Innovating Dentistry: Samantha Jones' Vision for Abundance and Practice Growth

Samantha Jones 0:00

And also focusing on how to make new past experiences. I think that’s really, really important because we carry past experiences with us as human beings and we use those to stimulate how we’re going to react in future situations. And we have the ability with our brain to create new past experiences if we’re really careful and intentional.

Shawn Zajas 0:24

The future of dentistry belongs to the innovators. Welcome to Innovation in Dentistry. I’m your host, Shawn Zajas. And I believe that the future of dentistry is going to be unbelievably great over the next decade and two decades. But the question isn’t that. The question is, are you going to be part of what makes dentistry great?

Shawn Zajas 0:56

So I couldn’t be more excited right now to get to interview Samantha Jones. First of all, I just want to say thank you so much for joining me today, Samantha. I feel like we haven’t known each other long enough, but I also can’t believe I didn’t meet you already because of everything you’re doing in dentistry. And I know the first time we actually talked, I looked at my phone and it’s like, oh, 50 minutes has gone by. And I feel like we could have done that all day. So again, thank you for being here with me today.

Samantha Jones 1:29

Well, thank you for having me. I feel the same way. It was like, this is a cool dude. I know I need him in my circle. And I’m very excited to be here to chat about some awesome stuff with you today. Thank you for having me.

Shawn Zajas 1:44

So I always feel like I need to tell people this, like I love innovation, but it’s not about technological innovation or clinical innovation. It’s all about like, what is it that gets somebody to feel that permission to really step up and pioneer, to really like bet on themselves and be like, you know what? Like, why not me? I see a problem in the industry. I’m going to bet on myself. Like, I want to be that answer. I was just at an event and there you were emceeing the event, doing such an amazing job. On one of the panels, there you are sharing about DSOs and just dropping these nuggets, helping the crowd about how do we can understand that market. There’s so much you’re doing in dentistry. And I just want to know how the heck did you even get in this crazy industry?

Samantha Jones 2:31

Well, that’s funny. One of the things that I think you asked me in a previous conversation, Shawn, was like, do you love dentistry? And my answer is, well, it’s complicated because my start in dentistry was really accidental. And I certainly did not intend to make a 27-year career in dentistry. That was never the plan. And where I can say that there are so many things that I love about this industry and that I’m grateful to this industry for everything that I’ve been able to accomplish, I would also say it’s not been easy. And there were definitely moments. I mean, I’m the type of person that just will keep it real. And there have definitely been moments in my career that I have not loved dentistry and I have not loved my experiences. But just like anything, we have to take those experiences and turn them into innovation. We have to innovate our own lives at times. And that’s what I’ve tried to do throughout the course of my career.

Samantha Jones 3:34

I got started when I was in my teen years. It was my high school job. I felt super special to have this cool high school job. My friends were working at the ice cream shop, so I felt super professional. And when tragedy struck in my early adulthood, I came back to dentistry. It was going to give me the things that I needed to be able to be a single mom, support my son and myself, and keep me from being a statistic. And so I love that about dentistry. And it gave me a path to what now is a very incredible and amazing career that I have. And so I’ve done a few things in dentistry. I’ve been, I started for, I have humble beginnings. I started, I’m very proud of this. I started as a treatment coordinator behind the desk. My latest position in dentistry was as a COO. So I had a seat at the table as a chief in a DSO that I helped to build. And then I decided to spread my wings and start my own business.

Shawn Zajas 4:45

Okay. I just feel like that could be like a title of a book from treatment coordinator to COO, like the story arc. What was that? The book’s coming?

Samantha Jones 4:56

There is a, the book, the book is coming. The book is being written right now.

Shawn Zajas 5:00

Wow. Well, Hey, our guests get a little preview.

Samantha Jones 5:04

Yes.

Shawn Zajas 5:05

To some of the, some of the things that Samantha Jones is baking in her kitchen. That’s exciting.

