Full Transcript for EP2409A | Adapt to Thrive: Fresh Tactics for Success

you decide ortho? 00:02:19.574 --> 00:02:22.394 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: So a little bit about me. 00:02:22.554 --> 00:02:30.474 I grew up in Pennsylvania and I was always a big athlete growing up. 00:02:30.574 --> 00:02:35.914 So I kind of naturally wanted to go into something in medicine, 00:02:36.074 --> 00:02:42.634 athletes, orthopedic surgery, something like that. And I think at one point 00:02:42.634 --> 00:02:43.874 I was thinking physical therapy. 00:02:43.974 --> 00:02:47.194 I don't have any doctors in my family or anything like that at all. 00:02:47.254 --> 00:02:51.274 So I didn't know what I was really capable of. 00:02:52.354 --> 00:02:55.214 And so I started to explore medicine a little bit more. 00:02:55.354 --> 00:03:00.434 I did some internships in local hospitals and kind of was going the medical route for years. 00:03:00.954 --> 00:03:06.394 Even in college, I was studied pre-med and was about to take the MCATs. 00:03:06.654 --> 00:03:10.974 And I majored in health administration in college. at James Madison. 00:03:11.274 --> 00:03:15.214 I had a minor in business. And the more I started learning about managed care 00:03:15.214 --> 00:03:21.054 in the healthcare system, I realized that I didn't want to go to a place and 00:03:21.054 --> 00:03:25.594 work in a hospital where I was dictated what I was going to be doing for my patients. 00:03:25.874 --> 00:03:30.574 And I realized also that maybe I wasn't going to have flexibility in my lifestyle 00:03:30.574 --> 00:03:33.054 that I wanted because I knew that I wanted to have a family. 00:03:33.354 --> 00:03:39.034 And I didn't want to have to be on call for sports events and graduations. 00:03:39.034 --> 00:03:43.434 And I had some family friends that were doctors and I saw all that they missed 00:03:43.434 --> 00:03:45.614 out on. And I knew that that's not the life I wanted. 00:03:45.734 --> 00:03:49.394 So that's what changed me into thinking about going into dentistry. 00:03:49.454 --> 00:03:50.994 I didn't know one thing about dentistry. 00:03:51.414 --> 00:03:55.054 I picked up an internship as part of my health administration program. 00:03:55.214 --> 00:03:59.814 And I worked in marketing in a periodontal practice because no orthodontist 00:03:59.814 --> 00:04:00.914 would have me in their office. 00:04:01.694 --> 00:04:08.654 So I did marketing for a practice when I was in college, kind of got in that way. 00:04:09.374 --> 00:04:14.494 I took my DATs, got into dental school, and in dental school I knew you had to 00:04:14.494 --> 00:04:15.414 be at the top of the class. 00:04:15.674 --> 00:04:18.874 And I was like, I'm not going to push. I knew I already pushed myself a lot, 00:04:18.954 --> 00:04:21.134 but I knew ortho was always out there. 00:04:21.254 --> 00:04:26.494 So I did well enough, obviously, that I was able to apply to ortho and 00:04:26.494 --> 00:04:29.214 get into ortho, but really didn't have a whole lot of exposure to it. 00:04:29.314 --> 00:04:32.454 So

that's kind of like my route. I knew I always wanted to be in medicine. 00:04:32.674 --> 00:04:36.694 I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I also knew that as a female, 00:04:36.934 --> 00:04:41.854 growing up with females that didn't work, that I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. 00:04:42.014 --> 00:04:45.794 I didn't want to have to worry about who I married and what they were going 00:04:45.794 --> 00:04:47.334 to do and what kind of life I would have. 00:04:47.474 --> 00:04:50.954 So I think, you know, obviously going into dentistry, being a doctor, 00:04:51.074 --> 00:04:53.014 I was in control of my own destiny. 00:04:53.174 --> 00:04:55.454 And, you know, here I am now. 00:04:55.894 --> 00:04:59.514 So that's kind of my pathway to this. DR SCOTT LAW: Oh, wow. 00:04:59.594 --> 00:05:03.274 This intrigues me so much because I know so much about you. I know how you practice, 00:05:03.334 --> 00:05:07.614 how you market your practice, all about you and your incredible husband and family. 00:05:07.794 --> 00:05:11.174 And so, yes, this, oh man, I have so many questions for you. 00:05:11.234 --> 00:05:15.814 So, so the way you operate your practice is very different, 00:05:16.074 --> 00:05:19.354 from a marketing standpoint than, than most practices. 00:05:19.474 --> 00:05:24.054 It's all about you and you're the face there in your culture and, 00:05:24.174 --> 00:05:27.774 and it just, it exudes all the way through to their level of customer service, everything. 00:05:27.854 --> 00:05:31.534 Tell us about that. Tell us your approach. It's so unique and just inspiring. 00:05:33.077 --> 00:05:38.497 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: You know, it's like I try not to make it about me, but I understand I am the 00:05:38.497 --> 00:05:40.957 voice and the practice is my name. 00:05:41.197 --> 00:05:46.097 So I'm mindful, try to be mindful of that. I like to educate, 00:05:46.297 --> 00:05:48.797 patients. I like to be relatable. 00:05:49.517 --> 00:05:53.617 And I think that obviously having platforms with social media, 00:05:53.777 --> 00:05:56.717 you know, first, it was Facebook back in the day, and then, you know, 00:05:56.737 --> 00:06:01.177 Instagram, it's allowed me to have the platform to communicate and make patients 00:06:01.177 --> 00:06:04.257 get to know me, obviously, before they even walk into the practice. 00:06:06.157 --> 00:06:10.397 I've always been interested in marketing, I don't have any type of degree or 00:06:10.417 --> 00:06:11.397 real training. 00:06:11.437 --> 00:06:16.197 I mean, besides taking some marketing classes in college, but I'm always interested 00:06:16.197 --> 00:06:21.437 in trying to find a new way to do things to try to connect with people and bring them in. 00:06:21.617 --> 00:06:28.397 So, what's crazy to think about is, I've been now I had my practice 00:06:28.397 --> 00:06:35.497 for 11 years, and I've done all of my marketing myself, me and Ben for the last 11 years. 00:06:35.677 --> 00:06:40.757 I just hired

my sister back in the practice a couple months ago, 00:06:40.897 --> 00:06:42.517 to help me with marketing. 00:06:42.577 --> 00:06:48.257 And my God, she's like blowing the roof off like it's incredible but the fact 00:06:48.257 --> 00:06:50.757 that we've been able to do that and then i see other practices and I'm like, 00:06:50.757 --> 00:06:54.157 "Oh my gosh, they have four marketing full-time people working and like we've 00:06:54.157 --> 00:06:58.337 been doing this on our own." It makes me think like okay like i knew 00:06:58.737 --> 00:07:02.777 i was kind of always a little bit different i don't know why i just always really 00:07:02.777 --> 00:07:05.477 like marketing it's just something that i've always liked to have my hands on 00:07:05.477 --> 00:07:09.637 um but yeah like instagram is great because then i can connect with people and 00:07:09.637 --> 00:07:11.977 then people get to know me even before they come in. 00:07:13.408 --> 00:07:16.608 DR SCOTT LAW: Love it. Love it. And that's what I meant to say. I didn't mean it was all about 00:07:16.608 --> 00:07:17.768 you, all about the Amanda show. 00:07:18.008 --> 00:07:22.308 I really did mean this is all just your fingerprints are all over it. 00:07:22.328 --> 00:07:25.168 It's so personal. People know you, they feel so comfortable there. 00:07:25.448 --> 00:07:30.808 And yet it just has a different feel even walking into your practices. 00:07:31.108 --> 00:07:32.428 It's something to behold. 00:07:32.968 --> 00:07:37.628 Can you tell us a little bit about how you designed your practice? 00:07:37.688 --> 00:07:39.908 What was the feel you were going for? And why? 00:07:41.068 --> 00:07:45.808 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Yeah. So, you know, as far as designing the practice, I mean, 00:07:45.848 --> 00:07:47.388 I purchased my practice. 00:07:47.688 --> 00:07:51.028 So I bought from a retired orthodontist back in 2013. 00:07:51.308 --> 00:07:54.648 It was two small little hole-in-the-wall practices about 1000, 00:07:54.848 --> 00:07:56.488 like 1200 square feet each. 00:07:56.828 --> 00:08:00.428 One was above a psychic and a two-story walk-up. It was terrible. 