Sara: And that's what lights me up. I love taking something really complex and breaking it down to simple systems for anyone.
to be able to do it. And like working with teams, working with visionaries, entrepreneurs, and what's hard for them. If you can break it down into just simple systems and work the system, that's what makes things work.
Hello everyone. It's Anne Duffy and welcome to the Just DeW It podcast. I am so happy that you're with me today. I am also very happy that I have a very dear friend because we live close to each other and because she's helped us with the retreat and actually took over for the retreat, and now as the director of the DeW retreat, we have gotten to know each other really well.
Anne: We are. Truly DeW Sisters. And so before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about Sara Ritchie. She is an operations strategist and fractional leader who helps executives turn chaos into clarity. I can attest to that by the way.
As founder of the Operator's Edge, she blends data.
Intuition and AI to create calm structure and growth. She's also a new grandmother to EJ and recently launched the Operator's Edge podcast. Please help me welcome my dear friend, Sara Ritchie. Hello, Sara.
Sara: Hi, and thank you. That was a wonderful introduction.
Anne: Well, I love reading about you and you know I love the name of your company because I, you know, you started this company.
About a year ago. Yep. Right. The operator's edge. fun fact, everybody, when we were at the DeW retreat. Not last year, but the year before Sara came up to me, she goes, she looked at me and it was, I was still kind of a one woman show. And she goes, I'll help you. And the next day she showed up and really showed up early and just started taking over things that we needed to have done that I don't even know needed to be done.
And so when I heard the operator's edge, I'm like, that is such a fitting name for what you do. In your new business? Yeah. And what you've done in your past experience in dentistry.
Sara: Yeah. Operations a lot of people look at that like as a dirty word ugh, I don't want operations. And it's actually like, what drives your business?
And it was what drives your team. And it's one of my favorite words. I love operations, I love organization, I love clarity. And so to. Women build that into their business. That's actually really, really fun for me. It's fun. And that morning at the DeW retreat that morning even when I came in, it was so funny.
You were looking at me like, oh, you're here. And I was like, yes. What would you like me to do? And you're like I don't know. And by the end of it, that was the morning that the projector like started smoking. Yes. that. Poor country club guy, like I was chasing him to get cheers and, and mirrors and like all the things, and it ended up being so much fun to be able to help you and then led into like helping and leading the retreat the next year.
Anne: I don't know what I don't know about events and, you know, everything. And so then last year we blew it out of the park. I mean, it was just an incredible experience from a, an event standpoint, but. Basically the experience,experience that you, we created with your lead and your and Debra Carrier's lead and Karla, Moreno's lead.
Just, it was so yummy, so wonderful. And then our 10th anniversary's coming up this year. I know. I'm November. So excited. I know. I'm really excited. You guys are coming in. Deb's coming in next week and we're gonna do a retreat, walkthrough at the Valentine Resort. So if you're listening to this and you don't have your ticket, make sure you get your ticket because we know we'll sell out.
250 women,
Sara: we're definitely gonna sell out this year. Yeah, yeah. And I think because of how well it went and how well the experience was last year, we're gonna have a lot of dues returning and bringing their. Women friends, so that we'll have a full house again.
Anne: Full house again every year. Ladies, we can't believe it.
It's just so cool. But that's because we opened the door pent up demand, and there's so many amazing women in dentistry.
Sara: It's also because of your vision, and that's what like launched off the retreat last year was just basing everything. Your vision and what you saw for the retreat and for the women and the experience.
And that's like what drove me myself was what does Anne want? And then we're just gonna make sure she has it.
Anne: You know? That's so interesting because no one has really ever asked me that, and I'm actually, I'm,I'm having goosebumps thinking about it. Sara, when you came on board, and I remember one of the very first calls you say, what?
Do you see? What is your vision? And you then you brought that back to me almost every call we had.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: And I guess that's what you do in your role as operator, as the operator's edge. Now, before we get started on that whole thing.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: I love looking at your strengths. So disciplines number one.
