Dr. Jones Talks About Retirement

Bethany’s dad, Dr. Jones, is back in the studio, and today he is talking about a subject that is often on everyone’s mind – retirement! He takes us through the history of retirement as well as his personal subjective evaluation of retirement. Listeners will be eager to know – when is Dr. Jones retiring?? He answers this and much more while also thoroughly discussing this important subject. Whether you are 20 or 92, you do NOT want to miss this episode. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting: 

An Interview with Bethany’s Dad – Dr. Jones

 A Second Interview with Bethany’s Dad – Dr. Jones 

📣JULY CONTENT AVAILABLE!! Go check it out TODAY!! Subscribe to Level 2 to access content related to building and maintaining a successful practice brand. You can’t miss this month’s content!  

Managing Dental Drama Subscription

Check out THE HUB for essential practice documents. Be sure to check out the “Morning Huddle Bundle” for various options on executing an effective huddle. 

Don't forget to check out our social media for more
Managing Dental Drama FB
Managing Dental Drama IG

Connect with the Managing Dental Drama Community!
Managing Dental Drama Membership Club Sign Up

Wait! There's More!
We want to hear YOUR voice!
Text a 2-minute voice memo to 214.326.4605 with your questions, comments, real-life example, or tips for a chance to have YOUR voice on the air!

Transcript

Are you looking for a podcast where you can hear from real people regarding their real dental drama? If so, then
0:09
you've come to the right place. Join hosts Bethany Penny and Dr. Reena Kuba
0:14
as we dive into the solutions we've created and the mistakes we've made while managing dental drama.
0:22
Let's get started. Dad, thanks for sitting with me early this morning.
0:27
Thanks for coming to visit. It's July the 4th weekend. It was a fun weekend. It was so We didn't blow anything up.
0:34
We got close on time. It was very scary. We lit a few fires. Well, we didn't, but
0:41
I don't know if you had already left, but um yeah, some of the fireworks caught on fire
0:48
after it was all over. It would have burned my trailer down. They were resurrected.
0:53
Oh my god. Yeah, I know. We were leaving and Manol our my little Manolo was like there's a fire so we're going fire fire
1:03
you know the hazards of doing your own fireworks it was worth it I would say and no fingers lost this year and
1:11
not this year you know you know one of the guys that was visiting last night was um commenting on our firework that you know
1:18
it's just so great and he was telling us a couple of years ago he was at a fireworks with a professional
1:25
fireworks team. Yeah. And one of the guys blew his eye out
1:30
like, "Oh my gosh, if the professionals blow their eyes out." Yeah. What are our chances of survival?
1:37
But we just keep risking it every year. You know, eventually it'll catch up with us. Some things are worth it, you know.
1:43
Anyway, so it's been fun and your family. Fun weekend for sure. And and now you'll start back home this
1:49
weekend. I was about to say now we got to get a 4hour drive a session in before we hit the road and
1:56
get back to our beloved goats. So, but Kuba, Dr. Kuba put together, she
2:03
knew coming and you know last time she threatened you and said if you don't record then she's quitting. Uh this time
2:10
she just said I know you're going to Arkansas so here you go. These are the questions. So, I'm excited to have some
2:17
things to chat about today. Sunday morning. Sunday morning thoughts. 8:30. Yeah.
2:23
Exactly. Okay. So, one of her first questions is
2:29
retirement, right? Like what what's keeping you in the game? What
2:35
you know, do you have thoughts on retirement? So, remind everybody at this point you're
2:40
se I'll be 74 next month. So I started my 48th year of practice in June.
2:48
Okay. So uh most of the time Bethany and I
2:55
she'll give me she'll say like an hour before we start recording. This is what we're talking about today.
3:02
So Bethany sent me some notes last night from from Kuba. So I had a chance to get
3:07
up early this morning and go to the Google. Yeah.
3:12
cuz I got to thinking about what is the history of retirement. Yeah. You know, and and Webster calls it and
3:20
Web that retirement is um leaving your
3:25
job or your profession. And I thought, when did that start? And
3:31
u looking up like Wikipedia, it went back to the Roman era. Wow. I didn't know that
3:37
the idea of retirement. But in the United States, it started in the 1800s
3:42
and municipal employees like firefighters and teachers and policemen,
3:47
they started providing pension so they could they could retire. I'm writing some things down here.
3:54
Uh then in the 19 Well, in 1875, American Express began offering pensions
4:01
for retirement. 1875. Wow. Wow. Then in the 1920s, uh, railroads and
4:07
oils and banking, all but the the reason for retirement is was
4:13
so totally different than today. The thought back then was your your primary
4:20
working years were from um 25 to 40 and beyond that.
4:27
you were not really profitable for a company because your mental skills, your
4:32
physical skills were diminishing. So, it was really profitdriven.
4:38
That's we need to figure out a way to get rid of these old employees that are older
4:44
than 40. Can you believe that? And their their their mental capacities, right?
