Transforming Dentistry: An Inspirational Journey with Elaine Rodriguez

 

iiD (Elaine)_mixdown

Tue, Jun 06, 2023 4:40PM • 47:48

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

dentistry, learn, laser, hygienists, dentists, dental assistant, solopreneur, feel, elaine, dental assisting, entrepreneur, technology, speak, years, big, dental, hygiene, school, innovator, remember

SPEAKERS

Shawn Zajas, Elaine Rodriguez

 

Shawn Zajas  00:00

The future of dentistry belongs to the innovators. 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? So I am here with the Elaine Rodriguez. And I would like to say you’re, you’re a big deal in dentistry. I know, You’ve been an inspiration to me, because I liked dental professionals, but I’m really, I have admiration for dental professionals that go beyond the app. And there’s nothing wrong with staying in the app. It’s just that someone that has just that that lens of I’m a pioneer, I’m an innovator. I almost get restless, just staying put. And I feel like that’s exactly how you have been in dentistry. But for people that don’t know, what has this journey look like for you.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  01:14

While I initially actually started dentistry as a dental assistant, and I was a dental assistant right out of high school at 18 years old, and I was an assistant to a prosthodontist. So there I am, 18 years old, very young, naive, didn’t have a lot of scientific and clinical background, just very technical training. So I’m in there doing all on X chairside, assisting seeing young people lose their teeth at 2530 35 years old. And I’m thinking that’s not that old. Like, why are these people losing teeth. So the light bulb was about six months and when I started learning more about periodontal disease and the degradation of health, and I also would see people lose teeth, and then the terrible journey that they were faced with having to come back in and get adjustments and vendors are a long, hard road. And back in those days, implants were really only more for the affluent, and people who could afford it so that they would have these floppy dentures, they would lose, you know, self esteem, vitality, energy color in their face. And on the flip side of that, I would see them get the mirror and really look at that new denture and that new smile and see how normal it looked how close it looked to their natural teeth. So that was like the positive side of it. But nevertheless, that really is where I started. And so I went with that, and I got this idea of saving lives. You know, I was this 2007 2008 Oh, you’re gonna date me? Um, this had to be 2002. Yeah, okay, but

 

Shawn Zajas  03:06

but how do you end up as a dental assistant? Like, is this something that you had a family member and they’re like, Elaine, you are a dental assistant material? This is like, like, why? How?

 

Elaine Rodriguez  03:16

No, no, I mean, so I went to school in a very small town. So they have these recruiters coming and they offer, you know, a lot of the boys go into the military, and, you know, there’s dental assisting, there’s other different trades, but that one, for whatever reasons, the one that caught my eye, so obviously, I was from a small town, and my goal was get out, get into the workforce, you know, start working start, you know, living life as an adult, you know, grown adults, and yeah, dental assisting was it and I got very fortunate because it became a career lifelong career and working with that specialist and really seeing people transform. I got bit by that. But, you know, I know we’re changing lives in dentistry. And I think that’s what really sparked, you know, sparked that, that light within me,

 

Shawn Zajas  04:08

which I think is actually crazy, because we know like suicide rates have been abnormally high in dentistry just because looking in people’s mouths, and I guess I don’t know why I’m not a dentist, but I can imagine there’s some aspect of it, they can just be really probably mundane and monotonous. It’s that

 

Elaine Rodriguez  04:26

Shawn and I also think and again, I haven’t thought too much about it. Because I mean, I don’t like to think of like the ugly negative side of it. But I think one there’s a high level of burnout. You know, I initially did want to pursue a career in like, social services and like helping, like at need families, you know, but essentially, I still feel like I’m in social service in you know, in dentistry, because there’s a lot of philanthropy and humanitarian humanity behind it. But I think this dress really comes from, you know, disconnecting from who we are, what we’re capable of what we’d like to do. And there’s so many different styles and facets of dentistry. I think a lot of us come out of school which I mean shapes us refines us puts a lot of pressure on us. We come out of dentistry in survival mode, you know, we have to pay the bills, we have to pay off our loans, we have to, you know, support a family, some of us come out of school with families, and we don’t really learn how to balance all of those, you know, buckets that we have all those responsibilities. Add to that, you know, when you’re not on the right page with your team, when you’re not cohesive when you don’t have the same philosophies as your other your fellow teammates or colleagues. That’s a big time drug too. So I think, you know, of the people who really, you know, tend to lean toward the dark side, they really lose touch with themselves in that balance and the reasonable goals because it’s a perfectionist. It’s a perfectionist type a professional really is

 

Shawn Zajas  06:06

what and just to give proper context to our listeners, like you’re not a dental assistant currently, no, you move beyond that to then become a registered dental hygienist

 

Elaine Rodriguez  06:17

dental hygienist infinitives specialists and

 

Shawn Zajas  06:20

right now you own a business laser

 

Elaine Rodriguez  06:25

integrations. Yes.

