd say go evaluate your people, evaluate your positions, and get the personality straight. Build those avatars and take a look. Trish, anything you want to add before we wrap this up?   Tricia Lee Ackerman (23:23) don't think so. really don't. The disc test, maybe I'll toss that in. That's always kind of good one. Doctors do love to do that. ⁓ You know, evaluate those. Everybody can even do them together when you hire somebody else on or if you're considering. and you know, vibe checks. We always talk about that. Do your vibe check. Let your team do a vibe check. And again, how's their personality? Does that personality fit the actual practice? Some practices are full of spunk and fun and craziness. I see some of these teams on Instagram and they just   The Dental A Team (23:24) Awesome. Yeah.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (23:52) track me up, that would be a great one for fun. And you know, some doctors are not. So you might not want to bring in say like a clown into a really conservative practice. They might not mesh. So evaluating personalities slash the skill set. Yes, it's not always that easy, but we can certainly help. And ⁓ once you do get those right personalities in those right seats, like you said, Tim, everybody wins.   The Dental A Team (24:21) Yeah, I love it. Thank you. All right, guys, you heard it here. Go do the things. Trish, this was phenomenal. Thank you for taking this journey with me. Everyone, you know where to get ahold of us. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or leave us five-star review below or both. We love both of those. So we can't wait to hear from you. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Trish, thank you.   Tricia Lee Ackerman (24:29) Thank you.   Thanks, Tiff.

f you're a dental professional curious about using technology to SEE sub-G this is the episode for you! In this episode, Irene sits down with Kristen Ranaldo, a perio-focused hygienist who has spent her career using dental endoscopy to treat advanced perio and failing implants. Kristen shares how seeing below the gumline transforms diagnosis, treatment, and patient communication and why blind SRP and laser-only approaches often fall short. They also discuss how desiccation gels like PerioDT and Hybenx fit into workflows and what it takes to implement this technology in everyday practice. In this episode, we talk about: ▪️ Kristen's early hygiene career and how she became part of the 1% of hygienists using an endoscope routinely ▪️ When to use endoscopy alone vs. combining it with lasers, biologics, and desiccation gels like PerioDT ▪️ Practical implementation: appointment flow, patient communication, coding, fees, and how general practices can keep more advanced cases in-house ▪️ The bigger picture: technology, insurance, and why hygiene needs better protocols, standardization, and support to truly move forward Connect with Kristen: Instagram → @thesubgingivalqueen _____________________________________________________ If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment.  Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️ _______________________________________  

In the latest episode of the Public Power Now podcast, John Pfeiffer, Supervisor of the Line Apprenticeship Program at Arizona public power utility Salt River Project, discusses SRP's “Grunt Olympics,” a unique way in which SRP tests and trains apprenticeship hopefuls.

SRP Researchers uncovered how underground conditions influence the success of chemical oxidation-based groundwater cleanup.

Resguardan a menor hallada sola en Apaseo el Alto UNAM impartirá curso gratuito sobre cómo hacer tesisAlemania alerta por riesgos del cannabis en adolescentesMás información en nuestro podcast

Uranium exposure leaves a fingerprint in the body that could help identify kidney damage before it becomes irreversible, according to an NIEHS SRP-funded study in mice.

Homeopathy is growing —and that's a good thing. But growth raises real questions. In episode 106 of the SRP podcast, Denise and Alastair dive into Aphorism 9 and Hahnemann's definition of health to explore how homeopathy is being used, taught, and shared today. They reflect on the appeal of simplified approaches—protocols, shortcuts, and single-symptom-focused prescribing—and ask what happens when homeopathy is simplified for speed, scale, and market appeal.We're calling the community into a thoughtful conversation about how we carry this medicine forward without losing what makes it whole.Here's the link for the culmination of Aphorism Friday, a weekly special production of 1M a Homeopath's Podcast by Kelly Callahan we referenced. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1m-podcast-presents-the-organon/id1635602485Where homeopathy lives and breathes.Strange, Rare & Peculiar is a weekly podcast with Denise Straiges and Alastair Gray of the Institute for the Advancement of Homeopathy and the Academy of Homeopathy Education.This season, we're focusing on truth — what it means to Aude Sapere (“dare to know”) in homeopathy today. From Hahnemann's original insights to the realities of modern practice, research, and education, Denise and Alastair bring over 50 years of experience to conversations that challenge assumptions and invite curiosity.

Most dentists push for a yes right now. We take a different path and show how planting a clear, respectful seed today leads to an easy yes at the next visit—no pressure, no awkward sales pitch, just a plan the patient helped shape. Using four common scenarios—SRP hesitation, x-ray refusal, cracked teeth without symptoms, and adult crowding—we walk through the exact words, visuals, and boundaries that turn doubt into acceptance.Enjoy the strategies? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts. If you want personal guidance for your team, book a free strategy call at dentalpracticeheroes.com/strategy.  SET UP A CONSULTATION WITH GARY @ LEGALLY MINE CLICK HERE Take Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The third and final session, titled Innovative Methods for Understanding Chemical Toxicity, will feature three speakers discussing innovative approaches to understanding the dose at which chemicals trigger biological responses and the mechanisms behind them. Speakers include:Ana Maretti Garcia, Ph.D., University of Southern California: In this presentation, Dr. Maretti Garcia will discuss recent advances using advanced 3D human liver spheroid models to characterize the biological effects of multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on human liver metabolism and their contribution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). She will highlight key findings recently published in Environment International (PMID: 40914107) and Communications Medicine (PMID: 41162609), focusing on molecular and cellular mechanisms identified through the integration of in vitro models with human-relevant data.Guru Ulaganathan, Duke University: Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is challenging to study due to the intricacy of human brain development, the dependence on the timing of exposure, and the emergence of effects long after the initial exposure. This presentation will discuss advances in human iPSC modeling using three-dimensional brain models that can be leveraged to mechanistically investigate neurodevelopmental perturbations at both a molecular and functional level.Weihseuh A. Chiu, Ph.D., Texas A&M University: Chemical contamination after disasters presents a plethora of challenges to risk assessment and risk management. Dr. Chiu will present several case studies from the Texas A&M Superfund Research Center of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to address this challenge by rapidly characterizing hazards and risks from individual chemicals and environmental mixtures. Lessons learned from these studies inform a general strategy for NAMs-based solutions for next generation risk assessment. To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-3_012126/

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The third and final session, titled Innovative Methods for Understanding Chemical Toxicity, will feature three speakers discussing innovative approaches to understanding the dose at which chemicals trigger biological responses and the mechanisms behind them. Speakers include:Ana Maretti Garcia, Ph.D., University of Southern California: In this presentation, Dr. Maretti Garcia will discuss recent advances using advanced 3D human liver spheroid models to characterize the biological effects of multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on human liver metabolism and their contribution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). She will highlight key findings recently published in Environment International (PMID: 40914107) and Communications Medicine (PMID: 41162609), focusing on molecular and cellular mechanisms identified through the integration of in vitro models with human-relevant data.Guru Ulaganathan, Duke University: Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is challenging to study due to the intricacy of human brain development, the dependence on the timing of exposure, and the emergence of effects long after the initial exposure. This presentation will discuss advances in human iPSC modeling using three-dimensional brain models that can be leveraged to mechanistically investigate neurodevelopmental perturbations at both a molecular and functional level.Weihseuh A. Chiu, Ph.D., Texas A&M University: Chemical contamination after disasters presents a plethora of challenges to risk assessment and risk management. Dr. Chiu will present several case studies from the Texas A&M Superfund Research Center of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to address this challenge by rapidly characterizing hazards and risks from individual chemicals and environmental mixtures. Lessons learned from these studies inform a general strategy for NAMs-based solutions for next generation risk assessment. To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-3_012126/

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The second session, titled 3D Models and Technologies to Illuminate Biological Effects of Contaminants, will feature three speakers discussing 3D models and other technologies to better understand how contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and endocrine-disrupting compounds affect DNA, placental function, and asthma. Speakers include: Stephen Ferguson, Ph.D., NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology: This presentation will describe active NIEHS/DTT research to develop and innovatively apply microphysiological systems (MPS) to understand PFAS bioaccumulation and toxicity potential in context with human drugs. Research highlights from a recent publication in Environmental Science & Technology (PMID: 39893674) will be provided along with future considerations and strategies for modeling toxicological phenotypes and interindividual susceptibility with MPS. Susan Tilton, Ph.D., Oregon State University: Critical data gaps exist regarding toxicity of the broader class of structurally diverse, substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the ways in which PAHs contribute to toxicity of mixtures for effective evaluation of human health risk. Dr. Tilton will discuss how the development and application of 3D lung cell models can be used to understand risk for toxicity after inhalation exposure in susceptible individuals, as well as efforts to develop a dosimetry model to improve extrapolation and risk assessment from in vitro systems. Arum Han, Ph.D., Texas A&M University: Dr. Han will introduce microphysiological systems (MPS) of the feto-maternal interface that mimics the structure and functions of the multi-cellular layers in these fetal membrane and placental interfaces, and show how they can be used to provide better mechanistic understanding on how environmental toxicants may contribute to preterm birth risk. He will also discuss the latest engineering advancements in making these MPS models into higher throughput more automatically operated models to increase the usability and adoptability of these new approach methods (NAMs). To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-2_011626/

