152. Creativity = Cashflow

Today we’re talking about creativity, identity and how creative energy turns into cash flow. Because when you use your imagination to build something, whether it’s new entirely or simply your own version of it - that gets rewarded. Money is energy and it flows.I share what I’ve seen on both sides of the seven, eight and nine-figure space: mentors doing extraordinary numbers through nothing but organic, authentic marketing and invisible offers.But the heart of this episode is identity. I talk about why so many women in dentistry are disconnected from their creativity, working in a tiny space, overthinking, running on logic all day.We get into the harder questions too: are you in dentistry because it was genuinely your choice, or because someone told you it should be? And if you don’t love it, is that the career itself or is it burnout? Plus why accepting insurance keeps practices in a low frequency of scarcity, how being 100% fee-for-service gave me the time to build real relationships with patients and the extra capacity to create two more income streams.Two months left in this year, this is the time to get micro about what you want 2027 to look like.Come say hi: DM me on Instagram @drjessicaemery

After two incredible guest episodes, I wanted to pop back in and bring you into my world with an update, because a lot has shifted since the trifecta episode.The house we put on the market “for fun” sold. Full ask and then some. And the timing of it all is uncanny.I talk about what it’s been like to have so many people question the decision "why would you leave, where will you go, what will you do" and why I think it makes people genuinely uncomfortable when someone takes a chance without a plan. I also share where things stand with White Haute, why I’m going all in on TikTok Shop in 2027 and what social commerce could mean for you. And the Content Creation Workshop is back. January, in a new space on King Street, intentionally smaller this time so everyone gets real attention on their grid and their brand. We close on surrender, trusting your intuition and shedding the layers of programming that were never yours to carry. Come say hi: Drop into my DMs on Instagram @drjessicaemery. If you’re a dental founder with a story to share, I’d love to have you on.

This week on the Dental Founder Podcast, I sit down with Abby Baker, brand designer, creative director and the creative force behind @itsthedentalhygenius, the company founded by her mom, Tracy Baker. Abby builds strategic, standout brands for the next generation of dental hygiene founders: hygienists who are leaving clinical work, going independent, launching education platforms or building something entirely their own.Abby shares how she fell into the dental niche while designing for consulting clients during COVID, and why every dental professional already has a brand, whether they built it on purpose or not.We also get honest about what’s holding dentistry back.Connect with Abby:Instagram: itsthedentalhygeniusWebsite: abbybakerstudio.comCome say hi: Find me on Instagram ⁠drjessicaemery⁠

Kicking off guest episodes with a conversation I loved. Dr. Yashoni Shah is a practicing dentist in the Midwest, a mom of two and the founder of Smile Guide AI and she’s built all of it at the same time.We start with her founder story, which is a masterclass in saying yes when the door opens. Then we get into Smile Guide AI, an idea she first had back in 2016, long before AI could deliver it, born out of being a new grad with no mentorship and nowhere to turn when a patient was in the chair. Dr. Yashoni also walks through HIPAA compliance and how the knowledge base and codes stay current and she shares the clinical story that made the case for all of it.We also get into where AI belongs and where it absolutely doesn’t.Find Dr. Yashoni Shah:Smile Guide AI on Instagram, Facebook and [email protected] say hi: Find me on Instagram @drjessicaemery.

In this episode, I’m opening up about a season of real transition, three major moves happening at once and what each one is teaching me about releasing, trusting the timing and stepping into the next thing.White Haute is officially open. A space I loved has been released. And a decision we made almost on a whim has our whole house in motion. I share what that’s looked like behind the scenes, the sign I asked for and received on a morning running on almost no sleep and the new creative direction I’m genuinely obsessed with right now, one that could open up an entirely different income stream for women in dentistry.I also reframe a word most dentists flinch at, say one I was told not to use and get honest about the real reason so many of you still haven’t dropped insurance.Come say hi: Headed to the Dental Entrepreneur Summit in November? Drop into my DMs on Instagram @drjessicaemery, I’d love to see you there.

Happy October! This one's a quick pop-in because I'm in a trifecta right now with a lot of moving parts.I'm coming off a trip to Wisconsin to see my daughter and back into 80-degree Charleston, which is heaven. If you're up north you're in the October feels and that means three straight months of built-in opportunities to do something fun and memorable for your guests.But the real shift I want you to try on this quarter is a word.In this episode:The orange-and-black toothbrushes we handed out at the Lakeview Halloween walk and why little things like that are what people actually rememberWhy I woke up at 2:30am with ideas and finally admitted it: I'm a creator and I stopped playing in that energy for a whilePeople don't remember what you put in their mouth. They remember how they felt.The words I want out of your vocabulary: clinic, waiting room, staff and now, practice"I own a practice" vs. "I own a business". Try the founder/CEO identity on for the next three months and watch what changesQ4 and benefits season: how to call it out whether you're in-network or fee-for-serviceYour website audit for last quarter: does it speak to you? Do you see yourself in it?Choosing your platform (and why I'm finally stepping onto TikTok, plus why I'll never leave Instagram)AI slop on social: if I can't see your eyeballs, I'm not coming to your businessWhy paying someone for AI content is spending, not investing and what to do instead (train someone in-house or go boutique agency)$55 new-patient specials, discounting and whether a discount shopper is the patient you actually wantMoney follows who you become and the subconscious blocks keeping you stuck at the same number year after yearThe luxury microsuite model I'm bringing forward, plus what's coming for White HotFrosting vs. the whole cake: what we do out here vs. what we do inside Dental Founder AcademyCome say hi:If you're a dental founder with a story that would impact others, I'd love to have you on the pod, DM me on Instagram @‌drjessicaemery.Happy October. 🍂

