Two Reds are Better than One

It’s a delight this month to listen to the founder of a Champions League dental practice in the beautiful Lake District - Neil Cooper has been a friend and a client of both of us for many years. Here, we delve into Neil’s childhood fascination with how things work and an early dedication to a career in dentistry, based on his experiences as a child patient. Following Neil to school, university, early days as a VT and associate, we then discover what happened when he caught the Ownership bug and used a unique approach to become co-purchaser of an antiquated practice on Kendal High Street. It’s now a 7-surgery clinic with a brilliant team, providing the highest complexity of dentistry. Throughout his career, Neil has always responded to the phrase “that will never work here”, with a determination to prove the critics wrong. As you listen, you will also hear about Bex Cooper and the contribution she has made to the development of the business since the pandemic. It’s a fantastic story about a fantastic practice created by lovely people - you will be inspired.

An interview with Dengro CEO - Neil Stephen Listeners - if you think this month’s podcast is an advert for Dengro - think again. CEO Neil Stephen has a fascinating CV, including starting and selling a number of international tech businesses over the years, as well as running The London Olympic Beach Volleyball competition in 2012. He “gets” business and speaks with the authority of having worn all the t-shirts in business development over the years. In our conversation we discuss: This conversation is a cracker - line this up for a commute, a dog walk or wherever you enjoy your podcasts the most - and prepare to be educated and entertained by a true business leader.

This week we interviewed David Taylor, an ex Dale Carnegie International Master Trainer & Leadership Trainer, who shares the benefits of developing a Monthly Action Plan. Many Dental Practices report that finding the right people, retaining them and the paying their true worth challenging, this concept can help in all three areas and can make the Dental Practice a much more productive and a happier environment On this podcast you will discover; What is an 'Action Monthly Plan' and the benefits it brings to the Dental Practice How to conduct an accountability meeting with your team Hear some example of how it raises the performance of your team and how they get really excited about being part of something bigger How to have challenging conversations with your team and associates without creating a toxic atmosphere The Wall flower concept and how it changed the direction of Chris, Ashley and Dave's career for the better and how you can have the same impact with your team Recite of Paddi Lunds 8 non negotiables in his Practice New Recruits-How to have a 'Expectations Contract' right at the start and the benefits it brings to the Dental Practice' AND SO MUCH MORE

If you want to be inspired by the potential of a career in dentistry, no matter what your age or background, listen to the journey of one of the UK’s most interesting dental practice owners. As a child, Manrina Rhode wanted to become an actress, but an enlightened Headmistress saw the opportunity of combining art and science and encouraged her to study dentistry. The UK dental community (and her patients) can be glad that she did. Right at the start of her career, she secured a position with Dr. Surinder Hundle at Lund Osler, one of whose clinics was based in Harvey Nicholls, London - innovative in its time. Surinder, famous as an original participant in the TV show "10 Years Younger" opened up opportunities that you can only dream of (learn how Manrina beat her competition to get this job). After several years at Lund Osler, she worked for Tim Bradstock-Smith - The London Smile Clinic. Along the way, she ran a Music Label in Atlanta, that is another story you need to hear. In the last 2 years, she has finally opened her own clinic - DRMR - and you’ll hear why Chris was speechless with admiration when he first visited. In this episode you will discover; What it takes to become a true success in dentistry The importance of finding your passion in dentistry and to do what you love to do The big lesson she learnt from her father. If you have children, the most important message you can give them, so that they are a success in their lives The importance of finding mentors and networking with the very best If you are running an Instagram page you need to do this ONE THING to make it work for you AND SO MUCH MORE.

If you walk round Manchester city centre, you will often see the above statement, ' WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY HERE' which glorifys Manchester's achievements in the world and why Mancuncians are different. We have tweaked the above statement slightly for our guest today and you will see why when you listen to the interview. Born in Glasgow, Lawrence decided to take some time out to travel the world and then visited Sydney 11 years ago to do some dentistry for several months. He ended up staying and now Lawrence is partner in Spa Dental Dentist in Sydney CBD | Spa Dental Sydney CBD and three other Practices around Sydney. He is in the top five producers of Invisalign in the whole of Australia and as you listen to Lawrence you will clearly see how obsessive he is about the 'Patient Journey' and how they stand out from a very crowded market place. Have a pen and note pad to make lots of notes, this interview is full of gems. You will discover; How his practice and his team obsess about customer service You will understand his philosophy behind the refurbishment. of Spa Dental, to make it completely different to any other DP The absolute mission of giving the patient a completely different experience to any other dental practices How the practice gets five start google reviews and how they educate the patient on what to write. Google reviews you need 150 of them before you get on the start line The steps to the perfect patient journey and consultation How most of the work has been done before the patient has even visited the practice 'The hidden camera' you will have to wait to the very end to hear about this strategy The super associate what it means Instagram - how to make it a success