 

Shawn Zajas  06:27

Why do I always work? I think I just think it like it’s gonna be like laser boss. Like you’re the laser boss big. Yeah, maybe that would be edgier.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  06:39

Yeah. And I’m actually like working with a branding specialist. And she’s like, You should co branded killer hygiene. And I’m laying I like the idea of killer, but it’s kind of violence. So I don’t know if it’s the best way to go.

 

Shawn Zajas  06:54

But that’s why you’re here, though, on innovation in dentistry is because not that there’s anything wrong with those that like, Hey, I’m in the app, and I’m comfortable in the app. And that’s just kind of where I’m staying. That somehow you didn’t stay there. You didn’t You didn’t settle and you didn’t feel fulfilled simply being an assistant simply being hygenist. Yeah. And even now, you still have these crazy ambitions. And the way that you’re making an impact in dentistry is huge. So that’s why I’m saying like, I want to interview you, because I want to know, your story. And I want our listeners to understand like, I don’t know, there. It’s so right for inspiration of men, Elaine did that. Wow. Like she just saw an opportunity she just saw needed, and she went after it. That’s exactly

 

Elaine Rodriguez  07:39

what it was I saw a need. And even just looking at where I am, so I’m okay, here I go, I’ll tilt my knee to flex. So I’m an international speaker. And I could I say that title now. Because the first couple of invites, it was people who I knew, I mean, these were very good friends for many years, that gave me a referral. And so now they’re referring me to these people having, you know, courses and events in those areas. But it wasn’t until last year that one of the local dental societies reached out to me to come out and speak and that’s when I felt legit, legitimate international speaker and the the event. The event logo or theme was modern dentistry for your super dentist. And it was, you know, Jamaica, you know, so looking at how dentistry is and how they train, you know, their oral physicians there. It’s very emergency based. So they learn a lot of, you know, extractions and palliative type of care because of, you know, the economy. I mean, there’s several different factors that go into the style of dentistry that gives access to those areas. So they learn a lot of like, pulling teeth, while lasers are highly on the preventative side, highly on the therapeutic side. So it feeds the the we’ll have a more long term and retentive care plan. So and it’s technology and it’s amazing, and it is in the upper echelons of treatment, when you really understand what it’s doing. So, I felt very honored. So going back to what you said, I every, at every moment in my career, from dental assistant to going into hygiene, I was always looking to fulfill a need. I saw that people could not did not have to lose their teeth at 2530 35. And it was something called dental hygiene, you know, to go in and, you know, clean the teeth and get on the other side of it. And remind you, I was working for a process. They don’t usually have a dental hygienist in in their office. So I didn’t really know what it all did or what it all meant. But I knew I can get on the preventative side of things. So that’s what led me to lasers. You know, beyond the traditional and I’ve always, I guess, been drawn to like what’s new in the technology sector, like I never wanted to do just the basic standard style of care.

 

Shawn Zajas  10:11

So that was just your, your wiring your perspective, you’re almost like hunger was like, What is cusp, like on the cusp technology? That’s going to make the biggest impact? And I want to make sure I’m part of that.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  10:22

True. Yeah. And so I mean, all of us entrepreneurs, we have a little competitive edge in us. And I mean, I aim to inspire and I love you know, who I am, where I come from, and what I do, because I want you to know, you could do it, too.

 

Shawn Zajas  10:38

So were you always an entrepreneur? Yes. See, I don’t think I was like, Okay. I don’t feel like I owned that identity till maybe, maybe, like just five or six years ago.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  10:50

And okay, so let’s first define what is entrepreneur?

 

Shawn Zajas  10:55

Well, so I mean, there’s different I guess, examples like, like, Gary Vee is like the typical, like, he is like a hustler. He has this drive, where he works 14 to 16 hours and gets completely invigorated. He’s always wanting to create value. For me, it’s, it’s on the value creation. It’s on the, the playing the game as far as like strategy, problem solving, and innovation. And that’s the entrepreneurial side of me not to mention the creativity, I’m not as much the hustler, I’m not as much the the sales guy, I’m much more on the let’s come up with a really creative solution for something that doesn’t exist right now. Yeah. And make it beautiful and inspiring, and have a fun time doing,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  11:42

you know, and so I guess I would define entrepreneurship, as you know, yes, that idea that create, or that innovator who has a way or an idea of how to do something better. And then they they built, you know, they build the structure behind the vision. And so there is a sales component, there is a you know, loud, you know, marketing and you know, speaking about a component, so many things, and then you have like your internal operators of that business. So, entrepreneur, I guess means you have your own job, and you pay your own bills through your own endeavors. Like that’s truly what entrepreneurship means to me right now.

