Authentic Dentistry: Crafting Compelling Narratives with Laura Nadler

00:00 

So I think one of the ugliest emotions is envy. 

 

00:05 

It’s serves no one. And yet I have in my career, even since I started this business in in that place of NP, 

 

00:15 

the future of dentistry belongs to be innovators. 

 

00:20 

Welcome to innovation in dentistry. I’m your host, Shawn Zajas. And I believe that the future of dentistry is going to be unbelievably great over the next decade in two decades. But the question isn’t that the question is, are you going to be part of what makes dentistry Great? 

 

00:45 

Hey, guys, so today, I get to be with Laura Nadler. 

 

00:51 

And I couldn’t be more excited. I love what you’re doing, Laura, you just have such a 

 

00:57 

uncommon zeal and Uncommon Energy I’ve seen you live and the way you captivate the room. 

 

01:05 

And I love that you and your contribution isn’t clinical because it makes me feel less uneasy, because I don’t know too much about clinical dentistry. And I love dentistry. And I love the people that have been in dentistry. And you’re making such a big impact. How did you even get into dentistry? 

 

01:22 

Oh, wow, that goes back for years to admit, like 30 

 

01:27 – LN  

I was working as a retail buyer. I was like buying gifts for stores to sell. And I was getting married. And I was just tired of the schedule. Like I’m working Christmas Eve and Sunday and things like that. So I had been working for me who said, you know, my mom works orthodontists and dentists across the way is hiring things like 

 

01:54 – LN  

zero knowledge of dentistry, zero knowledge of any of that I was a linguist by education. I took the job. 

 

02:03 

And through a series of events, including watching to sweet little old men whose practice it was none of a clue about business. Like your they, they may have been good benefit at that point. I really do know. But just I mean, like, you know, it was in the days of paper schedule and everything. And seeing that that wasn’t uncommon. That dentists struggling for everything beyond the clinical seem to be pretty universal. 

 

02:30 

So now it became a Okay, well, what can I do better in my career, with the things I’m passionate about the skills that I have, that isn’t sitting here behind the desk, taking an appointment in this 

 

02:43 – SZ  

seat? So sorry to interrupt, but that’s what I absolutely love. Because my podcast isn’t about what happens. And the the innovations that happen as an account of someone that’s an innovator, I’m fascinated about the innovator, I’m fascinated about what gets someone to say, You know what, why not me? Why can’t I stand up, and lead and pioneer positive disruption, when all of a sudden, I see a need? And it sounds like, that’s exactly what happened with you. Now, I remember when I first got into dentistry, and 

 

03:26 – SZ  

I was like, maybe 12 or 13 years old going to trade shows with my dad. So this was quite a long time ago. But I still remember talking to dentists. And maybe it’s just because they understood I was young, but it felt very strongly that there was like a, you’re you’re either one of us or you’re not. And really quickly they identified that I wasn’t one of them. So whenever I would try to kind of see like, Hey, doctor, like, you know, how how’s your practice? Or how are things going? 

 

03:54 – SZ  

I would just typically get the whole like, hey, everything’s great. I’m crushing it almost like this facade of dentistry is amazing. It’s making us all rich. And we’re just loving it. We’re not struggling, but then at the same time, I’d read in newspapers or magazines about high suicide rates. So for you in those times. 

 

04:16 

I’m sure you’ve seen quite an evolution, but was it was it ever a difficulty because of that almost like guys, that was over dentistry where everyone was just crushing it 100% I think 

 

04:29  

I think people are afraid to show that vulnerability, 

 

04:32 

especially when they first started in the industry was no offense to men, it was a very male dominated industry. So you couldn’t show weakness like that? Because then the guy down the street like you had that weakness. So even when I was in sales, so I at one point, I was a Director of Field Sales for one dental company I was a VP of sales, another one name any companies 

 

04:56 

but they all act like on on Golden. mean whatever that 

 

05:00 

service or that product is I have it all figured out. And you can walk in the door? No, there’s nothing. There’s 

 

05:10 – LN  

certainly nothing you were there to help them with. But it was like, how do we crack through that? How do we? How do we get to the human time? So we don’t have this facade. 

 

05:21 

And maybe you can actually succeed, because you make yourself vulnerable. 

 

05:27 – SZ  

Now cracking through to the human side, is that something that you had high emotional intelligence for? Simply because, like, why would you be comfortable with sales? That’s not something that everybody is just naturally like, Hey, I love sales. Yeah, let’s do this. Where did that come from? Laura. So I will tell you that my husband would say that my wife is an incredibly good judge of character right off the bat. 

 

05:54 

Like, will meet people and they’ll be sorting out, 

 

05:57 

you know, or somebody who I really liked. And maybe other people in the group or know that such and such and six months out, what I said will prove true. 

 

06:06 

Because it’ll be just sort of a, I just get a vibe off people. I don’t know what that is, I just always had, I’ve always been very drawn to people drawn to their stories. So you’ve been avoiding me now. 

