Anne: Hi, everyone is Anne Duffy and welcome to Dental Entrepreneur, the future of dentistry podcast. I am so happy that you're here today. And I'm so happy to have my guest, my little friend we've become very close since she joined our Duke community. I'm so happy to have you with us today.
Briean Clark, welcome.
Briean: Thank you for having me and I appreciate it. I'm excited to be here.
Anne: We're excited to have you. And before we get started, let me tell our listeners a little bit about you. So Briean Clark has taken her 20 years in dentistry and crafted a unique method for discussing diagnosis and treatment.
with patients. After successfully applying her techniques to thousands of treatment plans, Briean now works diligently to share her message in pivotal presentations to impact dental practices throughout the country. Again, welcome Briean Clark. My goodness.
Briean: Thank you. I'm going to need you to record that because you have that bedtime story voice and you just made it sound so good.
Anne: I liked it. Thank you. Thank you. After coming from babysitting the grands, they have this meditation for kids now for going to sleep. And I thought thank you for saying that I have that bedtime. That's so funny. But it's also very nice to hear your, own bio read to you when did you start pivotal presentations? How long has you had that in,existence?
Briean: My company, Pivotal Solutions, has been blooming and growing since about 2015, 2016, but Pivotal Presentations is my training program that I have created and developed from my experiences, and I was able to launch that this past year.
Past April and create a lot of buzz and excitement with your help. Of course. So very excited. So pivotal solutions is branching out and offering the training and support with pivotal presentations. I'm super excited.
Anne: Yeah, I think it's really cool how it's an online course. For dental professionals to take it when they want it in their own time and really learn how to present treatment.
I mean, You've done it for years and you've been so successful and it's really great to be able to share those little nuggets with other people.
Briean: everyone listening today will probably pick up a little bit on my background, but it's through my trials and errors and my experience of learning what's working and what's not working.
And along with that online self paced, we're joining each other monthly on group calls so they can ask questions and implement and really have that hand in hand help to really be successful in, what they're learning. So I'm very excited about the community that this is creating and building and the opportunities it's opening just to really impact dentistry.
Anne: So I'm, over the moon. I love the fact that you've got that live training also because it's so frustrating. I mean, I know I'm up in years, but I'm pretty tech savvy. every once in a while, I want to pick up the phone and talk to somebody. sometimes these questions and to be able to do that a monthly basis, I think is so helpful for dental professionals.
We're busy. You've got the answer. And it's easy if you could just ask it in person.
Yes.
Briean: coach in the pocket, we all need that. And back in 2013, when I had my first experience with someone coming and coaching me, I of course loved it. And I told the person like, wow, I want to be like you.
When I grow up like, I love the fact that she traveled and was working with me and two other people hand in hand. But while I am an overachiever and I really went at it full steam ahead to learn and. Soak in all I could, cause I was going dental assistant to business team. So I really wanted to grasp everything, but it was this big binder and we we just skimmed the surface.
And then it was kind of like, it's been a nice three days, best of luck to you. So I know while I was able to really implement and master a lot of those things, because I was driven enough to do, and I had the initiative. that's not realistic for so many people. So. Like I say, I want to be that tool and that partner and that life long coach.
Not just let's skim the surface and you know what you get from it's what you get from. I really want to transform the practices.
Anne: Yeah. And I think that's building the relationship. that's So important in my office, I remember there were lots of binders. There was a whole cabinet full of binders from consultants and things like that, that you know, okay, well, good luck.
after three days, bye, good luck. And if you need me, call me, but to have something that's really organized will it be a group coaching that you're going to have Briean? Okay. That's really valuable in these days.
Briean: Yeah, because I think that will also give a lot of perspective we feel alone or like sometimes we're embarrassed or want to not say what we're going through or what our question is.
So when we see that there are other people that can really just be in that same place or went through already what we're going through. So. We can all again, make those relationships and have that community. So as long as you're a student inside of the classroom that there is lifetime access to you have that community that you can ask the questions.
And if they need that one on one coaching and assistance I am reachable in that way too, but that's what I'm just most excited about because I'm full of personality. I love to make learning fun and, pride myself in being like a master conversationist. And I really want to help people navigate through these things.
