273: The Bulletproof Practice - Dr. Craig Spodak

The Bulletproof Practice

Episode #273 with Dr. Craig Spodak

Many dentists want a bulletproof practice, but few know how to build it. If you happen to be one of them, you're in luck! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Craig Spodak, author of The Bulletproof Practice, to teach you what it is and how to create your own. Whether it’s fear of failure, having a fixed mindset, or being too comfortable and “coasting,” Craig will teach you how not to prevent yourself from building your dream business. To learn more about how you can become fulfilled in your practice, listen to Episode 273 of The Best Practices Show! 

See the video and get the show notes at https://www.actdental.com/273

Main Takeaways:

• Life is about nonstop learning.
• Have hunger and resiliency to achieve more.
• The “bullets” never stop.
• Develop a sense of self-reliance. 
• Learn from people who have gone before you.
• Be willing to fail. It may lead you to be happier.
• Growth mindset is teachable. 
• The gears of a practice is more than sales and marketing.
• Invest in human capital.
• Focus on the good moments.

Quotes:

• “I think life is all about sequential and nonstop learning. You just keep learning. And it’s okay to stay a consummate beginner and a consummate learner. I think it’s really cool.” (06:34—06:43)
• “A bulletproof practice is one that takes the challenges and hardens from the challenges; they get better. You don't just survive and persist; you actually evolve and thrive through the challenges.” (09:39—09:52)
• “Success is building with the bricks people are throwing at you.” (09:57—10:01)
• “A bulletproof practice is one in which all the systems are designed, and the psychology is right to defend yourself against any “bullet” that may be coming at you.” (10:21—10:29)
• “I think the decision to have a better day is entirely up to you. You can decide, if on your way to work you spill the coffee on your lap and someone cuts you off, you can decide at that moment before you ever enter the office if today’s going to be a good day or a bad day.” (11:40—11:54)
• “Your fulfilment and your happiness is going to be the art that you have to design. It’s an art of fulfilment. It’s not a science of it.” (12:48—12:56)
• “People that have growth mindsets always use the word “yet.” ‘I'm not good at this yet. I don't have it yet. I haven't learned it yet.’ And a fixed mindset is just like, ‘People don't learn. People don't change. It’s easy for them. They don't have to do the work.’” (14:13—14:26)
• “I find leadership to be a very troubling word to use, because you can't appoint a leader. Leadership is earned.” (21:34—21:48)
• “There's all types of leadership. And we’re all leaders in certain domains of our life.” (22:58—23:02)
• “The gears of a practice are its culture, its leadership, its team, its marketing, it’s systems, its numbers. Those are the gears that run the practice . . . a bulletproof practice has the ability to have all those gears turning.” (29:13—29:54)
• “If your human capital is not engaged, if you're not appreciating and encouraging and developing your human capital, it will never appreciate, and it won't work. Yet, we turn a blind eye to that.” (32:49—32:59)
• “If your admin team is handling your phone calls in an offensive manner, your dental work will not be appreciated.” (35:53—36:00)

Snippets:

• Dr. Spodak’s background. (02:55—04:41)
• His philosophy on learning. (05:11—06:43)
• Origin of the bulletproof concept. (06:55—08:54)
• What is a bulletproof practice? (09:03—10:29)
• The “bullets” never go away. (11:16—13:18)
• Where do I start? (13:58—15:57)
• Fixed and growth mindsets. (16:26—17:32)
• Hiring the right team. (17:33—20:30)
• You can't appoint a leader. (21:34—24:06)
• Growth mindset in the bulletproof practice. (24:16—24:47)
• Handling fixed mindset team members. (25:20—26:58)
• Everyone has a unique ability. (27:07—28:10)
• Gears of a practice. (28:53—30:07)
• Is there one most important gear? (30:17—31:18)
• Challenges in your practice. (31:45—36:07)
• The future of Craig Spodak. (37:17—39:32)
• Dr. Spodak’s free BP book. (40:00—42:41)
• Dr. Spodak’s summit. (42:46—44:24)
• Last words of wisdom. (44:43—45:30)

Further Reading:

• Dr. Spodak’s podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bulletproof-dental-practice/id1167571343
• On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1oyCZ5l6rZq3jN3UX88QG5
• On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KhSqXAP8WMh-9QmGclCug
• Dr. Spodak’s book, The Bulletproof Practice on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bulletproof-Practice-Peter-Boulden/dp/1947341294
• Free version of The Bulletproof Practice: https://freebpbook.com/
• Audible version of The Bulletproof Practice: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Bulletproof-Practice-Audiobook/B082DPRVJ5?ref=a_author_Cr_c19_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=1ae0e65e-ad09-4aa7-aa73-772cefb1b5e1&pf_rd_r=9WKH486NPN89YZ13SF8Q

Don't forget to register for Bulletproof Summit July 9th, 2021!

Dr. Spodak's Bio:

Excellence in the practice of Dental Medicine is a proud tradition in the Spodak family.  Dr. Craig Spodak is a third generation dentist who earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the acclaimed Tufts University, graduating with highest honors.  He joined his father, Dr. Myles Spodak, in his practice in Delray Beach, FL in 1998 with a dream to change the way patients experience dental care.  He became the leader of the practice in 2006 and immediately began to develop a new vision for the modern dental practice with a goal to deliver comprehensive dental care from a team of general and specialty dentists in one convenient, 13,00 square foot, state-of-the-art, LEED Gold Certified facility.

His dream was to change the way patients experience dental care and worked tirelessly to reinvent the patient perception of just how great a dental appointment could be.  All phases of dentistry are performed from a team of 10 dentists using the finest technology in 18 operatories and surgical suites, in addition to having an on-site lab with lab technicians and master ceramists who provide same-day dentistry.  He also places a strong importance on living out the company’s compassion-based core values, which enables the team to provide patients with the highest caliber of comprehensive dental care while consistently exceeding expectations.

Dr. Spodak is a pioneer for eradicating childhood tooth decay and founded the All-Star Smiles Foundation with Yankees’ All-Star fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, in 2016.

He is also committed to helping other dentists uncover costly fees they’re paying for their 401(k) plans and was recently featured in Tony Robbins’ new book, Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook.  As the brand ambassador, he is introducing the world to a next generation 401(k) plan.