Very Clinical: The 2024 Year in Review with Erin and Gary

[00:00:01] This is a production of the Very Dental Podcast Network.

[00:00:16] Welcome to the Very Clinical Podcast. In about the time it takes to do an MO on three, we will entertain and amaze you with tips and tricks on regular daily dentistry. Here's Kevin and Zach.

[00:00:28] What is up, Very Clinical listeners? Welcome back to yet another episode of the podcast. I'm Zach Miners, coming to you from Kansas City, Missouri. With me as always, my trusty co-host, Dr. Kevin Harefrier.

[00:00:40] Kevin, what is cracking in Cleveland tonight?

[00:00:43] Snow, more snow, and more snow snow. It's been snowing for five days straight.

[00:00:49] We have about two feet, two or three feet in our yard. It's unusual snow for this time of year. I mean, we get snow, but not like this.

[00:01:00] Like the system has been stuck over Lake County where I reside. So it's been an interesting couple days.

[00:01:07] How about Kansas City?

[00:01:10] We also got snow on recently, but only a couple inches. So that's what she said.

[00:01:16] Not enough to...

[00:01:19] Kevin, has that caused you to have some shutdowns? Or do Clevelanders get out in this stuff?

[00:01:24] We get out in it, but we had several people stuck in their driveway yesterday.

[00:01:31] So that is a phenomenon I don't really understand, but whatever.

[00:01:38] Kevin, do you want to bring in our high-dollar guests for the night?

[00:01:42] Yeah. It's the Air and Gare Show.

[00:01:46] Nice.

[00:01:47] So, Aaron and Gary, just like last year from our year-end wrap up.

[00:01:54] So, Aaron and Gary, reintroduce yourself to our lovely listeners.

[00:02:03] Gary Holtzclaw. I'm Gary Holtzclaw. I'm from the upstate of South Carolina, St. Seville, South Carolina.

[00:02:07] And I've been practicing for 17 years.

[00:02:10] Awesome.

[00:02:10] How about you, Aaron?

[00:02:13] And I am Aaron Elliott up in North Idaho.

[00:02:15] I am from Idaho, but just the tip.

[00:02:18] Where we do not have snow yet, but my in-laws in Watertown, New York got seven feet.

[00:02:26] Oof.

[00:02:27] Yeah.

[00:02:28] They measure snow in feet, not inches.

[00:02:30] And I've been practicing 21 years.

[00:02:36] Excellent.

[00:02:38] Awesome.

[00:02:39] So, Aaron and Gary are our super fans.

[00:02:42] And so, this is a tradition that we started last year, so it's only one year.

[00:02:48] It's not really a tradition.

[00:02:50] It's a tradition.

[00:02:52] It's a tradition now of having these two lovely people on to discuss the year and the year that was and the year that will be.

[00:03:04] So, let's get to it.

[00:03:07] We have our bit for tonight, which is our favorite episodes of Very Clinical from 2024.

[00:03:16] So, Aaron or Gary, who wants to go first?

[00:03:21] Okay, I'll go first.

[00:03:22] People pointing to each other?

[00:03:23] Funny.

[00:03:24] Go ahead.

[00:03:24] Someone's got to talk.

[00:03:25] I'll go first.

[00:03:27] My favorite one was the Very Baseball show, actually.

[00:03:30] That was my favorite one.

[00:03:32] Yes!

[00:03:32] I want a pre-season one every year with predictions and stuff.

[00:03:36] It came at a great time for us because I was on day five of no power from the hurricane.

[00:03:41] Oh, that's right.

[00:03:42] Yeah.

[00:03:42] So, it really was a nice little excitement added to just the misery of no power and constantly looking for gas for a generator.

[00:03:49] Oh, man.

[00:03:50] So, behind the scenes we were talking baseball because, you know, the Royals were in it and the Indians slash Guardians were in it and the Tigers were in it.

[00:04:01] And we thought it would be fun to just switch things up to talk baseball instead of that.

[00:04:09] That was really all spur of the moment, wasn't it, Zach?

[00:04:12] Oh, yeah.

[00:04:12] It was just our teams qualified and then we were like, we got to do this.

[00:04:16] And, man, that was one of my most fun recording sessions.

[00:04:20] I'd rather talk baseball than teeth, I guess.

[00:04:22] But, you know.

[00:04:23] That was a blast.

[00:04:25] Yeah, I enjoyed it.

[00:04:26] Of course, none of us made it to the World Series.

[00:04:28] No.

[00:04:30] But, you know, whatever.

[00:04:32] It was fun.

[00:04:33] So, I'm glad you said that, Gary.

