Ahh, The InSide Gig. Not everyone gets what it is, or what I really do. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some dentists say, “If you work with Laura, she’s just going to get you to quit dentistry.” Or they think, “I just want to find a job that is part-time, remote, and pays as much as clinical.” I get it. That’s what it looks like from the outside, but that’s not the work that changes their lives. I sometimes sit in my group coaching calls and marvel at the personal transformations my clients commit to. They are not just […]
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As I was making my coffee this morning, I poured the exact amount of milk I wanted from the carton… and then I kept pouring. Into the metal milk-steaming mug, I emptied the carton. Then I paused and evaluated. I didn’t want that much milk in my coffee, so why did I keep pouring? In that moment I had two choices. I could pour the extra amount of milk back into the carton and leave just a splash of milk in it. Or, I could just be “efficient” and finish the milk. It’s weird to leave just a splash of […]
That’s right. You deserve it! I’ll never forget the shock I felt when my client walked into my office, livid about those 3 simple words. I was in my “bridge career,” the gig that helped me let go of dentistry but wasn’t my new forever. I was a weight loss coach, and the program I taught required daily food journaling. In addition to the food and water tracking, it had fields that allowed you to gauge your emotions. In the corner of every page it cheerfully said, “Because you deserve it!” I always thought it meant that you are worthy […]
In my latest blog post, I offered a little tough love and shared a harsh truth. You can’t say you’ve “tried everything and are still stuck”– when you haven’t tried everything! I get how it feels to want change but lack the belief and the drive to actually follow through. I lived there for years. But once I finally stepped into change, the truth started to unfold. And every other dentist I know who has created change, sees it too. They all felt stuck, refusing to take action, and once they let go of dentistry, they joined me. Suddenly full […]
“I’ve tried everything, and I’m still stuck,” said a dentist the other day. There is a silent epidemic going on in dentistry. The daily work vibe has changed in recent years. Now dentists have to worry about more than just doing their best clinical work. They have to worry about Google reviews, maintaining a reliable team, and how to navigate changed social norms. I believe it’s a result of social media. Many have told me that patients have changed since Covid– that they’re harder to work with because they have higher entitlements and, frankly, aren’t as nice. With all these […]
Do you ever feel like you’re trapped in an endless loop of unhappiness with your dental career? And no matter what you try– more vacations, dropping down a day a week, or learning that new procedure– nothing ever really fixes your career. You always end up in the same feelings of depression and anxiety. (Hint: your career is not supposed to feel this way, so stop justifying that it’s normal!) Ask me how I know this. I spent years riding the roller coaster of dentistry. For weeks I tried my best to love it, then the next few weeks I’d […]
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say, “You can have it all?” I get it. You’re probably thinking I’m delusional right about now. It’s impossible to balance work, kids, family, rest, and fun– right? What if I changed that well-known cliche to this: “You can have what you want!” Does that feel a little more realistic, as if I’m not trying to trick you into believing a lie? I hope so. Over the last seven years career coaching dentists and hygienists, I’ve witnessed amazing transformations– enough to convince me that it’s true. You can indeed have […]
Have you heard of the principle that “we are all connected?” It’s one I’ve often learned about from some of my favorite spiritual gurus, and I’ll admit– at times this concept has been hard for me to grasp. If you look around, you’ll see that we all have our unique personalities, lives, and agendas. Our individuality is exactly what makes us special. If each of us are all independent beings who march to our own rhythms, then how can we simultaneously all “be one?” It’s also hard to imagine how I can “be one” with a complete stranger driving in […]
For years the hive mind of dentistry tried to fit all dentists into a box. If you weren’t a private practice owner, then you weren’t successful. If you chose to teach at a dental school, it was because you “couldn’t hack it in the real world.” If you were burnt out or stressed, then you were a wimp, and something was wrong with you. While there are still some dentists who think this way, times are changing. I recently shared a podcast interview with The Truth Behind Dentistry that gained some popularity on Youtube. It was a fun collaboration, but with […]
The other day I had a great conversation with a very successful dentist who was looking for a change. As we discussed how I, as a coach, help dentists design their careers on their terms, the topic of community came up. She mentioned to me that she has a few friends who also want change, and they’re not that happy in dentistry. Their friendship is so great because they can get together and blow off some steam… aka complain. But she laughed as she shared that all they ever do is complain, and they never do anything about it. It […]



