Anne: welcome to Dental Entrepreneur, the future of dentistry podcast. I am so happy that you're with us today. Oh, I'm happy you're with us too. I spoke out of turn. Sorry about that. She's not a surprise guest. Amazing. And let me tell you about our guest today. And you've heard from her before, if you ever listened to the, the, uh, dental entrepreneur woman podcast.
And, um, she is just an amazing. Human and a dear friend, as we've gotten to know each other over the years. Dr. Maggie Augustyn is a practicing general dentist, owner of Happy Tooth, author and inspirational speaker. She completed her formal dental education, earning a doctorate of dental surgery from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
And prior to that, she was awarded two bachelor degrees from University of Illinois. University of Illinois at Chicago and Benedictine University. She is also an alumnus of the Dawson Academy. Dr. Augustyne has published over 50 articles in the last two years. She is a columnist for Dentistry Today, publishing monthly in Mindful Moments.
She has also written in Dental Economics and is a frequent contributor for Dental Entrepreneur Woman. Thank you very much. Thank you. Justin. Also has a strong social media presence and has been a guest on multiple podcasts. And we will let you know how we can contact her. But before that, I want to say welcome, Maggie.
Thanks for being with us today.
Maggie: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. I enjoy our talks immensely and I look forward to them.
Anne: I know. You know why? Because this is real talk here, people. This is real talk. Um, one of the things we're talking about today is we're talking about the article that Maggie gave us for the future of dentistry.
And it was the edition with one of my favorite editions, Winter 23, with Joanna and Josh Scott on the cover. So you'll have to look at it online at dentalentrepreneur. com. Go to Maggie's article, and the title of it is I've arrived from 100 in the bank to generational wealth in less than three years. Now that title got me right off the bat.
I was like, how in the heck did you do that, Maggie? Cause you, you've been in dentistry for a long time and you found yourself in a spot that was, You know, I think there's a lot of our listeners that have felt that they were in that spot at one time or another. So, I mean, like, how did you get inspired to change?
Cause you have to, you're the leader. You had to change. How did you, how did you do that?
Maggie: Yeah. Um, this article, I have been contacted. By the most people of anything I'd ever published in this article, and, um, some of the people that I mentioned in the article, including productive dentist Academy, they have had a lot of people contact them because of this article.
I want to tell you that I have probably talked on the phone with at least 10 people.
Anne: Wow. Um,
Maggie: so far. Yeah. And then I've got some other schedule looking, looking into the future because they have found themselves in exactly that position or they fear of being in the position where you had a hundred dollars in the bank.
And it's, it's funny once this article published, um, I actually went back to find the check register to see the dates. At which we were at 100 in the bank, 300 in the bank. There were moments that we were negative 200 in the bank and you're like just praying and wishing that money would be deposited. But when it comes to this particular story, I will tell you this, that this, what happened with me is the perfect example.
Of not chasing money because whatever inspired me to make the change and whatever caused me to change To create the change had nothing to do with money and because I chose to do things for the right reason including putting myself First and in that I mean putting my passion And putting my purpose ahead of money money followed right, so, um You know, I'm a super introvert, a ton of emotional baggage.
Um, and I wasn't inspired to change. I certainly wasn't inspired to, uh, create generational wealth. Um, I wanted to lead a life that wasn't. Heavy. Um, I wasn't too, I wasn't looking to double or triple my take home. Um, I, I just needed a break. I needed a change. I was burnt out. There was so much that I disliked about the way that I was leading my life.
I felt alone. Um, I didn't like my patients. My patients didn't like me. Um, because of that, I surrounded, well not because of that, but I also surrounded myself with the wrong people. And I was not a great leader. Um, but I came out of my shell. Um, I, you know, there was a moment of courage, a moment of lift, made connections, got to know people.