4:49
And their mental capacities, they could already tell that they're losing it at 40. So that was the that was the reason
4:56
to institute retirement. It was not for the benefit of the employee. It was for
5:01
profitability for the company business. So I thought that was that was really So
5:07
then that's fascinating. Um in 1935 there's a towns and act that proposed uh compulsory retirement at age
5:15
60. Wow. Okay. Okay. At 1935, at age 60,
5:20
they were going to give them $200 a month, but they had to spend it quickly.
5:28
Why? I don't know. I don't know if it was motivation to get it back into circulation, but that was part of it.
5:34
We're going to give you $200, but spend it quickly. You couldn't They didn't want you to
5:40
save it or anything. They wanted you to spend it. So, it's probably some economical factor there.
5:45
Yeah. Yeah. Trying to push it. And that was when did you in 1935 the Townsen Act. Then in 19 um
5:52
uh third I think that was wrong. I think that was in the 20s. And then in 1935
5:58
President Franklin Roosevelt um started the Social Security Act of 1935
6:06
which funded retirement at age 65. So that's what we commonly know.
6:12
Yeah. So Wow. So the you know originally it was just for the benefit of the company
6:18
or you know get rid of these old employees that is affording
6:25
and then that twist to like okay here's your $200 a month but you need to spend it. So again that was probably even
6:30
economically yeah we're going to give you $200 but you need to go spend it. Yeah which I guess in the um in the 20s
6:40
that was probably pretty good. I don't know if you you know what that would be worth today from a inflationary standpoint. Yeah. But
6:47
anyway, that's Yeah, that's a fascinating history that I had no clue about. So, and then in 1951,
6:54
kids all these information facts um the Corning Company assembled a round table
7:00
to make retirement more popular because they found that most people didn't
7:05
really want to retire. Yeah. And so they started trying to make it more popular. So then um Florida in 1910
7:13
became a retirement destination and in the 20s and 30s retirement communities started popping up to make retirement
7:21
look fun. Look fun. Yeah. So to entice people to retire. Yeah. That um because really and so it
7:30
did change the whole retirement dynamic because prior to that when if you
7:36
retired there weren't a lot of leisure activities. No. No. No. What? What did you What did you do?
7:43
Yeah. So, my dad worked for Reynolds Metal Company. Yeah.
7:49
Here in in Arkansas and he retired at 59.
7:55
Yeah. But the it almost without fail, my dad was an exception. Guys retired and
8:02
within two years gone. Dead. Yeah. Just dead. And I think it was because a
8:08
lack of there's nothing what are you going to do? Yeah. What are you going to do? Sit and waste away. So in the really at the beginning of the
8:16
retirement when you retired you just had nothing.
8:21
Yeah. Unless unless you were a farmer or something like that. So that's why they started saying we have to make
8:28
retirement more exciting. Yeah. That this is a goal. you're gonna
8:33
work however many years and then here's your finally you're gonna get to enjoy
8:39
it. Can you imagine the PR initiative on that? I mean, just hearing this history, you know, we we fast forward now hundred
8:46
years later and we're like it's always been that like how retirement is the ultimate goal and and
8:52
so just that messaging I would love to study that to go how did they PR that
8:59
to switch the mindset over these years and then of course what in the world changed to
9:06
to complement that message you know. Well, it's it's definitely um different
9:14
because there's so many options now. Yeah. Let's see if there's any other I think
9:20
that's most of the just information that I got fascinating to me this morning.
9:26
So, when we're thinking about retirement, uh I thought about my dad that we talked
9:31
about. He retired at 59. Yeah. and died at 84,
9:38
85, something like that. Yeah. Did nothing. Yeah. Yeah.
9:43
I mean, he's was retired longer than he worked, right? And did nothing.
9:49
Yeah. For him, he was perfectly happy with it. As you know, it drove your grandmother
9:55
crazy because I'm worried like my grandmother. I'm like, "What are you doing with your life?"
10:01
So I thought when he retired he would probably go back to school. Yeah. Because in Arkansas when you retire you
10:08
can go to college for free. Free. Yeah. So I thought if I were in his place that's what I'd do.
10:14
Yeah. I'd just go to school the rest of my life. And uh but he but he did nothing.
10:20
Um so I look at his life and I think he was content but gosh did he waste a
10:26
third of of his life. Yeah. So then I thought also in in retirement I thought about patients. I
10:33
have so many patients that retire. These are non-professional
10:38
people but just bluecollar workers. They retire and after a short period of time
10:45
they go back to work. Some of them a lot of them go back uh to work.
10:52
a lot of them. And then I have some that um really do enjoy all the leisure
10:59
activities. Yeah. That we think of retirement. Traveling. Yeah. Cruises,
11:04
golf, pickle ball now as pickle ball is huge.
11:10
Uh so they really thrive in retirement. So you've got different kinds of people.
11:16
And then some of the I can remember a few years years ago I had an older black
11:21
man in hygiene and brand new patient and I'm always touching people. So I grabbed this arm and I'm like
11:28
man you are strong. I mean it was just like rock solid and I said how old are
11:35
you? 85. 85. Wow. But he just retired. He was in the
11:40
logging and I was like holy smokes. If my eyes were closed, I thought I was grabbing a
11:46
college athlete. So, the healthiest people I see in my practice are
11:52
particularly guys are those that have farms or some kind of act, manual labor.
