Secure Dental-Cynthia Wagner: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Welcome to the Secure Dental podcast. Here we bring together some of the brightest minds in dentistry and business to share practical tips you can apply right away. Our goal is simple: to help you grow your practice, build wealth, and create lasting freedom for you and your family. I am Dr. Nazish Jafri, CEO and Chief Clinician at Secure Dental and co-founder of DentVia. I'll be your host on this journey, and I'm excited you're here with us.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Hello. Good evening and good morning, wherever you're from, listening to. Welcome back to the Secure Dental Podcast. My name is Nazish Jafri, and I am the host for the show. Also, I am the CEO of Secure Dental. I work as a clinician every day besides my associates. Amazing group to work with, I'm very humbled and proud of. And hey, today our guest is very special. Cynthia Wagner, she is the founder of the Holly Marie Project, an initiative she created in the memory of her daughter, Holly Marie, who was 25 years old and actively preparing for her DAT exams when she tragically lost her life in a car accident in August of 2024. For Cynthia, being a mom turned that grief into action. Building a project that funds DAT Prep for aspiring dental students just like us and helps new graduates launch their own practices. And she did all of this while surviving her own challenges, a seizure, a stroke, and a brain surgery herself. A very remarkable human being. Keeps on going, keeps on going. Nothing stops her. This conversation is for every student, every new dentist who has ever wondered if this dream is worth it. Cynthia, welcome to the show. Thank you for giving us your time today.
Cynthia Wagner:
Thank you very much. And I'm just honored to be here to just talk about everything that has led me to open starts the Holly Marie Project and to talk about my daughter. But just to give a little intro by myself, I have three degrees. I have an associate's degree, a business management degree, a bachelor's degree, and an MBA. And my daughter Holly, she was in high school, and it was her junior year. And I told her, I said, "Okay, we need to decide on a major. If you're going to college, you need to decide. It's your junior year. And she said, I have one. And so, I said, okay, well, we need to think about it. And so, she came back and said, I want to be a doctor." And I said, " Okay! Great". So, we went through several different types of doctors. We went from a neurologist to OB-GYN to, finally, when she was getting closer to going to college, she decided she wanted to become a dentist. So, I was very happy about that. So, then she was going to become a dentist. And me with my business savvy, because I have worked with all different types of small business owners, helping entrepreneurs build their businesses by offering creative ideas and business strategies. I'm very good at problem-solving, just all types of things. And so, I was thinking, okay, I need to switch gears here. I need to decide to learn a little bit more about the dental industry since she is going to become a dentist. So, the plan was she's going to be in school for four years. I've got four years to kind of learn a little bit more about the dental industry. I would like to, by the time she graduated to get her start, her own private practice, which I feel like every dentist should do. I think it's great if you are own your own practice. And that's another reason why I'm so proud to be here today. During the time she did graduate, and she did get her biology degree, she said, " Mom, I need to take a break, because even through COVID, she had to come home for school, and she was in her room the whole entire time studying. And when I would come in on her, she said, " Mom, this is not a vacation. I'm at school". So, she would take it very seriously; she never went out or with anyone to have fun. And even when she voted for the first time, we stood in a two-hour line, and she was online, in class, online. And right before she went in to vote, she did a presentation. So, I was like, yeah, she is dedicated. So, when she said she wanted to take a break, I said, yes, I agree, you should take a break because when you go to dental school, you're going to have to be focused anyway. So, she took a two-year break. Two years later, she came to me in 2024. It was July of 2024. She came with her best friend, and she was in Nashville this whole time. She went to Fisk University. And so, she came home to visit, and she said, "Mom, May 26th will be my golden year. I'll be 26 years old, and I'll be in dental school. I'm preparing now, I've got the book, and I'm going to do it. And I was like, I'm so proud of you. That's great. I believe you're going to do it. And her best friend was telling me she was going to go on and get her master's degree. So, I was proud of both of the girls. And two weeks later, on August 3rd, it was in the morning, about 9:00, she called me and told me that her and her best friend had just signed a new lease on an apartment and they were moving, and we cost five times that day. I got a chance to tell her that I was so proud of her, and that she was going to make it through dental school, and she was so happy. She called her friend and told her friend about it. And again, we don't talk every day, but that day was like five times. And late that night, her and her best friend. They were in a car with someone else and another driver who was a drunk driver. There was an accident, and during the accident, Holly and her best friend died. On that night, August 3rd of 2024. It was very hard to lose a child, and especially a child who had big dreams to become a dentist. And while I was cleaning out, playing out her apartment, I saw the book, the DAT book, and it just broke my heart. And then I just decided right then and there, like, no, I am not going to let her dream die. And when Holly was preparing to go to dental school, she was telling me, complaining about the book is $300, or the test is $500 whether you passed or not. And she was stressing out. I said, Don't you worry about it. We're going to find a way to get that money. So, that's what I want to do, and that's what I'm doing. I decided to start the Holly Marie project. And so, our mission is really to help those students who are interested in going into dental school by helping cover the dental exam fees, some of the books, and application fees. So, this is what part of our mission is. And