Dr. Kuba poses a question and subsequent subject matter – What is good customer service? In this episode, she and Bethany discuss how good customer service goes far beyond a simple smile and peppy tone. Instead, it requires preparedness, attention to detail, delivering what you say you will deliver and much, much more. Part of the barrier in providing good service is relying on sometimes inconsistent team members. Bethany spends time talking about how to inspire and encourage team members to val...
Oct 30, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Although it may not be the most glamorous topic, increasing fees is a critical aspect of keeping a dental practice profitable. In this episode, Bethany has several tips for evaluating fees as well as strategies for analyzing your current fee schedule against competitors. She discusses the pluses and minuses of certain fee analysis strategies while also encouraging listeners to do something rather than nothing. Fee increases can be stressful when it comes to communicating changes to patients, but...
Oct 23, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Bethany throws two difficult scenarios at Dr. Kuba today to get her take on how she would handle them. First, she asks Dr. Kuba how to handle a partner or associate who doesn’t handle the responsibility as expected. Dr. Kuba is able to dialogue about this deeply and personally because she recently was experiencing dissatisfaction with her associate. She unpacks the steps she took to improve the relationship. Second, Bethany asks Dr. Kuba about a team member who was oversharing her burdens with h...
Oct 16, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 8
After hearing from Dr. Smith last week, Dr. Kuba had some deep questions on what he and other successful practice owners do differently. What guides them? What unites them? In this episode, Bethany covers three examples from her clients – three practices that are unique and yet are united by a strong, authentic leader. Dr. Kuba and Bethany challenge listeners to truly evaluate if they are genuine and caring people. In fact, they challenge listeners to take leadership to the next level by asking ...
Oct 09, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Bethany and Dr. Smith have worked together for almost 10 years! Today, you get to meet Dr. Smith! Many might consider his practice a unicorn – one that only exists in the figment of an imagination. However, he has thrived for many years at a small, out-of-network dental office. His small team of four proves every day that doing dentistry differently is possible. Not only has his practice survived the pandemic and economic downturn, but it continues to grow year over year in production and collec...
Oct 02, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This epic three-part series comes to a close today! In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the specific details of how they conducted the meeting with Thief to determine if she was “guilty.” Meetings like this can be very difficult to navigate as emotions swell. However, Dr. Kuba and Bethany tag-teamed the meeting in a way that helped the truth of the situation to emerge. In fact, Bethany, who was still struggling with the idea of the triple firing, states that the evidence that emerge...
Sep 25, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 5
You have waited in eager anticipation! Part two of “Mama Said They’ll Be Days Like This” covers the storyline of “thief,” one of the three people that Dr. Kuba had to fire in one singular day. In this episode, you will learn more about what Thief did to earn her place on the termination list. To complicate the nature of this triple firing, Dr. Kuba had recently (3 days prior) brought a brand new team member on board. She and Bethany discuss how they managed the terminations sequentially while al...
Sep 18, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Ever had to fire three people from your team in a single day??? Well, Dr. Kuba did last week. She and Bethany discuss what led to the triple firing as well as the thought process that went behind each decision. Each termination was due to a different reason and all were potentially consequential to the practice. Yet, three terminations in one day come with its own downsides. Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the impact of these decisions as well as the solutions they begin to put in place to recover ...
Sep 11, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 3
An important member of Bethany’s team is joining the podcast today – Danielle! She is behind the scenes in so many aspects of not only serving Bethany’s clients but also ensuring that an episode drops every Monday. One of the ways that Danielle (and our beloved Sydney too) helps clients is by overseeing their job posts and forwarding on good applicants. Therefore, she has an excellent pulse on current trends with applicants and the hiring market, in general. In this episode, she shares tips for ...
Aug 28, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Bethany and Dr. Kuba are thrilled to be ringing in a third season!! In this celebratory episode, they allow you, the listener, to get to know them a little better while also providing some good reflection questions. First, Dr. Kuba reflects on what she would tell her former, brand-new practice owner self (she would have to go back 13 years to talk to this new practice owner!). Then, she discusses the most important lessons she’s learned over these 13 years. Finally, she talks about how she curre...
