Two Drinks In Again
Dave and Jeff have (at least) two drinks and talk about the goings-on in the Knoxville metro area. Sports, music, restaurants, movies, and really anything is up for discussion. Join us for some information and a lot of laughs.
Two Drinks In Again
Episode 35 - The Journey of Professional Growth and Personal Insights
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Struggling to manage workplace chaos? In this episode, we dive into the challenges and triumphs of navigating professional relationships, focusing on the art of managing people and fostering authentic connections. Sharing personal reflections from the past two years, we uncover the impact of maintaining a positive workplace culture amidst stress and turnover. With humor and insight, the conversation touches on the significance of individual team dynamics, the evolution of management styles, and the need for compassionate communication during transitions.
We also explore innovative marketing trends to sustain client relationships while adapting to modern practices. Discover how fostering an environment of laughter and understanding can enhance connection within your team, ultimately leading to a thriving workplace culture. It's all about growth—both professionally and personally—as we remind each other to be decent and kind in this ever-evolving world. Enjoy this engaging conversation, and don’t forget to join us for future episodes! Subscribe now and share your thoughts with us.
Welcome and Introductions
Speaker 1Two Drinks In Again was not taped before a live studio audience.
Speaker 2When do you tell someone to just shut the fuck up?
Speaker 1Oh, I have dreams, dreams of doing that. Oh, what a time we had that night.
Speaker 2We had the time of our life. Oh, what a time we had that night. We had the time of our life.
Speaker 1So we do this on a Friday mostly, and so like my day is that I got up at 730. I went and worked out and then I had acupuncture at 10. And then I come home, I ran a couple errands and did a big beer buy because I was out of beer. I needed to get my monthly stash.
Speaker 2I got to tell you I took a PTO last Friday. Really yeah, we did a massage, that's the way to do it, man.
Speaker 2But I mean, like you were saying, y'all needed it, yeah, we fucking needed it you need it and we and we took a fucking just a day and it was incredible man yeah, just it's, it's good stuff no, I mean, the weekend in highlands was was really kind of what we needed and um and it's all, what's your moment in time like when you're doing this thing, to where all of a sudden, like for me it's just my shoulders drop from underneath my ears down, you know, to like my rib cage, where I was like, oh okay, like I'm, I'm calming the fuck down for me it's a little different, because then I keep getting back to how much I really just don't want to work anymore oh god, yeah, you know that's that's what I, that's what I keep coming back to, yeah, and and so, you know, my wife wants me to commit to a number as to how much.
Speaker 1So I say six plus yeah, because she says she goes you seem like you've been stuck on seven years for a long time. I said, no, now it's, we're under seven years. And, uh, you know, no, it's, it's so I've got. It's funny Cause I had a, a one of my classmates from residency, really the only guy that I stay in touch with from my. You know, we had a class of six, uh, one of whom passed away a couple of years ago, but but, uh, he and I are the only two that stay in touch. And he's like, hey, I, you know, I'm talking with this private equity group. That's not entirely like a dso, but like you may be interested in them. And and I said, okay, yeah, no, I'm interested in that, you know, I mean, I'm just, you know it was like, well, you want to sell to the corporates. I mean, what about your legacy?
Speaker 1fuck my legacy like no one's gonna remember me here you know, your legacy is your kids right, my legacy is my kids and so you know it's in and so, anyway, um, you know, and I've, I've extended a uh employment offer to offer to a guy who I had visit us last month.
Speaker 2If I could fucking retire tomorrow, I would man. You know, I've got someone who's coming to visit the office on the 17th.
Speaker 1And so you know, I mean so we keep trucking along. I mean 17th of March, you know. So we keep trucking along and and and uh, but for me it's the trips away that make me realize that, um no, I, I kind of would like more of this, yeah, and I could see that stress.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, you know, and I say that with the most fantastic team that I have on record, you know the best team that I've ever had, and and so shout out to all of my ladies who work for me Gresh, gresh, nikki, kyleen, uh, tammy, jada, megan, um Chassidy, why the fuck is my dog barking up there?
Speaker 1Y'all the real MVPs you know, um, nick, did I say Nikki? I said Nikki, probably already, Amalia, um, and then Christy, andrea, Victoria and, um, you know, I mean they're just, they're just rock stars. I hope I got everybody. If I didn't get your name, I really apologize. Um, but they are, they're rock stars, and every day I'm very blessed, you know, and and and we say at the end of the day, we say I love you as we walk out the door to each other. Yeah, and it's meant.
Speaker 2It is serious.
Speaker 1And I attribute a lot of that to Nikki, my clinic coordinator, who just she, you know.
Speaker 2I mean there is laughter from her all day long, it's kind of like listening to the Dark Side of the Moon album, where you hear the laughter cycle in and out and everything like that.
Speaker 1Some days the laughter is like that other days.
Speaker 2It sounds like the joker.
Speaker 1It sounds like joaquin phoenix from the joker but I wouldn't change a damn thing about it because it is sets the tone for me more than anything and so it makes it easy, you know, to do the work, whereas two years ago, two years ago, I couldn't have said that right and uh, oh yeah, no, you were, you were fucking miserable. Two years ago I was. It was a bad scene, yeah you were.
Speaker 2You were in a dark place. I've been in darker places, no, I know.