00:08:00.628 --> 00:08:02.608 I was like, I don't want that one. They're like, that's not, 00:08:02.608 --> 00:08:05.008 that's not the deal. Like you have to get both of them. I was like, 00:08:05.088 --> 00:08:07.348 this does not represent present me. 00:08:07.828 --> 00:08:10.648 And then the second one, you know, was small, but like, I had to, 00:08:10.648 --> 00:08:11.848 kind of work with it. 00:08:11.928 --> 00:08:16.128 So as soon as I came in, we had green carpet, we had flesh-colored walls, 00:08:16.388 --> 00:08:18.528 it was one computer in the office, 00:08:18.548 --> 00:08:21.088 at least there was one computer at the front desk to help schedule. 00:08:22.428 --> 00:08:26.608 But it's like, I knew that patients deserved better. 00:08:27.228 --> 00:08:31.808 And just because it was this way for all these years, and just kind of basic 00:08:31.808 --> 00:08:35.048 and boring, I thought like, just making the smallest smallest changes. 00:08:35.228 --> 00:08:38.368 I didn't want to, you know, rock the boat at first. And it's like there was 00:08:38.368 --> 00:08:39.408 an existing patient base. 00:08:39.608 --> 00:08:42.748 I wanted them to feel comfortable with what I was doing, but I wanted them to 00:08:42.748 --> 00:08:44.968 appreciate that I was trying to make things look better. 00:08:45.348 --> 00:08:50.188 So I started doing, you know, some crown molding paint. I think I spent like $10,000 total. 00:08:50.488 --> 00:08:53.848 I mean, I had no money because I had everything was invested in buying the practice, 00:08:54.028 --> 00:08:58.428 spent $10,000 for like a make, you know, little makeover. 00:08:58.448 --> 00:09:00.828 And the patients just, they absolutely loved it. 00:09:00.908 --> 00:09:04.848 They felt better coming. I mean, like, I mean, and then practice just started to grow. 00:09:06.035 --> 00:09:09.355 Then the practice started to grow to the point where it was like there was no 00:09:09.355 --> 00:09:10.715 room for people to come in there. 00:09:10.755 --> 00:09:14.595 It was only 1,200 square feet. So patients, standing room only, 00:09:14.635 --> 00:09:16.255 people were waiting outside the door. 00:09:16.595 --> 00:09:20.955 And despite me signing, I had to sign a seven-year lease on one place. 00:09:21.055 --> 00:09:26.115 It was a five-year lease plus a two-year, I had to take over the existing doctors'. 00:09:26.655 --> 00:09:29.815 Within three years, I had to move my location. 00:09:30.275 --> 00:09:37.075 And so I had four years left on the lease when I left. And so I always say that's the opportunity cost. 00:09:37.255 --> 00:09:41.595 It would have cost me so much more to stay in that space and limit myself from 00:09:41.595 --> 00:09:46.155 growing than to take the leap, knowing that it was a risk that I was going to 00:09:46.155 --> 00:09:50.195 have to pay two leases or a mortgage and a lease and doing that. 00:09:50.195 --> 00:09:54.335 So in my mind, so when I went to go build that first office of mine, 00:09:54.535 --> 00:09:58.875 I knew that I wanted to do something different, something outside of 00:09:58.875 --> 00:10:00.155 the box of orthodontics. 00:10:00.175 --> 00:10:06.115 I wanted to build something that I was inspired by places that I like to go, like a high-end salon. 00:10:06.395 --> 00:10:10.535 Like I wanted to feel like that. I wanted to, and I've talked about this before, 00:10:10.595 --> 00:10:13.755 I wanted a place where moms felt like they were fancy coming to. 00:10:13.755 --> 00:10:17.935 And then as things continue to progress, it's actually, well, 00:10:17.975 --> 00:10:21.835 this is where adults feel comfortable being treated now. They don't want to 00:10:21.835 --> 00:10:22.955 go to a pediatric clinic. 00:10:23.035 --> 00:10:25.615 They don't want to go necessarily where all the little

kids go. 00:10:26.035 --> 00:10:31.075 So that really, I just kind of wanted to push the limits as far as like being 00:10:31.075 --> 00:10:36.035 a place that I felt good to practice in that represented the quality of the work that I was doing. 00:10:36.035 --> 00:10:39.015 And I knew like it was like if you 00:10:39.015 --> 00:10:42.015 build it they will come and they did. You know and 00:10:42.015 --> 00:10:44.635 I mean I'm mindful and the I know 00:10:44.635 --> 00:10:47.375 the places I build look elaborate but I 00:10:47.375 --> 00:10:51.915 am incredibly mindful of how much I spend when doing it. I find really great 00:10:51.915 --> 00:10:56.475 deals. Like yesterday I spent the entire day for my de novo just finding 00:10:56.475 --> 00:11:00.635 furniture deals and I love all that kind of stuff so it doesn't you don't 00:11:00.635 --> 00:11:05.215 have to go crazy to make a big impact I mean you can do small things and people 00:11:05.215 --> 00:11:06.315 People really do appreciate it. 00:11:06.375 --> 00:11:10.195 DR SCOTT LAW: I love what you said about the patients and that they deserved better. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:15.300 And often I think as doctors, we make that mistake. We make it 00:11:15.300 --> 00:11:20.360 about us instead of making it about the patient. How can we serve them better 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:23.240 and provide a higher level of quality, a higher experience? 00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:26.420 I would love, we have a couple of pictures of your practice, 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:27.880 of your different offices. 00:11:28.280 --> 00:11:31.140 Maybe we can walk through some of those and you could just talk us through a 00:11:31.140 --> 00:11:34.860 little bit. I think it'd be fascinating for those watching the podcast. 00:11:35.420 --> 00:11:37.020 Let's see what we can do here. 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:43.880 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: So, yeah, so this is our waiting room of the new space. 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:47.000 So the new space that we're going to be building out is in a really up and coming. 00:11:48.040 --> 00:11:53.360 Well, I guess I want to say it's kind of like an old part of Baltimore that 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:59.960 is now being revitalized. And so at one point in the 70s, it was a very booming area. 00:12:00.680 --> 00:12:05.940 And now it's being redone and like re-energized and reinvigorated with all these 00:12:05.940 --> 00:12:06.940 great new restaurants coming. 00:12:07.020 --> 00:12:09.320 So the people that we're going to be serving are all the high-end, 00:12:09.380 --> 00:12:11.460 private school families. 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:16.100 And again, this is just kind of taking what I usually do 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:19.040 And every time we do it, we try to do it like a little bit better. 00:12:19.940 --> 00:12:22.320 But yeah, just doing something that's going to be different, 00:12:22.400 --> 00:12:23.600 something that's going to stand out. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.920 So if you go to the next photo, 00:12:28.160 --> 00:12:33.720 one of the things that I realized, because like, you know, 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.660 you're talking about thinking outside of the box and 00:12:36.660 --> 00:12:37.600 doing something different, 00:12:37.820 --> 00:12:41.420 We do sell skincare in our practices. 00:12:41.680 --> 00:12:49.000 So I wanted to have a space that we have the ability to do some merchandising as well. 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:53.820 So it's not just about teeth. It's giving the patients what they want. 00:12:53.920 --> 00:12:58.440 The people who are coming into our office are seeking a cosmetic procedure to be done. 00:12:58.680 --> 00:13:03.420 So we get so into the weeds about class one, class two, I care about all that 00:13:03.420 --> 00:13:05.180 stuff. And I want all that stuff to be perfect. 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:08.460 But they're coming because they want to make a cosmetic change to their face. 00:13:08.660 --> 00:13:12.860 Well, they're also going to be focusing on, especially the 30, 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:16.220 40 year old females, they're going to be focusing on their skin, 00:13:16.380 --> 00:13:20.480 they want whiter teeth, they want Botox, they want all these things. 00:13:20.540 --> 00:13:24.360 And so, what you were just saying about giving the patients what they want, 00:13:25.380 --> 00:13:29.880 That's what I think about when I think about the services that we provide for our patients, too. