Myo Life

Transcript

Hey, I'm Carmen and welcome to The Myo Life Podcast. That's short for my outrageous life, which is exactly the kind of life I get to live since I found the courage to ditch dental hygiene and build a life I'm bonkers about as a myofunctional therapist and entrepreneur.
Here you will find all the things myofunctional therapy business and how to build a life that you, too, are bonkers about. I'm very happy you're here. Shall we dive in?
Well, hey there, and welcome back to The Myo Life Podcast! I'm your host, Carmen Woodland, dental hygienist, myofunctional therapist, and founder of the Ditch Hygiene Academy.
If you're feeling bored, burnt out, and unfulfilled in your dental hygiene career, then, my friend, you're in the right place. This is where we talk about how to build a life that you are absolutely bonkers about—working less, earning more, and having the freedom to live and work on your own terms.
Today, we're tackling something that can make your pits get real sweaty, and that is tech.
Now, before you panic, let me assure you that you do not need to be a tech wizard to start your myofunctional therapy business. I absolutely was not. When I began, I knew very little about technology, but I made it work, and so can you.
So in this episode, we're going to break it down and simplify the essentials so that you can get started confidently.
All right, first, let's talk about my tech journey.
So we're going to rewind back to when I first started my myofunctional therapy business.
Now, many of you guys assume that just because I had a master's in business, that I had all the tools and knowledge to build my business seamlessly. Let me tell you, it couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, I had a lot of high-level business knowledge, but the basic day-to-day entrepreneurial stuff? Absolutely not.
From the start, I knew that I wanted an online business. So even before being online was cool—I always say I was online before COVID made it cool—I knew that I wanted to build an online business.
Part of this was because, at the time, I was living north of Denver, and anybody who's been in the Denver metro area knows that traffic is terrible. At the time, I was a single mom, and I just knew that the likelihood of me being able to drive my daughter somewhere—maybe 45 minutes or an hour one way—to get to an appointment for 30 minutes, then turn around and drive home, I knew that that wasn't going to be very sustainable for my business.
So I knew that I wanted to be online. I wanted the flexibility to be able to work from anywhere. I also love to travel, so that was, you know, in my big-picture plan. So having a brick-and-mortar setup just didn't fit that vision.
So here's what I started out with when I started my business.
So I had a 27-inch Mac desktop. Now, I chose this because I love having the big screen. I had had 27-inch Macs for years, so that—I was probably on my, oh, I don't know, second or third one. So I love having that large screen for better visibility and for multitasking.
Not going to lie, I have tried working on a MacBook, but maybe I'm showing my age here. I could not stand the smaller screen. I am totally spoiled by my desktop setup.
So I will tell you this—if you're working on an old, tiny, crappy computer, upgrade to something that is more comfortable for you to work with, especially when building your website.
Now, also, I am all Mac. I have, at times, gone back and forth to try an Android phone, and I'm all Mac. That is the easiest thing. So if you have an iPhone, I definitely encourage you to look into getting a Mac. If you are not familiar with Apple computers, there is a little bit of a learning curve, but I think once you do it, I love the AirDrop feature so I can just work seamlessly on my computer and then pick up my phone or pick up my iPad, and it's just kind of like an extension of the same thing.
So I started with the 27-inch Mac.
Then I started with a Logitech camera—I think it's a 922.
So my Apple computer. The camera was fine, but it wouldn't capture the detail that I needed for close-up demonstrations. So I like to pick up my camera and bring it in close to my mouth if I'm showing something or if I need to, you know, have an up-close demonstration or something. So I like that ability.
For about $100—I don't think it was much more than that—this Logitech camera was great. It's been the one that I've used all along.
Then I also invested in a Yeti microphone.
So again, my computer's built-in microphone was okay, but the Yeti was going to give me clearer, more professional sound, so I went with that. Again, I don't think it was much over $100.
And then last, I had an iPad that I used as a second screen.
So before I invested in a second monitor, the iPad was nice.
So if you are inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy, you know I teach, I give you templates, so we have therapy templates.
So I would have all that information on my iPad so that if I was working with a client on the computer, I was able to follow my notes. I was able to see everything that I needed to on my iPad.
So that really helped my level of confidence because I wasn't just trying to pull it all from memory—which I still to this day don't operate on anything from memory, it's always from my template.
So that's what I started with—the 27-inch Mac, the camera, the microphone, and then an iPad.
Eventually, I upgraded to a second screen that, I would say, is easily the size of my Mac desktop, or maybe a little bit bigger.