11:58
So, I think retirement you need to really stay active.
12:04
Yeah. So, those there are a variety and I know then we I thought about my peers. Yeah.
12:10
My friends that have retired. Uh some of them have one in particular I think has
12:17
retired well as far as he's happy. He's on a tractor bush hoging and you know
12:23
and and then others have gone on to other dental careers. Yeah.
12:30
So they not totally retired. So I think I'm at a a stage right now where I don't
12:36
really know a lot of my friends haven't retired yet. Right. Right. They're they're still
12:41
working. Like Dr. Burns, Mike Burns, yes, is still practically he's my age. A
12:47
little bit a little bit younger. Um so people approach retirement
12:54
differently. I think the industry has helped to make it more uh palatable or
13:00
more exciting. Yeah. But to begin with it was just a profit
13:07
profit thing and now we and I think that concept as far as age has
13:13
has changed, you know, because some of your like me, some of your best people
13:20
are still working at 74, broken that barrier. Well, I do think it's important though
13:27
to to really look at retirement as
13:33
is it the be all end all because I think we can't go into that
13:39
blindly with the assumption. I think you know you're cut from your mom's cloth.
13:44
Gigi is what we referred to her as. I'm cut from your cloth. I'm you know almost just borderline hyperactive if I don't
13:51
if there's not something to do. I'm I'm creating something to do. And so I think when you probably think
13:58
of retirement, I think of retirement all the time. I mean, we're, you know, we invest, you
14:04
know, especially now when you think of the investments that we put in each month to make sure that there's money for retirement in the end. You know,
14:10
it's like we're we're financially contributing to that idea of there will come a time
14:17
when I'm no longer working and I want to be financially prepared for that. So it's not just this distant reality. We
14:23
are living in the reality and financially cutting out our income now
14:29
to to save for that later. And again, I think that's incredibly wise, right? Because we want to reach a
14:34
point where we can still, you know, not be a burden to our kids one day and all all of that. But the idea of I'm done working
14:44
to me has never been an exciting idea either. Um, and of course I can think of maybe
14:51
scaling back a little bit. Like when I imagine myself in the future, I'm like, "Oh, maybe I'm working three days a week." That would be
14:58
still is like, "What would I do the other days of the week, you know?" So, I think retirement really is we have to
15:04
dismantle the idea for some it may not be the be all end all. It may not seem
15:10
like this glorious arrival. It may seem scary and it may seem like what is there
15:16
to do then? What what do you fill your life with after that point? The uh with Dr. Kuba's question
15:25
or questions. So I thought about answering these as part of one of her questions was you
15:32
know financial. So I asked myself why in 744 in 47 48 years of practice why am I
15:40
still practicing? So some financial re reasons recovering from
15:46
you know these um impossible fail investments.
15:53
Yeah. You know got I'm the I'm the guy that if it's going to fail. I'm in I'm in 100%.
16:01
It'll never fail. It's never fail since since the beginning of time. Oh yeah. It'll fail. So for me, some is
16:08
recovering some of those stupid mistakes I've made. Still practicing a lot of it. Some of it
16:15
is psychological for me. And I don't know if this is a man thing or just a me thing, but I am so tied
16:24
with what I do with who I am. I don't know who I would be if I wasn't
16:32
a dentist. Yeah. I know I'm a grandpa. I know I'm a I'm a dad. And those occupy some time,
16:39
but I am so tied to what I do. Life. I mean, like there's that's to be
16:47
expected, I would think. Yeah. So, I'm I'm afraid I would I'm afraid I would become my dad.
16:53
Yeah. Yeah. That would do nothing and waste waste his life, you know, waste all
16:59
those opportunities that he had. So, there's a part of me that that I'm afraid that could happen to me.
17:05
That makes sense. Yeah. So I just well I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to I'm not going to do that
17:10
make that an option. So the alternative is work. So psychologically I I need to work uh
17:17
because it's fulfilling and it's who I am and it's what I do. And at this point
17:22
I can't separate what I do from who I am. Yeah. Which I know is sad and your friends are
17:28
like he is so sick. Counseling. He needs counseling. Um,
17:35
another thing for me why I keep working. I've never developed any leisure
17:40
activities, right? I tried golf. I was absolutely terrible and so embarrassing to golf with my
17:47
friends and I was not patient enough to develop to spend the time to get good at
17:53
it. Yeah. So, I don't play golf. I don't want to kill anything. So, I don't hunt. I'm not
17:59
patient enough for fishing. So, I really don't have anything out there that I can
18:04
hardly wait to retire because I'm going to do this. Yeah. The friends that I talked to that
18:11
were were excited about retirement, well, they can't play golf all the time. They can't fish all the time.
18:18
So, they have all of this excess time. Yeah. So, if I were to retire, I've thought
18:25
about this this morning. If I were to retire, I could not I couldn't spend my time doing leisure things, but I would
18:33
spend time figuring out what's next. What can I do? How can I generate money?
18:39
What can I how can I be um productive to productive? That's the word. Productive.
