Anne: everyone. It's Anne Duffy and I am welcoming you to the Just Do It podcast for dental entrepreneur women. And I'm so excited. I have a dear friend. We've been friends for, I don't know, at least five years, I think Sara coming on today to talk with you about women. please help me welcome Sara Hansen.
Hi Sara. Hello.
Sara: Hello. I'm so happy to be here, Anne. I adore you. So
Anne: You are so welcome. It was so good to see you at the retreat. And I remember last year we had so much fun and you've been with me on this journey of dental intern woman for a long time And I'm going to tell everybody a little bit about you before we get started.
Sara Hansen is a fractional CMO speaker, marketing consultant, mother of two amazing girls and married to an amazing guy for 22 years. She is passionate about giving authentic voice to people through marketing, and that passion came from her own journey. Please help me give applause to Sara Hansen.
Thank you, everybody. So good. Hello. I know, we've, come a long way, each other. you and I've had some great conversations over the years just about women. I know that you've got two beautiful daughters and I, of course, I have a beautiful daughter that is probably about your age. So Really, it really resonates with me your feelings about raising girls and your own journey as well, and especially reading your blog over before we got started today. So ladies if you're listening to this and men, please go find Sara's blog, type in her name in our, website and find her blog because it's so cool. spot on how women walk through being like, just so confident and then something happens in our lives. And it almost is like, kind of universal for girls. So, Why is it so important to Give our authentic voice. Why is it so important to you to share that with the world?
Sara: Yeah, thanks Anne. It, comes from my own journey And I share that blog that I wrote was so vulnerable for me. It was the first time I really shared my story and you know, yeah, we start out as little girls and We're confident and we're powerful. And, we think we can be all these things.
And then something happens to us right in those teenage years. And we all go through it some worse than others. And, you know, I remember feeling in junior high, who was I, you know, trying to fit in with different crowds, seeing if that felt right. For me and really not being okay with who I am, always wanting to be something that I wasn't because I didn't feel okay.
And that carried through me being an adult woman, and then I come into my thirties and they start having children and I am blessed with two beautiful girls. And what happened, it was so powerful for me. It was such a pivotal moment that. I was listening to Brene Brown. I mean, We all love Brene.
And she said something that completely shifted my trajectory in life, which was we cannot give our children what we don't have. And, from the time my girls were two days old, I was giving them positive affirmations. You're beautiful. You're strong. You're brave. You're this. But yet I did not feel that about myself.
And that. resonated with me that I can't give my girls what I don't have. And so knowing that I want them to change the world and be strong and be powerful and all these things. If I didn't feel that about myself, those words would just not mean anything to them because they're looking at me as an example of how to be a mother, how to be a woman, you know, all those things.
And yet I was telling them these things, but I wasn't believing that. And so that launched me into this. journey of self discovery through the help of an amazing therapist of going back to places that were incredibly scary but really helped me face, some of those insecurities and It made me realize that me, who I am, is enough, right?
That I need to come and approach this world wholeheartedly, authentically with who I am. There are going to be people who don't always like me, and that's okay, but there are going to be people who Love me for me. And whatever, God has called me to do on this earth. I am here to do it. And what I love about Dew, you and I, yes, we connected instantly.
I still remember Anne, that amazing red dress you wore the first time I met you. You're always killing it with your fashion and you have this amazing red dress. But I remember talking to you about that when you said, dental entrepreneur woman. And I was like, what does that mean? What are you doing for women?
And so I feel this instant connection. But the other part of that, Ann was the strengths that we discovered as dues. And that put language into the things I had been filling inside and what I was meant to do. And then honestly, I think it also. gave meaning to what I needed to do as well, who I was, right?
I didn't have to pretend. I didn't have to be somebody that I wasn't, but it was me finding me and leaning into those strengths and really taking them on. That's who I am.
Anne: I love that because you know that when I started to dental for a woman, I was like, I wanted to bring strengths to dentistry.
And when I took that test, the assessment, the very first time, 15 years ago, it was within my church community, and it was God given talents so that I was made this way in the womb. And to me that brought so much meaning for me to like, you say, lean into that. Like I'm, a woman. And I'm positive.
So I'm loud and I'm a communicator and I'm talk a lot. And I remember my grandparents would say, you talk a lot and smile so big. And they love me to death. I mean, they love me, but Hey, guess what? You know, when you find that's your strength is like, well, hello, I'll just keep doing me and it's okay.
It's
Sara: okay. Yeah. I think that is for some reason it's like. Why as women are we not brave enough to be who we really are, and Again, like the older I get the more that I really am embracing that wholeheartedly and I'm a woo with you, and the other thing is that One of my, second top strength is significance.
