Orthotown May 2022 - 54

Office Visit
educate and spread the word. I can only
imagine how many thousands of children's
lives have been and will be positively affected
because of these women. I have seen firsthand
how early intervention with orthodontics, a
knowledgeable ENT and a myofunctional
therapist can change a child's life.
I'm excited to see more research being
done about tongue ties and the impact
that can have on a child's growth and
development. It is a sorely overlooked area in
both the dental and medical professions. I'm
shocked at the number of ties I see that have
clearly affected speech and jaw growth, and
yet have gone unaddressed for years. Many
thanks to my airway mentors, Dr. Bockow
and Dr. Mo Khuta, for always answering
my messages and texts and helping me!
Break down your management
style, office workflow, and
team lineup for us. What has
been working for you?
My right hand is my treatment coordinator,
Alicia, and my left hand is my
clinical coordinator, Sarah. I am grateful
to have these women as part of my team.
They support me, help me execute my ideas
and understand the way I think.
I have four clinical assistants: Kelly,
Kristina, Carmen and Jo Ann. Kelly, who
has been with the practice for more than
30 years, is incredibly loyal, dependable,
genuine and kind, and a great resource for
when we have former patients come in.
Leticia and Megan, my dynamic duo
in the front, are always the first to rock a
festive headband and greet patients with
a warm smile.
I am so appreciative of my team. I could
not practice without them. They embody
our practice's core values, bring passion to
their jobs and make me proud. For better or
worse, every team member is an extension
of you; they're representing your name,
your work and your brand. Finding the
54 MAY 2022 // orthotown.com
right people and putting them in the right
positions feels like winning the lottery!
As a CE junkie who hadn't
been able to get her fix during
the pandemic, what sort of
courses are you most excited
to get back to attending?
Oh, I still got my fix! It was just from
the comfort of my cozy couch instead of
inside a chilly conference room. My first
in-person conference post-COVID was
Orthopreneurs, in October, and it did not
disappoint.
I decided at last year's conference to bring
my whole team with me this year. One of
our core values is to have a growth mindset
and it's time to take it to the next level. So
far, I have the whole team signed up for
Ortho Evolution in July and Orthopreneurs
in September.
I'm always excited and reenergized after
a conference, and I know my team will feel
the same way. I can't wait to hear all their
ideas and what they learn! I do not doubt
it will help the practice improve and serve
our patients better, and therefore I know it
will be a great investment.
You're a believer in the
power of meditation.
What's the trick?
Ha! If I knew, I'd tell you. Just get
on the cushion and do your best. It's not
easy, but sometimes, for a few seconds,
it works: You forget all about starts and
conversion rates and staffing issues and you
remember how beautiful and awe-inspiring
this world is. Meditation reminds me how
much there is to be grateful for, and what
matters in life.
I think we've all had a collective realization
the past few years of what truly
matters-of what our priorities are, or
perhaps should be. Recognizing that work
cannot, and should not be, our entire life,
while at the same time realizing how lucky
we are to be in the orthodontic profession.
Orthodontics and running a business is a job
that allows us to give people the confidence
to smile, that gives us the chance to giggle
with a 7-year-old patient and ease his or her
fears, to develop meaningful relationships
with our team members, and allows us to do
what matters most to all humans: to develop
connections with other people. Meditation
helps keep me centered and reminds me how
grateful I am for this life.
What is your mission
statement? What are
your core values?
I'd had " create a mission statement and
core values " on my to-do list for about five
years before I finally got around to doing it.
I used the time we were closed in 2020 to
read Simon Sinek's book Start with Why and
formalize our mission statement and core
values. It helped me clarify and articulate
why I want the office to run a certain way,
what that means and how we achieve it. I
realized all I really wanted to do in life was
make people feel good and spread kindness
and positivity. One of the things I loved
about waitressing was I got to interact with
people and bring them food. What could
make someone happier?
Our mission is to make people feel
good by spreading kindness, happiness
and positivity.
Our core values are exceptional customer
service, friendly professionalism, positivity
and kindness, teamwork, having a growth
mindset, gratitude and fun. My proudest
moments are when we get a Google review
that highlights these areas, and as we read
it aloud my team shouts out, " Those are our
core values! " The power of human connection
and the impact one interaction can have on
a person never ceases to amaze me.
As my dad would say, " Just be nice to
people. " n
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Orthotown May 2022

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