Cara: Patterson is truly people first, and we live by that. For instance, during the pandemic, we did not lay off one person. We spent our cash to keep our people employed, and one of our biggest values is people first. As a leader, I've always been empowered to do that at my level, whatever level that was, and I've seen everyone around me do the same.
Anne: Hello everyone, it's Anne Duffy, and welcome to the Just DeW It podcast. Cara Cherry, my guest today, could be on either one of these podcasts.
We'll have to get you on the DeW podcast again very soon. I want to tell you a little bit about Cara before we get started. Cara Cherry is a Los Angeles-based regional president for Patterson Dental, where she has worked for over 17 years. When not working, Cara enjoys spending time with her son, Brandon, traveling, skiing, and riding horses.
She is passionate about supporting women in the workforce and creating a greener planet. Please help me welcome my guest, the amazing new friend, Cara Cherry.
Cara: Hi, Anne. Thanks so much for having me today. I'm really excited to have this conversation.
Anne: You were so wonderful to write this amazing story. I'm going to hold this up. That's why I got my virtual thing off here: the DeW spring 2023 edition. I love everything about that. That photo shoot was beautiful. Cara was the cover story, so if you want to know a little bit more about her than you're going to hear today, please go to dew.life and check it out. It'd be spring 2023.
It's so cool that you started riding horses when you were a little girl in Philadelphia. The thread of that in your story, when I was rereading it to prep today, I was like, "Oh my gosh, no wonder you're such a great leader." How did that evolve, the leadership that your team sees and that the company sees now?
Cara: I think that who we are is someone we've become. We didn't end up where we are today as we are. We've grown into this, and as a leader, I'm extremely interested in where people come from and how they became, what impacted them. I would say that riding horses is probably the most impactful thing to my development as a human throughout my life, and it taught me immeasurable things about working hard, caring for something else, falling down and getting back up, the proverb. But truly, it was something that taught a lot of great skills at a young age. It taught me how to work hard.
Those all become ingrained in you as a human, and it's served me really well my entire life. As I got older, I realized it also taught me that what you invest in something is what comes of that for you. I think that's a really important lifelong lesson. As I help grow my team members and support my team, I really try to understand: Who are you? Where did you come from? What makes you tick? What's important to you? I think going all the way back to things in childhood, even though it's odd sometimes in a corporate setting, truly helps you help others a lot more when you understand who they really are.
Anne: I can see that, especially because we're formed at such an early age, and when you have that opportunity, and of course riding horses is not that easy. You have to take care of the stalls. There's just so much that goes into it, and that does help form you as a person.
Then, of course, I'm reading in your story that you took that on and then took the entrepreneurial route as a young, young lady training other people, having this education platform that actually turned into a big business before we even got into Patterson or graduated from college, which is just incredible to me.
Cara: I learned so many great life lessons running a business and dealing with parents and kids. It's so funny looking back now that I'm a parent and I have an eight-year-old son. Until you're a parent, you don't know what you don't know. Now looking back, I understand those parents a lot better.
It was an interesting experience, and I became a leader at 18 years old. I had people working for me, and it always felt natural. I think I've progressed as a leader in the last 20 or so years. I'm a much kinder, better leader today than I was at 18 or 25.
Anne: You must have the strengths. We're big in StrengthFinders, so I don't know if you've ever taken StrengthFinders, but you have the qualities of leadership all over you. They say, "Are leaders born, or are they made?" But if you're a born leader and you take leadership and work on it, and you work on your skills and your experience and you study it, you become an exponentially better leader than someone that's not actually gifted in that regard.
I would say that is you, especially in running your teams. You were at the top sales division or whatever. You took the veterinary division from nobody knowing about it to the top of the company, and that is incredible at a young age. I think you can show that achieving, driven, competitive part of you, not excluding the relationship part, makes you just a phenomenal leader. I know that you're someone that the team can relate to, which I think is important to you.
Cara: Thank you so much for saying that. Teams only succeed together, so I don't take credit for all of our success at all. But I will say, I talked a lot about understanding people, who they are, and where they come from, but I also am extremely driven and competitive, and I expect a lot from people. We're all privileged to work at Patterson, and to whom much is given, much is expected.
I found that by creating a culture, you have to enjoy the work and you have to be willing to do the work, and that gets you those results. That feels good, and that continues to create that energy, momentum, and culture. I think that when teams are struggling and I dive deeper, I really see that somewhere along the line, there are team members who either don't know how to do the work, don't have the tools they need to do the real work, or don't want to do it. You have to dive in and understand at that level what's going on and how we fix it.
Anne: That's beautiful because they just might be in the wrong seat. They're good people, but they just might be in the wrong seat. You have such a love for Patterson. I think that's so cool. You've been there for 17 years, but what gets you up in the morning and gets you going? You've got little Brandon. He's eight years old. You've still got a lot of work to do with him in the morning, I'm sure, before he gets on the bus.
