Anne: Hello everyone. It's Anne Duffy and welcome to Dental Entrepreneur, the future of dentistry podcast. I am so happy that you're here and I'm thrilled to have a dear friend, new dear friend. our guest today. JW Oliver. Hi JW. How are you?
JW: First of all, I don't know how I got on this conversation with Anne Duffy, but I'm here and all I can say is I'm really humbled. You're a big deal. So I feel like I'm rubbing shoulders with big deals now. Oh,
Anne: boy, that's flattery. I'll take it. But thank you very much.
And I feel the same way about you. I've been following you for years and, you've made a huge impact on my business, but before we get started on the good stuff, want to tell our listeners a little bit about you. JW Oliver Jr. is the managing partner for support DDS Zimworx. With support centers in Zimbabwe and Costa Rica, his passion is assisting organizations to leverage growth, increase productivity, manage cost, and free up time by utilizing remote virtual teams.
He is proud to be a Christian led entrepreneur while adopting a win win win philosophy, creating professional opportunities, and helping businesses be their very best, all while making a global impact for the kingdom by donating 51 percent of profits to ministries around the globe. He's a private pilot, a philanthropist, ordained minister, author, podcast host, and he loves to sing.
JW, Oliver, Welcome again.
JW: I guess I could sing. I don't know they added that on there, but I guess I could start by singing. I would love
Anne: you to sing something for us. That would be so awesome. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
JW: you know, reading is
the window, to the soul, but I think that
singing just brings such joy, you know, I, find myself, people sing in the shower, but I sing when I walk, I sing when I'm walking to the kitchen and my wife usually is like, okay, I've had enough of your singing, but, it brings a little joy to you.
So yeah, I just, I enjoy that part of it.
Anne: Well, I love it. I mean, God gave you the voice. So you have a good voice. Obviously, I could just hear that. and that makes a huge difference singing and enjoying it. And honestly, my husband a beautiful voice and the best thing about us is when we go on car trips and the music's on and he sings the whole time and I just feel like I'm being serenaded.
It's, really a lovely gift and as you and I both know, it's a gift from God,
JW: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And if you got those gifts, use them, That's what he gave them to us for is use them as much as you can. That's
Anne: exactly right. God given. You've been an entrepreneur your entire life, so I'm dying to hear about how like, started your business at a very young age.
How did that shape your approach to business and leadership today? Because you are a leader of men and women.
JW: I do think that entrepreneurs, it's something within you, something within your spirit wants to drive you to do things. And I remember the first thing I did was pop rocks came out when I was uh, you remember the pop rocks, you put them in your mouth, they'd pop all on your tongue. And they had them now. Right. And I remember they were a big thing. I was in junior high and I'll never forget. People were like, Oh, I wish I had some pop rocks. I remember I went to my sister and said, Hey, buy some pop rocks. I'm going to take them to school. She said well, if you buy them in the big box, they're only like a nickel for a pack.
And I don't know, you bought 50 packs or something. I got these packs. I was going to school. I sell them for 25 cents, right? Like a 500 percent profit margin. And so I realized like, wait a minute, I turned that 5 cent a package into 25 cents. I should do that more often. And so that was my first real thought about, you can take something and turning it more. But I'll be honest with you. The path for me was We grew up very, very poor, well below the poverty line, single parent, mom, raising four kids. And I just remember going to school and going to places and just thinking, I just don't want to live like this the rest of my life, I remember my mom having to get groceries and, put them on a computer and, a calculator and make sure she was going to have enough money to check out of the grocery store.
Right. And sometimes you had to put something back. And I thought, I don't want to take a calculator to the grocery store. And so that's what really was the inspiration as well.
Anne: That's pretty cool. So what grade were you in when that, when
JW: you did that? I was in the seventh grade, so I don't know, what is that, like 12 years old or something?
Yeah. And then I did a whole host of other things. Most of them, as I say, most of them failed, which is a great opportunity to learn too.
