Episode 108 – Mindset & Accountability with Dr. Devin Giron

What are you allowing into your headspace? Who are you allowing in your headspace? With several states ramping up shutdowns, there’s a lot of information swirling around and you have a finite amount of time and energy to make it all happen. So today, we’re revisiting a popular episode with Dr. Devin Giron as he shares the pearls that help him stay productive during good times and bad. And how sometimes a shift in mindset and a little accountability is all it takes to go from feeling mediocre, to being at the top of your game.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

REGAN: Hello you, Reagan Robertson here, co-host of Everyday Practices Podcast. I want to ask you a question today. What do you allow into your headspace? Who are you allowing in your headspace? Who’s taking up that real estate? Who are you giving the microphone to?

Exactly? When I was young, I remember my dad saying from the front seat of the car, kids, please be quiet. It’s just so much talking. I can’t think as a parent now I can definitely relate to what he was saying. And just like food, we have countless options when it comes to what information we’re choosing to put into our brain. But we have finite energy to make it all happen.

We chose this week to revisit a popular episode we held back in May of 2020. With Dr. Devin Giron, my co host, Dr. Chad sat down with Dr. Devin to talk about this very topic. One that we feel is especially poignant at this moment in time when several states are ramping up yet again for lockdown due to COVID. Because your time is finite, and the stakes are higher than ever, you were in for a real treat as Devin shares the pearls that helped him stay productive through good times and bad. And how a shift in mindset along with some accountability is sometimes all it takes to go from feeling mediocre and kind of whole home to being at the top of your game.

Listen all the way to the end of this episode. And I’m going to share a special $700 scholarship you can take advantage of today. So you can feel yourself up with some powerful brain, your brain food and get yourself started off on the right foot. Enjoy.

01:56

CHAD: So after you join Productive Dentist Academy, like what have you implemented, because I tell people it’s kind of a choose your own adventure. You don’t have to do a cookie cutter like my way or the highway. So what have you implemented? And what are you hoping to implement? You know, in spite of all this craziness that we’ve had going on over the last, you know, month or so?

02:17

DEVIN: Well, I think I mean, the first tenant of Productive Dentists Academy, I think is production per hour, right? Just looking at once you start breaking down your procedures based on how much you’re doing hourly. It kind of sheds a light on if you’re doing things the right way, you’re doing things the wrong way. Or if you’re wasting your time, or if you could be condensing your day, say in half in producing the same amount and going home and being with your family. So I think that’s the number one thing that I’m implementing having goals dup. You don’t know where you’re going. I mean, right.

02:52

CHAD: So tracking, right, tracking where you’re going?

DEVIN: Yeah, it tells you exactly where you’re going. Yep, verbiage is a huge one. When Bruce gave that over the shoulder course, and kind of gave the verbiage whenever risk factors. You can get that but you can get that anywhere online. You can listen to Bruce, and he’ll talk about it. But sure. I think that that was so beneficial because you can actually hear what, what he was saying to real patience. And I wrote down all those different different things that he used. And that’s made a huge difference in my practice. Yep. And so verbiage, I think is beyond anything else.

03:31

CHAD: Do you go around sometimes going it’s time?

03:34

DEVIN: Yeah, it’s time. That’s right. That’s right. You’re in a winding road, my friend. He’s had a lot to drink. This time. It’s time James. Here’s a bunch of the I call them Bruce isms. There’s a huge thing like you have those yellow things behind you there. Yeah, I have a whole page of Bruce isms in my office. And so when I’m putting on my loop line or something like that, I’m looking at these things or before I go into an exam. Yes. Looking at all these different different phrases he uses for months for years. You choose what’s comfortable for you. That’s it. That that’s it. You’ve got a ball and but there’s about 20 of them. There’s about 20 of them my friend. Yep. And so I look at those and I refresh my memory on those every every day. And kindness. I think staying listen to Carrie Miller my coach. Yes, fair amount. I mean, she’s she’s the best coach out there. I hurt

04:24

CHAD: Tell me about it. Well, of course. I mean, that is that is solely why I use her because she’s at the peak of her game. So tell me what is coaching look like for you?