And what was interesting is I always have felt like there's something more for me. I don't know what it is. I couldn't put language around it. Right. I want to do something big. I want to change the world. I want to pave the way for my girls. Like I am so passionate about that is how do we Change the world for the next generation of women.
You know, They need to be strong. They are going to help, you know, lift up women in ways that we couldn't, you know, and how do we do that? And so understanding that significance was part of my strength was like, okay, I got this, so I think understanding who we are and our strengths really allows us to fall into who we are and who we're meant to be.
And we shouldn't be afraid to be that.
Anne: and I remember saying, it helps you fall in love with yourself and that's to Renee Brown's point would resonate with you. And therefore, then you can love others wholeheartedly.
And I honestly, Sara, yes, think about the kids, the girls, they're smart. They know intuitively little kids know that you're not loving yourself. We think we can hide things from, no, out of the mouth of babes they get all that. And so kudos to you for really taking that on at an early age.
was probably, 50 something when I took strength and I was like, Oh dang, explains it. So good for you that you've, been on this journey. I can see that significance is that's a good thing because you're made for that. Right. I mean, If you pick significance, right. and you bury something really good, you're meant for something good. burying one of your God given talents. And he doesn't really particularly care for that. He or she, or the higher power is like, you know, no, yeah. Oh, put a lampshade on that. Let that light shine.
So you work with a lot of women though, you've got your, daughters and how old are they now?
Sara: 12 and 11, 12 and 11. So they're right in that critical age, you know, that I remember, I mean, my, oldest started junior high this year and I remember she was walking to the bus stop and I like said a little prayer in my heart like, God, please just take care of her.
and it makes me teary, but it's like, let her just come out of this. Remembering who she is. Because again, for me, that was such a critical moment of, time in my life where I fell to that trap of mediocrity and self doubt and not knowing who I was. And so I try so hard every day to tell my girls like you are powerful, you are strong, you know, you are competent.
And what I love is that each of my girls are so different. You know, I have my oldest, who is very much the oldest daughter child, you know, she fits the persona to a tee. My youngest is. Fun loving and the biggest heart you'll ever meet. But what comes with that, right? Each of them have strengths, but then we each have our I wouldn't call them weaknesses, but you know, the things we have to work on because my youngest daughter is such a big hearted, loving person who loves everybody.
It's easy for her to be walked on or, make herself small to make others feel big. Right. Or it's easy for my oldest who is confident as can all be for people to take her wrong or be like, Whoa, she's kind of a brat right. and it's like, no, she knows what she wants.
I love that I get the opportunity to navigate that with them of, yes, let them live in their strengths, but then also how do we. You know, I love the line that we say it do all the time. I have other strengths, right? Give them the opportunity to things that do not come easy to them or things that they have to struggle with to help them find how to deal with that because that was something I didn't get.
one, I didn't find my strengths and two, I think I didn't know how to deal with the opposition when it came in a healthy way.
Anne: Yeah. Well, There's a couple of things there, Sara, that I see, and this is so beautiful that you're sharing this at your age with the girls, their age, because I feel like with our daughter, I tried to change her.
I mean, she is like number one, you know, I was like, Oh my God, kill me. and not, not the woo that her mommy is and not the, and I really tried so hard. I think about that. And it wasn't when we took strengths as a family, we took it probably 23, maybe That's when I finally realized, Oh my God, she's made perfectly.
And why am I trying to put that square peg in a round hole? I have to take ownership. And I think she would probably agree that, you know, I didn't want her so much to be authentic. Cause I'm like, Kate, change, you know, you need to be a little bit more this and a little bit more of that.
I had to make up, for some of that, as we've gotten older and we have a wonderful, beautiful relationship, but she's not me. She is her, and to be able to accept that as a mom. And then were kind of starting to say a little bit about this. I was thinking about it's the basement in the balcony, right? And when we're in the balcony, that's great. We're doing a great job, but then we can do that basement of like, well, for instance, like communication, you know, you can be a great speaker for on the room, but the basement would be like, you're a blabbermouth and you tell everybody everything and you really should keep some of that to yourself.
But you have to understand that. And that is okay. And that, again, lean to your strengths, but I don't think we own it until we, somebody tells us that's a strength. Yeah. It's really cool about coming together as a community and really studying the science behind it and
You're on the track to just, your girls are gonna soar and they have each other, which is really nice. As well, you know, just to have that. There's nothing like sibling love. but I mean, you know, you think about working with PDA and, you work with so many and their teams and all of that.
