Anne: Hi everyone. It's Anne Duffy and welcome to the Just DeW It podcast. I am so happy that you're with me today, and I have just a special guest, a dear friend, a new friend actually. We've had, we've known each other for a couple of years, so dear to me, and she actually lives close by. So we're, we're fairly close neighbors, close neighbors.
And before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about her. Andrea is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Dentsply Sirona, a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and sales of dental equipment and products that generates nearly 4 billion in sales annually and has 16,000 employees globally.
She is passionate about creating high performance cultures where companies and employees achieve financial and personal growth goals. Her top five strengths, achiever, a Ranger, woo, competition and responsibility. She is a strong woman. And Andrea, welcome to the Just Doit podcast. Thank you, Anne. Thank you for having me.
I'm thrilled to have this conversation with you. Oh, me too. We have had, we've been really close friends since you came over for coffee the first time somebody introduced us and I That's right. Right in your kitchen. Right in my kitchen. And I knew we'd be fast friends after that. Your boys are in sports?
Well, one of them is in sports. And your other son is, is, techie. A techie and That's right. The financial numbers guy. And, uh, you're a busy mom and here you are the chief. H human resource officer of Denly Serona. How do you do it and how did you get into hr? Gosh. Well,
Andrea: that's a loaded, loaded question.
How, how do I do it? Uh, there are probably days that I do it better than other days. Yeah. But I think for the most part, I'm very much the same person whether I am at the office with my family, at home, with my friends, it's too exhausting to be different. People, different personas. So I'm the same person in all, all of those areas.
And I also feel like when I'm at work, I'm very present at work. And whenever I'm at home, I'm very present at home. Mm-hmm. So that's been the biggest thing for me, to be honest with you. I was an older mom, whenever I had my kids kind of pushing 39 almost. Okay. And so, I have high school kids, a senior and a junior in high school.
And this is a great stage because I feel like I get to be a role model for them. And so they're very supportive of the travels. You know, den Supply, Cerone is a global. Company and, you know, very demanding job, which I love. I love the company. We can talk a little bit about how I got into HR in a second, but my family is really supportive and so my boys have only known me in this role of being an executive and traveling internationally.
And so it just works. And of course I have a very supportive husband, Sam, who helps. Keep the glue together and makes this all happen. But, I think the biggest thing for me is just to be consistent in who I am and showing up. You know, like in the moment
Anne: I can so attest to that because from the day I met you and meeting you at different venues and at dense place, Orona world.
Yes. When you were speaking center stage, I'm like, you are the same person. You just so welcoming. You've got a glow in your smile. It just radiates. Thank you from you and I love that you're in human resources because that's, a very important lane, especially in this day and age. know,
Andrea: for a professional to be successful in hr, there's always this expectation that you are a people person.
Mm-hmm. Which is true, I mean, you obviously have to feel passionate and like people and want to do right for people, but equally so you have to be smart business-minded, understand the financials because it's the combination of being able to be that bridge around what we need to do to be successful as a company financially.
And of course the, the biggest. Resource that any company has the biggest cost. Yeah. The biggest investment that the company has is always its people. So being able to bridge those two is critical. And so I feel like I am the luckiest person to be able to be in a role that allows me to leverage a business mind with my passion for helping people to grow and develop.
Anne: Yes. Yeah. I, you are living your strengths. Uh, thank you. I mean, when I think of your, the strengths here, achiever, arranger. Woo. Competition and responsibility those are you, you are living those and it's, it's amazing that you can lean into those every day in work and in life.
And I love that you can balance that out with, the kids and your husband and being present. That's the thing. It is just like being present, being present. Wherever you are and doing the best job you can do.
Andrea: That's right. Yeah. You know, it's funny, I'm, I'm actually glad that now in strengths finders, there's a, word that makes you feel a little bit better mm-hmm.
You know, for being responsible and driven. Yeah. All, all these kind of attributes that I've always. Been, but to be honest with you, that's a better category than my sister would always call me a bossy cow. Yeah. She's like, gosh, you're, you're a bossy cow. You tell everybody what to do and you get so much done, and you're just such a driver.