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The second session, titled 3D Models and Technologies to Illuminate Biological Effects of Contaminants, will feature three speakers discussing 3D models and other technologies to better understand how contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and endocrine-disrupting compounds affect DNA, placental function, and asthma. Speakers include: Stephen Ferguson, Ph.D., NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology: This presentation will describe active NIEHS/DTT research to develop and innovatively apply microphysiological systems (MPS) to understand PFAS bioaccumulation and toxicity potential in context with human drugs. Research highlights from a recent publication in Environmental Science & Technology (PMID: 39893674) will be provided along with future considerations and strategies for modeling toxicological phenotypes and interindividual susceptibility with MPS. Susan Tilton, Ph.D., Oregon State University: Critical data gaps exist regarding toxicity of the broader class of structurally diverse, substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the ways in which PAHs contribute to toxicity of mixtures for effective evaluation of human health risk. Dr. Tilton will discuss how the development and application of 3D lung cell models can be used to understand risk for toxicity after inhalation exposure in susceptible individuals, as well as efforts to develop a dosimetry model to improve extrapolation and risk assessment from in vitro systems. Arum Han, Ph.D., Texas A&M University: Dr. Han will introduce microphysiological systems (MPS) of the feto-maternal interface that mimics the structure and functions of the multi-cellular layers in these fetal membrane and placental interfaces, and show how they can be used to provide better mechanistic understanding on how environmental toxicants may contribute to preterm birth risk. He will also discuss the latest engineering advancements in making these MPS models into higher throughput more automatically operated models to increase the usability and adoptability of these new approach methods (NAMs). To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-2_011626/

Send us a textWelcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS!In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey J. Schider sits down with Mark Wegele, director of operations for the Salt River Project, to explore how helicopters support critical infrastructure across the Phoenix region.Mark shares how SRP's flight department uses helicopters for power line maintenance, environmental management, dam inspections, and utility operations, and why these missions demand a strong balance between pilots, maintainers, and leadership. Coming from a maintenance background himself, Mark offers a unique perspective on managing a growing flight department without being pulled away to fly — allowing the team to stay focused as operations scale.The conversation also dives into in-house maintenance, hiring challenges in aviation, and why personality, adaptability, and team fit matter just as much as technical skill. Mark and Halsey discuss how drones and submersible systems now complement helicopter operations, drastically reducing inspection time while improving safety — without replacing the helicopter's core role.From career progression and industry advocacy to workforce development and future technology, this episode offers valuable insight for pilots, maintainers, managers, and anyone interested in how helicopters quietly keep essential services running.Thank you to our sponsors Metro Aviation, Quantum Helicopters and Airbus.

Kick off 2026 with a hard reset on used car fundamentals. In this LotTalk Season 3 premiere, hosts Chris Keene and Renaldo Leonard break down why “margin compression” is often a self‑inflicted wound, not just a market reality. They dig into velocity, bucket management, and how to make smarter pricing decisions using real‑world SRP, VDP, and lead data instead of gut feel. You'll hear cautionary lessons from CarMax, a live case study of a dealer who grew inventory but lost momentum, and a blueprint for partnering with fixed ops so recon doesn't steal your first 30 days. If you're a used car or inventory manager looking to plug profit leaks and stop “digging the hole” deeper in 2026, this episode is your playbook. Get more LotTalk at www.lottalkpodcast.com

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The first session, titled Multi-Cellular Systems, Modeling, and Simulations to Advance Environmental Health Research, will feature four speakers discussing how cell-based systems, modeling, and simulations can improve researchers' understanding of complex biomedical topics, such as how chemicals interact inside the body or the cause of birth defects. Speakers include:Margaret Ochocinska, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health: Dr. Ochocinska will introduce the Complement-Animal Research In Experimentation (Complement-ARIE) Program, which aims to accelerate the development, standardization, validation and use of human-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that more accurately model human biology to transform basic, translational, and clinical sciences. Complement-ARIE has already awarded $1M in a crowdsourcing prize competition, launched a $7M NAMs Reduction to Practice Challenge, and published funding opportunities to create Technology Development Centers, a NAMs Data Hub and Coordinating Center, and the Validation and Qualification Network. The Validation and Qualification Network (VQN) will be a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Foundation for NIH (FNIH) involving scientists at multiple levels of government (including funding agencies and regulators), industry, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions to accelerate adoption and implementation of NAMs in both research and regulatory contexts. The goal of the VQN is to build upon existing U.S. and international efforts to provide more cost-effective, rapid, human-relevant NAMs for drug discovery, chemical safety testing, and wider biomedical research approaches to bring NAMs products to market.Brian Johnson, Ph.D., Michigan State University: Dr. Johnson will combinatorial new approach methods to elucidate mechanisms of human thyroid hormone disruption by legacy and emerging chemical contaminants.Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., University of North Carolina: The talk will highlight how UNC Chapel Hill Superfund researchers are deploying new approach methodologies (NAMs) to improve chemical toxicity prediction and reduce reliance on traditional animal models. It will showcase UNC SRP innovations in computational toxicology, exposure science, and mechanistic assays, demonstrating how these tools accelerate risk prediction of hazardous chemicals. Jon Chorover, Ph.D., University of Arizona: Legacy mine tailings sites, which are prevalent throughout the western U.S., are potential sources for ingestion exposure to airborne arsenic-bearing particulate matter (mt-PM). Dr. Chorover's team postulated that the bioaccessibility of arsenic in mt-PM is related to its molecular speciation, which in turn, depends on weathering environment. In this webinar, Dr. Chorover discuss how we tested this hypothesis by sampling 12 sites in the western U.S. and subjecting the samples to a set of molecular spectroscopy analyses coupled to in vitro bioassays. To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-1_010926/

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on the use of innovative, human-relevant technologies to better characterize the biological effects of chemicals. New technologies, including advanced cell-based assays, organoids, and computational modeling approaches, are expanding the toolbox researchers use to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. Presenters will discuss how these emerging methodologies are being applied to uncover mechanistic insights, improve predictive accuracy for human health outcomes, and refine risk assessment frameworks. The first session, titled Multi-Cellular Systems, Modeling, and Simulations to Advance Environmental Health Research, will feature four speakers discussing how cell-based systems, modeling, and simulations can improve researchers' understanding of complex biomedical topics, such as how chemicals interact inside the body or the cause of birth defects. Speakers include:Margaret Ochocinska, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health: Dr. Ochocinska will introduce the Complement-Animal Research In Experimentation (Complement-ARIE) Program, which aims to accelerate the development, standardization, validation and use of human-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that more accurately model human biology to transform basic, translational, and clinical sciences. Complement-ARIE has already awarded $1M in a crowdsourcing prize competition, launched a $7M NAMs Reduction to Practice Challenge, and published funding opportunities to create Technology Development Centers, a NAMs Data Hub and Coordinating Center, and the Validation and Qualification Network. The Validation and Qualification Network (VQN) will be a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Foundation for NIH (FNIH) involving scientists at multiple levels of government (including funding agencies and regulators), industry, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions to accelerate adoption and implementation of NAMs in both research and regulatory contexts. The goal of the VQN is to build upon existing U.S. and international efforts to provide more cost-effective, rapid, human-relevant NAMs for drug discovery, chemical safety testing, and wider biomedical research approaches to bring NAMs products to market.Brian Johnson, Ph.D., Michigan State University: Dr. Johnson will combinatorial new approach methods to elucidate mechanisms of human thyroid hormone disruption by legacy and emerging chemical contaminants.Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., University of North Carolina: The talk will highlight how UNC Chapel Hill Superfund researchers are deploying new approach methodologies (NAMs) to improve chemical toxicity prediction and reduce reliance on traditional animal models. It will showcase UNC SRP innovations in computational toxicology, exposure science, and mechanistic assays, demonstrating how these tools accelerate risk prediction of hazardous chemicals. Jon Chorover, Ph.D., University of Arizona: Legacy mine tailings sites, which are prevalent throughout the western U.S., are potential sources for ingestion exposure to airborne arsenic-bearing particulate matter (mt-PM). Dr. Chorover's team postulated that the bioaccessibility of arsenic in mt-PM is related to its molecular speciation, which in turn, depends on weathering environment. In this webinar, Dr. Chorover discuss how we tested this hypothesis by sampling 12 sites in the western U.S. and subjecting the samples to a set of molecular spectroscopy analyses coupled to in vitro bioassays. To learn more about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP site. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/SRP-BioChem-1_010926/

Highly anticipated, limited-edition, cask-strength Texas bourbon, released in December 2025, notable for its extreme 146.4 proof (73.2% ABV) and aged at least 8 years, offering rich notes of burnt wood, spice, dried fruits, and toasted marshmallows from its unique Texas aging, with only 10,000 bottles available globally at an SRP of around $250. Cheers!

