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 Mayo 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, hello there, friend, and welcome back to the episode.
I wanted to give you a little bit of backstory on today's special, surprise episode because I am going to be dropping you inside an interview that I did with one of my students from the Ditch Hygiene Academy.
So back several years ago, when I was recording the Ditch Hygiene Academy, I was doing it in real time with students and I was teaching it live.
Now, if you have been with me for any amount of time, you might have already heard me talk about Kelsey from time to time, because she is what I called the ideal student and I came back to Kelsey whenever I was questioning anything about the program.
Now, just to be fair to my other students that have come along since then, I have had many other incredible students who did just as well as Kelsey, but they just came further down the line.
So, naturally, since Kelsey was in our Founders cohort, she was the story that always got told.
I'm not going to give too much away about Kelsey, but I will tell you this.
She came into the program a month late and I was willing to let her join rather than make her wait until the next quarter.
But I told her she needed to get up to speed and she needed to not hold the class back, which she did.
She was like a robot.
She came in and she just simply followed the steps that I laid down in the program and she just did what she was told.
She had her first paying client 16 weeks into the program and she has just crushed it from there.
Now I mentioned that I use Kelsey whenever I doubt something or question something in the program, and the reason that I do this I use her as my gauge is because she was proof that the program worked.
She was proof that if you followed the steps, you could have success.
And I don't doubt much in the program because I know it works, because it's exactly the things that I did to build a multimillion dollar business.
But whenever a student was frustrated with their lack of progress or whatever, I had to run their complaint through my Kelsey filter, if you will, because Kelsey wasn't a unicorn.
She just simply came in, didn't make excuses, she followed the program and she just did a great job.
So one last thing I also want to tell you is that I did an initial interview with her and then I did a follow-up a year later.
So if you were listening to this in real time, you're going to want to listen next week to follow up and hear her one year interview.
So enjoy my interview with Kelsey.
The reason that I really wanted to do this and I put several of you guys on the spot to do it is because I like to learn from somebody who is just a little bit ahead of me, somebody who is I always put in an example of weight loss.
I don't want to learn from somebody who is in the best shape of their life, lost a hundred pounds, all that stuff Like I want to learn from somebody that's like, maybe lost 10, you know so.
So I think that that's really helpful because we have the student interview or the, the business interviews of people who have their business going.
They sure teach the students a lot.
But I think and that's why I wanted to do this is because it's also helpful to be like, okay, well, she can do it.
And you, you know, being the first student of the program to have your first real paying customer 16 weeks in, I think that really makes it feel doable from other people versus, you know, there's me saying, hey, I've done this and I've accomplished this and I make this much, and blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, that's nice to know it's possible, but sometimes just knowing that that person who's just a little bit ahead of you, , is what's bigger win in myself.
So, with that said, , let's just jump to our cheat sheet here and tell us a little bit about you, who you are and what brought you to my own sure? .
So my name is kelsey.
I've been a hygienist for a little over 13 years in dentistry for 17. , my story is very similar to yours.
I feel like kind of parallels a lot.
Just never have loved hygiene but got married to the paycheck.
Then life, you know, like I was moving across the country by myself starting a new thing oh, I'll worry about finding another career later.
Then I got married, then I had kids.
You know it was just like never a good time to start something new, but I'd heard about it here and there.
And then last fall the doc that I had worked for for nine years pretty quickly sold her practice and I was planning for her to be the last dentist I ever worked for.
I did not want to work for anybody else and I was like I have to figure this out and so started kind of Googling, as I had done a thousand times. , and then reached out to my first boss, who I worked for for three years, right out of hygiene school in another state, and we just said you know, I'm looking for something out of hygiene still, and he was like well, look into myofunctional therapy.
He had been doing airway dentistry now for like eight or nine years, probably, I think.
After I left he started and I was just like I don't know.
So I sat on it for a couple of weeks and then did one night like did a deep Google dive and I was just like, oh my gosh, this is it.
That is so awesome, number one, that your dentist knew.
So you know, in the world where I'm always saying, okay, 99 dentists are going to steer you wrong, and the 1%, so that's awesome.
So that's kind of serendipitous, like things happen at the right time and I'm a firm believer that things don't happen to us, they happen for us, and it's like why?
Didn't that happen Because energetically you had some blocks you like.
It just wasn't the right time.
So, you Googled it.
You Googled it. , and then, how did you come come across me?
Yeah, so I looked into a few different training programs. , pretty, I did my research, I feel like and I just kind of kept coming back to you, just your story, how much it paralleled with mine and your personality.