And so thank goodness, StrengthsFinders put better terminology than bossy cow on there. That
Anne: that is so true. And then you could actually use like, oh. I'll take that. Yes. that is me. And that's just living in the balcony of your strengths and not being in the basement of being so bossy that your sister's calling you above.
bossy. Little girls make great leaders. They do. They do. They really
Andrea: do. It's amazing. I know you had asked me how did I even get into hr? Yeah. Tell me. And so, it, it's probably a little bit of a, a different story because I think a lot of times people know exactly that they wanna go into human resources and, and that wasn't the case for me.
I actually, since I was a little girl always loved the sciences. Math, you know, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, all of those. And so I was actually a pre-med major and studied to take the MCATs and I was having this debate whether I wanted to go to medical school or business school. I grew up in a, kinda a rural area.
My parents owned a business, so I was always really involved with their business. Okay. So I always had that interest. So my dad gave me some great advice. He said like, if you don't know whether you wanna go. medical school. That's a big time investment. Why don't you go work at a hospital or a clinic or something and just experience that to see if that really is your life passion.
That is good advice. That was great advice. So I did, I went and worked at a hospital in Illinois. it was in cancer research and. I really got involved with a lot of different medical procedures and doing like a research clinical assistant Okay. Where we would find what cancer treatment protocols would match, whatever the diagnosis was.
And I really enjoyed that work, great amount of people. But during that there was a lot of turnover going on with the nursing staff. And so there was a task force that was set at the hospital and they asked me to be part. Of this task force. And so we did a lot of analytics on what was happening. Why was there turnover with the nursing group, what was going on and in the report out.
A lot of people were talking about, well, maybe it's compensation or maybe it's flexible schedules and maybe it's all these different things. And I was fairly quiet 'cause I was very junior. I mean, I, I was How, how old were you? I was not a physician. I was not a nurse. I was 21 years old. Okay. And, uh, maybe 22 years old. And so I really wasn't saying anything. And, And the head of the doctor's group looked at me and said, you know, you haven't said much. In this meeting, can you tell me why we have so much turnover? I said, well, honestly, the doctors treat the nurses like.
Fill in the blank, and they need to stop being such a-holes to the nurses, which I realized afterwards that probably wasn't the best way to say that. No. But later the truth. It was the truth. It was the truth, yeah. And I was not afraid to speak the truth to whoever was the biggest person in the room from a title standpoint.
And afterwards he came over. And thanked me for just being a straight shooter, like just telling us what it is. In the room was also the personnel. That's what they used to call HR personnel director. Right. And her name was Tara. And she pulled me aside and she said, have you ever thought about going into hr?
Because you're very analytical you're not as afraid to speak the truth, and you're not afraid to say what's really going on. Okay. And so that was what really opened my eyes. I didn't even know. That there was a, a function called human resources. would always think about it as payroll and recruiting.
Yeah. Not a strategic leader in thinking about, you know, what the company needs to be working on and how do we treat employees and what's the growth and development employees and all the other things that make up hr. So that really put me on a different. Trajectory. And so I ended up applying to graduate school, focusing on human resources.
Okay. I worked full-time at the hospital and did grad school full-time to put myself through school and ended up with a, a master's degree in, labor relations.
Anne: That is so cool. I don't think I knew that whole story and that I love that takes one person to say something, to see something in you that actually spurs on the rest of your career.
Yes. so I mean, that just brings up something I wanted to talk to you about is the mentorship. And you've had mentors. She was number one. Right in, in that sense. And then along your career, tell me about the mentorships you, because I know you're a great mentor yourself.
Thank you. I try to be. you've been led by great mentors along your path. Gosh, yes. I feel so grateful. You know, every day I think
Andrea: we always sit back and we should say the things that we're grateful for. I'm very grateful for a couple of the. Critical mentors that I've had in my life in addition to the one woman that I, told you about.
Another one was whenever I was at Hubble Incorporated, which was a heavy industrial manufacturing company. Again, global manufacturing all over the world. And I was the number two HR person. Okay. And so my leader there, his name is Steve Mays he was just a tremendous boss. Yet this amazing mentor continues to this day be a life mentor to me as I've moved on from number two HR role to then, you know, my own CHRO executive officer position.