 

06:22 

At shows, I start coming up to your legs. 

 

06:27 – LN  

I want to know what makes people tick, I want to understand why don’t you do you know, like, as a speaker, I’m constantly traveling. And when I get my lift, I want to know the whole story. Like so how long have you been Atlanta? Is this your hometown? Why’d you come here? Bla bla bla, I’m just curious. 

 

06:44 

Well, so let’s unpack that a little bit. 

 

06:48 

In your childhood, can you can you trace anything back to where this either curiosity came from? Like, were you aware that you always had high emotional intelligence? Or is that something that became more evident in your professional life? So um, interestingly, I was adopted. 

 

07:11 

And I’m very early on, my parents are great about this, you can randomly comprehend just means you’re. 

 

07:21 

And until 

 

07:24 

I was an only child. So I think, 

 

07:28 

with my parents, there’s very much in awareness of my identity. You know, I never wondered where was my real parents or whatever you want to call them, but I knew so I knew I was a little bit different than the rest of the people in my family. And also, as an only child, have to be certain amount of introspective. 

 

07:49 

You know, I grew up in New York City. And my family eventually moved out to Long Island, but you have to know how to entertain yourself. So I was always a reader. I was always drawing, I was always doing something creative. 

 

08:04 

And as much as I love being around people, I do like a quiet time. I do like that introspection to sit back and go through and think through things. 

 

08:16 – SZ  

You said, I’m sorry. Yes, the word and then it just escaped me. Oh, you said mentioned identity. And I think identity is fascinating. Because how it gets developed, how it gets shaped these beliefs that we don’t often challenge and then all of a sudden, they show up later in life. And it’s like, why am I scared to do this? Or like, I have like a martyr complex for me. 

 

08:40 

Even though I was loved, it’s so crazy. And yet you you’ve you ended up having a strong sense of identity. 

 

08:50 

And it’s like, is it because of your circumstances? Just because maybe such strong love in the home? 

 

08:57 

What do you attribute that to? Well, I will say I credit my parents with always being very honest. And 

 

09:04 

you know, I remember in middle school meeting to my brother and sister who were adopted as well, but they carried it especially the sister like a chip on her school. angry about it, like, you know, it was it was a scar. I was adopted. And I was used it as well, I was adopted, you know, my biological mother was 17. And I totally got a better chance at life. 

 

09:30 

You know, so I think the openness and the candor about that. It was a part of my identity, but it was never a scar. 

 

09:39 

You know, I always took it as they got an extra step in life, because this young woman or her family made this decision. And then my parents were adopted me. 

 

09:51 – SZ  

Wow, but but even that I see such a developed and cultivated optimism, where it’s like you had two narratives in front of you, and you too. 

 

10:00 

It was one that was going to empower you, one in which you could lean into that would be filled with gratitude. 

 

10:08 

And I bet that’s helped you with sales. Because of sales, there’s always, there’s always two narrative has helped me with every single thing in my life. 

 

10:17 

And I love that you use the word choice, because it is, every single day you get up and have a choice. 

 

10:24 

You can’t control the things that happen around you, particularly small things in your home. But the world is well beyond our control. Every day, we can choose how we react to it. 

 

10:36 

And yes, I agree with you and maybe Pollyanna of me, but I will indirectly choose, what’s the positive way to see this? Or how can I grow from it or learn from it? 

 

10:48 

too? Yeah, that definitely is a headset. And I can’t say I know where that came from. I’ll be honest with you. I wouldn’t say either of my parents are those people? 

 

10:57 

Well, but that’s what it’s been. That’s where biology runs deep. So you also wonder like, what strength that you get from your biological parents that you’re not really sure of? It’s like, wow, 

 

11:11 

I don’t know, what was my mom really bold and, and just kind of a go getter? 

 

11:17 

I guess you’ll have to gaze it. Although maybe that’s where you could deduce. Like, if it’s not my, the parents that nurtured me and the parents that gave me everything in which I saw modeling. Well, maybe whatever is in me, that’s a tendency or trait probably did come from your parents. And that’s, I don’t know, I think that’s a beautiful way of even getting to honor them. By shining, even though. Like you said, you’ve still you’ve never met them. Is that correct? I’ve never met them, but I do know who she is. 

 

11:49 

I’ve seen photos before. I know exactly how I’m gonna look at them older. 

 

11:54 

Literally, I’m a clone. 

 

11:57 

So that that was kind of an interesting, I was like, okay, that’s, you know, like you said, nature versus nurture, exactly who I look like. 

 

12:05 

And then every photo, she always says she’s having a good time. 

 

12:10 

So she’s always upbeat. So that is probably where that comes from. 

 

12:15 

So Laura, here you are, you’re kind of coming along. Did you have an there’s a chance I missed this, did you get some professional sales experience prior to your introduction to dentistry. 