Aug 21, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Dr. Kuba is back with some drama of her own to share! Although lost supplies can be common, it is rare to hear about a lost sensor. In this episode, hear Dr. Kuba’s dramatic tale of a lost sensor in her very own practice. In addition to discussing the details of the missing sensor, Dr. Kuba and Bethany also discuss practical take-aways including good systems for inventory of supplies and equipment as well as accountability systems. They also discuss the importance of clinical oversight and train...
Aug 14, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 51
Correcting an employee is so incredibly difficult – sometimes so daunting that we completely avoid it. Despite the intense desire to retain employees, corrective conversations are absolutely essential. Therefore, it is critical to conduct these in an effective way. This episode discusses when to have an immediate corrective conversation and when to have a planned/delayed one. Also discussed is the strategy for each type. For immediate corrections, it is important to prepare yourself for the conv...
Aug 07, 2023•20 min•Season 2Ep. 50
Bethany spends today’s episode challenging each practice owner to dive deep into the treatment acceptance category AND to train their team in treatment acceptance. She spends time reviewing her top ten tips for improving treatment acceptance. Specifically, she encourages dental teams to: Discover your patient’s motivation Understand your patient’s barrier Resist the urge to over-educate “Schedule first mentality” Listen to your financial coordinator and coach/correct her Advocate for your patien...
Jul 31, 2023•22 min•Season 2Ep. 49
Dr. Kuba and Bethany conclude their three part series on Treatment Acceptance by discussing very practical steps that practice owners can take. They spend the bulk of this episode reviewing the importance of making dentistry affordable for patients. The pros and cons of in office financing are discussed as well as third-party financing options. They also discuss being wise with what options to select with third party companies while also providing patients with low monthly payment options. Final...
Jul 24, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 48
It may seem counterintuitive to consider dropping insurance plans in the midst of patients not accepting treatment. However, because of continued increased supply costs and elevated employee costs, it’s important to close the gap between costs, revenue, and net profitability. Currently, insurance reimbursements are one of the main hurdles in closing that gap. While there are several options to consider for increasing reimbursements, in this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss dropping network ...
Jul 17, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 47
If you’ve noticed a recent dip in treatment acceptance, you aren’t alone. A large number of practices across the nation are seeing what feels like a sudden drop in treatment acceptance. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the WHY behind this drop. They also discuss that due to current economic factors, this current trend isn’t just a little blip that will be here today and gone tomorrow. In fact, Bethany predicts that we might continue to struggle with treatment acceptance for the next...
Jul 10, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 46
It is an unfortunate and common occurrence – a team member finds fault in another team member. Then, they turn to complaining – complaining to you, complaining to other team members, and even complaining to patients! Yikes! In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the all-too common problem of employees who are frustrated with other employees. Dr. Kuba shares about two of her lead employees shifting blame to Dr. Kuba for being “too soft” on underperforming employees. They also shared their ...
Jul 03, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Every practice owner has experienced that dreaded moment – the moment when the most valuable, knowledgeable, indispensable employee turns in his or her notice. What do you do? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of having a good backup plan in place. Do you have an employee or two that knows everything? A good backup plan often involves cross-training to ensure that the practice is not negatively impacted when a critical employee is sick or resigns. Back-up plans also in...
Jun 26, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Hiring is an excruciating task, and when it all falls to one or two people to handle, it can be completely overwhelming. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the thorough and shared model of hiring that Dr. Kuba uses in her practice. The process allows multiple people, even the full team, to weigh in on the candidate to ensure that they do not see any red flags. Also, she is able to evaluate the candidate in written form (via text message), in spoken form (over the phone), and in person...
Jun 19, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Is the rumor mill running at your office? Are there conversations behind closed doors that cause problems? Team drama is not only stressful but also damaging to a practice. In this episode, Bethany references a client who is struggling with inner-office drama, and then Dr. Kuba weighs in on the value of documentation and open lines of communication. In her office, every conversation with an employee is well-documented and then shared among the leadership team. This form of documentation keeps wo...