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!A weekend meetup in Phoenix turned into a deep dive on the “harmless” shortcuts that quietly drain dental practices and invite compliance trouble. We compare notes from a brutal 2025 billing case, unpack the defensiveness that often surfaces when a third party steps in, and show how audit trails reveal everything from embezzlement red flags to training gaps and inefficiencies you'll never see on a P&L.We get practical fast. You'll hear why copay waivers and frequency misses aren't favors, they're liabilities; how a real chart prep process (CPP) prevents four- and five-figure monthly losses; and why templates should be fillable, not filled, to protect patient specificity and accuracy. We talk clinical notes as legal defense, route slips that actually bridge back-to-front, and the non-negotiable role of periodontal charting. If AI is reading your claims, missing perio data is a hard stop. We also tackle credentialing vs contracting, rendering provider rules, and the spreadsheet every office manager needs to track participation status and re-credentialing dates.On the clinical side, we break down case acceptance without pressure: narrate findings, ask better questions, and move patients appropriately from prophy to SRP or 4346 when gingivitis is the true diagnosis. And yes, we address the controversy head-on—billing 4346 is about medical necessity and compliance, not what pays 100 percent. Bill what you do, document why you did it, and let systems carry the weight.If you want fewer denials, stronger compliance, and calmer nights, this conversation gives you the scripts, checklists, and mindset to get there. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs the nudge, and leave a review telling us your biggest compliance headache—we might tackle it next. Schedule a demo with MaxAssist to unlock scheduleing potential here: https://maxassist.com/book-a-demo-fortune-billing/ Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com Email Jen: jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com Grab the Hygiene Billing and Coding Playbook Here: https://stan.store/hygieneunlocked Email Ed: ed@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Delta Dental Locum Tenens Form: https://www1.deltadentalins.com/content/dam/ddins/en/pdf/dentists/locum-tenens-form.pdf

Send us a textWe map how the American whiskey market cools from a frenzy to a focused, data-driven industry and why that's a win for drinkers. More barrels, smarter releases, and price corrections point to a year of better access and stronger value.• bourbon boom meeting reality in 2026• production ramps, tech upgrades, and inventory management• allocations easing and core labels returning to shelves• drink less, drink better mindset shaping demand• price fatigue, SRP resets, and secondary dynamics• aging strategies, finishes, and blending creativity• exports, tariffs, and domestic shelf competition• what smart forecasting means for future releases• why availability and value improve for drinkersGo and leave us a five-star review, write a reviewWant to know if the bourbon boom is ending or just evolving? We dig into the 2026 American whiskey outlook with straight talk on supply, demand, and what really determines whether a bottle sits on the shelf or vanishes on drop day. After years of aggressive expansion, major distilleries are moving from growth-at-all-costs to smart inventory management, strategic pauses, and tech-driven consistency. That shift, paired with a more selective “drink less, drink better” audience, is reshaping pricing, releases, and how brands earn trust beyond the hype.We break down the big forces at work: millions of barrels finally maturing into wider availability, the return of core labels to shelves, and why allocations feel different when production catches up. Expect more thoughtful age-stated expressions, creative finishes that add depth rather than noise, and fewer shortcuts as producers compete on substance. We also unpack tariffs and exports, the tug-of-war between on-premise and retail, and the real metrics distillers use—velocity, demographics, and inflation—to plan what you'll be able to buy two, five, and ten years from now.For drinkers, the news is encouraging. Less artificial scarcity, more stable pricing on everyday winners, and a richer lineup of older and better-crafted releases mean you can skip the frenzy and focus on flavor. Whether you chase unicorns or value sleepers, the next chapter favors curiosity, patience, and honest drinking. If you're ready for a clear-eyed look at where bourbon goes next—and how to make the most of it—pour a glass and join us. If this breakdown helped, follow the show, leave a five-star review, and share it with a friend who still thinks the hunt is the only game in town.voice over Whiskey Thief Add for SOFLSupport the showhttps://www.scotchybourbonboys.com The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/