I was just like I feel like she's my people and yeah, and then I, when I reached out to you, like in an email, you got back to me really quickly and and same, just like, had really good vibes.
I just felt, felt really good about it and I actually you had already started this class and you let me in, like a month late I think, and because you're like, if you can bust it and not hold the class back, then I'll let you in.
And that's what we did.
And yeah, I just got goosebumps.
So not only are you an example of the first client or the first student who has the first paying client, but you also came in a month after everybody else and worked to get yourself cut up.
So, like you remind me of me in that.
You know, when I jumped in, I was like, okay, well, here I go because I don't fail.
I don't have a history of failing.
I don't know how I'm going to figure this out, but I know that everything is figureoutable and I'm going to do it.
So that also, I think is is worth celebrating, you doing that.
So getting yourself caught up and and, , I think I've let a couple other students in late, one for sure, but you were just the one, like I wanted to get into the live classes and the coaching, so I had to just get caught up. , but correct me if I'm wrong isn't it kind of addicting once you get started?
Oh, I've nerded out it's.
I actually had a friend who she's out of hygiene now but she did my offer a little bit in in an office so she kind of just got burned out on all of it, I think.
But I actually just talked to her the other day and she was like it ruins your life in the best way because, like, you nerd out on it but you can't unsee it everywhere.
So yeah, I love that.
It ruins your life in the best way, and for me personally it probably.
You know, I've always obviously had this personality, but I spent.
I'm a recovering people, pleaser.
And.
I think that in this role, where you have to ruffle feathers or you have to step on toes, like it has really taught me about bravery, because I have, you know, every time I have a conversation with somebody who doesn't understand what I do, or doesn't understand or believe, you know, like it forces me to to communicate in a way that I never had, which has really changed, I would say, my personality for the better, cause I always tell people I really am a shy person, you know, and they're like really, there's no way I am a shy person.
I can sit in a room If nobody ever talks to me.
I will never talk to them because I'm just not that going.
Okay, so, , so you answered, , how you first heard about it, how did you know that it was for you, like, what was the thing?
You might've touched on this a little bit, but but how did you know in your heart of hearts?
So first off, like just kind of doing the, it was Google and sort of finding social media.
You know.
Also, once I found your program, then I found your socials and it was just all very I feel like so many dots were immediately connected and I was like why don't I already know this stuff, like as a hygienist kind of you know, not to say that like all hygienists should be myofunctional therapists, but like we should have the basic knowledge of all these dots that connect, and I was just like this makes so much sense, Like it's relatively simple, that it just makes sense. , and then also, biggest thing is my four-year-old.
There was a missing piece for me with him, with several things. , and I was like this is going on in my own house and , and so that's really where I was, like my mama heart was like I got to help my kid.
So yeah, I think that answers what is your why, like what's going on under your roof, and so I'm going to just kind of extend on that just a little bit.
So in the time that you were in the program, as you started learning things, you were gathering, you know, you were sleuthing around your own household.
So tell me a little bit about how you felt when you took your little guy to see Dr Bynum and found out stuff that you never knew.
Yeah, I mean I, I at that point had pretty I, I, I more went to Dr Bynum because I wanted confirmation that I like wasn't just trying to see a tongue tie.
So that was the thing. , I've been worried about his sleep for a while, a couple of years, and the pediatrician is just kind of like he's fine, you know, and I'm like, but his tonsils are quite large, he's fine, he'll get a growth spurt.
Yeah, knew that he wasn't sleeping well. , and showing some ADHD tendencies sometimes too.
So I knew there was a missing piece.
And then when we started going over symptoms, early childhood and infancy, I was like, oh, we had all a lot of those things and , so when I went to Dr Biedemann, I was pretty confident that he would tell me he had a tie.
But he was.
I was like little bit and he was like more than a little bit.
Yeah, and and it's not an obvious, you know, it's protrusion he can protrude, fine, which, as we know, is worthless, basically information.
So, yeah, it was just really it was good to sort of have an answer.
But now we're in the what do we do about it phase.
So, yeah, so you're going to be able to connect with so many mamas because you're going to you have, , that level of connection with them, , whereas I I had a little bit of the same thing just because of my granddaughter.
But I tell you what I have virtually wiped more mama's tears of like why, why don't we know this?
And it's just so hard because, as you know, we trust our pediatricians and reportedly, of course, it's been years since a pediatrician taught me this, but at that time, 99% don't believe.
So that's really disheartening.
Okay, so tell us a little bit about where you live and where you want to build a business.
Sure.
So I live in Colorado, in the Denver Metro and across the bridge from you, and I plan to have a completely virtual practice.