Anne: Yeah, isn't that the truth? I think the part of, being an entrepreneur that obviously you have mastered is you don't quit when you have something that starts to work.
I think we have our failures, but you still dust yourself off and either continue doing the idea that you have, or maybe pivot and find something else that's working, which you truly have found with Zimworx. And support DDS In fact, thank you for your article in our, spring 2023 edition of dental entrepreneur, the future of dentistry. those of you that are listening, please go back, find it on our website, dental entrepreneur. com. And you can find the spring edition and read JW's. cover article, which was so fabulous and powerful talking about the simplicity of what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
I mean, I think it's simple JW, but it certainly isn't easy, but the way you mapped out your article, anyone that's reading it, no matter what kind of business you're in, whether you own your practice, whether you've got pop rocks, business on the side, anything you could really learn a lot from your. article, but you leverage virtual teams and you're breaking time zones, which is really cool. Cause I'm working with two of your amazing, employees at Zimworx and, Tari and Nasha have just escalated my business taking so many things off my plate and done it so well, but how has that helped your company achieve this?
significant growth and success. Because I know when you started on like with one floor in Zimworx. Tell us a little bit about how that all started and how you've leveraged this business into such a success.
JW: Yeah, kind of backing up a little bit. And I think when you look at being an entrepreneur, the first thing you need to have in your mindset is I'm going to fail, right?
I'm going to fail. I may go broke. I may have to restart. I may have to take a different angle, do something different. But you're right. The whole key to it is just never giving up just. Keep pushing because at some point you're going to push through and there's going to be that breakthrough where you're going to be able to make a significant difference in your life.
you definitely learn more from failure than you do success. If you just have success after success, you don't realize that there is going to be a uh, a failing point, but in doing what we're doing now talking about that article, time ain't free. I called it. Is that we begin to learn that all we really have is our time and that's, whether we want to make time with our family or whether we want to make time with our spouse or giving back to others in volunteer work or doing work, volunteering for our church, whatever that is we want to do, all we have is, the time that we've been given, right?
God gave us this finite amount of time and it's how we utilize that. And so the only way we can, really enjoy it. Doing the things we like to do, you know, and I know you're, big on that as finding your strengths, finding your God giving ability, and really don't do those things that you're not good at.
You know, I always tell people in a business, I don't like the accounting piece of it. I mean, I like money piece of it. I like to make a good living like everybody else, but I just don't like the X's and O's of the day to day accounting. I want to see the bottom line and see the big picture. I mean, I can read a BNL and balance sheet, but it's just not my thing.
So find people that can do that and do it well. And I think that's what. When we talk about leveraging remote team members, virtual teams, breaking those time zones. In today's world, it doesn't matter whether you're living in the U. S. or Costa Rica or Zimbabwe or wherever it is. We have this beautiful thing called the internet and now Zoom and Slack and all these other modes that we can communicate with that now we can leverage people with better skills than we have.
Support skills that we have, and obviously I'm partial to Zimworx and the people that are at Zimworx to really leverage our business, leverage our time a more, quicker path to success when we're able to focus in on the areas that we're most proficient at as well. If you're good in sales, just spend most of your day focused on sales.
You probably should be spending 80 percent of your time doing that. Don't get caught up in the other periphery things, find people that can do that for you.
Anne: That is just genius, actually, and I guess the reason behind your company, because I think if you're doing things that you're not good at, first of all, you don't like it. we love to be in our lane, don't we, JW? And. I think you waste so much time. I know I wasted so much time on the tech and the executing skills. I know what I'm good at. And you and I are both visionaries. I have, I can have the big picture, but it's the little stuff like, for instance, Tari loves that she loves project.
She loves organizing. She loves spreadsheets. And that, just makes my heart palpitate. I just Oh God, kill me. And think it wastes the skills that I have. And it's another thing, just going to bring it back to like, God, we all are important, right?