[00:04:34] That was on my list also, but I have a long list just in case someone said that.

[00:04:43] All right, Erin, you're up.

[00:04:46] Well, it just so happens that I feel like your favorite people are my favorite people.

[00:04:53] So, to have to choose from Melissa Zetler, Lance Timmerman, Randy Huska, Frank Clayton, Craig Harder, Harder, Harder, Matt Standridge, Alan Mead, and Tim Anderson.

[00:05:06] It's like, wow.

[00:05:07] Which is my favorite one?

[00:05:09] I will tell you, I don't love the throwbacks because, as you know, Gary and I have already listened to them.

[00:05:15] That's right.

[00:05:15] But it is good to listen to it, and you guys deserve a break.

[00:05:19] You've been, I want to thank you for being so consistent.

[00:05:23] It's kind of like, I do look forward to Tuesday mornings for this reason.

[00:05:29] But I really did like your changing minds.

[00:05:31] I thought that was a great, especially as we're kind of in this middle range, and Kevin's kind of in his sunset years that it, it dentistry is the practice of dentistry.

[00:05:46] So seeing the evolutions and changing of minds is always a good thing.

[00:05:55] Anyone in particular, Aaron, or just the whole series?

[00:05:58] Just the whole series.

[00:06:00] Yeah.

[00:06:01] I'm glad you liked that.

[00:06:02] That was, that was actually, I'm going to take credit, that was my idea.

[00:06:06] 100%.

[00:06:06] And I was like, I just kind of was like, thought of it, and I was like, hey, let's do this.

[00:06:09] And we didn't think it would last very long.

[00:06:11] And then the episodes, it was really enjoyable because they were just so conversational.

[00:06:16] And it just, we were like, well, let's just keep going with this.

[00:06:19] And then it'd be in most of the year, really.

[00:06:21] So I'm glad it didn't get boring.

[00:06:22] It really was our answer for trying to recreate VOD and interview a bunch of people.

[00:06:27] But it, it, Zach, that was genius idea.

[00:06:34] And it really came off well, in my opinion.

[00:06:38] Yeah.

[00:06:38] I enjoyed it.

[00:06:39] It was, it was fun to do.

[00:06:41] Yes.

[00:06:41] On our end.

[00:06:42] I look forward to every one of them.

[00:06:44] For sure.

[00:06:44] Yeah, for sure.

[00:06:46] Um, Kevin, my favorite episode we did was actually not in that series.

[00:06:51] Um, when we had, uh, your, uh, good friend, Jessica on the physical, uh, physical therapists

[00:06:59] to talk about back pain.

[00:07:02] That, that, that was also, I was glad you had a guest, but it was one of the things that

[00:07:07] I wanted to talk about because I feel like, even though it's not clinical and not dentistry,

[00:07:10] it's like fixing my back and neck has been probably one of the biggest and best things

[00:07:16] I've done for myself in the last, you know, 10, 10 plus years.

[00:07:21] And, you know, as nice as it is to learn new techniques and stuff like you can't do anything

[00:07:25] if you don't feel good.

[00:07:25] And, you know, so that was, that, that was an important topic for me.

[00:07:29] And I was glad we were able to find a way to make it work on a clinical show.

[00:07:32] Yeah.

[00:07:32] So behind the scenes, uh, Zach Allen and I talk about health a lot and exercise and nutrition

[00:07:38] and chicks.

[00:07:41] Uh, but, um, you know, Jessica is a good friend.

[00:07:45] We just went out to dinner with her and her husband two weeks ago.

[00:07:49] And, uh, it always, it always comes back to talking about physical therapy or dentistry

[00:07:55] with them.

[00:07:56] Like we can't get away from that.

[00:07:58] Sure.

[00:07:58] Uh, she really is a leader in her field.

[00:08:01] She is a good friend.

[00:08:02] I thought she was an excellent guest and, you know, out of, out of the box for what

[00:08:09] our normal, cause she's not a dentist, but she's an awesome person and I'm lucky to have

[00:08:13] her as a friend.

[00:08:15] I was impressed also that, you know, as someone who had, you know, would come on a show like

[00:08:19] ours would like, I knew it's cause of your connection, but it also like for someone who

[00:08:23] hadn't done a podcast, she was very smooth.

[00:08:25] Yeah.

[00:08:26] You know, to get interviewed too, you know?

[00:08:27] So that was pretty cool.

[00:08:28] When I asked her, her face lit up.

[00:08:30] Like you would not believe it.

[00:08:33] No kidding.

[00:08:33] We made her day.

