Tiff and Monica break down what it takes to operate your practice like a CEO in 2026, including mindset (especially if you don’t exactly feel like a CEO), leadership team delegation, dialing in goals, and more.
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Transcript:
The Dental A Team (00:00)
Hello, Dental A Team I am so excited to be here. You guys know I love podcasting. It's one of my favorite things that we do throughout the month. I usually get at least two podcasting sessions in with my ladies. And today I have Monica back here with us again. Monica, how are you? I'm so excited you're here. How was this? This is a Monday. So like, how was your weekend? Did you get to rest, relax your grandbaby? What did you do? What was your, what was your weekend like?
Monica (00:25)
Yeah, hi Tiff, happy Monday. Happy Monday, everyone. I'm so excited to start off my week with podcasting. ? I think I just have like this new found joy and like interest and passion around podcasting and just showing up authentically and having this conversation. So thank you for inviting me. ? My weekend, I had such a magical weekend. First of all, guys, December is such a magical time for me.
The Dental A Team (00:28)
Thank you.
Of course.
Monica (00:56)
You know, it's just tapping into all the unseen, right? The hope, the faith, the love that is never ending is all expansive. And December goes by really fast. So I made it a point to be super present in all the little things that I do and the mundane things. And I had such a magical weekend with my grandson. ?
The Dental A Team (01:09)
It does.
Monica (01:21)
I've got two grandkids, ? Elijah who's 12 years old and my granddaughter Sophia who is three months old and I'm just enamored obviously with both of them but Sophia takes the stage right now. ? But my grandson, know, he came over and he, you know, he's earning money to buy an electrical bike and I said, hey, you gotta earn it buddy so.
You know, ? Mimi, I'm Mimi for him. I gave him a little weekend project to come and redo, re-sand, refinish my patio furniture. And we did that. We did that over the weekend and he did an amazing job. And then it turned into like this, Mimi, can I sleep over? Let's have a sleepover. You know, let's sleep right in front of the fireplace. When's the last time you did something fun like that? So.
The Dental A Team (02:03)
Yeah.
my
gosh.
Monica (02:11)
?
it was, it was amazing. The Christmas tree lights were on, the fireplace was on and Charlie and I and Elijah were having sleepover on the couch. So that was fun. And, ? we got to make breakfast the next morning and we had, you know, the magical dance in the kitchen. Yeah, that happened too. So it was just so special. And, ? those are just memories that I want to hold on to forever. Those are those forever memories, you know? Yeah.
The Dental A Team (02:29)
Mm-hmm.
They are, they
are. Those are the memories, those are the things that make life, life and make life enjoyable. So I'm really glad you got that time and ? thank you for sharing. Thank you. You always, share your family with us. You share Charlie, who is her adorable dog. You share just all of them with us. So thank you. Thank you. On that note though, I think Monica, that's like the perfect lead in, into what we're talking about today because
Monica (02:44)
Yes. Yes. Thank you.
Monica (02:57)
Yeah, yeah, thank you.
The Dental A Team (03:06)
what I really wanted to chat about and just get some information out for our listeners and for those of you who are here with us today, make sure that you either go back and listen to some of these pieces. We're gonna have some really good nuggets for you or you're taking notes now if you're in a place that can take notes. I always caveat that if you are driving, I drive and listen to podcasts a lot and I have to go back and listen to them. So please don't take notes while you're driving. But on that note of December and ? we're recording this in December, it'll...
populate in January, which is kind of perfect because this time of year is great because we're winding down and we are enjoying the magic, like you said, and enjoying all of the love and the faith and all of those pieces. But then it turns into January, which is like a fresh new beginning and a magic of its own. And moving into January and being in January, something that I really want CEOs to start thinking about is how to think like a CEO.
Dental practice owners, doctors, don't often think of themselves, I think, as a CEO. Monica, often just, they're a practice owner, they're a business owner. But I think that CEO mindset is something that's very different. And really just looking at 2026, how can 2026 be your CEO year? And how can you start thinking like a CEO? What does it take to move and operate like a CEO? And this is something that we work on with our dental practice owners a lot. So our clients,
We're constantly bringing them back into that CEO mindset. We're really, really lucky in the fact that we have Kiera here on our team that we get to watch ? move through the CEO mindset. And I've had the privilege of side by side walking with her and watching her build the business and building it with her and seeing those trials and tribulations. So being able to impact the world of dentistry with those pieces is something that's huge for us.
We're in January, it's beautiful. I feel like when I think of January, I think of like white and it's just clean and it's this beautiful, sparkly, clean slate that we can just create anything with. So as we're creating this, question that I have is really as we're building like a scalable vision, right? So we're looking forward, what's something that you like to encourage your CEO mindset doctors to really start with? Like where do you, how do we say this is where
Monica (05:24)
Yeah.