In this episode I'm talking about why your vision is yours for a reason, why writing it down amplifies it and why you have to shine a light on the shadows - the old programs and limitations you picked up before you were seven and never questioned before any of it can come through.I also get into the two things I think dentists underinvest in most: mindset and marketing.In this episode:Why your vision already exists on another timeline and how to collapse time around bringing it inThe Lifebook framework I took my own team through and why I still use it with clientsScarcity loops, borrowed money and the old codes running underneath your practice decisionsWhy contracting with every insurance company out of fear cuts off the energetic exchange before you even startDiscounting your services: $96 for x-rays, cleaning and exam - are you a 7-Eleven?Why AI slop content will never replace the frequency that makes you youBigger isn't better, my case for the boutique, small-footprint, low-overhead modelThe ego conversation vs. the heart conversation and why you can't see your own blind spotsNon-attachment as a money strategy (and how I hit my goals without ever tracking a cent)The separation I'm seeing in dentistry and why I refuse to play that wayFull support for hygienists building independent practicesWhy your brand comes first always, it's what gives you wingsCome say hi:If you're a woman in dentistry with a vision, I want to hear it. DMs or email always open. Find me on Instagram @‌drjessicaemery. [email protected] if you want the coaching piece, that's what we're doing inside Dental Founder Academy.

After a detour over at Happy CEO and 100+ episodes, I'm coming all the way back to dentistry and bringing everything I've learned in the meantime with me.In this short, off-the-cuff episode, I walk you through the evolution from Dental Diaries to Dental Confidential to Happy CEO to Dental Founder and why the founder identity matters so much to me: if you own a practice, you're an entrepreneur, whether anyone told you that or not. I get into what dental school leaves out, not just business and marketing, but self-mastery & why I think the old paradigm in dentistry is overdue for a shake-up and what it actually takes to build a fee-for-service practice on purpose instead of by accident.Also in this episode: why your mentor should already be where you want to be, how to spot the invisible blocks you've built for yourself without realizing it, what's coming for Dental Founder in 2027 and my case for starting messy.I've got an incredible lineup of dental founders and entrepreneurs coming up. Come say hello on Instagram @drjessicaemery, I'd love to know what you're working on.

In this debut episode of Dental Founder, Dr. Jessica Emery sits down with Mallory Stewart, a dental hygienist, teeth whitening specialist and founder of SMRKLSS, a growing oral care brand built around confidence, simplicity and loving your real smile.Key TakeawaysWhy whitening is an untapped opportunity in dental practicesHow Mallory found a dental formulator and developed her hero product, Smile SealerThe reality of product development - costs, timelines, and iterationsHow collaboration between dental professionals and independent whitening businesses benefits everyoneWhy influencer marketing helped put SMRKLSS on the mapThe mindset shift required to go from employee to founderWhy being comfortable with discomfort is the key to growthConnect with MalloryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smrklss/__________________________________________________Follow & SubscribeNever miss an episode! Follow Dental Founder wherever you listen to podcasts and come hang out with us on Instagram:🎙️ Podcast: Dental Founder📸 Instagram: @DentalSoiree | @DentalFounderPodcast | @DrJessicaEmeryReady to Go Deeper?If this episode lit a fire in you, Dental Founder Academy is your next step. This is where we help women in dentistry build bold, beautiful brands and businesses on their own terms with the strategy, support and sisterhood to back it up.👉 Check out Dental Founder Academy at https://dentalsoiree.com/dental-founder-academy

In this episode of Dental Confidential, Dr. Jessica Emery sits down with dental industry trailblazer Deborah Carrier, a clinical hygienist of 40+ years who proves what’s possible when you stop waiting for the “right time” and start moving on the idea that won’t let go.Deborah shares her path from being told she’d “never get into hygiene school” to building multiple mission-driven businesses, including CPR Sisters (and how their training model helped someone respond confidently during a real cardiac arrest) and Twice As Nice Uniforms, a dentistry-specific uniform brand designed for infection control, comfort and real operatory life.If you’ve been sitting on an idea, craving something bigger or wondering what else is possible in dentistry… this episode is your sign.@twiceasniceuniforms__________________________________________________________Follow us on IG@drjessicaemery