Speaker 1Like me knowing this was not good, this was, this was just, and that was truly one of those. Well, we just suck this up, we'll get past this, you know right um but and and I don't know what other orthodontists would have to say about what their private practice experience is like. I'm sure there are different stresses for everybody.
Speaker 1Oh, absolutely I see some of them. You know one guy I see going out and he does lunch and learns at different dental offices and stuff like that. I think that's great. That's just not my thing, Right, I don't want to do that. You know. What I will do is I'll meet some dentists after hours for drinks, or I'll meet them for lunch. Uh, go by their office to visit If I feel the climate is welcoming.
Speaker 2You're past the stage of the other.
Speaker 1And I did Lunch and Learns too when I was that early in my career. But I don't want to do it anymore, don't, so you know. But no, they really help inspire me and they help keep me in a fantastic mood even when they're wearing my ass out.
Speaker 2But it's no, they're great.
Speaker 1we still need to do the whole management, episode one of these days management of people just yeah, yeah, oh yeah, no, absolutely that could be, oh lord I know we could do a whole fucking series we do a series on that, yeah you know, um and um anyway, yeah, I mean, you manage people, absolutely, you know, it's like you know and it's. I feel, as I get older, it's not. It gets less and less easy as each generation comes along, because now we have, is it gen alpha?
Speaker 2I have no idea but it doesn't matter what generation that you're a part of. You have to manage differently with each individual, absolutely. No matter what level you have to manage to the individual and not a generation Right.
Speaker 1You know what I mean. No, you're absolutely right on that.
Speaker 2Even though, that my management style is generational holistically. My natural go-to of how I want to manage is generational, but I, I, you can't do that, you have. You have to meet people on a level so you'd be considered probably a millennial right.
Speaker 1No, I'm gen x are you really? Yeah, what year were?
Speaker 2you born 78 I'll be goddamned yep, that's why we connect so well.
Speaker 1Two drinks in again. Apologizes for using the word goddamned To all of our religious people who are offended by that word and think it's more obscene Than the F word.
Speaker 2And they're out there.
Speaker 1And they're out there. That's it. We're done now. I've done it.
Speaker 2Especially with the people that listen in South Carolina. We are so sorry, right exactly.
Speaker 1To our Anderson South Carolina people enjoy your fucking win from last weekend.
Speaker 2My dad was there. He works Clemson.
Speaker 1Oh really.
Speaker 2Yeah, so it was funny. While we were watching it, the people that are in the arena that work have that neon green shirt. Yeah right, and we were watching the game and it was late night, so we had a few drinks in us. We were just like oh, that's your dad oh wait, no, oh no, that's him.
Speaker 2Like oh wait, no, oh no, that's him. And then I finally texted him, was like don't get run over, you know, because they stormed the court. And he's like no, I'm in the back making sure that duke gets in the locker room. It is, it's hilarious that he was part of it.
Speaker 1But two weeks before that game, my um, my daughter and I went to see the wake wake forest game dude played at wake forest right, and that was where I started seeing the beginning of the cracks in the circle. And so, like you mentioned cooper flag and his style, how much he sweats he also has this thing where he doesn't turn it on until the second half. Yep, and in the game I watched Wednesday against California, Totally agree with you. They commented on that.
Speaker 2That's why he's going to be perfect for the NBA Pardon. That's why he's going to be perfect for the NBA.
Speaker 1I'm going to tell you what I used to say, that Zion Williamson was such a fluid player, and mostly that was just because for his physique, physique, the stuff that he did defied logic I agree with you cooper flag is by far one of the most the purest players I've seen in a duke uniform. That kid can just and he's fucking 18 years old.
Speaker 2He has such a knowledge, not just a command of the game, but a knowledge of the game there have been a lot of players that come through Duke, obviously, but Tatum was the last one that I saw. It was just like okay, you are going to make it in the NBA. And Cooper Flagg, for me, was the same way.
Speaker 1It's just like okay you're an NBA player, a true NBA player.
Speaker 2There's shit tons of people that get drafted.
Speaker 1Yeah right. And they never they go to fucking Charlotte. You don't hear about them ever again. Yeah right. Fucking Sacramento, you know wherever New Orleans, pelicans Right.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, you're definitely going to get drafted.
Speaker 1That was a Duke team for a while it still is, but it's just one of those things it's like yeah you're going to get drafted. You're going to make a shit ton more money than I, right, but tatum and I think flag as well, just so. So a player like tatum is difficult for me because the it in the one and done era. I I kind of forget about players like you're not there for four years.
Speaker 2I don't know who the fuck you are. You've said it's like if you didn't win an addy, and that's and that's the key for so like so like in 2015 with jaleel okafor and, and those guys, it's, it's, yeah, you know, and we're still talking about we're still talking about him, you know.
Speaker 1I mean, he isn't jaleel okafor's career pretty much over at this point?
Speaker 2I think it's been over. It's been over for like, yeah, right, yeah, like he never got started, you know, um, like I think the last thing I knew about him was game or something he got into an altercation with somebody at a bar or something like that I think the last thing I remember about him is he was showcasing how many fucking tennis balls he could hold.
Speaker 1I'm going to tell you what that guy was a monster. Oh no, and Duke has had some monster players like that. Like him, sheldon Williams, you know all those guys Like they were monster centers and everything like that. But anyway, but like Jason Tatum and like the Wendell Carter Jr and Marvin Bagley III and all these, like they're fucking royalty.
