Anne: Hello everyone. It is Anne Duffy and welcome to the Just DeW It podcast. I am so happy that you're here and I am so happy to have such a dear friend and a dear person in my life and all the dos life, with me today. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about it before I get started. Brandi Hooker Evans, stop herding cattle,
start loving patients individually. That is a quote, this Idaho country girl, RDH can be counted on to help you cultivate a rewarding professional career. Grab your boots and roll up your sleeves as we get to the work. Having great days while providing exquisite, individualized care with my dearest.
Brandi Hooker Evans. Yay. It's so nice to see you.
Brandi: Oh, you fill my heart with Sunshine. Anne, thank you for having me this morning.
Anne: Oh, you're so wonderful and I love your
book. And the reason we talk about cattle is because your book is out and it is dentist, hygienist, and cows. How brilliant dental professionals have great days while providing exquisite, individualized care.
I love your book and it's so fun. It's so much of your personality, like the weaving of your story. it just actually resonated with me as a practicing hygienist for 46 years. I was in your shoes and I hope that I did the best. Well, I did do the best job that I could, but reading your book brings it up a notch.
I think that every hygienist out there, I hope that they will get this book. 'cause it's a super quick read. You will not stop smiling, honestly. And you'll not stop shaking your head. Yes, So please get this book. It's on Amazon, right? Right, Brandi? Mm-hmm. Yeah. And it's also on our do book nook.
I believe we have this in the do book nook. Yes, we do. I. So that's that. How long have you been practicing hygiene Brandi?
Brandi: I am almost to the 20 year mark. I graduated in oh seven, so I'm like ticking down the last couple of months until I've had a license for 20 years, which is crazy because I was the baby yesterday and I am no longer the baby.
Anne: Oh my gosh.
Brandi: Yeah, I was like 17 yesterday and now I'm 41. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I all of a sudden am a mom and, have had this whole career that's had. So many different lives to it. Since I graduated as a 23-year-old in 2007, I mean, I have experienced no less than 10 different careers in the last 18 years.
So it's been such a whirlwind. But as you know, I think that we're given gifts along the way that we're meant to share.
Yeah. That don't hide your light under a bushel as it were.
Anne: Exactly. Exactly. That's not fair. Right? I mean, we know that. And you just light up a room. I love how you light up when you talk about dentistry and you've got stellar outcomes.
And I didn't realize you've had that for five years before you even joined Dew.
Brandi: Yes. I celebrated 10 years in September of 24, so yeah.
Anne: Yeah. Tell us a little bit about that before we get started. Like stellar outcomes, because what I love when I go on your, program, which is on, I think it's usually a Thursday night, Eight to nine are you Pacific, I think right Mountain? Yeah. You're on mountain. I can't believe you've got like 80 to 200 dental hygienists on there. And they are in it. They are wrapped up in what you have to say. They're really dipped in and they're really present when you're talking.
And I just think it's something special when you're still in the trenches and you love your profession and you can actually share that. you exude that. So tell me, how did that get started? so now we're talking 13 years ago, 12 years ago, something like that.
Brandi: So, the Stellar Infusion Study Club I have done since 2020, I created that to fill a void.
I felt that with all the shutdowns, people felt like they were on an island alone and didn't know what to do, and didn't know what to think. And I saw, unfortunately, a lot of. leadership not represent our hygiene profession Well, and, I thought, you know, what we need is a place where we can get together, roll up our sleeves, and figure out how to have great days and take exquisite care of our patients.
Hmm. And what I've learned along the way is when we are showing up in our purpose, then it makes. Everything that we do, including the yucky parts of being a clinician, whether you're a dentist, an assistant, a hygienist, or even working at the front office. It makes all of those portions of our experience tolerable.
And what I saw a lot of, especially in that timeframe, is. People being worried, people being burnt out, lots of hygienists, especially clocking in and clocking out, which, we're experiencing some of that right now and I see a lot of. Pain from especially the hygienist right now, and it's been interesting to watch.