The Dental A Team (05:24)
This
is where I want to go. know, we've got especially a visionary mindset who just is in the clouds a lot. But how do you help them narrow that down into really thinking like a CEO and kind of time-lining that out, measurable? Like, what are all the pieces that you're looking for?
Monica (05:38)
Yeah, that's a great question, Tiff. Thanks for asking. Well, first, before we dive into that, I want to say, doctors, it's you. You are the leader, right? You are the CEO and you've got to think like one. And I think ? most of the time we're looking outward for the answers, but the answers are already in you. You've got to take some time to have some introspection time and say, okay,
What does the CEO do? Like, let me put my CEO hat on and bring that mindset in. what is my philosophy as a CEO? You've got to start with your philosophy, right? What does that mean to you? How am I going to achieve that, that one vision? And you got to make sure that your vision and your philosophy is inspiring enough to fire you up, to want to create a change.
right, because ? it starts with you. We've got to be, we've got to be and show up as a person that we expect our leaders, our leadership team to show up as, right? So if you want your leadership team to come in and prepared and be on topic and be on the KPIs and know your numbers, guess what? You got to know the numbers. You've got to show up with that strong leadership, that inspiring, that motivating.
you know, knowing which KPIs you're going to look at, which in my mind, I think there's like the really high value KPIs and then the lower value KPIs, right? Everything is important, but we can't focus on all things at once. So what are the top KPIs that you as a CEO are going to focus on that drive, that philosophy that gave you that drive and that passion to wake up every single day fired up to, you know, tackle the day.
So if you don't have a philosophy, get one, right? Just start writing it down. I think we all have it here in our mind. You gotta put it on paper. Because if it's not on paper, you can't create it. Part of the creation process is thinking it, materializing it, and then sharing it. sharing it with your team, your leadership team. ? And then seeing it, right? Like what is the process of creating that philosophy and executing that philosophy?
Doctors, it starts with you. Be the leader that you expect your leadership team to show up as. That's what a CEO does, right? Like what, who's, who's carrying the torch? The difficult part about being a CEO is that you've got the visionary and then you also have an operational piece, right? And we often say there's, there's two great leaders in any successful business, the visionary and the operational one, right? The one that carries a torch every single day. But you have to be both.
before you can delegate it. You've got to know what that feels like. You've got to know how to drive that. You've got to know how to become it before we expect our team to become it. So it starts with you doctors. Start with your philosophy. I would love to know for, you know, anyone that wants to just comment or just share, what is your philosophy? What do you wake up, you know, every single morning, what do you wake up with? What are you going to take to the office?
I think that's where we start, right? And then there's three things that I think are crucial for any CEO. You've got to be obsessed with this. Your clinical excellence, your patient experience, your culture, your team, and growth and profitability. Those are three things you've got to be obsessed about. Those are three things that you've got to be curious about every single day. Every time that you meet with your team,
We recommend that you have a weekly meeting with your leadership team. Make sure that you're touching on those three things. Those, I think, are the driver to everything. Your clinical experience and your patient experience is everything that builds trust, that builds efficiency, ? that builds retention, patient retention, team retention. Yeah. What are your thoughts, Tiff?
The Dental A Team (10:00)
Yeah, I love that. Thank you, thank you. And I know you have some really fantastic nuggets. So I hope you guys, if you are driving, you go back and listen and write them down. And I agree. think the philosophy, right, or translated, you can call it your mission, your vision. Like, why are you here? What is it that you believe in? We talk a lot about your, ? like your patient philosophy or your clinical philosophy. So it's really just, what do you believe in? What are you trying to accomplish with what you're doing? And I love that because
If you can see what you're trying to accomplish, if you can, like she said, get it out on paper and Monica, I think that's brilliant. I do so much better when I'm like handwriting. I even got one of those journals, you know, the little, the notepads that are erasable because I think you just, you can take a picture and it uploads because I just do better with handwriting it. And when you can get it out and you can say, this is where I'm trying to get to, you can start to like build that house. It's like when you're, when you're going to, you're looking at model homes, the model home is already done.
And so it gives you a vision of what you could create if you were to build a home within that development. And so you need that model home. need something that models. you might not be, you might build your home and you might not do the same kitchen. You might have a different tile. You might have different countertops than what was shown in the model, but you're able to at least get a vision for something to start. And then you work backwards from that. And Monica, think that's...
the key there and what you said with the KPIs and the metrics and knowing your numbers and knowing your stats, watching those KPIs and really seeing if this is where I'm going, what are the top three goals that I can get to? And then scaling those backwards. And that's how a CEO works, right? We've got big goals that we scale backwards and say, okay, what are the steps? What is the plan? What's it actually going to take to get to this goal? And how can I recruit then my team to help support
Monica (11:36)
Yep.