In this episode of The Bourbon Lens Podcast, Jake and Scott travel to Clermont, Kentucky to sit down with Alex Bowie, Director of Homeplace Experiences at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. The conversation was recorded on location in Beam's brand-new podcast studio, with Bourbon Lens receiving early access to the space for an exclusive insider look. While working through a few first-day kinks in the new studio, Jake and Scott explore what makes the Beam Homeplace experience unique and dive into the current and upcoming whiskey innovations coming out of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. Alex shares insight into how Beam approaches storytelling, hospitality, and innovation while honoring generations of bourbon-making tradition. A major focus of the episode is the debut of the Hardin's Creek Warehouse Series, a new limited collection designed to showcase how different warehouse environments shape bourbon flavor. The discussion breaks down how rickhouse design, height, and microclimate influence maturation—even when all other production variables remain the same. The episode wraps with a look at Beam's newly announced partnership with the Cadillac Formula One Team, set to debut during Cadillac's inaugural 2026 F1 season, highlighting Beam's expanding global presence and crossover into motorsports culture. Hardin's Creek Warehouse Series: Release Details A New Chapter in Hardin's Creek Innovation The Hardin's Creek Warehouse Series is a limited, three-part collection that builds on the brand's experimental roots. Following the 2023 Kentucky Series—which explored terroir across multiple Beam campuses—this release isolates a single variable: the warehouse itself. Each bourbon uses the same mash bill and production process, allowing the aging environment to take center stage. As Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller at the James B. Beam Distilling Co., explains, the Warehouse Series demonstrates how maturation environments alone can dramatically shape flavor. The Three Warehouse Expressions Warehouse R – "The Mushroom" Aged in a single-story, windowless warehouse Cool, dark conditions similar to a forest floor Flavor profile emphasizes deep oak influence and toasted sweetness 55% ABV (110 proof), 11 years old Warehouse W – "The Beaver" Aged in a nearly 100-year-old, five-story rickhouse near a creek Produces a balanced bourbon with lighter oak smoke and depth 55% ABV (110 proof), 11 years old Warehouse G – "The Owl" Aged in a towering nine-story warehouse Results in layered aromatics and increased complexity 55% ABV (110 proof), 11 years old Each bottle features artwork by surrealist artist Max Loeffler, using symbolic characters and hidden design elements to tell the story of each warehouse environment. SRP: $149.99 per 700mL bottle Availability: Limited, select markets   Stream this episode on your favorite podcast platform, and if you enjoy what you hear, we'd love for you to leave us a review. We're incredibly grateful for your continued support over the past six years. A special thank you goes out to our amazing community of Patreon supporters—your support helps keep Bourbon Lens going strong! If you're enjoying the podcast, consider leaving a 5-star rating, writing a quick review, and sharing the show with a fellow bourbon enthusiast. You can follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. Want to go a step further? Support us on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Bourbon Lens swag, access to our Tasting Club, and more. Have questions, feedback, or guest suggestions? Drop us a line at Info@BourbonLens.com. Explore BourbonLens.com for blog posts, the latest whiskey news, our full podcast archive, and detailed whiskey reviews. Cheers, Scott & Jake Bourbon Lens  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Dental A-Team! Kiera encourages listeners to acknowledge and celebrate the people in their lives in real time. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and Merry Christmas. I hope that you guys are so happy and I don't know, I feel so honored that you're sharing Christmas Day with me. I hope that you unwrapped your packages. I hope that you were able to give amazing gifts. I hope that you were not naughty this year and you were nice. I hope that like, my gosh, like I just wish that I was with you like walking down the stairs to your Christmas morning. I hope that you were with your friends, your family. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that you woke up today just feeling the special magic.   of this time of year of anticipating our next year. And I just hope that you're surrounded by friends and family and that you just feel love. I hope you feel love for yourself and just Merry Christmas. I am so, I love this time of year. I love this holiday and I did not used to love this holiday. It was my favorite growing up. And then there was a short stint of time where I hated it. Like no Christmas music, no things. I don't even know how that was possible because I was Mrs. Claus.   I worked for United Way of Utah County and I was Mrs. Claus for the year and we did Sub for Santa. And that was a year I realized that there is truly magic in our communities and in us serving each other. And gosh, I just like, I remember growing up like, yes, I loved presents and I love those things, but a lot of times it was just like my family being together and little things. And like in my family, had, when I was really, really little, we had these like dollars. don't know, they were called like.   I to say scholar dollars, but that wasn't right. They were these like little dollars that my mom gave us. And it was like little things that we did that were kind gestures to our siblings, like helping each other out. My family was lawn mowing business. And so we'd help each other with that. And growing up and getting older, I think, well, yes, it's so fun to have gifts for my siblings. The real gift that I look forward to, and I'm sure a lot of you can relate to this is   being with these people, being able to be present with them, being able to share special moments, to be able to share magic with them, that's what makes holidays magical. ⁓ And when I think about like this time of year, giving's not just about gifts, it's about like our presence. So not present, but presence, our impact, and how we're able to like show up for our families and for our teams and our practices. And so when I look at this, I just really think about like,   in the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of giving, in the spirit of that, like leadership and team culture are so important of gifts that you can give your team. And this is what can help you guys thrive. So of course, it's the holidays. I'll make this short and sweet for you ⁓ because I really want you to think about like when we're looking at our families and we're looking at today, being present with our family.   is one of the greatest gifts that we can give them. think of how many times are we scrolling on social media? How many times are we not present? I even think about me and Jason, like we're hanging out together and we are both knee deep in our phones. And I look up and like 45 minutes have passed by and I've been sitting by the person that I absolutely love. And the world is so obnoxiously annoying on asking for our time, asking for our attention. And I think that that's why we get so excited about holidays is we actually have this like   Dedicated shutoff time where we can be with our families and holidays sometimes actually bring out the worst in us I know two Christmases ago It was absolutely one of the worst days and I felt so annoyed because I had to slow down and I couldn't go anywhere and I couldn't call anybody because people with their families and I felt stuck and I felt trapped and I was like this is not a good thing Kiera you clearly are operating at such a high velocity all the time that you slowing down was actually one of your worst days and so I think when I look at like being present in life   I think being present for my team. How many times is my team talking to me and I'm slacking or I'm sending an email off or I'm not fully listening or I'm responding to a text message. I think the world today is craving people being present, of being intentional, of listening, of caring. And I think that that's like when my family gets together, yes, a gift is nice, but the gift of their time and attention is becoming more and more valuable because I think it's so hard to capture that from people. And also I think being present for yourself.   showing up for yourself every single day, having meditation time, having journal time. Like the world can be so loud. Things can be like, we have dinging things, reminders constantly that it's like being present, listening, showing up, engaged, engage with your team. I think about Britt, there's certain times that her and I would just like shoot the breeze and we're just hanging out with each other. And I'm like, those are more meaningful than our meetings. And we're just like trying to rattle things off and get things done.   And so I just think like, if we're giving a gift of presence, not present, how can you as a leader do that? And I think one of the biggest things that doctors can do is to actually be fully attentive in team meetings. ⁓ And for team members to be fully attentive in team meetings, I can't tell you how many times I watched teams and the doctors on their phone, they're not engaged. And I just think like, if you're asking your team to be here and you're asking them to solve problems, but we're not willing to be present,   Gosh, like that's just such a hard ask. And I think as leaders, that is your job to silence them, to be present, to be with the people in front of you and not to be distracted elsewhere. And I say team members to do the same. We've got to also have our minds be there. I could be completely checked out of my phone and Slack, but my mind could be elsewhere. And so how can I be fully attentive in my team meetings when I'm having conversations with people? And I will say like, doctors, this is like, Merry Christmas. Be present for your team.   ⁓ I watch often and I see doctors just scrolling on social media, even when I'm there having conversations with them. And I just think if you're willing to do that with me, that you're paying me to be here. ⁓ and that feels icky to me. How do think your team feels when they're coming to you as a leader, as someone that they're looking for, for support. And I just think for your family, the gift of like, even if it's like five seconds, even if you put the phone down, ⁓ even if you just like really commit to be there.   be there. ⁓ Another thing is like to pause during the day like a short connection. ⁓ It doesn't take a lot to be connected to people. It doesn't take a lot for you to just say hello to ask them like genuinely with no agenda, no time construction, not having your phone, not having your watch go off. Like even people is like, my watch like, hmm. Yep. huh. I'm listening. I'm like, you're not listening to me. I literally have my watch to where it will not have text messages come through at all. I use it specifically for a watch. If I need to later, I can have things pop in but   I shut off the notifications because it drives me nuts when I'm in a conversation and I'm having a conversation and they pull up their watch, they pull up their phone like, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. No, it's not uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. You're not listening to me. You're not present with me. So I think like today, practice being present with those around you. You might be Kiera who had like one of her worst Christmases a few years ago and it was awful, but I realized this is, I'm out of touch. I'm out of practice. I don't do this often.   And if we can train that muscle, gosh, what a gift it's for yourself, a gift for your team, a gift for your family to truly be present. ⁓ I also think another way for you to do it is to celebrate people in real time. So the reason why this is a gift of presence is because you have to be intentional. You have to be paying attention to them to celebrate them in real time. like look for it, look for when your assistant does like perfect handoffs to you, like.   They're handing the instruments and they're just crushing it. Celebrate that with them. Celebrate when someone closes the case for you. Celebrate when we fill this schedule hole. Celebrate when we like got that claim collected. Celebrate when like doctors, got that perfect endo, like you got all the way to the bottom of that root tip. Celebrate when you did a perfect crown prep. Celebrate and be present in that moment. Celebrate when patients tell you great things. Celebrate when we get an SRP diagnosis and we went from a bloody profie to an SRP and we told them what they really needed. Celebrate when our team   is like giving a great patient experience, celebrate when our team does a tour of the office and highlights how great of a place it is, celebrate when people edify each other, celebrate those little pieces in your life. This is such a fun, easy way, because I really do believe that we're just becoming a society that's not present. We're giving presence, but we're not present. ⁓ We're so distracted trying to be connected that   we're missing the people right in front of us. And I think about that. We have no social media Sundays in our house. And Jason and I are shocked at how many times we like go to the app on that day. And it's just a habit. It's like these habits that have been formed. And so I think like, can you be attentive in team meetings? Can you be just connected at little points, like busy times throughout the day and just pause and connect? Can you connect with your spouse or your kids? Text them, send out little magic moments to them every day. Like,   Tell them how much you love them. I will tell you like, shout out to Jace, he's such an incredible man. He's like my greatest gift in this world. Every day he texts me three reasons he loves me. And ⁓ sometimes I don't read those with intentionality. I just think, Kiera, he sat there and thought about you. The least you can do is just be like so present and say thank you. ⁓ To give that gift to me every single day is beyond magical. To send a little love bomb, you could even do it in the morning. It can be part of your morning routine of like,   I meditate and then I send out magic to somebody and just tell them how much you love them to be present, to be connected to somebody truly connected, to pick up the phone. My brother calls me and I think about how often am I distracted while I'm on the phone with my siblings rather than being present and intentional with them. Jason tells me he'll take five minutes of me being intentional rather than 30 minutes of me being distracted. And I just think like, a gift we can give each other to not just give presents this year.   but give our presence. And on our team meeting, say that like passion, present, results, solutions are four things we say in our company. We want to show up with passion. We want to be present. And that means we show up with the people in front of us, email, Slack, text, phones are closed. And I'm not here to say that we have to be perfect at it, but I am here to say that today of all days, I hope you take time to go be present with your family, present with the people in front of you, and to maybe give a little bit more of that gift of presence to your team this year.   Be attentive in team meetings, be connected during busy times, celebrate the small wins with your team. And I will tell you that, and this means like being at morning huddle, being connected and doctors who do this have higher morale, have stronger retention of teams because they feel cared about. They feel seen, they feel heard, they feel like they're a human. So I'm telling you that's five minutes of your time that you are giving up to get this huge outcome. You're gonna have stronger relationships. You're gonna have better relationships with your kids, better relationships with your spouse, parents, siblings.   aunts, uncles, neighbors, and I think it's a gift to give. And I think it's something for all of us to do. So I would just say like today, give someone your full attention, no phone, no distractions for five minutes. See if you can do it. And then maybe work up to 10 minutes and just try it and just see. And also for yourself, sit there in silence for five minutes. See if you can do it. Sit there for 10 minutes. See if you can start to train yourself that your, your preferred operating system, unlike mine a few years ago,   is to be present rather than to be distracted feeling like I am present. And I would just say that's I think a gift for all of you. And so today is Christmas. I hope that you're celebrating with family. I hope that you love yourself. I hope that you give yourself the gift of presence to be present for yourself, to shut off, to disconnect, connect to yourself, to connect to ⁓ the universe, to God, to your higher self, to the space around you, whatever you believe today that you really truly do.   Give that great gift to yourself and to those that you love, including your team. You guys, we are so blessed to be alive today. We're so blessed to have experiences. I'm so blessed to have all of you in my life, my Dental A Team family. Gosh, I just like want to celebrate you. I want to be there with you. I want to drink, you know, non-alcoholic eggnog with you. I want to be like, cheersing you on the great things you're doing. I want to be present with you. I want to listen to your struggles. I want to listen to your wins.   I want you to be a part of our community. I want to see you the first Tuesday of every single month. I want to meet you in person. I want to be that cheering cheerleader for you. I want you to see what it feels like to have somebody see you, to know you, to recognize you, to love you, to encourage you, to give you a good like push when you need a push to hold you accountable. That's our gift to you. So if that feels good to you, reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I am not working today, but I will be working tomorrow and our team will be there for you.   So reach out. know this is a time where you guys settle down. You are more present. You're not busy with patients. You have time to connect to yourself, to connect to your family. And I think, hey, maybe giving yourself the gift of time to get a team that's trained a little bit better, to get a patient experience that's a little bit better, to help you be a CEO instead of an operator all day long, every single day. It might be the time. You might be able to settle into that and to be present, to give yourself even more time back. be a gift to give yourself. So if that feels right to you, reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com.   I'd love to chat more with you about it. And I hope you just go celebrate with your family. No, I'm like sitting there with you, drinking the eggnog, sitting there, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, hanging out with you at the beach, wherever you are. Just know that I'm giving you a giant hug. You're doing better than you think you are. I adore you. I love you. I'm here with you. You don't have to do this alone. And I'm happy to be the person to guide you. I'm also happy to be your friend on the podcast that walks with you every single day. But just know you're not alone. You're doing better than you think you are.   and I'm willing to give you the presence that you deserve. And I hope that you give that to those that you love as well. And as always, thanks for listening. Go have a magical, merry day, and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