Speaker 2Right right, Marvin Bagley III and all these like their fucking royalty and it's.
Speaker 1I don't even know who the fuck they are, who they're playing for, because I don't care.
Speaker 2And they more than likely left the league like two years after being in it yeah, or playing in Lithuania.
Speaker 1Yeah, right exactly.
Speaker 2It's wild, but the NBA, you do not start playing until the second half.
Speaker 1I'm sure When's the last time you do not start playing until the second half? I'm sure.
Speaker 2Yeah, have you watched? When's the last time you watched an NBA game?
Speaker 1I don't.
Speaker 2Okay, most people don't anymore. I still do. I enjoy the game of basketball just flat out, in the same way that I don't watch NFL. You don't watch NFL. I don't watch NFL, oh.
Speaker 1And I've always felt this way. I've always felt this way I have I've always felt, until now, that watching college sports was it was all about loyalty to the school.
Speaker 2Yep.
Speaker 1And whereas with NFL.
Speaker 2It wasn't a business.
Speaker 1It wasn't a business. Yeah Well, sir. Now.
Speaker 2Your weekends have freed up my weekends are pretty open now.
Speaker 1So your weekends have freed up. My weekends are pretty open now. We didn't talk about what we're drinking today. What are we drinking today?
Speaker 2Oh man, you have given me the privilege of Kentucky's finest of Maker's Mark. I love it. It's good stuff.
Finding Balance: Work, Life, and Wellness
Speaker 1I'm a big fan of Maker's Mark. I've been a dedicated Maker's drinker for a long. Well, I did one of those Ambassador casks too, like 20 years ago.
Speaker 2I just appreciate the trademark, the red wax man, I do too.
Speaker 1That's awesome, it's just awesome, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2I mean it's very distinct.
Speaker 1Yeah, it doesn't suck look like a dog's penis coming out of his, but you can kind of see the vibe there a little bit right. It's like he's doing the lipstick Well now.
Speaker 2Instead of Maker's Mark, we're gonna call it Red Rocket. Oh man.
Speaker 1Oh my gosh. So in my previous relationship, my then-girlfriend and I got a. We got a lipstick, right? Yeah, the lipstick. Because that's what right? Is it not what it is? I mean it is, oh shit. You ever seen a lipstick come out of its container?
Speaker 2yeah, that's a dog.
Speaker 1All right, you know, okay, it is. Oh shit, you ever seen a lipstick come out of its container? Yeah, that's a dog. Alrighty, you know, okay. So, anyway, my then-girlfriend and I had gotten a golden retriever for her son. It was a promise. When he turned, it was 2013, so he'd been turning eight. Yeah and she made a promise that he turned eight, he could be responsible enough to have a dog, which it wasn't really his dog it was kind of my dog because anyway.
Speaker 1So but like with jacklyn winston, he was this white, um, he was this golden retriever, white golden retriever, beautiful dog, just a sweet boy and um and so, but like he'd see jacklin, and then the lipstick would come out and it would just be, and jack was just like, let your freak flag fly. So we lost winston. Last april apparently he passed away and, and at the age of I guess he would have been 11 or something like that. So that was a heartbreaker to hear sorry to hear that that.
Speaker 1That is what it is Losing a pet's fucking terrible man, terrible man. So Oscar turned 10 this past January.
Speaker 2He's spry.
Speaker 1He's a spry little guy.
Speaker 2He's got the goatee, like me though it's all gray and shit, you know.
Speaker 1But uh, he's drinking Maker's. Mark, I'm drinking McCollin 12. Yeah, in my dram, glasses and and that's Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that. It's good stuff, goes down easy.
Speaker 2It looks amazing Kind of like.
Speaker 1A North Carolina cheerleader Hootering Senecan does not endorse Jeff Everting's misogyny and no. Sexualizing of Tar he heel cheerleaders, because we all know the miami and florida state ones are better looking anyway. Oh man, that's too funny I was gonna say so that's, that's what we've been drinking today, and uh and yeah. So here we are, and it's valentine's day yeah and uh, are you guys, you going out tonight? No, I got the basketball, that's right, you got that.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, let's get, yeah, we did the, uh, we did our family tradition last night. I always cook, uh, steak and lobster. That's been ever since the divorce. That's what I've always done for our Valentine's family tradition. I used to get the whole fucking lobster at Publix, right, right, you know pita. I'm sorry but that's what I did. Fuck you pita. Yeah, I think it was I think I know Publix cut it out, but I want to say they cut it out during COVID.
Speaker 2I don't know why or how, but it's probably a complete loss of money to store lobsters and trying to keep the tank clean and whatever, right, right, but anyway, I still go get the tails and everything. But yeah, we did that last night and that's always a good time for us Good deal. Yeah, it's one of my favorite meals to look forward to during the year. Yeah. Do a little fillet lobster tail and Brussels sprouts man.
Speaker 1Oh, the Brussels. Let me tell you what I was never a big Brussels sprouts fan.
Speaker 2Oh, they're awesome.
Speaker 1And then Virginia made me a Brussels sprouts fan because she made them a certain. She would roast them in the in the oven, and then she'd do this maple drizzle, maple syrup drizzle on them and everything like that. Okay, I am in.
