It’s common to hear the following in a conversation between friends or colleagues. “How are you doing these days?” And the response is often, “Living the dream…just living the dream!”
What does that mean, really: “Living the dream?”
A more probing thought - are you living YOUR dream?
Perhaps you remember when private dental practice ownership WAS the “dream.” And now?
The realities you face may have less to do with your passion for patient care. That passion is still intact but there’s something additional that makes your heart race.
A new reality
Leading a dental practice today requires a new skill set. It’s not a particular set of skills that you were privy to in dental school.
In fact, you could be feeling that you’re practicing to the proverbial beat-of-a-different-drummer. You may be one of the few for whom fee-for-service dentistry leaves you wanting more.
You’re not alone. In fact, you are in a growing tribe of dental professionals with an entrepreneurial drive.
Drive might be too strong or too weak of a word. The side you land on (strong or weak) is limited only by your capacity to shift into a new mindset.
The Rise of the Dental Entrepreneur and the Mindset You Need to Live and Love Your Dream
Prioritize your entrepreneurial skill development for sustainability
Your entrepreneurial skills have more to do with a mindset shift than a course catalog. It’s imperative that you begin to think differently about your role.
As a dental entrepreneur you think big picture practice growth. Teams, locations, and operations dominate your mind.
The more you align yourself with a “think-beyond-the-single-practice” mindset the closer you are to breaking free from limitations. Think differently and the necessary skills you need to develop will begin to appear.
Partner with like-minded pace-setters
Your entrepreneurial path must cross with experienced, knowledgeable, wise, discerning pioneers. Align yourself with pace-setters engaged in strategic solutions for the unique problems of large-group dental practice operations.
Consider this a level above networking. Think partnership instead because it’s too treacherous to go-it-alone (and you shouldn’t).
Pace your transition from fee to freedom
It’s common for entrepreneurial types to jump feet first and learn to fly on the way down. Failure is a necessary instructor and your skills will develop faster is you give yourself permission to fail - in fact, it’s recommended.
There are few marked trails on your journey as a dental entrepreneur. Remember that as you walk into the “unknown.”
As you do, you will begin to identify the opportunities you haven’t noticed before. These become transition points that you will discover how to leverage step by step.
It's is always a good time to dream. But it's more beneficial to transform your dream into a new mindset.