 

12:28 

I was working as I said, as a retail buyer. So I think everyone has done some time in retail, that’s how 

 

12:38 

your time there. So I had that. But it wasn’t the same relationship based selling. That happens once you get into sales in this industry. You know, people are coming in to buy a thing. 

 

12:52 

But when you’re going to a practice, even if what you’re selling is a thing, you’ve got to develop that relationship they’ve got to understand 

 

13:02 

thing solves their problems. 

 

13:06 

So what was your journey like the second you got into dentistry? eventually going to the place where here you are now you founded working cat media marketing, marketing, I was gonna say media, because it is probably a media company, but marketing 

 

13:22 – LN  

media, what was that? What was that timeframe? Like? Wow, so my first job in dental office was in September of 1993. So here we are almost 31 years later. 

 

13:35 

And I feel like I’ve done unfortunate I’ve worked in dental practices, or on the clinical end, I was never an assistant or anything like that. 

 

13:44 _LN  

I’ve worked in dental sale. I’ve worked in leadership in both sales and marketing for various dental companies. I’ve been a general speaker, still do that and eventually got to this place of founding working cat. And finding the whole finding working pack came from a very specific place. I had worked for different companies in the space in a row that either had a change in leadership or some again life event happened that had massive layoffs 

 

14:18 

says three times in a row. My life got sideways because decisions 

 

14:27 

and I finally got to the place. 

 

14:29 

I know in this industry, I know what I’m doing. I know enough people and I know how I can contribute that if things go sideways, it’s going to be because the decisions that I made and trust me that’s happened, but it wasn’t going to be that someone else helped control anymore. 

 

14:49 

was gonna say like that. That’s not 

 

14:52 

just because that happens. A lot of people see the writing on the wall. A lot of people see that like, no circumstances 

 

15:00 

start 

 

15:02 

becoming really uncomfortable, or making it so that you can’t get the life that you want. But it doesn’t mean that they’re ready to take that leap and trust themselves. 

 

15:15 – SZ 

Was that was that? Like, the uncertainty Was that scary to grapple with? 

 

15:25 

You know, I’m I didn’t ever say I’m gonna say that. My husband was to be a firefighter, and you had stuffing firefighters were kind of in this place. And I send to him is where he is, this is the idea of security working for someone else has been definitely illustrated for me. 

 

15:48 

You know, I mean, one of those companies was a very, very well known financial institution starts with jpm. You know, so 

 

15:58 

if that’s not secure, what is? 

 

16:03 

So it was, it was a journey. I mean, like I said, I’ve had a lot of contacts, a lot of people in this industry, with whom I created really good relationships, I had people I considered friends. So I knew there was a referral network, there’s not a network. 

 

16:22 

So it was just taking that leap. And even since then, 

 

16:27 

what working 

 

16:30 _ LN  

because I think when you first start a business, you have that mentality and be everything to everyone. We all try that. And it’s a massive mistake. We could, you can’t, you just can’t. 

 

16:43 – LN  

And we’ve really kind of just kept niching down till we got to the core of what I really believe in, and what I enjoy doing. And then people say, Oh, you do this do that? Nope. Because we do what we’re really good at, and what we love. 

 

17:01 

But But see, even right there, there’s gold in that journey, you started out. 

 

17:09 

Just like a light bulb, very broad, very open. We’re going to, we’re going to be a marketing company. And we’re going to do what marketing companies do. And it’s like the dental, dental, the dentist that sets up the dental practice, and they’re like, we’re going to do dentistry. 

 

17:25 

And at some point, you start refining who you are, the way you see the world in dentistry, and what it is that aligns with your gifting and your passion. And all of that is forming your authentic brand. And it’s something that I don’t think dentists have a ton of clarity on. 

 

17:48 

So I’m not sure if that’s one of the offerings that you have lore, but if it’s not, there is gold in that journey of yours even going from this is what we are all things to all people to very intentional, and strategic differentiation of this is what we are, and this is what we’re not. And if you want these other things, we can point you in the right direction. But this is who we work for. This is what we believe. And this is what we stand for. 

 

18:15 

That’s amazing. And honestly, it’s one it’s a big part of the conversation on a regular basis. Because people ask me, Well, we do the social media and do this. And I’m like we used to. 

 

18:28 – LN  

But it’s not what we’re going that we’re good at it. But we were never great at it. I know somebody who’s great at it. And if you want to work with them, we’re graded tests. And if a company is telling you, they’re great at all of it, 

 

18:42 

hills, you should run for it. 

 

18:45 

Because they’re probably not. 

 

18:48 

Well, so I get the sense that you being in dentistry for 31 years, with all the different talents and skills you have probably had some moments where you’re like, Well, I can do this. 

