AADOM DISTINCTIONcast – Beyond the Office: A Journey of Growth, Leadership, and Possibility
AADOM Members log in HERE to watch the full recording and earn .5 CEU.
This DISTINCTIONcast is sponsored by CareCredit.
Join Chavelle Galton-Rice, AADOM’s Director of Membership & Education, for a fireside chat with Joanne Miles, DAADOM, RDA, an AADOM member since 2006, as she shares her journey from dental management to becoming a speaker and consultant.
Through an honest conversation about career growth, pivotal opportunities, and the power of professional community, Joanne will reflect on the experiences and relationships that helped shape her path.
Members will discover how the skills they develop in dentistry can open doors to new opportunities and leave inspired to explore what their own next chapter could look like.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify transferable skills developed in dental management that can support future career opportunities
- Describe how professional relationships, mentorship, and involvement in AADOM can contribute to career growth.
- Recognize the value of embracing new opportunities and navigating career transitions with confidence.
- Identify one actionable step toward exploring their own professional growth or next career chapter.
Read the Transcript Now!
Chavelle: Hi, everyone, and welcome to another AADOM DistinctionCast. My name is Chavelle Galton-Rice, Director of Membership and Education.
And we are so excited to sit down with someone who has been a part of our AADOM community for a very long time. Before we get started, I did want to thank CareCredit for sponsoring this DistinctionCast. So, let’s hear from CareCredit and we’ll get started.
CareCredit is pleased to sponsor educational content as part of our continued support of AADOM and its members. CareCredit continues to invest in the dental community with resources and technology that can make your day a little easier.
In fact, CareCredit is integrated into 90-plus percent of practice management software. The integration may be a time-saver and day-changer, especially Batch QuickScreen, which enables you to see who on the schedule has a CareCredit credit card and who is pre-approved, helping you have easier cost and payment conversations.
CareCredit—the easy way to help more patients get care.
All right. Well, welcome back. So, we are so excited to have Joanne Miles here today.
Joanne became an AADOM member in 2006, and since then her career has continued to grow and evolve from dental management to where she is today as a speaker and consultant.
So, I think her story is such a great reminder that our careers don’t always follow a straight path, and sometimes we don’t even realize what…where the skills, relationships, and experiences that we’re building today may lead us tomorrow.
So, let’s talk to Joanne. I’m so excited to have her here. Joanne, how are you today?
Joanne: I’m doing very well. Thank you so much for this invitation.
Chavelle: Yes. I’m so excited to hear more about your career path and the insights that you can share with our members.
Joanne’s Dental Career and Her Journey to AADOM
So, I wanna start off with where your career started, when it came to—when you became a member with AADOM. So, take us back to 2006, where you were specifically in your dental career, when you first became an AADOM member, and what was happening in your professional life at that time?
Joanne: Yeah. Gosh, that’s so long ago.
Back in 2006, I was very much, I would say, in the trenches of being a dental office manager. I loved dentistry. I had never, ever saw a ceiling in my career. I loved leading the teams. I loved growing practices.
And I would say, back then, I was beginning to understand that being an office manager was so much bigger than just worrying about scheduling or making sure the day ran smoothly.
I kind of feel like I was just sort of hitting that pulse at that time. And I was, you know, I was dealing with the same things that managers deal with today. You know, people, personalities, our doctors, the patients, the numbers, the systems, all the fires, being a plumber, being a psychologist, you know?
But I was always hungry to get better at it. And what I didn’t know at that time was that I was just learning how to manage a dental practice. I was learning that, but then I think if I were to look back now, I was also building skills that would eventually shape my career path, but I just probably didn’t realize it at that time.
Chavelle: Yeah, and it’s funny because even, you know, looking back at that many years, you know, 20 years ago, it’s the same. It’s different, but it’s the same. You know, where…
Joanne: Absolutely.
Chavelle: OMs are still in the trenches, yeah, doing, you know, everything that they need to do to help keep, like you said, the schedule, the team, everyone running smoothly. You know, it’s a lot to take on as a manager. You know?
Joanne: Yeah. It is a lot. And I think it’s—I think the pace is faster today.