Cara: Exactly. I love the people that I'm with, and I love what we do. We work for a company that always keeps the patients, the patient experience, and then the customer, the dentist, in mind. How are we promoting better patient care? How are we enabling our customers? These are questions we ask ourselves every day and work on solutions for.
I think being solutions-based and really working to serve a community and serving humanity, dental health is so important, and the need and the connection to our overall well-being is proven more and more every day. Being a part of a great team of people I love and working on this mission, truly, I feel like we're mission-based to implement new technologies that impact patients.
Anne: That's awesome and admirable, and it circles back to your relationship piece. It's so important to you. You've carried that on with your team, and I'm sure that's why your team loves you and stays intact because they want to be appreciated. They want to be seen and be heard. So often in different companies, you just clock in and clock out, and that is not sustainable in this day and age. Kudos to you that you've recognized that from a very, very early age in your career.
Cara: I personally understand the impact it has to have strong personal connections, to wake up and go to work every day. That's what I love about the team that directly reports to me: they like each other. If we all lived in the same city, we'd hang out. I think that really breeds a lot of great ideas and sharing.
Anne: I love it. It reminds me of DeW. You've created this group of people that are like-minded. They love dentistry, they love the patient, and the aspect of the culture and the mission-driven. Sometimes you think you already have too many friends or you have enough friends, but when you have a little common thread, I think it can enrich any friendship.
I love the fact that you feel that way because, again, I've worked for bosses who didn't feel like they could be that close, could be likable, or would want to be liked by everybody. That comes right from the top, and I'm so happy and proud of you for setting that tone in your group.
One thing I saw in your article that I absolutely loved, because I always say "progress, not perfection" with my team, because perfection will kill us. One of your favorite sayings is, "Perfect is the enemy of progress." That was the first time I actually heard that, in your article. It really puts a good frame on a cause for burnout in dentistry. You really have to just take a beat, take a breath, and realize progress is important.
Cara: It is. I think when you are constantly seeking perfection, it really impedes progress because people are afraid to take risks. We have to fail fast and fail forward and try new things. We're living in a time where things are moving faster than they have ever moved in the history of the Earth. With the invention of computers and digital technology, and now AI, things are changing rapidly. It's up to all of us to understand how to best use that for humanity, for better patient care, and for a dentist's ability to run a more efficient business. I think we're going to see a lot of changes, not only in patient care with AI, but in how offices are run.
Anne: It is crazy, isn't it? I think AI really came to everybody's forefront two years ago, and now it's just infinite what it can do on the positive side for our offices and the patient care.
You were in veterinary when you first started, and then you got into dentistry. What's so great about dentistry for you?
Cara: I'm glad you talked about this. I wanted to circle back to the relationships. Really, industry-wide, I've just met some really wonderful people: dentists, doctor reps, managers, etc. It's a great community of smart, caring people.
Anne: I would agree too. I think a lot of people try to leave dentistry, but it's pretty hard, and so many come back. I think I'm a lifer. You think you're a lifer. I love it. It sounds like it because you've been with Patterson for 17 years, and in this day and age too, that's unheard of in some of the big companies. I know that you've got a special sauce there, Cara, for you to be there for 17 years and still be excited about what you're doing and loving your team, loving the work.
Cara: Patterson is truly people first, and we live by that. For instance, during the pandemic, we did not lay off one person. We spent our cash to keep our people employed, and one of our biggest values is people first. As a leader, I've always been empowered to do that at my level, whatever level that was, and I've seen everyone around me do the same. I think it's just the way we take care of people and the group of people we've been able to put together.
I've always been rewarded for my effort and my performance, and I've been given great mentorship and a path.
Anne: I think there's something to be said for that in this day and age too because you build your team, you build your mentors, and you bring people with you. It's a nice ecosystem that you've built. It's hard to leave and then start all over again with something. I think sometimes people leave a little too soon. You've got to hit those bumps in the road. It's probably from your riding experience when you were just a little girl. You fall off the horse, I'm sure, many times, but you have to get back up and know that the next ride's going to be better. You're going to make that jump.
Cara: Patterson's not perfect. None of us are. We've had changes in leadership over the years, improved, digressed, and improved. Any company you go to is going to be. Are you doing work that's important and meaningful to you? Are you doing it with people you like, that you learn from, that challenge you?
Anne: It's interesting because not very many bios I read are that you're really interested in not only supporting women in the workforce, but bringing them up. I loved a lot of your story as you were talking about influencing because, as young women, they have to see someone like you and think, "Oh, that's really cool. We can attain that here, and this is going to help."
I loved how you tap on women whenever you can if they've got maybe the inclination, or you see something in them that they don't see in themselves. We know that sometimes women, men will raise their hands and say, "I can do everything." Then we're like, "Well, I don't know. I don't have all the experience to do it, so I don't know if I can do it." But you inch them along and give them that confidence.