Um, and I talk about that in the article for a dental entrepreneur woman called broken. Um, and, and I just, you know, I began to see in other people what was possible. And so I, I write a lot about, um, the fact that a lot of my change was inspired by cancer. I, uh, 2018 I was diagnosed with cancer in about, uh, let's say six months.
I'll be five years in remission.
Anne: Okay.
Maggie: Thank you. But, um, I, so, so I went from asking why me because of the cancer to why not me in terms of look at all these people being successful. Why is this not happening to me? So as a result of really finding myself and leading a good life, Uh, we say that all, I mean, Productive Dentist Academy says that all the time, you just have to do the right thing for the right reason.
Do good while doing good and then the money comes and that, that, that is absolutely what's embodied my story.
Anne: I mean, and that is literally a total mind shift. If you're listening to, to us today, I mean, Maggie, that is profound. Because But if you build it, they will come. If you build it the right way, the money will follow.
Maggie: Yes.
Anne: And it gives you more of a purpose, right? Because money, you know, money doesn't buy happiness. They say that all the time. It sounds like a cliche, but it is true. Did you, in that moment, um, when you had a hundred dollars in your checking account and you, you, you know, you were like, That's that's being that I would be afraid and I have been here.
I will talk about that. But when did you start? And when did you reach out to Productive Dentist Academy? And so you're listening, this is not about Productive Dentist Academy. We know, uh, Victoria Peterson and Bruce Barr, those guys, they, they are good, good people. Were you just starting to reach out for them?
Were you groping? How did you find them? Because I know that they are a big part of your story and your triumph.
Maggie: It was kismet or maktoub or it was, it was meant to be. It was during COVID they were offering a free class on, I don't, I don't even remember what finding yourself, not finding yourself, but it, you know, how to survive COVID, how to get through this, how to create a business plan.
It was something like that. And I took this free, I don't know, seven hour course that they were offering. Um, but I had met Victoria Peterson and really connected with her. Through mommy, uh, Dennis, uh, the weekend before covid and really spent an evening talking to her and getting to know her as a person and then signed up for this course.
And then that connection was made because, you know, I, I talked to other consultants before who basically told me. You here's your prescription if you're not willing to follow it. We're not going to help you. Uh, and of course I, I wanted to do things my way. I went, I, I was a certain kind of person and I, not every single, you know, I was like the, the, the round peg going into a square hole.
Um, it wasn't fitting, but, um, Victoria and Bruce's company. They came, you know, to me during that discussion and said, This is great. This is who you are.
Anne: Um,
Maggie: we are going to meet you where you are. Oh, that's right. That's a huge change, right? And that really precipitated. My wanting to work with them so much, not to say like, you know, some of the things that I talked to people about is, yeah, it's expensive.
100%. I mean, like you have a hundred dollars in the bank and now all of a sudden you're writing checks for thousands of dollars in order for somebody to help you. Right. Um, so it was, it was, it was definitely a, a leap. Largely.
Anne: a
Maggie: large leap to
Anne: make. Yeah, but I think there's a couple things there. Just the connection, um, and the I would say the acceptance that you felt from them that you're okay.
And this is, you're in the perfect place to start this and we don't need to change you. We need to help you grow into the best version of you, which is again, how do I be a better leader because, you know, I think you speak this. And you said this earlier, right? Even before we started, it's about leadership, right?
And you became a better leader. So hence you are, the money is following because you're leading with your, your mission, right? Which is greater than money.
Maggie: You lead with your heart, right? I mean, you become who. You were meant to be whatever it is, whatever force you believe you, you, you are following your, your purpose into the universe to be good to people.
Um, and you have to surround yourself with people that choose you, that believe in you, that are willing to work with you instead of people that are trying desperately to change you and tell you that you're not good enough. That was the difference with PDA.
Anne: Right? Yes. And it really lends itself and speaks to the strengths because if you know what you're good at, we all have great strengths, but your strengths are not mine.