So would love to serve everywhere in the world or like if my clients start out here and move around or their own vacation can still meet if we need to. , I don't really want to get up at three o'clock in the morning for anybody so.
But if they want to get up at three o'clock in the morning for anybody, so.
But if they want to get up at three o'clock in the morning, that's fine for an international client.
Yeah, you can work it out, because I've had clients across every time zone and it's some of them get a little bit squirrely, but typically it's kind of a compromise, but like what I find right now.
My, that's why I have a day of the week where I offer early morning appointments, because, you know, after a certain point those are the appointments that somebody wants.
I have had somebody in Hong Kong who would get up at a weird time and I think part of that was because she wouldn't schedule her appointments when I told her to, so then there wouldn't be an availability.
I had somebody in London who was seeing me at like two o'clock in the morning and that was because she kept no showing, so she was too embarrassed to ask for anything else.
So she would see me at a weird time, and then I think I've had somebody in Hawaii see me as the sun was coming up.
You know so, but but you make it work.
But yeah, I've never had to do that.
Knock on wood, I don't think I would.
I don't think I would.
There's too many.
You know, this field is growing too much to like.
There's gotta be somebody else who could accommodate better, because I don't want to work those kinds of hours.
That's one of the biggest things of having flexibility in my schedule, okay, so what kind of decisions have you made so far?
You know I'm a big fan of making decisions, taking imperfect action, evaluating, taking more imperfect action, so I teach you guys that we don't keep making new decisions.
So what decisions have you made?
So right off the bat pretty much when I started I was just, I was so ready to go and you offer so many resources, at least at the gold level, to be able to work ahead kind of with business stuff.
I pretty quickly chose a business name, got my LLC registered, started my website, did my website backed off.
I do not, I'm only temping and hygiene now backed off to one to two days a week and yeah, so I have childcare only two days a week.
So I have to sort of work out like I right now I'm mostly working like one day a week temping and then I use Wednesdays as my open day for trying to work on the business.
Awesome.
Those are big decisions.
And you mentioned doing your website.
Like I remember having that, that coaching call with you where you were just like I'm just not paying somebody to do this, I'm going to figure out myself and you're going to have several iterations of your website and, as I teach, you're going to keep adding things to it to make it more a tool for you and getting things automated and stuff.
But the working ahead you know it's called Ditch Hygiene Academy for a reason and a lot of people are like want to be in both worlds for a while or whatever, versus you being like me, I want it out of here as soon as I can be.
So you are thinking ahead, you're planning ahead, you're working ahead into those other modules.
And that's exactly what I did.
Like I finished and had a paying client, you know, when I finished my schooling because I was like, hey, I don't want to fail at this, I'm spending too much time telling people about this new dream that I have, and they all thought I was crazy to walk away from a hygiene job.
And now I'm like I won, they lost, they were wrong.
Okay, what kind of brave conversations are you having?
So because I'm temping now, I'm not just kind of in one office having conversations, only in one office I'm able to network, I feel like pretty well with docs around here and , and I feel like I pretty much talk about my something myofunctional, related with every patient, which I feel like all the offices probably are like wow, this girl is slow, but it's just cause I'm like talking everybody's ear off. , so yeah, I'm in your craft, yeah, yeah, , I just can't not, yeah yeah, how can you? and like I have taught in the course, like you guys have to, that's how you, that's how you perfect your, your explanation, so you don't sound like you're selling a used car to somebody and so you know, like, what you're talking about, because people are always, after that, no like and trust.
So the benefit also of temping is you have no allegiance to anybody.
So if you like you, come into an office, you're a new face there.
Well, what do you do the rest of your time?
Oh, I run my myofunctional therapy company.
What, what is that?
You know, you don't have to hide it, and that's what I found is, it's not a secret.
Oh, that's.
Oh, that's what I do.
That's what I do.
And also, like if somebody were to ever say anything to like don't talk to my clients about sleep apnea.
You're like, wait, you're not talking about sleep apnea.
Yeah, I haven't had any docs yet Like tell me to shut up or anything, but I usually try to find them at some point during the day, if possible, to just be like this is what I'm doing.
And some of them are like, oh, that's cool, like I kind of know about that, you know, send me some info.
And then some are like that's awesome, definitely give me some info.
Some are like okay, neat, so you know, I know they're not my target person.
And the funny thing is is like, yeah, you're not, they're, they're not your, your potato chip human, as I call them, but you're, you're getting still to have conversations and you might be surprised.
