Anne: Hi everybody. It's Anne Duffy and welcome to the Just DeW It podcast. I'm so happy that you're here with me today and I'm very excited about my guest today. 'cause I just love this do, if you will, and this young woman that is coming to my life through Dental Entrepreneur Woman, I'm so happy to know her. Let me tell you a little bit about her.
Lana Rivera is an accomplished leader and consultant with over 20 years of experience in the industry, renowned for her expertise in forging strong strategic relationships. She has a depthly guided. Dental practices toward growth and enhanced efficiency. Her approach seamlessly blends strategic insight with a profound understanding of client needs, establishing her as a trusted advisor, driven by an unyielding determination to make a difference.
Lana continues to expand her influence beyond the dental sector venturing into additional industries. Please help me welcome Lana Rivera. Hello, Lana.
Lana: Hi Anne. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
Anne: I am so glad you're here. And before we got started with the record button, everybody, we went through your top 10 strengths, and then I'm reading your bio, I mean driven by an unyielding determination. You know that's competition because you're competing with yourself. That is so cool. And then guide dental practice toward growth and enhanced efficiency is strategic. And then the learner, all of your strengths really, really line up. With making a big impact, not only in your own life, but in the lives of others.
I'm just really so cool to see that and to actually tie that into your God-given talents, what you were meant to do on this earth. how did you feel when you got your strengths? You were just talking about those just now.
Lana: You know what, it made a lot of sense.
It made a lot of sense how I felt like every position that I had worked in, I would hit a glass ceiling and I would experience frustration. And I think I was telling you futuristic is my number nine, right? I'm very strategic, analytical. I look at the individual, situation and so it made so much sense why I have this need and this want to continue to grow and to continue to excel.
So I was really excited to put those pieces together, see it on paper, and it made a lot of sense for sure.
Anne: Yeah. And it validates everything that you've done up until now, which is cool because now you have the confidence to know, to trust your gut, trust your instincts, and trust your strengths. Right.
That's just, so yummy. I just love that. what are you thinking about going forward? Like What do you hope to achieve with your work that will leave that lasting legacy? 'cause I know that's really important to you.
Lana: It is really important, and I think the most important thing that I think I wanna be known for, because that changes on a daily basis.
Mm-hmm. Sure. But consistently, it's tenacity. It's tenacity to make a change, to have a positive influence to I wanna say have specifically women that are younger in this space that need someone to look up to in terms of how did she do it, how did she push through, starting from the bottom.
Going through so many life experiences, so many things that are thrown at you, and it's the tenacity that I think I want people to remember my career for.
Anne: Well, I think that's really important and I. can see that in you you know, on a daily basis. But I think some of that also just sells yourself a little short, is how smart you are and how you can see a problem.
Because I, know there's a couple of do's that didn't even necessarily say, Hey. I need your help, but you're like, you're saying to them, I think you could use my help. And then you totally help them navigate the problems with their business, and just shed some light on the opportunity that's in front of them.
Tell me a little bit about how, how you see that cause I know there's a couple of gals that you've worked for, but how do you find your lane when you start working with somebody?
Lana: Helping them troubleshoot problem solve within their own business. To me, business is a puzzle, and I like to look at where all of the pieces are.
And so if somebody comes to me, whether it's a friend, it's a client, family, and they're experiencing some issue, I'm looking at it in a puzzle like manner and figure out, okay, what is it they want? What is the problem that they're experiencing? What do they feel like their hangups are? And I truly get enjoyment out of living life to the fullest.
And the people I surround myself with and I want to help and I want to make a difference. So I think I really put those individualization pieces together I love doing that. I enjoy it and it makes me feel good. And obviously I'm, here and I wanna make a difference,
Anne: Yeah. And you're good at it, it's so funny 'cause individualization is my dead last strength. I mean, It's like 34 and that really comes in handy, doesn't it? When you're looking at somebody in their business, their unique business, and so funny 'cause you went right to strategic, how can we make the steps to get from here to there and to help them succeed, but. It's super cool that it's just not, I have a broad band. Oh, everybody can do it. But you see that individual, which is, just a, it's a very unique trait. And then again, you have empathy in your top 10 as well, so you can actually feel what they're feeling and I think that makes you such a great coach, going forward. you've achieved so much though in your career in life. what is the thing that has made you the most proud of, as far as your achievements?
Lana: I, so that's interesting question. I struggle when it comes to kind of stop and smelling the roses because I'm an achiever.
It's like, okay, onto the next, onto the next. Mm. And I think the, my biggest achievement aside from. Being in my own company, having employees and being in this, space for 10 years or so. It's the fact that I now conduct international business. I have international clients in Europe and that has been a huge, I.