So why would I come in and try to make your weaknesses, or you've got to work on all these weaknesses at the very bottom instead of saying, well, what are you really good at? And let's lean into that and amplify that and maximize those because every strength has some leadership quality in them. If you, if you look for it, right.
Sometimes it's a hidden gem. I'm sure that was really hard for you to, to just, well, first of all, to, to, um, again, to see that you're worth it to actually spend that kind of money on yourself, because basically when you get started with something like that, that that's a little deeper than just a cookie cutter, uh, consulting, uh, menu.
If you will, you have, it's hard to work on yourself.
Maggie: It is. Yeah. Surrounding yourself with people that have faith in you certainly helps, right? But, but, but living in this career for, at that time, it was maybe 15 years or maybe a little less than 15 years, thinking that I was the wrong, I was the wrong piece of the puzzle and turning around and finding the faith that you, it's like, it's exactly what you told me before we started the podcast.
Uh, you are, you are where you're meant to be. You are where you're supposed to be, right? That mind shift. That doesn't take a moment. That takes actually a lot of, a lot of hard practice, a lot of meditation, a lot of thinking to embody.
Anne: And even there's so many layers here to Maggie when you think about it, because not only that, but you've got to stay the course, you've got to, you know, in your article and dental entrepreneur woman when you have to, like, uh, take the toxicity out of your life and be strong enough to do that and be okay with that and then be able to, like, move forward with a whole new outlook.
It's, it's, um, No, not a whole new outlook, like a whole new, is it a tribe or a vibe? It's everything because it's all about confidence because then you can go to work and you're like, I'm doing the right things for the right things. And it's a holy, you know, it, it, it gives you joy versus like, Oh, Kali, you know, all of you, you know, concentrating on all the wrong things versus concentrating on the right things that really do tug at your heart and really do feed your soul and do give you joy.
Maggie: Yeah. And, and, you know, it, it, it actually even spreads to our kids because imagine all we, you know, a lot of us, not all we do, but we just spend so much time trying to fix our kids and tell them, here's your weaknesses. You're not great at math. Go get a math tutor. Let's get you to read at a higher grade.
You know, like, we're constantly focusing on our kids weaknesses. And we really ignore making them aware of their strengths, right? Like, if you're getting an A in math, that's great. Yeah. We're just going to leave that alone. But if you're getting a C in English, we're going to get you an English tutor. And, and, and it really is a mind shift change to do that in your entire life.
And then you start to see all the areas of your life that you're, you also should be, you know, focusing on the good, celebrating the good.
Anne: It's kind of like the bell curve too. I mean, so if you're, if you're really good in math and you take some more math courses and you get more experience, then you're going to be way, way higher in math.
And I'll ever be if I take those courses and do that, because I'm not, I'm not innately good at it. So it's like, And I, I, listen, I've got three adult kids and I still have to work on that. I think that we're all humans and we, we're all a work in progress. And I think the other thing that is so cool about what you're doing with this generational wealth, and I want to talk about that, is you're still tethered to the people that are going to help you.
Stay on the course and tell us about how you got to generational wealth. It was a short period of time Maggie I mean when you actually put your head down and you didn't walk alone
Maggie: No, I didn't I I talk a lot about help and I've get I've gotten a lot of help I've gotten a lot of help from my life coach lining grass I've gotten a lot of help from productive dentist Academy and I've gotten a tremendous amount of help From the people that I surround myself with my team, my tribe, um, of course, at home, all of I didn't do this alone.
Um, and when I started the journey, this isn't I wasn't going towards generational wealth. I was just looking to lead a happier, easier, lighter life. I just didn't want to come to work and hate it. Um, and I figured that for me to be profitable and to take home some reasonable amount of money, I thought it would take a decade.
But I'm like, you know what? A decade is better than staying in the place that I was at. Fine. I'll take a decade. And it didn't take a decade. It took three years. Um, you know, I am addicted to learning. I have a growth mindset. Um, and, uh, I'm always on fast forward and that's not necessarily a good thing.