So that's one of the things I'm so excited about is just being able to. face to face with people and building relationships and making a community across the whole country and then giving them the pivotal presenter award after they've completed the course like I can't wait for people to on the administrative side having something to recognize their accomplishments with Because assistants and hygienists and dentists, we have our license, we have our certificates and all the things.
What can we show on the administrative side of being proud that we've really invested our time and energy and accomplish something. So again, so many fun things that I'm really just excited to offer.
Anne: love that. I'm glad that we're kind of like launching this with you here today, but you've done so many, everything from dental assisting to front office, overseeing operations.
A little bit about what sparked your interest in learning to take on so many different roles within the practice.
Briean: I have always been that person that if I'm going to do something, I want to give my best. I want to be the best, reach the top, really achieve. I've just always been a very driven person.
But what changed you know, about 15 years ago is I became a new mom. And I knew that I needed to do something better. So I did navigate out into expanding my skillset by going to a new practice. And I went into oral surgery, which was my background, but I also had to learn general dentistry size.
So learned very quickly. You know, I was a new mom. My hormones were all over the place. I was like crying every day for the whole first year. I really had to get through so much. And then on top of that, they had me working in two practice locations after a few months. So I thought I learned something. And then three months later, I go to their second location. They have different materials, stuff is kept and stored differently. Everything. And so I just felt like I didn't know anything all over again. So I was a mess. I was a mess. But I can tell you, I took that driven personality and that desire to want better for my child.
within the first year. My doctors chose to invest in me and send me for training to the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies and I, sat right in the same classroom as the doctors and we learned about occlusion and muscles and airway and all of the things and sometimes doctors, they roll those dice and they choose to take team members to those courses and they come back and just nothing happens.
Everything fizzles out. But for me, I was just so honored that they chose to invest in me in that way. So my repayment to them, my gratitude was shown through again, continuing to pour into the practice and demonstrate what I learned to my teams. If we're implementing solutions, creating processes and sharing what I learned. And I have my, my do top five gifts here. I learned, all these years later that my top five, I'm strategic, positivity, learner, communication, and self assurance. So that opened my eyes to like, all this time, these are why I was this way. So it's just, they're super cool, but that's kind of what sparked that interest was.
It's just constant pushing the envelope and the drive I had.
Anne: That's so funny because I can't remember everybody's top five strengths, but now that mentioned your top five strengths, that is so you, and it is, reassuring. And that's why we love sharing that with the do retreat because you fall in love with yourself And I can continue to Find new ways to build my career within my profession. you, I'm sure you've had lots of surprises along the way. when you went from dental assisting to cross over to the front office what was some of your big surprises?
Briean: Well, I joke about this in many of my presentations, cause I actually paint the picture of my, journey. But I think the biggest shock to the system was how much of a fight it actually was in. Claims and billing insurance and getting paid. I was completely delusional. I'm thinking as an assistant and we're back there billing things, we're just getting paid.
It's like easy next person let's go. But I had that rude awakening very quick when I rotated over to the administrative side of things that is not the reality. So that again is some of the pain points for me that helps me help other people so passionately. It's because I went from. coaching patients through their treatment and celebrating with patients of their outcomes and being liked, which I like to be liked, to then feeling like I was disliked.
I was not confident. I was stressed out. I was getting yelled at and patients mad about their bills. And so it was completely off. The spectrum. So that was probably like the biggest eyeopener for me. And again, why I'm like so passionate of like closing those gaps, because this is two worlds.
We have the front, the back, and then there's this black hole where information just falls. So I used my skillset to create those systems and processes to close that gap. And I had to just dive in and learn. And that's where pivotal presentations was burst is out of those, pain points in that experience, because I'm like, we really need to change.
talking about insurance to the patients. We need to have a treatment focused conversations, not insurance driven conversations. Because as you can imagine, I was used to talking to patients about their conditions and chair side. So I really built a powerful the approach of how to still maintain that type of communication as a treatment coordinator in the consult room.
So I'm very thankful for the background experience of the dental assistant for that.
Anne: were we were talking before we got started just had a crown replaced Interesting appointment yesterday for me because I realized and I know this, but I haven't had a crown for so long.
I forget how important the assistant is. The doctor and the assistant are like two peas in a pod. It was so smooth and you really have to like your assistant. I mean, not love your assistant. You have to like your assistant because you're already close to that person and she's excellent.