 

Shawn Zajas  12:24

But some small business owners aren’t entrepreneurs know, they still pay themselves. Yeah. And I feel like oftentimes, their vision is a small business paradigm. And my vision has never been that it’s always been a unlimited impact on limited scale. Have fun play the game, but know that it can be as big as possible, because we’re not playing small ball. Yeah,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  12:51

it can be as big or small as you want. So, again, entrepreneurship is all about executing on your idea to make something better, and then build really a team around that. So I started dabbling with this concept of solopreneur. You know, and we, you can learn about it, but it’s really just your solo entrepreneur going out and like doing all the things. And I see a lot of dentists, you know, working that way. And that also leads to a lot of that stress, right. But these dentists, they’re working like solopreneurs, they’re, they’re doing it all on their own. And you know, they’re doing their own payroll, they’re having their manager on board and hire for them. They go out to some class, and they decide they want to, you know, invest in a technology, whatever that may be. We’ll use lasers that that as the example. And then they come back and they themselves get trained. But then it’s like, what about the team, like, help them help you, you know, and so, when we look at, when we look at what I do, and how I feel like I’m an innovator and can really have a seat on this panel, or this podcast is, I bring that team element, and I help them to see, you don’t want to do it on your own, you don’t want to be a solopreneur you want to think, you know, dig into that visionary behind you, because we all have it within us. Everybody who I work with, they’re mostly the solopreneur model, maybe they’re a one solo practice, but mostly, they have three to five locations, they have one or two doctors in that one location and then maybe one other doctor who also wants to work more in a private practice type of feel. And, you know, learning to work with that team and so on. So it’s even more important to become cohesive and and really in touch with why you set out to to get that piece of technology in the first place.

 

Shawn Zajas  14:56

So if I’m a hygienist right now, I’m like okay, Elena Rodriguez. As you’re known, nationally, you are also known in different parts of the world, like you said internationally. But like, starting off, you have a desire, I would love to be able to teach the I’d love to be able to go to Courses. You know, host my own seminars, just have reached where you’re at, and you’re just going, but I’m just saying, like, just because someone has a desire, just because someone has that ambition, or that vision does not mean they’re going to get where you’ve gotten to like, like, Tell me. Tell me about a setback that you had early on. And I’d love to know just kind of what what went on. Because I know in business, I’ve had so many setbacks, so many walls that I’ve hit. And at times, I’ve wanted to give up because I’m like, Man, I just I don’t think I have what it takes. I’m not, I’m not enough. Have you ever run into that sense of you’re not enough?

 

Elaine Rodriguez  15:56

Oh, absolutely. And I even heard another, I heard another podcast saying, like, if you don’t have that sense of inadequacy, then you really aren’t like, go for it. Yeah, you’re not going as hard as you need to like if you’re not uncomfortable, if you’re not, you know, questioning, you know, your worth or your value or your validity every single day, like or maybe not every day. But I think it’s a healthy question that we need to ask ourselves, like, it’s a form of self awareness and link how we can continue to improve. And I think that’s the goal. So I’ll talk about me becoming a speaker, and then I’ll talk about people just attending courses in general. So I never saw myself as a public speaker. And that’s what held me back a lot. And I could be infinitely bigger than what I am now. Had I said yes to more public speaking gigs, more, you know, conventions that would ask me to come and speak. I used to get, you know, invites to podcasts like this quite a bit. And I was like, Oh, my God, no, what am I gonna say? Like,

 

Shawn Zajas  17:02

did you not be you’re ready? Did you not feel qualified? competent? Like, what was the? What was that? That voice saying that made you feel like, oh,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  17:12

yeah, like, what, how am I going to format my message so that it doesn’t sound like all jumbled crap. You know, so even the ability to speak a thought to through so the way somebody can understand the point I’m trying to make, I don’t know if you’ve ever spoken to somebody where they’re like, but edited. And they’re just going after, and it’s like, your point was, again, like you’re getting lost in their conversation. So learning how to public speak, learning how to form even a course, where there’s maybe four topics that you can hit on, that leaves people with a tangible and tactical result. And so I had to really learn how to hone in my message, in order for, you know, the delivery to be to be well received.

 

Shawn Zajas  18:01

So how did you do that?

 

Elaine Rodriguez  18:03

I mean, I went to Walters formal education or, okay, first of all, I just went out and did it. And I just remember, I was in I won’t even say what city I was in, but I wasn’t in Arizona.