I also think that it's so cool that you're creating a greener planet. Tell me a little bit about that before we get off. Why does that float your boat? I know it's important, of course, for everybody, but to be in your bio, it's got to be near and dear to your heart.
Cara: It really is. I just think that we as a society haven't done a great job of going green. I think we'd all agree with that. Just like running our business, you look at the green market for green products, and it hasn't met the need of the people. We haven't approached people in a way that makes it doable for them.
How do you solve problems? You've got to look for the barriers to entry. What are the barriers? There are several: lack of knowledge, lack of availability, worry that green products cost too much, and not understanding what the historical abuse is doing to our bodies and our planet.
My thing is, it's not hard. It's very simple to do better for your own body and for the environment. I'm kind of a health nut, vegetarian, eat super clean, work out, keeping my son healthy and teaching him all the good eating habits. Then you think about the cleaning products you use because it didn't occur to me until I was pregnant and was really aware of what was impacting my body.
You look at all of these cleaning products and laundry products, and they're terrible for us. Some of this stuff is in jet fuel, and we're using it on our clothing that's rubbing on our body. Your skin is your largest organ, and you're absorbing that stuff. If we could get people just doing these little baby steps and improving things, change your laundry detergent. That's a huge offender. Great, you change your laundry detergent. Maybe in six months, you could think about changing your detergents and making it easy for people to find information about products and help them understand it's really possible at this point. Previously, this stuff didn't work well five years ago, but I would say it sure does now.
Anne: When I go to our son's house and see the products that they use, I'm always so intrigued because they are so health-driven, and it's cleaner, better for the environment, better for the climate, and better for us.
We will continue that because Brandon is only eight years old, and he's got a long life to live, and we have a long life to live as well. I love how Patterson is having that initiative also, I believe, to bring more green products to the dental industry, which has been a long time coming. But like AI, it'll be here before we know it, and we'll have our offices green, and you'll be at the forefront of that, I'm sure.
Cara: I love that most corporations now have initiatives surrounding this. We're doing a lot of things, just trying to be more efficient. The great news is going green is good for business. It makes sense to do things more efficiently and more cleanly. I am excited about that impact as well that we're going to see for big industry over the next several years.
Anne: That'll be fun to watch and see where you lead because you will be one of the leaders in that arena. Just ending here, one of the things I wanted to touch on is your desire to keep relationships around you strong, not only in your work but in your life.
I always thought about the Patterson reps that I've known, and it is about trust, isn't it? You just can't fake that. Coming from the top, creating an environment that is progress, not perfection, and helping people realize they just have to get back up and asking, "How can I help you?" For the leaders who are out there who maybe have a group, what's the best advice you can give them as far as leading a team and keeping a team happy and productive?
Cara: I'll tell you a little story. I got an email forwarded to me a couple of weeks ago from a woman, one of our customers who was retired. She wrote a letter about how Patterson was part of her family, how we built the office, and how we solved countless problems for her throughout the years. She had get-well cards that she'd seen from our team when she had cancer, and just hearing the impact of a lifetime of relationship with Patterson, it really reinforced that we have to be mission-driven in what we do.
If you're doing something that doesn't resonate with you, find something that does, especially if you're a leader, because your team deserves so much more. Having a team built on people who are mission-driven is really a step-by-step thing, and it benefits the team, the company, the customer, the patients. I just can't say enough how you have to connect with what you're doing.
Anne: Oh my gosh. Amen. I would say amen, Cara, because that is true. Lean into your strengths. Love what you do. It'll help you love yourself and a lot of others.
Cara: That's what I love about watching you and what you do. Number one, you're such a great conduit in the industry and keeping women, especially, connected. Good to you, so thank you for all the work you do with that.
Anne: Oh my gosh, you're welcome.
Together, we're going to do some amazing things. We've got some work to do, and it's been just a pleasure having you. We had a beautiful retreat we just wrapped up in 2024. We're going to do the same thing in 2025.
Cara: I hope I'm there next year.
Anne: Listen, you know why? I've checked the date. I missed out. I had FOMO. We have the same date, but I checked this year, and we're not overlapping the DTA because so many of you guys have to do the DTA, which love, love, love you guys. Great leadership in that community. We're November 13 through 15, and the DTA is, I think, two weeks ahead or something like that. I just checked it. I will see you next year at the DeW retreat in Charlotte, North Carolina. That'd be fantastic.
Cara, thank you so much. You've been a dear friend, and I want to thank you for always opening your heart for me. When I walk into a meeting, you're very high up at Patterson, but you always make room for somebody that's in need of a smile or a hug. I appreciate you for that. Keep it up.
Cara: Thank you. Same.
Anne: I will. And if you're listening, anybody out there, remember the most important thing you can do is to keep doing you. Thanks, everybody. Cara, thank you. Have a great day, and I'll talk to you next time.