It's office autopsy time! Kiera shares the story of a practice that recently discovered $2.5 million going unnoticed. She talks about the doctors and their (very) busy schedules, the need for an additional hygienist, and what the cold, hard numbers told this practice about next steps. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera. And today I am excited. I was just in a practice and we were going through a lot of really fun things. And whenever I come from an office, I get so excited to come back and chat with our podcast family of things that you and your practice should and could be doing. I was told when I was in this office, this is the Dental A Team magic where we physically fly to your practice. We work with your teams. We work with you as a doctor. We uncover hidden pieces that maybe you didn't even know to bring to a call.   I think it's so magical to be able to do this for practices. And so today is a little office autopsy of finding $2.5 million left behind on the table in ways that you would never expect. Sound interesting? Well, I hope you're ready because I wanna take you through and uncover hidden little cashflow pits that you might not even be looking at. So number one, we decided to go through...   because this doctor is so busy. So many of you tell me I'm so busy, Kiera, my schedule is jam-packed, and I say congratulations, but what is the cost of that? So for example, if you have your hygiene department, you should be looking at your active patient base. So an active patient base for a general dentist should be 1,500 patients as an active patient for one doctor. High end, like where you can kind of get by is 1,900, but beyond that, that's very high. And we're talking 12 months and 18 months. So take a look at both of those numbers.   and just look to see where are you at. So this practice, they have about 4,500 active patients with two full-time doctors. They're at capacity. So what's happening is we have options. We can add more hygiene, but then that's going to have our doctor to hygiene, AKA our exams at the wrong amount. What's happening is they're dropping periopatients because they don't have space for their...   Regular prophy patients, then they're diagnosing SRPs, but they have nowhere to put them for six months. They're pushing new patients out for four to five months. So we did a little bit of fun math and we didn't even, this is just gonna be some hypotheticals, but I think for you just to hear like, what are some of the things that actually can hurt your practice and how much are you leaving on the table when we do things like this? So for this practice, when we went through and we looked at it, we thought, all right, let's take an average prophy and whatever it is for you.   Maybe it's 150 up to 200 for an average prophy. We're talking prophy, x-rays, cleanings, or just even prophy and an exam. How much is that for you and your practice? Now, look to see how many active patients you have. If we've got 4,500, well guess what? You get a double that because those patients are coming in two times a year. So have fun with those numbers. We divide that by 12. We look at how many patients we're seeing per day. Now that doesn't necessarily mean how many you are, but that's how many you're going to need to see.   Then we look to see how much hygiene we have right now today to see, we actually have enough hygiene spaces for it? But let's not forget that we also have to add new patients because in addition to our active base, we are constantly adding more patients. Yes, we are losing some patients, but my hope is that you at least are adding more than we're losing. So we've got to look at those two together and see how much time we actually have in a week, in a month that we need to be seeing patients. This is gonna then show you your gap. So for this practice, they had over 200 appointments   that they were short every single month. That's at a minimum. So clearly they're ready to bring on another hygienist. This was great numbers to see, do I bring on a hygienist? Do I not bring on a hygienist? But the problem is they're already at five hygienists with two doctors. You can start to do the math. So it's like, well, great. Well, we're not diagnosing perio either. So options are we could bring on a sixth hygienist and that hygienist would just do SRP. That doesn't mean just that person, but we'd have eight hours of SRP in a given day.   spread across all the hygienists. That means we don't increase our exam numbers, but we do increase our number of perio. We do increase our number of hygiene spots. That's going to help in some instances. But even if we fix that problem, remember we still have all these patients that we're not seeing. So this practice right now, they told me, hey, Kiera, we're pushing our patients out about eight months is where we've got to put them. We can't see them on the six month mark. We've got to push them to the eight month. So I did the math and I was like, okay, average pro fee is going to be about $150 per patient.   but you gotta take all those patients that would be seen in one month and we times that by 150. Now, I understand this is very loose math, but it gives a good idea because think about it, those patients, if we saw them every six months, that's money from insurance and also from seeing them on a regular schedule, plus not just that, but patient care. We see them on the six month interval, but these ones we're not seeing every six months, we're seeing them every eight months. So that means there's two months that we're missing out on opportunities to see them.   So when we did the math, it averaged out to about $450,000 with this patient base annually, just of miss hygiene. And that was only on one month. If you want to do it on two months, which is realistically what it would be, that's almost a million dollars worth of revenue, just in hygiene miss opportunity. That's fascinating to me. This is why I think a consultant is so powerful because we come in and we do crazy numbers like this and we look at your numbers and we look at where you're at. And it really gives you the confidence to know, can I bring on an associate? Can I bring on more hygiene?   I feel like this, what does the number and the data suggest? So just looking at that, I was like, a simple fix is bring a hygienist in, let's have our perio go up. And then also we need to bring a doctor in for whether it's full time or not. So we ran scenarios of if we brought a doctor in, if we added more hygiene, if we had our doctors do this, what do we need to do? How do we keep our doctor to hygiene ratio running all these scenarios to then say, my gosh, this really would help our practice out.   And when I think about this and I think about practices for us, are you looking at numbers and metrics like this? Are you calculating the cost of missed appointments or not scheduling our hygiene patients back? Not to mention that we're certainly not doing 30 % of our patient base as perio. What these hygienists are doing is they're seeing that they need perio, but they don't have space to put them. So they don't want to have the conversation. This is no knock to a hygiene team. Several hygienists do it because I'm going to tell you, you've got this awful disease.   but then I'm not actually going to be able to get you in for X number of days, weeks, months. That feels really, really, really hard to try and convince a patient of this. So what do we do? We clean it out and we say, you know what, we're just gonna get it next time. But next time then fumbles and then we gotta have these conversations. Then we don't wanna have these conversations. We're constantly looking at like, we're just punting the ball down the line. So what do we need to do on this? What are the scenarios in this option? How much money is being left behind, but also how much patient? And this is great.   Other options that we considered are, we cut insurances? Because, hey, if we've got this many patients, what if we cut out our lowest producing insurance that pays us? And the doctor said, no, my mission and vision for this practice is that we care for the average patient, that we are here to take care of them and support them. And that's what this doctor wants to do. So it's like, great. They have an incredible building. They've got more space to build out. Fantastic. Let's bring in the other doctors. Let's bring in more hygiene. Let's serve these patients because instantly if we brought on one or two more hygienists,   Guess what? We could backfill very quickly with all those patients. Plus we need to hold space for new patients and perio that would be ideal based on the number of perio. So then you look at your patient base, you figure out 30 % of that. That's going to tell you how much SRP spaces you need to hold every single month in the practice. Don't forget, once you have SRP, you also need to have perio maintenance is in there. So this you can see is like this amazing web of data, of knowledge, of fun.   to figure out how much is your practice actually leaving on the table unintentionally. And when I looked at that, the doctor, he was like, well, Kiera, number one, you're always worth your weight in gold. You come in and you find little things. You guys, that is one small change that's worth 450 to $900,000 just in the amount of pro fees. That's nothing else, nothing. Like that's all we did. And to be able to uncover little opportunities like this and so,   for you to look at your practice, this is why I wanted to give you this scenario of this practice. There were several others that we looked at that we found that we were able to just quickly identify. But I think so often people are looking for big moves. They're looking for these all on X cases. They're looking for what could I do here? How could I do this? What could we change this for? And what I wanna highlight to you is I promise you there are little gold nuggets in your practice of true solid gold that's serving patients at a higher level.   or you have to do nothing else in this practice. And all you need to do is just shift one or two things and instantly your practice is going to grow 10, 20, 30, 40, 50%. Small little tweaks and changes, small little gaps, small little pieces. So it's let's look to see our hygiene patients coming in on time, like on the six month interval. Do we have the correct active patient base for the number of doctors that we have? Do we have enough hygiene to doctor ratio? What's our perio percentage?   How many perio maintenance are we doing? Are we solid on those pieces with our patient base? And then if we are on those, let's look at our x-rays. Are we doing our FMXs and our comp exams on regular frequencies? Are we doing perio, excuse me, are we doing fluoride therapy on all of our patients if you believe in that? These little tiny opportunities just in hygiene I've highlighted for you, not to mention all the other spaces that we could go after, but just hygiene alone. Are we collecting before patients walk out the door?   Are we using our block schedules and getting enough block time in our schedules for our new patients, for our perio? Do we have those blocked in there? Because if we don't, guess what? Like I don't even do the math for you on how much SRP patients are, but you wanna tack that on with the number of patients that we're missing out on. That's for sure a $1.2 million mistake with no extra effort. So I just want you today, it's a quick fast episode. It's a down and dirty of one, I think this is a huge.   A-ha of what a consultant can do for your practice. Number two, I think it's a quick a-ha for you to look at your practice and say, hey, during my CEO time, let me go walk through my practice and let me see these little gaps and cashflow gaps in my practice and let's see how we can close those up. And number three, I really hope you realize so many people think they need to expand, go get another practice, all these different things to grow their business. And I will tell you that 99, maybe I'll say 90 % of the time, we can find growth, we can find opportunities.   right underneath your roof with no extra effort, no extra energy, just to do a small change. Perfect block scheduling. Usually can add $1 million plus to a practice if we do it correctly. No extra hours, no extra time, no extra team members, just being more strategic with it. Increasing your case acceptance, small little change, small little tweak, way more revenue to your practice. So my question to you is, what's it worth? What's your hour, two hours, three hours of admin time worth to you if it could show that you could create this?   What's it worth not to call a consultant to just come check your practice and see what are maybe the hidden gaps? You guys, this practice is doing amazing. Their overhead's great, their team's great, all of that. You would think on paper that this person doesn't need a consultant. They're not stressed, they're not cashflow poor, they're none of those things. What they are is they are looking for the hidden opportunities that a consultant who's been in practices hundreds of times can come and find for them. They're looking for, what am I not thinking about that you're gonna think about? I want you to come in and find that.   And I love it. I feel like I get to go in as a sleuth. I'm not looking for systems or operations. This practice, like I said, on paper, this practice looks like they would never need to call a consultant. But what I want to highlight for you is we found in a less than day and a half, over a million, and I just told you one part of this story, over a million dollars worth of opportunity for this practice. Would that be worth your time? Something to consider.   Something to think about. And I hope today you take this and you don't just think about it, but you go do action because I promise you there is just this same, if not bigger cashflow leak in your practice or hit an opportunity that you're not thinking about that would radically change your practice, your patients, your team, your life. So go find it. And if you don't know how to do it, reach out, or if you're like, Hey, I'd love you just to come see like come sleuth. Let's do this together. Reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com your practice, your team, your life is worth it.   and you deserve all the happiness in the world. And I'm happy that you chose to listen today. I'm happy to hear you hung out. And if you thought this was a fascinating podcast, share it with a friend because I think all of us could think a little bit differently, find these little opportunities. Again, no extra diagnosis, no extra work, just changing it up a little bit, doing things a little differently and their practice is going to exponentially grow. Yes, they need to bring a doctor. Yes, they need to find a hygienist. Yes, they're strategic, but we talked about all the different scenarios, ran all the different numbers and hey, here's all the options. Now pick which one you want to do.   There's so many ways to do it, but look at the awesome opportunities that they could do. And I hope that you do the same. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