Many of them have been pointing fingers at other people in other professions. Mm-hmm. And I have yet to hear a group really come up with a, solution and, an admittance of how we have been. Potentially part of the problem, Anne.
Anne: Mm-hmm. Because
Brandi: part of the problem, you can be part of the solution. And so that's a lot of the essence of Stellar Infusion Study Club that I host for eight months a year.
I want people to come and roll up their sleeves and dig in and know what it's like to look at the human as a whole human and to get some insight into how the business is ran and, and get some insight on how they can really. Enjoy their career. And it is not by turning it over to someone else and saying, you should do this, this, and this.
For me it is showing up and saying, what can I do for you, our patients and myself? And if we can modify that mentality, I think we'll see some really. Dramatic improvement in not only our profession as a whole, but the morale of the people that are inside of that profession that you and I love so dearly.
And between the two of us, we've got some years I.
Anne: Yeah, we got some years, but we also have the love there. And I, love that you said the patience in yourself and the, industry as a whole, because that all has to come together, but it's so purposeful what you decided to do and how did you know that was for you?
Brandi: I had a great experience of getting really quiet with myself. I had stellar outcomes for five years. There was lots of things going on in our world, professionally, politically, and there's a lot of options, and there was a lot of questions, and I also noticed a lot of comparison. I see everyone looking at everyone else and comparing themselves, and I just had this divine download that said, but Brandi, what is for you?
What is your calling? What is your message? And. It was so powerful because all of my love that I have and the way I like to practice, the way I like to learn about practicing the way, I'm totally happy with realizing that what I did wasn't so great. I've got better information. I'm gonna do it now.
That this was such a great way for me to share with one another with the rest of our friends. And not just the hygienist, but the whole profession and.
It was such a game changer to get quiet and figure out what was for me, not how do I. Become famous, not how do I have what so and so has not what these other people are doing, but what was my individual calling? How was I supposed to make the difference with the tools that I was given? And that moment changed so much of my career because since then I have paid more attention to trying to figure out what is for me and.
When you're doing what's for you, it's so fun and you light up and you lean forward and you get out of your seat and it's like, it's so exciting and it's so fun. And I love the Stellar Infusion Study Club, and I can't even like say the name because I love it so much. And, I do the same thing when I'm speaking in coaching.
And, I've found that's my lane. My lane is. The study club and speaking and coaching, and when I compare myself to what everyone else is doing, then I start to feel, nervous and worried and, oh, I haven't spoke at those big conferences, or I haven't done this and I haven't done that.
And it eats up all the, time and energy and worry inside of my brain so that I can't show up in the way that I want to. And feel like, Anne, when I'm watching our do Sisters and the world at large, there was one thing that I could give. It would be that question first you gotta clean something out to make room for the new.
Mm-hmm. Clean out the comparison.
we don't have any room for that. your journey is not my journey. And then insert a prayerful. Intention moment and just ask the question, is it for me? Mm-hmm. And I think it's important to say also, is it for me anymore? Is it for me yet? And is it for me at all?
Because there are certain parts of our career, like if you would've started do when you were 30, what would that have been like compared to what it was? Later, you know, so do Absolutely. Was for you, but when you were 30, it was not for you yet.
Yeah.
Anne: that brings in the, the prayerful intention to sit back and be quiet and to listen to, our spirit, our God who's ever inspiring us, because as you and I both know.
We have the talents to do what lights us up. And I think that is a clue to where your purpose is. Mm-hmm.
Brandi: And
Anne: then you have to say,
How will I know?
Brandi: Is it because
Anne: we get lit up? Is it because we stay focused? Is it because we keep putting one foot in front of the other?
What is it? What is it that. keeps us on the track of attaining the purpose. I'm curious about that.
Brandi: Well, And I believe that it definitely comes to leaning into your gifts, number one, when you get a divine download of what something might be for you. I think we have to sit with it and. Think of all of the things that we'll need to do to execute it.