She's just knows how to do it, knows everything. She was training two other assistants, which is really cool. But I just realized how important that partnership is. And then also you and I were talking about how important it is to be able to, when you're selling treatment or whatever.
And we are selling treatment because we want them to buy into our vision for what their health can be, right? To have the background of, understanding the clinical side and how important that is going to be for their oral health and for their life and their happiness and all of those things. it's not about the treatment as much as is what it can do for the patient is what that treatment actually can do for their life.
That's really get when you're assisting, like you were saying you celebrate with them when they have their treatment completed.
Briean: Right. We get to see that. on the clinical side, and at the most when we're on the administrative side, we hopefully can at least see them as they're walking out the door, so we can ask them like, to flash us a smile.
Or perhaps the next day in the morning huddle, we're sharing the final photos and celebrating as a team how the beautiful outcome.
Anne: I know you're involved in a dom as well. And I love a dom. It's such a great community of office managers But they should probably all work in the back for you know, a couple of months to understand beauty the art the amazing, technology
Briean: that it takes too so not only is it going to do the things like we were talking about before we started recording which is In the dentistry that you're presenting to the patient, like understanding the why, like what are the consequences and risks to this patient for not doing the treatment?
We can really convey that to the patient and motivate them to the treatment and have that conviction we have in that belief in the dentistry really comes through in the conversation. And that's why we also if we can get the front office team or the administrative team and observe understanding to the complexity and the work that actually really goes into.
A procedure. And what that dental assistant is doing. When someone as say, the scheduling coordinator threw that one more emergency in, like, why does your dental assistant look like they want to run out the door or like, cause you bodily harm? the seating and the blood pressure and the consent and the medical history review and all the things.
So, it's like, Let's be strategic about it. So there's so much that goes into it. So the front office can really see and understand and experience the dentistry. That ultimately will have a great impact on your case acceptance. But what you and I were also mentioning.
a must for that treatment coordinator or administrative team member to have the dental assistant background. By all means, you can certainly learn and understand the dentistry aspect clinically, but why I was so thankful that I had that dental assistant background is because, like we're saying, when there is that gap in communication or something's dropped or off the treatment plan or forgotten or that missing link you know, with that dental assistant background and knowledge we could pick up on like, Oh, I actually, the extraction should have that bone graft or they said to schedule this, but I think I need to go check with the doctor.
We probably should do this first. So it really did make for smoother transition into that presentation aspect. So the pivotal presentations, I do actually provide a lot of evidence. Bonus clinical content. So the administrative team can connect those dots and have while they're not the dental assistant, they now know a lot of the Skills and how to kind of tie all that together. So
which
Anne: is really powerful. It that's something that really needs to be in their toolbox. I think that gives them a level of success that they may not have otherwise. So, Kudos to you to put that into to your program.
everybody wants to win in their job and everybody wants to be liked too. So I love how you started that at the very beginning. But I think it has a lot to do with the leader in the office. So I think there's challenges that the doctors have and their team members right now.
what do you see the challenges now and how do you see A way to overcome them.
Briean: I would say that we could talk about challenges in dentistry for a very long time. I would say as a trainer or a coach or someone that's come through the other side with my own personal experiences, are inundated with information.
And we actually have a lot of Free resources, a lot of complimentary information, like enormous amounts. And while I think that's very beneficial community and the resource aspect of that, I do see some people applying things that are not relevant for them. Or we compare ourselves a lot. We see someone's doing X, Y, and Z and, Oh, I'm not doing that.
Or but we have totally different demographics or totally different visions and practices and all the things. While the free resources are great. I'm not sure if you've ever heard the phrase like, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. we're doing that to ourselves by not actually committing to ourselves and putting skin in the game and working with someone that can be specific to our needs.
and helping us get past our challenges and really investing in getting ourselves from point A to point B without all the blood, sweat and tears that I went through. So I've been involved in a lot of communities. I actually myself send out hundreds of emails with free resources, but at the end of the day, we need to make sure we are curtailing.
Ourselves and our needs. So I would just say overcoming challenges and avoiding those obstacles in dentistry that you're going to face, find a way, find a person or call a DeW, as you would say, and make sure you have that person that can grab you by the hand and say, this is what you need. This is what would work.