[00:08:34] Like I, I, I, that's great.

[00:08:35] I've known her for a long time and you know, I've certainly seen her smile and made her

[00:08:40] laugh, but that her just face, her face lit up.

[00:08:43] She's well, you know, let her, let her know that, like I said, of a whole bunch of good

[00:08:47] shows this year, that was still my favorite one.

[00:08:48] So pretty cool.

[00:08:50] All right, Kevin, you're pulling up the finish line on this.

[00:08:52] I'm going to go with the change your mind series, particularly Randy's episode, Randy

[00:08:57] who's good episode.

[00:08:58] Um, mainly because we are the same age we've practiced.

[00:09:03] So I think it's just, uh, our, our paths have, uh, mimicked each other.

[00:09:07] Um, you know, part of what we talked about was placing implants and, you know, Randy's experience

[00:09:14] with that.

[00:09:15] I I'm trying to avoid saying the word journey, but Randy's, um, experience with that really

[00:09:21] mimics mine.

[00:09:22] And also Randy added an associate this year.

[00:09:25] So, um, those, it was like kind of talking to myself, um, except someone from, except if

[00:09:34] you go to Harley.

[00:09:35] Yeah.

[00:09:35] And, uh, he has a Harley.

[00:09:37] I have a, uh, that you make so manly.

[00:09:43] That thing rocks, man.

[00:09:45] It, it is a fine vehicle, not, not for writing in 30 degree weather with snow on the ground

[00:09:51] though.

[00:09:53] So.

[00:09:54] All right.

[00:09:55] So Kevin, uh, it's the, it's the 2024 wrap up show.

[00:09:58] Yeah.

[00:09:58] Um, so I guess let's, let's hear from Gary.

[00:10:02] I'm going to pick on you first.

[00:10:03] Tell, tell us about, give me a report in your 2024, either life practice, you know,

[00:10:10] whatever you want to talk about.

[00:10:10] What was big in your world dental or otherwise in 2024?

[00:10:15] Um, well, right now the big thing is South Carolina beat Clemson in the rivalry game.

[00:10:20] That's been, there you go.

[00:10:21] Yeah.

[00:10:21] I've been rocking Garnet and black and celebrate that rest of the year.

[00:10:26] Probably go Cox.

[00:10:28] Yeah, man.

[00:10:29] And you beat Texas A&M.

[00:10:31] Yes, we beat, we had a good year.

[00:10:33] We finished really strong.

[00:10:34] We just found out we, uh, we didn't make the playoffs, but we got to 14.

[00:10:38] So that's not bad.

[00:10:39] Um, I was telling that, that I'm actually adding the EMS GBT air polishers.

[00:10:45] Interesting.

[00:10:45] We bought those last month.

[00:10:46] We're getting trained on them tomorrow.

[00:10:48] So that'll be probably part of my 25 journey more than just the last month here.

[00:10:52] Um, had a good vacation.

[00:10:54] Wait, wait, let's, let's go back to that.

[00:10:55] Why?

[00:10:56] Yeah.

[00:10:57] Um, I've always been intrigued by, you know, Alan, Mal and I have talked about it a lot.

[00:11:01] Um, I just, part of it is that I'm intrigued by it.

[00:11:05] I want my hygienist to have more time to talk because it's getting out of the scaling mode

[00:11:09] is hard.

[00:11:10] You know, they'll scale for 15 minutes and come get you and be like, Hey, all this stuff's

[00:11:14] going on, talk to them.

[00:11:15] And you're like, I have no time.

[00:11:16] Um, but also because I've never made any real, you know, I'm a very tech savvy office, 3d

[00:11:21] printing CAD cam CBCD.

[00:11:23] I don't mean any real investment other than like when a Cavitron breaks.

[00:11:26] Right.

[00:11:27] And hygiene.

[00:11:28] I thought it was time to put some money and time into them.

[00:11:31] Um, that's cool.

[00:11:32] Yeah.

[00:11:33] They got intrigued by it.

[00:11:34] The local tech school is the only place in the upstate or Midlands of South Carolina that

[00:11:37] has it.

[00:11:38] I don't know how they ended up with it.

[00:11:39] I think a grant, but her best friend works there.

[00:11:42] So she, one of my head hygienists has been hearing about it for a while and she brought

[00:11:46] it to me and we kind of have researched it and we're implementing tomorrow.

[00:11:50] So it's exciting.

[00:11:52] Excellent.

[00:11:52] Love it.

[00:11:55] Um, go on Gary.

[00:11:56] What else?

[00:11:58] I'm sorry.

[00:11:59] I had a great vacation in Maine.