Speaker 2Yeah. So what I do? I do honey, balsamic vinegar, balsamic vinegar glaze, and then salt and pepper and garlic. Get that all mixed up, sear them a little bit on top of the oven and then put them in the oven. Right, man, they're fucking killer.
Speaker 1Okay so, because we're now going to take our man cards to a whole new level and we're talking about cooking. Have you watched the Bear?
Speaker 2Oh yeah, the first season of the Bear is one of the best seasons of TV history.
Speaker 1It is fantastic, yep.
Speaker 2So we are I'm'm gonna let you know it trails off where?
Speaker 1where we watched the second to last episode of season three last night okay, so yes it trails off and I'm just kind of like yep carmy, will you please get back together with claire bear please get back together with claire but that that first?
Speaker 2no, I won't. But that first season, oh my god, me and my daughter, we, we just watched it was just her and I that watched it. We both somehow some way complete. We started clapping at the end.
Speaker 1Yes, yeah, it was so incredible, I mean, it.
Speaker 2It was just like it was so fucking well done, from the imagery, the acting, the hilarity oh, exactly the, the amount that you salivated, wanting all of the food.
Speaker 1I posted that on Facebook like okay, if you haven't watched the Bear, it is best to watch it on a full stomach.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, oh yeah If you watch it on an empty stomach.
Speaker 1Because you will lose your goddamn mind. You'll turn it off. Yeah too good to sin again. Does not afford support. Blaspheming against the.
Speaker 2Holy Creator, I mean you'll turn it off, we would turn it off, and then all of a sudden we're like well, what's on the Food?
Speaker 1Network. Right now Does Bella have a 1030 reservation?
Speaker 2Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1I mean, it was something, but you know I haven't.
Speaker 2The Bear for me is a show that, where it doesn't happen very often, where you legitimately care about every fucking character that comes on the screen, and for me the bear did that to me.
Speaker 1It has. It's one of those series that has it, and Ted Lasso opened up my eyes about being a better leader and better manager, and Carmi is a working.
Speaker 2I still need to see Lasso. Oh, we gotta watch, lasso I know it's like oh, my god the fact that I haven't like I need to be shot because you know, I know for a fact that's right up my alley and I still haven't done it.
Speaker 1It is a fantastic show, um, and all the characters are great.
Speaker 2On that too yeah, and I'm infatuated with the tall blonde that sings on lasso.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, right her yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't again. I don't know her name.
Speaker 2I can't, I can't bring it up for the life of me.
Speaker 1But yeah, when I see her I know who she is she won a fucking emmy and that, to me, is the legitimization of every actor. If you win an award, that is your record that you existed yep I was here yep um, anyway, but so it is.
Speaker 1Watching bear has been about managing, helping me also in managing people yeah um, you know, because I always feel like and I'm sure I'll see a little more in when we watch the final episode, the final episode of season three, probably tonight um, I, I keep worrying that that carmy and sydney are toddled, taught, you know, tottering on this break, big breakup, you know, which would devastate him, and I know how that feels to have had people leave your business that like were a profound influence, uh, and then kind of petered out after a while.
Speaker 1So and I'll talk about this for a few minutes, I don't want to go too much in depth on it um, no, I, we started this year where I had an employee who had been with me for seven years and at one time I viewed her like as a daughter. Um, she was same age as my daughter and and um and um and uh. In the last two years, though, she kind of started becoming somebody I didn't know anymore. Now she would probably argue the same thing about me. I think we just everybody changes yeah.
Speaker 1We, we all changed, and all of last year, though, was this extremely long breakup. You know, kind of knowing this was going to end, but like of knowing this was going to end, but like when is it really going to end, and whatnot. And just last year also, I'll describe both on a personal and professional level was the year of pushback. Like I couldn't get anybody to do anything, I asked them to do.
Speaker 2That's awfully frustrating yeah.
Speaker 1Whether it's whether it was my children or whether it was, whether it was anyone who worked for me Right, In particular this individual and, and, and it's Rob and and and. So you know she is got her own pursuit to do after this, and I truly wish her and her husband the best of luck in all of that and and whatnot. And it her and her husband the best of luck and all of that and and whatnot. And it's what just became one of those things.
Speaker 2It was just better that we're not working together anymore and that happens, man and it happens, and it's the quicker you can come to that realization, the better. Well the thing is also?
The Stress of Management and Personal Growth
Speaker 1is that you know, when I was younger it would be? I hated these people and I would hold on to them forever. Look at this guy, poor and war makers, mark man, uh, that I would hate them and it would be like for years, you know I would dredge it up. I have gotten better in that. I just I have learned to cut it clean it's over, drop the guillotine it's, it's over, it's done, and and we've moved on, and so cauterize, and this is about the most that I will ever speak about this and and and but.
Speaker 1But it was. It was rough, it was. I was disappointed as to how we both ended up here. Yeah.
Speaker 2And and I Toughest part is the reflection of it all too. Yeah, no, I did Like you got to do it.
Speaker 1With any, and I don't know if you do this as a manager of people. But it's it's. When someone leaves, it's always okay. I always start with. Me was this me yeah now for the most of the big exodus of 23. No, it was not me right they could, they would say it was me, but it is not me right, but what's?
