Are you resisting the problems that are actually your best avenue for progress?
“What was I supposed to do now?” My mind was panicked. I felt desperate as I mentally sifted through all
Between us, Ameena and I have nearly seven decades in the dental industry. Everything you'll find here is drawn from the front lines - what actually works, what doesn't, and what we wish someone had told us sooner.
Julie has spent nearly four decades in the dental industry - starting at 17, owning her own practice for over a decade, and consulting to practices across Australia and New Zealand since 2014. Her writing is honest, practical, and written for people who are actually in the thick of it.
With over 30 years in the dental industry, Ameena brings deep expertise in practice accounting, team performance, and hygiene department management. Her articles cut through the complexity and give practice owners and managers clear, actionable guidance.
Search across all articles by Julie and Ameena
“What was I supposed to do now?” My mind was panicked. I felt desperate as I mentally sifted through all
Throughout my years as a dental practice owner, I remember times when different fears crept in and sat with
I knew, when I first owned my practice, that in order to be successful, I would need to learn what
I was always excited when I owned my dental practice. But I got SUPER excited in December. What excited me?
I loved my years of dental practice ownership. I grew enormously as a person, and it is where I developed
I, like many of us, learned early in life that we choose how someone appears to us. I recall a
Have you ever been employed by a boss who inspired you to work harder? I can say that I have
We all experience fear. We feel fear during life-threatening events such as narrowly avoiding a bad car crash, all the
In my last blog I wrote about ‘stuck thoughts’. These are the lingering feelings and thoughts that remain despite a
Have you done this before? A challenging situation arises at the practice. Everyone has their own thoughts of how best
Encouraging staff to engage with the vision and systems that I implemented at my practice was a process I was
I wrote in my last blog about discovering the deeper elements of: TRUST. That it is not simply being someone
Of all of the business books that I have researched, and all of the people management articles I have read,
When I owned my dental practice, I had the roles of receptionist and practice manager. Not being confined to the
In my last blog I shared with you by ongoing wish to get better results. And, that to get better
Of all of my management skills, I am most proud of this one. I get better. I am better than
Developing a set of principles that drive your leadership is one of the most important things you can do. But
In the last two blogs I have discussed my awareness around how my judging of people was hampering my success
In my previous blog I spoke about how I was sabotaging my effectiveness in problem-solving by falling in to a
Managing a dental practice, like any business, is about finding solutions. Solutions to patients’ oral problems, solutions to the barriers
I am sure that I am not the only one that has fallen in to the trap of ‘Groundhog Day’.
I have always loved working with teams. Identifying and overcoming the barriers of achieving top performance has been a consistent
One of my unofficial mentors over the years has been Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. Welch is considered
Many tasks of everyday life in a dental practice can become tedious. Often the same person finds they always seem
Getting the right person for the job can be a challenge. Each role within a dental practice requires a different
I have learned something from providing many performance appraisals in my time. They can be torturous! A badly handled performance
I have mentioned in the past that one of the best business books I have read is ‘Leadership’ by
When I owned my practice I knew something for sure: that it was in my interests (and therefore the business’
If you want to build a dental practice where patients are beating a path to your door, then there is
I was at an event with Charles last night and was speaking with a woman who has been running her
An important element of the patient experience is the initial telephone interaction. During my years in dental practices (since
I have found when dental teams achieve success, it is often acknowledged, but rarely celebrated. We are very quick to
Following up patients on our ‘Incomplete Treatment’ lists is hard work. You are trying to convince someone why it is
Have you ever thought to yourself, “if I was first on the scene of a bad car accident, would I
A couple of blogs ago I wrote about the importance of not sacrificing effective patient communication when deciding to automate your
There are a number of dental practices who are still enjoying full appointment books. These practices are often those who