Myo Life

Transcript

Hey, I'm Carmen, and welcome to Myo Life. 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 Myo business and how to build a life that you, too, are bonkers about. I'm very happy you're here. Shall we dive in?

Hi, everyone, welcome back to the podcast. Today, we're diving into something that I know resonates with so many of you: what happens when your boss just doesn't get it?

Now, you're sitting there eager, all excited about myofunctional therapy, seeing the potential to truly change lives, and your boss either doesn’t care, doesn’t understand, or just flat-out isn’t interested in what you’re doing. Does this sound familiar?

I've been there, my friend. I remember the conversation I had with my own boss when I first decided to get trained in myofunctional therapy and start my business. I was met with skepticism, a lot of questions, and, frankly, a bit or a lot of resistance. And I know I'm not alone. So many of my students inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy have had similar experiences.

But here’s the thing: while it can be frustrating to deal with a boss who isn’t supportive, it doesn’t mean that you’re stuck or that your vision for the future has to stop.

First, I want to say there are becoming more and more bosses out there who are supportive, and this is thanks to the educational efforts of people like Dr. Zaghi and the Breathe Institute, my own beloved mentor, Dr. Bieneman here in Colorado, and organizations like the AAPMD, which is the American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry.

This is an organization of professionals—doctors, dentists, osteopaths, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, myofunctional therapists—lots of different disciplines that collaborate on the topics of optimal airway growth, proper facial development, and proper function.

So, basically, all the topics that concern you in myofunctional therapy: sleep, sleep apnea, mouth breathing, craniofacial development, airway-focused orthodontics, tongue ties, posture—all of those things.

These people and their organizations are educating everywhere you go. I really feel like they are going to be instrumental in the paradigm shift. It’s also a great place to refer your boss if they’re interested in learning more about what you’re doing.

So, what I’m saying is that over time, more and more bosses will become supportive. But today, we’re talking about what to do if you have one of those bosses who just doesn’t get it.

The Myo Perspective Shift

This happens—I’m pretty sure it happens to everybody as they’re learning myofunctional therapy. You start to understand things that are concerning, and you can’t unsee them.

You take the Ditch Hygiene Academy, and my course is very practical and hands-on. At the end of every lesson, I tell you: Hey, this is what you can start looking for today. This is a conversation you can start having today.

And it’s really hard when you have a boss who maybe doesn’t understand what you’re doing and hears you start having conversations about it. They might confront you.

A couple of examples: Let’s talk about tongue ties. If you’ve been in the myofunctional therapy world for any amount of time, you know that just because a doctor knows how to do a tongue tie release (a.k.a. frenectomy), that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be doing them.

So, you might have a boss who overhears you talking to a patient about a tongue tie and referring them to a provider who specializes in releases. Your boss might say, Hey, I know how to do those.

That’s a conversation you want to think about ahead of time. When I was in this exact situation, I responded by explaining:

In our field, we’re trained to understand that having a frenectomy done by someone who specializes in them and does them frequently is really important.

A great analogy I use is: Who would you refer your own mother to for a knee replacement? Someone who does three per year? Or three per week?

This kind of comparison helps them understand your professional perspective. And, honestly, you will probably know more about tongue ties than your boss does.

You can’t unsee a tongue tie, and you do have a responsibility to talk about it. That’s one thing I really hit on inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy.

Once you learn about myofunctional therapy, you have the responsibility to have a conversation about what you’re seeing—whether you feel comfortable with it or not. And, of course, confidence is a whole other conversation, a whole other training—I have you covered with that inside the Academy.

But you do need to be able to have that conversation.

Be Prepared for Conversations

Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list of conversations that might come up, but a big one is: What is your plan?

When you talk to your boss about myofunctional therapy, their first thought will probably be: Are they going to lose me? That’s one of the biggest reasons they might hesitate to support you.

I’ve had many dentists tell me: I want my hygienist to take your training, but I don’t want them to leave my practice.

So, if you’ve thought ahead and are prepared to have this conversation, you’ll be in a much better position. If your goal is to transition out of hygiene, have a timeline in mind.

If you’re working full-time now, are you planning to cut back to part-time in six months? Are you keeping hygiene as part of your practice? Knowing your plan ahead of time makes the conversation easier.

If you’re starting your own business, make sure you’re setting it up outside of your boss’s practice. You don’t want to build your dream on someone else’s land. I go in-depth on this inside the Academy, but in short: you don’t want to be dependent on someone else’s practice.

Actionable Tips

Practice Difficult Conversations in Your HeadBefore you sit down with your boss, play out the conversation in your mind. Think about their objections and how you’ll respond. This way, you won’t be caught off guard.

Leverage the SituationIf your boss doesn’t support your goals, use that as motivation to move forward. Sometimes resistance is the push you need to take the leap.

Temping as a Transition ToolNot everyone can just quit their job. Temping is a great option—it allows you to meet new people, introduce your business to different offices, and stay in control of your schedule while building your business.

Closing

Dealing with a boss who doesn’t understand your vision can be frustrating, but don’t let it stop you. Your goals, dreams, and impact are valid—pursue them no matter what.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, I’m here to help—whether it’s through this podcast, the Ditch Hygiene Academy, or my other courses. You have support every step of the way.

Thanks for tuning in, and as always—go out there and build a life you’re bonkers about! See you next time!