So it connects very seamlessly, and then I'm able to just use it as a second display so I can just drag windows back and forth.
Multitasking? I love it.
Or it allows me to look at something on the left screen and type on the right screen.
When I do a comprehensive exam, I love it because, of course, my client will be on the camera, and then on the right screen, I'm typing on my report.
On the left screen, I'm looking at their discovery paperwork or I'm looking at their pictures or their videos.
So I absolutely have handicapped myself now by needing them.
But it is so nice.
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So that’s what I have now. I got rid of the iPad and just use that second screen.
Okay, so let’s talk about essential must-have tech tools that I think every online myofunctional therapy business needs.
You're going to need reliable internet and a computer. You just have to have good internet, especially the upload speed. This is going to be critical for smooth video sessions with your clients.
As for a computer, you need something that you are familiar with, that you can use, and that can handle multitasking. If you're working just on a little laptop, you have to be really good at switching between all the open windows.
When I had a MacBook laptop and I would try and work on it, I really struggled because I would be trying to look at my client's therapy template and then I’d be like, "Oh my gosh, where’s my Skype window gone?" So I wasn't very good with it, and I think that’s probably just because I avoided it.
I always thought it would be cool to be able to work from anywhere with my laptop, but I'll be honest, once it got to that point, I didn’t like it.
Another thing is that if you get a new computer, make sure you know how to run it before you get online with clients. I get online with students and they say, "Oh my gosh, I just got this new computer, I don’t even know how to do ABC."
So make sure that you're familiar with running it and that you can multitask with it.
Okay, but good internet, good computer.
Next, scheduling software.
So inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy, there is a five-lesson program called Ignition Implementation Lab, and the whole premise of this lab is for you to build what I call a minimum viable product and get started, and then you just kind of keep getting things better and better.
Now, one of those things is scheduling software. This is actually the fourth thing in that. You know, I teach you three other things in that program. The scheduling software is really the fourth. But I really think it should be a necessity.
So you can use a tool like Acuity or Calendly.
And the nice thing with these programs—now, I've never used Calendly. I was married to Acuity for the longest time. I now use 17 Hats because that’s the software that I use for everything in my business, and it’s also the one that I have in the tech library, and I train all my students on. So it made sense that I move over to that.
But I used Acuity for years.
And the nice thing with these softwares is that it allows your clients to pay for things like exams or pay for sessions. If you do per-session—I don’t in my practice—but just collecting for that exam, it automates your process and helps set clear boundaries.
So also, you don’t have to play the role of bill collector.
What I mean by that is, say you do a complimentary assessment with somebody, and they want to know what the next step is, and you’re telling them that the next step is the comprehensive exam.
Well, oftentimes, they might ask how much, or something like that.
So that’s when I would say, "Well, it’s 200," or whatever it is.
And then, your system is automated, so that you don’t have to say, "Okay, well, if you give me your $200, then I’m going to get you an appointment."
No.
You want to be as hands-off as possible, because as your business grows, the last thing that you want to be doing is manually making appointments for people.
And this is even more important if you work, like I do, in a global practice, when you’re considering different time zones.
And you know, there are a couple of places that don’t do daylight savings. Nope. I am absolutely hands-off.
And it is so nice because there are clear boundaries, meaning, "Hey, here are the hours that I’m available," and it is very automated.
When somebody books an exam, it tells them exactly what they need to do.
Okay, so that’s your scheduling software.
Yes, it’s going to cost you some money, but I think it is better to get those systems and processes set up at the beginning so that when you're busier, you haven’t handicapped your clients.
And I have heard that from several colleagues.
They started out being cheap and not wanting to spend the money on scheduling software.
And then, by the time it was time to implement it, their clients were resistant because they were used to having them do it manually.
So a lot of hand-holding.
You can do it. Just figure it out. Everything is figureoutable.
Next thing that you need to have is a client management system.
So this is a CMS.
There are systems like SimplePractice, which is really popular amongst myofunctional therapists.
There are lots of other ones that are suitable for organizing client records.
You don’t need to invest heavily right away.
You can do a paid Google Workspace account—that can be a budget-friendly option.
If configured correctly, it can also meet HIPAA requirements, so that is a great way to do it.
So Google Workspace, I think at the time of this recording, is, you know, $14, $15 a month.
I think SimplePractice is maybe $100 a month.
I will tell you this—when I first started, there were several really cool client management systems that were available, and they were free or very cheap, and I thought, "Oh my gosh, this is too good to be true."
It really is too good to be true, because what happens with a lot of those startups is they give you a beautiful price—like, free—and then, once they are ready to start selling the product, suddenly it’s a couple hundred dollars a month.