Learning curve. It's difficult for me to say like, pat on the back, that's an accomplishment, but stop for a moment and think about where I started and little Lana and wanting to do so much, but not knowing where and what and how to step forward to fast forward 10 years and now navigating international business is pretty, it's pretty cool.
That is
Anne: really cool. So how did they find you? Tell me how they found you.
Lana: I had a previous client that was practicing in Nevada and he ended up leaving, closing up shop. He wanted to move to Europe and wanted to start over. And so my name floated around as some recommendations as a consultant. And it's a dental company that's been struggling finding a consultant to.
Set up systems and make things run smoother so that they can grow. And one thing led to another and we're talking, and over a couple months contracts were signed and, and it's been really cool.
Anne: well, when do you have to go? what country is this in?
Lana: They're in Germany.
Anne: do, you have to go over and see them, you know, face to face.
Lana: Yes. So I am gonna be going over there. I'm going to be doing onsite training and consulting, which is really excited. We're still trying to like narrow it down between my busy travel season, which is the summer, and for them their busy season, which is more towards holidays. So we're looking at end of September is what we're thinking because I can't miss the due retreat.
That's right. So that's already in there. It's in my calendar, so we gotta squeeze it in.
Anne: is super. Yeah. November 13th through 15th. Everybody, thanks for saying a little shout out for that. That's so cool though. I love that. And they speak English well enough that you can understand.
I'm sure they do, but how do you communicate?
Lana: They do speak well. They definitely speak very good English. The time zone difference, I think is the biggest thing. And I think certain parts of the language and conveying. Training pieces, core pieces that can at times be difficult, but Google Translate is wonderful.
Anne: It helps us. Yeah. There's so many tools you have now that you can actually just put it in. When we were talking about earlier, just chat, GPT, but also just the language barrier is, no barrier anymore, isn't it? It's just really cool. So that's what you do. You put in systems and processes that help things run smoothly.
Is that your, your main business? Tell me a little bit more about your business so that people can get a feel for exactly what you're doing.
Lana: Yeah, so I, as far as like on the consulting side, I definitely help my clients with setting up set systems that are the culprit for them to be able to excel and to grow.
So that comes down to employee training, you know, treatment plan, acceptance. What are you billing? What should you be billing? What are your annualized goals? What can we do to grow a hygiene department? What can we do to add in? Clear aligners or specialty cases. And I have a full, robust experience when it comes to dentistry.
So I'm not just general and specific. I have a lot of extensive knowledge. So that's what I do on the consulting side, which I love. I thrive because I, you know, I'm a learner and an achiever and so it makes me excited. And so, in turn my clients kind of feed off of that energy and, when they. Have this clear pathway to their growth.
they get just as excited. And the other side of my company is I have the insurance processing revenue cycle management, and I have dedicated employees that take care of that. So I have my own sector of being a leader within my own company and women to turn to. And yeah
Anne: it's a full circle.
Look at you. No more little LA anymore. I mean, My gosh, that is really cool. So you've got a couple of different things that float your boat, but again, I'm thinking about you got achiever and competition. and strategic, you're not gonna let anybody not thrive.
You're not gonna let go of them until they are actually you know, on their way. pushing that car up the hill and you're gonna get 'em all the way to the very top so that an easy ride on the way down, which everybody wants, you know, make it easy and simple.
And sometimes when you're in it, you can't see it. You have to bring in somebody from the outside. I really believe that. We were talking about that somebody said that, oh, not everybody feels like they need a coach, but you know what I believe in the dental arena, you definitely need a coach.
'cause you just can't see what's right in front of you.
Lana: I always tell my clients, you are inside your own bottle and you can't see the ingredients on your label, That's how I say it.
Anne: That's aism. I like it.
Lana: Yes. Yes it is. I have lots of little coin phrases, but I feel that way. Just in general, like to better ourselves.
In general, whether you're in the dental industry or not, I feel like a coach is super important. I feel like it is beneficial to those that want to grow and that they wanna achieve and they wanna make a difference. So it's something I definitely believe in.
Anne: you know, we were talking earlier about you writing a blog for us, which, everybody stay tuned because we're gonna talk about it right now because this way we're putting it out to the universe so we know that it's gonna happen.
'cause Lana's gonna write a blog and I wanna. Have you think a little bit about what advice you would give to your younger self and just saying, everybody, you're pretty young, Lonnie, you're just getting start. man, you've accomplished so much in such a short period of time.
I just can't wait to see where you're going. 'cause I know you're starting to speak now on the stages and that Broadening your message out to the, universe. It's one thing to say to office, to office, but it's also something else to the big stage. So what would you say to your younger self right off the top of your head here that can get that pen starting on that piece of paper?
Lana: Trust your gut.
Anne: Oh,
Lana: trust your gut. And don't listen to the outside noise. Don't listen to the excuses. Don't listen to the reasons why other people feel you can't achieve something big. That's always what I go back to. Trust your gut.