 

Shawn Zajas  18:13

Someone’s gonna like Google it. Elaine, this year, this town, this

 

Elaine Rodriguez  18:17

was like seven years ago. Okay. It was one of the like, the first years that I was teaching laser certification. And it was already like the afternoon, and we probably should have already started the hands on already. But I’m still up there talking. I’m still up there going and like I could, you have to learn how to read the room. And there’s only so much information people can get. And this is why again, side note, I love that the course is half lecture half hands on because it feeds both of those multiple learning centers of the brain. So we were beyond the point. And my jokes were not funny after 1pm 130 Even right. And I can just sense and even at one point, I heard one gal kind of make a sigh and a joke like to her neighbor like, oh, when are we going to start the hands on and I was like, Oh my god. You heard it? I heard it and I felt it in my course. So pardon, and we’re talking public speaking skills. And so fast forward years. Yesterday or not skipping yesterday, earlier in this week. This is Monday. Last Thursday, I was in Indiana and I had a private training with doctors, hygienists, dental assistants and admin managers. And I have to learn now to deliver a message that’s tactical, actionable, and that’s going to hit all the centers that you know one needs to learn to be able to move forward with you know, launching lasers in their practice the integration, and everybody takes something away because I’ve learned to refine myself refine the message, hit on their high points that need to be done ask quite surgeons get feedback. Like, that’s a whole skill. And the doctor, one of the main doctors, the owners, at the end of it, she did talking with me, very sweet lady. She was like, I’m getting ready to retire soon. And I would love to, you know, public speak. And then I see how you’re such an amazing speaker, and you haven’t had any training. And I’m like, I can’t even tell you how many 1000s of dollars that I’ve spent hours and 1000s refining how to public speak. And even then I still I’m like, you know, maybe you guys hear my voice cracking a bit, you know, because it’s still,

 

Shawn Zajas  20:32

we’re our own worst critic. So, gosh, especially when you shoot for excellence, like, I know, you have a commitment to excellence, I do. And you have that sense of what is excellence. So when all of a sudden, you know, man, like you aren’t reaching your potential, it’s easy sometimes to be critical about the things that still need to get upgraded, you know, the still need to be elevated, right?

 

Elaine Rodriguez  20:51

But it’s breaking through that fear that worry that you know, imposter syndrome, as they’ll say, and just keep on going. Because you can learn all the theory in school, you can learn, you know, read all the books, but you’re only going to learn through doing and I didn’t create lasers, I didn’t. I don’t make the laser. I’m not the manufacturer of the laser. But I’m an implementer. I’m a doer, I’m an operator. And so when we have this idea of you have, and you’re an educator, I’m an educator, yes. And I feel good to call myself that I am an educator. I know people leave feeling, touch moved and inspired to make change. And it’s things that I pull out over them, you know, and I think the biggest thing I take away is seeing people leave, capable of doing more like, and they know they’re capable of doing more. And that’s what does it for me.

 

Shawn Zajas  21:45

You literally just said something that’s like core to what I believe everyone needs to have when it comes to like the innovative mindset. I actually don’t remember what it was, okay, it’ll come back. It was just because it’s like, it’s you. It’s the way you view failure. It’s the way you view. Even like continued learning, you just keep going. But also what you said was so poignant was, I could have been so much further had I not been afraid of failing. And that’s what what I try to encourage people with is like, the fear of regret, like is much worse than the fear of failure. Like you need to actually just come face to face of like, if I don’t do this, I’m going to have this massive regret when I’m 50 When I’m 60 being like, I could have gotten brighter. I could have been bolder, like, yeah, you’re gonna have more regret. Sorry, over what you didn’t do that. Sorry. That’s, that’s the connection, you have more regret over what you didn’t do than the stuff you did that you might have gotten humiliated, or you failed. And truth is no one cares. It’s true. Like you learned, because someone made that comment. Okay, next time I’m leading the room, I need to be quicker at this or I need like it you learn and every single time you learn Oh, no, it’s what you just said, you truly don’t learn in the boardroom. That was the thing, right? The idea that we learn. Like, I always want to distinguish between like theory and marketplace reality. Yes. In this studio lane. You know, there’s books all around us. Yeah, probably like 200 books. I love reading. But I now understand that what I’m reading, still is theory until I actually apply. Apply it somewhere. So so if I’m learning something about networking, if I’m learning something about outreach, until I go on LinkedIn, or Facebook or to events and start applying it, I didn’t learn. Yeah, I just have potential knowledge. But it doesn’t actually convert to real knowledge and real understanding until you, you know, until it’s applied. And that is such a nugget for our listeners. Because for years, I actually spent time preparing Yeah. Also known as procrastinating. Yeah. All under the guise of preparation, I’m learning. I’m reading these books, I’m getting ready. But since I wasn’t applying any of it, I literally didn’t learn anything.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  24:06