On never giving up (and how to run your business in 60 minutes a month) an interview with Dr Mike Hughes of Deintyddfa Na-Nóg Dental & Implant Team in Bangor, North Wales We begin our new podcasting year with a story of courage and resilience that has led to the creation of an award-winning specialist referral practice in Gwynedd, even though some local councillors and planning officers did their level best to stop the project before it started. Mike Hughes shares his history with us - qualifying as a reluctant dentist second time around in Cardiff and then moving on to develop his passion for MaxFax. After his mentor sold to corporate, Mike continued in that environment for 14 years until his hunger for independence led him to identify a site in a beautiful business park, where his vision was to create a leading specialist led referral centre, a vision that started as a chalk drawing on his driveway. Local planners thought otherwise and he made BBC news headlines back in 2021, when he eventually won his battle for the right to open. The clinic passed the £1m turnover mark in its first year and has gone on to even greater success. All without even having a website! In our conversation you will learn:

In our final podcast of 2023, there is no guest, instead, we share our highs and lows of 2023 and also why we are so excited about dentistry in 2024. In the interview we discuss; AND MUCH MORE

Our guest for this month's podcast is dental technician Ashley Byrne - Owner Byrne Dental Laboratory, one of the largest and most advanced in the UK and now part of the European Corus Group. In the first part of our interview, Ashley reviews the opportunity in digital workflow: The sheer magic of IOS; Why using intra-oral scanners can save time, increase staff retention/morale and engage patents in their oral health to an extent never before seen. We also discuss how important it is to advance along the adoption cycle and embrace every aspect of technology - Ashley even shares his “latest” innovation, using augmented reality in dentistry. Part 2 of our podcast looks at his leadership skills with a team of over 50 people: How to get your team to 5th gear; The “no blame culture” and the £4,000 mistake; Why he cooks 180 rashers of bacon on a Sunday evening. It’s a fun session and totally inspirational - do yourself a favour and listen now.

S conversation with Lis Hughes - Managing Director - FTA It’s not often that we get the chance to listen to an industry expert sharing with us her view of the dental landscape since lockdown to the present - and beyond. Lis arrived at Frank Taylor Associates in 2008 to deliver some consultancy work - and has stayed there ever since, describing the company as a great place to work with nice people. During our conversation we discuss topics that will be of interest to all existing Owners and equally those who aspire to buy a practice:

In this latest episode of 'Two Reds are Better than One' Chris and Ashley interview Peter Thomson. Peter shares many strategies from his latest book 'Paid' Peter Thomson has been in business for over 51 years and he has been in the Personal Development world for 30 years. He has written 15 books, and produced over a 100 business programmes. This episode was a true masterclass in communication, sales and making sure you get richly rewarded for the value you bring to your patients. We strongly advise you listen to this podcast twice and make notes, there are some wonderful quotes that will change the way you think and behave. In this episode, you will discover: AND SO MUCH MORE.

We asked Claire Nightingale to return as a guest and share with us the pains and pleasure of both buying and selling an orthodontic practice. This interview will help any dentist (specialist or general) who is interested in embarkation (or disembarkation) from Ownership. Claire’s first attempt at Ownership was a painful failure and she explains why - and equally why it was another 9 years before she acquired her own business. In part 1 we talk about that slow journey into Ownership. In part 2 the challenges of growing a business from “pen and paper” to digital. In part 3 the necessity to plan your exit a long way in advance. In part 4 the story of her sale to Dentex - and the mountain climb that is due diligence. In part 5 the journey into a happy corporate ownership. Along the way we will hear about family challenges, leading by change, how and asset can turn into a liability in a split second, how to break the news to the team, mop buckets, leases, currency exchange and missing shareholders. Strap yourself in and get ready for a tour de force. Listen now via the player below or your favourite podcast streaming service.