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.680 It's like giving them what they want. It's not trying to get away from doing 00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:35.700 orthodontics. It's in addition to. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:40.760 It's like an add-on. So I wanted to have an area here where we could do a little bit of merchandising. 00:13:40.940 --> 00:13:46.980 I think the next slide is going to show the photos of our clinic in the back. 00:13:47.761 --> 00:13:51.921 And again, just a clean space, you know, giving a little bit of privacy, 00:13:52.101 --> 00:13:54.461 but still have that open concept feel. 00:13:54.761 --> 00:13:58.241 I love having these partitions. I've always done loft glass partitions. 00:13:58.241 --> 00:14:01.021 So this is like a nice change and move away from that. 00:14:01.061 --> 00:14:04.181 This is the first one that doesn't have a loft glass, but has this beautiful 00:14:04.181 --> 00:14:08.921 corrugated glass back there. I mean, it's just, it's a beautiful space. 00:14:09.161 --> 00:14:12.601 And I think the next ones are just kind of like little individual pictures of 00:14:12.601 --> 00:14:14.321 these treatment bay areas. 00:14:14.801 --> 00:14:17.141 But I mean, it's like, that looks like a spa. 00:14:18.321 --> 00:14:23.641 I won't be doing white chairs. I'm going to be doing gray because white would be a little dangerous. 00:14:24.901 --> 00:14:28.001 DR SCOTT LAW: But it feels comfortable I see exactly 00:14:28.001 --> 00:14:30.761 why why the adults you 00:14:30.761 --> 00:14:33.861 mentioned are comfortable in

your practice and i can see exactly 00:14:33.861 --> 00:14:38.501 why people then go and tell their friend, "you have to go here you need to go 00:14:38.501 --> 00:14:43.181 check this out this is so different and unique." what i can say is as impressive 00:14:43.181 --> 00:14:49.501 as your as your clinics were with just just the layout, the function, the 00:14:49.501 --> 00:14:51.621 everything, the aesthetic that you 00:14:51.641 --> 00:14:54.121 had deliberately planned and 00:14:54.161 --> 00:14:57.541 had your fingerprints all over for an amazing experience. 00:14:57.821 --> 00:15:00.601 I can tell you how warm and welcoming it felt. 00:15:01.041 --> 00:15:05.801 I've been in a lot of locations and it's really easy to see like who's putting 00:15:05.801 --> 00:15:09.001 on a show for the visiting doctor that day and 00:15:09.001 --> 00:15:11.441 who's doing what. Your team was so authentic. 00:15:11.581 --> 00:15:15.321 The doctors that you work with, I could just tell, 00:15:15.341 --> 00:15:19.521 you could feel it all the way through. That the aesthetic 00:15:19.521 --> 00:15:22.741 is there, but then the warmth, and the heart, and the welcome is there. 00:15:22.841 --> 00:15:27.261 And, and no wonder you're just killing it, just growing like crazy, crazy. 00:15:28.581 --> 00:15:33.001 With that being said, tell us a little bit about being on this trajectory of growth. 00:15:33.401 --> 00:15:37.381 You're competitive, you're a former athlete, athlete currently, all of this. 00:15:37.661 --> 00:15:42.841 Tell us a little bit about why you made the decision to join up with a group? 00:15:42.921 --> 00:15:46.201 Why did that make sense for you? What, But what more could 00:15:46.201 --> 00:15:48.461 it offer you in a different way? Right. 00:15:49.721 --> 00:15:51.321 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Yeah. So, 00:15:52.262 --> 00:15:57.422 It was not on my radar at all to join with a group. 00:15:57.542 --> 00:16:01.142 I was basically my own group. I mean, I have four offices. 00:16:01.262 --> 00:16:03.402 Now we're going to be opening fifth together, 00:16:03.682 --> 00:16:07.582 which is going to be a lot of fun. I can talk about that 00:16:07.582 --> 00:16:10.022 process as well, which has been amazing. 00:16:10.642 --> 00:16:15.022 Yes. But it was never on my radar because, 00:16:15.042 --> 00:16:19.822 it's not just me, it's my husband, Ben. So we took a risk, 00:16:19.842 --> 00:16:23.082 early on, a couple of years in. He's a practicing attorney. 00:16:23.662 --> 00:16:27.822 And when we moved into our new building, we opened this space. 00:16:27.922 --> 00:16:33.622 He was like just out of the blue, like, I think I want to work with you. I was like, what? 00:16:34.642 --> 00:16:40.382 We never had a single conversation. But that was scary as heck because here 00:16:40.382 --> 00:16:44.222 I am with staggering student debt, business debt. 00:16:44.442 --> 00:16:46.282 I mean, I'm not taking any paychecks. 00:16:46.782 --> 00:16:51.762 And then it's like to bring to lose the entire salary of an attorney on top 00:16:51.762 --> 00:16:55.022 of that, it made me feel very nervous. 00:16:55.042 --> 00:16:57.142 But that made me dig in even harder. 00:16:57.222 --> 00:17:00.742 And because then it was like sink or swim, like you got to you got to make this work. 00:17:00.882 --> 00:17:05.962 So, you know, I have been very fortunate to have him along with this 00:17:06.042 --> 00:17:08.562 journey. 00:17:08.922 --> 00:17:15.222 But I literally could not do this without him. So he has been huge in helping 00:17:15.222 --> 00:17:17.182 everything to grow, helping the practice grow. 00:17:17.302 --> 00:17:21.962 He's been huge in allowing me to focus on what I want to focus on, 00:17:22.022 --> 00:17:26.542 which is excellence and patient care, providing a space that everybody feels 00:17:26.542 --> 00:17:29.022 really comfortable while he can work on the back end. 00:17:29.162 --> 00:17:31.042 So again, we're doing this together. 00:17:31.862 --> 00:17:36.462 We're taking over the world. And when Zach Casagrande was like, 00:17:36.742 --> 00:17:39.382 "Hey!" I was like, "I know where this is going." 00:17:39.442 --> 00:17:45.122 I knew Zach just had joined. And to be honest, I was actually shocked that nobody talked to me earlier. 00:17:45.222 --> 00:17:50.162 Because this is when everybody started to talk about joining up in these groups. And I was like... 00:17:50.831 --> 00:17:54.691 people knew I was out there, but I'm like, "do people not see me?" 00:17:54.851 --> 00:17:57.331 And I just kind of like let it go. I didn't pursue anything. 00:17:57.511 --> 00:17:59.651 But I was like, "if somebody wants to talk to me, they'll talk to me." 00:17:59.711 --> 00:18:04.471 So he brought me to SmileDocs. And, you know, we had multiple conversations. 00:18:04.591 --> 00:18:08.911 And I was like, "I'm not ready for this. Like we are destroying life right now." 00:18:08.991 --> 00:18:14.551 I just signed the lease on the fourth office the week before I was contacted by SmileDocs. 00:18:14.651 --> 00:18:18.571 I'm like, "we're doing this." And after several 00:18:18.571 --> 00:18:21.591 conversations and talking with Zach and talking to multiple 00:18:21.591 --> 00:18:25.071 other people, you know Ryan and Tanya, I was 00:18:25.071 --> 00:18:28.271 like, "Okay, maybe this is worth the risk." 00:18:28.271 --> 00:18:32.571 I know I'm continuing to grow and I was just kind of I didn't know really fully 00:18:32.571 --> 00:18:38.111 what to expect but I knew that it was going to be life-changing in many different 00:18:38.111 --> 00:18:45.211 ways for our family. I knew who all was involved, I trusted the people that were involved. 00:18:45.571 --> 00:18:49.151 And I was like, there's no way that this can fail. 00:18:49.211 --> 00:18:53.011 And it will not fail, especially like if I'm involved, we're going to make sure that we make this work. 00:18:53.651 --> 00:18:56.731 So joined kind of blindly,