Individualization, achiever, analytical, and focus. You are living your strengths in what you do. Yeah,
Sara: I just get stuff done. My favorite strength is the individualization, because I have so many strengths that are just like operation organization, like just get stuff done. And my favorite with individualization is, is that I see the difference in each.
Person and like what they're looking for, which is why working with visionaries, entrepreneurs like you. That's why I ask like, what is your vision? What do you want? Because what you want is gonna be totally different than what I want or what somebody else wants. And if, as a visionary, if you don't get your vision out and if you don't see it, and if your team doesn't see it, then it's not gonna happen.
So if it's living in your head, you don't tell people we don't know like how to execute on that for you.
Anne: Well, you also brought it out in me.
Sara: Yeah. '
Anne: cause again, you know, this is kind of new. I mean, even I always say this in other podcasts that I didn't know I could have a vision until I was in a company that was a leadership company and they had a vision workshop never occurred to me to dream what, I wanted, just me,
Sara: whatever your heart desires.
I remember telling you that too, and asking, and you were like. Oh, and I was like, Ann, this is yours. This is all yours. Like, what do you want? And then when you got nervous about the retreat and what was happening and different decisions and all, that's what I brought to you. And I would tell you, close your eyes and imagine the women in the room and imagine the feeling, imagine the excitement, and then you would be like, oh, okay, good, good.
Okay. we are moving in the right direction. Just bringing it back to you made a big difference too.
Anne: Yeah. I just, oh, I'm having goosebumps again, because I remember that.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: And so ironic. So, and let me just say individualization, I've got my little cheat sheet here with, the balcony of it, it sees the uniqueness in all individuals willing to customize, willing as, as a key word there.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: And great at predicting needs. So I love that you set yourself up. In your business, Sara, that you actually like reporting to somebody. Like helping someone.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: And that you see this individualization, which I told you before, is my dead last, so I
Sara: know. That's so funny.
Anne: Doesn't it make sense though?
Because when I started do, it's for everybody. I'm gonna, for everybody what? Everybody, and I,see you all as fabulous, but you actually can go down that lane with somebody and have them. Find their vision and you pushed me. You pushed me until I actually could zero in on exactly what I wanted.
Sara: Yeah. And
Anne: then you love.
gifting it to me. You loved gifting it to me and the vision was, more than I ever could have imagined. with your help and your guidance,
Sara: I love that. I know know, and it's funny, your woo is your number one, and that's like my number 32. Like, it's like the bottom of the bottom, like a whole group of people.
I'm like, I mean, if I can just find that one person that I can like talk to and I can like. Get what they want. That's my strength. But adaptability, that's my lowest, that's my absolute bottom is adaptability.
Anne: I couldn't believe that though when I said, 'cause we were as a visionary, if you'll we're changing things like left or right all the time, but you, but again, like, think about your achiever, your goal for the retreat was to achieve my vision.
Sara: Yes,
Anne: absolutely. And you're not gonna stop. And you know, and the discipline is kind of an unusual strength. Not everybody has it. So to be number one. Let's read that one. This is kind of fun. Now I'm like, getting excited about your, let's go. strengths, uh, with the Gallup 2.0, but discipline, highly productive, accurate, because of the ability to structure breaks down complex.
Into steps. Great planner promotes efficiency. Again, doesn't that just make you say that's what you do in this work? I
Sara: love you're doing. I love that. Yeah. And that's what lights me up. I love taking something really complex and breaking it down to simple systems for anyone.
to be able to do it. And like working with teams, working with visionaries, entrepreneurs, and what's hard for them. If you can break it down into just simple systems and work the system, that's what makes things work. And that's like how my brain works. I'll something and be like, oh, that's hard for you, but like, how can we make it easier?
How can we make it work?