 

19:04 

Or I can bring value here. Or I can bring value here, and probably trying to rein that in and go you know what? Marketing. And then within marketing, what’s the transformation, I could bring a practice? I’m sure that has been such an evolution. And I think a lot of dentists end up having that same exact question. Because even between the lines of what we’re saying, I know the listeners. My whole goal, Laura, for this podcast is always what dreams, what passions are inside of the listener, that they’re not necessarily pursuing right now. And yet, it’s that that thing that just keeps coming up, and maybe they keep saying someday, they keep kicking it down the road to say, you know, I’m not I’m not ready yet. What if I, what if I try and look foolish? And my whole thing is you’re, you’re never going to be fulfilled living on the sidelines. 

 

20:01 

And you never even get clarity. In the sideline, it’s in motion, that things start becoming clearer. doors close other doors open. 

 

20:12 

Man with 31 years of experience, I’m sure you have 

 

20:18 

such a great pulse on what’s happening in dentistry. And again, because of that, you probably saw all these different ways you can help. How did you arrive at this singular? I guess the area of value that you bring right now, that mountain that you’re sitting on top of? How did you arrive at that one? So I think it came down to, and I’ll reiterate your point about I couldn’t have done that. And yes, there were a lot of things. I mean, he said, I’m a linguist by education. I didn’t copywriting on websites, and you know, whatever. 

 

20:51 

But that wasn’t a paint was seen. 

 

20:54 – LN  

One of the biggest pain points I was seeing is every time you talk to your dentist, or practice about what your goals are, they’ve got their 10 goals in the air, the production goal, the coaching goal, their new patient goal was the big one. And they always had some number that would all they pulled out there. Butt usually, you know, it wasn’t like, it hadn’t been backwards engineered from Target or anything like that it was 

 

21:19 

new patients. 

 

21:21 

And I would always ask them, okay, well, when you count, 

 

21:27 

like, when do you tick that box, then the patient when they come in for the first, and I would just say, 

 

21:34 

you see that’s a blind date. 

 

21:36 

And they’re checking you out, and they’re deciding if they like you. And maybe they didn’t get enough information about me before they came in, and they got information that didn’t really reflect you didn’t tell your real story. So they came in for that blind date, and you’re six inches shorter and 10 years older than your profile says. And so they didn’t come back. So to me, I don’t count in a new patient with second appointment. Because that says, like to you were what you said you are now looking go study. 

 

22:12 – LN  

Okay, and doctors would want 200 new patients 100 Go out the back door. Because they didn’t. 

 

22:22 – SZ  

So I knew I liked you, Laura. But now I know why. Because I remember I, when we first connected, you were saying things like this, and I totally forgot about it leading up to this interview. 

 

22:36 

To me, there’s something very common sense, because of all of my marketing background about 

 

22:45 

you attract the people that are going to be a fit, and that there’s alignment. So that’s why your marketing message is so important. But the tragedy is in dentistry, you have some Whole Foods, dental practices that are attracting Walmart clients. And you wonder why there’s not any resonance, if anything, there’s the opposite. There’s this dissonance and they can’t tell why. And 

 

23:12 – SZ  

what’s obvious to me because of what I’ve understood about marketing and business and branding is not obvious to dental practices. And that’s why your message of saying this, and I love the fact that you use relationships as the metaphor 

 

23:27 

because even that so much of what I’m doing with Zana is all about that, how do you actually achieve kind of intimacy at scale with patients? Now, that might sound weird. I don’t mean anything strange by that it’s just that human to human at the core of it. If it comes down to you feel like you belong, in my practice, because of connection. 

 

23:53 

Because of being seen, because of feeling some sense of 

 

23:59 

just human human. I’m liked, I’m enjoyed. 

 

24:04 

Well, how do we achieve that when we can’t go to coffee with all of our patients, when we can’t actually, 

 

24:12 

Amy, maybe we could write like a letter, a really quick one to every every new patient just has a thank you. But to really build a relationship, it requires time, and some sense of revealing who you are. And the more you reveal who you are, the more they can get that sense that they know who you are. And I feel like so much of that can be effectively done through marketing, through branding through crafting the right narrative. Now, tell me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that kind of what you do for practices? 1%. And we talked earlier about making a snap decision about someone. And there are various studies of people who are way smarter than me who talked about how long it takes to form a first impression. And most people like oh 

 

25:00 

Three seconds, 10 seconds couple of minutes. It’s like milliseconds. 

 

25:05 

When we see an image, we make snap decisions. So what drives me crazy is if I end on somebody’s website, and it’s filled with stock photography, and educational or gory videos, I call them do some juicy pics, like when we look so attractive, and that whole thing, and it’s like, no one wants to see that no binging on to see that they don’t want to be reminded that they’re going to that. Critically, 

 

25:30 

what I want people to see is the practice really is the practitioner. 

 

25:38 

And not, you know, the University of Pennsylvania and I belong to the association. Those are great. And they should be on website and probably hanging on the wall. But I want to know, why do you do this? Why do you love them? How am I going to feel as a patient when I come to your practice. 