You know, like, I am in the middle of, uh, working towards my fellowship for the. And everybody is so I'm studying for the test and really most people I know are saying. What is wrong with you? Why would you want to retake the boards again, right? And I've got thousands of slides that I've printed to try and study for the test in July.
I just love to learn and I can't stop. There's a price to pay for that because I'm constantly going. I don't leave myself that margin to recoil from stress. Um, but, but you got to love doing that. It's, it's not meant for everybody. Um,
Anne: obviously lines up with one of your, your top talents, which I'm sure is learner and, uh, and then also having somebody hold you accountable, be it your husband, your friend, your, your coworker, uh, or your employee, I guess, uh, just to say, okay, take a little break, go on a little vacation, unplugged for a while.
Maggie: Yeah, those are all incredibly important things to put into the equation. And I just part of the reason why it only took three years is because, um, I was unwilling to take those breaks. I just pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed for the changes, not towards the money, but for the changes. I just wanted them to come faster and faster and faster.
And one of the things that I realized that at the time that I spoke with Kyle Francis, who's the one that told me the use about you've created generational wealth, which is what I talk about in the article. Um, When I got off of that phone call, there was an emotional response for me to that news because it wasn't something that I expected.
But at the end of the day, I talked to him, maybe in November at the end of that year, you know, at the end of that phone call, I made the realization that the amount of time that I had put towards it and what I'd gotten financially was not worth it. I paid too high of a price. I was. I was tired and I, I just felt like I wanted to sleep for about three years.
And so I guess the other piece of advice here would be don't go too fast because Yes, there is gain. There's tremendous gain But truly just like I said in the beginning when you don't do the right thing for the right reason you do it for money At the end of the road when you get that money, sometimes you realize that money isn't everything So I would have given some of that money back to have a little more sanity.
Anne: A little more balance. Yeah. And, and good that you can actually say that out loud, right? I mean, to all of our listeners, because it is, it's, it's like, let me tell you one on, on me, right? I mean, I'm, I'm saying that's what you're saying, because you, you realize that you gave up a lot to get there. Was it worth it?
It'll be very interesting, Maggie, if we look back 10 years from now, how you feel about that, because you're still probably coming out of it. And it's like, well, because when you get out of it, and all of a sudden it's almost sounds like when he says, well, you know, you have generational, you've, you've created generational wealth.
It's like, oh, okay, thanks. You know, it's, it wasn't like, oh, let's have a big, let's just go to Disney world. Right. Right. And because it was, it was hard earned. But then again, knowing you and knowing, knowing you like I know you, you, you always like to have something in front of you to achieve. You're constantly, now you're getting this new thing.
You're spending time on that, you know, you just, you know, but I think you know yourself better through all of this, right? I think sometimes we have to be, and truly when you, when you, you have 100 in your bank account, that's pretty much close to the bottom and nobody would expect that coming from a dentist.
Right. Nobody on this earth, they think that you're, you've got it all made, you're, you're, you're, you're flying high, you've got money in the bank, everything's great, but that's a low point because it's not only, um, a disappointment for all the work you put in and even get through dental school and all the practice burdens that you have, but just to stop and think.
Am I ever going to get out of this? And I think that probably the fear of being there probably pushed you to not give up until you were actually on the other side.
Maggie: I'd say there's a lot of things that happen when you've got a hundred dollars in the bank. First, you think you're the only one. You think that everybody, every, every doctor on this block is definitely not in the same place that you are.
And so you pretend that you're also not in that place. Right. And you, you just. I don't know. Some people take out too many loans and they live above their means because this is what it's supposed to look like. The other thing, the thing that happened to me is that there was just such strong denial. Um, I could not deal with how little money we had.
And I just, you just almost like you turn it off. You pretend that it's not happening and that, okay, tomorrow, maybe there's going to be 50 more dollars in the bank, but it is really hard to conceptualize and create accountability for a business failing when you're working yourself to the ground and you've got nothing to show for it.