18:46
How could I be productive? Now, I um church wouldn't Yeah. You know, I would be involved in church
18:52
for sure. Yeah. Um, so I don't have any leisure activities, so I don't want to retire. I
18:58
don't have that thing out there waiting for me. Yeah. Um, I I work because it's still my
19:03
passion. I just And it's And we'll talk about this in a minute. I know that there are
19:11
guys and girls that are listening that they don't wake up every day excited to go to work. I'm fortunate that I I do. I
19:18
wake up every day excited. So, it's my my passion is what gets me fired up.
19:24
But I also think that's a choice. I I think I mean I I can remember times
19:29
where it wore on you and even you know I I call it your midlife
19:36
crisis where you you got out for a little bit and got back into it. So I think for you
19:43
know I think your passion can be a choice sometimes and you know I talk about this all the time
19:50
with our kids be content where you are. Mhm. I'm saying that all the time like I've
19:55
got one that's always like what's next? What's next? What are we doing next? You know and I'm always telling them just
20:00
just think about right here right now and and be content with where you are. And so I think passion kind of is
20:07
similar in that way. We can choose to be content in what and not just like,
20:13
oh, I'm surviving this. Contentment is fulfillment. I am fulfilled. I'm
20:19
satisfied in this moment. And so, I do think passion can kind of go along with
20:24
our choice to be passionate about. And I know that that sounds,
20:30
you know, ethereal and so, you know, it's just, but I do think there's a lot
20:36
of truth in that that we've got to I think for you, you genuinely love it, but I think you've also made choices
20:42
through the years if you look back of choosing to love it in moments where you're like, I'm kind
20:47
of Yeah. And it could be my uh my age and there were times for your younger
20:54
listeners where um it wasn't as much fun and it was
21:01
you know you were struggling and how are you going to meet payroll and
21:07
um you need another employee but you can't afford another employee. though I
21:12
know that there the the part of and it's not fair for your listeners. Part of it is just my age and where I am
21:20
and that in those 48 years there have definitely been struggles and like you said there was one time that I thought
21:27
well I'm not supposed to do dentistry. I'm supposed to do some kind of
21:33
Christian work. Yeah. Boy that was a mistake on so many levels. I mean,
21:38
one of the reasons I'm still working, I gave away my practice.
21:44
I mean, so but you but I think the clarity you probably gained on the other side of
21:50
that, even though it was a huge financial loss to you in the middle of your
21:55
career, it gave me direction because at the time I was confused. I don't know that I
22:02
don't know that I was necessarily unhappy with dentistry. Um there may have been financial I had a partner at
22:08
that time and I think I've mentioned we were together for 10 years never had never
22:14
one day of confrontation. It was just better than marriage. Yeah.
22:19
It was just perfect. Um so I don't think I was frustrated with uh laying my partner or the staff
22:27
but there was just some kind of itch that maybe I'm supposed to to do something else.
22:35
Um so anyway I tried that and so that gave me clarity. Yeah.
22:40
Stepping away making those financial idiotic moves there. But it gave me
22:46
clarity that and that may be what changed for me. Yeah. I can be happy in dentistry the rest of my life. There's nothing else out there
22:54
that I'm looking to see is there something else that's more fulfilling. So I think it was it was a great moment
23:01
of clarity and maybe that was the point where I I thought I I can be happy. Now
23:08
as you and I know there have been there have been times of frustration. We mentioned this the other day when my
23:14
friend Keith and I were we're going to update our computer system and we we freaking wiped out everything.
23:21
There was supposed to be a redundant system that would save it. It saved nothing. every patient file at
23:28
gone. So there have been that are just times of frustration.
23:34
Yeah. But they they make you stronger and you can look back now and it's hilarious to
23:40
think that we did that. What were we thinking? We pressed one button and it was just
23:46
and wiped out my whole office.
23:52
Thankfully at that time, if you remember, we still had paper charts. We weren't totally So, we were able to go
23:58
back and Yeah. You know, Yeah. And and then you knew never never
24:03
do that again. Oh, yeah. They won't even let me touch a computer today. If I'm in the room, they
24:09
just touch it up. They protect the keyboard. They do not touch it. Lots of things they don't let me talk about. Someone
24:15
the other day said, "How much how much does this crown cost?" I said, "I'm I'm
24:20
being totally honest, sweetie. I don't have a clue. I couldn't even get in the ballpark."
24:28
[Music] And I kind of like being that way. And and the the most of the assistants are
24:33
that way, too. They just prefer we just not be involved. Let us
24:38
here's the dentistry. Here's what needs to be done. Beyond that, get on out. Your guess is as good as mine.
24:46
So anyway, um, so why else did I keep practicing? It's my passion. Relationships.
24:51
Yeah, you and I are both relationship people. Um, I could not sit home all day and um,
25:00
and not have that interaction. It just feeds me. And talking about becoming
25:05
like my dad, I have found that when I'm home, if I don't have something that I
25:11
have to do or need need to do, I can just lie down and sleep. Yeah.