But Steve was always the individual who would tell it to me straight give me encouragement, but also let me take the lead, you know? So oftentimes I'd be working on presentations and helping him prepare. And what I loved about him is we get ready for the meeting and. Say with the CEO or the CFO, and he'd say, no, no, no.
This is your material. You put this together. Oh my gosh, you take point on that. What a terrific example. And there aren't a lot of leaders who will do that. Oh yeah. And he did that early on for me. And so even whenever I was contemplating the. The opportunity to leave that company to go be my first CHRO role at a, different publicly traded company.
I just openly had this conversation with him because I felt like I was cheating. I felt like, yeah, you know, I don't wanna leave this. comfort of being in this number two spot. Mm-hmm. I loved working for him. I loved the Mentoringship, but as a good mentor, he said, you're ready to fly. and so you need to go do what you need to do, and I'm always gonna be a fan.
So to this day, thank goodness he's still my mentor, and I so appreciate that. It's just such a great example.
Anne: Great. I mean, even what you said about. HR and why team leaders leave in the medical industry. We're still seeing that in dental. Yes. In the dental industry. Ironic that you're in the dental industry and you were pre-med to begin with, or thinking about pre-med.
That's kind of funny. So I'm sure that's hit you at some point. It's yes. But I mean, if you think about, this is a message that should go on to all of us that are listening in the dental arena. You know, so often some, one of their, you know, employees or team members wants to leave for a better opportunity.
And I can think of a couple that even have come to Dense place Orona. Yes. And that the leader in that, particular office or practice is not. Happy about that. It's more personal for them and to, to be able to have that generosity of spirit which resonates with you to this day. And then you're just passing it on.
And that's what a good mentor is, is like he's mentored you, you mentor others, and it's a style that you look for.
Andrea: I was just having this conversation with, one of my star performers on my team who is being considered for, another role outside of. My function, and I genuinely mean this.
You know, it's a matter of regardless, I'm gonna be a huge supporter and I only want the best for you and it's best for the company. It's best for this individual to think about these options. And so I feel like good leaders, first and foremost, put their people in front of their own personal needs.
Mm-hmm. The need to get work done. And so I really do genuinely believe that, employees should feel confident enough if they're interested in taking on a different assignment, that they can talk to their leaders. And if their leader doesn't support them, they kind of have their answer around, should I stay with that leader or not?
Yes. ' cause the, the best leader is gonna support them and to use
Anne: Steve words, help them fly, and then along the way, build them up to get ready to fly. Yes. I let me ask you this question.
You are the Chief Human Resource Officer at DUNS Blight with 16,000 employees. I heard recently that you had to change your CEO and I remember. The previous CO he was. great. I saw him at Dense Spice Roll and he was a super guy. Yes. But what was that like with the change and then what advice do you have and inside Wisdom can you share with us?
Because this is happening all over dentistry. Sure. Every and beyond.
Andrea: Yeah. I was gonna say, in almost every industry, yes. You know, change is always happening. Mm-hmm. so I'll answer the first part. when I learned that there was gonna be a CEO change I understood, that those are serious decisions that the board will never take lightly.
And you're right we had a very wonderful. Person in that CEO role, and I always use this phrase, the right leader at the right company. Yes. At the right time. Yeah. And at the time, he was the right leader and he did so much to stabilize the company. Mm-hmm. And do some foundational things that needed to be done.
Yeah. And for that, I think everybody, including the new CEO. We're all grateful for that. But whenever I learned about this transition, of course we're all human. You know, what's the first thing that we always think about? Huh? What's this mean for me? Yeah. Right. I mean, like, we're, we're all, we're all human.
And so it, it's very easy for us to immediately think about, okay, I just built up this credibility. With the prior boss and now I need to start over again. Yeah. But I have to say two things helped. One, it helped that the way those two gentlemen passed the baton Okay. Was really the best I've ever seen.
It was really well orchestrated and. Two, I felt confident in my own skills. Maybe it's 'cause I'm long in the tooth or have some gray hairs. I felt confident enough in what my skillset could bring, whether it was this leader or that leader. Mm-hmm. So that helped me get through the immediate like. Okay.