Anne: Oh my God, that's so cool because activator's second for me, my second strength with the highest, and so activator, I don't even think about how to get from point A to point Z. All I know is I'm going
Sara: point, you're gonna get there no matter how you're gonna get there. And I'm thinking about, okay, so we're gonna get there, we're gonna get to Z, but how we get to be first and then to C, and then to D, and like how do we like take the steps to actually get there?
Anne: I know it's. So cool. The analytical also is, strategic. So you've got strategic and relationship building. You think things through smart, logical, deep, thorough, comfortable with data and figures and charts. Hello? you were the first person run that charts to the DeW retreat committee. The
Sara: The run of show was in a chart.
It was in a spreadsheet first. Yeah. And you were like, what is this for
Anne: Sara? Oh God. I know, I
Sara: know. And I was like, well, this is how our day's gonna go. And you were like. Oh, do we follow that? And I was like, yes, we're gonna follow this. This is all the minutes and this is what I'm gonna give to the AV team.
And this is what Christie gets is the mc and this is how we're gonna run the day. It was so much fun and I love building those. That's fun for me to sit down and like think it through. Tell me. Yeah. And then I gave it to you when you were like, did you do this yourself? And I was like, yes, I sure did.
To
Anne: every minute. And then every call if we had any kind of a, you know, like a shift you would. Update the spreadsheet. You were like, and you were so excited about it. Five minutes and then you were so sweet individualization, you could see that I didn't know where I was going. I mean, like, I just get talking to people as a woo.
Time flies. And you would come up so gently and you go, okay, Anne, we're going to go down here now and you're going to stand, you're handler here. You were my handler, but you were so gentle and I never had anybody help me do stuff. or even be aware. Like again I'm like the Energizer bunny. Yes.
Running all over the place. But it was just so calming for me and I just can't believe it. Now, reading your strengths again, 'cause I knew that. And then the other one I love, of course achiever goes without, you know, we all know what achiever is. You get, stuff done. Yep. And nothing goes unchecked, but focus.
We were on a call with Sara Connell. She spoke at one of our retreats, focus. It was the new word last year, like if you had focus better than time as valuable point person, disciplined. Purposeful laser-like precision identifies important areas quickly. Goal attainers stays on track.
That's the handler
Sara: keeping you on track
Anne: as shoes, distractions. Oh my God, you are totally living your strengths. And when you find these out, it's like what brings you joy? What do you do well with, you don't really have to like work really hard at it. It's not a weakness, it's your strength and
Sara: yeah,
Anne: so the operator's edge, if you're listening, is my
Sara: strength.
Anne: Is your strength. Yeah. Yeah. doesn't it give you the confidence? Like, okay, so you're young and you've got a whole career in front of you. your business is gonna grow like crazy.It's gonna grow like crazy. Yeah. I'm so
Sara: exciting.
Anne: Yeah. And you're doing so well. I know so many people that you're working with, but you've built this career helping dental leaders and entrepreneurs find freedom, including me, through better systems and culture.
What sparked your passion for operations and leadership, and how has that evolved in your mission today?
Sara: Ooh, I love that. So what sparked it was back in like 2007, I was an office manager for my first dental practice, and as we know in dental practices, there's chaos and it was just constant chaos.
Between the scheduling and the hygienist and the assistants in the front office, and the doctors were always frustrated and figuring out how they could work together and figuring out how to put systems in the practice. And then one day the doctor came up to me the end of the day and he was like, today worked.
He was like, it worked. He was like, all the systems you've put in starting from the morning huddle to how we walk patients back to our handoffs. To the checkout to get him out the door. Everybody was happy today, Sara. He was like, and I felt that, and for me it was like a light inside my heart and all the bells and whistles going off where I was like, and systems take you from chaos to clarity and provided the dentist and the hygienist and the assistance, all of us freedom.
