Do you recognize the woman above?In June 2011, she graced the TEDx stage in San Francisco with a presentation entitled “How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over.”   That talk was the genesis of a best-selling book. The five-second rule is a decision-making strategy that can alter behavior. It emerged from Mel Robbins’ life struggle. One dark winter morning in Boston, unemployed, financially strained, and battling addiction, Robbins started her day differently. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of the snooze button, she began a countdo ..read more

Have you seen a bullfrog? Thirty-four years after he started BUD/S training, William H. McCraven was anointed as “The Bullfrog,” the longest-serving frogman and Navy Seal on active duty. You might recognize Gen. McCraven, USN, Ret. as the author of the New York Times best-seller, “Make Your Bed,” and you can watch the highlights here. He teaches, “If you want to change the world, start by making your bed,” because if you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right. That’s excellent advice; this is even bett ..read more

It’s that time of year.I’ve received almost 100 emails this week (and it is only Wednesday) promising ways to “maximize your practice growth in 2024.” No one, however, is talking about the one thing in your kitchen that can improve your marketing ROI every single month. I’ve talked to many practice owners this month who are frustrated: “My marketing dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.” “What used to attract new patients isn’t working anymore.” “I’m getting the wrong new patients with my marketing.” “The company I’m working with us ..read more

Have you heard of Dr. Tom Catena?  He’s been featured in the NY Times, CNN, ABC, and, in fact, the subject of a full-length 2016 feature film, “The Heart of Nuba.” But don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of him. It’s not the attention he’s after. Dr. Catena has been serving at the Mother Mercy Hospital since 2008. He typically treats up to 500 patients in a day. He is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, doing everything from delivering babies to performing surgeries and treating injuries resulting from the continued conflict in the region. He does all this ..read more

This summer, Jim and I traveled to Chilko Lake. We hiked, explored with ATVs, went horseback riding, hiked some more, fished, and, believe it or not, took a cooking class from a world-renowned chef, Victor Bongo. Chef Bongo’s story is worth reading. From his bio: “Originally hailing from The Democratic Republic of Congo, he incorporates his African roots, philanthropy, and education in all facets of his cooking.” He’s got a long list of culinary accolades. His Instagram account will feed you the latest in real time. It’s one ..read more

No fear. Just like the big kids. I’ve spent time with five of my six nieces and nephews these last six weeks. All five of them are under the age of 7. Our kids celebrated birthdays the previous week; Jake turned 24, and Jesse turned 36 – so our house doesn’t often have the “pitter patter of little feet” unless our grandson is around. And yes, it is undoubtedly an adjustment! The nonstop questions, the negotiations over food, the crying because you don’t want to take a nap or didn’t get to be in the picture, the drama of being five – I am reminded t ..read more

mis·take noun an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. verb be wrong about. I’ve made quite a few mistakes. I’ve said the wrong thing, done the wrong thing, sent the wrong email, performed the analysis wrong, read the directions wrong, and presented the wrong material. You get the idea. Not all mistakes are created equal. And I think for many of us “wrong” equates with “bad.” We attach a judgment of ourselves to that mistake. “You idiot.” “How could you do that?” “What were you thinking?” “How did you screw that up AGAIN?” In his book, The Four Agreements,&n ..read more

Close your eyes and think about when you woke up this morning. Was it to an alarm? A crying baby? Your spouse snoring? The coffee grinding? The sounds of nature?Next, think about what you did in the first two minutes. Did you grab your phone? Some of you say, “Of course, I grabbed my phone. My alarm is on my phone. I had to grab it.” I know because I’ve said it. Last Friday night, my husband and I drove about an hour outside of Columbus to stay in the Hocking Hills. This may shock you, but our little cabin had no cell phone or internet service. When we woke up on Saturday morning, the ..read more

This was my face on Monday morning… I sat in the reception area of my dental office, waiting for my semi-annual cleaning at 8 am. I LOVE my dentist, and, like many others, I think their office struggles with a few things right now. For starters, I was there at 7:47 for my 8 am appointment, and at 7:57, I watched the assistant come around the corner and say, “Are you ready to huddle?” to the ADMIN team. Hmmm… At 8:02, a face I didn’t recognize (new RDH) came out “Kristie?” “Yes. That’s me!” “Come on back.” For the next 50 minutes, I had an exceptional dental cleaning. Probably one ..read more

Yesterday was my birthday. Yep, Valentine’s Day. The Day of Love. And when I opened my phone, I saw these were just a few of the messages. One from a specialist, my general dentist, Delta, and a vendor. And I’m here to tell you, these messages don’t work. I know you’ve been told that it’s essential to load patient birthdays into the computer and “enable” the birthday texts and emails. I just wanted to ask you to turn them off. Why? Because they are impersonal, generic, dispassionate, and, most importantly, not in the least bit effective. Would you continue t ..read more