How's this gonna impact me? I quickly pivoted though, to how can I best ensure that the new CEO makes the best transition that he possibly can into the organization. Mm-hmm. And so how can I help him and figure out all the conversations that we need to have and also know that all eyes are always looking at.
This role and other executive officer roles to see how we're gonna react. Mm-hmm. And so my responsibility is really at that critical point to show I'm all in, which was true, but also to verbally say that to people So. People aren't freaking out about it. it's okay. Change is going to happen. Yeah.
How we respond to that change that's within our control, and so I just wanted to be a calming agent to help the organization see that this is gonna be just fine. And again, it'll be the right leader. At the right company at the right time for this new person as well.
Anne: the whole company's almost leaning on you to be able to make that transition within their own, personal thoughts and what is in it for them and where are they going to land?
Well, thank
Andrea: you. There are a lot, I mean, to be honest with you, I mean we, we have a very strong executive team. Mm-hmm. And so it, I like to be very much part of that, but we also have. Other really exceptional leaders here, and we all feel the exact same way. So I don't think I'm necessarily unique that way.
Anne: The other thing I love about Sly Serona right now then I knew Simon, he seemed like a, just an amazing gentleman and the fact that he passed the baton so beautifully and with elegance in class it says a lot about sly serona. Mm-hmm. Because they're looking for their leaders to walk that culture.
And so that gives me great. Pleasure in hearing that the new CEO coming in has similar traits. Very much so. And that's beautiful for the company because being a charlatan right now, I mean, I've been here for 30 years. Yes. I just love the fact that Den Spice Serona is here and that it's, alive and well and dense Why Serona World this year was a, beautiful event.
Andrea: Yes, yes. It
Anne: was
Andrea: very successful. And Dan, the new leader, was phenomenal as well. So he is all about getting out with the customers, understanding customer needs, ensuring that the company is all rallied around what we need to do to best serve, the dentists so they can best serve their patients.
So I feel like we are at a really nice. Pivotal tipping point, I guess, if you will, to really see a long success. At this company.
Anne: Well, especially with the AI and everything, the technology and dentistry and everybody's buying in. Yes. And everybody's excited and is changing everything. And you know, you've always been at the forefront of that.
It's, very exciting. It is exciting. Yeah. So thank you. And I love that. And then the women's program there you had is the largest attendees Yes. Uh, event so far since you've started that, which is, is really cool. I love that you've put that together and that it's, it's, it's thriving.
Yes. Well, I think we've.
Andrea: been building, you know, so even prior to me coming to ds, I think five years ago mm-hmm. Prior to me getting here this concept was formed and seven people, there were seven women who got together to have a dinner, probably at a table, maybe slightly bigger. Bigger than this.
Little bigger, yeah. Just to talk about. Other female leaders in the dental industry and what, if anything, could den supply, Sarona do to help that group achieve their own personal goals. And at the time it was a very strong need that, so many women were obviously successful dentists, but they were wanting to be practice owners.
Mm-hmm. And they were also wanting main, main stage ability to present. You know, In front of audiences and build up their own social media presence mm-hmm. And their own following and to teach and to be KOLs and Denly Sarona was the perfect partner to do that. So that formed, you know, maybe five years ago.
So then I entered two and a half years ago, and one thing I, loved to do is connect people, as you know. Okay. Yeah. I love to connect people also. Get a team that can help us take this bigger and better. And so folks like Liz and Katie on our team who really made that night come together. Melanie Jenkins is another one on our team.
They did a lot of planning. I had the easy part, honestly, I had to just show up, host the event. But Dan, our new CEO and Bruce who leads our Americas team, they also wanted to be there to show their strong allyship and support. So they came in. Just for a small portion of the meeting and then they wonderful gracefully exited, but this year we had 70 attend and the room was beautiful.
The conversation was amazing. so we are thrilled around. How grateful we are to be together and this opportunity to allow women to be presenters at DS world. So they're fulfilling Yes. Their personal goals too.
Anne: Yeah. It's like next women up. I mean, I love that you're on the stage. I, I think that's so, it's funny 'cause when we started due, you know, it is just for women and a lot of the guys they all wanna be and do.