[00:12:01] My second vacation got canceled because of the hurricane.

[00:12:04] It was in Asheville.

[00:12:05] So that did not happen.

[00:12:07] Uh, you were heading.

[00:12:09] It's lucky a little bit away from Asheville, but we're heading there between Christmas

[00:12:12] and new years.

[00:12:12] And for the first time ever, we're closing between Christmas and new years.

[00:12:15] Excellent.

[00:12:15] Love it.

[00:12:16] I started thinking about that last year when y'all talked about it.

[00:12:18] Yeah.

[00:12:19] I know Zach and I were working, but I kind of thought about it.

[00:12:21] Still working.

[00:12:22] I noticed that half my team wasn't there anyway.

[00:12:25] And half the patients didn't show up this year.

[00:12:27] It's like, you know, they just, it was half days.

[00:12:28] And I was just like, okay, why am I dragging myself here?

[00:12:32] If no one wants to be here anyway, but yeah, so we're going to try it and hopefully

[00:12:35] it sticks.

[00:12:37] I think it will.

[00:12:39] You deserve some vacations, Gary.

[00:12:40] You work hard.

[00:12:41] I agree.

[00:12:43] We're all working.

[00:12:43] I got better.

[00:12:44] Yeah.

[00:12:45] All right, Miss Aaron, lay it on us.

[00:12:48] Well, we had, I had a lot of vacations because having partners at the office is helpful

[00:12:54] and working three days a week.

[00:12:56] Um, but I'm an empty nester.

[00:12:59] I have a sophomore at Texas A&M and my younger son is he graduated high school early and is

[00:13:06] an electrician apprentice and, um, watches the dogs for us.

[00:13:10] So my bucket list of going to a game at every NFL stadium, I got three more this year.

[00:13:17] What'd you get?

[00:13:19] Um, we got, I got Dallas Cowboys versus the, um, Detroit lions at the Cowboys stadium.

[00:13:28] That was a super fun game.

[00:13:31] Um, except Aiden Hutchinson hurt himself.

[00:13:34] And then the Colts and, um, dolphins at the Indianapolis.

[00:13:41] It was there for the Salaya summit.

[00:13:44] And then, uh, just recently the Titans and in Nashville.

[00:13:51] Have you been to a Cleveland Browns game?

[00:13:54] No, but I was rooting for them.

[00:13:56] Yeah.

[00:13:56] I was, we're not going to talk about that.

[00:13:58] Anyway, we'll go to a Browns game.

[00:14:01] I'll take you.

[00:14:02] Oh, no, no, definitely.

[00:14:03] I'll be there for it's on, it's on the list.

[00:14:05] So wait a minute.

[00:14:06] Let's back this up here.

[00:14:07] So what did this journey begin and how far are you in last year?

[00:14:10] I decided and I had only been.

[00:14:12] Okay.

[00:14:13] This is cool.

[00:14:14] Yeah.

[00:14:14] I've been to the Seahawks like three times.

[00:14:17] Cause it, that's how I used to bribe my son to like improve his grades.

[00:14:22] Um, okay.

[00:14:23] That was his big motivation.

[00:14:24] And then he got a girlfriend and that was the motivator.

[00:14:27] So, um, sure.

[00:14:29] Then I've been to Chicago bears on my birthday.

[00:14:33] We went to a white socks and a bears game in the same day or cups.

[00:14:37] That's cool.

[00:14:38] And then, um, you did the Cubs and the bears in the same weekend, the same day on my birthday.

[00:14:43] Same day.

[00:14:45] That's amazing.

[00:14:46] Wow.

[00:14:47] It was pretty cool.

[00:14:47] That's awesome.

[00:14:48] Uh, and then my third one was the Tampa Bay bucks versus the lions.

[00:14:55] Um, when I was in Tampa Bay for a pickleball tournament.

[00:14:59] Very cool.

[00:15:00] So my professional pickleball going well.

[00:15:03] Good.

[00:15:04] Okay.

[00:15:05] Um, my, so, okay.

[00:15:06] So how many stadiums down?

[00:15:07] Yeah.

[00:15:08] So six down and, um, definitely bills is on my list before they move into the new one.

[00:15:13] And I love that.

[00:15:15] That's still going to be uncovered even in their new stadium.

[00:15:18] And, uh, I promised Megan Weisenberger and Mark Fleming that I'd get to Cincinnati versus,

[00:15:24] uh, bills next year too.

[00:15:26] Excellent.

[00:15:27] Cool.

[00:15:28] Yeah.

[00:15:28] I love this.