Everybody's got a talent and it's like the one body, but my gifts aren't your gifts, but we all have great gifts that have been given to us. And so let's find people that have the gifts that we don't have. They can really Really make a difference and make everybody on rocket fuel, if you do it that way, then you, you all are going in the same direction and it's usually upward.
I like the graph that you gives the upside down graph. And I guess some of the things that you have learned are from the entrepreneurial organization system. Which I loved, you know, Whitman and I think, Traction was one of the first books I read.
When I really started to, get Dental Entrepreneur Woman, and Dental Entrepreneur like, put more muscle behind it, if you will. But I like the fact that you can eliminate, you can automate, delegate, and then there's you. what can you eliminate and delegate to make your life easier and your business grow?
And I guess that's something that you have to really know yourself. You've actually know yourself pretty well to be able to figure out what you need. so what were some of your failures? Because I know that this is not your first business as a grown up as not a 12 year old, but as a grown up.
How did that happen? And what were some of the opportunities that you had that, you learned from?
JW: Oh, yeah. I mean, I've had so many things that I thought were a surefire way, right? You know, I was, successful in a digital imaging company. And at the same time, I remember uh, a gold's gem came for sale and find out later that it was, not doing well.
He wanted to get rid of it. I was like, Oh, I'll take this on. So, you know, I bought it. And I lost a ton of money because I really didn't have a passion for it. I like going to the gym, right? I enjoyed it. It was something I did regular, I didn't want to be in the gym business. And so it was like, I thought I was, Oh, I just get into the gym business and do that.
And it was a massive failure. And to be real honest, when I started looking at it, my wife was like, don't do that. Didn't listen to her. She never did hold that over my head. And will be married 30 years, uh, this coming year. So not as long as you have, but we've been married a long time.
And it's like I should have listened to that, but going through those failures. I had a small medical equipment business. We were doing it failed. There was all these things that, I went through and really found out that. I wasn't good at like you said, you know, I would guess and when you do the annual event, your new conference, which you just held in Charlotte last month, I'm going to get you see the vision of what you want it to be.
But my belief is. You had nothing to do with the details, right? Planning out the hotels and the venues. And maybe picking the venue, but you didn't go into the
Anne: details. That's for dark.
JW: That's what I was getting to. I was about to say, and I'm sure you didn't print the name tag. Yeah.
So it's also very frustrating for you, If I had to do all that and I had to go print name tags and I was having to go find a vendor to do this. I would be like, man, I shouldn't be doing this event. then you lose the vision because you got stuck in the mud, so to speak.
And so, yeah, I think you're right. I think it's man, I just go back to the time thing and, early on, I didn't use that filter. And really the first one is eliminate, it's, what are the things that you can eliminate? Like, why am I even doing this? You know, mean, I'm talking about not me or my EA, but just, I shouldn't be doing it.
Just eliminate it. That second one is automated. Is there some way to automate that process? And the other probably is. And then the next big one, which we talk about here is delegating. can somebody else do that? You know, Craig Rochelle says in his book on leadership, he says. If somebody else can do it 80 percent as good as you do, just let them do it,
Anne: hard to let go sometimes as an entrepreneur, but yes, that's key to success, isn't
JW: it? Yes. And if they make a few mistakes, just say, Hey, I would have done it this way and move on and go to the next one. As we go through that funnel of eliminating of, automating delegating, and then I think last one for me is that concentrate and. mean, I'm looking at my desk right now. I feel overwhelmed because I've got too many little things I need to eliminate. so that I can focus in on those high ROI items, those ones that are really make a difference in my business and impact others. So whatever system you use, just be consistent with it
Anne: as well.
Yeah, and let other people shine. think that's another point. time is the most important commodity, but also focus. And you just touched on that, JW. Focus is, I think, the new time, right? But what do you mean to focus on what is important, what we're good at, because what it's going to take me to go through the spreadsheet.