25:17
So I see that that that could happen to me. Yeah. Cuz in small periods of time, uh I I can
25:23
do that. So I need that relationship for the energy, the relationship with the
25:29
patients, relationship with um the staff, team. Yeah. Yeah. So, I just I just like
25:36
that. But you're going to have some people that are like, "Holy crap." Yeah. I can't stand that part. And we'll talk about that in in just in
25:42
just a minute. And I like still like to continue to learn. You and I both read all the time.
25:48
Listen to podcast. I'm always excited about learning something new. So, I
25:54
think that's a big driver. If I wasn't working, what if there's no need to if you're
26:00
completely retired and there's really you're having to it really has got to be different to
26:06
need to learn something in retirement because then it's for pure enjoyment or for Yeah.
26:12
Yeah. I exa I I agree. So I probably wouldn't Yeah.
26:17
because I need to be motivated and and pushed. Yeah. Um, so my bottom line of thinking
26:24
about this, I thought I just put, "Yeah, I'm out of balance. That's it. I'm just
26:29
strictly out of balance. I'm I'm abnormal, but I have a psychological need to work.
26:36
I still have a little financial reason to work. Um, but but for me, it's it's just it's
26:44
just my happy spot." It's your happy spot. Yeah. It's it's your passion still.
26:50
So, um I I wrote over here, why do people retire today then?
26:55
Yeah. If originally it was to make the company more profitable and we realize now people can be
27:02
um productive. Oh yeah. You know, their whole lives, you know,
27:08
you can look at all of the people that started companies in their older age,
27:13
you know. So, so that no longer is an issue. And sometimes our most productive years are are
27:20
Well, I like I'm probably more productive at the office now
27:27
because of the technology. Yeah. Because of our team than I've ever been. So, at 74, I'm I'm
27:35
better. I'm better. Yeah. Yeah. As far as production
27:41
than I was than I was before. So, but why why do people retire today? I started thinking about my friends and
27:46
stuff. So, we retired because of health issues. Yeah. You know, something comes up and and and so we have to retire. Um some have
27:54
reached their financial goals and they're like, I'm out. Yeah.
27:59
And that's okay. Yeah. Um some And so some people have looked
28:05
forward their whole lives to when I reach a certain age or financial goals,
28:10
I'm going to travel. I'm gonna do this and so that for them is that their their
28:16
motivation be all end all. Yeah. And other people want to pursue other interests. You know, at one time I
28:21
thought if I ever retired I would get into real estate. Yeah.
28:26
And and then I realized I don't ever want first of all I would take a pay cut.
28:32
Yeah. You know, so why do you want to do that? Uh, and why would I want to leave what
28:39
I'm if I'm in my sweet spot and I feel like I'm at my most productive, why why
28:45
would you leave that to leave that? Yeah. So, but some people retired to change careers [Music]
28:51
which leads to her other question. Um, and we addressed that a little bit. What do you do with when you have burnout?
28:59
Um, you don't want to do like I did and sell some practice. Don't jump there.
29:04
talk to somebody first. Yeah. Slowplay that decision. That is such a key point.
29:10
So I asked myself this question. Okay. How do you enjoy dentistry until you
29:16
retire? So my first thought was gratitude. Yeah.
29:21
Just develop a heart and a mind of gratitude. Um and gratitude for the profession that
29:28
we're in. I think it's still one of the finest professional,
29:34
you know, it's it's just great. We have a lot of freedom. We can make good money.
29:41
It's just a great still a great field to be in. So, I I think
29:48
wake up every day and say, I'm just so grateful. Yeah. That I get to
29:54
make money. Yeah. And if my passion is one day I want to live overseas in Italy,
30:01
this is a vehicle that can get me there. Yeah. Or whatever. This is a vehicle to get
30:07
you. If this is this is not your passion and you see retirement, you want to
30:14
retire one day. This is a great vehicle to do that. You use it to if that's if your goal is
30:20
retirement. Yeah. This is a fantastic vessel to get you there. And oh man,
30:27
that's the news is popping in on this. They they want to they want to say something.
30:32
Yeah. And and if you're wiser than I was, you can get there pretty quickly.
30:38
If you've got the right team around you financially, you can get there pretty quickly. So you can retire early
30:46
and you can do something else. Let's say you got into dentistry and you're like, man,
30:53
I missed it. This is not my passion. This is not what I want to do the rest of my life. But it can definitely be the
30:59
vehicle to what you want. Yeah. To propel you into Oh, if you think about it from a schedule
31:06
standpoint, like let's say you wanted to do something that required you to go back to school. Yeah. Dentistry is one of the most
31:12
flexible fields in the way of being able to scale your your schedule back and still be productive or change your
31:19
working days to be able to allow you go to go to school plus you add the financial you know benefit of being a
31:26
dentist. I mean I agree it is now what other professional I know allows you to do that but to me
31:34
this is one of the few especially in the medical field. I tell people all the time, if you compare it
31:39
to the medical field, Yeah. like it is, it is a medical profession. Oh, yeah. Dentistry is, but it's so different from
31:47
the medical field and the freedom that we have and the growth that we're able to experience.
31:53
And I to me it's just a remarkable field. Yeah. I I I still think it's it's great.