Chavelle: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Finding Community and Purpose Through AADOM
So, with that, what led you to AADOM? You know, like were you at that point where you were like looking for something or needing something as a dental manager in that part of your career?
Joanne: Oh, absolutely. I would say, so, since I was kind of way back in the day, the way I found AADOM was it was that the famous fax from Heather that came through the fax machine, and the fax machine happened to be sitting in my office.
And I would say I was looking for community, I was looking for education, but I didn’t really have the words to articulate that at that time. I just knew I needed something more, and that I felt that being an office manager felt very much alone.
I often describe being an OM as being on an island. Yes, you’re part of the team, but you’re also responsible for leading that team. And yes, you’re there to support the doctors, but sometimes they’re the problem you’re trying to solve, you know, and you’re here to make all these decisions.
And what AADOM gave me was that access to the people that understood my role, understood that kind of lonely feeling that you had. And suddenly, I could learn from people who had already navigated all the things that I was still trying to figure out.
And what it also did for me back then was it sort of validated something that I already was feeling, but it anchored it and that was that dental office management was truly a career. It wasn’t just a job that I was doing.
So, it was just—it felt like kind of like this breath of fresh air and a cool drink, so to speak, when I found that group.
Chavelle: Yeah. I love that because I think a lot of us can relate to getting those faxes from AADOM.
And it’s funny because, you know, like there’s no manual out there, right, of like how to manage your dental practice. And especially back then, you know? We all just kinda had to figure it out.
I know you relate really well to a lot of the people who do transition into a manager because you’re also—you started out as a dental assistant, I believe, right?
Joanne: I did. Yeah.
Chavelle: And you worked your way up into management.
So, and I know a lot of people do. That was kind of the same with me. So, you can relate to going from a dental assistant to a manager, and that is like two completely different roles because you’re part of the team, but now then you’re managing the team.
Joanne: Yeah, although maybe I’m a little biased and maybe you are too, Chavelle. But personally, I think some of the best office managers were dental assistants.
Chavelle: I do agree with that. Like, when you know both the clinical and front office aspect, it just—it brings a lot of value. Or even for managers that aren’t dental assistants at first, taking the time to learn the clinical side or have a better understanding of the clinical side makes a huge difference. So, I agree with you.
Embracing the Unexpected Path of a Dental Career
When you think about, you know, the Joanne that joined AADOM in 2006, did you have any idea where your career would eventually take you?
Joanne: No. And I’m actually grateful that maybe on one hand that I didn’t know. Again, I was always a very curious person, and I felt like there wasn’t a ceiling.
But, if you told me back in 2006 that someday I would be consulting with practices across the nation and that I would be coaching doctors and managers, I would be speaking from a national stage, that I actually got to present at AADOM, I would probably say maybe you were smoking something or something like that.
I think what was for me was I knew there was something in me, but I didn’t have the confidence or understood the path.
And, I would say that that’s one of the things I’ve learned about careers in general, is that you don’t really have to be able to see the entire path to take the next step.
And, back then I’ve kind of felt like I had to have the entire path lit, you know, lit up and you know, I knew how it was gonna go, and actually that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
Sometimes you simply just have to recognize the opportunities that are in front of you. You need to have the courage to just jump and have that confidence that it’s gonna work out one way or another. You’re gonna learn the lesson or you’re gonna succeed really well in order to just grow into it.
Chavelle: Yeah. I think so many of us as managers probably never would have thought or if that was like, you know, the path that we wanted to take. We somehow fell into that position.
But it’s amazing ’cause I never thought I would work in dentistry. That was like not on my radar at all, you know, going to high school. And I think that if I would have known how much, you know, growth and opportunity there was in dentistry, I think more people would probably, you know, jump up and say, “Oh man, I really wanna work in dental.”
But not a lot of people back then talked about like the trajectory of like what your career could be like because there’s so much opportunity.
And, I agree with you. Like, you know, joining an organization like AADOM definitely opened my eyes to the different opportunity because you meet so many different people in the industry that have, you know, like you, you know, have gone from dental assistant to manager, to now speaker and consultant traveling all over the world or, you know, the US, working with different practices.