Speaker 2that quote is like we didn't hire him dead, so how do we kill him? Right? You know what I mean? Right, exactly, yeah. Yeah, you know what I mean, yeah yeah, no.
Speaker 1Well, I mean some of the people that left in 2023, I had hired post-pandemic and that was 21 was a rough year for staffing, everybody you know.
Speaker 2And I mean I ended up with people that like I feel like I settled back in 21. A lot of people did.
Speaker 1Whereas in 23,. No, I got some good people, and so it is.
Speaker 2It is I do everything I can to keep this team together. 21 was a tough time of two of just you know, you're like oh, you mean you don't want to work remote, exactly right, that was that was a tough thing yeah, no, I mean, and virginia struggles with that, with her job.
Speaker 1I mean, like the times they make her come into the office. I'm like, listen, honey, on behalf of all the employers out, we want to see the faces of our employees in the office. Yes, you know, Trust, but verify, right, exactly, exactly. That's perfect Trust, but verify.
Speaker 2It's true. I mean it's true, and it's nothing personal. Yeah, it's just you and I, as managers of of you know you're more than just a manager, I know that. But but in that management phase we've been burned a lot and when you get burned that maybe that first time you're like, oh, that fucking hurt, yeah, but the fifth or sixth time, like I'm done, fucking burning myself right right and that's, and that's where that, I think that's where a lot of that has stemmed from.
Speaker 1The thing that I used to say is, there are sections of my policy manual that I can dedicate to specific people, like I, oh, absolutely okay, I rewrote that section, every fucking policy and every policy. I can tell you who that policy was because of and why this policy was because of, and so on and so forth, um there's a reason why caution hot is on a fucking coffee cup exactly right, right, three million dollar. Mcdonald's lawsuit, we all remember that one um, why could it be me?
Speaker 1so, yeah, no, but um, I always used to say the people that pay for the bad behavior of former employees are the people who stayed. I have tried to, I've made an effort to start moving away from that. Yeah, they shouldn't have to pay for the sins of previous employees. I use those sins as a learning experience and something that I need to watch out for more now, because my dad always used to say you cannot expect unless you inspect. I stand by that saying.
Speaker 2It's totally true. And then the other piece of it is is, unfortunately, as managers, and they tell you not to do it. They always tell you not to do it, but you end up doing it. You'll end up spending more time on your low performers than your high performers. Yes, and you should be spending more time on your high performers Right, but it just doesn't work out that way. It's the hardest thing to manage as a manager, because either a you're just spending all your time and just to get them the fuck out properly, or you're just spending that time of like man, I really fucking believe in you, Like I see it, like you can really do something, but the person that's just a high performer you leave alone. Because they're a high performer, you don't have to grease that wheel, and that's where that's really tough.
Speaker 1It is the tough part of all of it. It is what I've also learned, and a lot of this stems from the fact that, just for until I got Gresha as my office manager, I didn't have great office managers. At least that could manage. That would not. That could. That would manage the personnel? Yeah, because and it's the office manager's not, that's an unenviable job. Oh yeah, manager's not. That's an unenviable job. Oh yeah, you have to walk this fine line of you know you have to.
Speaker 1I have to address the issues of my employer, but I also have to be the liaison to oh, it's a hell of a dance you know it is a dance and I think gretchen does an outstanding job of it was I right, by the way, yes, you were it was her.
Speaker 2All right that that's what I thought. Okay, yeah, keep going.
Speaker 1So anyway, they so, and I, like I said, I've just I've worked very hard to like not let that be what governs my attitude towards the people with whom I work.
Speaker 2Yeah, you can't. You know, I mean you can't.
Speaker 1People will make mistakes All the time we try to correct them. You know, I've always said that when I call you out on an error, I don't want to hear that the stars weren't lined up or what have you.
Speaker 2Do you have a problem with attendance?
Speaker 1Not generally, not, no, not as much have you ever? Oh yeah, no, it would be. No, 21 was terrible, like I had one employee. I had one employee who she had a, she had a young child and he was. He had this weird illness going on and, and look, I got oodles of sympathy for that yeah but I mean, I just need to know, like, are we gonna see you at all this week?
Speaker 1like there were weeks that I didn't see her and, like her mother, who was also heavily, heavily involved in our dental society, was like she really doesn't want to lose her job and so on and so forth. And then I said, look, can we just put you on a leave of absence? And we did that.
Speaker 2And then she went and worked for another orthodontist yeah, god, you know that and I'm just like you, fucking asshole.
Speaker 1You get burned for being the nice guy right, I'm trying to be understanding and sympathetic here and I don't get any points for that at all. It is no. Everything was a dick at the end of the day no, I wasn't even a dick.
Speaker 1At the end of the day, you were the chance you were the dick you know, but that's also what we deal with in terms of you know you were doing the lipstick thing. I don't expect employees to ever really get introspective about why it is they may lost their, why they may have lost their job or why they're not working with me anymore, Not yet, you know, it's all. It's easier just for them to say oh, Jeff was a dick, you know. And, interestingly enough, tomorrow I'm doing a. I'm speaking at the dental staffing school to the dental assistants that are being trained.