Sometimes they come out of the woodwork and unfortunately, a lot of those old conversations that I have had have come out of the woodwork, , incorrectly, you know, like orthodontist, referring somebody to me, , for swallowing for a tongue thrust, but telling the, the client, that they needed, in instagram invisalign first to fix the gaps in the teeth, or else you never learn to swallow correct, like that kind of stuff, and you're like that's actually not how it works.
Let me, me, let me help you understand this.
So sometimes those people coming out of the woodwork, they almost do it out of desperation, but that's how we grow is those conversations? , what boundaries are you setting? .
So I feel like definitely the cutting back work.
But then I have to be really diligent with my time.
When I'm home and I my kids are not here, because I will definitely like go scrub a toilet and fold laundry, and I'll take advantage of my time alone, because I never have that, almost never .
So I, as you teach in the course, the total calendar control.
I'm really trying to do that, especially on my Wednesdays when I am home, and block out time for different things.
You know, a little bit of like website time, a little bit of if I have a client , and then, like today obviously I was sort of prepping for this and working on some marketing stuff, but just sitting down and like focusing, focus time.
And then also with my, with my family, like Fridays when we meet for class.
We don't have childcare that day.
So my husband has kind of had to take that on, which he's willing to do because he knows it's important, but you know he also has a job too.
So we've had to kind of like yeah figure that out.
So you mentioned total calendar control.
That was completely foreign to all of you guys when I taught it to you and it's a hard concept to grasp, but I think you really will find that you make progress if you're focusing on those three essential priorities, because I could get lost for hours in whatever like one task, but it is hard to correct me if I'm wrong.
It's hard to work on your website for an hour and switch gears into something else or switch gears into something else which might be confusing to some other people.
But, like I taught you, you have to be telling people what you do.
You have to be telling people that you can help them.
You also are building a website, so you've got to be doing a little bit of everything so that you're kind of moving along in everything, not just your website, because your website is going to be fantastic, but if nobody's there to look at it, yep, that idea, yep.
What has been a challenge so far for you?
Initially, the financial decision was definitely difficult.
Well, I guess, for me I'm just always I have like money that just so big financial decisions are always very difficult for me.
My husband, though, was like I've never seen you this excited about anything.
So, like just pick, pick what you're going to do and just go for it.
As far as, like, which level you know I was planning to go for, and I did go with the gold, which I'm so happy that I did.
And then, you know, like kit supply like if I wanted to get going, I had to buy kit supplies and pay for web hosting, and you know scheduling program like it's added up, but I know that it is necessary and it'll be worth it for sure and then probably the techie stuff, as far as I feel like you've figured out.
That's the best thing and that's probably one of the next questions is like, I think, figuring that out.
There's a point where you have to cross the line of like or draw the line of okay, I just spent four hours working on whatever when I could have paid somebody for one hour to do it.
But I I also think we need to know how to run our business and we need to know how to run everything my what, the, the work that my team does.
I know how to do it.
I know all of those things.
So that's really important too.
Going back to the financial thing, so it resonates with you a little bit, probably in that last lesson when I was talking about, like, the money mindset , it's a lot to it's, it's a, it's a lot to spend to get in on the gold level, , and it's only gonna depending on when people see this, it's only going to get more expensive.
But I always tell people it's not an investment in me, it's an investment in you and it's the only investment I think for somebody who wants to to do you know, like, who wants to jump in, like we don't just dip our dip, our toe in, we cannonball in.
But it's that mindset thing and you have to trust yourself.
You know people are always saying, well, what's, when will I get a return, or what?
And I'm like that is a fear-based question and you have to figure that out Because, like you, like you're already getting a return on that and these are skills for the rest of your life, not just until next year, and it's also a couple of clients that's.
The other thing is when people are like, oh, dude, it's just a couple of clients.
Yeah.
Well and like the the reason.
The other reason that I chose the gold level is I was when I was telling my husband I was like there's three levels Like my generally, I kind of always go in the middle of the road with most things , but he was like you know, we were looking at the differences together and and just the extra resources available at the gold level, I was like that is going to give me so much time back.
That time I would spend on all those like swipe files and things that you give us in the gold level that I don't have the time for, you know, and so, , that just that stuff is so huge with that level that I chose.
So yeah, , awesome, awesome, that again you keep giving me goosebumps.
Okay, so what has been exhilarating so far?
Well, other than my initial like whew, this is what we're doing.
Okay, let's go.
Just the idea that I'm like captaining my own career ship now, I guess, and I never, ever, ever thought that I would be a business owner.
It was not something that it was ever on my radar.
Really, don't have anybody in my family that's ever been like an entrepreneur, or it's just very.