The Dental A Team (11:55)
that and I think Monica, that's a huge word for me and my coaching is the support team. Like how can the team support these goals and I don't know Monica. This might be a side tangent, but something that I've experienced for sure is doctors or leaders or practice owners getting in the mindset of like worker bees like I've got worker bees under me and they are they are the ones that are going to get this instead of that mindset of really
like they're here to support me to get to these goals. How can I support them to get there? And I have to then think a clear vision. If I'm not clear on where we're going, how are they gonna support me to get there? And Monica, do you think in that transition? Because I do think that's a big switch from practice owner to CEO mindset is that really that supportive reaching the goals together, that support rather than.
I gave them tasks and they're gonna get me there. We're really kind of building this house together.
Monica (12:58)
Yeah, no, that's a great point. think there's two parts to a successful practice. You've got to be able to work on the business and in the business. And you've got to really protect that time. When you're working on the business, be about that. Show up and be present. ? I think, you
We're so used to multitasking and that that's our culture, right? That's the culture of dentistry is like, you've got to be able to like do a million things at once and your brain is going a million miles an hour. ? you're seeing multiple patients, you're, know, you're constantly shifting and wearing various hats during the day. But to work on your business, you've got to, you've got to be present. No interruptions. Like don't.
get to the office before you get to the office, right? When you're in the office, don't get home, don't work on your personal stuff when you're in the office, work on the things that really matter. And it's difficult to kind of change gears and focus, but I think it's crucial. Working on the business really means, what's my philosophy, right? And reverse engineering that.
Here's where I want to be. Where am I now? What are the steps that I need to do next before I get there? I think having presence of mind is super important because we can't focus on all things, right? If we do, nothing gets done. And so write them down, write all the steps that you need to get there, then prioritize them. What do I need to do first before I move on to the next? And so I like to think about it as layered.
The Dental A Team (14:34)
Yeah. Yeah.
Monica (14:48)
Right? When you layer it, when it's written down, like create a visual for yourself. And then when it's written down, you can, it's easier to digest and you can journey that, that map per se in a much easier way. you're visual and you can go in and, and, know, add steps to it along the way. But if it's all up here, this is, this is where chaos happens. Right? This is where you get stressed out. This is where, ? unease.
comes in, right, because it's all here and you can't see it. And I think most of us are visual when it comes to, you know, our practice and success and our teams. I mean, we've got to be able to see it, right, to believe it. ? So I think working on the business and then working in the business, guys, that's really important. We can't expect our team to give, you know, above and beyond.
The Dental A Team (15:32)
Mm-hmm.
Monica (15:44)
and expect them to stay and work after hours on their own time when we're working two days a week in in tearside, right? And leading the team. No one's going to care more than you, right? Your team is there to support you, right? And your vision. So they're not the they may be the drivers, but they're not the principal. You are right. And I think we we tend to forget.
We tend to forget that we are the ultimate authority and we are the leaders. We're the go-to people, right? And ? becoming a dentist and opening your practice, you automatically become a CEO whether you like it or not, right? And we're business owners, we're leaders. The team is looking to us to establish our philosophy, our vision, ? the map. Where are we going, right? You've got to be the captain of your ship.
The Dental A Team (16:12)
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Monica (16:40)
And if you don't take on that role, people are just waiting. They're doing the best that they can, but it's, you know, they're in uncharted waters.
I think that's when we lose, you know, the, ? the passion and that fire, because we don't know where we're headed. Right. And everyone's just trying to work in their own little Island and they're, they're working in silos. And then, you know, instead of locking arms and saying, Hey, here's our vision. We're all rowing in this direction and let's go after it. Right. And we've got to be able to row in the same direction.
The Dental A Team (17:21)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and I think that's where, to your point, the KPIs come into play, right? So you had mentioned earlier, like those measurables and those KPIs, because those are our oars. That's how we're getting there. So it's very easy, I think, for a visionary to have the vision. They know it. They're like, I can see the house. But then you've got to put that, you said, put that implementer hat on for a second, that worker hat on for a second, and say, cool, that's the vision. Now what goes in first?
Monica (17:29)
Totally.
The Dental A Team (17:53)
Like do we put the countertops in before we put the cupboards in? No, like how do we get there? So those are, I think Monica, to your point, those are the KPIs that are there so that the team can support that vision. So if you want increased new patients, what is the team gonna do to help support that? We've got a marketing company probably, but what can the team do asking for reviews, asking for referrals, like counting those pieces? And Monica, do you feel like that's where, I think personally,
That's where the CEO mindset really takes hold from that visionary kind of practice owner, I just wanna have a business mindset. That's that CEO tactical piece. And I think for practices I've worked with, structures I've worked with, that's the space that's like, we've gotta get over that hurdle and is sometimes the more difficult space for them to be able to see the applicable KPIs that will get us to those goals.
Monica (18:32)
Yeah.
