Dentists know all too well the struggle of balancing the science of maintaining clinical excellence with the art of managing the chaos of running their own business. In this video, Shawn unpacks three big ideas that will elevate your entrepreneurial mindset. These ideas will empower you to think differently as you work to accomplish your goals for your practice. Let’s dive right in: 

  1. Conceive then Believe  

Often, we think our dreams are limited by our capabilities, but in truth our dreams are capped at our awareness of what’s possible. Our dreams are limited to that which we can conceive. True innovators are pioneers who go to places others couldn’t conceive of. So how do you break through your limits and conceive a larger dream? Often its by expanding your horizons. Look to innovative thought leaders, often in other industries for that spark that breaks the mental limits you put on your ideas. When we see others breaking molds, we realize the possibilities we have to break out in our own businesses. 

  • Follow the Pain 

Our pain points are often a magnet for finding value. As a doctor you know that in medical diagnoses pain is a symptom of an underlying issue. So just as a patient’s pain can point you to the area of disease and ultimately treatment, the pain points in your business can lead to innovative solutions. This point is personal for Shawn. Zana was birthed by finding the true issues that dentists faced. Dentists’ pain lies not in which big name sonic toothbrush brand to endorse, rather in getting patients to come back. It lies in finding and retaining loyal patients who connect to your brand. It’s in wondering how to elevate the patient experience so that the patient feels cared for. Finding the pain is a beneficial tool in your clinical assessment and it can also be invaluable in your entrepreneurial assessment.  

  • Assess Your Strengths  

Often our strengths lie hidden in what looks to be disadvantages. It’s so easy to see all the areas in which we do not measure up to the competition, to a large DSO per say. You don’t have millions of dollars in marketing budgets, big data or large agencies. But have you considered what you do have? You have YOU! Your reputation and your personal brand offers the patient a personal connection that is far more magnetic than a corporate image. This is massively to your advantage and can be used as a point of differentiation in an increasingly sterile and corporate world. An entrepreneurial mindset flips the narrative and has you own your points of differentiation. Instead of worrying that you might be a “little guy” among DSO “giants”, realize that this makes you agile, allows for thinking outside the box, and for personal touches. Your areas of difference may indeed be your areas of strength. Play them to your advantage.  

By thinking differently and embracing these three big ideas, you will be set free to dream big, innovate and own your strengths.  

Zana is an amazing resource for practices ready to pull away from the pack and do things a little differently. For us it’s all about the patient experience. Want to know more? Connect with us at myzana.com or email us at [email protected]  

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