How do women themselves?What is the secret sauce there?
Sara: Yeah, I think it's really leaning into what you love to do, right? I mean, we know there are things that we love to do. We're passionate about it, right? I mean, It's like, When I first started speaking on stage, I would get up on stage and it was almost peaceful to me.
It was like my energy, I loved being up there. I loved connecting feeling the audience, being able to share, right. I felt like I was called to share my voice and so leaning into that, did I ever think 10 years ago I would be a speaker? Heavens no! Like I didn't, so it's interesting how our life We'll weave into those things.
So it really is about finding things that we're passionate about. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, you know, or sometimes it's like, I love doing this, but what do I do with this type of business? I met a woman in my community. We took our church group of young women to, she has this cute little business.
It's all bead ology. Okay. And I met her and she is darling and she was telling the girls like, are any of you afraid to take the next step or to leave? Like If you could do one business idea, what would it do? And her business started because she needed to make some extra money and she had some beads at her house and just started and I mean this whole thing grew and now she has this beautiful storefront in this cute, mall and all these things.
again, you know, that. started with her leaning into something, right? And so there are so many women around us who one, they need to support each other, right? some of us have these amazing ideas, but we don't know where to start. And what I love about the do community, and The answer's in the ladies room, right?
We've already established that. But what I love is that it's this network of women that are like, I got you. Hey, I have a connection for this or, Hey, I've been there. Let me tell you what worked for me. And I think as women, that's really what we need is when we have to identify what are we passionate about?
What are our strengths? What do we want to do every single day? What were we called to do? You know, The higher power. God, spirit, whatever that is for you. And then it's using our resources around us to help lift us up because It's not good for us to be on an Island. You know, It's not good for us to think we can do this by ourselves.
Like, Yes, we like to do it. We like to be strong, powerful women, but the reality is we are stronger together. And. You can surround yourself with a group of women that can lift you up and bring their strengths or their networking to what you're doing. It just makes it so much better. And so I'm grateful that you started do because this has been what I've needed in my life.
You know, This group of women that it's not catty, it's not petty, it's not who's wearing what. I mean, It truly is. This group of women that want to see each other succeed. And that is me.
Anne: women that love what we're doing and love the community are like minded in that respect of being there.
Authentic. Self and then being available to help each other, grab their arms on the way up and push them as you're on the ladder in the middle. it's so funny. It's a couple things that you said. So start and don't stop. You know, I love this little gal that you just met last night.
She had an idea and she didn't stop. So often you have something, but you need a tribe around you. Like how lovely that you brought lot of women, they're all supporting her in this community. And then talking about things that really, you know, a business owner matters it's not easy, you know, it's a roller coaster.
And even if you're. being paid by a company. women take it on as their own business, no matter what they're doing, if you're an entrepreneur, entrepreneur, whatever women just hold that. And so they say, if you're an entrepreneur, you don't want to quit at least once a day.
You're not really doing everything you need to do to build it. But. You'd call a DeW, call someone that understands like, it's wonderful to have a community outside of dental. you know, we get so laser focused on dental and dental is a little circle in the world.
Yeah. I feel like when I saw you speak and I've, seen you speak at one of the big events dental festival, I think it was that I saw. First times it was beautiful. Oh my gosh, you ran that. Thank you. Did such a great job. And won awards and things like that, but your voice transcends dental.
And so how do you see your voice, your authentic voice showing up not only in the dental arena, but in the world? Because I feel like you have a message that you wanna share. And where do you see that going?
Sara: Oh my gosh. I mean, The world is my oyster, right? . I would love to be. I just want to give back to women, I guess, you can't really help people through a journey if you haven't been there yourself, right?
And because I had to go to dark places, I had to really do the work. To get myself to a better place to love me right to see that I'm okay and hear me loud and clear there are days that I'm like, Oh, crap, my pants will fit today. Like, Gosh, dang it. I still have days where those days get hard, right?
As women. I mean, it is what it is. But what I found going through what I had to go through and really identifying my own demons and then incorporating my strengths and what I was. Born to do was really to give voice to other people. And what's interesting is the career that I chose, right?
Marketing. If we look at marketing for what it is, it's giving voice to whatever that is, giving the company voice or telling their story. And how I work with clients every day is by Giving them authenticity in their marketing like it's not just about dentists doing implants, right? But what's the story behind that?
What's the why? What's the purpose? So I take their marketing to a different level. we tell this story. And so it's interesting that I had to find my own voice to be able to help people to find theirs, right? You can't guide someone to a place you've never been. And so because I've been there, I feel like it all makes sense to me now.