Speaker 1Awesome, and just to talk to them about being in practice and stuff like that and I just so that they understand some things. Yeah, you know where staff members don't totally and some do, but like not all do, it's that they're lucky in that, like in my staff's case, come Thursday afternoon they get to go home. Yeah, that's three-day weekends and not and not think about any of this.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't have that luxury no, not at all I'm thinking about it all the time yeah, you're not just thinking about every teen's life, you're thinking about everybody's I know I I mean I'm responsible for paying people. I'm responsible for patients that I treat right, you know, and, and so it doesn't stop no, it never stops, no, and so there is no off day nope, nope and um.
Speaker 1So that's you know um.
Speaker 2You know I think one of the bigger problems too is there is and it would be harder for you than in my profession but there is no loyalty anymore. No there is no. I'm going to get into this place and I'm going to work the rest of my life because they take care of me and all this shape or form.
Speaker 1I think that's the number one problem that any employer would say.
Speaker 2Yeah, but I. It's a thing that and I don't blame them, because now you make more money if you leave a job. What I mean by that is so if I'm doing a certain thing at one company, I can now leave that company at a higher rate of pay, walking in the door and then come back to the same company that I was just at, but they will pay me at that same rate. That I'm now getting more from sure, but they didn't. The whole two percent, three percent, bullshit. Yearly stuff don't work anymore. Yeah, and you've got to be able to figure out of how to and I know it's tough because we're budgeted.
Speaker 2You only have so much money, sure, but when you're able to leave a job and get 8% to 10%, why would you stay at a job when you're only getting 2% and 3%? Right, and that is tough, and that comes to the culture part of it, you know. You want people to stay, you want people to wear like it doesn't matter. If you're going to pay me another eight percent, you're going to make me unhappy. That eight percent is worth more of my happiness and that's, that's another dance oh, I hear you hear you and you've gone through it right.
Speaker 2You had a bad culture with your mafia.
Speaker 1Right, exactly yes, and now you have a good culture.
Speaker 2So I'm assuming your turnover is lower.
Lessons from the Last Two Years
Speaker 1I've had pretty much this same team in places. The newest people came on board almost a year ago but, like the team that I we're, we're now celebrating two-year anniversaries with this current lineup that I have and that's awesome and and and to consistently keep them together.
Speaker 2You know I mean like at the end of yesterday.
Speaker 1Um, at you know, it was like my office manager and two of my lead, two of my assistants, including my lead assistant.
Speaker 2Um, we just were sitting there in my office and we were just kind of BSing a little bit and it's nice to be able to do that Absolutely and comfort levels there, you know, and that's how you generate a family atmosphere. So listen to this. So December 31st, I had an employee that retired with 50 years of service.
Speaker 1To Methodist Yep Good God. 50 years, wow, you don't see that.
Speaker 2You will never see that again.
Speaker 1You'll never see that again.
Speaker 2no, no way, shape or form. She stayed in that kitchen for 50 years. Unbelievable, yeah, like it's unheard of. No, I think it's, but it'll never happen again no, and I don't want it to happen again as a manager and uh you got a mad respect for that mad respect for that. But as a manager and owner, you, you want to get like a fifth of that.
Speaker 1You know or a tenth of that sure you want that I am hoping this team can be with me until the day I walk away right and, and that's the promise, plus that my office yes, that is my well, I leave, I leave the door open for that.
Speaker 1If you know my original plan, I mean originally I was saying 67, so five years longer than what I'm currently saying and I could do that if, like, we had multiple orthodontists working there and as I moved into my 60s, I could pull back from direct patient care and do be the more the senior managing partner of the practice. Um I I love the business management side of it.
Speaker 2Um, I enjoy it's cut and dry I enjoy creating beautiful smiles.
Speaker 1It's like a puzzle right for with patients. You know, on the flip side of that I I don't like the parents that get shitty with us when there's no need to get shitty right us, and I've seen enough of them that I know the type I mean. I know that there's no nothing new at this point that anyone can throw at me right and uh and and then for the dentists too that want to have control over how much my livelihood is, and so you.
Speaker 1sometimes we have to be careful about what we post Like, oh, let's not show off the new boat.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1You won't see that I bought that BMW a year and a half ago, right? I never posted about that?
Speaker 2when that happened. Yeah, what about this? I don't know if you've experienced this or not, because I know I have and tell me if I'm wrong, but one of the worst things that is happening with our experience meaning years of doing the same, you know our shit is the new person that comes along, the new person on the block, with this new idea that you have listened to. Maybe it's like the fifth or sixth time you've had to deal with this new idea you mean like an employee or someone, a competitor employee competitor, a co-worker, is like, hey, what about if we do this?
Speaker 2and you're like, oh my god, this is the sixth time that we're gonna have to do this and go through this. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1yes, I don't experience it much on the employee front maybe that's more of a corporate world aspect I am very open to good idea, like when I have team members.
Speaker 1Like I've got two team members that worked for an orthodontist for 30 years and you know I got them because he retired and that has been the game changer for me. Right, there is having two people with 30 years of experience on the team and then I have another employee who has got 20 years of experience. You know you have three people like that on your team. With that level of experience, your life is really really good, Absolutely.
Speaker 1And you do whatever you can to keep those people with you. Right, and you know, but if they have good ideas from the practice at which they work.