To work, how we should be working and where the patients can come in, in and out, and everything made sense to everybody. And that just kind of started systems for me, an organization. And usually people think it's a team problem or a people problem, and it's usually not your people. It's the systems or the lack of systems and organization, and that's what drives not just dental businesses, but just businesses in general.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And moves them forward and provides your entrepreneurs, your visionaries, freedom to do, the things that they love in the business. Nobody. But me and operators in general wanna do like the operations, wanna be in the weeds and get all those things done. The visionaries wanna be at the top and you know, I always consider a visionary and you too, like a balloon in the air that we pull down and look at and say, okay, what do you want?
And then let you go fly again. And we do the things at the bottom to get you where you wanna go.
Anne: Oh,
Sara: that's, that's so fun for me.
Anne: So fun. And it just not my strength. Those are my weaknesses. But how lovely it is though. cause I like accomplishing, I'm, an achiever as well, and so that at the end of the day, everybody feels good.
Yeah. And that will help you, keep yourself from burnout, because that's something that. Having the system in place and knowing that you're using your time in the best way possible to get the outcome you want. So what advice would you give to someone who's ready to grow their business and they also feel stuck between burnout and breakthrough?
What advice would you give? Because you can see it. You can see it, yeah. And they're in the muck of it, right?
Sara: Yeah, they're in the middle of it. I would tell someone to get clear on what actually moves the needle in their business. So most burnout comes from doing. All the things and doing too much. Mm. So if you can identify like the top five things in your business that are going to move the needle, that they're gonna help make money and help drive the business forward, and then create systems for those five things so that it's getting done daily. And the systems make it so that you don't have to think about it as much.
If you just know what you need to do and you go in and you tackle it, then you can get yourself outta the weeds. And then the other thing is, is. Don't do this alone. We don't need to be in our business alone. There's so many communities out there like do and where we can help each other and where everybody has a struggle in their business and it's what we don't wanna talk about.
We don't wanna walk around and say, oh, this part was really hard for me. But if we do start talking about it in a community, we can help each other and we can help each other grow and, you know, help feel less alone in what we're doing.
Anne: You know, I think about that because I think so often we don't think we need help, especially women, because we'll, we'll
Sara: take it all, all right.
We can do it all. Yeah, we can do it all by ourselves. We can lift everything. Like I always imagine, like, and I do this when I come, bring in groceries, like we gotta bring them all in at the same time. And you know, your apples are falling out and the cans are falling out. But boy, we're gonna get 'em up the stairs and we're gonna get the, for me, I have to go up the stairs to my kitchen and I'm gonna get 'em on the counter and nobody's gonna help me.
And we do the same thing with our business.
Anne: Yeah. And we do it over and over like a hamster wheel. Yeah.what did someone say to me one time? Go slow to go fast.
Sara: Yeah. You have to slow down. So like you have to pull back, put on the brakes, take a wide look at what are, three to five things.
That are gonna, if you put systems in it and they're gonna make it easier for you, we don't have to do everything. We can hire a virtual assistant, we can delegate to the team members. We do have, there's so many people I work with that they don't get their team members to do anything. I was on a call last week and it was a really young entrepreneur was asking, I don't know how to delegate because what if my team member doesn't do it like I do.
It's okay. They don't have to. But do you wanna have team members that are sitting back and not doing anything and they're bored and we're not using their strengths, we're not showing them things, what to do? And if we don't, ask for help from our team members. Then they're gonna be bored and they're sitting back like, well let her do all the work and I'm just gonna sit here and twiddle my thumbs.
And that's not how we should be running a team either. We should be delegating and elevating and giving them the things to do. And if they can do it, 65% I. Done's better than perfect, and for me as a high achiever, that's really hard. But if it can get done, I have a virtual assistant and Maria does stuff for me every single day, and her done is my perfect because it's done and I don't have to think about it anymore.
Anne: Wow. You know, that's also where we need your brain, because especially as entrepreneurs and women, I'm not good at that. I used to say to the kids, go clean the garage, but I would not show them how to do it or teach them how to do it. Tom was better at that. Yeah. I'm really not a teacher and.