31:59
So, um, gratitude for the profession we're in, gratitude for the financial
32:05
reward that we can, uh, receive from this, uh, gratitude for the relationships that we get to develop,
32:13
uh, with our our staff and just, uh, the the patients.
32:18
Yeah, we get such a hoot from some of our patients. is just
32:24
just it's just so it it it just brings
32:29
a smile to my face thinking the stories that we hear and you're like holy smokes the what would I have missed
32:37
if I was home working in the garden with your mother
32:42
the great stories that we get to hear um
32:48
so a gratitude for the profession for the money that we can make for the relationships, gratitude for our our our
32:55
health. Yeah. Boy, you know, I really don't want to go to work today. It's not my passion, but man, I'm just
33:02
so glad to be healthy to to do this and gratitude toward our family. So, I
33:09
can extend my life in dentistry or or or keep working until retirement because I
33:15
have a heart of gratitude. Yeah. So then you're focusing on the positive things in your life and maybe the
33:22
practice is not the most positive thing in your world because it's stressful
33:28
whether it be financial or staff like the other day when you were talking
33:34
about your practice that the computers were just gone. An employee made a mistake computers
33:39
just that's a bad day. That's it. And then if you you know so the if we
33:45
can just be grateful I think it covers a multitude of crap that happens in our
33:52
life. Then how can I enjoy dentistry until I retire? I think and I'm not a perfect
33:58
example but this but try to bring balance to your life. So if your practice feeds you like it does me and
34:05
um you get your joy and your energy from that, well you still need to find a
34:12
balance which I haven't done yet. Maybe in the future find a balance away from
34:18
the office. Like I think your mother in in a little way resents the joy that I have and
34:25
going to work and that I don't find it with her. Why don't why don't you want to spend a
34:31
day in the garden with me? Why don't you want to retire? So there I need to find a balance there. Uh so if
34:40
your practice is your end all and it's everything um
34:46
don't forget your family. Yeah. You got to balance that with and at some point it won't be. There
34:51
will come a point where there has to be a choice to leave leave your love your passion. So
34:58
it's like you're you are protect whoever is listening would be pro protecting themselves by developing those other
35:05
passions so that if and when the time does come that they have to depart from the practice they've got this back.
35:11
They won't be lost like I'm going to be. Yeah. like you'll be when I retire
35:18
I'll be locked up somewhere and you have to come and rescue can I go see my dad you know he's in
35:24
cell whatever we're going to do a podcast so anyway so
35:30
I can stay in dentistry until retirement if I have balance so if your practice feeds you
35:36
you know but if your practice drains you find balance outside
35:43
uh it doesn't have I don't think it has to be as joyful for everyone as it is
35:50
for me, right? But just again realize this is a vehicle to bring joy out
35:55
outside, right? This can fuel what if the practice isn't your true passion. Yeah.
36:01
But you're able to do it well. Yeah. Then it can fuel your other passions, right? Yeah. which then gives you
36:08
motivation to come back every day like I'm gonna see these crappy patients and
36:15
these employees that drive me crazy because it's feeling this happy part
36:22
yeah of my life. So it's it's that balance balance uh how to enjoy dentistry until you
36:27
retire. Reward yourself. Yeah. Um either with time off or trips or
36:33
toys. Yeah. Everyone has something. Uh so reward yourself.
36:39
Yeah. And then recognizing again it goes back to gratitude. Once you reward yourself, I'm able to reward myself in
36:45
whatever way because because of this profession and these patients that I have and and I just made
36:51
a note over to enjoy the small wins. Yeah. I think sometimes we just don't enjoy.
36:57
So I think we ought to take time to look back. we should do this as a staff and we talk about it but we never do it
37:03
of looking at the day before what was the win. Yeah. But we're just so hit the ground and
37:08
go go go. Yeah. And that's probably my fault cuz I'm like yesterday it was yesterday. Let's move on. Means nothing. Let's move on. What are
37:15
we doing today? Uh but I think it helps if you can it'll help you till
37:21
retirement if you can and recognize those small wins. Yeah. It could be something small.
37:28
Oh my gosh. Yeah, the compliment that a lady left on her way out yesterday and how she bragged on
37:33
the team like that's a win that and I do think we that is one aspect that we tend
37:38
to get lose sight of in our busy days is we are making impacts on people whether
37:44
positive or negative but we have to focus on the wins and if if a sweet lady
37:49
was walking out complimenting our team that means we impacted her that day and that's worth reflecting on and and
37:56
celebrating. We find that uh or we think about this a lot that
38:03
because our practice is geared toward most most of the staff is really
38:08
friendly, really loving that we often think we may be the only
38:15
people that love this person today. Right. Yes.
38:21
Um, so there's just a lot of pain out there and if we can be and of course we
38:26
can be painful too, but but psychological and emotional pain. People
38:31
just come in with all all kinds of baggage. So if we can
38:38
minister to their dental needs, but at the same time bring a ray of light to them. And we're just really fortunate um
38:47
in our practice that we honestly do not judge people at all. Yeah. Yeah.
