Hi everybody, it's Anne Duffy I'm so glad you're here. And welcome, to the Just DeW It podcast. I have a very special guest, a new friend I met back in March? I think it was March. in Tucson, Arizona.
Anne: Yeah, at Vanessa Emerson's Dental Speaking Institute. And let me tell you a little bit about her before we get started. As a distinguished leader in the field of image consulting and a career spanning over three decades in the dental and image industries, Kelly combines her extensive experience with a passion for empowering individuals and organizations to present their best selves.
Kelly lives in Michigan with her husband, Patrick, of 36 years. And they're Bassett Hound Dempsey. Hey, that's pretty cool. Welcome. And hello, Kelly.
Kelly: Thank you. And I appreciate it. Loved knowing I was going to have this time together and be able to share.
Anne: Oh, I'm so glad you're here because when we met, it was like a light bulb epiphany went on because you're an image consultant and you're a dental hygienist.
And so we have a hygiene in common. Not so much the image consulting in common, but I do love fashion and I love style and I love fabrics and I love all that good stuff. So you had me at hello. Well, You have a great
Kelly: style. Well,
Anne: Thank you. But, being in the industry, I've recognized that style is extremely important.
gosh, It's funny. We get in hygiene, Kelly, and I never thought there was another way out. all my side gigs were in hygiene or in dental, right? But you went from hygiene to image consulting. So I know there's some listeners out there that are like, maybe interested in getting a side gig completely out of the realm of dentistry, even though you've brought that back in, but how'd you do that?
Why and how did you do that? And when did you make that switch?
Kelly: Great. Thanks. And yeah, I feel really fortunate. I like two fields that I have a passion for in an industry and have had both and they've come together here collectively has been really a wonderful thing. you know, I always love fashion and style as well.
When, the Color Me Beautiful days were out, I was actually in like late high school college. one of my boyfriends through college His mom bought me the Color Me Beautiful book by Carole Jackson, which I've met Carol Jackson, the author at one of the image organizations conferences that I attended years ago.
But that's when I was first really introduced, quietly, I guess, into the image industry as a whole was through color analysis always liked that stuff played around, but then went on and did a degree in hygiene and was practicing as a hygienist and had practiced for, you Probably eight years at that time.
I graduated in 85. it was eight years. It was 91. I had my colors done actually by somebody professionally. So I'm going to date myself here. I've been around the block a time or two. But 91, I had my colors done I was working hygiene full time at the time and I started on the side, this hobby color analysis and makeup business.
Oh, and so that's where I started and long story short, the director of the original program. I trained with the crowning touch was an image consultant. Her associate was an image consultants with the program. And so I was introduced to image management as a whole. my business kind of grew and my hygiene career went from full time to part time.
And I've worked in varying modes. I've worked general dentistry. I subbed pedo for about 10 years in the summertime. That was enough for me. I loved it for a short stint. Yeah, exactly. And then I worked periodontal for 10. I loved periodontal work and my boss retired. And again, my business was growing and morphing and I kind of run away from dental though, as I started my image business.
But I had work come to me in other ways in healthcare. I've done work in medical for a hospital, for a cancer center. I've done work for optical training, opticians, how to select eyewear for their patient from deeper style vantage, and then also help them with the whole chair side experience.
Because as we'll talk about my background comes from in my training, it's more than just style and appearance when we think about image. But what I got back and kind of where I'm rooted in my passion is I was raised by my grandma.
And she never thought she was beautiful. She did wonderful things. She has a building named after her and, so fortunately she has that inner confidence, but so many of us women, we get beat up by that and maybe how we feel about ourselves and our appearance. It might take us down at least mentally, you know, rabbit holes here and there. But when I did my trainings, there were so many women that just were now seeing the beauty that they had in themselves. And I think this can go for men too, because it comes into that inner part of who we are. And truthfully today, what I say is most of my work is on the outside external images and so forth, but where the core of my passion, it's on that inner and how we can grow our own inner confidence and self esteem.
So very blessed.