And that’s what happened to me.
So here I had hundreds of clients that I had already built up in my practice in that software, and I now had to figure out how to get those records out of that software because I wasn’t in a position to pay $200 a month.
Next, you need a communication tool.
You can use Zoom. You can use Skype for Business.
There’s Google Hangouts, which I’ve never used.
I’ve only ever used Skype or Zoom.
Totally up to you.
You can dive into the different things.
Just ensure that you're using a HIPAA-compliant version if that is something that you’re concerned about or if you’re handling super sensitive information.
Next is the website builder.
Your website isn’t just a digital business card—it is a tool.
I chose WordPress when I started.
It was flexible, it seemed simpler, but a lot of people have opinions about WordPress being difficult.
Even my management team in years past have said they hated my website.
I absolutely don’t understand how they could, because I thought it was so easy to create.
I bought a theme from a company called Elegant Themes.
I paid a small fee, I have lifetime access, and it is so easy.
So that’s what I did.
But there are simpler platforms like Wix or Squarespace.
The thing I want you to remember is that your website needs to serve clients as an education tool, but it also needs to serve you in helping you be more efficient.
Your platform needs to be able to embed schedulers, host downloadable forms, and it needs to be able to grow with your business.
And sadly, I have had several students in the past who found out, after putting all this effort into their website, that it was too basic and they weren’t going to be able to use it as a tool for themselves.
I know and I can appreciate this.
I understand that you’re trying to bootstrap and start your business without any debt or with very little investment, but just know that no business gets started for free.
Nobody gets out alive.
You have to make some investments, and I encourage you to be thinking long-term—thinking about things before your business needs them—because then you can have systems and organization set up ahead of time.
Okay, let’s talk lighting.
Lighting, I think, has been the hardest area for me, because the lighting in my house isn’t the best.
Currently, as I'm recording this, it is a super sunny day, which is nice, but it casts a lot of shadows.
So if I were seeing clients today, I would show up really dark, while the room would show up really light.
So lighting has been the hardest.
I am currently using Elgato Key Lights.
They’re not super cheap—I spent about $300 on two of them.
I also don’t absolutely love them, and the biggest reason is that they connect to the internet.
They’re constantly coming disconnected.
I’m constantly having to set them back up.
But the other thing is that they are so bright that sometimes I feel like I’m sitting under a tanning bulb.
The important thing is that you do need to have plenty of light.
So I have lots of smaller handheld lights.
I really like the Lume Cube Light.
I have it on a small tripod—it looks kind of like a selfie stick—so that I can set it down or I can pick it up if I need to.
So when in doubt, practice.
You have to make sure that the exercise demonstration that you’re doing shows the inside of your mouth clearly.
Okay, we all have phones that seem to be attached to our hip at all times—the same with your client.
So there are plenty of times where I will just use my phone to shine into my mouth—the same if I’m doing an exam.
So that is nice too, but you do have to have some sort of lighting.
I also do think you’ll end up making a couple of different purchases before you find what you are happy with.
So the thing about these tools is that I think it’s important to choose tools that are going to simplify your life and help you save time.
Really, the biggest thing with the scheduling and the website platforms is that you are going to automate repetitive tasks like scheduling and payment collection.
Having these tools and investing in them from the beginning is going to help you save time.
It also helps you look professional.
I think a well-organized website, and you know, something that accepts payment, that kind of stuff, it really looks professional.
It also saves me time.
I am hands-off.
I set it up once, and that’s all I have to worry about.
Therefore, it’s also going to help reduce stress.
Setting that up allows you to focus on providing excellent care for your clients and having time to do other important things in your business.
So the tools really matter.
I think the biggest thing that you could do to get started today is to just start simple.
Okay, you can start with free or low-cost options, but then just remember—I don’t want you to do that with your client management system.
Because, like I was saying, they might give you flashy short-term pricing, but then it’s going to get costly later, and then you have the burden of moving everything.
That’s also the big reason that I use 17 Hats, and I will be talking about that in a different episode, but it’s kind of my all-in-one system.
It does everything that I need, so I’m okay paying the price for it.
So just remember that you can start small.
You don’t need a fancy setup.
I think you have to make sure that you are comfortable running everything, and then, you know, just think long-term so that your tools can grow with your business.
So that is it for today, my friend.
Remember—you don’t need a fancy setup to get started.
All you need is a clear vision, some big, scary goals, and the basics.
Thanks for tuning in today to The Myo Life Podcast, and I will see you next time.