38:54
Just we don't have any and we're just fortunate to have a bunch of women
39:01
that are likeminded that are like that are like-minded. So, if you can think about those small wins
39:06
too that maybe they rejected your treatment plan,
39:12
but maybe we can make them still feel good. But we find I find that a lot of people are come in and they're really
39:18
terribly embarrassed by their dental situation. Yeah. Really, really embarrassed. And some of
39:25
those people we can help and some people it's just financially impossible for to do anything about. So if we can still
39:33
express love and concern and care for those people even though they can't do
39:39
what what we could do we could we know we could change their life. Yeah.
39:44
By changing their smile or changing their health. But some people it's just it's impos it's impossible but to love
39:51
those people anyway. Yeah. We um we had a meeting recently
39:59
and we were talking about that cuz every practice has difficult patients. We just fire we were going to fire a lady last
40:05
week and thankfully she called and said I'm not coming back. So it's just just rude. Just terrible. And
40:14
they're always rude to the staff. They'll never be rude to me, right? They're like, "You didn't see her at the
40:20
front desk. She was horrible." But they will not normally would with a doctor
40:26
show out show outuh like that. So anyway, uh
40:33
I was just telling I said you know in the in the scriptures it it basically says it's easy to love those that love
40:40
you and you you don't even really get any credit for that because it doesn't require anything. Said the true test is
40:47
to love those that are unlovable. So that's kind of been our thing. Let's love the unlovable
40:54
because I think we make a difference with them dentally and mentally and and
40:59
emotionally. Uh how do you retire? Enjoy dentistry until you retire. You don't necessarily
41:06
have to be at the chair all the time, right? You don't necessarily always have to be a solo pra practitioner. You can bring
41:12
in a partner and then maybe you do something else. Maybe you teach. Yeah. Maybe you do something else. So if the
41:18
chair is absolut if you can't uh say okay I can go to work every day and I
41:24
can be productive and I can be reasonably nice because I'm getting this financial reward. But if that's still
41:31
not enough look at other options. Yeah, there there are other options than sitting day in and day out with a drill
41:38
in your hand. Yeah, I've had some that have uh gone on to work with
41:44
uh like product companies, you know, one that
41:50
was real passionate about like holistic type pro dental products and she became an advisor to them and goes
41:58
and you know talks about the product at conferences and things like that. I mean there's so many
42:03
I think there are options so many options which is great. So, don't um I
42:09
guess I would say don't be absolutely miserable. Yeah. Because that will spill over to your
42:15
staff and spill over to your family. Yeah. And you'll end up with no one.
42:21
Yeah. You won't have a practice. You won't have a family. You won't have any money. So, um so I
42:29
would re I would reach out uh to consultants like you and just say, "Hey, help me walk through
42:35
this." Yeah. Um, do I stay in dentistry? What What can you do to help me either change
42:42
my mindset Yeah. or change the way that I practice? Cuz some of it is just
42:47
what you're putting in the chair. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Just uh if you hate doing a
42:53
certain clinical, don't do it. Yeah. You know, you got a choice.
42:59
If it's just stress, if it's a root canal and you're like, "Oh my lord." Or or whatever it is.
43:05
Yeah. I I say that all the time. That's where that customizable Yeah. side of dentistry.
43:10
It's another great thing about our profession. Where what other profession do you get to do that? Unless you are an
43:17
ultra specialist that you you know. Yeah. But you go to a family doctor, they don't get to say, "Hey, I'm not
43:23
really in the field." Yeah. Yeah. You know, doing blood work. I I don't want to look at your blood work. I mean,
43:28
like, we have the ability to customize and create little a niche Yeah. practice based on what we love to
43:36
do. Yeah. So, you don't have if you're hating certain procedures in the chair, then figure out how to build a practice
43:42
without it. And that'll bring more joy and you'll be ready to get up the next day. Yeah. Yeah. So, if you were going to do that
43:48
in the medical profession and limit the scope of what you do, well, you can do that, but you're going to go to school
43:54
for 12 years. Yeah. Yeah. In dentistry, you can go four years and then you specialize,
44:00
figure it out and special it out. Yeah. Yeah. So again, gratitude for what a great profession we're in.
44:06
Yeah. And the freedom to really think about that. Like maybe if you really look at what's making you unhappy
44:12
throughout the day and being real thoughtful in that process, you may just figure out, hey, it's not my whole day.
44:18
Yeah. It's this type of patient or it's this procedure that tends to blow my whole
44:24
day up. And so just starting to be mindful about what is it specifically that's stressing me out or you know
44:31
sucking out the passion that I had walking in this morning. It was gone when I stepped into that root canal this
44:36
morning. Okay. Well then don't do those. Let's reformat the practice and supplement in other ways.
44:41
You know isn't that awesome? That's so what a great profession we're in. So don't quit.
44:47
Yeah. Keep working 47 48. So my patients will ask
44:53
you know you have any particularly new patients are you going to retire? Yeah.
