Welcome to the eleventh episode of The Making of SMILE & CO.! Listen to Dr. Ashley Joves' story as she breaks into tears about the pressure of starting a business in the public eye. The anxiety has her questioning whether it has all been worth it. This week's episode is intense, drama-filled, and perfect for anyone thinking about starting their own dental practice. Tune in and listen carefully, because you won't want to miss this week's episode!
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0.00 Intro.
1:11 Ashley opened her doors Sept 2nd, and it's been a crazy past two weeks.
2:00 She explains the drama of getting the city permit one hour before the first patient was scheduled.
5:12 Training her new employees was fun, but hectic.
7:00 The pressure she put on herself and the social anxiety of being watched publicly gave her a nervous breakdown.
12:05 Ashley feels like she can't even enjoy the practice at this point because of all the things she still needs to do.
12:30 She explains how she's still dealing with things like insurance and how she's had to cancel appointments from patients who don't want to pay up front.
15:04 She gives insurance advice for anyone who's starting up.
15:40 Ashley talks more about the pressure of going viral and being public.
16:33 She reveals what her biggest mistake has been.
17:50 Ashley talks about her new employee that quit after two days.
19:20 Ashley discusses the importance of finding someone with insurance experience for the front office.
21:00 How she's wearing all the hats and being pulled in all directions.
21:57 Why acquiring a practice instead of starting one from scratch now makes sense to Ashley.
22:24 The building construction still needs completion.
22:45 Why doing a startup is like parenting.
23:44 Did the dental conference give Ashley a chance to relax?
24:15 Ashley explains why she has to work long hours.
24:50 She talks about how many people knew her at the conference from the podcast.
26:40 Ashley discusses how important setting up insurance is, compared to getting people to follow your journey.
28:40 Ashley's favorite resource: Front Office Rocks training. It's an online training that is perfect for people who have never trained anyone.
29:08 She reveals what she's discovered about herself.
30:00 She discusses what she wishes she would've done differently.
31:34 How not ever looking at money in business is now hurting her.
33:03 What she wishes she would have spent less time on.
33:44 She talks about her second television appearance.
34:16 Why insurance has been the biggest headache this week.
34:47 Ashley gives her best advice to anyone opening their doors.
36:00 Why all of her employees got overtime on their first paychecks.
37:48 Closing.
The past week has left Ashley in tears because she has realized that going public with her initial Facebook Live video has brought a mountain of social pressure to perform. She commented that she felt like the world was watching, and says, ���I never thought that it was ever going to be like that. I really thought that my first video was just going to be for me mostly, and then maybe some close family members, who paid attention on Facebook.��
She continues, ���And it just skyrocketed. It went viral overnight. It was definitely a blessing I met you, and we've created this amazing platform for anyone who wants to do a start-up. But it's also a double-edged sword because now it's a very public proclamation of this is what I'm going to do and this is what I'm going to achieve, and hopefully, I don't fail publicly.��
It's interesting to listen to her discuss the social pressures of being a budding celebrity. It's something many of us think about, but few of us ever experience. Will she rise above the social anxiety of having all eyes on her, or will she buckle under the fear of failing in public?
Ashley learned her first major lesson in human resources. She said that the person she thought she knew well failed in the front desk position because the woman wasn't experienced. She knew nothing about insurance and quit after the first two days!
It's a tough call. Do you hire people with experience or do you hire people you know and like?
Having a great personality and attitude is helpful for taking good care of customers, but that's not all there is to it. Ashley has now realized the importance of hiring people with experience.
Luckily, a well-experienced person has expressed interest in filling the role. Will she show up and meet all of Ashley's expectations, or will Ashley need to keep looking for a suitable front desk manager?
Ashley talks about how she never wanted to open the practice for the sake of money, but now realizes she should have looked at the practical aspects of running a business better.
Clients are nearly banging down Ashley's door to get a seat in the brand-new, stylish facility. The problem is, she hasn't finished setting up the insurance system and a way to collect money. Without these things, she won't be able to meet her overhead.
She's even questioning how much time she's spent in marketing, and whether she should have looked at finances and systems instead.
Ashley warns anyone seeking to set up a dental practice to make sure they have systems like insurance set up months in advance of opening the doors. This week's episode is intense as she describes what it feels like to be responsible for several people's income, but with no way to collect money at the register.
Will Ashley be able to accept insurance-carrying patients soon, or will she be forced to use her bank loans to pay her employees?
Ashley wants to know about membership services and is asking all listeners to help. What do you use for in-house membership plans? There are many options, but she needs help deciding. Do you do it yourself? Do you auto-debit every month? Do you use Compassionate Finance? Ashley needs help. Message her through Facebook or Instagram or email her at drashely@smileandcompany.com if you have any tips.
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Remember that Ashley's revolutionary dental practice is being built in real time. Follow her incredible journey and message her through Facebook or Instagram to say hi or to ask questions about her experience. Email her at drashely@smileandcompany.com.
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