Speaker 2Listen, I'm not too proud to accept whatever ideas they want to integrate into this practice Right proud to accept whatever ideas they want to integrate into this practice, right? I guess my point was like for my, my part of, is somebody coming in and we're like hey, a patient experience we're going to, and it's just named something different. We've been, we've been doing it. You know, it was just named something different five years ago and here we are doing it again and I have to fucking give it the old rah rah.
Speaker 1And here we are doing it again and I have to fucking give it the old rah-rah try. So do you look at that like? Is that a marketing thing?
Speaker 2Yes and no. I think it's just one of those things there's only so many ideas when you've been around the game so long and I don't know. I don't know where I'm trying to go with this. I guess it means that I need to move on. But it's one of those things is like if I have gone through a certain initiative three or four different times and it's just been called something different each time, just because somebody new is coming along, like this is my thing, you know. But it's like oh yeah, no, I've, we've done that, I've heard it, you know.
Speaker 1I don't know, I I well I'm not making my point well enough, no, no, no, I get what you're saying. I look at it like, at least in terms of competition, and this is where I've always stood about. How you view your competition is that I will name who my competition is. You don't get to be my competition just because you exist.
Speaker 1I will decide if you're my competition or not, and I decided that very early in my career I had just joined this practice that I was buying out from an older orthodontist. I had just joined this practice that I was buying out from an older orthodontist and we were presented with another opportunity to buy another practice from an orthodontist who was dying from cancer and his daughter was a general dentist at the time, hadn't gone through an ortho program yet, and I had talked with one of my former professors about this situation. I'm like I don't mind keeping her on and he goes why would you want to? You know, train your competition. And I again, I was younger. I hate that I said this, but I said to her I will never view you as my competition.
Speaker 2Right you know.
Speaker 1Yeah, Now she this is the person that also pilfered my associate from me. So there was I.
Speaker 2I'm sure there was a little bit of revenge yeah, you know, that may very well have been a defining moment in her career right and but I still feel the same.
Speaker 1Now you know, with 20 years having gone past that, 22 years having gone past that, that I would have handled that situation with a lot more compassion a lot more care. Yes, but I think I but that also set a moment for me where I said you will decide who your competition is. So there, there are practices out there that do stuff that that's great for you, and the marketing that you do and and and all these things that you do. That's not what I want to do.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1So that you do. That's not what I want to do, right? So?
Speaker 2like if you're an orth like there's this one orthodontist that has a slushy machine in his moms, if that's what makes your decision for you.
Speaker 1I'm not your guy, I'm not gonna do that, you know, and so I, I and but. But I also look at it. As you know, my gastroenterologist doesn't have a fucking slushy machine in his office. I don't think he even has a coffee machine for me to like do a k-cup, and I'm okay with that yeah, you know, I don't need that.
Speaker 2No, I'm here for a reason, right, just fucking scope my esophagus and I want this.
Speaker 1I'll go to starbucks exactamundo, yep you know, and so and, and, and and there's, you know, mean, and I used to do the patient appreciation celebrations Like we'd rent out Springbrook Pool in Alcoa. Jesus yeah, didn't cost a lot to do that. That's interesting, but we'd have pizzas delivered and we'd just have all the patients that wanted to come. We just had them come to get them pizza. Let them swim in the pool all night, you know, and it was a good time.
Speaker 1Now I have three offices I'd have to do that three different locations but still you know, and that was fine, but it's you know, I used to do mouth guards for all four football teams in Blount County. That's pretty cool, yeah, but it meant that I had to shut down my office from productivity for a week and take their impressions, and you know, and then deliver them and make them and finally the last year that I did, yeah, I didn't.
Speaker 1The roi was not yeah it was not what it should have been then, all of a sudden, it became expected well and thankfully, some of the you know and I was working with some big names at the time, you know, at alcoa and no yeah, no, that's george quarles over at marival, and it was nice being associated big names at the time, you know, at alcoa.
Speaker 2And no, yeah, no, that's george quarles over at maryville, and it was nice being associated with football in maryville. You're doing a big guy, you know? And who?
Speaker 1was the guy over at alcoa for as long as gary um yeah, right anyway, um battle of pistol creek, yeah, and he's up at like fucking boyd buchanan.
Speaker 1Now that's where I think he is like up, up, up i-81 is where he's at anyway, but no, I mean like knowing these are championship teams and I'm happy to be affiliated with them and everything right, but then it just gets in. When I finally said, listen, I gotta pull out from this, everyone was cool about it, you know, but it was also just, and I, you know, I see some of my colleagues doing that and I'm like, well, you know you do, you get on you there was a guy for a while that had like an ice cream truck that would go to elementary schools and then, like, would host a dj party and I'm just like is that what we really have to do?
Speaker 1really, I mean, is that what I have to do?
Speaker 2I guess, breaking into that environment.
Speaker 1You do you know, so you know I mean the guy, because there's always gonna be there.
Speaker 2There's always the young parent. Yeah, the guy. That's Because there's always going to be.
Speaker 1There's always the young parent, yeah, the guy that's doing the slushy machines and doing the lunch and learns for the dental offices. I'm like, yeah, one day you're not going to want to do that anymore.
Speaker 2Yeah, but I mean so like just me being a parent, in that you know we came in. Dylan has to go through all the same shit Like we didn't change man dylan.
Speaker 1Dylan has to go through all the same shit like we didn't change right, it didn't matter if a slushy machine popped up.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's like ains is going to the same fucking people sure, that sure.