And all that sort of stuff, accounting and everything that would take me 80 percent longer than somebody else to do that task. I would hate it. It's just like, let's find ways to like, really. Lean in to what we're good at and then be courageous enough to actually hand it off to somebody that we are just meeting, hiring in because a lot of entrepreneurs have never had anybody work for them.
especially when you're a startup, right? You do everything, you're wearing all the different hats. So I think the other thing I love about. What we're doing even with the do community is we're showing others that this is possible. This is a really good thing. And, oh, my God, where have you been all my life?
And, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for introducing me to this opportunity of being able to I think delegate is, exactly where I need to be. And I like eliminate too, because it gives you the freedom to say, okay, that is not important in the big scheme of things.
JW: think there's also about transforming your mind to think different because literally I just had a, call today, with our COO and, and business partner and, and we were talking about we'll break through that thousand team member either December or January.
We'll, push through a thousand team members, which. it's kind of baffling for me because we started with, you say, it wasn't one floor. We had February of 2018, so it'll be six years in February, we had nine people working for us, and we didn't know what we were going to do with it.
Like, I don't know. We'll figure something out. my point is, I had to think differently at nine people. And then at a hundred people as the managing partner, I had to think different 500 was, hard because I didn't know everybody. And so even we were just saying a thousand and what does 2000 look like?
And then maybe what does 5, 000 look like? you don't have to have 5, 000 people, but even when you have. One person, it looks different when you have five or it looks different when you have 15 or maybe it's that million dollar annual revenue you break through. And then lot of people get stuck.
They call it that ceiling, right? Of getting stuck at a dollar volume. most of the time, guess whose fault that ceiling is. It's usually the CEO, the entrepreneur, the visionary. Because they're trying to do everything, right? They're still trying tell. I got to manage finances and manage marketing and manage operations and manage I.
T. it took me a long time to realize I don't want to do that. you can give me the highlights on a monthly basis or quarterly basis, but I don't want to know those issues. And I don't want to try to correct the problems because they're not. There are people that are good at that.
So just let them do that as well. And I think that becomes a big mantra. Just let other people handle that.
Anne: Yeah. And the other thing that strikes me, JW is you've got this visionary, obviously gift because you're, you know, almost to a thousand after you're starting with nine, I really understand the idea of
you always used to know everybody, you knew everybody, and to let go of that is a really tough thing, but then, again, the big picture, think how many other people that you could touch, um, not only with what you're doing, giving them an opportunity to work, and then giving me an opportunity to shine in my business, to have people that, work for me, that, are really mean Have master's degree, the Queen's English, write a better email than I do. All those things, but we would be playing small, right? And so I don't think we should play small because we are not going to be able to impact the world it sounds a little braggadocious, but I don't mean it to be. We're all destined for something great, no matter what, no matter how big it is, right? And so we have been given this task. And I told the gals at the retreat, I was in an interview, I go, I didn't ask for this God. Right. I mean, I, some days, cause if you're, a true entrepreneur, Oh man, no.
You know, every day you're like, what did I get myself into? But I think that we have to continue to, use our talents for as, long as we can, like skid into heaven, having used everything and make the difference that we are supposed to be making we were destined to make, and I think destiny is, a legacy.
We leave a legacy in all of those things.
JW: God definitely wants the, really has the best force in mind. And I think when we use those full talents, but you're right. There's many days I wake up and I'm like, Hey, could I just. Do nothing today. Could I just go hang out on the beach?
Could I just go do whatever? But you realize that God's given you a mission. And so then just, you kind of touched on it, our win, win, win, you know, a win for our team members would get a job, but we'll win for, for you who get an amazing team member and then a win for the ministries.
You wake up with a little bit of enthusiasm. Okay, I got to go make a difference today. I got to go make an impact. And I'm sure you get this. And I have people that sometimes like, are you ever in a bad mood? I'm like yes, I am. But I have to flip the switch during the day because you're in a leadership position.