That’s really cool to have the opportunity to be able to do that. So, yeah, a lot of untapped potential that I feel like is there that people don’t know.
Joanne: Yeah, absolutely. It’s been a true privilege.
Chavelle: Yeah. I love it.
From Dental Assistant to Consultant
Can you walk us through your career journey? So, from those early years to where you are today, what were some of the pivotal moments that changed your direction?
Joanne: I would say if I were to just kind of look back just, let’s just say 20 years, you know, ’cause you said I started as a dental assistant. And I would say each stage of my career, it just—I would just expand within whatever role I was in at that time.
And then again, I’m super curious, so I always wanted to just, “Okay, now what’s next? What’s next? What’s next?”
So first I, you know, I learned how to be a dental assistant, and then I learned admin. And then one day I was christened the office manager, and then I learned how to lead practices and how to actually grow them. And then I got to a point where I was able to build and lead businesses at scale.
And then I eventually realized that what I loved most was just helping, you know, doctors and leaders grow. So I would say a pivotal piece was I had been in private practice, all sorts of different specialties and experience, and then I kind of felt like, Okay, I’ve sort of hit this plateau, if you will, in how I was learning and I needed—I knew I wanted to learn more on scaling businesses, but through really understanding the financials, the banking pieces of it, the profit and loss, the—stuff, starting practices from scratch.
So, that’s when I made the choice to go work for a DSO for about seven years. And I would—I often you’ll hear me say I feel like I got my MBA in dentistry in that arena. And then eventually I realized, okay, I’ve hit that saturation point and I wanted to get back into the private practice where my heart really was.
So, you know, over the years the title changed, but there was always this common denominator, and that is that I just really love developing people. I love developing practices and helping doctors realize their own dreams and building strong teams.
And, ultimately I just, I wanted to sort of pay it forward in the sense that there was a person out there that saw the potential in me that I didn’t see in myself yet, and I just wanted to continue the growth in that direction as far as how my career went.
So again, like you were saying, not a direct route, you know. It had some twists and turns along the way, and it’s…You just kind of have to go along with the ride sometimes. Yeah.
Chavelle: You do. And I’m so grateful that you shared that you went from private practice to a DSO because I know that there’s some stigma around working at a DSO, you know. And honestly, I agree with you that that was kind of the turning point of my career as well, was going into a DSO.
I learned so much more, like you said, about P&Ls, you know, more of the business side of dentistry than I had ever been exposed to in private practice. You know, because, you know, maybe it is that you’re being entrusted, you know, running a larger, you know, organization or being a part of a larger organization versus what maybe, you know, a one-doctor private practice may want to share with their OM about their financial, you know, situation.
But I—if I could recommend anything, like, that was the best experience is, you know, learning the differences between what you know as an OM running a private practice versus an OM running, you know, a DSO.
So, I love that, you know. You’ve been able to also experience the variety, and know that when you did kind of shift to the consulting and speaker side. You had the ability to look at things from different angles, you know, and look at things from, like, the ground up as well.
You know, starting Denovos, but then also looking at acquisitions or, you know, a practice that’s been running for a long time that might need help. It’s really cool to see all the different aspects of the business.
Joanne: I don’t know about you, but it also challenged a lot of my limiting beliefs I had. Like, I didn’t even realize it was a limiting belief of, “No, this is just the way it should work and this is not the way it should work, and you should always hire this type of person and with this experience.”
And it challenged a lot of those areas, and it did help me grow and expand my like, okay, no, that’s not, maybe that assumption I had wasn’t really the right question or the right way of thinking.
Chavelle: Yeah. Yeah, I definitely agree. You have to be very open-minded working in our industry.
Joanne: Yes. And I will.
The one, the one caveat I will say is know your deal breakers before you go in. Make your boundaries, set your boundaries, keep your boundaries. And then what I mean is, like, don’t lose yourself in the process.
Chavelle: Absolutely. And your integrity too.
Joanne: Yeah. 100%. Yeah.
Chavelle: Awesome.
Recognizing When It’s Time for the Next Chapter
Was there a point that you realized, you know, “I definitely think I’m ready for something more”?