 

26:00 

And I want to hear it from more than you Doc. So I want really solid patient testimonials where we sit them down. And we get them to tell them a story about how their life was changed by that practice. And whether it’s high in technology. X is all about whether it’s incredible warmth, and feeling like they’re part of a family, whatever that thing is that sets your practice apart is the story we want to tell. 

 

26:30 

Because as far as I can make that decision of this is my vibe or this isn’t your vibe. But it has to be your real vibe. You know, in recent years, that conversation about authenticity, Academy, your biggest buzzword you have to be authentic on social media, authentic everywhere. It’s virtually impossible to be authentic on camera. I mean, you know, most people as soon as you turn the camera on, they freak out. 

 

26:58 

But we spend a lot of time or who do turn that camera on talking about things that have nothing to do with what we’re there for today. 

 

27:06 

Ask them you know, what do you do Sunday? You know, who are you when you’re not a dentist? You know? Did you go spelunking? Great? Let’s talk about okay, because you want to know that. 

 

27:18 

And I think that helps people make that decision when they find their practice, that that’s a practice they want to be in. Because they’ve heard in those practitioners are as humans. 

 

27:33 

It’s all comes back to the election. 

 

27:38 

Well, I I love the way in which you can break people open on camera, because I agree 100% 

 

27:46 

Every now and then people remark about how I show up on camera. And I’m like, I’ve been doing this for like seven years. Maybe even longer. I look at some of my early videos 10 years ago, when I was trying to record and I can barely watch them, Laura, because 

 

28:02 

it would just be me trying the first five seconds like, Hey, this is Sean from and then I would I would just feel so weird. And then no one would be there. And if someone was I couldn’t even record if someone was in the room. So someone that’s not used to it the second year on camera, you’re right, like all this pretense in performance. And anxiety comes up. So for you to be able to get them to just start talking about things. They care about things that are real. 

 

28:31 

Yeah, I, you, you show up so natural, not just on camera, but when you’re on stage. And I remember before my first time on stage, I got like a speaking coach. 

 

28:44 

And he’s like, this is Paul homily. I’m sure. Like he’s famous in dentistry. And I’m really, really struggling and he’s a chunk, just tell me a story. And I’m thinking it has to be like a business story or has to connect. And he’s like, just tell me about a road trip. Like just anything, just start talking about something from your childhood, about something that’s real, and get past all the nuance that you think you need to do. And he just broke me open. And I’ll never forget how important that was for me. 

 

29:18 

Just as a as a lesson learned, so the fact that you’re able to do that. It’s like having a nice camera, having nice equipment, capturing a video and putting it on someone’s website isn’t enough if the person that’s on camera, isn’t there? Isn’t connecting isn’t centered. So you, man, Laura, like that’s just the wisdom to do that. The skill and being able to do that. 

 

29:46 

When I know even narrative and story has been kind of like something that’s been an emergent topic over the last 510 years. Where do you feel like you intersected with that in your journey? 

 

30:00 

So I think for us, it was seeing so many of us. I, my name is Dr. Turn. Here, I’m practicing for the 

 

30:09 

school. And understanding that I didn’t know anything more about them watching that than I did before. 

 

30:18 

But in my years in sales, I go into practices and start talking about life. I remember, I was a sales leader at a dental company when I was working with one of my reps in California. And he was a big orthodontic practice. And we walked in and plaques all around this sort of round central thing. Yeah. 

 

30:40 

And immediately recognized, and I was like, do you go to the races in Santa, 

 

30:46 

because there’s this crazy horse race, every twice a year in Siena around the square. It’s a great way for people to get 

 

30:55 

1. But every one of the former families of Siena has this plan. And they reached in this, and it’s a deal there. And who had all those flags.

 

31:08 

And the person he was or walked in, and he said, Oh, hi, you know, blah, blah, blah. And who he was when he started telling me about being there for those rights, 

 

31:17 

was a polar opposite human. His voice changed, you went from birth to 

 

31:24 

pitch of his voice changed. So knowing that you can get somebody new, a place where they talk about something that gets them excited to get to their real, why not, you know, my dad was a dentist, easy. 

 

31:39 

That’s where they’re going to connect with people. And that’s what patients are going to want to hear. That’s who they’re going to know, you’re the practice I want to date. 