Yeah, I agree with you. think inaction equals no action, right? And so most of the time we know what needs to be done, but again, it's up here, right? And we choose for whatever the reason is, we're choosing not to get behind it. ? And so, you know,
Also, sometimes we have to unpack what our limiting beliefs are. What is the story I'm telling myself about myself? That self-talk. Self-talk is super impactful, whether it's positive or negative. So what is your self-talk? What is your little voice saying? Right? Can I do this? Let's do this. Or, ? nobody cares. Nobody cares as much as I do. You know, ?
I think self-talk is powerful.
The Dental A Team (19:50)
I think
a lot of times it comes down to as well if I can see the vision but I'm not willing to share the vision, ? what is keeping me from sharing that vision? Like why am I afraid to vocalize or put it on paper? What about this scares me? And that's what we're running away from, And we just replace it with the tactical do-do-dos, the checklist of like easy do's throughout the day and it holds us back from really reaching those.
personal and professional goals.
Monica (20:22)
Yeah, and also, you know, to add to that, that's really valuable what you just spoke. ? To add to that, think self-accountability and owning your part of it, right? ? It's difficult, like the responsibility of knowing you've got this amazing practice that you've built, a place where patients can
come and seek wellness and that you are contributing to the livelihoods of your team. I mean, that's a big, and your own livelihood, right? Like this is it. That's a big responsibility. And it's a beautiful one. It's one that impacts many, many lives. ? And that can be scary sometimes. What if I make a mistake? What if this is not the right choice? But what if it is?
Take the chance. You can always pivot. If you don't like the result, change it. That's the beauty of being a CEO in your own practices. You can change it. So what's stopping you from creating the change to propel you to the next level?
The Dental A Team (21:21)
would have bit worked.
Yeah, I love that. Thank you, Monica. I think some takeaways I have, I always try to think of, you know, three tactical pieces, are the three action items? And I think from listening to everything that you've got today, thank you, Monica, it was beautiful. I really pulled out three, I feel tactical, I wrote down philosophy, make sure you know your philosophy, your CEO, your practice philosophy. And then like three,
Audacious goals for your one year your three year your tenure and really work backwards again ten years Where do I want to be? What will it take to get to that ten-year mark in three years from now? And then this year what do I have to accomplish? So those really those big three goals and then really breaking those down into applicable key performance indicators KPIs applicable pieces that we can work on this year to get us towards those goals and really enlisting the team to help with those things so if you're trying to switch to that CEO mindset
Like Monica said, you gotta get it on paper. Write that philosophy down first. Where is it that you're trying to get to? What are three things that you could work on right now that will help get you there? And what are the small things we can do every single day, those KPIs, that we can do every single day that will help us get to those three goals? Monica, those are my three action items I pulled from everything that you had beautifully stated. think there's also action items they can pull out on the personal side, like journal, you guys. I love your idea.
you know, what's holding me back from doing this? What are my limiting beliefs right now? And if that's scary to get it out on paper, probably back up a little bit and start there. And re-listen to everything Monica said, because she's spot on you guys. you're having trouble localizing it, you're having trouble getting it on paper, or you're scared to share it with your team, there's something internal there. And if you're scared that your team's gonna react a certain way, is that you? Or is that them and you need to go back to the right person, right seat?
that we recorded a few weeks ago. That's a good question there. So Monica, is there anything else that you would leave as a parting statement, something that can really wrap up the CEO mindset for them?
Monica (23:41)
Yeah.
Yeah, thank you. actually do. And I was thinking about ? what's the first thing I would do after listening to a podcast like this. And I would go back and ask great questions. Great leaders ask great questions and start with you. Go ask yourself three great questions that are going to start to unpack the CEO that's already within you.
The Dental A Team (24:11)
I love that. I love that. Thank you, Monica. I love podcasting with you. You have just, your brain, I love picking pieces out of your brain, because you and I think similarly in a lot of ways in that introspective kind of world, and I think you and I could live there for hours and be so happy. So thank you. Thank you for always sharing everything with us, and...
Monica (24:20)
Thank you.
I know.
The Dental A Team (24:35)
bringing such amazing tools. The CEO mindset is really important and I know you work on this really, really hard with a lot of your practices. So handpicked for you. Thank you Monica for your time today and everyone here shares that sentiment I'm sure. Of course. Of course. All right listeners, you heard her earlier. She said, pop it in, pop it in your review, pop it in an email to us. Let us know what's your philosophy. Let us know what you love today.
Monica (24:49)
Yeah, thanks, Tiff. This was great. Thank you. Thanks so much.
The Dental A Team (25:03)
what you want more of, you can drop us a five star review below or Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or both you guys, we love hearing from you. We do get a lot of you that email in different ideas and things that you'd like to hear about. We love that. So please reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and you guys, can't wait to catch you next time. Thank you.