So for example, for the study club. Mm-hmm. I had to think of the topics, I had to think of how I would execute it, all of those things. And when I was working on it, it was exciting and it was fun. And when something was frustrating to me, I. Could feel that I still needed to move forward because I could still envision what was supposed to come.
And learned contrary to that in my career and watched others do this when you come up against a brick wall and you just don't want it, I feel like too often we think we are supposed to, and so then we just keep going up against the brick wall when maybe if we did a little quarter turn. To the right, there might be the door that we're actually supposed to go in.
So are we supposed to give up because it sucks? No, but I really think we need to quiet back down and say, is this a roadblock that I still need to plow through? And this turns back to my belief system. But I truly believe that if we stop, get quiet and say, am I supposed to do this? Your internal knowing like don't even use a vocabulary of any kind of religion, like your inside will tell you.
Keep going. One foot in front of the other, wipe that snot tear outta your face and keep going Girl? Wash your face. Rachel Hollis, right? but it takes sitting with the insecurities, Anne. Mm-hmm. It takes sitting with the roadblocks that are in front of the. Of you because they come and they're there.
Even if you're living into your purpose and sometimes even more when you're living into your purpose, because the world it needs some change and things don't like to change. And so when you're living into your purpose, the chances of you probably making a change, I would throw out, is probably high.
And so if we can sit with those insecurities and those scares and those roadblocks and say. Am I supposed to keep going? It gives you the clarity to look and say, I am, but it's a quarter. Turn to the right.
Anne: Yeah.
Brandi: Or straightforward sister, or if you're a boy brother, right? No way this roadblock was meant for you.
And what you're gonna learn on the other side of this roadblock is gonna serve you in your purpose. But what I notice in our busy world are people just constantly drowning their own thoughts out, turning the phone on, doing the scroll going from one thing to the other, one meeting to the next, and not taking that time to really question and ask.
Is this for me? Mm-hmm. Should I keep going and if it's something that you love to do, like I love to share continuing education. And so when I would get frustrated because I did a poor delivery, I didn't think I should not stay on the stage, I thought, girl, you need to take some lessons and you need to learn how to get better at this.
Anne: Mm-hmm.
Brandi: you can't discern if it's for you or not, and whether or not those roadblocks are to help or to get you turned in another direction if we don't take some time. Really examine what's on the inside of us and what we believe is our best use of our time, energy, love, and talents.
Anne: Yeah. I love that you're looking in actually, we were talking before and I was just, I gave up yammering for Lent Probably three years in a row. And yammering to me, I made that word up. I don't know if it is a word or not, but it's like just complaining about the little things. Like I feel so blessed, and yet I'm complaining about, oh, I'm traveling so much.
And I was telling you, oh, do you? And you said, do you love it? I'm like, Ooh, not as much as I want the outcome. But something just struck me and. Is it for me? Because it feels like sometimes my purpose is always for others. And so I know that that is what I'm meant to do is serve you know, the dues, the women in dentistry and all that.
But is it for me at this time, in this moment, and honestly, I'm gonna say yes, and I need a mindset shift. I need just a little smidge pivot. To the right to get back on track to realize that it is for me, and I do love it. Mm-hmm. And I do wanna do this because that's the end, the purpose. you know, we say dos never retire, but the purpose might shift a bit, but the purpose there is to follow my calling like we talked earlier.
But I mean, I just like the mindset shift and it's, not that hard to shift one millimeter, right? Mm-hmm. It's hard to make a total turnaround and to like see that brick wall and say, Nope, I'm not doing that. I'm just gonna shut it down. 'cause how often, Randy, do we see women in dentistry that they reach the point, they're so burnt out, they've had it.
That's it. what you do with, your coaching and your, stellar outcomes is inspire and encourage these amazing women to stay in it and give them like tools to really find out what is it for them. And it often isn't just leaving the profession altogether. It's like a little pivot, right?
Brandi: There's so many good examples of that. I watch when I am in a big room of all kinds of professionals, a lot of times heavy on the RDH, but it's generally the entire team that I get to hang out with. And when you start talking about something that connects. With an experience they've had. So a big one is misdiagnosis of a DHD, not breathing through your nose at night.