We're back for Episode 166 of Pixel Gaiden! In this episode Cody and Eric catch up on the news and cover Battle Of The Systems: Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800) vs Danan The Jungle Fighter (SMS)   14:01 - Quick Questions 39:31 - Patreon Song 44:50- Tea Time With Tim - Amiga Memories Part 2 1:02:59 - Eric's Take - Kinhank Review 1:23:08 - News 2:21:08- Battle Of The Systems: Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800) vs Danan The Jungle Fighter (SMS)   News -  Tim – (Via Indie Retro News) The A1200 from Retro Games Ltd – Pricing, availability and pre order date announced.  Launch Date: 16th June 2026  SRP: £149.99 / €189.99 / $189.99 / AU$299.99  Includes: Full-size computer, Mouse, Gamepad  Retail Listings: 10th November 2025 (pfft its now believed to be Friday the 14hth of November on the Retro Games Ltd website)    https://www.indieretronews.com/2025/10/the-a1200-full-size-full-keyboard-full.html  Cody – https://atari.com/products/intellivision-sprint  Cody - https://atari.com/products/atari-90s-rewind-collection  Eric - The Mega Drive / Genesis Ecosystem Is Getting Even Richer" - Say Hello To MD Engine | Time Extension  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/the-mega-drive-genesis-ecosystem-is-getting-even-richer-say-hello-to-md-engine  Tim – Astrodrone for ZX Sprectrum - Your Starship has been damaged and you need to effect repairs.  You have three drones that you will send into a nearby asteroid to collect crystals.  Can you collect enough crystals to perform the ship repairs?  https://stevetyson.itch.io/astrodrone  Cody – Arkagis & Knuckles  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/11/this-indie-sega-genesis-mega-drive-title-takes-a-leaf-out-of-sonics-book-to-unlock-a-bonus-game  Tim – Evercade Firmware update brings game saves to Roguecraft DX   https://evercade.co.uk/evercade-features-update-october-2025/  Eric - Popful.mail Translation Patch  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/the-pc-engine-super-cd-roms-version-of-popful-mail-is-getting-an-english-dub-and-fan-translation  Cody – Mod Retro is at it again.  https://modretro.com/pages/m64  Tim - Infinos 1 & 2 Gradius-Style Shmups come to Switch and Switch 2 (from Time Extension)  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/infinos-1-and-2-are-a-pair-of-gradius-style-shmups-that-pay-tribute-to-the-golden-age-of-arcade-shooters  Cody - https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/11/cancelled-splatterhouse-rpg-splatter-world-has-been-dumped-and-released-into-the-wild  Tim - Trasmoz Legends – new 8 bit retro inspired spooky platformer comes to Steam. Step into the final chapter of the Trasmoz saga, a story that began with critically acclaimed homebrew hits on ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. Now, in this arcade-style adventure, you will experience the definitive version of the Trasmoz series as it would have been imagined in the golden age of arcades.  https://store.steampowered.com/app/2862210/Trasmoz_Legends/  Cody – New arcade Machine for Raiden? https://www.retronews.com/nova-blast-raiden/  Cody – Murtop Coming to NES!  Eric - The WonderSwan Is Getting A New FlashCart - https://retrododo.com/the-wonderswan-is-getting-a-new-flashcart/        Cody – More new Atari 2600/7800 games!  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/three-more-toaplan-games-are-coming-to-the-atari-2600plus-atari-7800-and-7800plus    News of the weird?  An Intellivision Amico Just Sold On eBay For Over $2,200 – Via Time Extension:  https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/not-interested-in-selling-it-to-haters-an-intellivision-amico-just-sold-on-ebay-for-over-usd2200  https://www.ebay.de/itm/397054998181  Also – Super Rare MTV Tom Ford GameCube... a bargain at only EUR 149.000,00 !!  https://www.ebay.de/itm/388055224946  And Street Burgers!  https://www.retronews.com/street-burgers/  Cody – GBA + DeWalt https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/random-this-modded-gba-can-play-most-rpgs-from-start-to-finish-in-a-single-charge    Please give us a review on Apple Podcasts! Thanks for listening! You can always reach us at podcast@pixelgaiden.com. Send us an email if we missed anything in the show notes you need. You can now support us on Patreon.  Thank you to Henrik Ladefoged, Roy Fielding, Daniel James, 10MARC, Eric Sandgren, Brian Arsenault, Retro Gamer Nation, Maciej Sosnowski, Paradroyd, RAM OK ROM OK, Mitsoyama, David Vincent, Ant Stiller, Mr. Toast, Jason Holland, Mark Scott, Vicky Lamburn, Mark Richardson, Scott Partelow, Paul Jacobson, Steve Rasmussen, Steve Rasmussen's Mom, Retro Gamer Nation, Peter Price, Brett Alexander, Jason Warnes, Josh Malone (48kram), AndrewSan, Joe Ochwat, John Shawler, and Adam from Commodore Chronicles for making this show possible through their generous donation to the show.

