Dentaltown March 2015 - (Page 108)

women in dentistry feature by Arselia Gales, Assistant Editor, Dentaltown Magazine Long-time entrepreneur Vicki McManus may make success look natural, but there were certainly challenges along the way and her path wasn't always clear. McManus started as a hygienist and is now the co-founder and CEO of dental consulting ﬁrm Productive Dentist Academy. She also co-owns ﬁve dental practices and in 2013 won the silver medal at the Stevie Awards in New York for female entrepreneur of the year. And as if all that's not enough, she's publishing her second book this year. Rewind to the start of her career: McManus started as an assistant and graduated hygiene school in 1982. She practiced until 1995. After some deep thought and battling with societal norms, McManus made the transition to consulting and left her full-time job. "I needed to ﬁnd a career with ﬂexibility," she said. McManus describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, but added that she still found it somewhat difﬁcult to make the transition from hygienist to consultant. She said there were many barriers to entry in the ﬁeld; however, at times her biggest challenge wasn't the industry-it was herself. "I was young and entering a male-dominated ﬁeld. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't do it," she said. She also acknowledged the huge risks accompanied with leaving a stable full-time job and changing career paths. However, McManus found the conﬁdence she needed and began studying marketing, ﬁnance and business management. She discovered that part of being courageous was feeling and understanding her fears while still taking the plunge. McManus says that after the fact she "became hungry" for information and read anywhere from 85 to 100 books a year. She believes her willingness to never stop learning was crucial to her success in business. McManus uses the words of late entrepreneur Jim Rohn for inspiration, "Formal education will make you a living; selfeducation will make you a fortune,". It didn't take long for McManus to begin carving her niche in consulting, and just a year later, in 1996, she joined a consulting ﬁrm co-founded by well-known motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. McManus says her passion to have an impact on a higher level was always there, even when she was practicing hygiene. In fact, she jokes that initially she was a business major in 108 MARCH 2015 // dentaltown.com college and somehow became a hygienist. She felt right at home in the consulting industry while still maintaining her passion for dentistry. "As an entrepreneur you've got a strong internal drive to do more," McManus said. "How can I add value and increase impact?" Through Productive Dentist Academy, which launched in 2004, McManus and her partner Dr. Bruce Baird hope to impart that same wisdom on their clients. By hosting a variety of annual seminars and workshops, the company aims to help dentists raise their production, increase take-home salary, work fewer hours and raise the standard of patient care. The overall goal is simple: help private practices prosper. Looking back nearly three decades, McManus attributes most of her success to waiting until the time was right. "The secret is patience. Some things come quickly and some things take years to build," she said. "I waited 27 years to own my ﬁrst practice!" McManus now co-owns ﬁve dental practices in Wisconsin, one of few states where those who aren't dentists are allowed to own practices. She began purchasing in 2011. McManus said that the people hired are a key ingredient and as a result the most enjoyable part of her job is building relationships with clients and others in the industry. Although she isn't quite sure what the future holds, right now McManus is excited for her new book "Frustration: Breakfast of Champions" which will be released later this year. The book focuses on how to take powerful emotions and use them to advance your career. "I will never run out of new things to do. I love strategic thinking. I'm always thinking about what is going to happen ﬁve years (or more) down the road," she said. While McManus' particular story may be unique to her experiences, she believes that success for anyone in the dental industry is never too far away. "My advice to anyone who wants to achieve their goals is simple," she said. "Be fearless, have grit, and most importantly don't be afraid to take a non-traditional path." ■ http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown March 2015

On Dentaltown.com
Howard Speaks: 20 Feet from Stardom: Delegate like Jagger
Professional Courtesy: Married to My Profession
Continuing Education Update
Help Me Treatment Plan This Case
CBCT Technology: What Will the Future Bring?
New Luting Composite: Variolink Esthetic
Cone Beam 3D—Is It Really for Me?
Four Digital Marketing Mistakes that Impede Practice Growth
New Products
Poll
From Scaling to Therapy: A Day in the Life of a Dental Hygienist
The Value of a Dental Practice: Why Tracking “Attributable” Expenses Matters
I am Seeing a Lot of HPV Lesions in the Mouth Lately; What is the Protocol, Remove Them or What?
Dental Podcasts: What They Are and How They Work
Service Profi le: Garfi eld Refi ning
CE: Posterior Maxilla Implant Rehabilitation: A Challenging Task
Product Profile: Dentsply Caulking
Women in Dentistry: Intro
Women in Dentistry: Work/Life Balance: Flexibility and Creative Scheduling Go a Long Way
Women in Dentistry: The Lucy Hobbs Project
Women in Dentistry: Female Dentists in Conservative Muslim Nations Face Challenges and Threats
Women in Dentistry: The American Association of Women Dentists: Representing Women from Products to Leadership
Ad Index
Women in Dentistry: Q&A
Women in Dentistry: The Sky's the Limit: Hygienist Turned Entrepreneur Shows What's Possible
Product Profi le: SmartBox
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown March 2015