Being overwhelmed with the calamity that our standard American diet is causing not only our patients, but for us. And so as I'm touching on these topics, and we're talking about caring for the whole human being yourself as a professional, and then that carries to the patients, what I notice is it's almost like I'm planting seeds like those three over there, they need to learn more about myofunctional therapy.
they need to call Cheryl and Joy and get their certification. And then over here I see, oh, there's an advocate. For a little boy that was. Naughty had a DHD, and he is in trouble. And actually he just wasn't sleeping well at night. And so he woke up every day was a mess, and no one helped him and they just wanted to medicate him.
So you see the advocates start to light up in the audience. They're like, you know what? That was my kid, or that was me.
so is this getting them out of the profession? Absolutely not. But what does your conversation with your dental hygienist sound like? When she also has a certificate about myofunctional therapy.
So my job is not to teach myo, but my job is to plant seeds and figure out what do they need in their tool belt to show up to the dental office and live their best life and have so much fun providing care, answering the phones. It doesn't matter what you're doing, if you are. Leaning into you and all of your strengths and your talents and your gifts, and letting the people around you support where you lack.
I mean, it doesn't, matter if you're a landscaper, a janitor, a dental hygienist. Now we're really bringing all of our goodness to the table and it's being utilized. And you might be tired at the end of the day, but. You're fulfilled and it's joyful, and it might be the exact same position you had last week, but because you took the time to say, is it for me?
Anne: you know, you also mentioned though the team, and also I think great joy comes from being aware of your team and realizing that, you know. is it for them and helping them realize, give them a little bit more purpose into the, mundane. If they've gotten to that point work that we do.
Sometimes it's like mean, I've heard people say, oh, it's the same thing every day over and over again. But no, it's not. It's not because a different person, a different biome, a different, everything is sitting in front of you, but. It takes everybody to make that patient. Follow your instructions. The walk of health in so many different ways that we have that.
I guess it's not only the knowledge for it, but the responsibility and you are planting seeds, I mean, there are so many things that are going on in dentistry right now that. I didn't really have a handle on, you know, 20 years ago, and it's really exciting. But if you don't ever seek out someone that is going to plant seeds for you and then you have to water the seeds and you have to take part in it, and you have to own that garden and so many people wanna be.
Fed without tilling the soil. And that goes back to like being a guest or a host. I mean, the host has something to offer, and that's why you got into hosting, developing and creating the beautiful content that you deliver on a regular basis. It gives you joy, and I know you've seen it bring fruit to, you know, not only the individuals, but also to the profession as a whole.
Brandi: Oh, it's been so wonderful. I think there's a whole parcel of us out there spreading words like this and, it goes back to, we have to scooch out the comparison.
Anne: Mm-hmm.
Brandi: The passel of us are making a difference because they're not just hearing it from Brandi Hooker Evans. It's Katrina Sanders.
Stewart, it's Ann O. Rice. It's, I mean, we start going down the list right, Angela Davis Sullivan, joy Lance. I mean, we could do this for another, like 50 minutes of all the people that are spreading goodness. And in a lot of ways it overlaps, but yet when all of us. Men and women that are sharing these ideas, when we show up, even if we're saying the same thing, it's.
Different, and it has our own experience and twist on it. so what I notice is that it sinks in with people better when they've heard it more than once, you know? Mm-hmm. I was just in Iowa a couple of weeks ago and this was a very heavy hygiene focused, conversation that I was teaching this course, and I talk about caring for the whole, not just the whole, HOLE versus Yeah.
Oh,
Anne: I love that.
Brandi: Yeah. Chapter 12 and,
Anne: chapter 12. Chapter 12 of
Brandi: the book. And it was so fun because a couple of dentists came up to me at the break and they said, oh my gosh, Brandi, this is. So fun. We went to this course with Dr. Uchi Atu, and man, he's recommending the same books. He is up on the table, he's teaching us do like all of these things that you're talking about.