And I'm like, oh, it's just so everybody wants to be part of you. I know. I know, but we have dudes. We say the dudes, and I think the de dudes, the men are the, dudes, DEW capital, WD men that support women in dentistry. And we don't want them actually not supporting us or not in the room.
We want them in the room. We just wanna sit with them in the room and have those opportunities. So I, love that they. Popped in to show their support and rallying around the women. And then when the, dudes leave the room and there's all the dues, the women then the answer is in the ladies room.
And that, that our I love you saying there. Yeah. That's our, another, principal number four. The answer in the ladies room. And you know, it's a buzz. It's something about we can understand each other better because don't know, there's something about, even though you've got a great support system at home, moms have a lot on their plate.
It's just that, that. Internal intuitive nature that we have, that we do wanna take care of everybody and. I love the fact that you've set the example of asking for help and you'll get your help, that gives you the balance that you need, Andrew, for you to travel around the world, to have the kids love, what their mother's doing.
get ready, they're gonna be marrying strong women. I hope so. And uh, you can call me because that's, I got two boys and they did marry women that are. Extremely strong Carla's over there, powerhouses I don't take too much credit, but it makes me very proud.
Mm-hmm. That they're not afraid of that. It's a beautiful connection in marriage. most of us are not in hr, so we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Ah yes, yes, yes. Okay. What are some inside tips or words of wisdom that you can share?
Andrea: That's
Anne: a great question.
Andrea: So, And I realize this, I guess, I always took it for granted that folks knew, like, how do things really happen when you're interviewing or if you're being considered for a role, right? Or how you should show up or if you're in a meeting, should you say something or not Say something. That just seems so common nature to me.
Mm-hmm. And I thought that everybody just knew that kind of stuff. But It dawned on me actually when my sister, who is six years older than me, and she has four now grown adults, and they're moving from their college into their real world. Mm-hmm. lives. And so before I was just always, you know, Andrea.
Yeah. They didn't have any clue like what I did, but it has been very fun watching them now. Maneuver the corporate world. Mm-hmm. And so, believe it or not, they're asking me a lot more questions. Oh. And so they're asking, it's called respect. Well, maybe, or they're trying to figure this out now on their own.
Yes, that's true. And, they're trying to figure out how to show up at their own work. And so, believe it or not, my opinion really matters to them. Yes. Now, yes. And so it dawned on me that sometimes people don't necessarily know larger companies will have succession planning. And talent reviews.
And so what happens behind those closed doors? It's not that big of a secret, but employees should know that these conversations happen and they should be happening quarterly or mm-hmm. At a minimum, once a year, we do this, next Thursday, the entire executive team will be sitting down and talking, okay, about the talent within our organization.
And so we will look at it from a macro standpoint, meaning overall, do we have the right skills that we need? For the future at Dun Supply Serona. But then we also look at a very individual basis. Let's talk about this person. What are their towering strengths? What do they need to work on? So it's important for employees to know that those conversations are happening.
Mm-hmm. So my advice is. Know how you're gonna be spoken about in those meetings. 'cause it should not be a surprise to you. You should know, does my boss put me up for bigger promotional? Mm-hmm. Opportunities or what's holding me back that I don't know do I have blind spots? And so it's, good for people who are part of bigger corporations to know that, that's what happens.
I would also say. Even more broadly, small entrepreneurial, mm-hmm. Companies to mid-size to large. It's good for everybody to think about how are people experiencing me?
Anne: Mm-hmm. How are people really experiencing me? Am I, how am I showing up to my peers, to my boss if I have direct reports?
Andrea: Like, how am I being experienced? Because all have those soundbite moments and you have to be prepared. And so I think the inside track on HR is, oh, wow. This is a lot of self-awareness that people need to know, because these are the things that, from an HR function, we think about as we are recruiting, as we're picking the people to be in training programs, how we're picking folks to be successors for other roles, how we're gonna compensate people.
Of course, we have very rich conversations with the managers of those individuals. Mm-hmm. But it's really important for employees to feel like They own that. Like they have to be prepared. They have to know what are their blind spots. And the other thing I, think is true is. I tell folks this a lot, particularly 'cause we're in the corporate office here.
