“Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. The notifications kept pinging my phone. They were LinkedIn well-wishes on the 5 year anniversary of Transform Dental Sleep. I didn’t even realize it’d been that long, and stopped looking at my phone in the midst of a long drive. The miles passed faster than the past five years. Saguaros turned to pines as I left Scottsdale behind and ascended to 6700 feet in Prescott Valley. My mind meandered and I found myself reflecting on the past few years.
I spent years working hard to build something for others. I treated my jobs as if though the companies were my own. Oftentimes I worked 60 hour weeks. When I worked in an office, I was always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. I took pride in my ambition to one day die at my desk. A decade ago, I began working remotely. Most days I rolled out of bed before the sun rose and started working before brushing my teeth. Next thing I knew, the sun had set, and I still hadn’t showered, or run, or journaled; none of the things that were important to me.
I left my previous job…
Every couple months I’d commute to the company headquarters for 2-4 weeks at a time. While away from home committing fully to growing someone else’s business, I lived in motels, in a vermin-infested apartment, and for a few weeks, aboard a houseboat. The only creature comforts I experienced were the rats and roaches in the aforementioned apartment. Each night I used spare shoelaces to tie the bottoms of my pantlegs to keep the roaches out. Many nights, I considered an alternate use for those shoestrings, but there were no light fixtures or ceiling fans.
I WAS ABLE TO LIVE MY LIFE!
Since then, I’ve become a bestselling author, we’ve worked with countless companies, we hosted the world’s best dental sleep medicine symposium, I’ve posted my marathon & ultramarathon PRs, I’ve traveled extensively—for pleasure, and found purpose. I’m designing the life I want to live, and frankly, making a lot more money doing it. Reflecting on my life 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and today, I’m so thankful for all these experiences. They were very instructive, teaching me what matters, what meaning and purpose are, and what true autonomy feels like. Thank you to everyone that’s been a part of the journey. Last night we hosted a huge hauntedhouse Halloween party. Today, I’m sitting in the woods finishing my 2nd book. Tomorrow I’ll write a few blast emails and a new proposal. In between, I’ll read, run, write, and reflect. And smile.
Thank you to everyone that’s contributed to this journey, all of you. Whether you employed me, reported to me, hired TDS,encouraged me during the darkest times (Rani ben David, Erin Elliott, Jason Doucette, Max Kerr, Stacey Layman, Matt Hodel) read my book, or most importantly, urged me to burn the ships (Lesia Crawford). You’ve given my life so much meaning, and I am eternally grateful to you. At this moment, I appreciate you.
p.s. After wearing a tie every day for several years until the founding of TDS, it took ~15 attempts to get it right last night when putting one on for the first time in years. AND it was for a Halloween costume!
You need to order your copy of Transform Dental Sleep: The Step-by-Step Guide to Double Your Sleep Patients, Increase Physician Referrals, Simplify Processes, & Improve Your Life.
This book is the culmination of all the interviews, books, articles, life experiences, team meetings, leadership summits, amazing educational courses, waste-of-time CE events, and everything else – crystallized through my brain with a dash of vinegar and a sprinkling of humor.
If you read this book and practice its principles in all your affairs, you will:
- Have more productive team members and less friction
- Treat more sleep patients
- Receive more physician referrals
- Communicate more effectively with your team, your patients, your friends, and family
- Enjoy your work more than you ever have!
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