 

31:50 

But that’s just so powerful. Because it’s so counterintuitive. Like, it makes sense as we’re growing up that we learn by modeling, we have heroes we have people we look up to. And often when dentists get into dentistry, they see the person on the stage 25 years ahead of them teaching clinically, is an expert. And whether they’re aware of it or not, they’re like, that’s what a successful dentist looks like. And they form their own story about the role they have to play, 

 

32:22 

and how they need to show up. And I think the most liberating thing you can do is say you know what, you can show up on your terms completely the way you are. And your patients actually want that your patients are actually craving to just know, the doctor and the chair is just who they are. Like, it’s who they say they are. It’s how they show up. It’s who they’re resting in. They’re not trying to be contrived or fake it. This is just who they are. And then I feel like who you naturally attract, and retain in that dating sense. It’s someone that likes you for you. And I remember early on 

 

33:04 

I was so bent on like getting married, I went to college like I’m gonna get married like this, I’m you can get an education anywhere, but I need to find a wife, and a good one. And I just remember one of the things that kept I kept realizing was like my brother was so he was a beautiful man, super handsome still is. But I’m just saying definitely then was a model. And he was so slick. That at times I remember being like Michael, it’s almost like you’re Bill Gates, not aesthetically, but just with like, your, with the money. You’re, you’re what everyone would want. But if you show up at your best performing and being slick, you don’t know if someone’s really falling in love with you. Or like the image of you and what you portray. So I always remember like, 

 

33:51 

not to downplay who I was, but I was like, Man, if I can, when I’m dating, have a woman find or see me and see my heart and fall in love with that. I know, I’ll never have to perform a day in my life. 

 

34:04 

And I think I think there’s something similar with dentistry. It’s like if you can just and it takes courage to own who you are, and own your story. And I feel like based off of your giftings and skill sets, Laura, I bet you and your team have a canny way, 

 

34:22 

an uncanny way sorry, of being able to unlock that in the practices you serve. So when someone’s coming to you, and they’re like, hey, I want to work 

 

34:31 

with working cat marketing. How can you tell whether someone’s a really great fit or whether someone maybe isn’t ideal for you guys? I needed someone comes to us. And you know, I always 

 

34:45 

say I creep on them online before we actually speak. So I check out their website and social media and all that. And if I see that performance, like we talked about with your brother, 

 

34:57 

we know we’re probably not going to be 

 

35:00 

But because they’ve had a package image that they’ve decided to put out there. And it can be very hard to break someone out of that. Because chances are they were coached to that. 

 

35:11 

Like they learned how to put together that package. 

 

35:16 – Laura Nadler  

But if I see someone who I can just tell, they’re more of a person than they’re telling me, you know, they’re doing the I graduated from stuff, but they’ve got 505 star reviews, something great is happening in that practice. They just haven’t really told anybody about it yet, or haven’t figured out how to tell that story. So that someone we know we can truly elevate. Because they’re doing the work. They just don’t know how to tell the world without. 

 

35:50 – Laura Nadler  

So what’s your what’s your basic like transformation, like people come to you. And after working with you, or while working with you, they achieve this like, what what’s the main deliverable? Your single biggest goal is pay attention. Yes, I want you to attract new patients. Don’t you attract the right patients, the ones who want to stay. So we expect to see an increase in new patients. But most importantly, we expect us going out the back door. We want those new patients to actually say, because they understood that before they came in. 

 

36:28 

I feel like that’s where the equity is, in the practice anyway. It’s patients that are loyal, that feel like they belong, that are connected, 

 

36:37 

that aren’t going to fall prey to the commoditization of dentistry, where lowest price wins, and some new patients special is going to all of a sudden break loyalty. Because when you feel like you belong, and you feel like you’re connected to people in a practice, that’s a strong bond, rather than it’s a service, it’s interchangeable, oh, I can get it done somewhere cheaper, I’m gone. Like, you don’t want to play that game. But and it’s a big part of the reason that we typically only work with private practice. Because no disrespect to VSOs, they’re doing great work and their industry, this quarter will be very soon. 

 

37:17 

I don’t necessarily know, next year, for the same hygentists employees. So when we’re in detail, a story is probably going to be a private practice, for the most a small group practice, or they may be on two or three businesses. Because those are the folks who patients are going to see when they show up in the practice. And that story, we want to be able to tell, I will tell you that there’s a metric I wish our consultants would get rid of. And it’s that new patient count. 

 

37:49 

Unless you tell them they have to count on visit two. 

 

37:53 

Because there’s so fixated on that number. 

 

38:00 

Or you just have so much strength about you as a person like and I feel like what you had said earlier makes so much sense of like 

 

38:10 

you walk in identity, not in some bold or brash way, but just in a really humble but strong way. Like you’re very aligned. 

 

38:23 

And here you are, you’re leading a company and you’re doing such an amazing job. 

 

38:28 – SZ 

What do you feel like I’ve had been some of the keys in your journey that have helped you to continue to keep going, instead of instead of when you had decision points instead of bowing out or instead of talking yourself out of that that leap. 

 

38:45 

You decided to bet on yourself. What were some of either the mindsets you feel like were important that you needed to adopt, or maybe some that you needed to shed that weren’t serving you anymore. Yeah, so we talked a lot about mindset earlier. I’ve always made that choice to find positive. 