A lot of people do that. And this is, you know, to the second half of what I was going to say, and thank you for bringing it back. So there’s going out and doing and delivering the message and but on the other side, there are dentists, hygenist, assistants, admins, every dental professional, who’s counseling their day, they’re missing a day of, you know, production, and they’re coming out to learn. And so, and it’s a full day course, you know, what’s your course called? Laser certification and team training. So where would someone find it? I have classes all over the states major cities, East Coast to West Coast. And then we go into

 

Shawn Zajas  24:46

the link in the description because I want to make sure people can find it.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  24:49

Thank you. I appreciate that. But where where I was going with that is you take time investment and energy and you put money behind attending that course. What are you going to do with it? And so I see what I’ve come to say a Skill versus Well, I recognize that there’s a lot of dental printers, right? Dentists, owners, dentist, and associated doesn’t matter where you are in ownership or associate ship. Sometimes people just love to come and learn. And that’s great. Just like you love reading books, I love reading, I love learning, I love listening to things, we love to learn, and that’s generally a trait of, you know, any professional. But then, at some point, we got to get an action, you know, we got to go out and we have to start doing. So. I see people, you know, in this profession, it’s a journey, you know, we just love to learn and get the next thing. But if you take my course, and there’s so many things that you can do with it, and the ROI and not just financial, but relational to your patient. If that has not been exceeded, and those goals haven’t been met, then what do you Why are you moving on to the next thing, and the next thing and the next thing, and so going back to me, and this idea of like, I’ve come so far, and what held me back and what failures? One, it was not believing in myself that I could be a world class speaker, you know, and I say this, but we should all strive to be, you know, if we want to be because anybody could be it’s just learning how to package a message true to your, your authentic self, I guess, you know, true to your word, and really sticking to what you know, and that kind of bothered me early on, you know, going to see even, you know, 20 years ago, and I’m like, This is not I don’t understand this one, it’s overwhelming to three, you see this person speaking on this topic, and then they come back in the afternoon, they’re talking on a whole nother topic. And it’s like, they’re the, you know, jack of all trades. sees and I’m like, No, I want to be really all in on laser technology specialize. Yeah. And so I think part of why I didn’t want to go out was one I wasn’t confident in the delivery skills to you know, as a woman, I was just so critical of like, just being out there in the public face. It’s kind of scary. I had stage fright. So getting over that, and I can say it’s so weird. Like, why can I go out and speak at a big dental convention, but I’m in front of people every single weekend. I maybe it was smaller groups, but I honestly say the the will to teach and then knowing that people need to hear this people need this information was greater than, you know, who cares? The lane? Like, who cares that they think of you? Or who cares if you sound ridiculous or, or ignorant? So that fear was there about going out into like a bigger crowd bigger mixture of people who are they wanting to learn laser? Like? Do they care about technology? Like, is this relevant to them, because not everybody wants the technology, and that’s fine. So I will say the second thing is not knowing who my people are, you know, going out and finding the right audience that’s really going to want that message. And that was, you know, the second failure really was not knowing how to, you know, connect the right people. I mean, you’re gonna meet so many different people along the way. But not everybody has the proper intentions. Not everybody has the right mindset or alignment to your your mission. So I guess, you know, finding your right people, was probably the second biggest issue.

 

Shawn Zajas  28:40

I can’t believe you actually circled back because I forgot you laid that out in the very beginning. Two things. And the fact that you remembered,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  28:47

it’s because I’m a public speaker and an educator,

 

Shawn Zajas  28:50

a world class path, even though you listen to achievers, he listened to people that are making the biggest difference. And it’s simply because part of their identity, they’ve taken off the limits. You didn’t say, Yeah, I’m going to Okay, speaker. Now, again, that could have been fine. If you were trying to play the humble card, which I think is also I don’t think humility is having to understate who you are. You know, I think, to be completely humble, you can just own who you are, but just don’t pretend to be something that you’re not, you know, because I like dentistry needs you to own your strength 100% Because it makes dentistry better. That’s the we don’t need Elaine being like, Oh, well, I’m just gonna play it small because I’m just insignificant. What can I really do? Okay, the people that believe they can change the world are the only ones that can and I think that’s like, that is a quote, I believe that what the people those that are crazy enough to believe they can. It’s on caspers. So Kareem, yes, in his basement where of the dentists or dental office that he works at his own practice, man, I’m bombing this Ah, the CASPER headquarters that’s painted on the wall there. And it’s it’s Steve Jobs, saying that. So it’s like a nice, I love that you’re willing is that you dare to believe. Yeah.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  30:12

And you know, that’s within all of us desire is there, you know, we all want to be the best at what we do to our own capacity.