not really knowing. 00:18:58.571 --> 00:19:02.851 We have so much autonomy. And we knew we were going to have autonomy from the 00:19:02.851 --> 00:19:06.991 beginning, I made it clear that these were the things that I like. 00:19:07.511 --> 00:19:12.271 This is the type of practice that I have, I want to be able to continue to do 00:19:12.271 --> 00:19:17.271 this in order to continue to build my brand and for all of us to be successful. 00:19:17.431 --> 00:19:22.271 And you guys honored that and just let me go with that. 00:19:22.371 --> 00:19:26.511 And I appreciate that more than anything. Being able to have that autonomy, 00:19:26.591 --> 00:19:30.351 but also working to focus on some of the things that maybe I wasn't so focused 00:19:30.351 --> 00:19:34.031 on, which is clinic ordering and supplies. 00:19:34.351 --> 00:19:37.791 And I just was having my team do that. I don't get into the weeds about that, 00:19:37.831 --> 00:19:40.211 but if there's a better, more efficient way to do that, that's going to make 00:19:40.211 --> 00:19:43.131 us all more profitable and better, then absolutely. 00:19:43.471 --> 00:19:48.831 Let's do that. So, you know, I wasn't sure. 00:19:48.831 --> 00:19:50.351 At first I said no. 00:19:50.571 --> 00:19:54.131 And then came back a couple of times around and then eventually, 00:19:54.251 --> 00:19:57.311 we got to the point where we're able to say "yes" and move forward. 00:19:57.411 --> 00:20:02.491 And that's almost three years ago, which is wild. Like, that's crazy to me. DR SCOTT LAW: Wow. 00:20:02.791 --> 00:20:07.831 Wow. It's gone that fast. Yeah, I can't believe it's been three years. Wow. 00:20:08.951 --> 00:20:12.051 I love what you shared keep going. 00:20:13.796 --> 00:20:18.336 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Yeah. So, but it's like, you know, I think what the most amazing thing about 00:20:18.336 --> 00:20:22.756 being a part of this organization is the collaboration and the ability to collaborate 00:20:22.756 --> 00:20:27.676 and have relationships with people that I wasn't talking with previously. 00:20:27.856 --> 00:20:30.516 Like I knew Zach, he was a mentor of mine. 00:20:30.936 --> 00:20:36.256 He would help me when I needed it, but nobody in ortho 00:20:36.256 --> 00:20:37.576 is really collaborating. 00:20:37.796 --> 00:20:40.696 It's like everybody's on their own. It's like, 00:20:40.736 --> 00:20:46.276 you're on your own island. And when you have a practice, it becomes lonely because 00:20:46.276 --> 00:20:49.216 you're the one who's trying to keep everything going. 00:20:49.256 --> 00:20:52.096 And sometimes you don't really have anybody to talk to. 00:20:52.756 --> 00:20:57.516 But then when you're in a group like this, everything becomes very transparent and fluid. 00:20:58.016 --> 00:21:01.816 And if somebody wants to know what I'm doing for marketing 00:21:01.816 --> 00:21:06.416 or wants any information, they can have it. They can take it. We can share. 00:21:06.576 --> 00:21:10.756 Nobody

gets weird about people taking ideas. We want to collaborate 00:21:10.756 --> 00:21:12.616 with each other to make each other better. 00:21:12.716 --> 00:21:17.976 And I think that is the power of this organization is the ability for the 00:21:17.976 --> 00:21:21.936 best minds in all different areas to come together and just create something 00:21:21.936 --> 00:21:25.216 new and then to push everything to the next level. 00:21:25.376 --> 00:21:28.516 And so obviously I'm passionate about that. 00:21:29.716 --> 00:21:35.596 There's like nothing that you can make up, but I am grateful to be a part of 00:21:35.596 --> 00:21:40.216 something like this now where I have relationships with friends in North Carolina 00:21:40.216 --> 00:21:43.156 and Virginia and, you know, Minnesota. 00:21:43.276 --> 00:21:47.136 And like, we can collaborate all the time. We share everything and it just makes 00:21:47.136 --> 00:21:49.696 everything a lot easier to be successful. DR SCOTT LAW: Absolutely. 00:21:50.056 --> 00:21:52.856 Because we're all seeking excellence. And I think that's it. 00:21:53.036 --> 00:21:57.996 And like you mentioned before, I'm so excited to put this whole autonomy thing to bed. 00:21:58.276 --> 00:22:01.276 It's one of the things all the naysayers always shout, "Oh, autonomy, 00:22:01.416 --> 00:22:02.536 autonomy, they take it away." 00:22:02.676 --> 00:22:07.296 And like, why in the world would we ever change a Gallagher Orthodontics? 00:22:07.296 --> 00:22:11.676 You know, why would we go in and strip that and make it something else and 00:22:11.676 --> 00:22:14.976 and pull the heart out of that? No, we want instead just to go, 00:22:15.316 --> 00:22:19.316 "What can we take off your plate so that you can do more of what you are so great at?" 00:22:19.496 --> 00:22:23.096 And that's what we look to do at every location. 00:22:23.156 --> 00:22:26.876 And then to your point, sharing ideas and going, "Oh, 00:22:26.976 --> 00:22:28.276 that might work in my location." 00:22:28.556 --> 00:22:33.196 Doctors know their areas the best. I mean, we're entrepreneurs. 00:22:33.376 --> 00:22:36.956 We built our practices. We know what will fit what will work. 00:22:37.296 --> 00:22:41.296 And then it's a matter of as an organization, how can we support those changes 00:22:41.296 --> 00:22:45.436 to make it better on behalf of the patients? I can't stress that enough. 00:22:45.536 --> 00:22:47.996 I love that you said that early in this podcast 00:22:48.456 --> 00:22:52.956 About supporting one another. 00:22:53.506 --> 00:22:56.926 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: So I mean, yeah, supporting one another. 00:22:56.946 --> 00:23:00.346 If there's something that I'm struggling with, I mean, I feel like I have complete 00:23:00.346 --> 00:23:02.066 access to contact anybody, 00:23:02.366 --> 00:23:06.206 bounce ideas off of, 00:23:06.306 --> 00:23:09.746 it's a support all the way around, 00:23:09.946 --> 00:23:13.306 like, emotionally, and from a business standpoint. 00:23:14.186 --> 00:23:18.566 I do think that, I mean, it is an incredible organization and, 00:23:18.626 --> 00:23:21.066 you know, being a female, too, 00:23:21.246 --> 00:23:23.566 I mean, we were kind of talking about this, 00:23:23.606 --> 00:23:27.626 it's not like a male or female kind of thing, but I feel like the organization 00:23:27.626 --> 00:23:32.146 does provide like a lot of support and resources even for 00:23:32.146 --> 00:23:35.606 women, for associate docs. 00:23:36.066 --> 00:23:39.866 Say somebody needs to go out on maternity leave, like we have coverage, 00:23:40.046 --> 00:23:41.386 right? Right. Like, "We can cover you." 00:23:41.446 --> 00:23:44.206 You're not trying to figure out and like grasp at straws, 00:23:44.226 --> 00:23:46.346 like who's going to help take care of, you know, X, Y, Z. 00:23:46.406 --> 00:23:50.766 It's like, "We're here to support you and take care of you 00:23:51.026 --> 00:23:52.466 make you successful." 00:23:52.726 --> 00:23:58.466 So I think there's a lot of benefits, you know, obviously of being part of this organization. 00:23:58.566 --> 00:24:02.906 And then, taking it another step further is that it's not just, 00:24:02.906 --> 00:24:05.566 coming in, partnering, and then this is what it is. 00:24:05.566 --> 00:24:06.966 And we're working within the confines 00:24:06.966 --> 00:24:11.166 of our four walls. It gives you opportunity to have future growth. 00:24:11.306 --> 00:24:16.726 We signed up for this path to become an orthodontist. 00:24:16.906 --> 00:24:20.186 This is the path that we signed. We went on that path. We went down that path. 00:24:20.306 --> 00:24:23.226 We went through all the school. We took on all the debt. We get out. We have to work. 00:24:23.686 --> 00:24:26.866 But maybe that path is not 100% for you. 00:24:27.746 --> 00:24:31.966 Being a part of an organization like this also allows you to have other opportunities, 00:24:31.966 --> 00:24:36.466 whether it's business development, or 00:24:36.466 --> 00:24:40.586 these other things, or going further down the road with, Invisalign 00:24:40.706 --> 00:24:43.946 And leading in other ways within the company, too. 00:24:44.046 --> 00:24:48.806 I think that that it's nice to be able to know that there's other opportunities 00:24:48.806 --> 00:24:53.026 available to us outside of just the four walls of our practice. DR SCOTT LAW: I totally agree. 00:24:53.266 --> 00:24:55.266 It's awesome to be a part of. 00:24:55.786 --> 00:24:58.626 I would love for people to get to know a little bit more about the way that 00:24:58.626 --> 00:25:00.386 you think and your mindset. 00:25:00.506 --> 00:25:04.326 I've heard you say the way you talk about challenge and the way that you talk 00:25:04.326 --> 00:25:07.626 about being uncomfortable. Tell us a little bit about your philosophy on that. 00:25:10.486 --> 00:25:18.306 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Well, I was mentioning to you I am incredibly uncomfortable not being