That's what you do. That's what you come in. So, I mean, okay. If you're listening and then like if you're a CEO running your business. what I love about what you do is it's basically you're a DSO management company for the little people.
Sara: The little people. Yeah.
Anne: Don't go to the big one because there's so many people like me.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: Or, people that are running their office, or maybe two offices that need somebody like you that will teach. The team members hold them accountable. I don't take the time to tell people what to do. I might say, I know I need this done, but I don't give them the tools that they need and so they don't feel like they're achieving anything.
And that's leads to total burnout and Yeah, lackadaisical, life 'cause you don't feel like you're really achieving. I love that you are that, caveat, that spark. the person that's going to help things run. I mean, I just, this is so fun. So you work closely with founders and COOs to turn chaos into clarity. What do you think most leaders get wrong about building healthy, high performing teams?
Sara: Exactly what you were just talking about. Mm-hmm. We assume that our team knows what done looks like. We assume that when we tell a team member to go sweep the floor and empty the trash cans and do your evening duties, we assume that they know exactly what we mean and they don't.
So if we don't. Teach our team members to ask the question like, what does done look like? Or, better communication skills for us as leaders. Our team doesn't know, like you said, like asking my kids to go clean out the garage. Clean out The garage to me is totally different than clean out the garage to you, which is totally gonna be different.
To clean out the garage to somebody else, same thing, you know, go fill the schedule. What does that mean? So for me, it may be. Fill the whole entire schedule for you. It may be, let me just get two more people on for three weeks from now on a Wednesday, and for somebody else it may be, well, I'll just book next Friday.
And so if we're not telling people what done looks like, what does the end look like, what does the end look like to me, then our team members don't do. What we're asking them to, 'cause they're gonna go do what it looks like to them. And then that's kind of where the chaos comes into play. So if we're not providing clarity for not telling them what the end looks like, then everything just looks different to everybody else.
We all have our own vision. We all have our own, you know, goggles of what we've been through, what we think things mean, and that clarity is what our team members need and our kids and our husbands and our partners, and our team members, our virtual. Assistance, like all of that. Like we need to take it the next step, like go fill the schedule and this is what the schedule looks like for me when it's done.
I need Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday hygiene full. That's, you know, more clarity than go fill the schedule. And it took an extra 10 seconds to say that. And a lot of it, like a lot of times we don't follow through on the end, we just say, go do this.
Anne: Yeah.
Sara: And then we expect our team members to go do they're like. Sure. And then it doesn't get done and then we get frustrated.
Anne: Yeah. And they don't have a roadmap for it.
Sara: Yeah, they're
Anne: so, they look at their, they get paralyzed. They don't know. if you need Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, that's clarity. And so they can work on that. Oh my God, this is genius. I mean, everybody needs you.
I'm gonna, can you come live with me? I really need, I'm
Sara: down this straight. I could come like every other day.
Anne: Oh my God. so many. Things that are in my head, like I love the balloon.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: Uh, metaphor, because once they have their vision, you can put the things in place that they need.
Yeah. And then they, you can deliver it to the team. They feel good about what they're doing.
Everything starts
Sara: working. Then send, send back up into the world. Yes. Send you back up into the sky to come up with something else, and then we bring you back down. What does this look like? What do you need from this?
And then go and create it.
Anne: Because that's not my gift. And that's what we talk about with strengths. Like you have other gifts. We wanna work with somebody that can actually fill in the void of our strengths really to, make it just a, better place. That's why we need our teams. We want our teams to flourish and, we want people to be happy and be in the right spot.
Absolutely. The clarity of that. And so I just read on the Way home from Chicago, I brought my little book of the four agreements. Oh, you know, number three is Make No Assumptions.
Sara: Yeah.
Anne: And I had the hardest time. Don't take it personally and make no assumptions. I mean, I'm always trying to do my best and my word is impeccable, but those two in the middle just
Sara: really, yeah.
And it's, you know, we assume because we know what we're saying, everybody else knows what they're saying and that's not true.