 

Shawn Zajas  30:22

But I think all of us have experiences that tell us that we’re, we’re not going to, like, we’re not going to be able to, like, tell me you didn’t have any experiences in life that said, oh, you can’t succeed, or you’re not good enough.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  30:35

I remember, I had already taken one or two courses at the World clinical Laser Institute, I was studying heavily, you know, in laser, the same way learn, you know, had to go out and learn that secondary skill of public speaking, I first had to get really good with lasers and the science and all the tactical stuff in that. So I did a lot of you know, investment in training and attending multiple courses. And I remember I was out on a date with my at the time boyfriend, and we were out to sushi. And like that week, I was gonna head out to another world clinical laser course. And I mean, these courses take me away, like, I’m gone for like, you know, five days at a time. And my girlfriend, she came, and she kind of, you know, joined the date, which was fine lane. Nobody cared, we’ll, they’re willing it Yeah, for sure. And as I’ve been many times, but she came with such a negative energy. And I think it’s because you know, she was coming from an event that didn’t really pan out the way she would like. So she came with a lot of negative energy. And so she kind of had an attitude. And she was like, Elaine, you’re going to another laser course, like, what are you going to do? Like? Why are you going? What are you going to do? Like you’re going to learn to, you know, turn the laser on a little higher Lake? What more can you do? And in my mind, I’m thinking like, Okay, first of all, she’s upset, she’s having a bad night. Second of all, I know what I’m meeting wanting to do. And at the time, I was wanting to bring more quality education to Arizona, because, you know, just fulfilling a need, there wasn’t a course that met the different sectors and facades of what and how I wanted to teach it. So that’s what I was going for, I was going to network and make those connections so that I can bring training back. And I wasn’t about to sit there and go all in with her. Right. But, you know, just the negativity and just seeing like my own colleagues, she was also a dental hygienist, and also who I considered a friend, and still do. But I was like, You know what, I’m gonna have to drown out some noise. And I think not enough of us on the way up, are willing to make those sacrifices. I hear a lot of that too, from people. While you know, you’re here and there, you’re all over the place. How do you do it? How do you do it? And the truth is, like, how do we wake up and show up at our best selves, because every buddy’s definition of that is different. So going back to like, everything you’re seeing right now showing us like identity, you know, we have to really be true to what we do, how we do it, and how we want to deliver. And even just me knowing like, I have to do what it takes to show up my best, because people need me. And it’s really the same way I approach motherhood. Like, there’s no way that I cannot show up my, my best self, to lead my daughter, you know, to greatness. Yeah,

 

Shawn Zajas  33:24

well, and I feel like that’s what I just want to keep telling dentistry is like, innovation. And what I’m wanting to keep sharing, it’s not just the mindset, it’s also the heart set, which is like what you’re saying the beliefs, the identity, because you can be kind of thinking the right things, but believing the wrong stuff about you. And that’s gonna be the cap, that’s going to be the wall that you keep hitting, like you need to really, like, it’s hard sometimes to be a self encourage her to be a self starter, and to not look at the seven reasons why you could fail. And the seven reasons why someone else is more fitted for this, or more suited or isn’t the world’s gonna realize and see my inadequacies. You know what all those things can be true. But there’s also these reasons why because of what you believe, because of the way that you’re wired. Because the passion that’s in your heart, because of the change you want to be part of. It can work. And if you don’t double down on that, like you don’t need the world to tell you that you can step up. Like I love just telling my listeners, I give you permission to go after the dreams in your heart. And I used to be a dreamer. I’m not a dreamer anymore. Dreamers don’t take massive action visionary entrepreneurs do. It’s the same. If you listen to a dreamer, and an entrepreneur, they sound pretty much the same because they have these really big dreams. The difference is what you don’t see. It’s the waking up early. It’s the sacrifices. It’s the massive, consistent action. Yeah, and for the longest time, I was just a dreamer because I had something that I was excited about doing. But I was still I didn’t have I was scared. Like I kept losing heart every time I take a step. Because I didn’t look good enough. I didn’t deliver well enough. Yeah, what if I look like a fool? I was so afraid of failing that I would I just got in my way. Yeah. And that’s why what I tell my kids is like, you need to fail forward and fail fast. Because that’s actually where you’re learning. And, yeah, I have the strongest regret I have is over the things I never did. Yeah, and not doing it sooner, in caring too much about what the world might think about me trying. They don’t care. They’re, they’re involved in what they’re involved in. The world isn’t looking to see when Alain Rodriguez is going to take the wrong step and make a mistake. The world sees that you are trying and you are living in such a way that’s intentional to make a bigger difference in you have.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  35:55