Anne: Trust your gut. Well, How do you stay so positive then? Because a little bit lonely sometimes. How do you stay in that positive role?
Lana: That's a very good question. Entrepreneurship is definitely a lonely road. It can definitely be a road that's not well understood because everybody's path is a little bit different.
And yeah, I do get down, it's a lot of responsibility being a mother, right? Being a homeowner. And I've got a farm and I've got a business and I have employees that look to me. I have clients that look to me. I have clients, employees that look to me. So it's a heavy plate for sure. I do call.
DeWs. I have my little tribe that I love so much that fills my cup and they're my sounding board. They're my safe space. And I feel like as women, it is our. Obligation to be that to other women and to be that safe space in that sounding board. So if I'm struggling, if I'm having a hard time, if I just need to talk out loud and have somebody hear me, 'cause sometimes that's all it really is.
I just need, someone to hear me and then I can figure this out. But I definitely have my, set little dos that I love so much
Anne: my sisters. You're sisters. I know. Isn't it true? Sometimes we solve our own problems just by being able to talk out loud and have somebody get it. That's what I say, that common thread of dentistry has been a gift to me so many times because know, Just not everybody can understand that the rollercoaster that we do all ride. it's really fun when we're, riding down fast and strapped in and we, just, screaming at the top of our lungs like, yay, we're we're doing it, we're doing it. One other thing I'm gonna touch on I just love your daughter and I love the relationship that you have with your sweet young daughter that's been graduating from high school now and going on, and, gosh, just getting started with her world.
What's the magic there for you and Ava being so close and being able to navigate all the ups and downs of the mother-daughter relationship? I need a few tips. I'm, I'm a mom, like three kids. They're all adults. I'd like to hear how you do it.
Lana: That's a good question.
That's probably an in-depth conversation for another podcast. Yeah. But I think for Ava and I, for those that do know, we've definitely had a turbulent ride. I've been a single mom, raising her for quite some time, and I think it's the trust, the communication for Ava and I and, I think being very transparent.
She actually told me this. Literally yesterday we were driving on her way to breakfast and she was just like, mom, I don't know what I would do without you. You don't see the world in a sugarcoated manner. However, I don't throw her into it. We talk about life or what it is and what we see it as and how to handle it.
It's okay that we don't have the answers today. The answers will come to us and to take life in strides. And so I think that her and I have created this. I mean, You've seen it, this solid little ride or die partnership of we can talk about anything. And that's how I always wanna be very approachable.
There's nothing that I don't want her to feel like she can't talk to me about, but I really think it's that trust and we've been through bumpy road, especially when she was younger and so she saw how I navigated it and she trusted the process and trusted me. And I think that just made our bond so much stronger.
Anne: Oh my gosh. Well, If you're listening out there and you've, got, clients or kids or friends that you're working with and you see a need. I think a couple things that pop out today is, just really trusting your gut, being vulnerable and being able to listen well.
I think that's something that you do very well, Lana, and I think that serves you not only in your, business life, but in your family. And it's just been a true pleasure to be with you today on this podcast. I hope that, everybody that's listening today will consider joining us at the retreat.
'cause Lana's gonna be there with with all of her besties and my besties and people that we don't know, women that are just amazing in dentistry. If you're out there and you're looking for a place to just, lock arms and have somebody to help you along the way, that might see something in you that.
You might not see in yourself. I hope that you'll join us in November, in Charlotte, North Carolina. You're always welcome to sit at our table. I'm so happy that Lana came and had a seat, and she's still here. She's had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and she's staying for dessert. Lana, take care.
I wanna know how to anybody get in touch with you because if they're out there struggling in their practice or they're struggling in their business because you go beyond. Just dental practices. I know that you've helped a lot of the women and do with their business. How do they get in touch with you?
Lana: you can go to my website and chat. It's nmg practice solutions.com. Or you can shoot me a direct email at Lana [email protected]
Anne: spell that out again
Lana: It's LANA [email protected].
Anne: NMG Practice
Lana: Yep,
Anne: we got it. Well, We'll reach out to you. I can't wait to see you on the road. Well, I'm gonna see you at, see you on the beach, so that's gonna be a blast. Can't wait for that. And is Ava going with you there?
Lana: She might be coming with me. I'm also going to be at CDA and a a PD. Oh, wow. Okay. So she might be joining me depending on school. Her goals.
Anne: It sounds like a do meetup. So if you're out there and you're gonna be there, please check out Lana when you get there.
she loves making relationships with all of you as we love making relationships, not only with each other, but with all the women and even the guys. 'cause we love those dudes in dentistry. So, Most importantly, everybody that's listening today, don't forget, keep doing you. Lana, thank you so much for being with me.
I love you honey. Love you. Thank you. Oh, you're welcome. Bye. see you on the road dear.