Anne: Yeah. And back to the garage as a woman, so I'll say clean the garage, and then I go out there, I'm like, oh my God. They didn't get the corners, they didn't get the window sills.
All of those things. Yeah. And then I'm let down. I'm not happy with the kids, and guess who goes and does the window sills and the corners you do and all that. Me, because I'll just finish it up there. I can't go back and raise the kids, but I think I did a great job.
They're all doing well.
Sara: They're
Anne: amazing and they've learned, but you know, it's just, I think if you're even a mom out there, this is really important. So you could help moms, families, private practitioners, small companies, yes. Solo entrepreneurs, a lot of us entrepreneurs, us solo entrepreneurs,Now with your business, Sara, do you like to I see you can't leave us 'cause you're a director of retreats. So as we continue to grow Yeah, I'm
Sara: you're stuck with
Anne: me. Yeah, I'm stuck with you. So 20 years from now when we're at the stadium with this retreat, right?
Sara: 30 year.30 year anniversary.
Anne: 30 year anniversary.
you'll still be with us, but like, do you like to work? you know, a short. Time with somebody. Do you, do you like to just be on a monthly call? How does your, business work? Because I think there's a lot of, you know, women that are resonating with what you do.
Sara: Yeah, it depends. I do either six or 12 month contracts.
for dental practices it's typically 12 'cause they've got a larger team. And so it takes a little bit of time for the team to trust me, for me to get into their business. And then for solo entrepreneurs, or an entrepreneur with 1, 2, 5 team members, then that's kind of like getting into the nitty gritty and helping them build the systems and then getting out so that they can run their company.
And that's usually about six months.
Anne: That's amazing. That's, why you and Karla get along so well. Okay. Yes. So you guys are like twins, thank God.
Sara: Yes. We think a lot alike.
Anne: I know. I love it. 'cause she's,she's got that same kind of analytical individualization sort of thing going, so, oh, Sara, how do we get in touch with you?
'cause I know that a lot of people are thinking about like, oh my God, I need a Sara in my pocket.
Sara: Yeah. Easy. Uh, my email address is super easy, Sara@Sararitchie.com and then I'm on LinkedIn face. Book and Instagram with my first and last name.
Anne: I love it. Okay, well we will definitely be in touch with you.
I'll be seeing you 'cause you're right down the street. Next week we have that meeting. We're
Sara: gonna see you next week.
Anne: See you next week. And then we'll be at the Hyman together.
GMT20260226-163212_Recording_gallery_1280x720: And
Sara: we're gonna be going to the Heman together. That's gonna be so much fun.
Anne: I know it, I know.
Sara: Everybody needs to come by the do booth and hang out with us.
Anne: I know. Come and hang out. we're gonna raffle off a cow pack and a do hat this year.
Sara: Ooh. I love.
GMT20260226-163212_Recording_gallery_1280x720: I
Anne: know.
Sara: I'll bring my do hat so we can match. Yeah,
Anne: yeah. I know. I, I think everybody, we gotta get hats for. I love that. Do hat too, by the way.
I think that was another one, your
Sara: me, one of my favorites.
Anne: You and Karla came up with that idea and you know, Deb got her person to do it. We, you know, it's a team, right? It's a, it's togethers a
Sara: team. Yes.
Anne: We do so much better than when we're,by ourselves and,and together. You know? one of our mantras is small things with great love.
Sara: Yes.
Anne: And, um, and we epitomize that as we come together. So if you're listening here, everybody, we hope to see you at the retreat in November. So sign up for that. See you at, I'm going to Genos, shout out to Melissa Turner and Sonya Dunbar. I'm gonna be going to the Genos, uh, tomorrow. and next year.
They come around every year. So, you know, you can, really support our, due friends and our dudes that are out there. And the most important thing for everyone is to remember to keep doing you. Thanks everybody. I'll see you on the road and thank you, Sara.
Sara: Thanks. And thanks everybody.
