We Need To Spend More Time Together

A couple of nights ago, I was a guest on Dr. Kyle Fagala’s live stream show, “The Digital Orthodontist Live”.  It was great because he does an awesome job interacting with the at-home audience who chime in through the Facebook chat side of things. We had a lot of fun and got to see a lot of comments. Kyle’s a master interviewer and a true gentleman who works so hard to help bring the profession together in a fun, informative way.
What people don’t know is that both Kyle and I had just both spent the entire day in a private OrthorpeneursRD course with Dr. Ron Roncone. We went to San Diego with about 60 of our “RD’ers” getting together to learn and share and simply enjoy each other’s company.
As soon as the live stream ended, we packed up and walked over to a steak house where 60 of us enjoyed a sumptuous meal with wine, drinks, steaks and desserts while connecting. I mean REALLY connecting. People were talking about families, dreams, goals, travel plans, life struggles. For a few hours, our practice issues fell away while people smiled and leaned into conversations with folks they may not have ever met in person before that day.
Statistics would say that most of us practice alone. I’ve been there, but am blessed to now have an amazing business partner in Dr. Douglas Shaw. We chat every day and practice life is sure easier. But having friends who are peers-not just acquaintances-with whom I’ve shared special times is important to me. I know their backgrounds and I’ve seen their cases and been in their practices and that recharges my battery. And when I have a question about CBCT or 3D printing or Sleep Disordered Breathing literature, I can reach out instantly to someone I trust and know.
But it doesn’t happen by accident. Like almost any great thing, it takes work to get what you need.
People constantly ask me why I started Orthorpeneurs Summit and the RD group, and why I have worked so hard to create “in-person” meetings for the group. I’m totally honest when I say that I need meetings and face-to-face get together with my peers to keep me going. I love the conversations that only we understand or speaking about struggles that we all face but others have no idea exist. We relate to one another in a way that most don’t, and I don’t want any of us to ever feel alone. THAT’S why I do it and will continue to create meetings for us to spend time together, sharing, enjoying and growing together.
We all have ups and downs and we often feel helpless or despondent. I’ve said it time and again that ANYONE who feels depressed or needs to talk should ALWAYS reach out to me. I’m serious. And keep in mind that another great antidote is to get together with those who care about you, won’t judge you and want to hear your story.
Like I said, we need to spend more time together. The “where” is up to you.
Wishing you the best,

If you want to be a part of a geographically exclusive Facebook group (OrthopreneursRD) where we do deep dives into these discussions (and more) , please message me. To learn more about your region’s availability and what it’s all about, click HERE.

GLENN KRIEGER IS AN ORTHODONTIST WITH 20 YEARS OF RESTORATIVE AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY EXPERIENCE BEFORE HE RETURNED TO ORTHODONTIC RESIDENCY. DR. KRIEGER LEARNED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL-DESIGNED PRACTICE POLICIES AND SYSTEMS DURING A YEAR AT THE SCHUSTER CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA, AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF GENERAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL’S “DENTIST AS CEO” PROGRAM. HE IS THE HOST OF “THE ORTHOPRENEURS PODCAST”, MANAGES THE ORTHOPRENEURS FACEBOOK GROUP AND RUNS THE ANNUAL ORTHOPRENEURS SUMMIT.