So, you know, like, maybe when you…right when you decided, “Okay, I think I wanna move on from the office management side and, you know, really, like, jump out and help people.” Like you said, you know, you love helping people.
What was happening in your career at that time when you began thinking about what’s next for me or what’s my next chapter?
Joanne: Yeah. I would say I’m not sure there was ever, like, this moment, you know, like, the skies parted and this booming voice came down and said, “Okay, you’re ready.” You know?
I don’t think I was ever completely ready for that, any of the next stages that I did in my career. I just became more aware of, you know, what gave me the energy and what kind of took away my energy, if that makes any sense.
Like, I love dentistry. I love operations. And I’ve been known, like, I’ve been named by other people as a Swiss Army knife of dentistry. Like, I’ve sat in many seats. I understand every role in the practice, whether I was a dentist or a hygienist, I never was. But I know the roles. I know what’s required. I know now the whole business side of it.
And I just, what I realized is I became increasingly energized when I was helping developing practices or I was helping develop somebody, or I saw something in somebody that they didn’t see in themselves and I was able to help them with their confidence, or just more of their understanding of how to run a business or how to take their next steps in leadership.
I got a…that’s where I kind of felt like, okay, this is what’s, you know, for that, using that cliche, it’s filling my cup. It’s what really excites me.
You know, can I, you know, do I know about insurance? Sure. Doesn’t exactly, like, blow my skirt up, you know? Like, it’s… So it’s really understanding where that is for yourself, and everybody’s gonna be different.
And eventually you realize that maybe the next chapter isn’t about leaving something that you’ve done behind—it’s really just taking all of your life experiences and your experiences in dentistry, seeing what that taught you, and then using that in a bigger way.
I mean, I think that’s kind of where that transition and things sort of just kinda gelled together for me.
Chavelle: That’s beautiful the way that you said that because I, you know, it’s so true, you know, that, you know, it’s not that we, you know, don’t enjoy what we do, but there comes a point I do feel that it’s like, okay, I’ve done this for X amount of time. I feel like now it’s time for me to give back or, you know, to help others be, you know, just as successful or more successful than I was in my position.
You know, like I’m grateful for the people like you in our industry that have kind of light the path for all of us, you know? And, and continue to light the path for others because dentistry’s never gonna go away, you know? And we need leaders that are excited to, you know, fill other people’s cup of like just knowledge and be excited about what we do.
Because, I mean, you have to love working with people and with patients and just having that, that energy, that continuous energy of like making people feel good about themselves, not just patients, but our teams or the offices that you work with, is so valuable.
It makes people feel good and it gives a good reminder of why we do what we do, why we work in dentistry, is to help people. So, I love that.
Joanne: Yeah.
Taking Chances Before You Feel Ready
Chavelle: Have there ever been times where you’ve had, you know, opportunities kind of along the way that you’ve said, like or almost said no to because you didn’t completely feel ready at the time? And if so, like what made you take the chance?
Joanne: Yes, absolutely. And you know, a lot of that comes down to, I think it was just a lack of confidence in myself.
Believe it or not, I have insecurities. They’re still there.
But what I’ve learned is that feeling ready and being capable aren’t the same things.
So, some of the opportunities that stretched like my career the most came before I ever felt completely ready for them. And I just found the courage to kinda jump and find my wings, if you will, on the way down. Faking it till you make it maybe is another term that some people use, you know?
And at some point, I had to just stop asking myself, “Do I already know everything that this opportunity requires?” And I started sort of flipping the script, if you will, or the question in my mind was, “Am I willing to just kinda jump and learn what’s required of me along the way.”
An example I would say of that maybe recently is that, again, I wanted to start, I always wanted to start kind of this mastermind for OM development. And so, about three years ago, I started this emerging leaders mastermind call. And, trust me, I had none of it worked out. None.
I just kind of figured like, “Hey, I’ll just create this space and people will show up and, you know, voila.”
And it’s along the way, you know, you learn from your mistakes and then you learn what people want to talk about, what they want to learn about, and they’ll show up, you know? And it doesn’t have to be perfect.
And so I have adopted the progress not perfection phrase because that’s something I have to remind myself daily that you’re just…I don’t think you’re ever gonna be ready.