It's This Week in Bourbon for November 14th 2025. Tennessee Distilling to Acquire Waterford Whiskey, Michter's Drops their 20 Year Bourbon, and Willett Distillery has announced its new Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon.Show Notes: Tennessee Distilling Group (TDG) is in exclusive talks to acquire the collapsed Irish company Waterford Whisky for €6M, excluding its existing cask inventory Hong Kong authorities report a rise in drug trafficking, with narcotics like liquid cocaine increasingly concealed within alcohol and wine shipments Buffalo Trace will open "Perfectly Untamed" in Spring 2026, a remote Wyoming tasting room with wild buffalo views, offering guided tastings with Freddie Johnson for a $500 donation Castle & Key announced its 2025 Cask Strength releases: a 7-year Wheated Bourbon and an Experimental Rye finished in Extra Old Haitian Rhum Casks Southern Distilling Company released the highly anticipated second batch of Southern Star Bourbon Finished in Honey Barrels (108.4 proof) in North Carolina Garrison Brothers announced the 11th annual release of its Cowboy Bourbon, an 8-year, uncut, and unfiltered straight bourbon bottled at a robust 146.4 proof Yea Alabama (the NIL entity) partnered with Bespoken Spirits to launch the Yea Alabama Bourbon line, featuring two expressions celebrating the Crimson Tide Willett Distillery released the Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon, a new cask-strength blend of two distinct mashbills from Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen Michter's 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (114.2 proof, $1,200 SRP) has been approved and begins shipping to retailers on December 1st Fr. Jim Sichko concluded his "Papal Series" with a limited 11-year Wheated Bourbon honoring Pope Leo XIV, with proceeds supporting various charities Jack Daniel's increased its donation to $150,000 for the 15th year of "Operation Ride Home," helping service members travel home for the holidays Booker's Bourbon's fourth 2025 batch, the "Phantom Pipes Batch" (126.4 proof), is inspired by old distillery remnants and aged over seven years Bardstown Bourbon Co. concluded its 2025 Reserve series with the Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish, an 11-12 year bourbon finished for 28 months Buffalo Trace introduced Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof (125 proof) as a new, permanent addition to the Sazerac Rye portfolio, retailing for $39.99 Support this podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiff and Dana discuss how to achieve full team alignment on periodontal policies and protocols, even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. Their tips include which habits to build upon, which templates for conversation with the patient are most educational, maintaining team alignment, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello Dental A Team listeners. We are back with you with us today I have Ms. Dana and I'm so excited to do these podcasts. I have podcasts all day I have podcasts with you Dana. I podcast with Britt today I never get Britt on these suckers anymore and then I think I'm Kristy later, too So it is a whirlwind of podcasting day. Thank you for letting me, you know Just bust it out and get all of you guys here today I'm really excited. I'm really excited for the one we just did. We record these just kind of like back to back to back just so you guys know in case you were wondering how this actually happens. We're not live right now. I wish we were. That'd be super cool. But it'd be really time consuming at the same time. But we just did a really fun one. I'm excited for them to hear about it. Dana though, I haven't asked you lately just how's life. had, it sounds like a full weekend of kiddos sports. Dana (00:54) Mm-hmm. The Dental A Team (00:54) ⁓ But you personally, you guys, talked about consistency in this last one. And you personally, you have some of the best consistency that I've ever seen anyone maintain. So number one, I think my big question that might be on everyone's mind is why? How do you maintain that consistency? You show up for everyone, but you still show up for yourself. You still do your workouts. You still make sure that your path for your own health is one of the most important aspects of your life. So Dana, how do you maintain that? Dana (01:29) Yeah, I think that just I learned early on in life, right? Like, especially with my health, like I had a point in my life where my health cup was pretty much empty and I had nothing to pour from. And so I just promised myself when I made it through that, that like, I would always prioritize keeping that like as a priority. And ⁓ it's just something that like, I've shown up for for myself. ⁓ And to like, because I've shown up, it just, I don't know, like it just keeps me saying it makes me a better mom, it makes me a better friend, it makes me a better partner, it makes me like, just better in so many ways, because I do take that space. And I don't always like, there's guilt, for sure that I do it and that I take the time and that you know, like I put other things aside to do it. But I think what it like, reaps and benefits and rewards for me outweigh those things. And so I'm truly on to the point now where I have kept it so consistent that when I fall off I feel terrible. The Dental A Team (02:43) Yeah, yeah, that's the real deal now. Yeah, I love that. I think that the things you pointed out there just your why is big enough. And I think a massive reminder to everyone that typically for a human being to make a change in life, it has to be hard enough. Like, we don't change things that don't feel like they're not working, right? That haven't like sprung up as a quote unquote, like broken piece of life yet, right? Like however you want to word it. If it's not hurting, we don't typically think, we're not thinking about it. If it's not hurting, we're just not thinking about it. So why are we addressing things we're not thinking about? So when it finally does get bad enough, I think I had a similar story, not the degree of health, but a similar instance where it was just like I hit the spot where it's like I actually don't have a choice. I either take care of myself or my health continues to deteriorate. So was honestly, it was easy at that point. So it's interesting because it's so easy, I think for us from the outside, especially for you and I for fitness and health, like I think you and I have, I can imagine you're the same like my whole life. It's been in my, it's been in my being for as long as I can remember. So it was very easy to see that in myself and to see that in my life and to see where. the consistencies or the inconsistencies are, but it's interesting to take a step back and see how relatable it is to just so many aspects of life. And if we applied those same steps and processes, the same thought to other aspects of life, how different things could look. And we narrow that focus because I think fitness and health just like, I don't know, I feel like it's like a box to check instead of like, away and for you and I like it's a way especially for you and so it's just gives you the template for other areas which I think for us makes a lot of times consulting fun. I think it's more fun and it's a little bit easier for us to sometimes see the structure of what needs to happen because it's literally mimicking the results that we've seen in other areas of our life and first So happy you're here, Dana, because had you not taken that initiative, things could look very different today. And I'm very happy that you did and that you dedicated to yourself and that you continue to. Second, you were teaching your kids the most important valuable lessons of their entire life. And it's so cool to watch you do that and to watch you show up for yourself, but for them too. I've always taken that stand with it. They're like, Brody's going to know that exercise is for health. It's not for the other. ideas in there. So I never wanted him to, you know, have whatever complications with health and fitness in his life. So I made it a priority for me pretty early on in his life because of that. And then really had to about six years ago. So I applaud you for those pieces. And I just think it's really, really cool. And I think it kind of stems and spurs into a more fun version of today's podcast. Because I really do think that that consistency and again that template that you have for like no I'm just going to do it and some days, you know I'm sure you wake up like I do or I'm like today's not the day and then it's like no just go just go it's 30 minutes It's an hour of my life. Like just go and you will always feel better afterwards So sometimes life comes in and this task or this duty comes in and it's like this feels like it's gonna be really hard I don't really want to talk to this person about this thing I'll do it next time. And the I'll do it next time only slides us backwards. And we see that with the health and fitness very easily. If we don't go to the gym today, like we're sliding backwards to tomorrow. But in these conversations that we're talking about today with the perio, everyone's favorite word, perio, and being in alignment on the periodontal care kind of makes me think of those areas where we really do slide backwards because we're like. I don't really want to have that hard conversation or, that kind of borderline or I don't know what we would classify this as. I'm just going to probe you today. Maybe they'll see somebody else next time. Like you're my, you're one of my favorites, Brits, my other favorite, ⁓ perio brain to pick when it comes to stuff like this, because really getting alignment on that can look like so many different things and consistency on the alignment I think is one of the key pieces. And Dana, there's so much to pick apart in there. I'm obviously alluding to have the hard conversations with the patients when they need deep cleaning, even if they've been coming to your practice forever. I don't care, just do it. But how are the doctors important in your opinion and from a hygiene standpoint in gaining the alignment within the periodontal care, within the periodontal policies and protocols? Because we can tell a hygiene team to go do it, but I feel like without the doctor, we're like 90 % there. Dana (07:22) Mm-hmm. ⁓ Yeah, and and I really and truly feel like the doctor is so crucial in to me. It's like, ⁓ we have to do in this situation is build a plan and then create habits stacking for our hygienists like to do it right. And I think that the doctor is so crucial in setting up the standard of care for perio like what are the expectations for the hygiene team for each specific perio service within the practice? What are our parameters? What are our guidelines? That way, when a patient walks in, no matter which hygienist they see, the same thing is recommended. Also too, it gives a very clear roadmap for the doctor to back you up. You've built it together. So you know that if you follow the protocol, the doctor can confidently back you up. You know that you'll get that every time that they walk in the room. And then lastly, importantly, just as important, it allows you to ⁓ confidently have the discussions that maybe you haven't. And I've seen an office as to where we built the protocol and there are moments of maybe we disagree, right? Maybe we see something different on an x-ray or maybe we see, you know, we probe slightly different or our angles are a little bit different or I've got a doctor versus a hygienist that one presses a little bit harder when they probe, right? But it allows us to definitively be able to make a decision and say, we default to the protocol. This is what the protocol The Dental A Team (09:08) Yeah. Dana (09:16) says when we have this many millimeters in probing depth, this many, and this is how often we do those things. This is the cadence in which we bring them back. These are the results that we expect to get it. And so when you have that outline, whether you are so far from it when you start or whether you're like pretty close to it when you start, it's okay. It's just build your roadmap of what you want your The Dental A Team (09:23) Yeah. Dana (09:41) period to look like in your practice first. And doctors play such a key role in developing standards of care with hygienists. The Dental A Team (09:50) Yeah. my gosh, that was beautiful. something you said at the beginning was the habit stacking and then something in pieces, ⁓ kind of pulling those together, the habit stacking, mentioned, basically you mentioned templates, right? Templates of how to get there. So I think the first template that a doctor in that habit stacking, which is 101 of anything, accomplishing anything in life, it just generally gets put on the health and like fitness industry. ⁓ side of it, but anything is habit stacking to create any kind of habit you're going to have it stack. So what you're saying there and what it makes me think of is like realistically the initial template, like what do I do with my patient? So you mentioned probing. So I think that habit stacking is like probing how often that's your, that's your first habit. Like how do we implement the x-rays and the probing at a certain interval to get the result that we want. And if we want to be able to diagnose periodontal disease, we've gotta have the x-rays and the perio charting. So then it's like, okay, our first habit is getting these things into the appointment. Our second habit is diagnosing accurately and having those three to four periodontal classifications, that's the word I want there, that we can choose from and making sure that we're in alignment on those. There's so many, you guys, you can get recommendations. You can get 15 recommendations on anything anymore. So just be careful what you're looking at. That's a true space of alignment. What is a one to three periaprobe? One to three millimeters, what does that mean? What is three to five? What