 

39:02 –LN  

But I will say that pruning is a big part of life in business and intellect, I think. And sometimes you have to jettison things or even people drag that down. Who you know, their energy givers and their energy takers. And I hope to always give energy. I know sometimes I take my husband will tell you I take 

 

39:27 

but I I always hope to give and I think sometimes you have to look at saying like, for a long time we tried to poke people with her tummy and all that and I could tell like It stole my energy. And I just had to prove that and they know it’s it’s not and I don’t think it’s serving practice. I don’t think your average dental practice isn’t attracting and retaining new patients because they posted psychology. 

 

39:57 

That’s just not happening for them. So that’s a lot of it for me. 

 

40:00 

I have a little thing on my desk. I’m actually looking at it right now. It says it always seems impossible until it’s done. 

 

40:07 

And I think the reason it’s there is because whenever I’m like 

 

40:12 

about a thing 

 

40:15 

you’ll get there. You’ve done 100 Other things where you thought I can’t do this. 

 

40:22 

So maybe you’ll fall down. What you’ll have those 99 other things. 

 

40:30 

So, Laura, as a follow up, can you tell me about a time when you experienced a strong negative emotion 

 

40:39 

in business where either you’re very scared, or very discouraged? 

 

40:47 

Because I, 

 

40:50 

again, for the listeners, I think part of what stops people from stepping up and stepping out is because the fear of what if is somehow bigger than the fear of why not like meaning like, I’m actually more terrified 

 

41:08 

by the fact that I may not shine as bright as I can, over the next decade. And there’s a chance that I’m leaving all this impact on the table of people that need to hear what I have to say, and I’m terrified that if I don’t occupy that space, 

 

41:27 

there’s not going to be that synergy where it can bless someone else and help someone else get set free. And I don’t want to live with that regret of Shawn, you could have been 

 

41:37 

crazier, Wilder. Like don’t why play it safe, and yet we play it safe, because we somehow think 

 

41:45 

that they’re really that their safety, we think their safety if we work with a big company, that that that has this guarantee that Laura, you just keep your head down, you keep working hard, and everything’s gonna be okay. Until it wasn’t in the illusionist, or the reality is there is no safety, whether you’re on the sideline, or you’re in the game, so you might as well live, bold, but can you think of a moment for you when there was a turning point? And you could have decided again? 

 

42:11 

I’m just gonna play it safe, but you did. 

 

42:14 

Um, so I think one of the ugliest emotions is envy. 

 

42:20 

It’s serves no one. And yet I have in my career, even since I started this business, in in that place of m&p. Because I know people in this space who 

 

42:34 

did all the marketing, you know, did all the arts or did specific parts that we no longer do, and you know, you’re on Instagram doing scrolling? And I’d see, there’s this event and that event is doing this and I get this, I must suck, because they’re getting all of this. And I’m not and what am I doing wrong? Or what am I not doing enough? Or? And I think that was really the turning point that made us look at it and say, Okay, let’s stop trying to be everything was we’re not succeeding at it. You know, yeah, there’s revenue coming in and whatnot. But I’d still be on Instagram with a little green monster on the shoulder. 

 

43:16 

Looking at that thing, and I’m not or that company’s got this gig, and they’re partnered with these people, and I’m not. 

 

43:24 

And now because we’re so specific. people reach out to us. Because they know you do that thing. up well. So that, but it took a lot, because like I said, I think envy is really ugly. And I definitely harbored it for quite some time. Until I said, this is this is damaging. You know, it’s not their fault. They’re successful, doing all the right things. But it’s my fault that I’m sitting here being amazed sense, instead of figuring out how do I be that successful, but maybe in a smaller or a more specific area, not sort of smaller, but definitely more specific. 

 

44:08 

So that was for me a big turning point to get past. 

 

44:13 

It a thank you so much for sharing that because it takes so much courage just to show up and be like, Look, I’m a human and I’ve also faced 

 

44:23 

anything that’s common demand when it comes to 

 

44:27 

being angry, being jealous having envy, impostor syndrome, wanting to give up. 

 

44:34 

Yeah, everything like, you know, for me, I feel like I’ve been that sailboat that’s been in the harbor that keeps dreaming of the ocean, and where it could go. And then I’m like, I’ll lift a lift anchor tomorrow. And then the next day I’m dreaming and then I’m like, I’ll lift anchor tomorrow. 

 

44:53 

And years of tomorrow can make tomorrow and ever come 

 

44:59 

and at some point you 

 

45:00 

You just have to trust. And I think part of also what I was hearing through you saying that is like, there’s really a peace that comes from trusting your path, your strengths. 

 

45:14 

And going on the long game of saying, You know what, this is what I’m committing to. I’m committing to this niche, I’m committing to this way of giving value. And I’m going to continue to do that. And even if I don’t shoot up and get recognized in the next week, or the next month, it’s not going to stop me from running my race. 