I'm proud of myself, even just for how much work I've done already and I'm just so excited to for my family, the flexibility, the not having to like fill out a can I take a vacation in six months sheet, you know somebody else deciding my life for me and then just building something that I can be proud of and my family can be proud of.
So yeah, that, all of that, because that's the biggest thing.
When I talk with potential students and they're like, well, I don't know, or maybe I just want something for you in the future, because I have consulted on cases where the boss sells, the practice dies, you know all of these things.
The hygienist gets an injury and suddenly can't do hygiene, and now what you know, and my body, my body is probably the biggest thing that is like thank you, thank you, thank you.
Probably the biggest thing that is like thank you, thank you, thank you.
Because I mean, I've shared this story so many times, but when I was having heart palpitations driving to work, it was time, it was time.
So, okay, how are you staying organized?
Well, again, as you teach the calendar control, so that's a big part of it.
I've always been like a good old paper calendar kind of girl.
So I'm really trying I have my Google calendar that's linked to my scheduling software Really trying to just utilize all of that.
And then, I don't know, just trying to, as a perfectionist type, a person trying to not get too obsessive about anything in particular, like you said, take imperfect action. yeah except organization is the one thing where I do tell students like work on getting those systems or you know getting set up, especially if you're using google drive, you know getting that set up first because you know, when you have almost two terabytes of information on your Google drive, like I do, and you're like, , where is that piece of paper?
Is it an asset, Is it a document?
Was it?
Oh my gosh.
So, you know I take the last two weeks of the year off, and that's not to sit around and eat bonbons, that's to prepare for the next year.
And every year is more organization, like trying to clean up the stuff that I was not organized with early on.
So that's okay to be a perfectionist, but really once you get it set up, you know and just put like, have a plan that's really helpful, yeah, okay.
So what has been your favorite thing so far with the ditch hygiene academy? honestly, I'm not trying to like kiss your butt or anything but.
I think, just you because, , again, the resources available and all of that, there's so many extras that, like, I didn't even expect to have.
Like all the tech videos and like that kind of stuff is huge. , but just the support because I , in addition to being a recovering people pleaser, I'm also just you know, as a lot of us are like a self-doubter and a, I get in my own head and in my own way a lot and I feel like when I'm having those moments, I just happen to, like you, post something on Instagram or in class, like you're just a really good, , cheerleader and empower girl power.
Yeah, awesome, I love that and I take it, I accept that. , and that is what a lot of people you know when they're looking at other programs.
My personality generally is like they just have that vibe like yes or no, you know.
I mean, I specifically obviously don't know people who are like, hey, screw you, I don't like your personality and if I do, I'm not a people pleaser anymore.
So I would be like you are not.
I wouldn't be a good leader for you. , what would you say to somebody who's considering?
Jumping in oh, just do it go gold.
Yeah, there's definitely something to be said for gold, and the reason that it was set up that way is because I w I wanted it to be a very obvious like this is where I need to be.
And it's funny because you talk about doubt.
I'm wondering.
Like I almost shelved my training program because I was like, well, I don't know, there's so many coming on the market and blah, blah, blah.
And my growth team was like do what?
Why this is sitting?
You have so much that you love doing this, but I wanted to over.
You know I always am like, hey, let's over deliver.
And so if somebody asks for something like specifically last week you asked for sleep promotion strategies and guess what, there is now a bonus lesson as of yesterday on strategy so I wasn't.
I was going to tell or I'll tell class on Friday, but, yeah, that's there, because I was like, oh, that's, you know something that I missed along my planning.
It's important.
So we're going to have a bonus module, so that's there.
So, , and I love that also.
You know I like to cheerlead, but I also try and come at you guys with a critical like make you think, for sure.
Yeah, because that has been some of my students in the past, like they wanted me to do everything for them, think for them, give them everything.
And I was like, friend, you got to do something for yourself, you have to think for yourself.
And when I do coaching with my business coaches or my mentors, they answer my questions with a question that makes me so mad.
And then sometimes, just hearing myself answer it, you're like yeah, yeah, yeah, awesome, awesome.
Well, that is the last of my questions.
Wow, my friend, I just re-listened to that interview and right now I feel a whole host of emotions.
Number one I feel so much gratitude for Kelsey for being so open and honest about how she ended up in the Ditch Hygiene Academy.
So, kelsey, if you ever hear this, thank you so much, my friend.
And number two among others.
I feel very proud of myself because of the lives that have been changed by my teachings.
It truly lights my fire and fills me with so much joy to help others.
That is a wrap, my friend.
Make sure you come back next week to hear from Kelsey after her first year in business.
I can't wait to hear the interview again myself.
I will see you next week and we will be back with some more myofunctional therapy business goodness.