Anne: My goodness, that is just a very cool journey dating myself. I got the book when I was in my early twenties. I remember I still have it and I think I'm a spring and I sometimes fall. But olive green was one of my colors. I know. And we, you and I talked, what were you, what are you by the way, winter?
Kelly: With the old color terminology, I was a summer now I've trained in three different color programs. I use a 12 palette approach now where they've even removed the seasonal. So I'm cool, muted and soft. So an old color terminology. I'm a summer that flows to an autumn.
Anne: Okay, that's interesting. So we're going to have to delve into that on another call.
I'm like, I'm interested in that. The other thing that struck me, Kelly, two other things. One is that hygiene is such a great career because you get paid well, and you can cut back to actually find another passion. Because I think, obviously, the way you speak, spoke about hygiene.
you have a passion for hygiene as well, but you can actually get another side gig if you will, and develop another passion, we want to lean into what we love and are good at. And it also reminded me of strength finders just in the fact that the inner work of knowing it sounds a little superficial, but knowing what colors look good on you and how you can stand in front of somebody looking your best on the outside is certainly going to help you on the inside.
And knowing what your strengths are and what you're good at and leaning into those. You take those two together and you really are on rocket fuel. You really are going to be somebody that's going to impress and be authentic at the same time.
Kelly: 100%. Yeah, I would support that. 100%.
Anne: Definitely. Okay. What is total presence development? And why is that important? Because I've never heard that wording before total presence development.
Kelly: great question. Thank you. And so it's, really the core foundation of whether I'm working with, individual or company work, because my business is a combination of personal consulting and company consulting as well as coaching and training.
The total presence and total image development model, what that stands for is, you know, like, we think about. The thought of appearance, you could step in the door and you could look great, but then the experience that comes with you needs to be poised and polished too. We've all met somebody who looked great, but then you spent a little time with them and it wasn't as great as what we thought it was.
Yeah. Or possibly in our fast paced world where maybe you did get a second or a third chance to be in front of somebody and even maybe they didn't have themselves Transcribed styled out or visually put together, but you had enough visits with them that you got to realize that they had talents and gifts and so forth.
But the thing is, again, in our fast paced world, how many chances do you get that? So you want that great. outer appearance, and then the other pieces that support it. So you can create a long lasting positive impression. And that's what total presence development does. So what it is, is you have the hidden or the inner image that at an individual level, it's the invisible part of you.
It's your character traits. It's your values. It's what you were mentioning, like with the strength finders, where your strengths are, it's your talents it's, Your skills. So it's really, it's gonna be your foundation of who you are, your values, and is a part of that too, but then tightly aligned around that, and you want coordinating and circling and all working together to grow that authentic presence and to support and grow a personal brand for yourself.
, Mm-Hmm. , uh, personally, and I say professionally too. So aligned around that. You have your assumed image, it's your reputation, it's what you developed. Today, how people perceive you to this point. And then you have the visual image, which would be your style and your appearance of what you do with that.
Or this could move on into, say, a dental practice or a business, whatever it might be know, it's all those things that are a part of the visual. Then next aligned around that hidden or inner part of the total presence is the experienced. So it could be your nonverbals, your body language, your voice, the words you say, or the tone that you speak.
Mm how you choose to use your voice. So anything that would fall into what creates experience for you. So you have all those working together and then ultimately together and then align to the hidden image. Then you can develop your proven image. So that's gonna set you to launch in the trajectory that you really wanna go and have all.
The successes that you want. So the thought behind that is you want to develop how we think, look at, speak and dress to create a total presence.
Anne: Wow. That is so rich. That is so rich. And I can see where they would need someone like you to, first of all, see that in them, right? You saw something in your grandma that you could see that she was beautiful, but she couldn't see it in herself.
So to be able to pull that out, with expertise and it's a mindset it's almost like you're, helping them groom their best self. It's like you're trying to change anybody. You're just trying to bring out the best in them and then believe that's good enough, great.
And you just have to lead into that authentic self, but just I look at it like polish up. You're just going to polish it up. Exactly.
Kelly: And I would say that's always my goal. And I would say, I don't think ever in my years of doing this, did we ever like fully change somebody? My goal is always to help somebody be their very best self.