uncomfortable. 00:25:18.966 --> 00:25:21.366 And the moment that I start to feel, 00:25:22.664 --> 00:25:25.524 comfort in any way or like maybe I'm not pushing 00:25:25.524 --> 00:25:28.584 myself I become incredibly uncomfortable 00:25:28.584 --> 00:25:32.104 and it just makes me want to work even harder 00:25:32.104 --> 00:25:37.884 and to do more and think outside of the box. As far as 00:25:37.884 --> 00:25:43.044 me getting into you the aesthetics world or whatever it is, it's not because 00:25:43.044 --> 00:25:47.944 I'm trying to abandon orthodontics and do something totally different. 00:25:47.944 --> 00:25:51.644 I don't want to be an aesthetic injector. I've learned that at this point I don't want to be. 00:25:51.764 --> 00:25:54.884 I'm thankful that I'm not. 00:25:55.004 --> 00:25:57.164 Oh gosh, that's a whole different conversation. 00:25:57.544 --> 00:26:06.624 Um, but then being able to provide or encourage or help patients understand, 00:26:06.744 --> 00:26:11.984 like there's other ways that aside from just jaw surgery or TADS and then treating 00:26:11.984 --> 00:26:13.664 an entire upper arch for a gummy smile, 00:26:13.844 --> 00:26:16.264 like you can do Botox, you can do filler. 00:26:16.384 --> 00:26:18.924 And even if you're not personally going to do it yourself, 00:26:19.244 --> 00:26:21.484 understanding that there's different ways to do it. 00:26:21.584 --> 00:26:25.504 So the reason why I started pursuing that is because I wanted to challenge, 00:26:25.564 --> 00:26:30.904 our industry to basically learn more than just, 00:26:30.904 --> 00:26:33.264 just the mechanics of moving teeth. 00:26:33.404 --> 00:26:37.104 Like we should know facial aesthetics. 00:26:37.364 --> 00:26:43.244 I mean, cosmetics, in my opinion, to be able to direct our patients on the way 00:26:43.244 --> 00:26:45.424 to go. Like it doesn't, you don't need a genioplasty. 00:26:45.564 --> 00:26:48.164 You could do some filler in the chin. You can do filler in the jawline. 00:26:48.164 --> 00:26:53.524 It's all ways to enhance our results and just give again, the patients the best experience possible. 00:26:53.644 --> 00:26:57.704 So again, that was uncomfortable for me to have to do that. 00:26:57.724 --> 00:27:01.784 And it's uncomfortable for me to have to stand up in front of 1,300 orthodontists 00:27:01.784 --> 00:27:05.524 and Orthopreneurs and speak on something that I don't know if this is 00:27:05.524 --> 00:27:08.324 going to resonate with anybody, but I'm going to do it anyway. 00:27:08.444 --> 00:27:11.724 And people probably think I'm crazy, but like, but guess what? 00:27:11.904 --> 00:27:14.644 There's a lot of people that are doing it now, or 00:27:14.644 --> 00:27:17.324 there's people that are listening to it. So it's like, again, 00:27:17.404 --> 00:27:22.904 I like to push the envelope just to kind of see where we can go and 00:27:22.904 --> 00:27:24.524 just to make all of us better. 00:27:24.664 --> 00:27:28.064 But yes, I mean, I am uncomfortable with being comfortable. 00:27:28.144 --> 00:27:32.744 So I am constantly looking for ways to grow and to kind of 00:27:32.744 --> 00:27:34.544 Take things to the next level. DR SCOTT LAW: I love that. 00:27:34.704 --> 00:27:38.124 Throughout your career, 00:27:38.184 --> 00:27:42.264 you've been open to pivoting and to looking to see, is there a better way? 00:27:42.364 --> 00:27:44.164 And even if it's hard, you pursued that. 00:27:44.584 --> 00:27:48.004 Share some examples about how you've done that just in clinical practice. 00:27:49.504 --> 00:27:56.544 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: So the whole thought behind it is that we don't want patients 00:27:56.544 --> 00:27:58.544 to look worse before they look better. 00:27:58.764 --> 00:28:03.084 And it's a commitment. An adult is coming into your practice, 00:28:03.264 --> 00:28:05.964 you know, a 30, 40 year old adult female, and you're going to tell her that 00:28:05.964 --> 00:28:10.164 she's going to be in braces for the next 18 to 24 months. It's like, 00:28:10.961 --> 00:28:15.121 that's a big ask. That's a big ask. It's a big ask to like wear aligners. 00:28:15.181 --> 00:28:19.221 I mean, so it's like, "Okay, what are the things that we can do to help enhance that?" 00:28:19.321 --> 00:28:25.061 And that is honestly why I explored inbrace, you know, and why I went down that 00:28:25.061 --> 00:28:29.721 path, because I knew there is a better way to get things done. 00:28:30.181 --> 00:28:33.441 I had it myself, I had a great experience with it, 00:28:33.521 --> 00:28:38.121 but again, it's like, there's other things that come with that. 00:28:38.161 --> 00:28:42.821 We need to make sure that we are being mindful of the entire picture. 00:28:43.481 --> 00:28:48.001 We still do Inbrace. There are still plenty of patients that want it. 00:28:48.081 --> 00:28:52.541 But again, it's making sure that you are charging appropriately for services like that. 00:28:52.601 --> 00:28:55.021 If somebody really wants it, they're going to pay for it. I mean, 00:28:55.041 --> 00:28:56.221 they're going to seek you out for it. 00:28:57.241 --> 00:29:01.681 So it's also like, facial filler and Botox and that kind of stuff. 00:29:01.741 --> 00:29:05.221 So I really went down that path and I started offering it because I was seeing 00:29:05.221 --> 00:29:08.601 the results that people were getting elsewhere. 00:29:09.441 --> 00:29:12.741 And I was like, "This looks terrible!" Like I know that I could do a better job 00:29:12.741 --> 00:29:14.541 and I want things to look more natural. 00:29:15.361 --> 00:29:21.461 But then exploring that, it was taking me out of the clinic as far 00:29:21.461 --> 00:29:26.221 as seeing patients and doing what I do best — connecting and touching 00:29:26.221 --> 00:29:27.561 many different people. 00:29:28.281 --> 00:29:31.941 And it became like, I could only see a certain amount of patients and I couldn't provide 00:29:31.941 --> 00:29:34.041 this service

at the level that I needed to. 00:29:34.161 --> 00:29:37.161 So I had to make a hard stop, and be like, "No more facial fillers. 00:29:37.161 --> 00:29:39.701 I'm not doing that. We can send them to somebody down the road." 00:29:39.921 --> 00:29:45.061 I now fully understand what migration looks like, 00:29:45.061 --> 00:29:47.681 you know, how things can be improved for our patients. But it's something 00:29:47.681 --> 00:29:48.561 that I don't want to touch. 00:29:49.561 --> 00:29:52.681 Botox, we have changed our philosophy on that. 00:29:52.741 --> 00:29:56.001 I'm not doing any more cosmetic Botox, except for the people that I 00:29:56.001 --> 00:29:57.601 really like or connect with. 00:29:58.701 --> 00:30:00.421 But I do Botox for TMJ. 00:30:01.266 --> 00:30:05.966 And I will take new patients all day long for TMJ Botox because a lot of 00:30:05.966 --> 00:30:09.606 the times these are like class two patients. They're surgical, potentially. 00:30:10.046 --> 00:30:15.046 There's class two, div two. They need night guards. So I also incorporate treatment 00:30:15.046 --> 00:30:16.666 into those patients as well. 00:30:16.806 --> 00:30:20.046 But again, I think that's definitely within the wheelhouse of what 00:30:20.046 --> 00:30:24.246 we do. But these are different pivots. You know, it's like I've gone down that path. 00:30:24.666 --> 00:30:27.986 I recognize that this doesn't serve me the best, 00:30:27.986 --> 00:30:31.106 Trust that, and then accept that 00:30:31.106 --> 00:30:34.326 I spent a lot of time, energy, effort, and money 00:30:34.326 --> 00:30:37.266 into educating myself on this but that's not 00:30:37.266 --> 00:30:41.606 the path that I want to go on. So it's just about having humility and 00:30:41.606 --> 00:30:45.946 You train your team to be supportive of all these things. But 00:30:45.946 --> 00:30:49.666 if you need to make a change, you just express and tell them, "This is 00:30:49.666 --> 00:30:53.706 not the way that I wanted it to turn out and so this is the way that we're going 00:30:53.706 --> 00:30:55.726 to go," and then they respect you. 00:30:56.086 --> 00:31:00.446 As a leader, if you can say, I made 00:31:00.446 --> 00:31:02.266 a mistake, 00:31:02.446 --> 00:31:05.766 I think they respect you even more. They know you're trying 00:31:05.766 --> 00:31:09.066 to be on the cutting edge, but sometimes you just have to know when to say when. DR SCOTT LAW: I love that. 00:31:09.286 --> 00:31:16.226 I've always admired your leadership and as you've carved your own path, that's what it is. 00:31:16.286 --> 00:31:19.846 Like you said it from the beginning that you wanted to control 00:31:19.846 --> 00:31:23.786 your own destiny from the get-go on what career path you chose, 00:31:23.786 --> 00:31:25.646 And just everything along the way. 00:31:26.066 --> 00:31:31.306 And I just, I admire so much the career and 00:31:31.386 --> 00:31:33.826 the path you've carved, and the way that you've gone. 00:31:34.446 --> 00:31:38.026 Tell us a little bit about, how do deal with getting pushback 00:31:38.946 --> 00:31:42.846 as you are changing or maybe from team members, 00:31:42.906 --> 00:31:48.206 from others inside of your office. How do you lead through that? 00:31:48.286 --> 00:31:49.526 How do you overcome that? 00:31:49.646 --> 00:31:51.986 I think that's a question a lot of orthodontists have. 00:31:53.615 --> 00:31:59.775 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: I hear that actually from a lot of orthodontists. And I honestly, like, I don't get that. 00:32:00.975 --> 00:32:07.475 And I'm saying that, like, in a nice way, because I don't allow that to happen. 