04:33

DEVIN: Goodness, that’s twice a month. And you know, I think it’s just just her kind of guiding our team but also guiding me into being becoming a better leader, I think is the key and just being able to look at look at you from a different view from because you obviously can’t see what you’re doing.

CHAD: Well, you can change energy. You and I are a lot the same. And we have a ton of energy. And if it’s not focused, it’s just kind of explosive dynamite. And it’s just bad. It’s all bad. That can be used for good if we focus it.

05:12

DEVIN: Right. But mainly we use it for bad. You know, you and me guys like you and me, we’re just or not necessary. No tbadly just undisciplined. You know, like, there, there are certain times when, you know, I’ve got a lot of energy, and I’m just going to do it to what I would call shenanigans, you know, and yeah, and that, you know, but if, if I’m focused, then I’m going to be like, okay, let’s, you know, let’s really, you know, so she helps me, you know, stay focused on my goals.

05:40

Yeah, no, that’s, that’s Carrie Miller for you. No, she’s great. And that’s what I do. Yeah. Is that what you’re called? to do? Great. Yep. From now on. No, it’s great. Cuz like you said, keep your focus keeps you on point. And because like you, you and me can be all over the damn place. Yep. And it’s not it’s not a good thing. Yep.

06:06

CHAD: I think it’s fun. But I mean, you know, I’ve been told that, you know, my discipline self is a little bit better. Alright. So we so after you signed up for the over the shoulder was the Bruce isms seemed to be what, what made the biggest difference to you? What else? I mean, was it basically just seeing that he was? What’s the word for it? He was consistent with using that verbiage. And what else? You know, I think it’s slick. We were talking about sometimes you’re skeptical about something. How can someone be producing X amount of dollars in this amount of time, right? Three times as much as me five times as much as me 20 times as much as me what is crushing it?

CHAD: Right.

06:49

DEVIN: So number one, I flew the entire staff out there. Sorry, you guys see what the hell’s going on? Wow. Right. So as important and just them being able to I have a couple hygienists are like, just show it to me, I want to see what what Michelle’s do and I genista with her. Yeah. Because they’re like, how does she do it? I’m like, let’s go. Let’s see it. So some people have to touch it, feel it? Yep, do stuff so that people can just say, we’re gonna do this, and they’ll do it. But I think just being able to see him, take an hour lunch, walk around, less stressed out than I do Yes, in a day, and produce three times as much as I do. In a day, just being able to see that is, is amazing.

And it’s nothing. It’s not. It’s not fitting more procedures. No, it’s just, it’s just how you get people’s arms. No, it’s it’s super simple in it. And I think the big take home is he spending time on exams, too. Yep. And a lot of times, as dentists, we’re like, oh, just put the exam over there. You’re not spending time with patients, you’re not your team’s job, right? linking all you’re not linking with the patient, all that stuff. And all this stuff builds on itself. So I think just being able to see him do that produce at a high level was just a blessing. And I told him, I was like, man, I really appreciate it, you change the trajectory of my career. And he probably hears that a lot. And I don’t know if he knows how much he’s changed other people’s lives.

08:21

Oh, no, I don’t think he does know me, I’ll be honest with you. I’m like, he’s kind of banks. And but I think at the end of the day, he’s realized that he’s actually changing people’s lives. And by doing that, we’re changing other people’s lives by typing with other dentists, other people, and saying, there’s a way to do things.

08:41

CHAD: I think he knows it. I think he also just calmly accepts it and whatnot, instead of, you know, blushing and drawing it out. But I think some people hear one message, and they don’t accept it, because they don’t need that kind of, you know, message at life and you know, stuff like, yeah, and they’re better than that. And they know everything. And there’s other people that are like, Oh, you know, I could really use that. And it’s the same message, but a different set of ears, and they hear it and they go, Wow, this really changed my life and my life. And so he knows that there are people out there that will receive it and implement 5% or 10%. But again, that’s five or 10% better. And then there’s other people that will do three times as much good to their community, and to their employees and have a more sound business structure and everything and all that adds up. It really does. I mean, it made a huge difference. And that’s why I’m doing this podcast.