Jun 12, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Amanda is back for another episode!! This time, she and Bethany tackle more of Dr. Patel’s burning questions. They start with his first question – “If you have two team members who are having conflict, how specifically do you handle this, and how early do you intervene?” They also discuss the importance of communication between the practice owner and the office manager. How frequently should a doctor and manager meet? What should they discuss in these meetings? Finally, they conclude this episod...
Jun 06, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Amanda is back for another episode!! This time, she and Bethany tackle more of Dr. Patel’s burning questions. They start with his first question – “If you have two team members who are having conflict, how specifically do you handle this, and how early do you intervene?” They also discuss the importance of communication between the practice owner and the office manager. How frequently should a doctor and manager meet? What should they discuss in these meetings? Finally, they conclude this episod...
Jun 05, 2023•32 min
One of our devoted listeners requested that we invite another office manager to the show. Bethany invited one of her favorites – Amanda Eldred! Amanda has a long history in the dental field and has worn many hats. She has also worked alongside Bethany in a consulting format. She answers several of Dr. Patel’s burning questions – How do you keep staff morale high? What are specific things you do in your office to keep spirits high? How do you motivate your star players to stay on your team, espec...
May 29, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 40
A resigning employee often leaves a wave of destruction behind them – a mess that the practice owner and team ultimately have to clean up. Bethany and Dr. Kuba talk about various ways to solve either a temporary or long-term staff shortage. They discuss the importance of being prepared for any team member to quit and building backup plans through really knowing your employees. Dr. Kuba shares how each time an employee has quit in her practice, it’s left nothing but positive practice improvements...
May 22, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Over the last month, Bethany has been hit with multiple panicked text messages and voicemails regarding an employee quitting. She ropes Dr. Kuba into the conversation to discuss the aftermath of an employee quitting. How do you navigate the 2-week notice? How do you find someone quickly enough to avoid being understaffed? Is there anything you should or should not do in regards to incorporating the team into building a recovery plan? Together, Bethany and Dr. Kuba inform about three simple steps...
May 15, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany continue their conversation from last week. They discussed more pros and cons of having an office manager, and they specifically discuss how Dr. Kuba utilized a practice manager for many years before shifting to a leadership model. As the conversation unfolds, they find themselves back at the question of, “Does having a manager prevent me from selling my practice?” Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting: Does My Practice Need an Office Manager? A Different Manag...
May 08, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 37
With the ever-increasing stresses of practice ownership, it can be hard to manage all aspects of the practice alone. In this segment, Dr. Kuba is back! She and Bethany discuss the benefits and potential risks of incorporating an office manager into the practice. They both emphasize the importance of training and equipping an office manager and then carefully grafting him or her successfully into the practice. Should the longest-standing employee become the manager? Should a practice owner promot...
May 01, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 36
With a recession looming, dentists everywhere worry about what a recession will do to the dental field. In this episode, Mr. Petty (Bethany’s husband who loves economics) will share some specific things to expect in a recession. Patients AND staff members show us signs and help practice owners to spot when the recession has officially hit. Preparation should begin NOW. Spending and saving should change NOW. Marketing should change NOW. Creativity in a recession is much more helpful than burying ...
Apr 24, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 35
Mr. Petty (Bethany’s husband) joins the studio for the first time today! He teaches government and economics and has a genuine passion for how these subjects impact life. Today, Bethany searches for the cliff note version of what is truly happening in the economy. Are we in a recession? What’s going on with the interest rates? Will those rates impact small business lending? What does the rest of 2023 hold for dental practices? What can they expect? How long do recessions usually last? Once curre...
Apr 17, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 34
After listening to last week’s episode, you have the basics for determining if your practice is on a positive trend or a negative one. But do you have any ideas of how to fix a negative trend? This week, learn how to take basic practice information and dive even deeper to determine WHY there is a negative trend. Then, listen as Bethany shares several potential solutions to those negative trends. In addition, learn a couple of different ways to determine if you might have a capacity problem, but ...
Apr 10, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 33