Mm-hmm. What is gonna be your one minute elevator speech? Mm-hmm. So if your boss says, Hey, what are you working on, Ann, what are you gonna say? You know, you're like, oh, you know, am I gonna come across like I'm really busy, but I can't articulate.
What am I actually moving forward? Those things matter. So give it some thought. Think about that. Because when you do get those small moments
Anne: take advantage of them. it's almost like an epiphany for me because of my career path in dentistry, I mean, and dental hygiene and then, you know, kind of like on my own running my small companies.
I never really think about those things. And it's so cool that you are mentoring your nieces and nephews now to just be aware of that. And also you're creating humble leaders. Mm-hmm. Because we don't know everything. And just those little tweaks that, those little shift of 1% of knowing your elevator speech.
And I hope that if you're listening also dentist. Here that are the leaders in their, small businesses in some larger business, the DSOs, that they are actually taking this to heart as well because their teams are so important. Yes. And not knowing where you're going, if there's anywhere to go or, what growth that you have in those.
20, 30 years, you're gonna be working in that practice. That's right. There's so much richness there that you as the leader, they can make such a difference in someone's life versus just have them walking through the motions. That's right. You don't wanna
Andrea: be walking through the motions. I've talked to so many dentists leaders of practices over the last two years, I was at Patterson Dental before. Yes. Coming to Den Supply Sirona. So I've had the opportunity to interact with a lot of dentists and I just hear over and over and over again their search for talent and their ability to keep hygienists, to keep office staff and to find good talent. And so it's really flipping the tables because I think it's very easy for the boss or the leader, you know, of that group to think about it being.
Their problem. Like, I can't find people. Yeah. Because they don't want to work those schedules or Yeah. It's always don't want, they don't want to do that, or they are not willing to work on Fridays or they, they, they, they, and I think you just have to flip that script to say, as a leader, what am I doing? So they want to work with me.
Yes. And they want to stay with me and my practice. And so it really does start with how does that leader showing up for his or her team.
Anne: Yeah. it's simple, but you have to recognize that and you have to seek out education for it or. Mentor, you have to listen to these podcasts. I'm so excited for dentistry because I think that there's a rude awakening on team building and leadership and how important it is.
Mm-hmm. Where it used to just be the clinical aspect, but we want dentistry as a profession to keep all these amazing people in dentistry.
Andrea: That is right. And I'm, not saying this for a plug for, Ds, but maybe slightly, but as we've moved through. To digital dentistry. Mm-hmm. I mean, really that is the future.
That is the future. So the connectivity of our products and the ability for a dentist to have all of that connection her staff can be doing so many of these. Aspects, yes. To get files ready to get ready for a procedure. And so that is just a win-win for the practice, for the folks within that practice, the success of that practice.
And so I think the, the future is gonna be really exciting for, dentists and
Anne: practice owners. Yes. believe so too, because somebody said To me the other day that there are teeth being born every day. So we have a lot of teeth in our future. We do have a lot of teeth in our future.
Well, do you see a change in the workforce and in the generations? 'cause the generations, you know, everyone's talking about the Gen Z and the Gen X and all that. You must see all of that because of the, resumes that come in and the people that start here. it is
Andrea: incredible. I mean, because Now, I mean we really do have four soon to be going on five generations of of cohorts. All working together. if I go back to maybe 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of the buzz and the hype was, these millennials coming in and, you know, changing the workforce. I have a couple thoughts on this, but I actually think that there's been this nice shift also to say, how can this younger generation help the older generation?
Yes. Get more tact. Tech savvy and sharpen their skills. So I even find it for myself. Yeah. You know, I used to think that I was an Excel, you know, goddess, not compared
Anne: to the group coming in now. I mean, or even your junior and high school son. Yes. Or even just posting on social media.
Andrea: I usually have to get Katie or somebody on my team to just make sure that I don't flub something up.
Yeah. You know? So I actually feel like it's very balanced now. Mm-hmm. Because. Again, if you're open to it, all generations can learn from one another. I also think that there are a lot of things that really haven't changed that much because even when I was growing up, you know, many, many years ago, let's call it decades ago, yeah, okay.
