Welcome to the Savvy Revolution

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Jesse Green, visionary boss of Savvy Dentist, shares the ins and outs of navigating the opportunities and pitfalls of running a dental business, paving your way to financial security and a successful future.

Since I was young, I’ve always been aware of the crippling impacts of financial insecurity. This motivation to build a “big, giant financial moat” around myself, stems from the lasting effects of being raised in a household where money was tight and I constantly felt like our home was under threat.

I remember waking up one night to the sound of my mother crying. I’ll never forget seeing her sitting there chain-smoking with this large blue glass ashtray as she told me we were about to lose our house; that the banks would foreclose on us. As a six-year-old boy, I felt as if my sense of security had been torn away from me in one evening.

With this drive for financial security, I developed a real interest in creating wealth. I wanted to make sure that the stresses and strains my parents experienced never happened to me. I vowed I’d never be in that position. My first business venture was selling football shirts to earn funds for a trip while I was still in high school. Not only did this help develop my entrepreneurial mindset, but it also gave me a glimpse into the world of business and taught me crucial insights that would shape my future approach to managing my dental practice. I learned the fundamentals of business, such as how to conceptualise a product before developing it, how to receive orders, and how to coordinate groups of people.

When I first established my dental practice, I followed the traditional, insular methods of practice management that are a standard in the sector. While these strategies seemed successful, they also imposed a stressful lifestyle and took away my family time. I felt like I was failing in the most important role that I have. And that is being a husband and father.

This painful truth made me realise the downside of the traditional approach—long working hours and a practice heavily dependent on my individual production. It became really evident that I needed a different approach, one that would align my professional aspirations with my personal life. I needed to find a new way to foster a successful and more balanced business.

Evolving from Traditional Practice Management

I decided to sell my first practice, and dove into a sea of business possibilities that had nothing to do with dentistry. I tried affiliate marketing, learned how to sell online, and created new ways for myself and my friends to make money.

During this time, I had an attentive eye on the seismic changes in the business world. It was a period of epiphany, where I understood that to flourish, dentists had to master the art of business. I found that those old ways of running a practice—which were once thought to be enough—no longer work in the fast-paced business world of today.

This is where the Savvy Dentist approach distinguishes itself. It encourages dentists to shed the conventional perception of being healthcare providers and evolve into innovative business owners. This switch in mindset means that the way decisions are made and how things are run every day need to be completely changed. As a dentist, I must remember that I have two jobs: one as a health care worker, and the other as a business owner responsible for ensuring the success of the business.

When I first established my dental practice, I followed the traditional, insular methods of practice management that are a standard in the sector. While these strategies seemed successful, they also imposed a stressful lifestyle and took away my family time. I felt like I was failing in the most important role that I have. And that is being a husband and father.

But making this change is not an easy task. It involves a complex journey of personal growth that is intimately connected to the development of your practice. Prioritising self-improvement, acquiring new skills, expanding knowledge, and undertaking growth-centric tasks becomes an essential part of this journey.

It’s a common problem that dentists tend to stick to the same career path before they hit their full potential. This trend, where dentists ‘plant their roots at 25 and never really spread their branches’, shows how fear, confusion, and doubt can prevent people from reaching their full potential. 

As Richard Branson put it: “The brave may not live the longest, but the cautious don’t live at all.” Yes, starting your own business is risky, but, I would argue that there’s a greater risk in not being in charge of your own destiny.

What is the point in perfecting your clinical skills if it never allows you more freedom and autonomy in your life or business?

I want to change that.

Bridging the gap between being a dentist and a business owner, requires getting past your fears and doubts. The Savvy Dentist approach inspires dentists to develop a ’growth mindset’, imagining a future where their practice not only offers financial stability but also provides the freedom and flexibility to live more fulfilling lives. It is about building a dentist business that fits with their values and gives them a reason to love their work, while laying the foundation for both personal and professional success. 

My personal journey underscores a clear lesson: to succeed as a dentist in the modern world, you need to be able to adapt, change, and, most importantly, think like a savvy business owner.

Unleashing the Inner Business Savvy

When I started my second career as a dentist, I was armed with a powerful idea that would change everything: the dental office should run like a business from the start. Using the knowledge gained from my time in the business world, I very deliberately ran this new practice like a business. We changed up our procedures, our mindsets and even the words we chose to use. By combining the principles of good business with the art of dentistry, I was able to create a road that led to both financial success and emotional happiness.

In this new way, the dentist is both a skilled practitioner and a good business owner. They know how important strategic planning, good leadership, and good financial management are, so they use business intelligence data to make smart choices and get ahead of their competitors. Also, they come up with clever ways to attract new patients and keep loyal the ones they already have.