the other part of it is once some of the dentists graduate, we want to help them with their private practices as well. It's still a new nonprofit. We are a 501C3. We've had our first event here in Saint Louis because I live here in St. Louis, Missouri, but I plan on having it at different chapters in different cities and states, because she was in Nashville. So, that is what we are doing. So, we're still new and doing the process after our first event is when I had three seizures, a stroke, and brain surgery. So, kind of in a delay there in there a little bit, but I'm definitely getting better with my healing, as you can see, I'm able to talk pretty well. So, right now, at this point, we're just looking for people who are interested in becoming volunteers for a mentorship program. And anyone who wants to sponsor or donate, that's what we're looking for. And also our website is hollymarieproject.org. And I email is C as in Cynthia, dot, Wagner at Holly Marie Project.org. So, that's what I wanted to talk to you all about, as far as the nonprofit. Now, for the rest of you all that are out there, I would like to give you some free marketing tips. So, in my research, what I've noticed is that I feel like the biggest thing about becoming a dentist and being in your own practice is to always think of yourself as a patient. Always. I think five-star ratings are very important. You just want to make sure that you're doing the right things when you're in your practice, putting the right people around you. Hiring good quality staff is very important because the staff, the front desk person, is the first person that the patient sees when they come in. So, you want to make sure they give a good greeting and give off a good impression when your patients come in the door. And if you're a person that's an introvert and you're not social, I would suggest hiring a dental hygienist who is social, who can help you with your patients, and always listen to the patient, because the thing is, your patients are scared. Some of them are scared. A lot of people have anxiety, and they may be in pain. Some of them may be children, and maybe senior citizens. So, always remember to put yourself in that patient's shoes and think about how you would want to be treated. Because that is so very important. The other thing is to make sure you look into some of the technology that's out there. Research some of the new technology, like the AI X-ray equipment that's out there, because someone can have a hairline fracture in their tooth, and you could have missed it because you weren't updated with the new technology and doing your research. There are other types of equipment that are now using AI, and you want to determine which one you should prefer. I definitely think you should get the X-ray. There's one with that. Listen to the salespeople when they're coming and make a determination of whether you're able to get that equipment, you may not be able to get it now, but definitely put it on a line for in the future to figure out what you're going to get next and keep track of your budget. Also, have a goal of where you would like to be from now. Like now, until next year. Have a goal for three years from now, five years from now. It's always good to have a goal of where you would like to be with your practice and what improvements you need. And if you need to change things around, you always have to be ready for change because change is good. It's a way of growth. It's how you grow your business and hire experts in their field, especially from marketing, and really just focus on becoming a dentist. And let let some other people take, take some of that load off of you, because sometimes you could be so overloaded because there is a lot when you're starting your business, it's, it's someone starting a business. I know you're starting a practice, but it is a business still because you have to get property, you have to get staff, and you have to get different people in place. So, yes, definitely hire those people who are experts in their field. And if you're hiring, if you're not going to hire someone, that's going to provide the staff for you, and if you're going to hire within, just make sure you're hiring quality people. Which is so very important. So, yeah.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. They need to be aligned with your goal. The communication of your goals should be very out there. Everybody should know that you know you're excited, who are you rooting for, and what your goals are. How are you going to set up your business? Because practice because everybody has different ideas about their practice. Not one practice is the same, but communicating your goals is really important. So, everybody's on the same page. Your core values are on the same page. What values do you stand for? And I think it shows in the business when everybody talks the same language, especially being a leader. When you talk the same language across your team. They know where we're heading. They're all on the same page with you then. And then you have a successful, efficient business model that is thriving for you.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yes, absolutely. And then also, I think that a lot of people really don't talk about a lot is eyeing an existing practice or taking over the existing practice. If you can find someone who is selling their practice, do what you can to get it.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. Because of the systems.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yes, they have everything in place that way. You don't have to start from the bottom up. Look into the business. It's not a five-star. Figure out what the problems are. He may need to hire some new employees, because I kind of come with the whole territory of new ownership sometimes. But that's a good idea. If someone has an existing practice that they want to sell to look into that as well.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. You can come with your new ideas, new technology, and new team, and make it better.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yes.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Well, you already have the platform, and then slowly, you can build it up.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yeah.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. So, Cynthia, you said that the project supports dental students right now. And what does the support look like for a dental student, and who qualifies for it?