What, what did I want as a young whipper snapper, I wanted coaching. I wanted. Feedback. I wanted some mentorship. I wanted a little bit of investment and training. Guess what this latest generation wants? They want coaching, they want training, they want development. They want mentoringship and the opportunity to leverage their skills.
Yes, so I, I think that there are some consistencies across the generation that just spans those generations around. People are still people and whether you're in the dental industry or manufacturing or med tech. People are so people and they still want some of those core fundamental things. Just to
Anne: grow.
Yeah. It's not about the paycheck as much as it is about some of those softer skills, I guess. Skills or, or opportunities. That's right. You know, and that's so beautiful. And that's, what you stand for, which is really lovely. It is. Yes. I love it. And that's why I think. with dental entrepreneur women, you've been such a, champion of us growing our community within the dental industry with Dew, we, try to say like with the mothership of all female, dental professionals in the, industry, and we try to just help lead them.
also just we're getting to a higher spot, but we need to help everyone get higher all the time. We always wanna use all of our potential, all of our strengths, to do the right thing, the best thing that's right. And then we'll look back on this amazing career like, oh my gosh, that was a blast.
Andrea: Isn't that fun? And I, really do appreciate everything that you and your entire organization do for women because you provide a platform. Where people can either digest a little bit or consume a lot, but it's all in the spirit of connecting people, helping individuals find their own path.
So, you know, I know you get all kinds of good accolades, but it really is amazing what you're doing. And I do think that's gonna help generations to come. So,
Anne: yes, thank you. I hope so. And I wanted to point, you know, even that, the idea of. Do it, it struck me I learned so much from the young women that join, Duke as a mentor and a mentee.
I mean, it just, goes back and forth all the time. I'm being mentored all the time by these young gals that come and gentlemen, you know, we, we just, talked about Travis being on a cover of de Tour, and he's just a, well, he's not that young. he says, I'm his dental mom. I said, I really wanna, and if you're listening Travis, I think I should be your older sister, but.
I digress. And it's lovely to, I, we've got Dr. Grisha, who runs mommy Dentist, and she's just amazing, amazing people.
Andrea: you are connected to some amazing people. Oh. So I'm honored to have the chance to sit here with you today.
Anne: Well, I'm so honored that you're here also with me.
It's, a joy to be with you and. you're going to be, hosting our, fashion show this year at the do retreat as usual, which I love coming to Den Spice Cerone. I love bringing women in from all over. then we've got some women coming from France and England this year. But just also just to see den spice, cerone and the amazing things that you have achieved in this company and the future Yes.
of what you're. You're putting out there. Well, we're happy to host
Andrea: you. I will not be in the fashion show, but I am happy to support the fashion show. But it is great. We have a beautiful building here, an academy where we do a lot of clinical education, bring our dentists in and to showcase our products.
And so what better beautiful place that to have a lot of women in. Beautiful. Sometimes scrubs and other dental attire That's right. For the, fashion show. But it is, a perfect connection between dent supply, Serona, what we're trying to do in the industry, what we're trying to do with your group and the women's leaders.
So it's a win-win.
Anne: Yeah. And it's just lovely to support each other. Yeah. I, I'm just. Thrilled. I, I'm thrilled about where dentistry's going. Knowing you, even just having the HR capability, you've really lead the, group of HR professionals, I think Andrea, and just your openness, your authenticity, I mean your, everything that.
Thank you. You know, I, if I could start my career over, I might. Started Dead Spice, but we would hire you. Yeah, I, well we still would. Oh, you never know. But listening is a great company to work for. It is. And uh, you've inspired me all the time. Thank you. So thank you for that.
Likewise. And, uh, if you are interested in hearing from Andrea, 'cause she's gonna wrap up our retreat this year, which I'm so excited, to tie a little bow audit and send everyone off. and we actually have secured 26 and 27.
So we are on our way Valentine Resort. So just walk across the parking lot, which is so lovely. This is gonna be really fun and a great year for both of us, so cheers to you. Thank you, Anne. Thank you for being my guest today.
Andrea: My pleasure.
Anne: And anyone that's listening, as you know, I love to end our podcast with everyone.
Keep doing you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Andrea. Thanks.