Ashley and I have known and worked with Gareth and Amanda Small at Helens Bay Dental Practice for so many years that Eddie remembers us as part of their dinner conversation when he and his sister Emily came home from school. Emily is now a dental therapist working in Dubai and Eddie is a dentist who commutes between London and Helens Bay (just outside Belfast) on a weekly basis. In this conversation, we trace Eddie’s life so far (one of our youngest ever guests) from thinking about dentistry at the age of 6, becoming more interested in his parent’s work from age 11 and deciding on a dental qualification as soon as his GCSE’s were completed. Then to the University of Manchester (great choice Eddie) and happy years during which he was expertly mentored by Professor Siobhan Barry and also met numerous people from whom and with whom he learned. Eddie became Co-President of the Undergraduate Society and helped to chair their annual conference post-Covid. From this time he also recalls a training course attended with his father over in the Czech Republic with Dr. Josef Kunkela - a course at which he met the presenter’s son and others of his own age group - all attending with parents - a fraternity that inspired him to do more. Key words for Eddie are “passion”, “learning”, “innovation”. After graduation he worked as a Foundation Dentist in Sunningdale, Berkshire and has many happy memories of that time to share. As stated, he now splits his time between England and Northern Ireland and frequently introduces digital workflow ideas to his parents, who remain totally open-minded to every suggestion promoted. This is a success story - about dentistry, family and dedication. We think you should share the podcast with others who either have children or parents who may be inspired. Eddie also kindly offers to answer direct questions confidentially - you can reach him at eddy9570@gmail.com

Have you ever considered what a new patient enquiry is worth to your practice? If a patient is interested in some cosmetic treatments, for example short term orthodontics, bonding, teeth whitening, or implants, each telephone call could be potentially worth thousands of pounds. If a patient is enquiring about just becoming a patient and they join your membership plan, over a ten-year relationship, then they could easily spend several thousands of pounds with you. This is becoming increasingly important as patients are often shopping around, and some of them are enquiring about NHS services. Therefore, it would be safe to say that the Reception Team are some of the most important members of your team, they are often dealing with thousands of pounds worth of opportunities every day and they could make, or break whether a patient visits your practice, or your competitors down the road. In this episode Chris and Ashley along with Enrica Latter, Ashley's daughter, explore this topic in detail. Enrica who works in a top end Private Dental Practice in Manchester as a TCO, made a dozen mystery telephone calls to Practices throughout the UK and what she discovered was alarming. In this podcast you will discover; Why your Front of House Team/Receptionists are the most important team members within the Dental Practice; Why they should be called 'Managing Director of First Impressions'; The skills and traits of someone who is dynamic on the telephone and how employing from outside the industry can be advantageous; What Enrica discovered after making all these calls and the five big take-aways from the exercise; What not to do if a patient is enquiring about NHS, when you can only see the patient on a private basis; The incredible offer made by Ashley Latter for those who are serious about making progress in this area, including free training places on his courses. AND MUCH MORE

One of the biggest challenges Owners and Practice Managers face is creating a highly motivated team that performs at a top level all of the time. A culture in which everyone loves coming to work to do their best, and in which they know they can reach their full potential. A culture that very few practices manage to achieve. Marina and Michael Chan have succeeded within their stunning Dental Practice, Iconic Dentistry & Medispa in Perth in Western Australia. Not only is the interior of the Practice beautiful, including a self-playing piano in the reception area, creating a surreal atmosphere, that patients love to come to and often travel long distances to visit. Ashley recently delivered an In House Two Day Ethical Sales & Communication Programme for their whole Practice and over lunch, one of their team members commented about the culture and said "It does not get any greener than here" and that is how this interview came about. In this interview, Ashley and Chris grill both Marina and Michael, to understand what they do every day to create such a wonderful culture. You will discover, 'Morning Huddle And much more. This is one of the longest interviews the 'Two Reds"' have facilitated, ensure you have a pen and paper to write down the many ideas you will get from listening.

On this month’s podcast we welcome the former owner of Queen's Gate Orthodontics (South Kensington), Dr. Claire Nightingale - now a part of the Dentex family of practices. We begin by reminiscing that Chris first heard Claire speak at the 2019 BOS annual conference and, thus inspired, he asked for an interview for his own clients in January 2020. Claire shared her commitment to digital workflow and virtual consultation, little realising that, just a few weeks later, we would be plunged into lockdown and that, on the return to work, her new business practices would accelerate the growth of her business. As well as being inspired by Claire’s enthusiasm and energy, you will learn: Claire is a power-house of passion, determination and focus - and if 1% of it rubs off on you, your time will have been well spent.

In this month’s podcast we interview Chris Ball - Co-Founder of a super-successful private squat in Preston, Lancashire - Dentistry by Cure Clinics. For anyone considering future practice ownership, anyone who has purchased or opened a clinic in the last few years - and for anybody who may have “lost their mojo” - this conversation is a must. Chris shares with us his personal life story and also a detailed account of the planning and execution of the squat opening in May 2022. By the way - the business has been a huge success story with record sales, full surgeries and they have had to close down the recruitment page on their website BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING TOO MANY JOB APPLICANTS. You’ll learn that Chris is a local lad to Preston, grew up in a family that instilled his work ethic, discovered dentistry as a trauma patient and managed to get into dental school on his third attempt. We will discover why the phrase “luck is the meeting place of opportunity and preparation” is to relevant to the circumstances in which the concept was born - a conversation with his Pharmacist brother at Christmas 2021, that led to the plans for and creation of the clinic. In this podcast you will also hear: Chris Ball will inspire you and remind you that with a combination of careful preparation, collaboration, core values and future-thinking, anything is possible.