I've always felt from the time my girls were babies. there are several women events that I've been to over the years. I remember telling my husband I feel like there's something I need to do. I don't know what it is. And I still don't fully know what is in store for me, you know, but I know that.
I want to be a part of something that is helping pave the way for the next generation of women. I want to be, inspiring women with my story, letting them know Hey, there's a different way, you know, we can lift each other up. We need to find our strengths. Like I'm so passionate about that.
And we have to change the generation for our girls. And you and I grew up. in the era that women were put together and we dieted and we did this and we did that and we didn't leave the house without our makeup on and you know and I mean now most days I get ready when I have clients other than that I'm in a high pony my workout pants right and no makeup like that's my go to look and I'm confident with that I don't you know it's okay like I like me for me so I think it's just about Inspiring women to be who we were meant to be, and we are okay as we are, we don't have to be anything that we're not I feel like I want to help, guide that and especially help change that for the next generation because our girls are looking to us, and they're learning how to be women.
In the industry. And there's no right way to be a woman. And that's what I want my girls to know. And I tell them that all the time, whether you choose to have an amazing career, whether you choose to be a stay at home mom, whether you choose to be the president of the United States, there's no right way to be a woman.
And what's so great is that those opportunities are endless, but we have to show them the way. And we, as the older generation, you know, have to help create that for them,
Anne: you're like a generation or two below me, dear. So just say like, I had no idea what I was doing when I was your age.
I was just one, honestly, onefrom the other. It's like, okay,so I love that you have some goals there that are so big and so broad and,You're right though. but you're walking the walk. You're already showing women that it is possible and you're still doing the work.
I don't think the work is ever going to end. Right. You just keep it going and then you get braver. And stronger yourself. And isn't it so funny you think whatever age you are, I mean, like, I'm still afraid of things and I still push myself and do it anyway. Yeah, but then I also have a group of friends and a group of women that are going to be surrounding me to pick me up when I'm not feeling so hot and my pants don't fit me.
And you know, this is the champagne problems, right? I mean, It's like, oh my gosh, it's like petty, but yet. The little things sometimes just add up and start to pile up and we need someone to say, hey You're okay. I think that's another thing that.
you know, The authenticity of a comment is also detected by your children or, those little ones. They can tell when you're just, kudos wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. You're always awesome to when you're like real about it. Like they listen, it was okay, but I think you can do better next time.
that's okay too, because we're always trying to do that, right? Always trying to. Yeah. grow. Yeah.
Sara: you know, what's interesting, Anne, is I had this experience. And I think I shared it with you several months ago of, you know, my career, I had a lot of opportunities.
I was doing really well at work, right? I was speaking to these different places. I felt like I was on top of the world in my career and I was coming home from meeting with a client and I got a phone call from my daughter when I landed, right? It was a voicemail and she was crying, mom, the nanny didn't show up.
How do we go to school? What do we do? Well, By the time I got the message, school had started. And of course I started sobbing, right? Here we go. All of us as women, we struggle with this balance, right? And I hate the word balance because it feels unstable, but we need to find harmony.
And how do we have this amazing career? Be the women that we want to be raised the children, right? We all, as women, we struggle with this. And I sat on the plane. Just crying what am I doing? My family is suffering and I called my daughter andMaybe something that I'm doing is working, but I called her and I said, sweetheart, are you okay?
She's like, mom,I figured it out. I mean, she put the dog in the crate. They got their lunches all She called a neighbor to take them to school. I mean, Here's my strong little girl, right? Figuring it out when the nanny didn't show up to take care of them.
But at that moment, it was such a mom guilt for me of like, here I am. Doing all of this for them. But at the same moment, I'm not there. I'm not there to take them to school. I'm relying on other people. And when those people don't show up, it like rocks me. And so I went to Victoria and I said, I've got to take a step back from traveling.
And, And can I tell you that just about killed me because as women, Our husbands don't say, Hey, I'm going to take a step back from our career to make sure that the girls are okay. We as women are doing that. And not that it's a bad thing. Right. But here I was so terrified of like, I've worked so hard for this career and I feel so much momentum and I feel like I'm changing lives and, you know, making a name for myself and doing all these things.
And now I'm going to take a step back because my girls really need me. And that was terrifying for me. And then what was interesting is First of all, let's make a shout out to Victoria, who's an amazing CEO. And the first thing she said was great. Awesome. Perfect. No problem here. You do what you need to do.