You know, Let's really figure it out for you. That's great. That guided you this far. That's great. They're doing it this way, but let's talk about you. So that would be my biggest advice is at some point you have to push that pause button So that's what I would like to see for the future of dentistry.
I see a lot of our industry experts sharing and posting all the time about the decrease of attendance at live events or the direction that coaching is going and how some people shiver down their spine when they hear the word consultant and all the things. But At the end of the day, we have to invest in ourselves and have someone in our corner.
So, will leave it at that. If that makes sense.
Anne: You know, It does make sense. And if you think about it you've been through so much. You've done thousands of treatment plans. And you've been very successful at it. so much knowledge of what works, what doesn't work. And you're like sage advice is so important.
And you don't really want to learn the hard way in dentistry. Only have one shot sometimes. I mean, you know, Once you start down that path, it's not like you've got ton of wiggle room. so it is pretty precise and it is geared toward perfection.
So it's a lot easier if you do have somebody in your corner, you do have That you can call I think that's just so valuable. And it should not be minimalized. Just because now we're plugging so many different people in dentistry because people have been trained and just got burnt out have left.
So we've got a whole group of dental professionals that are really learning on the fly.
You know,
If you're a dentist and you're listening to this, invest in your team, invest in yourself. And what other advice as we wrap up here, Briean, would you say to a young dentist, maybe a new associate or even a dentist that's been around is kind of like trying to figure out what the heck's going on.
I need some help. what advice would you give them?
Briean: Well, If there's someone feeling that way They need to really get the help if you're telling yourself, Wow, can't do this by myself anymore. I can't figure this out or I'm beating my head against the wall. There has to be a better way.
And that's why that's my slogan, because there is a better way. would just encourage them to again, not be looking on the outside of what everyone else is doing and how everyone just seems so successful and we just get so hard on ourselves. So that would be my biggest encouragement is you have to kind of shut that down and not do that to yourself.
And realize that it's a continual process. Being successful, there's no cap on learning. You're a forever learner when you are a dentist or an office manager. Any position in the dental office, you're always learning. And I know I really want to share with those doctors, those employers, those managers that have that belief of well, I'm not investing in them because if they leave, I've lost so much money.
I really want others to see the perspective of it. far more dangerous to not train someone and they stay that's another reason why I was so driven and so successful because I was flattered that they chose me and invested in me and of course my personality mattered You know, I was a driven person.
I had good work ethic But if you sit down with the employee and ask them what their professional goals are And see that they're a good person too Give them the opportunity to mold them and shape them and train them. That is exponentially return on investment there. So I will just say train your people have relationships with your people invest in your people. Don't be afraid to invest in the people because it's far less risky than training someone and they leave.
Anne: Yeah. And you know what, it's also about just being a good person. want people to soar we want people to fly and it's our job as leaders to pour into the people that are being led.
that's beautiful. Briean. And so I, love that you're doing this. I think You'd be an excellent coach and, tell us how to get touch with you if you will. And we'll have that in the show notes as well.
Briean: Sure. I have my business Facebook page at Pivotal Solutions.
And my email, you'll have the notes there, but it's Pivotal Solutions Now. at gmail. com and what I really want to invite everyone to do is to book some time on my calendar and I'd be happy provide a virtual tour of my online classroom and actually watch a lesson together for free and see what it's all about it can help really jump start everyone's learning and pass that torch on to the next generation of the dental assistants slash manager slash treatment coordinators slash everything's and dentists need to learn the material I have too because I want them to be confident I really like helping doctors not back themselves into like failed dentistry conversations and not being confident all the things So i've got something for everybody.
Oh
Anne: my god, that's great And so we need something for everybody in the dental team right now.
Briean: It's hard to find team Um, I'm not sure if that's the that the need was there and I rose to the occasion.
my website is PivotalSolutionsNow. com
Anne: Briean's gonna be writing for us.
Take a look at our website, read some of those articles that are all for you and reach out to Briean if you need some help. you know, you do so do that. You get that? Do that?
Yeah, I was here. I was hearing all the puns.
I know, I know, and I love it. And so, most importantly, everybody that's listening, remember, keep doing you.
Breanne, thanks so much for this today, and I will see you next time.
All right, bye, see you next time.