Cynthia Wagner:
Right now, we had an idea of what type of students we were looking for. But like I said, we are still growing and trying to figure things out. And what we need right now is more dentists to volunteer for our board of directors, to help guide us toward what we need to look for. So, we do have someone that we were able to talk to, who is a dental student. And I was told that our students can come from everywhere. We thought that some of the students had to graduate or have their degree in biology, but we're finding out that a lot of dental students don't start off in biology. They may have a degree in a different subject. We're in the process of changing things on our website so that pretty much anyone who is interested in becoming a dentist can actually apply. And we had an estimate of April, but again, this happened with me with my stroke in November. Give me some time. I'll get it up and send me an email. And basically, we want to make it kind of easy to send an essay. Tell us why you need funding for your application fees or for the book, or tell us about yourself. And I think that's just the best way. So, for right now, just email me at that address. I mean, my email address, which is this again, C.Wagner@HollyMarieProject.org, and we just need an essay.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Say, okay, and they can tell you what is inspiring them to be a dentist. What do they see themselves as, and why do they need the assistance, right?
Cynthia Wagner:
Exactly, yes.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Okay. And so, this financial assistance, or assistance that is provided, is to those students who are giving the DATs, right? And is it like a year-long process to start and finish the DATs?
Cynthia Wagner:
This is for entering into dental school. We are not covering any fees once they become dental students because there are other scholarships and funding available for that. But what I found out is that there's not too much out there that's for those dental students who are going into dental school. So, our whole goal is to encourage them to go, because we don't want to stop anyone who wants to become a dentist because of fees. You know, we want to be able to help cover those fees. If they can't cover the fees to take the exam or to apply for dental school. That's our whole goal.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yes, to cover the exam entrance fee, which is for the DATs too. How are you scouting those kids right now? Just through the email, paragraphs, and introductions?
Cynthia Wagner:
That's something else that we're still working on. Like I said, we're still kind of new. We're still learning ourselves.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Okay.
Cynthia Wagner:
But what I have been doing is going through social media, connecting with people on Instagram, because we do have a page on Instagram. We also have a Facebook page. So, I've been trying to connect with certain schools. If there's like a school that has the grant page, I'll connect with them. I may reach out to some people through there. We may have a day where we have a call-out day, where we say something like, "We're now opening up people if they want to send out their essays, or if they need books, or if they need the application entry fee, we'll do something like that on Instagram. So, that is still in the works. But until we're able to do that, if someone is in immediate need right now, you just need to email me.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Email. Okay. Perfect. No, this is a really good initiative because there are a lot of kids who are probably highly dedicated. But yeah, financial constraints can hold this part up. And if you're providing that platform, that's just amazing because who knows where they're going to go with that one test. They can go in, and it's going to probably change their life for the rest of their career.
Cynthia Wagner:
Oh, absolutely.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. It's such a good initiative for dental students who are already students, and they're listening to you today, and they feel like being financially stuck would be a good suggestion for them.
Cynthia Wagner:
We provide the funding for them to go into dental school. But if they are graduating and they have plans of opening up their own private practice, we can offer consulting, free consulting for them to look at different options, like if they would like to maybe buy an existing practice if there's any out for sale. Now, I do understand that when they do graduate, there are student loans that most people are having to pay right away. And from what I understand, a lot of dental students have joined dental groups. It's almost like being an employee. And from what I also understand, there's some type of contract that they have to sign where if they decide to open up their own practice, it has to be within a certain radius. It could not be within their radius. Maybe can do that for a little bit, and then after a while, open their own practice and maybe in a different, totally different city where they're nowhere near the radius that you know, according to the contract. Yeah. And then there are other things out there, too. But that's a consulting thing that we can talk to them about because we also have some other existing dentists. I was part of our group that can also talk to them as well.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Oh, good. So, they have like mentors that they can talk to. Yes, you're right about the restrictive covenant. Sometimes it's like two miles, sometimes it's three miles, sometimes it can be 20 miles. It depends on where you're staying and when you are graduating out of dental school. We usually don't think about these tiny little things like bullet points that are hidden inside, and sometimes overlook it. And now you start the practice as an associate, and then you realize, oh my goodness, I don't want to be here. And you try, and come out of it, and you're probably in the goonie lands, or you're probably overstepping the restrictive covenant that they had in the contract. So, reading it very carefully is important. I think you're right. Like having mentors who can just guide you through these tiny little things can save a lot of headache in the future.