I don't like the word makeover. I don't like reinvention really either, because I don't think we reinvent. You think the hidden, that's it. The invisible you, it's who you've been and are for all these years. Now, maybe it needs to morph and change where I like the word transformation better than to reinvent truthfully.
So, And that's what's going to grow and deliver truly authentic self, I would say
Anne: need to be behind the curtain on every speaker that's out there. When I think of Dennis, who's got talent they had 30 speakers. Now, I wasn't there this year, but I've, judged that program, which is wonderful. Elijah puts that on. And, I just see some people that are speaking, if they just had a little polish, if they just had somebody help them, they would go from like a, eight. To a nine, nine and a half. And our ultimate goal is obviously 10.
And that takes a little experience and, a little practice. But just super neat. And I love that. also, you bring that to the practice and why should you consider your personal practice first impression? Touch points, because it's great for us. We're talking speakers, consultants want to command authority and leadership, right? Every practice. And that's all you hear now. Kelly is what's your brand, what's your brand. And they forget some of the little touch points. So tell us a little bit about that and how that works with going into a practice.
Kelly: Okay, great. Thanks again. We've all heard about first impressions for, for many years, right?
So I Teach say is you want great 1st impressions, but truly what you want is a positive long lasting impression. Yeah, that's going to support you for what you want to get done. And there's been several statistics out there through the years about 1st impressions and how long they take Recently. There's a Princeton study that's been out for a little while They're saying milliseconds Okay. A few seconds and your first impression has been done. So truthfully, and if I'm on stage or here in front of, this audience here while you were introducing me and my picture was there, our audience decided if I had something to offer or not.
Before I ever opened my mouth and when speaking, they're going to hear your tone of your voice first before really the content of what you have to say. So that's why presence is so important. But yeah, so first impressions are important when we think about the practice several years ago.
I was a part of our local chamber of commerce on the ambassador committee. So we were like liaisons to help new members get involved in a part of things. So when the introvert in me was learning to get out and speak to people and not be afraid and be in front of groups and so forth, for the ambassadors, they had me speak for a little bit and we talked about this and I.
Incorporate it into my work is where you want to do really a first impression audit. So again, we want to craft a long lasting impression. think about your touch point. For example, with this ambassador group again, they're the liaison to chamber. They're a business owner themselves. They would reach out by phone.
and or email or maybe both. So then you've got two touch points of first impressions. Then we think about the total presence. They're starting to be heard or seen. So the visual and experienced image or anything that the people might already know about them or the chamber. can go back further and think about the assumed image.
All of this in the background is going on. Then they in person versus electronically. So that's another touch point of first impressions and they maybe meet at an event. So thinking of that process, what I'd say is think about one, you're doing what you do. If it's in the practice and it's a new patient where are your first impression touch points?
It would be possibly social media. It would be driving by the office. It would be coming up to the door and coming into the waiting area. It would be stepping up to the registration desk. we go on and on and on. Yeah, I mean, there's many steps. It could be the handoff between an assistant and a hygienist with a patient if they're between services or the handoff from hygiene up to the front desk, to the treatment coordinator, to the registration and out the door.
So think about all those touch points and what you're doing with your total presence. To craft a great impression and build continuity and then support the brand. And we can do that individually too, for ourselves as well. So just like we met, I thought about ahead of time who I'm going to be with when I was at DSI for Weevilution and all these steps, because I want to create not just a great first impression, but a positive long lasting impression because that's what it's going to get me on your podcast today, even though I knew nothing about that.
There was a podcast. Oh my gosh, So it's about having a strategy.
Anne: It's so important in the way when you speak about it. I was just going in my head of walking into the dental office that I worked in and actually pulling up and walking in. I really feel this is almost an easy button, if you will, to bring out authentic self, an authentic brand and make it just shine a little bit so that it's more inviting.
And we don't often see. what we've been living in, You need an expert to come in and say How about this? Maybe just even a plant here or you know, that's why I like the strengths. Maybe your front desk person isn't the one to be the greeter, and then again, the way they show up is just so important.