44:58
I said really I know I I'll say this says a lot about me but I don't want to
45:04
quit. Yeah. And I kind of teasingly say they're going to
45:10
have to drag my cold dead body out of here. But that would be the dream. Yeah. Just one day you just croak. you know,
45:18
they would just push me aside and probably finish the day. Hey, we've got we've got a goal to meet today. Move him
45:25
out. Move him out. We'll call somebody later. Uh so, so for me in retirement,
45:32
um I really hope to never retire. Now, what does that mean? Am I working at some point two days a week?
45:38
Yeah. But my goal right now is I would love to work continue to work full-time till 80. Yeah.
45:43
And then re-evaluate. Yeah. Am I effective or am I losing it? Yeah.
45:48
But if I'm still if I'm still on my game. Yeah.
45:54
Yeah. Why? Why not? Why? Why not? Yeah. Because
46:00
I don't like and we're at a point in our marriage where the things that your
46:05
mother likes to do like travel and beach and stuff like that. She can go with friends now.
46:10
Yeah. and I'll go to work and pay for it. And it's a win-win.
46:16
It is a great spot we're in. She's happy. You're You're happy. Yeah.
46:23
It's so true. And again, she she's one of those that that's And she's okay with that. And she's okay with me working.
46:29
Yeah. She likes for me to work. Yeah. I'll get off an hour early and she like,
46:35
"What are you doing here? What are you doing home?" Well, we've already met met production goals and I
46:40
thought I'd just come home early. Do you think it's okay?
46:46
Oh my gosh. Yeah. So, so I guess the other tip is have a supportive spouse. Yeah. Yeah.
46:53
Make sure they're on board with your Well, sure. Definitely because if she was it would be totally different if she was
47:00
miserable and bitter and um so for us it works. But every relationship is
47:07
different. So just make sure So I think to retirement
47:15
if you have a goal out there that this is I can see myself retiring.
47:20
Yeah. And I think that's it. Can I see myself retiring and what am I doing? Yeah.
47:25
So for me, I can't see myself retiring. So that's okay. Yeah. And you'll have people like that that will want to work forever. But um if you
47:34
see yourself re retiring and you have a goal and you see your life happy in retirement, uh then
47:42
just get some help on how to get there, you know, financially,
47:47
uh with the staff, you know, h how do we how do we get there? Cuz you're just not going to
47:53
arrive. You're just not going to arrive. You may have a dream, a goal, but without a game
47:59
plan, it's you won't get there. without a game plan, you'll make some crazy investments
48:04
and just you think, "God, that was really stupid." A knee-jerk decision. That sounds good.
48:10
Let's do it. And one of the things is your mate will they may forget a lot of things, but
48:16
they will not forget those. Those will periodically come up in the midst of a heated
48:21
argument forever. Forever.
48:27
Go back to work. That was a dumb idea.
48:32
Oh my gosh. No, I think this is to me, and I tell people this all the
48:37
time, whether they're just starting their practice or in the middle of their
48:42
practice, I I tell people all the time, you got to think about what you're
48:48
aiming for, right? Is it retirement? And like you said, okay, then let's put those pieces
48:53
together. Build your advisory team around that. If it's not, man, I just love I love dentistry. Okay, then I go.
49:00
Then how are we protecting your body? Right? Because it means you want to you want to do this as long as you can. So
49:08
physically, mentally, emotionally, let's make sure that we're protecting the number one thing that you have to have
49:14
in order to work that long, which is your body. So either way, no matter where you're headed, you've got to put a
49:20
plan together and make sure you're working towards that. that plan because part
49:26
part of the plan needs to be what if something unexpected happens. Yeah. And I do have a a a health issue.
49:33
Yeah. So you have to have that contingency in there. Yeah. I want to work forever, but
49:39
realistically at some point the body is going to break down. The mind's something's going to happen.
49:44
Yeah. Yeah. So you got to have that advisory team ready.
49:50
Yeah. It's called force retirement. [Music] Some people may have to get there. I
49:56
mean, who knows? Yeah. No, this is great. Thank you for putting all the thought, man. Now, I'm just so
50:02
curious on that retirement history. I just got to go look into it more. And yeah, cuz that was only just like a
50:09
10-minute search this morning, but it'd be really I'm like dying to see how they Yeah,
50:15
that's just fascinating. I guess I just always assumed that retirement was for the benefit of the employee. Never was
50:21
it for the originally. I never thought about it that that companies would want that.
50:27
The whole 40 year old they can't work. Mentally they're gone.
50:33
Their mind's going. Yeah. 40. Oh well, thanks for chatting. I'm hoping
50:39
that we've got many more year. I mean next year we may be back and you may be giving another pep talk on retirement.
50:46
82. You might be sitting here and going, "Yeah, what's your name? Who Who are you?
50:53
Why are you here? Where are we?" Oh, thanks, Dad. All right. Love you. Y'all drive
50:58
carefully. Thanks for joining the conversation today. We hope that you are comforted in
51:04
knowing that you are not alone. But we also hope that you're walking away with some really great tips and tricks to try
51:11
in your practice. We value your feedback, so please take a
51:16
few moments to rate and review the podcast. Finally, we want to make sure
51:21
that we're covering the topics that matter to you. So, track us down on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and
51:28
let us know what topics you want us to cover. As always, please know that we
51:34
are rooting for you today as you manage your dental drama.