[00:15:29] That's really, that's really neat.

[00:15:30] And I, it's like, we know people in most of the cities too, which is even cooler.

[00:15:35] Cooler.

[00:15:36] Excellent.

[00:15:37] I mean, I'm like, when you're, when you're ready to see Taylor Swift and yeah, I'm like,

[00:15:43] I'll come speak for your study club on this date or this day.

[00:15:48] That's when the home games are.

[00:15:50] There you go.

[00:15:51] Um, my big win today is that a patient said, can you, um, can you go deeper?

[00:15:58] And, um, I didn't say anything.

[00:16:00] So that was, that was the, you restrained yourself.

[00:16:03] Yeah.

[00:16:05] Yeah.

[00:16:06] But professionally, um, as far as the speaking goes, it's very interesting sleep I think

[00:16:12] has ebbs and flows, but live learning is different.

[00:16:15] And maybe you guys have some comments on that, but like I spoke at some state meetings

[00:16:19] and star of the South used to be a big deal and it was just kind of quiet.

[00:16:24] And it's just, I see this trend and it kind of makes me sad because live learning is so important

[00:16:33] to me.

[00:16:33] Maybe it's just my age.

[00:16:35] Um, I think, I think organized dentistry of some sort is important too, because who else

[00:16:42] is looking out for us?

[00:16:43] Um, so that I know is controversial to say, but someone's got to preserve what we have.

[00:16:51] And then as far as the office goes, um, we've been implementing the Silea, which has been

[00:16:59] taken me down a whole nother journey with the, um, functional frenuloplasties, which is not

[00:17:06] your mama's tongue tie release.

[00:17:08] Um, and I finally had the hygienist exodus.

[00:17:12] We had three leave slowly gaining some back.

[00:17:19] Uh, it's, it's been rough.

[00:17:23] However, I, it's like, there's no, they're nowhere to be found or have all these requirements.

[00:17:29] We even passed on someone.

[00:17:31] Cause we're like, like you can't, you don't get to call the shots that much.

[00:17:36] Um, but I went and spoke at the hygiene school and all that was there early.

[00:17:42] And we, I was like, I, you will be mine.

[00:17:48] And, uh, that's just a good way for them to see kind of our culture and stuff too.

[00:17:54] And then I spoke at a hygiene club and I was like, I, you know, I'm like, I want you.

[00:18:00] Um, the, and then of course my assistant had a baby and I know Gary, like maybe it was

[00:18:08] you that always had mature.

[00:18:09] Oh, maybe that was, um, someone else that had like the last 12 years, someone always

[00:18:16] pregnant or on maternity leave.

[00:18:19] Um, but she decided to stay home.

[00:18:22] And so fortunately we found a good sub.

[00:18:26] And so, um, it's like, you know what it was, Kevin, we wanted to finalize the team photo.

[00:18:33] Yeah, of course.

[00:18:35] It's the curse.

[00:18:36] It's the curse.

[00:18:37] It's the curse.

[00:18:38] Finalized.

[00:18:38] Yeah.

[00:18:39] Don't, don't take those.

[00:18:40] Four left.

[00:18:42] So, um, yeah, but that'll lead to our next episode and talking about the future.

[00:18:47] So it was kind of, it's, I didn't, we, we didn't have the hygienist issue.

[00:18:53] I knew I was kind of like feeling lucky.

[00:18:56] Um, and then it finally happened.

[00:18:59] Yeah.

[00:19:00] What did you, what did you do in the short term while you were trying to find?

[00:19:03] Oh, thanks.

[00:19:04] Thanks for asking that.

[00:19:05] Cause, um, we had some of our existing, take some extra days.

[00:19:11] We found like maybe one temp, which, but it's been beautiful.

[00:19:17] And this is something that I've wanted to do for so long.

[00:19:20] And now we're in a position of power.

[00:19:23] We got a new front desk that is freaking killing it with the, um, sooner if possible list.

[00:19:29] And if you're not confirmed, we're subbing you out.

[00:19:34] If you do not confirm.

[00:19:36] And we've sent out an email and a text to everyone that, and it's amazing how the unconfirmed patients don't show up.

[00:19:45] Yeah.

[00:19:46] Yeah.

[00:19:46] And that is how it works.

[00:19:48] I was like, man, we need to keep this, uh, keep this going.

[00:19:51] So the cool part is, is that we have the patients in that value us and the hygienist schedules are full.

[00:19:59] And I think a great realization for us and we're lean and mean.

[00:20:06] Um, but there's not a lot of, you know, time wasted and Gary, that, that is a goal of mine to get to invest for the hygienist.