09:38

DEVIN: Right now, the craziest thing is, and I’m not sure what it is, I’m not sure if it’s just dentists, human nature. I’m not a clinical psychologist or anything like that. But I think easiest, what exactly you go. The craziest thing is you can talk with with with other dentists and you can talk to them either blue or blue interface, or you can say this is what really happened or this is my, this is my trajectory, or this is what we’re doing, and they won’t believe it right? And they won’t change. And it’s like, okay, are are we saying something wrong? Are we too cheap as dentists like, Oh, that’s gonna go on this? So I had to pay this amount of money over the s3 $6,000. So that’s $50,000 for marketing. Yeah, right. Wait, what are we doing? And I think they, all they see is, is dollars and cents. I’m gonna get this amount subtracted from my bank account. And I might make $300,000 for a $30,000 investment. But for some odd reason, our brains can’t. Can’t put it together. Yep. And we’re just like, now pass on that. Or I’m gonna go this course. And basically bias. Yeah, it’s it’s a it’s a crazy thing. I still can’t figure it out. And I’m not you’re in the consulting world. So maybe you know what it is, but I can’t dentist her heart. Yeah.

11:07

CHAD:  Sir, you and I are both dentists. I just like being a good listener. You know, more than anything I’ve got, I’ve got a message in a story, but I just like being a good listener. But you’re right. Some people. Uh, you said it earlier, though. When? When the the teacher? I think it was before we were recording officially on here. What What is that when the when the student is ready, the teacher appears, you know, or whatever.

11:38

DEVIN: I mean, we hear it, it’s almost a proverb, you know, and write that. So, which brings up a good point. Is there any book that you’ve read in the last year or so that’s really kind of spoken to you? It doesn’t have to be dental or anything like that, but what what kind of stuff? Could you pass on to the listener to be like, you know, in the last year, I’ve read this book, and it wasn’t even about dentistry, but it was really good about life or, or something. There’s a lot. There’s a lot Chad, I mean, I have that you’ve really grown you really have.

Yeah, so I had that commute. So I have audible man, in my mind. Yes. It’s good stuff. I mean, there’s so much I mean, you have something like the trillion dollar coach is a good one that’s about about football coach, have you read that book? No, never heard, actually. So it’s just about a gentleman. He’s a football coach, who kind of branched out and started consulting with Google, Apple, a bunch of other things, and just formulating teams, kind of empowering people to solve complex problems. So we have this in our Dental Group all the time. It’s typically the dentist to say, I’m going to fix all this stuff myself. Yeah. And that’s a huge No, no, I’m going to do all this myself. And that’s they’re really bad delegator. So that’s a really good one. Goodness, there’s another good book, making money is killing your business. Have you read that one?

12:58

CHAD: I know, but I’ve heard of that one at least.

13:01

DEVIN: So it’s, um, basically, as we’re dentists, we think we do, we make this amount of money, and then it goes into our account. Very rarely do we actually say, hey, look, let’s look at this a different way. Let’s look at I own a business. How do I make my business run? Better? Yes. based off of systems, yep. operators that I might actually be able to be removed from this operation, and plug someone else in and make the same amount of money, if not more. So it’s about a gentleman who’s who’s done this 1015 times with his businesses and how he’s done it. It’s been it’s pretty much working on your business. So very cool. Versus working in your business.

13:47

CHAD: Yep. Which is we have to do both. Right. Exactly the most part.

13:52

DEVIN: Yeah, very few of us can’t. And so we’re almost changing the chair in a weird way. Yeah. Blue Ocean Strategy is also a good book. That’s, that’s a book about when everyone goes left. You should consider going right. Oh, my goodness.

CHAD: Yeah, it’s a good so it’s just zig and zag when people zig and Zig when people say yeah, that’s it. And so that that’s, that’s 100% it. I think we’ve all read that Jocko willing book Extreme Ownership ownership. That’s such a good book.