So, um, Yes, I, I, my denial was really, really strong. I, I, uh, I couldn't look at the checkbook, you know, you just kind of go the next day and you're like, okay, well, let's hope something else happens. Let's, let's hope the money's going to fall down from heavens. I, I, I don't know, but, but that was, that, that was very strong for me is, is the, um, I couldn't feel, I couldn't feel the fear.
Because I was in denial,
Anne: yeah, and then just get up the next day and start again and that's when somebody you really need somebody that that has your back that will hold your hand through getting out of denial, because, as you know, and I know it is to be it's up to me. So the only person here that really.
You know, at some point, cause I mean, Meg, y'all just share this. I don't know. I've never shared this on a podcast, but I remember when Tom started his entrepreneurial journey, I'll never forget being at the gas station. And, and I had, I had a credit card that I could only get 200 on and we had no. Where else to get any money?
Because we had used all the money we used. We were, we went ridges, riches to rags, but you know, you, to run a, start a big chemical company, it was like, Holy shamolies at that moment, Maggie, that's when I actually started in my side gig journey, realizing I have got to make more money, I can't depend on somebody else to make the money for the household.
I have to take ownership of it. And so. I think it's, it's, it's valuable to say that it's some, that moment you made a decision that you weren't going to do that anymore, that that wasn't going to happen. And how do you do it? How did you, you know, and, and you found a way. You found a way and, and I, you know, God puts people in our lives and you had that great conversation with Victoria.
She seems safe, somebody that you could open up to because I do think a lot of dentists would be in denial and not even get help because it's so embarrassing. They don't even want to ask for help. Like you don't even open your books for anybody because it's like, Oh my God, how can this be? And, um, and you felt safe.
And in a good place that you could actually be working with them, following their, um, their love and their care. That's, you know, it's, it's just, it's mind boggling. And so you, you know, you, you turn that around, very proud of you. Thank you. It's just unbelievable. And I feel like, you know, I did the same thing.
I actually, you know, learned how to make. Well, money is great. Learn how to make more money, but money's never. I think that's a thread and a theme for women. I don't think money a lot of times is the driving force. I think it's, it's always gotta be something deeper and more emotional and money just, you know, just so you make another a hundred bucks.
It's like, it doesn't really mean anything, but what do we do? There was, there was that we care about deeply, you know, that, um, That we had control over that we could do that is the real reason behind everything we do in our waking moments. I truly believe that. And I don't know if it's a feminine feature, but I do think that it's something that I hear quite often in the do community.
Maggie: I do, I do believe that there's a difference between masculine feminine energy. Right. And so Lonnie, Lonnie grass teaches me a lot about that. And I think this drive for money. Well, you know, me, my women haven't been, we still aren't equal. Right. And so there's this masculine drive for energy, anything that you can touch and see.
Is what you need to move towards and now that women are part of the conversation, all of a sudden we are driven to watch something other than money because money really doesn't bring you doesn't make your, your mind and your spirit and your heart whole.
Anne: It doesn't
Maggie: take you to that next level of self actualization.
It meets your needs, yes, you can, but you really don't become a better person as a result of money.
Anne: Yeah. I mean, how many, how many, you know, Louis Vuitton bags do we really need? Right. I mean, it's ridiculous. And isn't it neat that you actually figured this out way before your career is in the, in the end stages.
So now you've got a whole lifetime ahead of you with the mindset that is successful. I mean, you've actually, you're like a huge success and all of that little mindset, mindset shift, and having surrounded yourself with the right people. So you're, you're in the entrepreneurial role. Do you consider yourself a true entrepreneur?
Maggie: Not in the traditional sense. No, because you know, again, like I'm driven to think that an entrepreneur is someone that takes something, buys something small and sells it large. Right. And again, like, I still look at myself as this. Young girl that moved to this country, small little Polish girl that moved here to this country with two suitcases and it's really hard to kind of zoom out of the image and see everything.