Do you feel that way?
Chavelle: No, I agree. I am…There’s always something new, right? And there’s always lessons to be learned, mistakes to be made that, yeah, I don’t think that there’s ever really, like, a perfect time.
You know, like, it’s just, you just do it. You know, just jump.
And the people who care about you, the community that you’re a part of, they’ll be there to catch you if you fall. You know?
And that’s what I do love about, you know, the people that I’ve met through AADOM, through our community, which I know we’ll talk about here in just a second, is, you know, having—not being afraid to jump.
Joanne: Yeah.
Chavelle: And do what you love and do what you’re passionate about, because it’s really, really easy. Like you said, you know, like, we all have insecurities.
But I think it’s just, like, if you surround yourself with amazing people that’s there to cheer you on and want you to be successful, it makes it so much easier to not be afraid.
Joanne: Yeah. Absolutely.
Chavelle: Yeah. That’s wonderful.
How AADOM Community Shaped Joanne’s Growth and Confidence
So, talking about community, you know, since you’ve been a part of AADOM for 20 years, how has being surrounded by other dental managers and leaders influenced your career, your confidence, and your growth?
Joanne: You know, I still have to like think like, “Oh my gosh, it’s been 20 years.” I feel like it’s flown by.
And when I really take a step back, essentially I’ve grown professionally alongside with AADOM, with this organization. And when you think about that, it’s quite like, wow! You know, it sort of takes me back.
You know, AADOM gave me education certainly. But I would say the bigger gift that AADOM gave was the exposure to that community of like-minded people, to other leaders, to those other ideas that challenge maybe the way I was thinking.
And it ultimately opened up those other possibilities. Like, I would see a consultant or I would see a speaker and I’m like, “I wanna do that.”
And I think that when you surround yourself with people who are growing, it expands your ideas of what’s possible, as long as you’re open to it.
You know, that’s the thing. You’ve gotta be willing to—I mean, yes, with boundaries you should learn how to say…You shouldn’t be always yes, yes, yes. You should know where those boundaries are. But you do also have to be open to that growth and to the opportunities.
The AADOM community is so important. You know, somebody else may see leadership in you before you recognize it in yourself. And I think that ultimately is what AADOM provided for me.
Chavelle: Yeah. I definitely can relate to that because I felt the same way. You know, there’s plenty of people that I’ve met at conference, you know. And as someone who’s introverted or, you know, like a little bit more on the shy side, like it’s so easy to be a part of the AADOM community ’cause people will just, like, swoop you in and just take you under their wing. You know?
Joanne: It’s true.
Chavelle: And it makes it easy, you know? And so, I love that about the, like you said, the people that we surround ourselves with, you know. It’s super important.
And, being around all of the people that knows what you’re going through as a manager or as a leader. And even for, you know, the, you know, speakers and consultants, I’m the same way. Like, I look up to you and so many of the other speakers that we have that’s been around for a long time, that I’m like, “Ooh, one day,” you know, like, “Maybe I’m gonna do that one day.”
And it’s great. You know, like, everyone has been so encouraging and that’s what I love, and that’s what our community should be, you know, is just encouraging each other, lifting each other up, you know, helping us dust off if we fall. Yeah.
You know, it’s…Yeah. I think that’s the great part of having a community, so.
Joanne: Yeah.
The AADOM Mentors Who Inspired Joanne to Become a Speaker
Chavelle: If you could look back, is there a relationship or a conversation, a conference, or an AADOM experience just in general that you feel had a particular meaningful impact on the direction of your career now that you’re, you know, a speaker and consultant?
Joanne: Hmm. That’s a good question.
I mean, the short answer is yes. There are two that stand out, although every conference I’ve ever attended, there’s been something that has helped propel me forward.
But there are two that stand out. One is Lois Banta. And these people may or may not even know this, but Lois Banta saw that I was a speaker before I had that courage to step out.
I wanted to do it. I felt like it was inside of me. I had done some training around it, and I will say that the thing that was holding me back is, like, what I have to say isn’t important enough or, like, why would somebody wanna listen to me?