00:32:07.675 --> 00:32:10.555 And it's not that I'm like, "This is the way it's going to be like, 00:32:10.615 --> 00:32:11.915 this is how you're going to do it." 00:32:12.335 --> 00:32:18.535 It's like, I don't allow that pushback to happen. They know that I will 00:32:18.535 --> 00:32:20.255 push it and it is going to be uncomfortable. 00:32:20.855 --> 00:32:25.215 But if I know that I want this to happen, it's going to happen. 00:32:25.275 --> 00:32:27.695 Whether you like it or not, you're going to figure it out. 00:32:27.795 --> 00:32:31.835 And if it's not for you and you're not happy with it or it's uncomfortable for 00:32:31.835 --> 00:32:33.955 you, then honestly, they can go. 00:32:34.175 --> 00:32:36.555 And sometimes that stuff just needs to kind of work itself out. 00:32:37.355 --> 00:32:45.855 And not in a mean way, but I am not limited by what the team says. And I never will be. 00:32:45.975 --> 00:32:49.875 And they know that when I make a decision, that I move forward with it. 00:32:49.935 --> 00:32:54.015 So when I have orthodontists approach me about, "Oh, my team doesn't want to do 00:32:54.015 --> 00:33:00.455 it or my team XYZ," like, I don't even know what that is, because 00:33:00.735 --> 00:33:05.735 it's about leadership, it's about you having confidence in what you're doing. 00:33:05.815 --> 00:33:10.915 And if you can exude confidence, then your team will be confident, and they will 00:33:10.915 --> 00:33:12.155 follow, and they're going to listen. 00:33:12.155 --> 00:33:17.195 If I can tell my team that we are one of the top practices in the entire country 00:33:17.195 --> 00:33:21.995 and people look at us because we're doing these different things, 00:33:22.135 --> 00:33:26.275 they want to buy in, too, because they want to be a part of doing something different. 00:33:27.455 --> 00:33:31.335 But we make sure we let our team know, like, these are all the different things 00:33:31.335 --> 00:33:35.055 that we're doing. This is what we're involved in. I'm speaking for this. I'm doing whatever. 00:33:35.335 --> 00:33:38.655 Like, we're going to make this work. But then also knowing, like, 00:33:38.715 --> 00:33:42.155 if it doesn't work, be like, "Hey, you know, we tried it and it doesn't work." 00:33:42.235 --> 00:33:44.995 I'm not going to continue to push through on it just because.

00:33:45.975 --> 00:33:47.995 But again, I do think it's about 00:33:48.979 --> 00:33:53.239 Leadership. I do think it's about your confidence. I do think it's about your commitment. 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:58.779 And the team will then follow. DR SCOTT LAW: And I think you set the vision from the beginning. 00:33:59.299 --> 00:34:02.799 That's where I relate with this so much. 00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:09.119 It's always been with my practice, we are the best, most cutting-edge, 00:34:09.219 --> 00:34:12.379 and we want to serve our patients in the best possible way. 00:34:12.679 --> 00:34:15.799 And so if we need to change process in order to do that, 00:34:15.859 --> 00:34:18.199 of course we do that, because that's who we are. 00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:23.239 And you're that way with your team. I think I've seen 00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:26.899 some who struggle, and they're like 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:31.699 you know, "We're just getting by," or "We're just a very middle-of-the-road practice and 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:33.139 kind of happy where we are." 00:34:33.139 --> 00:34:36.819 And when you have that sense of complacency and 00:34:36.819 --> 00:34:39.579 just like, "We're just happy to 00:34:39.579 --> 00:34:42.539 get along and go along," then it 00:34:42.539 --> 00:34:45.499 just infuses into the team. Of course they don't want to change and they 00:34:45.499 --> 00:34:48.459 don't want to do anything different. They haven't been inspired to go, 00:34:48.459 --> 00:34:52.979 "I'm a part of something that paves the way for others to follow 00:34:52.979 --> 00:34:57.959 and if we are going to make a mistake, we fail fast and then we correct." 00:34:57.959 --> 00:35:03.159 I think that's another another huge piece that doctors often forget. 00:35:03.279 --> 00:35:06.679 It's okay to get things wrong and just correct it really quick. 00:35:07.019 --> 00:35:10.039 Of course, we're not ever going to risk patient care in that way. 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:12.859 But if there's a process that we say, "Hey, let's try this new process. 00:35:12.939 --> 00:35:17.699 Let's see if somebody can wear two hats real quick or we can streamline this 00:35:17.699 --> 00:35:20.799 a little bit better on behalf of the patient and the workflow." 00:35:21.139 --> 00:35:25.639 And we try it. If it doesn't work, then we can go right back after giving it 00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:30.939 a hearty try of a week or two. But, yeah, that whole thing of pushing back, 00:35:31.019 --> 00:35:33.859 like, "Oh, I don't want to change, I don't want to change." That's a problem. 00:35:34.739 --> 00:35:36.159 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Yeah, I think, you know... 00:35:37.114 --> 00:35:42.074 It is helpful to constantly connect with your team on how to 00:35:42.074 --> 00:35:46.514 think outside of yourself, you know, because I feel like a lot of our team members, 00:35:46.754 --> 00:35:49.414 it's everybody, it's everywhere, 00:35:49.574 --> 00:35:53.174 it's no different with my team. They come in and they're focused on 00:35:53.174 --> 00:35:55.714 themselves, their problems, you know, whatever. 00:35:55.834 --> 00:35:58.554 And it's like, okay, like, the moment you walk through this door, 00:35:58.714 --> 00:36:01.694 we're thinking about the team, we're thinking about the team, 00:36:01.754 --> 00:36:05.614 we're thinking about our patients and how to better serve them. 00:36:05.614 --> 00:36:10.814 You have to make sure that your team is in line with your why, right? 00:36:10.954 --> 00:36:14.714 So that's one of the things I talk about is the understanding and 00:36:14.714 --> 00:36:19.894 know what your why is to motivate you, but then also make sure your team understands 00:36:19.894 --> 00:36:23.154 what your why is so that they can carry that vision through. 00:36:23.614 --> 00:36:27.234 And it does become a challenge the more offices you have, right? 00:36:27.354 --> 00:36:30.194 It's like more people, too. It's one thing if you're in one office, 00:36:30.254 --> 00:36:33.194 you are in complete control of that team right there. 00:36:33.574 --> 00:36:37.274 But as you have more people, as you have more doctors, as you have more team members, 00:36:37.494 --> 00:36:41.854 That becomes the difficulty and just making sure you're always 00:36:41.854 --> 00:36:46.034 enforcing what is the "why" in all these people. 00:36:46.034 --> 00:36:48.814 I'm part of the hiring process. I think that's incredibly important. 00:36:49.094 --> 00:36:53.034 Ben and I do all of our own interviews, we hire all of our own people, 00:36:53.074 --> 00:36:54.494 we don't delegate that to anybody. 00:36:55.294 --> 00:36:58.974 There's just certain things like regarding culture and the type of people that 00:36:58.974 --> 00:37:01.014 we're bringing in that we're not willing to sacrifice. 00:37:01.434 --> 00:37:05.874 I think, again, just getting your team to buy into what your 00:37:05.874 --> 00:37:09.354 why is and reminding them constantly of that, I think is really, 00:37:09.554 --> 00:37:11.594 really important to get everybody on board. DR SCOTT LAW: Beautiful. 00:37:11.854 --> 00:37:15.854 How many of the ideas of change or process improvement or anything that way 00:37:15.854 --> 00:37:18.154 come from your team versus come from you? 00:37:20.784 --> 00:37:24.804 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: How many ideas come from them? 00:37:26.364 --> 00:37:36.544 Ben and I do make sure that everybody has the opportunity to have a voice. 00:37:36.664 --> 00:37:44.544 And often I go to them. I spend maybe even more time like with my front desk crew. 00:37:44.664 --> 00:37:46.724 Like, cause I mean, a lot of orthos, I mean, you're in the back and you're like 00:37:46.724 --> 00:37:47.744 dealing with their clinical staff. 00:37:48.604 --> 00:37:55.204 But I go out front and I'm always talking with them and trying to understand 00:37:55.204 --> 00:37:59.204 you know what we can do that's going to be better. What is the 00:37:59.204 --> 00:38:04.824 new patient