Samantha Jones 5:09

Yeah, I’m very, it’s actually so interesting. So this is how things come full circle. When you’re open to opportunity and things in front of you. My dream was to be a journalist. I wanted to write. I wanted to pursue some type of writing career. And that didn’t happen. I ended up in dentistry. Right. And so at this juncture in my life, I’ve gathered and collected all of these experiences and all of these things as a woman, as a mother, as an entrepreneur, as an employee. And I’m, I’m writing the book. The book is being written. So it’s full circle.

Shawn Zajas 5:44

Yeah. So I, what I’m always curious about is like, what mindsets did you realize you either had to shed in this journey over the last 27 years? Or did you have to embrace so that you could be where you’re at today? I mean, to be able to be guilty of helping start a DSO, like that’s awesome. And then be a chief, you know, chief operating officer. And then now be starting your own business. You’re, you’re in the driver’s seat. Like you’re doing what you want on your terms for the impact that you care about. But I’m guessing 27 years ago, it wasn’t like that. So tell me about your journey when it comes to those mindsets that you had to be like, you know what, this isn’t serving me anymore. And this is something I need to evolve into.

Samantha Jones 6:35

I love that question because mindset is something that I study. It’s something that I believe is the catalyst to us being the pilot of our own lives. And so I love this question. So, you know, just to kind of identify some of the mindsets that I have either adopted and learned or had to unlearn. I have to start and honor the very first mindset that I recognized as mindset. And that was, I found it. I found this mindset shift in a journal, a journal entry that I had written. And it was, I had written it, it was two days before I was getting ready to start my new job, my new job as a treatment coordinator in a dental practice. And the journal entry read, don’t laugh, okay? Promise you don’t laugh. I talk about this in my speaking engagements and I always ask for permission for people just to not laugh. I wrote in my journal, no, actually you can laugh, it’s okay. I wrote down in my journal and I quote, watch out world, here I come. I’m going to be the best damn treatment coordinator this side of the Mississippi. And it makes me giggle because it is funny. Like, it’s funny to think about that. But in that moment, I, that journal entry like took me back and it reminded me like I had

Samantha Jones 8:00

been through a lot of stuff at that point in my life when I had created that journal entry. And I was working through some very, very hard, sticky, crunchy stuff. And in that moment, I recognized that this young version of Sam had decided, you know what, this isn’t the path that I chose. But it is the path right now. And if it is, I am going to be the best damn treatment coordinator this side of the Mississippi. And that’s exactly what I did. And I think that that initial mindset, which by the way, the Watch Out World Mindset is actually now a charitable organization that I run called WOW Readiness Program. I work with underserved women in the Kansas City area. I help them build a resume. I help them. I do mock interviews with them. I have amazing people in our industry that donate professional clothing. And so I outfit them in some awesome, you know, professional look. I take them to the salon and then I help with job placement for them. So that journal entry, that mindset shift has done.

Samantha Jones 9:00

So much for the entirety for me. But that’s where it started. I’ve had to abandon scarcity mindsets a lot. My money mindset was very fractured for a good portion of my early adulthood and certainly my childhood. And so I’ve definitely had to work with that. And that’s still a work in progress. I still have to check that mindset on a regular basis. Fear-based mindset. I’ve had to kick that one to the curb. But I have definitely embraced an abundance mindset, that watch out world mindset. And, you know, I think I’m an ever-evolving human in this space of making sure that I’m protecting my mind and the functions that are happening up there inside of my brain as I maneuver through and I’m creating the movements in my life.

Shawn Zajas 9:53

I didn’t know that your wow stood for watch out world.

Samantha Jones 9:58

Yeah, not many people do, but it’s very me. That’s where it is. That’s what it says.

Shawn Zajas 10:05

Okay, so did you have seeds of that watch out world or little sprouts before that time? Like where you can look back and be like, okay, like, you know, I kind of knew that I was a presence. I knew that, I don’t know, that I could make it in the world or that I had these gifts that I wanted to serve with. I just didn’t have the opportunity yet. Like where, where do you feel like you might’ve seen that early on?