And it was, it was…I was at an AADOM conference, and she and I had a long conversation, and she started asking me questions, and she was the one that was just kind of bold and like, “You should be a speaker. You have something to share.”
And that, I would say that had a lasting impression for me, and that was the beginning of a friendship and a collaboration.
And I would say the other one was—Don’t ask me what year this was, which conference year, but, Janice Hurley was doing a breakout, and it had something to do with finding maybe your, like, authentic way of showing up and dressing for success, but more in your own authentic way and having your own confidence.
And I remember she had some exercise where we were all lining up along the perimeter of the breakout room, and I just…there was just something in me in that moment that bubbled up and that’s the only way I could describe it.
It was like something that I could no longer contain. It was that passion, it was that desire to want to grow and do more, but didn’t feel like I had the confidence.
But there was something in that breakout that just said it’s almost like the dam broke, and I was like, “Yes, I can do it.”
I really, like, I felt that in that moment, and she probably has no idea that she had that impact on me.
So, I would say those are the two maybe, like, right off the top of mind. I’m sure there are so many more. There’s been so many mentors along the way that I am so grateful for.
Chavelle: Yes. I love that. And yeah, it was so nice seeing Lois at conference this year and, you know, it’s amazing to see, you know, even with speakers and consultants that have been around for a long time, like them just like being willing to chat with you and share their knowledge and expertise, you know, is so…it makes you feel empowered, you know.
Janice Hurley Yeah, it does.
Chavelle: Yeah, to, you know, be better than you were yesterday. You know, I mean, like you said before, it really like fills your cup to surround ourselves with people like that, people like you.
So, we appreciate everything that, yeah, you guys give to our community.
From Dental Manager to Speaker and Consultant
So, what skills and experiences from being a dental manager do you or have you been, like—I guess that are the most valuable in the work that you do now as a speaker and consultant?
Joanne: You know, I don’t think like I woke up one morning and said, you know, “I’m gonna be a speaker and consultant.” You know, I, again, like I would sit in breakout rooms as participants and look at the person leading and saying, “I wanna be able to do that. Can I do that?”
And then what I realized is that I personally had accumulated years of experience, mistakes, success, you know, having those difficult conversations, being challenged, all the lessons of business.
And I eventually realized that those experiences could actually help someone else shorten their learning curve.
So, you know, I would say speaking gave me the opportunity to reach a room and reach, you know, maybe a broader audience. And then consulting gives me the opportunity to kinda sit across from someone one-on-one or with a, you know, just a team, and help them get to see what they can step out and do Monday morning, if you will.
And they each have kind of their own little ways of sort of feeding the purpose, if you will. And that kind of success is really, I don’t know, that it’s just fulfilling for me.
I don’t—yes, I intentionally pursued it. I did. I took the courses, like I became a member of SCN and learned how to hone the speaking craft, if you will.
Years ago, I took leadership courses that would teach you to stand at the front of the room, and how to project confidence, and how to speak, and how to read the room, and how to sort of take care of that negative Nelly that’s sitting in the corner that seems to be pulling down the room.
You know, so there’s just so many…and again, when I think of when I… If I look back now, I’d love to say like all those choices I made were on purpose, but they weren’t. They just…I was willing to just—some of them I just signed up and had no idea what I was signing up for.
Chavelle: Good. Take this one.
Yeah. But then that means that, like, something inspired you, you know? And, and I love that, you know, that you could pick a random class and the person, or course, and the person teaching it can make such a huge impact on your career.
So, I love, yeah. I love how some things that are maybe unexpected can happen just by randomly picking a course that you walk into.
Joanne: I mean, I don’t believe that there’s accidents in life.
Chavelle: I agree. I definitely agree with that.
Joanne’s Advice to Her Younger Self
So, if you could sit across from yourself 20-plus years ago, knowing everything that you know now today, what would you tell your past self?
Joanne: I think I would tell my past self that you are capable of more than you know right now. I’m gonna try not to be emotional about this.
I would tell her not to spend so much time wondering if you belong in the room, because that’s something I always struggled with.
Keep being curious. Don’t, don’t lose that.
Keep raising your hand even if you don’t have the answer.