process looking like? I mean I am 100% involved in all of that and 00:38:04.824 --> 00:38:08.584 I ask them for their feedback and opinions and then I make 00:38:08.664 --> 00:38:14.624 an intentional effort to do what they say, because I want them to feel empowered. 00:38:16.584 --> 00:38:20.324 So even though sometimes like it might be like, "Okay, I'm not really sure," 00:38:20.464 --> 00:38:23.664 I want to make that intentional effort, even if it comes down to like, 00:38:23.684 --> 00:38:28.004 designing t-shirts or marketing ideas, like I want them to all feel empowered 00:38:28.004 --> 00:38:30.144 to bring things to us. And then they do. 00:38:30.884 --> 00:38:34.864 I think that's incredibly important that you're not the one that's always doing 00:38:34.864 --> 00:38:37.204 having all the ideas and having control over that. 00:38:37.284 --> 00:38:40.344 Like if you want your your team to buy in, you need to allow them 00:38:40.344 --> 00:38:44.464 the opportunity to speak and then actually allow 00:38:44.464 --> 00:38:49.724 like follow through with those things. 00:38:49.724 --> 00:38:54.344 I do think that does set us apart and it does allow our team 00:38:54.344 --> 00:38:57.784 to be committed to us because they know that they are very involved. DR SCOTT LAW: Love that. 00:38:57.784 --> 00:39:01.244 I love that. Go ahead. 00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:06.279 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: No, I was going to say, I mean, like we make, obviously a lot of the 00:39:06.279 --> 00:39:09.259 decisions, we come up with a lot of ideas behind the scenes, 00:39:09.279 --> 00:39:11.319 but we're constantly working with people. It's me and Ben. 00:39:11.419 --> 00:39:14.239 It's me, my sister with marketing. It's 00:39:14.239 --> 00:39:17.179 me going to the back, you know, talking to them about what their needs are. 00:39:17.219 --> 00:39:19.419 How are you feeling? What can we do better? 00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:24.419 I'm always asking people how they feel. My full-time lab girl 00:39:24.419 --> 00:39:29.019 who's running the lab for all four of our offices. Like, "Okay, what can we do?" 00:39:29.099 --> 00:39:31.659 But then also just that follow through. DR SCOTT LAW: I love what you said about 00:39:31.659 --> 00:39:33.419 hanging out at the front desk. I don't know. 00:39:33.819 --> 00:39:37.059 You know, I'd ask every orthodontist listening to this: When was the last 00:39:37.059 --> 00:39:38.459 time you went to the front desk? 00:39:38.599 --> 00:39:44.739 You know, other than something really bad going on with an escalation of some sort. 00:39:45.059 --> 00:39:48.419 You know, when did you go and really experience what's the verbiage being used? 00:39:48.479 --> 00:39:51.879 How's it going? Is it exactly what you want? The whole touch and feel all the way through. 00:39:52.459 --> 00:39:57.939 Oh, man. Yeah. I think we're all a little guilty of that, of not being up there experiencing that. 00:40:00.559 --> 00:40:03.759 I think that's so important.

00:40:03.779 --> 00:40:05.819 So it's a collaboration with your team. 00:40:05.859 --> 00:40:10.539 You set the vision, you bring on board people that you like to be with, 00:40:10.539 --> 00:40:14.119 that are a fit that, that have the heart and the personality of you. 00:40:14.179 --> 00:40:15.319 It's an extension of you. 00:40:15.539 --> 00:40:19.299 How do you turn around and appreciate them? Other than 00:40:19.299 --> 00:40:23.319 the collaboration all around, I hear great things about how you appreciate your team. 00:40:25.250 --> 00:40:33.590 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Yeah, I mean, we're always doing something to say thank you. 00:40:33.890 --> 00:40:38.190 Like for different holidays, 00:40:38.430 --> 00:40:41.770 you know, like Valentine's, I always make sure we're getting them flowers, 00:40:41.830 --> 00:40:44.270 we're getting them a little like a piece of jewelry, 00:40:44.510 --> 00:40:47.930 like chocolates, like it's just all these touches constantly. 00:40:49.670 --> 00:40:55.910 It's important as an owner, a doctor, you know, who are doing this, 00:40:56.010 --> 00:41:01.110 I know some of our team members, it's their first job that they ever had. 00:41:01.210 --> 00:41:04.910 And it might be second nature to them that 00:41:04.910 --> 00:41:06.310 they just come to expect it. 00:41:06.390 --> 00:41:10.590 At the beginning, you know, sometimes I would do things and I would 00:41:10.590 --> 00:41:15.870 be like, okay, like, "Do they appreciate that?" And maybe people don't 00:41:15.870 --> 00:41:19.590 appreciate it all the way around, but don't let that change you. 00:41:20.310 --> 00:41:26.850 You continue to be authentic and you continue to do what makes you happy for them. 00:41:26.950 --> 00:41:29.690 And then just kind of take that other element. Like if you don't expect anything 00:41:29.690 --> 00:41:32.370 back, it just makes it so much better. 00:41:32.490 --> 00:41:36.250 You know, so that is my advice. No matter what, like through all the years, 00:41:36.310 --> 00:41:39.490 through 11 years of doing this, you know, we've done many different things. 00:41:39.570 --> 00:41:40.930 We've gone on beach trips together. 00:41:41.050 --> 00:41:43.890 We've taken entire families! And no matter what, there's always, 00:41:43.910 --> 00:41:46.470 there could be a little something 00:41:46.470 --> 00:41:49.990 Like, well, I don't want to do that again because somebody didn't have a great time or whatever. 00:41:50.110 --> 00:41:52.750 It's like, just keep being true to you. Keep being authentic. 00:41:53.030 --> 00:41:54.650 Keep doing what you know is right. 00:41:54.970 --> 00:42:00.050 And it doesn't matter in the end. But we try to appreciate them regularly. 00:42:01.030 --> 00:42:05.490 I love to just do, you know, like come in with... I mean, it could just be donuts, 00:42:05.730 --> 00:42:07.550 you know, like I'm in the office. 00:42:07.770 --> 00:42:11.130 Who needs some coffee? Who needs some donuts? You know, go to Dunkin Donuts, 00:42:11.150 --> 00:42:13.510 spend like 40 bucks, you know, but it's 00:42:13.988 --> 00:42:19.068 just that constant thought of like, "Okay, she sees us." You know, 00:42:19.068 --> 00:42:19.948 it's like a little treat. 00:42:19.968 --> 00:42:22.548 It's just a little something. Doing some lunches. And that's why I 00:42:22.548 --> 00:42:28.088 try to communicate with our doctors as well, the importance of them leading 00:42:28.088 --> 00:42:31.088 the teams, too, because they just can't be me at this point in time. 00:42:31.168 --> 00:42:34.288 I can't lead five offices. I can't do all this. 00:42:34.348 --> 00:42:40.348 So empowering our doctors, our associates to be able to do the same thing. 00:42:40.568 --> 00:42:43.668 Having a rough morning? Buy the team, you know, some Starbucks. 00:42:43.668 --> 00:42:45.748 Like, it's just like these constant touches. 00:42:45.928 --> 00:42:49.648 And I do think it makes a big difference in the way that everybody comes together. 00:42:49.988 --> 00:42:54.108 DR SCOTT LAW: I totally agree with you. That's awesome. So 11 short years, 00:42:54.268 --> 00:42:59.948 you've built this incredible, incredible empire of ortho offices with doctors 00:42:59.948 --> 00:43:04.748 and services and just in countless patient experiences that you've had. 00:43:05.108 --> 00:43:10.388 How have you grown as a person over this? Who have you had to become 00:43:10.388 --> 00:43:13.108 in order to be so successful? 00:43:15.908 --> 00:43:19.428 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Well, thank you for saying that. 00:43:20.768 --> 00:43:26.228 You know, this is something I try to communicate with people because you do 00:43:26.228 --> 00:43:28.288 change as a person. It doesn't matter. 