"I have been practicing dentistry for seventeen years. In the years since receiving my degree, I have owned or started three different practices in Indiana and I have owned my current practice in Indianapolis for nine years.
"My current practice had been doing pretty well since I bought it, but I was not able to take it too much higher in production. It was stuck averaging $70,000 per month.
"As a pediatric dentist, I want my office to have a warm, friendly atmosphere where my patients feel like part of the family. And, for a while, the place did feel like a family—a dysfunctional one—which was no fun at all for the patients, the staff, my wife or me.
"Six years ago I needed help with organizing my office and reducing my level of stress. At the time, my child was very sick and I hadn’t been able to pay full attention to my practice. I had high staff turnover and collections and production were not where they should have been; it felt overwhelming with so much to confront in the practice and so much going on in my personal life as well.
"I opened my own dental practice right out of school in 2003 and spent six years growing it large enough to bring on an associate. Things had been running well and with one doctor, there were not as many challenges. When my associate started, I was unprepared for the growth and how to handle the increased work administratively. I ended up with inefficient systems and an overstaffed office with overpaid employees.
"Approximately twelve years ago, after a particularly bad day at work, I received a letter from a dental school classmate sharing his experiences after becoming a client of Sterling. I soon became enrolled in the program and the rest is history.