I was saying this on the, do connect the other day when we had a coffee. I went to the doctor's appointment and was kind of appalled at just the junk all around and the uniforms that they were wearing and the lack of personal grooming. It made me think all they need to do is tweak it a little bit.
It's almost like a one degree shift. Not a big deal. And everybody in that office would. Enjoy their surroundings. Enjoy their day. Feel a little bit more heard. and I think it's been put under the carpet.
Kelly: Business casual kind of came in to make things simpler and I don't think it truthfully made things simpler.
I mean, Fortunately, in dental land, many are in uniforms. But it allowed us as a society to get pretty sloppy instead of
Anne: business casual, it's become business sloppy.
Kelly: Yeah, exactly. Yes. Yes. I know. I will say though, because, having done work in other arenas of healthcare, I will say dental people stayed where they pay a little bit more attention to detail and are better looking, maybe it's because they aren't in the OR COVID made some changes with that, with clinical, how we have to, uh, you know, dress and so forth.
It's obviously stepped out of that a bit, but
Anne: well, We are into beauty as well. and that's the first thing people see. I you know, when you're thinking about dental, the smile your first impression.
So yeah, eyes into the
Kelly: face.
How I teach it is you want the attention to come up to the face and the eyes. And then out to the business at hand. So the balance of you should just really be a support piece to it. Not that you can't enjoy fashion and so forth, you just want to be put together and have continuity in your style.
And have it be true to you and the role that you're in and what you're wanting to accomplish and do. what it's kind of interesting to with all the stuff and so forth is in the image industry. We've been teaching authenticity for years. Yeah.
Yeah, so It's having your own signature style and presence That's going to support you and all that you do. you know, and I will say too, from a personal standpoint I practice what I preach. So I've just used all my own principles here for years and it's allowed me to, as a dental hygienist.
Build a business, walk into corporations, like I did work for Kellogg company just like a month ago and it's allowed me to work and step into HR director offices and presidents of big companies to small ones which I would have never ever seen myself doing or even doing this right now.
Anne: And you are training others, training all of us have that big boost of confidence. And I think you're bringing it back in vogue and pun intended. I love it, Kelly. I love you. Thank you. Have you written an article for dental entrepreneur woman?
Kelly: I have a conversation right now. I think I'm slated for next summer's issue.
Anne: Okay, good. Because I would love to have a few touch points in that article that we can all take. And then again, I do believe we need someone like you to help us get from, that 7.5 to a 10. Yes. and we're all capable with good to Great.
Yeah. Good to great. A little help from our dues and from you, Kelly. Yes. So that's so good. So how can we get in touch with you? We're gonna have your, contact in the show notes, but tell us if you're listening how to get in touch with kelly Duggan Thank you so much
Kelly: And so i'll tell you an easy place to get and the link will be there as to my link tree I love link tree as speaking to those of you who are business people Get a link tree.
I was introduced to it not too long ago in the last year So it will list lots of links so you can find me socially you get to my website You can see podcasts a whole bunch of different things Go there. It's a one stop shop place. Other than that, you can contact me direct at my email at K. D. At Kelly Duggan dot com or my website.
Kelly Duggan. Just remember Kelly Duggan and you'll be all set. Or I'm happy to have you just reach out by phone. You can reach me at 269. 873 1598. Thank you so much. I appreciate being here sharing something that I am super passionate about and super excited to be coming back to my dental family.
Not leaving the other industries fully, but this is where look at what I'm thinking about. not finishing my career, but as we move on to the end here of work life, it's fun to come back to dental. Yeah, well, it's
Anne: nice to continue to contribute to our profession, isn't it, Kelly? Yes. I mean, you And we need you, dear. We do need you. Oh, Oh my gosh. Oh, you're welcome. I loved having you. I'm going to go get my color book out and see, I'm going to go look at it when we get off here. Yes, do. I forgot the name of, the author too. So that was awesome. And you'll agree with this slogan that we love to end our podcast with.
If you're listening to us today, Kelly and I say, keep doing, keep
Kelly: doing you.
Anne: All everybody take care. Have a great day and we'll see you next time. Thanks everybody. Thanks Kelly.