Samantha Jones 10:30

You know, that’s a great question. I think that that’s something that I’ve actually examined before. And I don’t think that there’s some defining moment in my life where I said, you know what, I think there’s potential inside of me. Instead, I think I had to rely on a whole lot of other people in the watering of those seeds, if you will, before I really could believe that myself. And I think that that’s where one of the things that I teach in my work is before we’ll talk about your business operation, I want to, we need to make sure we’ve addressed some self stuff and then the home operation. Because the home operation, your support system, the people that surround you can do really incredible things for you. And they can also really do some bad things for you. So making sure that those spaces are healthy is really important. And for me, I think that recognizing my potential maybe came first from a lot of other people that believed in me and reminded me of who I was and where I came from. And where I was going.

Shawn Zajas 11:43

Now, tell me, I feel like one of the arcs that I’ve seen in so many successful people is that almost like their strengths got forged in the midst of adversity or challenge and difficulty. How did adversity play a role in your life or in your journey to help get you to where you’re at today?

Samantha Jones 12:06

A huge role. Adversity has played a huge role in my current space in the world, if you will. You know, I think that in terms of career, every step on the ladder that I have taken has been initiated by some form of adversity. And I’m just simply not afraid of it anymore. Like I have, I have changed my mindset about adversity. In fact, I think that to a degree, I look at it with, where I used to look at it with like utter displeasure and despair and all of that. I, there’s a part of me that embraces it in a much more loving way now in my life. And, um, I’m actually really grateful for that. So where adversity is scary, um, or challenging at times, um, I embrace it. And I know that on the other side of it is like that next step or that next, uh, spot or whatever. And so I, I’m, I’m open and I know that I can, um, adversity has empowered me for sure.

Shawn Zajas 13:29

So I am curious, Samantha, if there’s a moment, some dark night of the soul moment that you remember where, I don’t know, maybe you weren’t sure the path ahead was clear. Maybe you weren’t sure you’d be able to get back up and make it. And obviously you did, you’re here, but what did you do to, to get back up or to forge through?

Samantha Jones 13:54

Yeah, well, a multitude of things is what I did. And yes, I think that there’s a couple of moments that I could pull from that I felt like I don’t know what’s about to happen or where I’m about to land or if the net will appear. But I’m going to jump because this is not right for me. And I think that for me, what I draw on in those moments are a couple of things. Again, I will go back to the people that are around me all the time, my support system, the people that I love the most in the world, which in my case happened to be family members. My husband, who is an incredible human being, and I have two really incredible kids. I feel like the most blessed mom in the world because my children are cool. Like they’re fun to be around. I love mothering them. It’s great. And so those are the, that is the space that I draw the most on in those moments of those dark soul spaces and the adversity. But I have a lot of other coping mechanisms too. I have to, sometimes other people can’t give you what you need. And I have learned to draw upon myself. And the best thing, I mean, for me, I need to escape and I need to get clear.

Samantha Jones 15:14

And I need to, I refer to it as the vortex. You know, we live in simulation all the time in our brains. That’s how our brains work. We time travel in the mind. And if you can’t take time in those moments of adversity, particularly to just remove the vortex, all of the distractions that are around us all the time, and just sit with that adversity and get clear on how you’re going to attack it. It’s going to be a struggle over and over and over again. So for me, getting out of those moments was really about quieting my mind and quieting my environment and really thinking through my future self and also focusing on how to make new past experiences. I think that’s really, really important because we carry past experiences with us as human beings and we use those to simulate how we’re going to react in future situations. And we have the ability with our brain to create new past experiences if we’re really careful and intentional.

Shawn Zajas 16:27

Okay, that seems really, really fascinating. So if I think I know what you’re understanding or what you’re saying is that some event happens in the past, it happened, but the way that we saw it or the story we told ourselves about it or the way that we brought meaning of what that means about me as a person and my self-worth, that’s where we can almost reshape?

Shawn Zajas 16:50

Yes. Okay. So it’s so cool because I know you have such a passion for neuroscience and I don’t have any clue where this came from. Like what thrust you into that space? Was it, was it a curiosity and a hunger that you always had?

