In this bonus episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Barrett Straub, ACT’s CEO, and Dr. Jeff Osborne, chief dental officer of Smile Source, to make a special announcement. ACT Dental and Smile Source have officially merged! They share the “why” behind it, their vision, and their thoughts on the future of private practice. To be a part of this amazing dental community for a Better Practice, Better Life, listen to Episode 898 of The Best Practices Show!
Learn More About Dr. Straub & Dr. Osborne:
Learn More About ACT Dental:
More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:
Episode Resources:
Main Takeaways:
Quotes:
“My greatest asset — any of our greatest assets as a provider of dental services — is ourselves. We need to invest in ourselves, not sell ourselves out.” (6:08—6:23) -Dr. Osborne
“People say private practice is dead. That is absolutely not true. It is thriving. If you look at the data and you watch what's going on, people — now more than ever — are making it happen.” (11:21—11:34) -Kirk
“We believe the gold standard in clinical dental care is private practice, going forward. We think there are inherent benefits to private practice. We think there are inherent benefits to an independent dental practice, not only for the life satisfaction of the dentist and his or her team, but for the patients. We believe the best care is delivered in that model, and the ultimate why is we're here to protect it and save it. Circling back to what Jeff talked about in other healthcare industries, we're going to make sure it doesn't go away. And together, we can do that. So, the why is we're stronger together. The ultimate why is we're going to impact a lot of lives with your help.” (13:00—13:47) -Dr. Straub
“Jeff and I are private practice dentists. We've walked in your shoes. You'll hear Smile Source say dentists leading dentists. It's an important point, but we need you all. We're going to set the community, but this is a movement that isn't about us. It's about you. If you're listening to this and you're a private practice dentist and you're proud of that, like, ‘Yeah, it's hard. But I kind of like being an entrepreneur. I kind of like being a leader. I kind of like the challenges and I like the freedom that comes with it,’ then we need you as a member. We need you in this group. We need you to help your colleagues. So, if we're going to do anything, it's to get the movement started. It's to set the community up. The momentum will be from our members. The momentum will be from the thousands of dentists nationwide that carry that pride in their heart that, ‘I am an independent private practice, darn right, and I'm going to continue to do that.’ So, if you're listening and that message resonates with you, come on in. Go to the Best Practices Association. That's a great place to start. We'd love to have you.” (14:13—15:15) -Dr. Straub
“The vision of this combined group is collaboration, team training, and education. I mean, the list will go on, and on, and on. We don't have any other organization out there that is dedicated to all the pieces that make up independent dentistry. They can't. The ADA, they have to represent all their members, corporate, independent. Whether it's the AGD or the ADA or your local constituents, there is nobody who is actually saying to the independent doctor, ‘Come over here. You are special, and we need to support you,’ because you're right — the corporate entities, because of their economy of scale, get better pricing on goods, services, and education. What we were lacking at Smile Source, you guys at ACT Dental had. It was made in the stars.” (15:39—16:51) -Dr. Osborne
“Being an entrepreneur is hard. Being a dentist is hard. Running your own business is hard. Doing it on your own is harder. You weren't meant to do it on your own. That's what this whole movement is about, creating the ultimate ecosystem . . . so that you can feel confident, your team can feel confident that the road ahead is very powerful. So, I'm going to encourage you, just like Barrett did and as Dr. Osborne has, join us. We'll prove it once you join us.” (20:48—21:20) -Kirk
“My mom used to say it, and I still say it. I say it to my kids all the time. Be careful of who you're around. You're going to become the average of the five people you hang around with. My kids go, ‘Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah,’ but it's true. I think, as adults, we should do the same. So, as an independent practice owner, you’ve got to say, who are the five people I hang around? Pick some tough friends because they're going to challenge you to be better. That's what this community is about. You're going to see amazing people here that are very much invested in your future.” (21:22—21:52) -Kirk
Snippets:
0:00 Introduction.
1:51 Dr. Osborne’s and Smile Source’s backgrounds.
7:04 Why ACT and Smile Source merged.
15:33 The vision and future of the merger.
20:30 Final thoughts.
Dr. Barrett Straub Bio:
Dr. Barrett Straub practices general and sedation dentistry in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He has worked hard to develop his practice into a top-performing, fee-for-service practice that focuses on improving the lives of patients through dentistry.
A graduate of Marquette Dental School, Dr. Straub’s advanced training and CE includes work at the Spear Institute, LVI, DOCS, and as a member of the Milwaukee Study Club. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Dental Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Marquette Dental School 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. As a former ACT coaching client that experienced first-hand the transformation that coaching can provide, he is passionate about helping other dentists create the practice they’ve always wanted.
Dr. Straub loves to hunt, golf, and spend winter on the ice, curling. He is married to Katie, with two daughters, Abby and Elizabeth.
Dr. Jeff Osborne Bio:
Dr. Jeffrey Osborne earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston in 1989. He opened his first dental office in West Houston upon graduation and has owned multiple offices throughout the Greater Houston area.
Dr. Osborne was also on the Board of Directors of the Greater Houston Dental Society and served as the vice president for two years. He holds an MBA in healthcare administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and has served as a dental director for Cigna Dental. He was also the Texas dental director for United Concordia Dental Insurance. While at United Concordia, he oversaw the administration of the dental portion of the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program. He was also employed as the director of quality assurance for South Texas Dental.
Dr. Osborne is now the chief dental officer for Smile Source, a group dedicated to helping independent dentists thrive together. He currently resides in Pilot Point, Texas. He is married to Kim and is the proud father of Shelby, Heather, and Jack.