Yes, yes. And I’m very grateful. I am so grateful. I remember in hygiene school now. So mind you, I go from dental assisting making at the time, I was like making maybe $9 an hour to begin with. And then I got a raise the dream after her. So I mean, going back and forth from multiple offices, we opened up a second location, you know, the post office, and now I’m stepping up to be manager, he’s having me go set up the office, set up the software set up the ops. And after we were ready to open, he was like, Elaine, you’re doing such a good job, I’m gonna give you a raise $13 An hour $2 Raise and I was like, wow, I’m really moving up. You know, I’m meant to do this, you know. And so yeah, so there was that jump and that change, and you know that stretching me. But then going into hygiene school, I knew I was going to make more money. And so I think again, as entrepreneurs, or even just any business, a lot of time, people think it’s an exchange of money. Like they just think money and riches are whatever they think. But really, if you just hone back in on what the value is, what is the value, and I see this with doctors, too. They buy the technology and they use it minimally okay minimally. And they don’t really stretch themselves to learn how to use it, but for the patient’s benefit. And then the Money Follows. So there there’s a sales aspect to it that they struggle with the same way we struggle with impostor syndrome and the same, like, these are all similar issues. But going into hygiene school, I remember my instructor, she was like, if you’re here for the money, I feel very sorry for you. Because it’s going to be a very long day. And that’s the truth is that is the truth that dental hygiene is no joke. It’s very tedious work. It’s very mentally straining, it’s physically straining, if you let it.

 

Shawn Zajas  37:58

You don’t see lots of older hygienists that are still able to do that. Because of you know, like I said, some of them,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  38:07

I do I meet a ton of identity. I’ve been doing it 3040 years, but they’re Yeah, you don’t

 

Shawn Zajas  38:12

have to know how to take care of themselves. Or else they get the carpal tunnel, they get

 

Elaine Rodriguez  38:17

aches. Yes, yes, yes, there has to be a wellness aspect to it. And we have something called ergonomics that we’re supposed to learn. But I think people don’t take advantage of it enough. And I love where dentistry is today. Because you see a lot more people educating in that space of wellness and mental wellness and all of that, but tying it back into, you know, the struggle or, you know, overcoming and, you know, pushing through that innovation. It’s I got very lucky in dentistry, because yes, I started as a baby. But I was able to make a career because I stayed purpose driven. I wasn’t in it for the money, or I wasn’t becoming a public speaker to get the attention, which you see a lot of people do.

 

Shawn Zajas  38:58

It was the mission. It was the difference. It was the bringing the value. Yeah.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  39:01

People need to hear this message. People need to learn this, you know, so I got lucky.

 

Shawn Zajas  39:10

Just a really, really quickly touch like so you encounter some discouragement. There’s something going on, you have a tough week, maybe something doesn’t pan out as well as you wanted it to. I don’t know when this might be just in your journey. But like, how, how did you get back up? And why did you not quit because you’re here today because you didn’t quit? Yeah, it’s not like it was this perfect spiral of just like feel goods and encouragement and motivation and success. And it was just like glory to glory. I’m sure there was times when there was some setbacks. There were some challenges there was times where you had tons of self doubt you had overcome.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  39:42

Well, being so purpose driven, right, that kind of sets aside the why you connecting to that meaning really, that purpose and the intent and the why behind it. Yeah. But I would say overcoming really probably is, and jumping over those setbacks breaking through all that. It’s probably massive accountability. Like, everything that happens is my fault. Like, how can I better prepare next time? Or how can I take the top five complaints or the feedback? You know, I was really big on reading the feedback in the beginning. And even my colleagues and I started onboarding other trainers and other speakers to work for my organization. They were all like, focus on Whoo, we did a good job. And unfortunately, I was like, Well, you could have done this, this. So I was, I had to be very careful not to impart my critical illness, or whatever on to them, and really praise them for the job they did. Because they would do amazing. And if you even look on my, my website, and on our Google review page, you see them getting more Google reviews than I do. And I’m proud of that. I am damn proud of that. And it doesn’t like take away from oh my gosh, are they better than me? I want them to be better than me. So I think it all really stems from massive accountability. Like, what did I do wrong? What did I do good. Like I you know, I had to break away from like, the critical eye. What have I been doing good, let me do more than that. But also, let me clean up like, and, you know, tidy up and polish up what, you know, I could do better. And I think that’s it, because I’m gonna fail, I’m gonna say something ridiculous, like, you know, and it’s gonna happen. And now I just once in a while when I say this, or that, or, you know, crack a joke. It’s really more of who I really am. And that’s what people need to see too. And not this, like, robotic, you know, public speaker who is professional, like, it’s learning how to incorporate that too, and being okay with it. So I think it’s just accountability. I wish I can, like, say more to it.