We started learning about with him too. And so now we've got this combination where what I'm saying and the way I'm saying it. Has that same thread through it, but it's totally different than what someone else is saying, but because they're hearing it and hearing it again, and I'm showing up in my best, like what can I do for this audience Who needs to hear what self, they're able to match where they're hearing this information in more than one place, which does what grows the seeds and then gives them the tools to be able to plant them with their patients. Yeah. Yeah. Which is what our goal is. So if I'm like, oh, I wish I was as good as, or I wish I had done those same conferences, or I've never spoke at the Chicago Midwinter or the Hinman, or I just must not be good enough.
And if you that. Comparison outta the way, and you say,
is it for me? Is it for me yet? Is it for me anymore? And is it for me ever? Then it guides you down what path that you need to go and, you know, you do need myofunctional therapy in your life and if so, we've got some websites and books for you to read. Or maybe it's sleep. That's your passion.
I mean, there, so many different ways. That you can show up and learn and enhance your career. just that little bit of quiet,
Anne: you can't stop though. I mean, that's the thing. another principle of juice start and don't stop, because that's when people get frustrated. They think they're not, you know, the worthiness.
they say, oh, I'm not worthy for it, or I'm not good enough. why me? And I say, why not you? you never know what's gonna stick. I mean, how many times have we gone to a conference if we can get. Three nuggets, even one good nugget out of a conference. And sometimes it takes hearing it from five different people, five different ways.
Right? But we can't stop because We feel like the roadblock is there, but that's just making that up in our mind, honestly. Mm-hmm. We've gotta just keep going. 'cause you have something to share. You're good at sharing it and if not, you, who? And if not now when will you do that?
And we just keep going. But also, I think the other thing, Brandi, and that's. What do is all about is like when you get stuck in the roadblock, call a do, call a friend, call somebody that's been there and done that. Because our industry is relationship driven and everybody, I think that we attract.
Are people that will help us, you know? Mm-hmm. those, that won't, you know, I guess they could be the weeds. We'll pull those out and we'll toss them away because not everybody's gonna jive with, my message or your message but there are people that will, take our hand, will help us.
We'll support our mission, our purpose. Especially when we can share it with gusto and confidence. And, enthusiasm as you just shared yours,
Brandi: and I think being okay when the answer is no, it's not for you. Mm-hmm. You here's a great example. Right now I have two children that are, one's graduated from college, one's in college, and then I have two children that are in high school, a senior and a junior starting in the fall and.
It's not for me to travel every weekend. There are a handful of conferences that I get invited to speak at a year. I've got the Stiller Infusion Study Club and I get a handful of coaching clients a year. Plus I, you know, run a practice in Pocatello with my husband and. That's enough for me. So when I go and sit in a class where they talk about how to 10 x your business.
Yeah. maybe it's taken us this long to get to this bottom line. Maybe that 10 x your business isn't for you. If I 10 x my business, I couldn't do it. And I wouldn't be the human, the wife, the mom, the sister and the daughter that I wanna be right now. Quadrupling, my income is not for me right now.
Mm-hmm. What's for me? Is the handful of conferences that I speak at, the handful of coaching clients. I get to love up individually, the Stellar Infusion Study Club, and then my commitments here at the practice doing hygiene and the hr, all the administrative things. That's for me right now, and I'll tell you in a couple of years when my husband retires, I'm gonna have to ask.
Is that piece for me anymore?
Anne: Yeah.
Brandi: It might not be, and I'll have to be willing to have the answer come. And so for all of the speakers out there listening to you guys, I've never done the Hinman. I've never done the Chicago Midwinter. I've never done the Greater New Yorker, the Yankee. I have not done any of those.
And yet the other big conferences or the other study clubs that I have done. Have been so precious and fun. One of the, my favorite ones is the Utah Dental Convention and the Iowa Dental Convention. Both of their dental associations put on such a wonderful time and show and the people are interested and engaged.