And even as you're so kind and, you know, calling me a success. I, I don't know that I see myself that way. And I don't know that I see myself as an entrepreneur. However, if you define, if you redefine the term entrepreneur as, um, evolving and learning, um, and owning a small business and watching the journey, uh, and watching the change and being able to inspire.
Change in others. See, maybe that's what entrepreneur should be. It's someone that really can inspire others to become the best versions of themselves, rather than counting money and counting companies and things like that, um, having faith, teaching others about faith, about faith in themselves, about faith in, in.
In God and in the universe and, and how you are allotted this lifetime and there's a purpose to it and you can drive that purpose, but God gives you that purpose also, you know, like an inspiration to others. If we define an interpreter as that, that is something that I would aspire to be that, that, that would, that, that is a part of what is redefining the rest of my journey.
However, much. God allows me to have it. And I am here to live out his purpose for me. I am that, that is really the bottom line for me, anything in it. And I say this every single morning, God, I am here to live out what you want me to be. I'm not chasing money. I'm not trying to build more companies. I simply want to be what it is.
It, what it is that you have created. created me for.
Anne: Hmm. I love that. And it, it also brings me back to what you first said about, um, working with, and we love consultants. So there were a lot of our listeners are consultants, but listen to this, that the fact that the entrepreneur spirit, you want to do it your way with a little help.
And that is a true entrepreneurial spirit. You want to make the decisions. You're going to get the advice, but when sometimes I think. Also being under the thumb of somebody, it's very hard to live out your true purpose because you're living somebody else's purpose out.
Maggie: Right. They're, they're giving you their prescription.
They're giving you their journey. And that's not your journey. And we do this too much. We look at somebody else. We want to be like them. Well, what does that do to you? That brings you down because you're not supposed to be that other person. You're supposed to be you. So when you hire a consultant, when you hire a coach, when you hire a health coach, a life coach, you have got to find a person that you just feel a connection with.
It shouldn't be about who's got the lowest cost. It should Who can give me the better monthly payment? It's gotta be about the person that chooses you.
Anne: Yeah. Chooses you, sees the best in you, and then amplifies that with you. Yes. Along that journey.
Maggie: Yes. You are the driver. This is your story. In this particular instance, you are the hero of that story.
Anne: Yeah. Well, I, I think you've got some coaching ahead of you because, uh, one of the things I like to say, you know, in the, uh, you'll, when you find your calling is when people start asking you for help in a certain area, Maggie. So if you've had these people coming to you after you've written this letter, I think you have another, another vertical of your profession.
I can see it as clear as day. How do people get in touch with you, Maggie, and learn more about how you arrived from 100 in the bank to generational wealth in less than three years? How do people get in touch with you?
Maggie: Um, you can, the easiest way is I am of a certain age, so I use Facebook more than I use Instagram.
Um, and so you can find me on Facebook, uh, Maggie Augustyne. I'm fairly easy to find. You can go to our, um, our, our, our office's website, my happy tooth. com. Uh, I am also on Instagram and, uh, my email's pretty simple. It's [email protected]. And, uh, those are, those are the easiest ways to, to try and get in touch with me, Facebook messenger.
It tends to be. the easiest for people to kind of find me. And that's when I make a lot of connection.
Anne: Oh, I love that. And thank you for saying that because I think in, in this day and age, it's sometimes it's hard to figure out. We know someone reached out to us, but what avenue did it come in? So, um, I love that.
So we'll reach out to you on messenger and, and Maggie, thank you for everything you share your wisdom, your knowledge, your vulnerability, because not many people would want to admit this to the world when it's in print. It's, it's, it's there for all of us to see for forever. And it's a beautiful story. I can't wait to continue to follow your career in dentistry because you inspire all of us.
So thank you so much for being here today and um, I'll see you next time. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Bye bye.