Creating a self-managing team is crucial to the practice’s success. I aim to build a driven, well-coordinated team that helps the practice grow by fostering freedom, setting clear standards, and promoting a culture of excellence. This independent team lets me step back, confident that the success of the business is in capable hands.

But the change from being a good dentist to being a good business owner is about more than just money. The goal is to build a life that is open to change, choice, and freedom, so that you can reach your full potential and grow personally and professionally. This change frees dentists from the chains that kept them in a boring routine and shows them how they can run a successful dental business while living a full, balanced life.

With my renewed success and sense of balance, I felt a strong desire to help others escape the trap of traditional practice management. And so, Savvy Dentist was born. It was based on the notion of “not invented here” and aimed to look beyond the worn-out paradigms of practice management training by introducing dentists to the broader business world and its principles. I have taught these valuable lessons to more than 500 clients through coaching programs and to over half a million listeners through the Savvy Dentist podcast. I am still on a mission to help dentists find the joy of success, the freedom to do what they want with their time, and ultimately lead a satisfying life.

… the change from being a good dentist to being a good business owner is about more than just money. The goal is to build a life that is open to change, choice, and freedom, so that you can reach your full potential and grow personally and professionally. 
This change frees dentists from the chains that kept them in a boring routine and shows them how they can run a successful dental business while living a full, balanced life.

Introducing the Savvy Dentist Operating System: A Ground-breaking Approach to Dental Practice Management

The Savvy Dentist Operating System has been designed to empower dentists with the latest business insights. I wanted to create an opportunity for dentists to learn the very best in business thinking from the brightest minds in business, and apply that thinking to their own practices. This comprehensive blueprint, built on eight fundamental pillars, provides a roadmap for those determined to transform their practices into thriving businesses.

Winning Strategy: 

The Savvy Dentist Operating System emphasises the importance of developing a detailed plan with achievable milestones and effective risk mitigation strategies. The key lies not only in crafting a strategy but also in executing it diligently. 

Inspiring Leadership: 

Leadership is not limited to managing teams; it encompasses self-leadership, leading teams, and developing other leaders within the organisation. Leaders should strive to show up in the best way they can, fostering an environment of growth and excellence. 

Financial Blueprint: 

The system goes beyond cash flow forecasting and helps dentists create a comprehensive wealth plan for themselves as business owners. It ensures that the dental practice pays its way and generates surplus cash flow, contributing to the owner’s personal wealth and financial stability. 

Business Intelligence: 

Data-driven decision-making is at the core of the Savvy Dentist Operating System. Dentists are encouraged to utilise business intelligence tools such as dashboards, spreadsheets, and analysis to make informed decisions. Focusing on leading and lagging indicators that drive the business forward is essential for long-term success. 

Smart Marketing: 

Recognising the critical connection between patient flow and cash flow, the system emphasises the importance of smart marketing strategies. Dentists are encouraged to recruit new patients, retain existing ones, and reactivate those who may have slipped away. Addressing profit leaks such as recourse system issues, incomplete treatment follow-ups, and cancellations is an integral part of maximising profitability. 

Frictionless Selling: 

It’s important to redefine ‘case acceptance’ as sales. Rather than focusing on conventional sales techniques, the system encourages dentists to guide patients toward committing to future results that are beneficial for their oral health. This approach enhances patient satisfaction and drives business growth. 

Self-Managing Team: 

A well-trained and self-managing team is invaluable to the success of a dental practice. The Savvy Dentist Operating System emphasises the importance of creating a team that knows what to do, how to do it, and has the drive to consistently deliver high-quality service. This allows the practice to operate smoothly, even in the dentist’s absence, providing greater freedom for the owner. 

Simple Systems: 

The core systems of the business should be documented to ensure both structure and flexibility. The Savvy Dentist Operating System emphasises the importance of systemisation while ensuring that employees are not reduced to mere robots. Humanising the systemisation process allows for creativity and adaptability while maintaining consistency and efficiency.

My approach to the business of dentistry, embodied in the Savvy Dentist Operating System, has challenged traditional models and has the potential to redefine financial freedom for all dentists. My personal journey from being ‘just’ a dentist to a savvy business owner has shown that dentists need to rethink themselves not only as health care workers but also as business owners who need smart planning and leadership. With the eight pillars of the Savvy Dentist Operating System, dentists can aim for more than just financial security. Equipped with a plan, they can embark on a journey towards personal and professional growth, innovation, and success. By doing this, they can build practices that not only give their patients the best care but also make their businesses strong, successful, and—most importantly—hands off.