Samantha Jones 17:07

Yeah, no. I, it was not. It was, again, it came out of some adversity. Like as a coach working, you know, people have hired me to come in and look at their business operation, right? Well, it’s really hard to look at someone’s business operation and all the challenges that they’re experiencing, at least in the dental industry. And I think probably this could be said for any industry that has people in it. When you have something happening and you start to pull back the later layers of it, it’s always related to our inability to communicate on very clear, healthy, impactful, awesome levels, and then understand what each person is coming to the table with. And so this whole curiosity and passion for neuroscience came as my hunger to be a better coach for the people that I work with and to be able to help them. I could quickly recognize that the issue with their accounts receivable had nothing to do with, I mean, yes, it had to do with the accounts receivable. It was a problem. It’s a challenge.

Samantha Jones 18:17

But it all stemmed back to how that whole idea of somebody needs to work on the accounts receivable came to life and it wasn’t explained and the expectations were unclear and then people didn’t get it and they were screwing it up and nobody talked to them about their errors. And it’s just this, like, it’s the vortex. It’s this place that we get into where we don’t have a deep understanding of what we need to do and how we should explain that or what we need from other people. And all of that is related to how our brain functions. And for me, I needed to solve that and learn that so that I could help people see their adversity and their challenges in a way that could really make sustainable difference in the thing that they identified as the problem, the business operation or the part of the business operation. So that’s where it came from.

Shawn Zajas 19:10

Yeah. So your quest for just greater impact led you to one of the tools that, just like so many of the other business tools, dentists aren’t trained for. Their team isn’t trained for. So there’s these massive blind spots. And I think most teams probably have some sense of like, okay, we’re not really equipped here. There’s some things we don’t know. But I think often people don’t know what they don’t know. They’re just kind of like, something’s wrong. You know, you go to the doctor, fix it, you know, diagnose me because I don’t know why. Wow, Samantha, you are like a natural coach. I could see how you, although I still can’t see in a linear way, how you went from treatment coordinator to coach.

Samantha Jones 20:00

That’s because it’s not linear. It was all over the place.

Shawn Zajas 20:06

But you’ve just been so open to go where, A, your strengths take you, but also like this drive to continue to just make wherever you are better, to not look down at the starting place of a treatment coordinator, to not feel like it’s beneath you, but at the same exact time to have that watch out world mentality, here I come. And I’m just going to make it the best I can. And if all of a sudden people see my strengths and they see the difference I’m making, and they’re like, oh, you know, Samantha, we could, you know, use you over here, or you start seeing ways that you can bring more value. I think that is so uncommon. And I love that because that’s way more the entrepreneur, the entrepreneur that’s like, I don’t need to, I don’t need someone to take my hand and guide me, you know, into the right path, you know, forward. I see something and I’m like, oh, I can fix that. Or I can be the answer. You know, it’s much more like the locus of control is on me. I can take responsibility and accountability that I want to go somewhere in life. But that’s where I see sometimes dentists and their team struggle because they’re sometimes more reactionary and passive. So, you know, in what ways do you primarily, are you still, are you still coaching? Is that something that you’re doing?

Samantha Jones 21:28

I am. Yes, I’m still coaching. I’m doing a multitude of other things too. But yes, coaching is still something that feeds my soul. And so I think that will always be a part of what I do. So yes, I’m still coaching.

Shawn Zajas 21:46

What mindset do you see that dentists or the team struggle with that keeps them from breaking through or elevating and going to the next level?

Samantha Jones 21:59

You know, I would say that the two resounding mindsets that I feel like I have to work through with clients and their teams is scarcity mindset and fear. There is a lot of fear-based mindset in dentistry from so many different angles and rightfully so. But I will tell you the name of my company is Create Wise Movement. And I really, there’s many reasons why I wanted to name my company that. But one of them is because I really believe that when we can take control of our mindset, we can create a life we love and everyone wins. And it’s just, it’s okay. Like it is okay. But in dentistry, there’s all these things that are so scary.

Samantha Jones 22:47

And whether it’s for team members or the dentist owner or whomever it is, there’s so much fear in that industry that it creates a lot of trauma inside of our industry. And I want to be a part of a movement that reminds us that it doesn’t have to be that way. We can make a lot of money in dentistry. And we can also have really great, healthy, blissful lives as well. And so can our teams. We can all benefit from this. So I want to, I want to be a part of shifting the scarcity mindset into an abundance mindset and a hundred percent just really moving out of that fear-based mindset that I think is really, really hovering over our industry.

