Two Reds Are Better Than One

On never giving up (and how to run your business in 60 minutes a month) an interview with Dr Mike Hughes of Deintyddfa Na-Nóg Dental & Implant Team in Bangor, North Wales   We begin our new podcasting year with a story of courage and resilience that has led to the creation of an award-winning specialist referral practice in Gwynedd, even though some local councillors and planning officers did their level best to stop the project before it started.   Mike Hughes shares his history with us - qualifying as a reluctant dentist second time around in Cardiff and then moving on to develop his passion for MaxFax.   After his mentor sold to corporate, Mike continued in that environment for 14 years until his hunger for independence led him to identify a site in a beautiful business park, where his vision was to create a leading specialist led referral centre, a vision that started as a chalk drawing on his driveway.   Local planners thought otherwise and he made BBC news headlines back in 2021, when he eventually

In our final podcast of 2023, there is no guest, instead,  we share our highs and lows of 2023 and also why we are so excited about dentistry in 2024.   In the interview we discuss;   Our highs of 2023 both personally and professionally  Chris's calendar management system - how he plans out his year, often several months ahead; How and why he takes 12 weeks vacation every year  Ashley's announcement - he is finally taking a short sabbatical  Why are they both excited about 2024 in Dentistry    AND MUCH MORE 

S conversation with Lis Hughes - Managing Director - FTA   It’s not often that we get the chance to listen to an industry expert sharing with us her view of the dental landscape since lockdown to the present - and beyond.   Lis arrived at Frank Taylor Associates in 2008 to deliver some consultancy work - and has stayed there ever since, describing the company as a great place to work with nice people.   During our conversation we discuss topics that will be of interest to all existing Owners and equally those who aspire to buy a practice:   The current challenges we face deal flow goodwill values recruitment & retention corporate consolidation white space high interest rates The most important question any potential buyer must ask Why an NHS/private mix represents a good buying opportunity Ideas to maximise the attractiveness of your practice if you want to sell How to get the bank to say “Yes” to funding your purchase Why you need to start talking 2 years before you sell or buy Why a dental plan can

In this latest episode of 'Two Reds are Better than One' Chris and Ashley interview Peter Thomson.    Peter shares many strategies from his latest book 'Paid'    Peter Thomson has been in business for over 51 years and he has been in the Personal Development world for 30 years. He has written 15 books, and produced over a 100 business programmes. This episode was a true masterclass in communication, sales and making sure you get richly rewarded for the value you bring to your patients.    We strongly advise you listen to this podcast twice and make notes, there are some wonderful quotes that will change the way you think and behave.    In this episode, you will discover: The difference between Transactional and Relationship Clients  The real reason (s) why dentists undercharge  Why only a small percentage of clients buy on price  What a client can judge when they do business with you and how it relates to what fees you charge  Why you should learn 'how to sell and then not sell' That sales takes place in th

We asked Claire Nightingale to return as a guest and share with us the pains and pleasure of both buying and selling an orthodontic practice.   This interview will help any dentist (specialist or general) who is interested in embarkation (or disembarkation) from Ownership.   Claire’s first attempt at Ownership was a painful failure and she explains why - and equally why it was another 9 years before she acquired her own business.   In part 1 we talk about that slow journey into Ownership.   In part 2 the challenges of growing a business from “pen and paper” to digital.   In part 3 the necessity to plan your exit a long way in advance.   In part 4 the story of her sale to Dentex - and the mountain climb that is due diligence.   In part 5 the journey into a happy corporate ownership.   Along the way we will hear about family challenges, leading by change, how and asset can turn into a liability in a split second, how to break the news to the team, mop buckets, leases, currency

Ashley and I have known and worked with Gareth and Amanda Small at Helens Bay Dental Practice for so many years that Eddie remembers us as part of their dinner conversation when he and his sister Emily came home from school.   Emily is now a dental therapist working in Dubai and Eddie is a dentist who commutes between London and Helens Bay (just outside Belfast) on a weekly basis.   In this conversation, we trace Eddie’s life so far (one of our youngest ever guests) from thinking about dentistry at the age of 6, becoming more interested in his parent’s work from age 11 and deciding on a dental qualification as soon as his GCSE’s were completed.   Then to the University of Manchester (great choice Eddie) and happy years during which he was expertly mentored by Professor Siobhan Barry and also met numerous people from whom and with whom he learned.   Eddie became Co-President of the Undergraduate Society and helped to chair their annual conference post-Covid.   From this time he also recalls a t

One of the biggest challenges Owners and Practice Managers face is creating a highly motivated team that performs at a top level all of the time. A culture in which everyone loves coming to work to do their best, and in which they know they can reach their full potential.  A culture that very few practices manage to achieve.  Marina and Michael Chan have succeeded within their stunning Dental Practice, Iconic Dentistry & Medispa in Perth in Western Australia.  Not only is the interior of the Practice beautiful, including a self-playing piano in the reception area, creating a surreal atmosphere, that patients love to come to and often travel long distances to visit. Ashley recently delivered an In House Two Day Ethical Sales & Communication Programme for their whole Practice and over lunch, one of their team members commented about the culture and said "It does not get any greener than here" and that is how this interview came about. In this interview, Ashley and Chris grill both Marina an