[00:20:17] But, you know, hygienists too, as they clean teeth all day or looking for something more, I think they want like some purpose.

[00:20:26] And so, uh, three of the four hygienists left, uh, we have four or five, um, want to do my functional therapy.

[00:20:36] So we've invested in that education.

[00:20:38] Excellent.

[00:20:39] Yeah.

[00:20:40] Excellent.

[00:20:41] Right on.

[00:20:43] Very cool.

[00:20:46] Kevin, you want to go next?

[00:20:47] Sure.

[00:20:48] I'll go next.

[00:20:49] Um, so the big change in our office for 2024 was adding the associate, which I will say right now went amazingly.

[00:20:58] Um, so Matt, if you're listening, you have been a great asset to our practice.

[00:21:05] It's allowed me to practice, uh, three days a week, which is great.

[00:21:09] And I think, um, you know, mentoring the associate along.

[00:21:14] I think I learned from a lot of other people's horror stories and tried to, um, overcome those.

[00:21:23] So, um, that has gone, you know, great.

[00:21:28] Um, we had two pregnant employees, um, this year.

[00:21:35] So not of my doing, but, um, so that created a little bit of a challenge and is currently creating a challenge.

[00:21:44] Uh, one was my office manager, uh, Tammy, who was out for, you know, nine weeks or whatever it was.

[00:21:52] And, um, my lead hygienist and sleep champion is now at home with her little baby, Megan.

[00:21:58] So, um, you know, that, you know, that was not something I anticipated happening in 2024.

[00:22:07] Well, I, I probably knew about Tammy when we did this last time, but I didn't know about Megan.

[00:22:11] Um, so that was, that was a challenge.

[00:22:15] Have you noticed that the maternity leaves are, they used to be six weeks and now they're.

[00:22:22] Yeah. I kind of let them do whatever they want. That was, yeah, we're very lenient and lots of pumping breaks and all of that.

[00:22:32] And pumping breaths.

[00:22:34] Yeah. T-Man buys the self pumpers just so you know, so they can pump while working on patients.

[00:22:42] Um, so I think, you know, practice wise, we, we changed our practice management system, uh, last month to care stack.

[00:22:51] That's a whole nother podcast episode that we can do.

[00:22:55] We're still figuring that all out.

[00:22:57] Um, but I think, uh, you know, that, that was really, you know, the, the biggest new thing personally.

[00:23:06] Um, I'm going to start with a downer, um, first week of February, I found out my birth mother had pancreatic cancer and, um, you know, she passed away in September.

[00:23:20] And that was kind of a black cloud hanging over most of 2024 and trying to manage that and care for her.

[00:23:31] And, you know, there was a lot of emotions, a lot of trips to, uh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

[00:23:37] Um, but I will say that I was lucky to have the 15 years that I had with her.

[00:23:44] And, um, I'm happy that all of her family was with her at the end.

[00:23:51] And, um, so, um, you know, that, that was not something I expected to happen this year at all.

[00:24:01] On a happier note, our trip to Croatia was life changing and, uh, you know, went for two weeks and, you know, I, I told the story over and over again, but, uh, having Missy go to her father's childhood home and, um, put her feet in the river that he used to play in when he was a child.

[00:24:27] Um, that's really cool.

[00:24:29] Very cool.

[00:24:30] So, um, you know, the, the, the thing about that trip is I left, I left the United States at a really weird time.

[00:24:38] That was right after the Trump Biden debate where I thought, well, what the heck is happening in this country?

[00:24:44] And I went to a different country, different culture, different everything.

[00:24:49] And, um, you know, it was just really, really, it, it allowed me to gain some perspective of my homeland.

[00:24:59] Um, the good old U S of a, so that's all a whole nother topic.

[00:25:06] So that sounds like a whole podcast.

[00:25:08] Did you come back with a favorable or are we, are we, are we doing okay or not?

[00:25:11] I will say this, uh, this is going to be it in a nutshell and I don't want to get super political, but I spent two weeks in Croatia and probably saw three policemen.

[00:25:21] Think about that.

[00:25:23] And I drove, I was the driver.

[00:25:27] I see at least two policemen driving from my home to my office.

[00:25:33] So I will ask you who is free, who has freedom.

[00:25:39] If this is the land of the free, why is someone watching me at almost every move I make?

[00:25:47] And I'll just leave it at that.

[00:25:49] Zach, let's leave it to you.

[00:25:52] Let's turn it over to you.

[00:25:54] So, so the, the biggest change for me for the year was that in June, my dad had a major rotator cuff surgery and it kind of rendered him unable to, to do dentistry anymore.