Shawn Zajas 23:32

Do you feel like a lot of the fear is simply because I know, so I don’t feel like I always was an entrepreneur. And if I was, I wasn’t very mature in that. Like it’s been something I’ve had to develop. And cultivate because one of the tensions that I’ve wrestled with that a lot of, um, more natural born entrepreneurs like Gary V maybe don’t. And that’s the, the idea of like, there is no certainty or there’s no guarantee that this is going to work. Um, and I remember so much of my learning that I thought I was learning was in the boardroom. It was in this place of like concepts and theories. And I never actually just launched what I was doing into the marketplace to see. If what I thought was actually true, we’re like true learning takes place when you own it, when you actually ship it, when you get vulnerable and see how does the marketplace respond. But there’s a fear also of like, there isn’t a certainty. Like I might fall. Um, I might embarrass myself. And I just feel like sometimes a lot of the ways that the dentists are wired is obviously clinically, they’re trying to reduce liability as much as they can. No one’s wanting malpractice suits. No one’s wanting

Samantha Jones 24:45

any of that headache. But then at the same exact time, now, when they switch to like business owner, that’s a completely different lens where now you have to have a relationship with risk, bunch of complexities. Yeah, for sure. I definitely think that that’s where that fear-based mindset, um, roots itself is in those, in those dynamics for sure. And I think, I think it’s interesting because when you have the leader of the pack experiencing that, um, you know, that battle with that fear-based mindset, it’s definitely going to influence the people that work, um, for you or with you, um, to try to like combat that. And it’s just, it’s backwards to me and my mind. And from what I’ve learned, that is, that is the hard way. That’s the hard road. That’s, that’s a backwards approach at what’s in front of us. And, um, it can be done. And there’s science,

Samantha Jones 25:42

evidence-based science that tells us that we can change that experience if we just stop and think about how we’re thinking and, and try to put a new lens on it and, and give it a spin and see what happens. And that’s scary for a lot of people, especially, I mean, we are both entrepreneurs. We know what risk is. We know what it’s like to take a chance on, uh, ourselves and other people. And that, that can be scary if you’re not careful. It doesn’t have to be though. It doesn’t. And I think that, you know, when I talk about creating new past experiences, that’s exactly what I’m referring to is if we could just, if we could just take a breath and just think about what’s possible. Imagine instead, if it does work out and it is an amazing, you know, team and it’s, it’s an amazing idea and it’s an, it’s an amazing, you know, risk. Like imagine that, like what stops us from having that mindset first,

Shawn Zajas 26:40

but a lot does. All of our past experiences do. I was going to say, you probably just answered it. Um, what I was going to say, but like, like how do you overcome the whole, there’s no, there’s no guarantee like the definite, you know, failure and the idea of what failure is, um, you know, and just even like self doubt. Like I know, I know I always find myself comparing myself to like the best of the best in every area. It’s like, if I’m going to write a book, I’m thinking, Oh my gosh. Well, is it going to be like Simon Sinek saying, you know, uh, you know, if I’m going to give a speech, I don’t know who I’m thinking, but do you know what I mean? And then I just keep finding myself like woefully inadequate. And if I keep telling myself those stories or judging myself based off that criteria, I’m not encouraged to step out. I just want to hide.

Samantha Jones 27:30

Right. Yeah. I mean, for me, um, I am not immune to major imposter syndrome. I mean, it is.

Shawn Zajas 27:38

So you’re human, you’re human, Samantha.