Cynthia Wagner:
Absolutely.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. So, dental students who are listening right now, about like non-clinical barriers, like financial or emotional barriers that keeps them from maybe finishing, or they get frustrated. What do you wish more dental students would do now or could do now to help it?
Cynthia Wagner:
For those students who are frustrated and feel like they want to quit, I would say don't quit. My daughter was not a quitter. She finished what she started all the time. And I'm telling you, the reward behind it is great. It is very great. And you want to finish. Do not give up. It is going to be hard, just like for anything that you do. Just like getting a degree. It's not easy. That's why not everyone has a degree. That's why not everyone is a doctor, because you have to go through the steps to get there. So, I just say, no matter what, don't quit. Don't stop. If you're having any emotional problems or anything, you want to talk to someone. We're also here, you can talk to us too. We're here to help. Because the main thing is we want you to finish. We want you to finish school, and that is very important.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. Perfect. Yeah, have a goal. Have a dream. And just don't let anything hurdle it. They're just speed bumps around here and there. And then you try and go over it because the reward on the other side is much more gratifying.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yes, it is.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. Cynthia, you said you're looking for like volunteers, mentors, and funding. What does an ideal mentor look like? And how can somebody listening today join with you?
Cynthia Wagner:
We are looking for some existing dentists who own their own practice, to help out with a mentorship program so that if any of our students need guidance for anything, they can help with if when they're starting their practice. Also, we do have some dentists who have just graduated, so they do know the process and what current dentists are going through right now. We have someone that they can actually talk to who relates to what they're doing right now and help guide them. But yes, for existing dentists. We're looking for mentorships programs that can help the new students who are dental students. Also, if anyone would like to sponsor us or make a donation, we do have that available on our website. You can also donate on the website if you'd like to help us financially.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah, both things are very important. Mentorship on one side, somebody who has walked the walk and, you know, they have the experience of what it feels like, and they can predict the future a little bit better. That's like excellent help. And obviously, financially, if somebody doesn't have the time to do it, but they really want to help in some way, and they can financially help, I'm sure that is a big blessing as well. Yeah, perfect. Thank you, Cynthia, for taking this time and a little moment to talk with us. And I hope that some people listening would be encouraged to help in any way, like time is needed. Financing is needed. Both ways. We're helping our community grow, and kids grow in reaching having them reach their dreams and goals. I mean that really sincerely. What you've built out of the most unimaginable pain as a mom that you had to go through is actually a testament to a mom's love. Mothers love. And honestly, it's a gift to our entire profession as dentists, right? And everybody listening, whether you're a dental student grinding through that DAT prep or a new grad who is trying to figure out your next steps, being an established clinician like me, who the Holly Marie Project needs you in either way. And it would be a very amazing give back as a mentor, as a volunteer, as a donor, time, finance, anything is going to be amazing. One of the things I've learned while building my DSO is that dentistry is a community, and you cannot do it yourselves. Like, patient care comes with community and a lot of help with the team, and communities show up for each other. And Holly Marie Wagner wanted to be one of us, and she was starting her journey. Let's make sure that her name lives on with every student that we, as a community, can live up to. I have all the links that Cynthia has provided and information to get in connection with the Holly Marie project in the show notes and after. And again, she has given her email twice in this episode, so please share it. Please share it with anybody you think is able to give us time or financial help. And it might be the right moment that you reach somebody to push their goals through. Thank you, Cynthia, so much again for your time.
Cynthia Wagner:
Oh, you're welcome. It was an honor, truly, to be here.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Oh, your honor, for us. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. We can talk to as many people as we can nowadays, right? And see who we can connect to. The message reaches.
Cynthia Wagner:
Yeah.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Yeah. Well, guys, until next time. Again, my name is Nazish Jafri. This is the Secure Dental Podcast. I hope we touched on some of your ideas, and I hope we are going to get some input out of this. Keep serving, keep taking care of your patients, keep building, and we will talk soon. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Cynthia Wagner:
Thank you.
Dr. Nazish Jafri:
Thank you for tuning in to the Secure Dental Podcast, where we talk all things dentistry, business, and growth. We hope today's episode gave you valuable insights you can take back to your practice in your life. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with your friends or colleagues who could benefit from the conversation we had today. You can follow us on social media at Secure Dental. Or visit our website at SecureDentalGroup.com for more resources, updates, and upcoming episodes. I am your host, Nazish Jafri. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time on the Secure Dental Podcast.
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