On this month’s podcast we welcome the former owner of Queen's Gate Orthodontics (South Kensington), Dr. Claire Nightingale - now a part of the Dentex family of practices.   We begin by reminiscing that Chris first heard Claire speak at the 2019 BOS annual conference and, thus inspired, he asked for an interview for his own clients in January 2020.   Claire shared her commitment to digital workflow and virtual consultation, little realising that, just a few weeks later, we would be plunged into lockdown and that, on the return to work, her new business practices would accelerate the growth of her business.   Best Practice UK, Dentistry Awards, 2020. Most Transformed Practice, UK and I Invisalign Awards, 2022 Best Digital Practice, London, Highly Commended, Private Dentistry Awards, 2022 Best Principal, London and South East, Private Dentistry Awards, 2022   As well as being inspired by Claire’s enthusiasm and energy, you will learn:   Why Claire became an orthodontist; Why it is important to start any b

In this month’s podcast we interview Chris Ball - Co-Founder of a super-successful private squat in Preston, Lancashire - Dentistry by Cure Clinics.   For anyone considering future practice ownership, anyone who has purchased or opened a clinic in the last few years - and for anybody who may have “lost their mojo” - this conversation is a must.   Chris shares with us his personal life story and also a detailed account of the planning and execution of the squat opening in May 2022.   By the way - the business has been a huge success story with record sales, full surgeries and they have had to close down the recruitment page on their website BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING TOO MANY JOB APPLICANTS.   You’ll learn that Chris is a local lad to Preston, grew up in a family that instilled his work ethic, discovered dentistry as a trauma patient and managed to get into dental school on his third attempt.   We will discover why the phrase “luck is the meeting place of opportunity and preparation” is to relevant to the circu

This month we meet with Lisa Catto, founder of www.thebusinesscatlayst.co.uk And creator of:   https://idealpatientjourney.com/   who talks to us about the three critical results of the work she does for dental practices: Saving time; Getting organised and Growing sales. Nothing to not like there.   Lisa has run her own businesses since the age of 19 and has a bewildering CV that includes: Turning a roller-skating rink into a rave venue; Running an animation art gallery in central London; Pioneering computer games and digital marketing before the internet “was a thing” and we were using floppy disks and dial up modems!   After a sabbatical in the South of France, she returned to the UK and started working in small business automation before most of us even knew what that meant.   Chris first met Lisa during lockdown, when she was automating an ortho group and he has since witnessed the transformative work she has done with a number of his clients in general practice.

With mental health at the top of the agenda for leaders, managers and in our own lives, we welcomed Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja to this month’s podcast to discover how she has used her own experiences with burnout and depression to help others in dentistry.  

Five years ago, Stuart and Amy Barnes purchased a two-surgery Dental Practice on the first floor above a Thomas Cook Travel Agents in Lytham St. Annes, near Blackpool.   Through incredible hard work, dedication, often working seven days a week, the Practice has expanded to five chairs, fully private and is experiencing record numbers of new patients and turnover.   In this podcast, Stuart and Amy share their story. It was so good, that this was one of the longest podcasts the Two Reds have recorded. It is simply full of gems. The best thing about this interview is you will rarely meet a more down to earth couple.   You will learn;    When buying a Dental Practice, or setting up a squat, why it is important to look at the potential rather than the current situation How being naive and making BOLD quick decisions can often win through From leaflets drops to social media, why you need several different types of marketing and campaigns running at the same time How belonging to Peer and Mastermind Groups is es

We are currently in the most challenging recruitment and retention crises in dentistry for 25 years and if that was not enough, we are also in one of the worst cost of living crises in 40 years.   With people swapping jobs for more money, It has never been more important to look at how to keep and recruit the best talent.   You have to show up as a great leader..   In the latest episode of 'Two Reds are Better than One' Ashley and Chris interviewed David Taylor who like Ashley, was an ex Dale Carnegie Master Leadership Trainer.   David has been delivering Leadership & Management Training for over 30 years, and is an expert in this field.   Whether you a business owner, a Practice Manager, or an an associate, there are many take aways in this inspirational interview.

Today we welcome the co-owner and Operations Director for a 10-practice West Midlands micro-corporate - Tri-Dental - a warm welcome to Polly Bhambra.   Buckle up and get ready for the ride - because Polly is a powerhouse of enthusiasm for what it takes to grow a Champions League dental business in the current challenging landscape.   Polly shares with us her unique childhood and career pathway and in this interview you will learn: About her childhood - one of five children of Indian immigrant parents from India who arrived with nothing in the 1960’s; How her father (known locally as "Mr. Singh") grew his own business and instilled in his children a work-ethic and people-ethic that forms the core values of Tri-Dental today; Why “respect” is one of those core values; Why “bitching is bullying” and what to do about it; The 4 questions Polly always asks herself when interviewing new team members and clinicians; How Tri-Dental onboard new team members and then keep them self-motivated; Polly’s own unique career

An interview with Grant Watson from Envisage Dental Group