Sara, your family always comes first, which was so relieving to me. Yeah. Right. I mean, How many, CEOs of companies will do that? Not many. So I was so thankful for that, but then what's amazing is, you know, talk about. I'm still meant to do things. Opportunities in my area came my way where I didn't have to travel.
I didn't have to leave my children, you know, I was able to work with these amazing companies within my area, still present, still speak, still do what I need to do. Right. And we have technology where we can do things online and present online. And, so it's just a testament that, you know, what, as women.
Even though we may think that we're taking a step back or maybe we're doing something different, it's okay because us Putting our families first sometimes will still always lead us to what I'm saying is we will be wherever we are meant to be right. I fully believe that whatever we're meant to be, whatever path we're supposed to be on, as long as we're doing what's right for us.
And we feel at the time that we're doing what's right. the universe opens up and provides a way.
Anne: YeS. That's so wise of you to know yourself. There is a time when you got to step back a little bit you need it because you need flexibility. You want to be there.
You don't. I tell a lot of women like, it's not like the kids really need us. Look, your daughter figured it all out. She was fine. you don't want to miss that, you know, but being the honest. With yourself, that's using your authentic voice your gut, your instinct to know it's time to just take a little step back on, a piece, which will always still be there because you're not quitting. You're pivoting a bit, right? There's times in our lives when we do that, you know, sick families, parents, all those things, but it'll still be there when that opens up and another door opens up and you have to just trust. universe. the four agreements, right?
Our word is impeccable. Take nothing personally, which is the hard one. Make decisions, which is the hard one. And then always do our best, you always do your best no matter what lane you're in, God, family work. And I love Victoria that she agrees with the values, I would say that
Not only us, but honestly for the world. it is really important to love fully on these young people with so much going on In my generation, I was hidden from all that. we had a dial phone and the thing went around the kitchen.
Yeah. You know, I didn't watch the news like there was two channels on TV. I think, but now there's so much. That the kids can see and available that we have to be very, protective and very on top of all of that now and then protect, you know, sisters and aunties and our wonderful husbands, give them a little love too.
Right. You know, And I think
Sara: we said at the Dew Retreat about your sweet husband, but it takes strong men to be married to strong women, and, yes, I will tell you my biggest fan is my husband, and, never once has, he ever Try to make me be small or not be what I meant to be.
He's my biggest fan. He's encouraging me. He's supporting me. And, you know, strong women need really strong men too, there are a few times that people said at the do retreat, like I have boys and I'm raising them to be married or to take care of these strong women and support them.
That's just as important as raising our girls to be strong and brave and all these things. We need the boys of our generation, the young men of the generation to be just as supportive, you know, that, it's a partnership, right? No matter what that looks like, it's a partnership between.
Two people of just trying to lift each other up and support each other and where they stand. you know, that's just as important as well.
Anne: sure is. I mean, I think that so many things that we can do to make this world a better place just by, you know, growing together. Sharing our thoughts our highs and our lows and having someone to ask questions and bounce things off of.
And I agree with you. I, I always say that's why we, call 'em dudes cause all the guys wanna be part of our organization. Like, You've got it. This is for women guys, but it, A dude is a man that supports a woman in dentistry and a lot harder to do it when you don't have that.
I would just say I would not be here if it weren't for Tom supporting me every step of the way. Yeah, So too much is given, it's another principle, too much is given, much is expected. So let's keep doing it, Sara. We're going to find you dear. I mean, I know we'll be finding you on the grand stage.
you know, You've got so much in front of you can we keep our listeners find you?
Sara: So of course I'm on social media, right? I've been marketing uh, Facebook, Sara Stanley Hansen, Sara underscore s underscore Hansen. I'm on Instagram. I'm also on LinkedIn. I'd love to just connect with people in business as well.
You can reach me either through Productive Dentist Academy. Sara at Productive Dentist, or even just my personal email Sara s. Hansen no H for Sara, just S A R A but I'm always happy to connect with people to reach out you know, and I've told you like, let's have a do meet up in Salt Lake.
I would love love. I know we've got lots of dental things out here.
Anne: That's where we should have it. We're going to have one in Baltimore. And I was trying to think the west coast. I mean, You could get there. Salt Lake's a really good spot.
Sara: let's talk. Yeah. do it. Thank you for having me.
Anne: Oh, you're so welcome. I loved having you today and I love following you and your girls and just all the good things that we're going to be giving out from ourselves to the world.
So you keep it up and listen, everybody. if you're listening to us now, the most important thing for you to do, and I think Sara will agree is to keep doing you love you all. We'll see you next time. Bye. Thanks, Sara.