 

Shawn Zajas  41:54

No, I, I read someone. Okay, I’ll just say who it was. So Dan Kennedy. I don’t love everything he says about marketing. But one of the things he was saying just when it comes to like high performance is that responsibility is like equal to personal power. So every ounce of responsibility you take is power that you have every ounce of responsibility you get rid of is power, you lose. So if you’re one of those people, that’s like, nothing’s ever my fault. I don’t take any accountability or responsibility for my life or where it is within you, you have no power to change it, because you’re just a victim. And it’s the world that’s bad. It’s the world that makes it so I can’t succeed, where when all of a sudden, you’re like, No, I can learn more. I can do this better. I can wake up earlier, I have the ability to change to improve, the locus of control is on me. Yeah, I’m accountable to be able to continue to I’m agile, that I love agility. It’s like, No, I can just pivot here. Have this didn’t work. Okay, let me change it. Okay, and let’s just keep going with keep reiterating, until you dial in that that formula. But it’s because you have that lens of personal belief that I’m accountable, and I can grow instead of, I’m just waiting for the world to see that I’m great. And I don’t know why they haven’t seen it yet. Yeah, but there’s got to be all these reasons. And I’m just gonna blame the weather and COVID. And you know, that one person that beat me to it, and then all of a sudden you’re just blaming and you’re a victim and you’re powerless, you have no power to change, you know. Okay, so, in closing, let’s go back to 2005. Two lane. If you could have written something down on a piece of paper today, to given a lane 2005 What would you have written on that piece of paper?

 

Elaine Rodriguez  43:44

I think it’s always stay strong. Believe in yourself and keep going. And even today, I posted on my Instagram stories, like a mantra that I posted four years ago, you know, you always get these little reminders or remember when’s on on Facebook or wherever. But it was that be strong. Believe in yourself and that’s it. I I don’t even want to say no, your why I want to even says, go back to believing, like belief before vision. Like you have to believe that you can take on, you know, the world. And I’m so proud that, you know, my when I first wrote out my goals for my company, I wanted to be a global trainer. Because I knew I mean, I know the market. I know there’s different countries that don’t have dental hygiene that don’t have preventative care models. And I knew what lasers were and if lasers are seen as like this high level high, you know, realm of treatment, it’s not accessible to people. So the goal was always how can I make this accessible and if I were to stay in that you know, lowly Oh, I’m just a this or I’m just to that. I would never get there. So So yeah, believe in yourself belief before vision, that’s what I would say.

 

Shawn Zajas  45:04

What do you want people to know about when it comes to what’s coming around the corner for either your calendar or, or services that you offer? So if they’re looking for, I don’t know, just more help, or what you do? Where do you want to lead them to,

 

Elaine Rodriguez  45:17

they can come to my website, dental laser integrations.com, I’d love them to come to my Instagram or any one of my social media accounts, because we post pretty often on that. But also, I want people to really think about when they go to see ease, and when they reach out to even make a purchase. Why do you even want it? And what makes what do you think you’re going to do with it? You know, so I encourage people to really just start doing more research. And when I talk even to when I talked to my daughter, she’s like, you’re teaching me how to think, aren’t you mom? And I’m like, Yes, I’m teaching you how to think and like break down a problem and chop it up. So you can start to pick away at it, you know, area by area. So that’s exactly what I do. So, before you even reach out, you know, I’d love to be friends. But think about why you want to integrate technology before you even come to class commit to it. Yeah, so I’m not even trying to sell a course on this. On this podcast, believe me.

 

Shawn Zajas  46:24

So Elaine, thank you so much. Like a your story is so inspiring. Thank you. You’ve personally inspired me like right off the bat. When I was getting in starting zone. I was like, I want to know who it is. That’s already making a difference. Who is leading. That’s a hygienist that’s a dentist and everyone just kept dropping your name you have to meet like you have to meet. Oh my gosh, that’s so nice. And it’s like, I am so thankful that you overcame. I’m so thankful you didn’t give up. I’m so thankful you continue to make those sacrifices to level up your thinking to level up your belief centers, everything you’ve had to do to get to the place where you could be making the impact that you’re making today. Because there are countless, not just hygienists but dental professionals, they get inspired by what you’ve done and what you’re doing. And it’s like, none of that impact would have happened if you just would have been like you know what, I just need to stay in my lane. I just need to play small. I just need to Yeah, if you just would have given up at any time, so thank you for not giving up dentistry is better because of you. And I’m super excited to see even what this next decade lies in store for you.

 

Elaine Rodriguez  47:28

Thank you. I appreciate that.

 

Shawn Zajas  47:31

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