And I don't think I'm less than because I haven't done the quote big. Yeah. Conferences, they're not for me yet, and they might not be for me ever. That's okay. And I, finally got to the place in my life where I can say, you know what, if you get to do that, awesome. you know, we talked with a do the other day that's like, I really wanna do this conference.
And we said, okay, we're gonna call these three people and get you at that conference. Because if that's for you and that's where you feel like you're called. Mm-hmm. Let's make it happen. Yeah. Roadblocks be danged. And so anyway that's, been heavy on my heart and as, I've been doing the do coffee chats and out in the world, I noticed that comparison is probably the worst roadblock that I see for the men and women of our profession and, beyond that, like, not even just our profession.
And, gosh, if we could scooch that over and everyone was living into what was meant for them and what their personal experience led them to. I think we'd see a lot of smiles. Yeah. I think that the tears would feel very, very worth crying, and I suspect the mental wellness of the entire community would elevate.
So that's my hope and prayer for all of those that got to join us today. I
Anne: love it. That's a mantra. you made it. Feel right, that's the right road to be on is the road for you and I'm on the right road for me. And we lean into what we're good at and we lean in.
What opportunities come to us? And then we, sit with that for a minute and see is this for me? I love you so much, Brandi, and I'm, also so. Thankful for you taking over the Do Connect this year. Director of our DO Connects on Wednesday mornings. You have just been a light for people.
You show up as a light, they leave feeling lifted and encouraged. And that's what we're here for. for the good, the bad, the ugly and all of it makes sense. When you can share it with your friends and the people that you know, love you in this industry and beyond.
So thank you for the love you shown me today. I really got a lot out of this conversation. I'm actually feeling. Excited and enthusiastic about what's gonna happen for my life tomorrow. And the purpose that know is in front of me, I will continue to, drive that home. So thank you Brandi, for being with me.
How do we find you
Brandi: Stellar Outcomes is the name of my company and the Stellar Infusion Study Club is, I love that study club that I do from September to April every year, and so I'm really excited. I'm in the planning phases for the upcoming year.
If you want a ticket. If you go just my name.com, Brandi hooker evans.com, you can get a free ticket. We have beautiful sponsors that make this, accessible for anyone that wants to come. It doesn't matter, wow, hygienist or not you can come and dentists get their CEEs and I hope for it to be enriching to.
No matter what part of the team, even if you're not dental, to be on there, but I'm really excited to share. I have not told anyone yet this year, but this is my list of people that I'm going to invite and all but one are outside of dentistry. We're gonna do. Functional health, diabetes, and kidneys pharmacy.
I'm hoping to do pelvic floor health for men and women. Ancient Chinese medicine. Talk to a pediatrician in dermatology. And so, we're really gonna lean into the whole human, like, how can we serve our patients? 'cause I can promise you one thing I know for me is service is for me. I am supposed to serve.
I'm supposed to serve others. I know that deep down within my soul and I think we can tap into so much more. And so I've got some friends in other professions that are going to be getting a call and a request. So if you and the community could send me good luck in getting these people to. Come and share their expertise so that we, dental geeks, can lean further into what's beyond the mouth.
I, I think it's gonna be a really fun year.
Anne: That sounds. Like a great calling. I just so excited for you and for all of us to dip into your life, your content, your magic, and Brandi, thank you so much for joining me today. Again, they can get in touch with you
Brandi: how Brandi hooker evans.com.
That's the easiest way and that just pulls up the access to reach out directly to me.
Anne: That's good. And we'll put that in the show notes. So thank you so much and Brandi, I'll see you with the retreat in November. All of you that are listening be Aware that we're gonna be gathering know 250 amazing women in Charlotte and you're one of them.
So sign up for November 13 through 15 in Charlotte and uh, join us. To raise not only yourself, but to raise each other. Well Raise a glass to you you arrive. So thank you all for joining me today. And remember everybody out there, most importantly, keep doing you. Thanks so much and I'll see you next time.
Brandi, I'll see you on the road.
Brandi: Thank
Anne: you
Brandi: so much, Anne.