So people love to say, I wish I own my own business. I'm like, do
Anne: you really, yeah, couldn't you imagine just like clocking in and clocking out every day? And like at five o'clock you are done
JW: and yes, I can.
Anne: every once in a while I want to back do that. and honestly, the other thing is one of our principals, JW's dues don't retire. When do we even turn that switch off? Cause I think. that nine day, you're going to be giving 51 percent of any profit that you have, which is amazing.
I thought I read that wrong. Honestly, when I first read that in your bio, I said, Wow, that is so beautiful and so impressive that is your really big why. So you do have win win win. so, I'm so proud of you. I'm so happy for you because to actually hit it.
After a lot of. Failures along the
JW: way, a lot of gray hairs. They're plenty of those. Yeah, But I think that's part of the journey, right? I think that's what people have to understand every year, every step every job you had in the past.
Is part of your long term journey, And I think that's important to realize that. what do they say? work every day as if working for the Lord. I think if you're emptying trash cans or you're cleaning streets, or you're a CEO, gotta go in with that attitude because God has a plan and he always has the best for us as
Anne: well.
Yeah, he always does his plans always better than ours. I hear that all the time. Like, really? Are you sure? But it always sure. Yeah, I know. I know. Especially as you get to be my age is like, yeah, I can see why that happened. But the 1, other thing I want to just close with, which is kind of a fun thing is, at the retreat, I talked a little bit about my husband and Tom and how, he started his entrepreneur journey when he was 42.
So we moved 10 times. We got to Charlotte. He didn't want to move the kids anymore. And he's like, I'm going to start my own business. I thought he'd be a millionaire right off the bat. I was like, so excited. JW, I was a great corporate wife and I loved it. worked like, you know, one day we it's a couple of years, man. You're like, we're just like sucking in wind. I'm like, Oh my God, I gotta do something else. But the thing that I always remember, which is I always supported him. And I think it's something about just being positive. Just like your wife, she can say, maybe don't do that.
I give him advice and he takes them and doesn't, but it's lovely. Isn't it JW to have a. spouse or a partner that is no ups and downs sideways. Always, they support you. And I could not have done it without Tom. And I'm sure you feel the
JW: same way. Yeah. Well, I'd I say the most important two things would be my, bride who I, Call after 30 years still in my, my mom, you know, because they were so instrumental in my growth if you don't have that support, you know, it's like I said this to somebody yesterday, I said, I wish young people could understand, even at 30 years, people are like, wow, you've been married 30.
How did you do that? I'm like look. I don't always like my wife, but I do love her all the time, right? And so there's a, difference in understanding that. And just cause you don't like somebody doesn't mean you go run, stick to it. So I think it's important. And yet having a, good spouse to share that with and give you advice and rattle back and forth is just invaluable.
Anne: Yeah, I love that you put that in your article. I think God, spouse, children, church, family, friends, work and career hobbies in me time. And, you know, that makes for a lovely life with a lovely wife or partner or, a good friend that's going keep you grounded. Because, you know, you're getting kind of big there JW.
This thing is growing like crazy. So how did poster week come about? Have you been, did that just, you just saw the need and opening? Because, you just. Recently, I think moved to Costa Rica and they're working really well with that part of the world.
JW: Yeah, I think it was, the other way around.
My wife and I were trying to figure out a place we might want to, start spending a little more time. We both were like, gosh, we love the beach. We love the ocean. And so then we had to look for somewhere we could afford, you know, a lot of places in the U. S. We're like, whoa, how much is that? And so we started going down there, really liked it.
And then, we ended up building a house down there and spent about half the time there. and then a lot of time in Zimbabwe too, but really it came across, we had a lot of people just saying, I really need a Spanish speaking team member. And we're like, yeah, there's a few in Zim that were, you know, in Spain or Cuba or something.
And so we would find them a team member. And then when this opportunity, when we moved, we're like, oh, there's a free trade zone. Oh, they really want new businesses to come in. And so. yeah, we quickly expanded. We built our first module out. It almost full. We've actually expanded to another section there.