Karl Walker Finch is our latest guest on the 'Two Reds are Better than One Podcast'. Karl graduated in 2010 in Liverpool and then spent the next 5 years working as an associate on the Wirral before joining Lindley Dental in Huddersfield as an associate who announced on his first day that someday he wanted his own place. Very early on in his career, Karl discovered two passions. His first was for Implants and in 2014 took a Masters in Implantology and the other was that he had an Entrepreneurial streak in him, and that he wanted to be a Practice Owner one day. In 2022, he became a Practice Owner along with his wife Marisa, when he purchased a Practice and changed the name to 'Smiles in Tandem’ (https://www.smilesintandem.com/) which is based in Huddersfield. Karl concentrates on all things dentistry and Marisa's speciality is Counselling and Psychotherapy. This is a fascinating interview and Karl really opens up and shares some of his own mental health issues and what he did to overcome them and still does every day. There are so many take-aways for everyone. As well as running his own busy Practice, he is a family man and yet he has still found time to write a book called 'In the Loupe' - The Secrets to Finding a Passion in Dentistry' and he talks about this book on the podcast. You can purchase the book NOW at this link. In this interview you will discover; One of the most important principles that you need to adopt when buying an existing Dental Practice Karls biggest single mistake when he purchased the Practice The importance of Communication with the team and how to get your team to buy into the changes you want to make The three techniques Karl adopted to deal with his own mental health issues and how he maintains a happy work and home life The importance of every day writing The importance of pace, not race and living in the moment Goal setting is not the be all and end all and how it can have impact on quality The impact that belonging to a Mastermind group can have in your career AND MUCH MORE.

This month we meet with Lisa Catto, founder of www.thebusinesscatlayst.co.uk And creator of: https://idealpatientjourney.com/ who talks to us about the three critical results of the work she does for dental practices: Saving time; Getting organised and Growing sales. Nothing to not like there. Lisa has run her own businesses since the age of 19 and has a bewildering CV that includes: Turning a roller-skating rink into a rave venue; Running an animation art gallery in central London; Pioneering computer games and digital marketing before the internet “was a thing” and we were using floppy disks and dial up modems! After a sabbatical in the South of France, she returned to the UK and started working in small business automation before most of us even knew what that meant. Chris first met Lisa during lockdown, when she was automating an ortho group and he has since witnessed the transformative work she has done with a number of his clients in general practice. For Ashley, meeting Lisa for this podcast recording was the second blind date of his life - and the first that has turned up! Lisa explains to us in very clear and direct terms the three phases of her work with dental clients, automating: Phase 1 - what happens before someone becomes a patient (including her unique SmileViewer systemhttp://www.smile-viewer.com/); Phase 2 - how they are converted into fee-paying patients and Phase 3 - how they are looked after as patients. She also explains how the work she does integrates with Practice Management Software and the thorough onboarding that is done with the dental team when her systems are put in place. Ultimately, she says, “automation is about creating the extra time and space to build relationships” and that “incremental is exponential” - if you can save just 5 minutes a day, that’s almost 3 full days a year of team activity. Dentists leave too much money on the table in treatment plans never sold or not taken up - Lisa shows us how to automate improvement. It’s a great interview, never too technical or geeky and we think you will love it.

On todays 'Two Reds are Better than One Podcast' Ashley and Chris discuss their highs and lows of 2022 and share their goals and aspirations for 2023. Like never before, Ashley and Chris open their hearts and share some very personal stories and as usual, there is no holding back. As usual, there are many lessons and takeaways for your own personal and business life. In this podcast you will discover; How a Hotel seriously messed up one of Ashley's Courses and how shabbily they dealt with the issue, losing a £200,000 client overnight. This is how not to deal with complaints. How a One Star google review caused a few sleepless nights for Ashley and how he managed to move on How to develop resistance in your life and how to bounce back after serious set backs How at the age of 69, Chris Barrow has finally given into the PACE not RACE philosophy The impact climbing the highest mountain in Italy has had on Chris Chris scores himself 3/10 as a new grandfather and he shares what he is going to do to improve his score. Why everyone needs a Coach or some one to cry on How Chris and Ashley have survived several recessions and their final message to all their listeners to make 2023 a good one. AND MUCH MORE

With mental health at the top of the agenda for leaders, managers and in our own lives, we welcomed Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja to this month’s podcast to discover how she has used her own experiences with burnout and depression to help others in dentistry.