And keep surrounding yourself with people that are willing to challenge you, and that they’re gonna have your back when you’re not in the room. That’s something I’ve learned the hard way.
And when someone you respect sees something in you that you can’t see for yourself, actually believe them. Don’t question them, ’cause I would do that, too. You know, like I would almost think like, “Well, they’re just saying that to be nice.”
And I would tell myself that none of what I’m learning right now will ever be wasted. So, every lesson’s going to have some value. You may not know its application right now, but the hard days, the difficult employees, the doctors that you’re trying to learn how to communicate with, any mistake you’ve made, all the wins you’ve made, all the preparation that maybe felt like it was wasted—all of it’s working towards something.
And maybe, most importantly is you don’t need to know what the path is gonna be. Just have the courage to keep taking the steps. Keep moving and just figure…you know, you’ll figure it out, and get good, you know.
Trust the God-given talents that were given to you. That’s what I would say.
Chavelle: Oh my gosh. I know. I’m trying not to cry because I feel like everything that you’re saying right now even, like, applies to me now. You know?
Like, I don’t think it matters how far you are into your career. Like you said, there’s always gonna be lessons learned. You know, we’re always gonna make mistakes.
But if you’re open-minded, if you have, you know, wonderful people like you said that will have your back when you’re not in the room, like, those are the people to surround yourself with.
And, you know, that’s willing to give you constructive feedback, you know? Like, I don’t want to have everyone, you know, saying like, “You’re doing amazing. You’re doing amazing.”
Like, you know, great. But yeah, tell me if there’s something that I can do better, because ultimately, like, that’s the feedback that is truly important. You know?
We don’t want everything to be sugarcoated because we do wanna improve. And, and I think that that’s what makes, you know, a great mentor, is someone who’s willing to say the hard things.
Like, “Hey, you know, like, this is what I think you could do to improve. How can I help you?” You know? Or, “Here’s tips that helped me.”
Yeah. And that’s what we really need is…you know, more mentors and, you know, people willing to say, “Hey, come take my hand,” you know, like, “I’ll help you. I’ll guide you.”
Joanne: Yeah.
Chavelle: Which is really cool.
Joanne: Yeah. And I think—In today, you know, I don’t know, I think even in today’s like, like remember we were talking at the beginning about how much faster paced things are, you know, and because of the technology and social media and all of that, and I think that there’s this perception that you have to be a certain way.
And, I got trapped in that for a while. Like, and what I just learned is like, look, —So this face will never win an Oscar—ever. I can’t hide what I’m thinking or feeling, and I kind of felt like I had to like construct myself in a certain way. And I finally realized like that just took too much energy and it wasn’t authentic.
So, for me, a smaller circle of very trusted people was more important to me than being the social butterfly that accumulated a lot of people around me.
It doesn’t mean that I don’t deeply care about people. It just means that I think that smaller circle serves me better, and I’m just never gonna play the politics of all the nonsense that’s out there.
Chavelle: Yeah. I know. And, and sometimes that noise can be so defeating, you know? And- Yeah, that’s why it’s important to, yeah, kind of block out the noise and really just focus on the positive and the good things that people do or that they’re trying their best. And, how can I help? You know, like what can we do to help support each other, which I love, so.
Finding What’s Next in Your Dental Career
So, for all of our AADOM members watching this who love dentistry but is wondering, “What’s next for me?” You know, because we have a lot of members that, you know, have been in their careers or, you know, as a manager for years and years and years now that they’re ready to kind of like, you know, see what’s out there or what their next step is gonna be in their career.
What’s some advice that you would give them about discovering what else might be possible in their career?
Joanne: I think kind of circling back to what we were talking about earlier. It’s not so much like what is gonna be my next title or what’s gonna be my next job.
It’s really like what work gives me that energy, that positive energy, if you will, the thing that feeds you and keeps that flywheel going and spinning.
So it’s really asking yourself, and like look at yourself and say, “What do people like consistently come to me for?” Or, “What problems do I love helping people solve?” Or, you know, “What situations do I love helping finding the solutions for?”
You know, where have I personally developed a certain level of expertise in that I maybe take for granted because it seems so easy for me?