Speaker 1We decided right, like nothing's gonna change that right but who?
Speaker 2how do you generate that spotlight for the brand new parent? Right, you know they're not.
Speaker 1There's never a time that you're sitting at a football game and we're like man, who do you or you see the signs or the banners around the fence and everything, and so I mean it works, but it doesn't I guess yeah, like I just don't know how much it works. You know, I used to be much more diligent about staying on top of where I had a banner or a sign hanging now for you especially.
Speaker 2It's google like I can't imagine. You know google's the it's it is.
Speaker 1That is really. That's where I spend all my money.
Speaker 2You should, if you're if your fucking name doesn't pop up, whether it's sponsored or not of course I don't ever go to sponsored anymore, right, but I always go to like the first one. Sure, you're sponsored, but if, if it doesn't pop up, you're not gonna get any business.
Speaker 1Yeah, it doesn't matter what the is so the marketing company that I use also does the facebook ads, the facebook and instant grab ads and stuff like, and then you can start a dialogue with our chat bot through facebook and everything like that and and that and that has been an interesting endeavor. Um and uh, I mean that and they sold me on it when they told me the ROI and everything. And then, when the minute you start saying AI, the AI is involved, I'm like, oh yeah, talk to me about that.
Speaker 2Like I read these articles about.
Speaker 1AI call centers for your practice.
Speaker 2How much are you using AI to generate the outcome for your patients?
Speaker 1Uh, quite a bit actually I that would.
Speaker 2to me that that, like that, has to be the number one thing.
Creating a Positive Work Culture
Speaker 1Yeah, no, it's I use, or at least it's all digital.
Speaker 2I mean it should be like something off of home and garden.
Speaker 1TV right? Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2Like we're going to do this, we're going to do this, and then here's your fucking smile when you're 18.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, I tell you what the AI is sometimes brilliant, Like it's been great for me.
Speaker 2So I had someone.
Speaker 1I love this. This was on Yelp. Do we pay attention to Yelp? I?
Speaker 2have never Right so.
Speaker 1I got a one-star review.
Speaker 2And you unleashed hell.
Speaker 1I did not oh really no, I didn't. I went to chat gbt I I cut and paste this review into that and I said I need a professional and decent response to this review yeah and damn if chat gpt did not just generate everything that I needed to say in that you know, scary and cool as shit all in the same time exactly, and um, yeah, so it was.
Speaker 1You know, there have been some times where I've had to write a letter to somebody and I just couldn't find the right words, you know, whether it was to a colleague or to a, to a, to a parent or something like that, I'm like this is what I'm trying to say, you gotta get. And then I go in and I'll edit it of, you know to make it a little more personal and whatnot and I'm like it. May it.
Speaker 2Just it is such a time saver for some things you know, and then you know, of course, and the grammar is probably right, probably right, and everything Exactly. You know, systems on all this, we're oh, it's happening, it's over, it's over, it's happening, it's over. You know, or you know, they start making ultron and, uh, you know it's been outside of that, there's been like this meteor that's evidently just like just barreling down. I don't even care anymore, I know, but like what's been weird to me, like the percentages of it hitting are just keep going up yeah it's just like oh, it's a 1.7 chance, maybe what we need it's 2.3.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, that's the thanos coming out. Yeah, I don't. I don't need to be nihilistic about this, but like, have you seen that?
Speaker 1there was, it was on netflix. It was, uh, called don't look up. Yes, right, great movie, yeah, right. So like that's the thing, like that's the way our world is now, you know, like it doesn't matter the fucking. Like the movies like armageddon and deep impact, which you know we thought were great at the time, yeah, no, now it'd be all politicized and like nobody would do shit about it.
Speaker 2You know, like bullshit, bullshit, everything's a conspiracy exactly so.
Speaker 1or how do we score points politics wise, you know? I mean? I mean listening all the shit that Meryl Streep was saying in that movie. It was just like, oh my God, yeah.
Speaker 2So, anyway, it was a documentary.
Speaker 1We have logged in over 90 minutes on this motherfucker.
Speaker 2Well, I was about to say we're probably going to need to split this up. Oh, I don't think so.
Speaker 1No I mean.
Speaker 2I, who knows, you know maybe do another like it's me, it's me.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, that's exactly what I was thinking when I saw how long we were going. I was like you know, maybe we should. Yeah, we're going to have to do the intro and the outro, so all right, cheers, sons of bitches.
Speaker 1Okay, well, so we're going to wrap this one up and anyway. Yeah, so I hope you learned a lot about dealing with and managing people and politics and sports and all that stuff. We're here. We're just not as frequent as we used to be because I'm a victim of david's personal life and and uh whatever, mr I have, my next two to three weekends are covered yeah, right now exactly um, it's always just me, yeah right, um, no, so anyway, um, but it's always a good time oh my god, you know, I love you man.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, big time I enjoy these moments oh my gosh, it's awesome love it's a nice decompress from the crap I've got to deal with during the week and everything yeah and then I'm two drinks in again absolutely every time love you man love you too, man, and you know what everyone love each other. Be decent to each other please it's a rough world out there right now and regardless of where you sit on the fence, you know, it just helps that we can all be kind yes cheers peace out. We had the jam of our life.
Speaker 2We had the jam of our life. Jam of our life.
