It was another great month and I'd like to share a quick story about my latest venture that really made May, 2019 stand out. If you haven’t noticed yet, any time I see a dental start-up, I get excited! Needless to say, my last experience brought me so much satisfaction that I feel you guys and gals need to experience some of this joy, as well. The inspiring process was led by Dr. Ryan Roberts and his wife, Julie. A couple of years ago, Dr. Roberts decided to build a second dental practice in a location 25 miles away from his first. This would be a large investment; a cold start up.
When the decision was made to build a practice from scratch, Dr. Roberts reached out to some of his colleagues who referred him to the dental office design experts at Design Ergonomics. Along the way, Dr. Roberts not only shared what he wanted from the new space, but also (candidly) shared what he didn’t want - and what he didn’t want was to repeat the inefficiencies he was plagued by daily in his existing practice. Here’s where I come in.
It was clear Dr. Roberts had some concerns about the way some things in his existing practice operated, and he wanted to go the extra mile to prevent them from bleeding into his new practice, so I made a call. I had the privilege to get to know this incredible dentist and his wife over the phone. The BIG PLAN looked like this:
- 12,500 square foot building.
- Phase I - 5000 sq ft finished
- Plumbed 14 ops
- Equipping 6 to start.
Although I knew they needed the help of our clinical training program, Reboot Practice Productivity Solutions, I presented an even bigger package. I realized then that my appreciation for this doctor would only grow deeper - HE GETS IT!! We came up with a plan to get the soon-to-be completed location off on the right track, by first addressing the inefficiencies in the existing dental practice. It was important for us to establish the concept of both practices thinking, feeling and operating in the same manner - simultaneously. We were able to implement the same physical systems in the south location without the need to remodel or purchase new equipment. Reboot Training was a difference maker. So, while construction was taking place in Midtown, in December 2018, I fulfilled our plan to develop clinical, sterilization and inventory systems that we could replicate - all while increasing practice productivity in the south location. Let’s call it my superhero power.
What Dr. Roberts did was ask me to come into his practice, use my super hero xray vision, discover and remove the ugly, wasteful inefficiencies and develop a standard that could be duplicated and sustainable. It didn’t take a huge monetary investment in remodeling or cosmetics. Instead, an outside eye discovered the ugliness beneath the surface and fixed it forever.
On The Cusp Midtown location opened its doors this past May. I traveled back to Tulsa to help launch the new practice and set them up for success. To my delight, the team I had worked with in the South location, had about 75% of the set up completed! It’s easy to imitate people, places, and situations in life. Either way, attempts to imitate and / or duplicate rely on trust - in yourself, your MO, and (in my case) your audience. Dr. Roberts and his team trusted in their processes enough to successfully replicate the improvements at their original location at the new office - only better and even more efficient. Facing many of the challenges that all owners discover when opening a second practice, they pushed diligently to make the ‘hard to imagine’ their reality. It was incredible!
“We couldn’t have done it without your help and guidance. You did a great job!”
- Dr. Ryan Roberts, On The Cusp Pediatric Dentistry
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