Samantha Jones 27:40

1,000%. And I am constantly, constantly dealing with those same things, but really all that is, is it’s activity in the brain. That’s all it is. And me, the soul of Sam, who I truly am in the deepest parts of my hearts and soul, know that I, I am here for a reason. I do have a purpose and somebody needs me. And, um, the, the way in which I will be, um, is plucked or placed into that person’s life is not really mine to figure out. Instead, I just need to keep showing up as who I am and what I know that I have in my heart to offer and bring. And I do have some like actual exercises that I take myself through when I’m hijacked and I’m, I’m feeling, um, emotionally stimulated by some of my own thoughts or maybe some of other people’s thoughts about me or comments about me. And, you know, it’s, for me, it’s a writing exercise because writing is what brings me joy. And it’s, it helps me to, to dump what’s happening in that brain activity somewhere else. And just, it’s almost like a tangible exercise of like, here it is. Now, here it is. Now I can do whatever I want. I can burn this baby. I can rip it up, whatever. Um, but for me, I do have exercises that help me to manage the mindset that I know is not healthy to help bring me back into this space that I know is going to serve me best.

Shawn Zajas 29:06

So I am just like, so fascinated by the energy you bring, the passion you have for the stuff that you’re talking about. Um, like where is Samantha Jones going over the next five? I won’t say 10, just just say three to five years. Like give us a glimpse because I just want to see a, how I can support you, but also how, how other people can just join along in this journey.

Samantha Jones 29:31

Thank you. I appreciate that. Well, Samantha Jones, uh, I, I said it in third person again. You made fun of me last time we talked and I said that.

Shawn Zajas 29:40

I love it. Shawn does that too. So don’t worry about it. Now we both officially freaked out the listeners.

Samantha Jones 29:48

Thank you for joining the club, Shawn. I appreciate your support. Um, so Samantha Jones in three to five years, uh, hopes to be touching lives even outside of the dental industry. Um, you know, I really have a heart for, um, women who are mothers who are interested in starting or owning their own business. And I want to tell them they can, and it is possible and I can show them how. Um, so my hope is that I touch many lives and I help many people create a life that they love, whether that’s in their business or

Samantha Jones 30:30

in their homes or whatnot. I plan to do that by writing a book and sharing my own stories. I plan to do that by, um, showing up as a coach for those that need that kind of love and handholding and touch. Um, I plan to do that in retreats, which is the thing I’m most excited about, where I bring people into spaces where we create a very specific feeling environment to allow for that childlike creative, uh, imaginative mindset to come back to life so that you can create space for the things that you want in your life. And just to be honest with you, and I know this probably sounds really cliche and I’m sorry, but it’s true is that I really believe that I am here to share light and love. And that is the mark that I want to leave on this world. And I think that I wake up every day trying to figure out how I can do that with, um, I’m like tearing up here. Um, with, you know, just being authentic and, um, sharing my own stories and vulnerability and, um, love is how I will do that in the world. So where I have a plan in three to five years, I am also very open to whatever adversities come my way and whatever opportunities present, uh, to me where I can step in and live that purpose because that’s truly why I’m here.

Shawn Zajas 31:57

Okay. A, you just dropped, like you, you just, you’re like sharing your mindset just by the way that you speak, the declarations that you’re making, the way that you’ve embraced humility in light of humanity. And yet at the same time, you’re compelled to pour out what you’ve been given. You’re compelled to like, let the light that’s in you shine to help other people and all that adversity that you have gone through for the gold. That’s come out of that to be a gift that you give to other women and just people so that you can empower them to get to that place of fulfillment. And I, that’s why I’m such a fan of yours. Like, I love what you’re doing.

Samantha Jones 32:39

Thank you. I love what you’re doing too. It’s very synergistic. And I know that we share very similar values in the way we approach things. And that’s why this is such an amazing, easy conversation. And I’m grateful that you’re creating spaces where people can be their true, authentic self and share their true, authentic purpose. Because that is important. That is, that is, that is being, that is, that is it. That is where it’s at. And so thank you for creating that space here. I appreciate that.

Shawn Zajas 33:11

Well, thank you, Samantha. So in the spirit of honor, is there someone you would like to honor as an innovator or pioneer in the space that you just want to get a little bit of recognition now?

Samantha Jones 33:23

Wow. Yes. And this might, this might be an interesting one. So it’s actually my grandfather. My, my grandfather. I don’t know if you were looking for me to, to identify somebody in this industry. So sorry. Was that, was I supposed to do? No. Am I answering the question? Okay.