14:26

DEVIN: I you know, what’s funny is that the on Audible the voice difference between Jocko which kind of, you know, he’s got a voice kind of just like this. And then when life reads he goes, and then yeah, exactly. Then we went in, and I was looking Jocko, and he was wondering what I was thinking, but then again, he knew what I was thinking. The Midnight had come did you’ve got this down, dude, you’ve got this damn.

14:50

CHAD: But talking about obstacles away and stoic philosophy. stoic philosophy kind of gets a bad rap, but at the same time, it’s what What What I like about it is the realism. And as you mentioned in Extreme Ownership, Jocko willing talks about that is, is looking at a crisis. And, you know, let’s make it the COVID crisis and saying, Well, I mean, we’re dealt the hand we’re dealt and embrace the suck, and good times, let’s rock and roll, you know, like, let’s, let’s go at this and, and, you know, not necessarily putting a cherry on top, but it’s just like, Listen, I mean, we’re adults, and we’ve got to, you know, get through this, and, and realizing I can control what I can control, I can’t control what I can’t control. And, and then moving on from there, with making decisions and making calculated decisions, you know, in this time, so how have you been dealing? You know, I mean, I don’t want to dwell on it. But how have you been dealing? What was it like two or three weeks ago? versus now? I mean, do you feel any different? Or are you still kind of in panic mode? Were you ever in panic mode with with the COVID? stuff?

16:02

What what, how did you feel as a dentist and as an owner?

16:05

DEVIN: There’s kind of, I think it’s one of those things you deal with grief in different ways. And when the way I kind of dealt with this, all right, I need to protect my people first. And so ironically, I was like, okay, we’re gonna we’re gonna pay you through all this time. And we did a lot of that. And then we said, All right, let’s do let’s maximize everything. And let’s, I said, let’s put you on unemployment. But with a caveat, I’m going to give you a loan, that is going to cover the difference. And that loan is either going to be forgiven, which more likely well, or you can pay me back via hours, okay. I also said, You know what, it’s, we get a downtime right now.

So let’s add a couple of rooms, that has a great time, add a couple rooms. So trying to get the bank involved with that good for you. But also kind of just like you, I’m trying to acquire a practice, too. So when this thing goes away, we’re ready to go. And I’m trying to acquire a practice where the doctor didn’t really diagnose a lot. And so low hanging fruit. Yeah, low hanging fruit, we’re gonna go off emergencies, we’re getting a lot of stuff that breaks falls apart. And so we’re just looking to kind of sustain ourselves. And I told my CPA, I’m going to try to beat my numbers last year, sure, I take two months off, and write once you write what I think you could do it, it should carry Miller’s like, oh, we’re gonna beat last year, we’re gonna stay on track for this year. And for her to say that I’m like, holy cow, that’s awesome. You have a lot of faith in me.

But I think it comes back to that goal again, I mean, you gotta, you got to have a goal. And you got to kind of reframe in terms of what’s happening. So I think at the end of the day, this stuff happens. But it’s it This sounds horrible. When I say this, it’s a good thing. Because pain is a great motivator. Sure, in terms of being able to take that pain and make it and use it to your advantage. It’s something seems counterintuitive, and but pain is you should welcome when we don’t have that pain in our lives, we become almost stagnant. Yes. It’s almost like we be just under that threat. We almost become numb. And when we’re numb, we just start in the same thing every day.

18:39

CHAD: Yep. You know, David Barnes is a dentist mentor of mine that’s from Pella, Iowa. He retired A few years ago, but he’s been on our podcast before. And he got ahold of me a couple weeks ago via email and said, Hey, I just listened to your podcast of such and such. And I really wanted to just encourage you, and I thought that was a good podcast, but since I can say that, because I’m putting words in his mouth now. You know, he said it Wow, Chad, you’re more and more amazing. No. But one of the things that he’s mentioned, though, about this, this pandemic crisis and whatnot, is that it burns out the weeds in the forest and allows for mature growth, you know, to continue and for the, the big trees to keep on growing and stuff like that. And I’ve seen that kind of message mentioned before, in articles and podcasts and webinars and stuff like that. And it’s true, it’s just like you can you can use it to thrive or you know, some businesses are going to die and it’s unfortunate but if you have a strong enough business structure that you should be able to come out stronger