Like that could be your niche. That could be the thing that you should follow.
And again, like we were talking about, who do you need to surround yourself with to grow? And again, I will say this: be choosy. Be choosy here. You don’t…You know, you have to surround yourself with the people that have the same values and integrity that you do, and that, like I said, often means it could be a smaller circle.
And the, the next chapter doesn’t necessarily require you leaving dentistry. ‘Cause I actually thought that at some point, like, “Oh my God, maybe I have to leave dentistry.”
You know, maybe it does mean you have to take the leap and quit the job that you’ve been in for a long time because there’s…that next stage is gonna be a different level of growth, which is kind of what I did.
I was in a very successful job that I could have ridden out. I was getting paid really well, maybe worked 32 hours a week. I mean, I had a well-oiled machine. And I left it to, like, go to the DSO because I knew that there was some more development for me.
Dentistry is enormous profession. There are so many opportunities. That’s what I want people to hear. There’s operations, there’s consulting, there’s speaking, there’s technology, there’s training and workshops. There’s vendors, you know, like working for a vendor or something.
There is just so much out there. So don’t get, you know, so close-minded. There’s a lot of things that you can explore. And don’t focus on the title, just focus on whatever is gonna make you happy, whatever is gonna help you develop what you’re best at, I would say.
That would be my advice.
Chavelle: I love it. It’s very inspiring.
Believing in Yourself and Embracing the Journey
So, one last question for you. If you finish this sentence for me, I would appreciate it:
“If there is one thing I hope every AADOM member understands about what is possible for their career, it’s…” Dot, dot, dot.
Joanne: You—I kind of feel like I… Well, you just, you don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to have an extraordinary career. You just have to just keep being curious, keep learning, keep growing.
If you fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and just keep showing up. I think a lot of it is just showing up, and just have the courage to take the leap.
And, you won’t, you know, I’m not gonna say you’re not gonna fall on your face sometimes. You will, it’s just I think the character and the building happens with more of what you do with that as the lesson, than, you know, than sometimes all the wins.
So, I would just say, you know, just believe in yourself. That sounds kind of like pageantry, but that’s it.
Chavelle: Well, you know what? We’ll take that from Joanne Miles. Be curious, believe in yourself. Surround yourself with good people. Progress, not perfection. You said that earlier, too. Those are all amazing lessons to, you know, live by.
And we appreciate you so much of, you know, helping to continue to, you know, encourage and support all of our members and, you know, office managers out there that are part of the AADOM community, or even not a part of the AADOM community yet that, you know, are wanting to get involved in, you know, finding a community that understands what they’re going through.
So, we really appreciate having you here, Joanne, for our DistinctionCast. Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done for me as well, just like your encouragement, your kind words. It’s meant a lot to someone like me as well, so, I appreciate that.
Joanne: Well, I thank you very much, because you have this calm presence that I just love, and it’s just fun to see you. It’s fun to see just the creativity that you’re bringing now and just taking it on to the next level.
Chavelle: Thank you. I appreciate that. Well, I definitely couldn’t do it without our entire AADOM team, and of course, the support of, you know, people like you, the different speakers out there, and consultants, our, you know, members, our vendors, sponsors, you know, like again, a community.
And we all help each other rise, and that’s what I love so much about AADOM. So, thank you so much for being a part of our community. So happy to have you and can’t wait to chat with you again soon.
Joanne: Oh, it was lovely. I loved it.
Chavelle: Thank you.
Learn About Our Presenter:
Joanne Miles, DAADOM, RDA
Joanne is a dynamic force in dental practice growth, often described as the “Swiss Army knife of dentistry” for her versatile expertise and innovative solutions. With decades of experience helping practices nationwide, Joanne has mastered the art of guiding dental teams toward success, whether they’re launching a start-up or scaling a multi-practice organization.
Joanne is passionate about transforming dental practices by focusing on the pillars of success: team engagement, patient experience, leadership development, and operational excellence. Her proven methods empower dentists and their teams to grow with confidence, staying aligned with their core values and purpose.
A champion for elevating others, Joanne believes that the most successful practices thrive not only on numbers but on meaningful connections and a commitment to excellence.