Samantha Jones 33:44

Yes. You’re doing great. You’re doing good. Okay. Okay. Good. Because, um, there’s just no other person that I would look to as sort of this, um, model of innovator than my grandfather. Um, I will give you the 32nd version of this man. He, um, was, uh, he was 10 years old during the great depression. Um, his, his mother died, uh, while he was that age, his father was too poor to take care of them. Um, so his father dropped him and his younger brother off in a, an abandoned field. And my grandfather for 18 months, um, survived off of other people’s gardens, um, bugs and mice that he could catch to eat in an abandoned, um, uh, barn, um, in the middle of, in a, in a town called Sligman, Arkansas. And, um, my grandfather, um, went on to own his own business, to, uh, raise a beautiful family, to create a legacy that is something that Kings would be proud of. And, um, he, um, he was never a rich man, um, in the bank account, uh, space, but his riches were so, I mean, he, he looked as if he were wearing gold because of the way he shined. And, and so his ability to take adversity and create this innovative future, um, for himself and, and really change the game for his family and his legacy is something that, um, I always think about. That’s where I come from. And so just to honor him, um, his name was Frank Patterson.

Shawn Zajas 35:21

Okay. That is beautiful. And every sense of it, Sam, like, thank you so much for sharing that. Um, I know you are also such a curious learner. Um, is there a book that really has just helped shape you, um, that you think could help our listeners?

Samantha Jones 35:37

Yeah. Um, the book that I read every January. Um, so this is a book I read about 16 years ago and I read it every January. It’s like my tradition. It’s called a new earth by Eckhart Tolle. Um, Eckhart Tolle made me see his book, made me look at myself in a very different way. It was probably one of the first, um, triggers of curiosity around neuroscience and maybe just understanding that neuroscience was a thing and that there is a deeper layered part of who we are that we’re not even familiar with. And so that book really helped me to think about myself differently, which in turn made my relationships different. It made my experiences different, um, all which are better. And it helped me to take care of myself in a better way. So it’s a book I highly recommend just because it it’s deep and you have to read it several times sometimes. Cause you’re like, wait, what does that mean? Um, but it’s really good. And it does, if you’re open to it, it’ll allow you to think about yourself in a different way, or maybe that you hadn’t thought of before.

Shawn Zajas 36:46

Well, thank you for sharing that. I do want to know when it comes to, um, innovation in any sort of way, the future that you see in dentistry, um, I don’t know over the next five years, over the next 10 years, how do you see, um, innovative changes or, or things shaping the future of dentistry?

Samantha Jones 37:08

Well, I think that innovative things have always shaped the future of, uh, what we know as progress in the dental industry. Um, I think that that’s going to continue to perpetuate. And I think that we need to be very intentional today about what that looks like for small private practice owners. Um, there is definitely, um, a fear around, um, you know, big, huge, um, DSOs taking over our industry. And I just don’t think that that’s going to be a thing. Um, we are all humans. And if we can work together to protect this beautiful industry that we’ve all created and, um, lived in, um, if we do that by recognizing both the people side, and the process side, um, through the innovative things that are all around us, um, and through just deep understanding of who we are and who other people are, I think we’re going to continue to see our industry thrive and, um, experience abundance and all of those things. So I, you know, I tend to focus on the people in the processes. Um, and I really think if we focus on the people side of things, our ability to continue to

Shawn Zajas 38:26

innovate our industry is just going to thrive. It’s just going to skyrocket. Okay. So someone’s listening and they’re like, Oh my gosh, I love this person. And I want to find out how she can be a consultant or coach to my, you know, my company, my practice. How do they reach you? Well, what’s the best way to connect to Samantha? Yeah, you should, you should either call me. Um, cause it’s like that. I’m a little old school in that way. Um, I suppose you could text me. That’d be

Samantha Jones 38:56

cool too. Um, a phone call, a text, an email. Um, I keep it pretty personal, especially right out of the gate as we figure out what people’s true needs are. Um, so my email is Samantha at cre8wise.com, which is C R E the number eight W I S E. Uh, my phone number is 785-331-9087. Um, and the that’s, that’s how you can, that’s how we can kick it off and see how I could maybe, um, be a part of your life and serve you in a way that might help you create a life that you love.