00:43:28.428 --> 00:43:30.728 Like no matter what, like life happens. 00:43:30.968 --> 00:43:34.928 And the person that I was 11 years ago when I first opened the practice, 00:43:35.228 --> 00:43:38.668 I mean, Ben and I were married for one year at that point in time. We had no children. 00:43:38.848 --> 00:43:42.448 And now we have three kids. You know, they're nine, seven, and five. 00:43:42.508 --> 00:43:43.348 We have three little boys. 00:43:43.928 --> 00:43:46.708 So, we were building the office, like every time I would build an office, 00:43:46.848 --> 00:43:49.068 I would have a baby. I had to build an office, I'd have a baby. 00:43:49.168 --> 00:43:51.768 We'd build an office, I'd have a baby. And then I got to the fourth office and I got 00:43:51.768 --> 00:43:54.908 a dog, because I was like, I can't have any more kids, but I can't talk to you about that. 00:43:56.508 --> 00:43:59.748 You've not stopped at this point. DR SCOTT LAW: Right. Well, I don't have to carry them. 00:43:59.748 --> 00:44:01.488 So yeah, it's a little different. 00:44:05.485 --> 00:44:11.885 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: True. But, you know, it is a lot and, you know, your values and like yourself as a person. 00:44:11.925 --> 00:44:15.045 And I do think there is

definitely a difference between men and women, 00:44:15.105 --> 00:44:16.725 you know, men who have a practice. 00:44:16.765 --> 00:44:20.125 And, you know, again, like you said, you don't have to carry the children, 00:44:20.225 --> 00:44:23.745 you can have you can go home, your wife is, you know, whatever it is, 00:44:23.765 --> 00:44:26.165 whatever the relationship may be, it doesn't make a difference. 00:44:26.425 --> 00:44:31.525 But it is different for a woman. And I knew it was different. 00:44:31.525 --> 00:44:33.665 The moment I had my first baby, 00:44:33.865 --> 00:44:37.285 I was intentional about taking six weeks of maternity leave. 00:44:37.545 --> 00:44:41.945 I had people set up, you know, that the previous owner came back and helped me. 00:44:42.025 --> 00:44:44.865 And I was like, this is time that I'm not going to 00:44:44.865 --> 00:44:49.225 get back with my family. So I can relate to that with my female associate doctors. 00:44:49.305 --> 00:44:51.445 I'm like, "Take the time because you don't get that time back." 00:44:51.625 --> 00:44:54.665 And we'll make whatever sacrifices we need to, to get through that 00:44:54.665 --> 00:44:55.545 because that's so important. 00:44:56.085 --> 00:44:59.565 But I knew when I came back after that first baby, I was like, 00:44:59.725 --> 00:45:04.905 "Wow, like if I wanted to be able to stay home and be with my child, 00:45:05.125 --> 00:45:06.445 like I don't have that as an option." 00:45:06.585 --> 00:45:09.025 I had so much debt. I had a business to run. 00:45:09.445 --> 00:45:12.305 I don't have the option to think that that's something that I'm going to do. 00:45:12.865 --> 00:45:19.345 And so it made me more motivated, you know, to kind of put my head down and 00:45:19.345 --> 00:45:25.205 to work incredibly hard for a series of years, knowing that I probably was going 00:45:25.205 --> 00:45:27.485 to give up some of these really young baby years. 00:45:28.405 --> 00:45:33.245 But by the time that they are the age that they are now, they'll really remember that I can be there. 00:45:33.865 --> 00:45:38.685 And so that was a motivation, honestly, for me growing the practice. 00:45:38.785 --> 00:45:41.205 I didn't ever intend to have more than one office. 00:45:41.305 --> 00:45:43.725 I truly didn't. I mean, I bought the two at the beginning because they came 00:45:43.725 --> 00:45:45.705 together and one was above the psychic, like I said. 00:45:46.045 --> 00:45:49.245 But like, I realized that. 00:45:50.600 --> 00:45:54.980 if it was just me, then it's all about me. And it would be harder for me to 00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:58.220 step back and be able to have the life that I wanted. 00:45:58.540 --> 00:46:02.740 So I knew early on that I had to hustle. I had to grow. 00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:06.300 I wanted to grow so that I could eventually have the life that I wanted to, 00:46:06.380 --> 00:46:08.280 which is where I am at this point in time. 00:46:08.660 --> 00:46:11.820 So in a

weird way, it's not an ego thing, having all these offices. 00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:17.140 It's about creating the life that I want, that I've wanted from the beginning. 00:46:17.840 --> 00:46:21.680 And that's the amazing thing about orthodontics. Is allows you to do that. 00:46:21.820 --> 00:46:24.720 And then obviously being a part of an organization like this, 00:46:24.760 --> 00:46:27.480 too, allows me to continue to do that. 00:46:28.520 --> 00:46:31.940 And so yeah, I think people look at me and they're like, "How do you do all this?" One, 00:46:32.020 --> 00:46:35.780 I couldn't do it without Ben. Two, I couldn't do it without our amazing doctors 00:46:35.780 --> 00:46:37.320 and our incredible team. 00:46:38.520 --> 00:46:43.580 But it was in the plan all along, that this is what I'm going to do in order 00:46:43.580 --> 00:46:48.100 for me to be able to step back and remove myself just a little bit so that I can be with them. 00:46:48.200 --> 00:46:50.600 And they're not going to know any difference. I asked my oldest the other 00:46:50.600 --> 00:46:51.340 day, I was like, "Do you remember?" 00:46:51.960 --> 00:46:55.580 I would get home. I would leave before they even woke up in the morning. 00:46:55.880 --> 00:47:00.740 I would get home and they were in bed. I would not even see my children at all 00:47:00.740 --> 00:47:03.600 during the week. I was working four to five days a week, building. 00:47:04.734 --> 00:47:06.794 And now it's like, I mean, "Do you remember that? And they're like, 00:47:06.934 --> 00:47:11.494 no." And it's like, you feel that mom guilt always, but at this point, 00:47:11.514 --> 00:47:14.854 I'm at baseball every night of the week with Ben. 00:47:14.854 --> 00:47:16.014 We're doing these things together, 00:47:16.754 --> 00:47:20.594 and that is why we've built it. 00:47:20.594 --> 00:47:21.354 That's the amazing thing. 00:47:21.434 --> 00:47:24.094 You can build it to be whatever you want it to be, to have the life that you want. 00:47:24.274 --> 00:47:28.934 DR SCOTT LAW: Wow. Well, Amanda, I cannot thank you enough for letting us in just a little 00:47:28.934 --> 00:47:32.354 bit to your mind, to your heart, to who you are as a person, 00:47:32.394 --> 00:47:33.314 the way that you've grown. 00:47:33.394 --> 00:47:37.974 I'm inspired by how you set off from the beginning at a very young age 00:47:38.034 --> 00:47:43.354 to determine your own future and to go into it and seize it, and to whatever obstacle, 00:47:43.354 --> 00:47:48.454 pivot and to continue to remain uncomfortable 00:47:48.554 --> 00:47:49.474 through the whole thing. 00:47:49.714 --> 00:47:52.994 And I appreciate your partnership. 00:47:53.134 --> 00:47:56.274 I appreciate your influence on so many people. 00:47:56.414 --> 00:48:00.194 And I'm glad that you've taken this path and enlightened us today with 00:48:00.194 --> 00:48:04.534 this, your inspiring thoughts, and the way that you impact people. 00:48:04.574 --> 00:48:07.554 Thank you so much. So it's been awesome. 00:48:07.994 --> 00:48:12.974 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Thank you for allowing me to speak. I really appreciate it. 00:48:13.114 --> 00:48:17.754 And for all of the people that are watching that do have any 00:48:17.754 --> 00:48:22.434 questions about joining Smile Doctors or 00:48:22.514 --> 00:48:27.854 anything like that, I'm more than happy to connect with any of you guys. 00:48:28.674 --> 00:48:32.654 I always say, honestly, the best way to connect with me is through my Instagram. 00:48:32.774 --> 00:48:37.234 That is like another way to text me because I run that account myself. 00:48:37.374 --> 00:48:41.394 And it's just @AGOrtho on Instagram. 00:48:41.474 --> 00:48:44.714 But I'm happy to help in any way that I can. Anybody that's thinking about this 00:48:44.714 --> 00:48:48.434 process or any questions, I'm available. 00:48:48.794 --> 00:48:51.074 DR SCOTT LAW: You're incredible. Thanks, Amanda. Thanks for your time today. 00:48:52.334 --> 00:48:55.594 DR AMANDA GALLAGHER: Thank you, Scott. I appreciate it. Bye. 00:48:05.680 --> 00:48:11.380 ♫ Music ♫