[00:26:08] Or pitch for the Royals.

[00:26:10] Or pitch.

[00:26:11] Or pitch.

[00:26:11] And so, you know, he, the most he'd been, I mean, he was only working a day, day and a half a week, but he's, he's, he's still the owner, still like kind of the man in charge in, in a lot of respects.

[00:26:27] And so all of a sudden when he wasn't there for, I mean, the longest stretch of time ever.

[00:26:34] And I started having, you know, to make all the decisions and I have full creative control over everything.

[00:26:42] That really changed a bunch real, real fast, you know?

[00:26:46] Um, and I'm still, I'm still actually kind of working through this, like freedom that I have to kind of like do things the way I want them to happen for the most part.

[00:26:59] So that has been a huge change.

[00:27:01] I'm still kind of processing.

[00:27:02] What, what changes have you made?

[00:27:05] This is going to sound really, really lame for 2024.

[00:27:08] I mean, beyond lame.

[00:27:10] And I, I apologize to the amount of lameness this is.

[00:27:13] My dad cannot type.

[00:27:15] So we were on paper charts still in 2024.

[00:27:20] I think it'd be finally done.

[00:27:24] I'm typing all my notes now.

[00:27:25] Just like, you know, I should have been doing this.

[00:27:28] This is a change that's at a minimum 15 to 20 years overdue.

[00:27:32] Yeah.

[00:27:32] And it was getting, it was getting really embarrassing over the last few years to even, you know, be sitting there writing in those lines.

[00:27:39] But, you know, that, that change happened.

[00:27:41] And there's, there's a, there's plenty more, plenty more coming.

[00:27:45] A lot of like small, you know, change.

[00:27:48] I changed our entire accounting system.

[00:27:51] I've changed.

[00:27:53] I don't know.

[00:27:54] It, there's a laundry list of stuff that I've already done.

[00:27:57] Um, and then I've got a, I've got a, you know, pretty, pretty big list of things to do, but you can't unleash too many things on any team at once without overwhelming them.

[00:28:08] Yeah.

[00:28:09] So, and then, and then to, uh, yeah, I can see that in your case.

[00:28:14] Uh, and then of course I have my main assistant, my like absolute, you know, rock is going to be out with a baby here in about two or three weeks.

[00:28:22] And what you said about like extended maternity leaves, she wanted 12 weeks.

[00:28:26] Yeah.

[00:28:26] Yeah.

[00:28:27] So I'm, I'm out for a while and let me, it is not, you can't hire a, like, you know, Hey, do you want to come work for nine to 10 weeks or 12 weeks?

[00:28:38] Like you put out that ad and I mean, it's not, it's not pretty what we decided to absorb the person we hired and who cared if we had extra.

[00:28:49] And it turned out okay.

[00:28:52] Cause we found an all-star even though I miss my all-star.

[00:28:56] That's great.

[00:28:57] Um, but we kind of had this feeling that she wasn't really coming, going to come back.

[00:29:05] It's always a danger.

[00:29:07] Yeah.

[00:29:07] I'm, I'm, you know, this, my, my all-star has said she's coming back and I'm really hoping that she doesn't sit there at home for 10 weeks and change her mind.

[00:29:16] So we'll see.

[00:29:17] We will see.

[00:29:18] But, um, let's see.

[00:29:20] Uh, I, I took my family on a grand Canyon trip, um, which was fantastic.

[00:29:25] Excellent pictures.

[00:29:25] It's first national park.

[00:29:26] Um, that was cool.

[00:29:28] We also did Colorado Springs this year.

[00:29:30] We did a lot of heavy nature stuff this year.

[00:29:32] Everything, everything we do is nature based.

[00:29:35] It's like, you know, the, the ski trips or the lake trip, or in this case, it was the, uh, you know, the kind of outdoor, uh, state national park thing.

[00:29:45] And we had a great year doing that kind of stuff.

[00:29:47] Love it.

[00:29:47] I'm just looking forward.

[00:29:48] It's counting down the days till the next ski season.

[00:29:51] It's getting, it's coming soon.

[00:29:52] I might have a guest on my ski slopes.

[00:29:54] Oops.

[00:29:55] Um, it's in the works.

[00:29:57] We're going to figure it out.

[00:29:58] Oh, nice.

[00:29:59] Is Schweitzer open yet?

[00:30:00] It is.

[00:30:01] My son stayed behind for Thanksgiving and we, and my college son went to Mexico.

[00:30:06] Um, and my husband, but he was skiing this and that's kind of rare for Schweitzer.