is five plus? And then what is, we're referring this out. So I think when you're talking habit stacking from an outsider's perspective, I am not a hygienist, I would imagine if I were to sit in your seat, these are the things I would need. to get this started and the consistency on time, like how often are we periaprobing? How often are we taking these x-rays? Dana, I think those come from the doctor and I know I might've just made so many hygienists so angry because I know that I have this conversation so many times. You are a provider but at the end of the day, like it is the doctor's practice and the doctor's license and those types of recommendations have to come from Dana (12:11) you The Dental A Team (12:15) him or her where they're saying, I want bite wings once a year. I want bite wings every six months. I want perioprobes once a year. Dana, is that the kind of habit stacking and templates that you're looking for too? Dana (12:27) Yep, You're spot on in there. How do we gather the information that we need to make our period diagnosis or to make our cleaning recommendation with our patients and outlining and defining how often we do that, when we do that. What it means to do that, like what are we doing ⁓ is your first and foremost foundation. And then it is like bridging into what we do end up diagnosing, right? So what treatments do we choose and when do we choose them? So that's your perioprotocol, right? That is when do we do localized SRP? When do we do generalized SRP? What is scaling in the presence of gingivitis in this office, right? Because that's a term that's very broad. So how many bleeding points? do we have to have? it have to be in all four quadrants? Does it have to be 20 bleeding spots? What does that look like in your office? ⁓ What is a perio maintenance? What do we do? mean, even farther as far as, when do we refer out? If we... aren't, that's one time that I see that hygienists maybe sometimes disagree because it's hygiene comfort. Then I always say default to who you recommend to. If you have a periodontist that you love in your area, call them and say, hey, at what point would you really like to see them in your office? And we start to kind of go back and forth with this patient. So that way it's a very, very cut and dry of what we follow. Right? And then, you know, then it becomes then it's templates for the conversation. Right? So how do we get to the conversation to educate the patient? What do we say if this has been a long term patient? What do we do if a patient refuses? Right? If they just want the cleaning that insurance covers, what do we do once they've had each of these? Right? Is it are we a yes please, perio for life, right? Like once perio, always perio. Do we have wiggle room in there, right? Like what is our, like what's our protocol for all of that? The Dental A Team (14:27) Mm-hmm. Dana (14:28) And I do feel like a lot ⁓ of doctors take the place that like, hey, my hygienists are my perio experts. And I think that like, that is a great stance to have, but I think doctors, need to be a part of building the standard in your practice. And then yes, trusting your hygienists to follow that standard for sure, and make the recommendations on the things that they see. Absolutely. But I do think it's crucial that the doctors are part of the standard setting within their own practice. The Dental A Team (14:54) Yeah. Oh, you nailed it. I couldn't agree more. And that's coming from a non hygiene standpoint. And you just heard a hygienist word straight from her mouth. And I think even the most, I'm gonna say it stubborn and hard headed hygienist who are like, no, this is my world. It is your world. But I think even the most stubborn, hard headed or strong willed is probably a better word to use. Hygienist will agree that structure. helps progress. And if there is a structure to be had, there's input to be had, I think anyone would prefer that input upfront and honestly than on the back end saying like something went wrong, right? I didn't do something correctly. Well, we've all said it like, well, you didn't tell me that I didn't know, right? Or I didn't know you wanted it that way. This is the space to get all of that stuff out on the table first. And doctors, for you to be like, my standard of care is X, Y, Z. And a hygienist to be like, well, tell me more about that because I think this. You know, I think ABC. And a doctor's like, cool, this is why I think X, Y, Z. Why do you think ABC? This is a space to have conversation. it's not, Dana, what you're saying is everything you said was a conversation. So it's more about Everyone being able to bring to the table their own knowledge, what you guys have learned, we've all gone, everyone likely has gone to a different school, right? Hygienists go to a different school, typically university, than the doctors do or trade school or wherever it's from. Doctors in most practices, it's rare that you have even associates that have gone to, everybody's gone to the same school. So there's different schools of thought depending on where your training was. And there's different opinions. I walk into some practices that floss is floss. I walk into other practices that there's like, do not use glide, or do not use whatever on the wall, and it's coconut floss. And then there's other practices that are like, don't eat coconut. You just pick and choose. It's all just the best that you guys can come to terms with. And so I think that it's more of a sharing of ideas coming with the standards and protocols. Now, there are things that will be like, There are things that will be a discussion and I think everything is a discussion. ⁓ There are things that will be flexible, there's things that won't be super flexible. Like x-rays are probably not a super flexible spot. How often are you periaproping? Because these are based off of standards, literally standards of care for their licenses, but it's still a discussion. And I know I've had hygienists that are like two years bite wings, but doctors are firm on one. Like, cool, just take the bite wings. That's the standard of care. and come to an agreement. And Dana, think that based off what you're saying, like that alignment is not just a, this is the box you stay in, but it's a conversation. And what you said earlier kind of resonated with me too, because I do see sometimes, oftentimes where doctors are like, yeah, we'll do a perio alignment meeting and meeting Mondays, we'll do meeting Mondays and we'll do perio alignment meeting. And they've got a patient, they're doing a crown while hygienists are meeting. And then hygienists come out. They're like, this is what we decided. And doctors are like, OK, I'll review it. I was like, come on, just be at the meeting. Right, Dana, do you think? Dana (18:16) yeah. Yeah, I see that a lot. And then, you know, then it sits on a doctor's desk or, or a doctor does review it and has notes, but like the notes don't get to the team or then it doesn't get even fully rolled out because we're still kind of waiting to see like, did we agree? Do we agree? Like, where is this? Where is this thing? And and I think the doctors being part of the meeting and part of the The Dental A Team (18:33) Mm-hmm. Dana (18:42) conversation, I just feel like you leave with alignment and you leave with buy-in. When a doctor is just is a part of that because I feel like, As a hygienist, I never wanted to feel as if like I was doing something that was outside of what the doctor wanted as far as care for their patients. And so I think when they're part of the discussion, they're part of the building the standards, they're part of mapping out those habits stacking and the pieces that they want to see. I think then it makes sure that no matter what patient is in the chair, no matter who they see, right, everybody is aligned and everybody is doing like what is desired for that specific office. The Dental A Team (19:29) Totally, I agree. think this was so cool. And I think we spun this in some fun directions today that were a little bit different than ⁓ areas we've spoken before where it was much more structured. This one is a little, slightly less structured. There's still structure to it, but it's more giving you guys the knowledge base to understand that you get to build the structure as a team together too. Our structure, our recommendations, your action items today. Schedule a perio. alignment meeting. A lot of times these get put in the schedule as a hygiene team meeting or a hygiene department meeting and they're going to talk about perioprotocols and doctors don't think they have to attend or it's not on their schedule at all. But doctors who are listening, hygienists who are listening, office managers who are listening, schedule a full team alignment even if you're like, hey, we don't have issues, we diagnosed just fine. I just come together once, at least once a year, probably once every six months or so. Just make sure we're all on the same page, you guys. And I think Dana, Something I've seen happen the most frequently is any kind of addition to the team, even Steril Tech, who's helping turnover rooms, any kind of addition to the team, those are the pieces that get lost first. That consistency becomes inconsistent and we lose the template. So first and foremost, make sure you guys have alignment meetings and then make sure you have some sort of a structure or a checklist on what are the things that these alignment meetings... One, what are we trying to gain? Like what is the goal of the alignment meeting? And what are we going to cover? So templates A to Z, our x-rays, our perioprobing, our exams, how often do you have to have a doctor in the room for an exam? All of these pieces that might to some of you guys listening now be like, that's crazy that practices deal with this. But if you don't have it, there will come a day, there will be someone that it gets lost on. So just make sure it's there. So Dana. Let me know if you have any more action items. My first one, schedule that alignment meeting. Second, make sure there's templates. Make sure you guys know what you're working towards and why. And then implement. And I think, Dana, when we're building out Perio protocols, I think it would be safe to say you should be able to implement those within a quarter. So if you've got the alignment meeting scheduled, you hashed out on the meetings, you should be, if you do it quarter one, you should quarter two, be able to roll out those Perio protocols. Do you agree, Dana? Dana (21:51) Yeah, I do. I agree with that for sure. And then I think the last action is if you already have a perio protocol in place, make sure that every hygienist on your team knows it and make sure it is updated. Right. I think that, you know, there are some things that in the perio world have changed and will continue to change. And so I always say when you build these protocols or you build these templates and you have alignment, it's not just like set it and kind of forget it. Make sure it gets added to onboarding packets for new hygienists. Make sure that we, you know, continue to kind of check in and see what we're doing. Make sure that we've got tracking in place and make sure that we update those things as Perio changes because, you know, grading and staging is now here and pieces that if you've had a long term Perio protocol, we may need to add or consider updating. The Dental A Team (22:40) Totally, beautiful, thank you. I am leaving it at that. Everybody, if you were listening in the car, go listen again, write these things down. If you were listening, I don't know, anywhere else, I hope that you were taking some awesome notes. If not, listen again. The recordings are here for just that. So, share this with a friend, you guys. Everyone needs to know these Prairie Protocols. This is massive. It is a huge space that is underdeveloped in a lot of practices, I would say most practices. the perio space is underdeveloped. So these are some really quick, easy tools to get that ball rolling without having to take extra courses and laser certifications and all of these things. Those would be like step two or three. These are your first steps. So go do the things you guys drop us a review. We always like to see those five stars and know what you loved and any ideas that you have to add to what we talked about. And then Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. That was a hard one to say today. ⁓ is where you'll reach us. If you have any questions or you want any templates or ideas, just shoot us an email, you guys. do, Dana and I do get a lot of those requests straight to us from our Hello team. So just let us know how we can best help you and we'll catch you guys next time. Thank you.

This week we welcome Tim back into the SRP peloton for another week of Maine baised Atac's, Italian classics and crazy Klein monsters.  This podcast is also supported by the generous and amazing donors to the Wide Angle Podium Network, and buy Hammerhead cycling! Visit hammerhead.io to check out the Karoo cycling computer, and use code SLOWRIDE at checkout to get a Heart Rate strap for free! Find us, and other fantastic cycling podcasts on the Wide Angle Podium Network, at wideanglepodium.com! Check out the brand new WAP app available in the Apple and Android app stores! You can email us at theslowridepodcast@gmail.com

This week we talk worlds, Tubers and Giant investments. If you want to be in the SRP book club find yourself a copy of The Black Jersey by Jorge Zepeda Patterson | Goodreads. This podcast is also supported by the generous and amazing donors to the Wide Angle Podium Network, and buy Hammerhead cycling! Visit hammerhead.io to check out the Karoo cycling computer, and use code SLOWRIDE at checkout to get a Heart Rate strap for free! Find us, and other fantastic cycling podcasts on the Wide Angle Podium Network, at wideanglepodium.com! Check out the brand new WAP app available in the Apple and Android app stores! You can email us at theslowridepodcast@gmail.com