And, don't feel like it's going to be. As big as the Zimbabwe piece, but we think it's going to quickly pass a hundred, we just opened in April. another kind of piece of the business that helps us be able give us a variety of teams that we can offer people as well.
Anne: That is so cool. I love that. I didn't really just backwards like that. You know, it's like you work where you live. And yeah, that's right. And that is again, it speaks to the true entrepreneurial nature of you. Oh, here's this some work. This is where you've created the model.
So, Kudos to you. And I think that that's so valuable, because, I don't speak any other language except English, you know, all of us Americans. I mean, very impressive when we need people that can speak other languages. Well, I
JW: speak Texan too, so that's important.
Oh, I've noticed that. Yeah, I've got a pretty good Texan there too.
Anne: You do, you do. I love it. Well, I just love you to death just am so, honored to meet you and to know you and to see what you're doing with the big picture. Where do you see everything else going, with your entrepreneurial, journey?
JW: Yeah, you know, it's interesting. reading a book called The Power to Change Mastering the Habits that Master Most. Craig Rochelle wrote it, there's a quote from Matthew McConaughey, he talks about, where he wanted to be in 10 years. And the guy came back to him and said, Hey, did you reach it 10 years later?
He goes no, no, no. That was the old me. Now my new self is 10 years in advance. And I, I think that's right. know, you're probably saying, well, I don't really see myself as even old or even growing old. I think that I'm just going to live forever. And so I've constantly set these goals, but we've got a uh, 20, 32 objective to be at 20, 000 team members, which, sometimes.
overwhelming, but that was a God inspired number that came to us. we're focused on that and realizing it, this is the most important thing I'm doing. love doing what I'm doing, but I also love investing in other people doing some mentorship with some younger people and helping them just understand.
Their God giving ability and if they're trying to be an entrepreneur, helping them walk through those pitfalls and big holes maybe they don't have to step in as many holes. I think you should step in a lot of holes, but it's not maybe as many. So help avoid some of that. So, yeah, that's, the plan going forward.
I still love to travel. We're going a lot. and I love partnering with your team, do has been great. and we're going to do that again next year. And so we're excited about where that's going to.
Anne: That is so beautiful. And it reminds me of the beautiful necklace that you gave me, Zozo, who got stuck in the mud and someone pulled her out.
So yeah. Yeah. That's what reminds me of you doing with the, some of the younger entrepreneurs that are coming up because we can teach them a few things along the way. Yeah.
JW: I see people getting off track. I'm like, not that I'm an expert, but just don't do that. Just shift back a little bit. Yeah.
Anne: Yeah. Stay focused. Stay focused.
JW: Stay focused.
Anne: There you go. How do we find you? Where do we look for you? And tell us how our listeners here can get ahold of JW
JW: Oliver. On top of the mountain is where I would like to be, right? That's where they say I'm top of the mountain.
No you can go to supportdds. com. If you want to email me, it's just. JW at support DDS or JW Zimworx. That's our main company ZIM. Oh, there it is in the background. ZIMWRX, and happy to email me direct, find me on LinkedIn. I get a lot of message on LinkedIn. I'd love to talk through that as well.
But look, if we can help you be an entrepreneur, if we can help you leverage whether it's executive assistants or accounting teams, or some in the dental field. We'd love to talk to you about some options and how we could be helpful as well. We've got a great team that can help you with that as well.
You
Anne: sure do. You sure do. Well, You certainly helped me and I'm looking forward to continuing that help as I grow, my business and, uh, as all the do's, the dental entrepreneur women grow their businesses and all the young docs that are growing their dental practices and their businesses in the dental industry.
So Thank you so much, J. W. for being here today. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, which will be pretty soon. I'm sure. Thank you for your support of us. And if you're listening to this today, everybody, remember to keep doing you. Thanks again. And I'll see you next time. Bye. Thanks to you.