 

45:37 

And that is incredibly profound. And it’s also very liberating to get to that place. And that’s exactly what I see you doing. 

 

45:45 

Yeah, it has been liberating. I feel like we chased a lot of business that really wasn’t the right business. 

 

45:53 

And now we have that, more selective, like I said, to look at from this website and say, well, that’s already this package. So we’ll do that one. 

 

46:05 

And I think when you do something really, really specific, where it gets out, 

 

46:10 

you know, and people start calling up and saying so and so said, I needed to talk to you. Okay, great. That wasn’t happening before. 

 

46:20 

Okay, so I’m a dentist, and I’m listening right now. And I’m like, okay, Laura, it sounds like she does some amazing things in dentistry. 

 

46:28 

Am I a good fit for her? What what do you what do you say? Like, well, what’s your what’s your message right now? And just say, like, if you wanted eyeballs on what you’re doing a where do they go? But why would they go there? Okay, so they can come to working cat Pro, learn about all the different things we do there. We specifically to focus on, what’s your story, what’s your message. So if you don’t already have a solid brand identity, understanding that a brand is more than just your logo, we do brand development and brand design, particularly the logo. And then what we really lean into is the photography and video that effectively tell your story, so that you can attract the right patient. 

 

47:13 

I want your website to be filled with pictures of you, your team, your pictures, not the shiny, happy people that are stuck. 

 

47:23 

I love that. Not only because you communicated it so well, but because the future is so visual. 

 

47:32 

Great photography, great videography, is no longer an option. 

 

47:38 

It’s almost like the baseline like like 15 years ago, you could have a website, people would find you having a website was enough. There’s been a lot of evolution since then. But now it’s like, almost like baseline is to start playing the game. Well, you need to have great visuals that actually backup your brand in what you stand for. So you can start attracting those patients that are going to naturally fit belong and resonate. So you can have those patients for life. 

 

48:09 

And get off that rat race of feeling like you just need to keep getting new patients and getting new patients and getting new patients there’s not fulfillment in that. 

 

48:17 – Laura Nadler  

VA has for years. That ideal commission, your average dental practice is the woman between 35 and 45 years old. 

 

48:27 

Because 80% of dental appointments are made by a woman and might not be for her making her husband kids whatever, but she makes the appointments, probably making the decision on where they go. For a long time. The dental industry particularly Dentists have been around for a number years, ignored millennials, 

 

48:48 

who are exactly now 35 to 45 years old. So your ideal patient is a millennial. And younger, you know we’re starting to get into the Gen Y’s are making those decisions and they expect you to show up you authentically you not stock photos of your stock educational years. And as that becomes more and more than norm if you’re not keeping up with that you’re not presenting that pasture. 

 

49:20 

There you’re targeting whether you’re ready to accept that bracket you are 

 

49:28 

okay, Laura, I think you’re ready for this. So here here it is. 

 

49:33 – SZ 

You’re walking down the street and off in the distance you see a 18 year old Laura 

and the idea is you just have a moment to communicate one sentiment to her 

that you believe is going to help her and her journey. What do you share with her 

 

49:56 – LN  

you’re good enough 

 

49:59 

you’re Good enough, also your thin now enjoy this. 

 

50:07 

But yeah, you’re good enough? 

 

50:09 

Because she doubted that a lot along the way. 

 

50:14 – SZ  

You know, and I feel like that’s the message again to the listeners, not just like, a you’re you’re good enough but like, you’re you’re ready. And whatever idea you have, it’s enough preparation. It’s enough waiting. It’s enough stalling, because my fundamental belief, Laura, is that we’re all in this line advancing dentistry. But as I look to the left and the right, I still see vacancies where I know there’s people that are on the sideline, and I’m not threatened by them occupying their space. I know when they occupy their space, then there’s a chance for there to be synergy, there’s a chance for me to meet them at a meeting. And all of a sudden, we, through a conversation, unlock something. And now dentistry wins because someone is, is shining bright and making a difference that only they can make. 

 

51:10 

You’re not competing with all the other marketing companies because you’re doing something that you are great at that your team is great at, and is very distinctive and different. And I absolutely love that. I love the way you’re leading. Laura, it’s super easy to honor you as someone that is pioneering positive change. Thank you so much for letting me interview you today. Oh, I appreciate it. You. You are a phenomenal interviewer. 

 

51:40 – LN  

You ask wonderful questions and you give. I’ve listened to so many of your podcasts, give everyone the room to be who they are. And that’s the whole point telling your authentic story. 

 

51:52 

Well, thank you, Laura. So if someone wants to reach you, where’s the best place for them to find you? Go to working cat.gov and contact us and send me a love note. 

 

52:03 

Awesome. Thank you so much, Laura. Julie, my pleasure. 

 

52:09 

Thanks for listening, and be sure to follow so you never miss an episode. To learn more about what’s going on in dentistry. Check out innovation in dentistry.com