[00:30:12] Um, but my, my son is quite the skier.

[00:30:16] And so I would love to find a way to meet Kevin in park city.

[00:30:21] I'd like to experience park.

[00:30:23] We're going to try to make that happen.

[00:30:24] Yeah.

[00:30:25] Plus I think they would like each other as people too.

[00:30:28] Yeah.

[00:30:29] Yeah.

[00:30:29] Love it.

[00:30:31] Very cool.

[00:30:32] Very cool.

[00:30:33] Well, we're, we're getting close up against it.

[00:30:34] Anyone have any, uh, final thoughts on, on 20, 24, any, uh, take backs, apologies, double downs, Gary, you look like you got something in the, in the tank there.

[00:30:45] It reminded me that my first three months were still in the fill in hygiene hell that I talked about last year.

[00:30:51] I think I blocked it out.

[00:30:53] Um, we filled one day six times with six different hygienists before my long time hygienist came to me and said, just give me two chairs and an assistant.

[00:31:02] Yeah.

[00:31:02] Sometimes that's a better way to go.

[00:31:04] Yeah.

[00:31:05] Cause she's like, um, she started hating her own profession after a while.

[00:31:09] Yeah.

[00:31:10] So thanks for those memories.

[00:31:13] Hey, that's pretty cool though.

[00:31:15] That someone stepped up.

[00:31:16] So that's, that's.

[00:31:18] Yeah.

[00:31:18] You got to value that person.

[00:31:20] That's, that's pretty cool.

[00:31:21] I love that.

[00:31:22] She's amazing.

[00:31:23] Yeah.

[00:31:24] How about, how about you, Kevin, Aaron, any double downs?

[00:31:27] Take back.

[00:31:27] I would just say that, you know, I'm happy that we're, are doing this and this is going to be coming tradition.

[00:31:34] And, you know, 2024 was kind of wild.

[00:31:37] There's no way I could have predicted that.

[00:31:40] Um, obviously, I mean, that's cliche.

[00:31:43] It sounds stupid, but looking back, um, pretty wild year.

[00:31:47] So, you know, see what 20 for sure.

[00:31:49] In 2025.

[00:31:51] All right.

[00:31:52] Yeah.

[00:31:52] I do have to mention one other good thing.

[00:31:54] The dinner that Aaron and I and Tom Hadley and Matt and Randy had in Nashville was also, that was a impromptu, you know, that's the best.

[00:32:09] Where you can just, um, meet with some friends and have some dinner.

[00:32:14] That was awesome.

[00:32:15] Well, yeah, because at conferences you're always passing and it was just very intimate and, and just caught up on life, not just dentistry.

[00:32:22] So.

[00:32:23] We got away from the wild kids and had adult time.

[00:32:28] Yep.

[00:32:28] That's it.

[00:32:30] Yeah.

[00:32:31] All right.

[00:32:32] Uh, thank you guys for listening.

[00:32:33] If, uh, you want more, check out the Very Clinical Facebook page.

[00:32:38] Kevin, are we, are you?

[00:32:39] Monetizing that in 2025?

[00:32:40] Yeah.

[00:32:41] It's, uh, one Bitcoin.

[00:32:44] Oh.

[00:32:44] Is your entry.

[00:32:45] One whole Bitcoin.

[00:32:46] Yikes.

[00:32:46] Yeah.

[00:32:47] We're, we're going to be rolling.

[00:32:48] It is a great Facebook group.

[00:32:50] Please join.

[00:32:51] It's awesome.

[00:32:52] Because everyone.

[00:32:53] And post.

[00:32:54] I did post.

[00:32:55] Yes.

[00:32:55] But we do need more.

[00:32:56] Everybody.

[00:32:57] Aaron did post.

[00:32:57] Listeners.

[00:32:58] She posted a couple of times.

[00:32:59] Yes.

[00:32:59] Everybody posts.

[00:33:00] And I always, you guys post the podcast in there and I, I always get to put my comments because when you do your opening bit, I'm like,

[00:33:08] no, I want to say my movie.

[00:33:12] I appreciated the movies that you, you put in there.

[00:33:15] Yeah.

[00:33:16] I appreciated that.

[00:33:17] That was great.

[00:33:17] For sure.

[00:33:18] Yep.

[00:33:18] All right.

[00:33:19] Hey, um, if you enjoyed this, uh, we're going to have these fine guests back next week to do our preview of 2025 to make, uh, all kinds of incorrect predictions.

[00:33:30] All right.

[00:33:31] Thank you guys for listening.

[00:33:32] And we'll see ya.