Shawn Zajas 39:36

I love what you are doing. So did you get to say enough about your retreats? Is there anything you want to say? Is there one coming up? Is there a plan? Like anything you want to bring attention to around those retreats?

Samantha Jones 39:48

The retreats are, um, they are coming soon. Um, so if you’re interested in getting on the wait list, I’m going to keep them very small and intimate. Um, I have already begun a wait list. Um, I’m nailing down dates and locations currently, but they’re going to be in a beautiful space. Uh, that is everything you’d want when you want to just kind of relax, rejuvenate and re-energize. Um, and, um, so if you’re interested, just shoot me an email, I’ll put you on the waiting list. And as information unfolds, I will, I will talk very passionately about, uh, the retreats coming up because they’re under construction and it just gives me so much joy to be creating, um, this particular, uh, part of my business because it’s very heart centered. I’m very excited about it. Thank you for allowing me to speak to that.

Shawn Zajas 40:36

I mean, Samantha, I see the ways in which you’ve been able to help practices and I can see that that is incredibly meaningful. But wow, like I’m beyond convinced that the transformation that you’re going to be able to do at these retreats is like second to none. Like, like it’s just a different type of value offering. Um, that is so much more aligned with who you are. Not that again, you create powerful impact and change in dental practices. Yeah. But you can transform lives. Yes. So I’m just like, I’m excited. Like the people I care about, I’m like, go to Samantha’s retreat.

Shawn Zajas 41:12

Thank you. High five. Yes. Okay. So let me, let me close with this one. Um, Samantha, let’s see. So did you do an undergrad?

Samantha Jones 41:26

I’m sorry. Say that again. Did you do an undergrad? I’m just trying to get like a year here. I, okay. Yeah. My beginning, my beginning story is, um, my biggest adversity story. Um, we’ll have to do another podcast for that one sometime. Um, and we’ll have to warn everybody to bring their tissues and all of that. Um, I didn’t have that opportunity. I’m, I’m back in school now studying neuroscience.

Shawn Zajas 41:54

Okay. So pick an age between 16 and 24 that we can use for this question.

Samantha Jones 41:58

Oh, how about 22?

Shawn Zajas 42:02

Okay. So Samantha Jones of today is walking past 22 year old Samantha and you only have a moment to share one sentiment with her. What do you want to share?

Samantha Jones 42:17

I would tell her that she has everything she needs to live a life of love and joy. And that in trusting that she will bring love and joy to many other people. That’s what I would remind her of in that moment. She would have been a brand new mom who was supporting a child out of tragedy on her own. And she would have needed to hear that. So that’s what I would tell her. And it would be true.

Shawn Zajas 42:56

Okay. That is, yes, that is amazing. And at the same time, it’s intriguing because people are going to have to circle back for round two. When I interview Samantha, we actually find out what happened. And I want to know. I’m curious. You’re leaving me hanging.

Samantha Jones 43:11

I know, neither are you. You can come to one of my speaking engagements. It’s how I always introduce myself. Everybody gets to know the starting point story of Samantha Jones’ life. It’s very vulnerable, but it’s important for people to know what’s possible. I think that the basis of neuroscience is remembering what’s possible. So I always like to remind people that anything is possible if you decide it for yourself.

Shawn Zajas 43:40

Samantha, I want to honor you as an innovator, as a leader, as someone that is really, in a heart-centered way, making impact and encouraging and calling forth others to just rise up in who they’re called to be. And I just see that as just the fire that burns in you. And any way I can help support you, I am totally in your corner. I just want to let you know that. But thank you so much for joining me today.

Samantha Jones 44:07

Thank you. This sentiment is the same to you. I’m very grateful for being here. And I love and support you too in everything that you’re doing. So go us, go everybody else that’s listening. And thank you so much for having me. This was fun. This was really fun.

Shawn Zajas 44:23

Awesome. Thanks, Samantha.

Samantha Jones 44:24

Thank you.

Shawn Zajas 44:27

Thanks for listening. And be sure to follow so you never miss an episode. To learn more about what’s going on in dentistry, check out innovationindentistry.com.