Authentic Content Creation: Connecting Deeply on Social Media

[podcast_iframe]

Podcast Summary

During a conversation between Shawn Zajas and Avi Patel, they discuss the importance of courage, vulnerability, and authenticity in pursuing one’s dreams. Avi Patel is commended for his fearless approach to sharing his struggles and experiences on social media, which has led to a deeper connection with others. They emphasize the need to step out of the sidelines and take action towards fulfilling one’s dreams, rather than being a mere spectator. 

Avi Patel shares his journey of consistent and authentic content creation on social media. Despite initial doubts about the impact of his posts, he received messages from people who found his messages inspiring and impactful. This reaffirmed the notion that when one is vulnerable and true to themselves, the universe responds in kind, attracting like-minded individuals and opportunities. 

Shawn Zajas recognizes Avi Patel’s drive and passion, noting that he is not merely a dreamer but a visionary actively pursuing his goals. They stress the importance of aligning one’s actions with their vision and refusing to be dominated by fear and self-doubt. Avi Patel acknowledges that he has faced moments of impostor syndrome and the question of “Who am I to do this?” but he has chosen to overcome those doubts and move forward with confidence. 

The conversation takes a turn towards the dental industry, where Avi Patel discusses his recent posts calling out issues within the profession. Despite concerns about potential backlash, he received overwhelming support from individuals who shared similar experiences and frustrations. Avi Patel expresses his desire to bring awareness to these problems and empower fellow dentists to take action and create positive change. He believes that by addressing these issues, dentistry can evolve and improve for the benefit of all. 

They highlight the importance of creating platforms and programs that support young dentists, particularly new graduates who are highly motivated and ready to make a difference. Avi Patel urges the industry to provide avenues for growth and innovation, emphasizing the need to support and encourage new dentists rather than limiting their potential. He believes that by fostering a culture of learning and progress, the profession as a whole can move forward and push boundaries. 

In conclusion, the conversation between Shawn Zajas and Avi Patel underscores the significance of courage, vulnerability, and authenticity in pursuing one’s dreams and effecting change. Avi Patel’s journey serves as an inspiration for others, demonstrating the power of being true to oneself and sharing experiences openly. The dialogue also sheds light on the need for improvement within the dental industry, with a focus on empowering young dentists and addressing existing challenges. By embracing vulnerability and working together, dentists can shape a brighter future for the profession and create meaningful impact in their communities. 

Connect with Avi: 

Website – www.clearaligneradvisor.co
Instagram – www.instagram.com/@doctor.avi
Youtube – www.youtube.com/@doctoravi
Email- doctor.avi.dds@gmail.com

 

Podcast Transcript

Avi Patel 00:00 

dentistry is an entrepreneur’s dream. Think about it. It is an archaic profession, it is slow to develop. That means there’s so much opportunity. 

 

Shawn Zajas  00:09 

The future of dentistry belongs to the innovators. Welcome to innovation in dentistry. I’m your host, Shawn Zajas. And I believe that the future of dentistry is going to be unbelievably great over the next decade in two decades. But the question isn’t that the question is, are you going to be part of what makes dentistry great? I am super excited today to have the opportunity to be with Dr. V. Patel. And before I set you up, Dr. Just I want to welcome you like thank you for letting me interview you today. 

 

Avi Patel 00:54 

Thanks for having me. I’m pumped when this was scheduled, and when it showed up on my calendar, I was very excited because you’re someone who I met not too long ago, but we’ve we really hit it off. And And ever since then we’ve had some really good conversation. So to be able to put this into a podcast, I’m pumped. 

 

Shawn Zajas  01:13 

Okay, so for the audience, if you guys don’t know, Dr. Patel, I’d be shocked. Now, like I was gonna call you like an up and comer, but you’re not because you’re already here. But the reason why I could still say up and comers because we’re Dr. Patel is going and you’ll see based off of his energy, his passion, his purpose, and just the pace he’s keeping. He is blazing innovation, in dentistry, and where he’s going to be in five years, then you’re gonna look back at this and be like, Oh, my God, he was definitely an up and comer. But you’re already doing amazing things. Dr. Patel, innovation in dentistry. What could that mean? It could be clinical, it could be technological. But I’m fascinated by what is it that gives dental professionals permission to just pioneer positive change? Like why are you not just content? Being a dentist? Like, that’s amazing. But that’s like, you’re not? I don’t want to call it settling. Like, why is it that for you, you had to step up? And now do what you’re doing? And also just get into what you’re doing? 

 

Avi Patel02:14 

Yeah. Well, what should I do what I’m doing first? Or should I answer that question? Because that is a? That’s an awesome question. 

 

Shawn Zajas  02:21 

Let’s get into what you’re doing first. So people kind of have a bit of a framework for what type of disruption you’re bringing, and then I’d love to hear the why. 

 

Avi Patel02:30 

Okay, so we’ll start with the story. Yeah, perfect. So graduated NYU, 20 J team, working up in the northeast, as an associate about eight different practices. In my first two years, I have seen it all pretty much in dentistry. You know, each each of those opportunities was an opportunity, like was something where I went in excited and hopeful. And then nothing really lasted. And so this can be common for a lot of dentists early in their career, which is a problem, right? Why is there not? And we don’t have to answer all these questions. But this is just kind of how all these things play out. But it’s just this, this whole concept of turnover early in a dentist career is considered normal. For me, no one really told me that no one gave me that heads up, I thought, hey, when I’d be a dentist, I’m going to grind for four years, I’m going to grind for undergrad I’m going to grind and kill it in dental school and then I’m going to come out and I’m going to make a lot of money, I’m have a lot of time. And I’m going to just be able to help people and just live this like comfortable dentists life. That doesn’t happen. Because when you come out, the real world of Dentistry has, it just has a lot of factors that play in to people’s experiences. And we can get into that later. But basically, I keep my head up, I’m going through all these associate chips, and each one. Now when I look back, I look at it, I saw eight different ways to practice dentistry. And what’s crazy is not one experience was the same. Everybody’s doing it differently. And that in itself is beautiful for this profession. But that also breeds a lot of problems. Because when everybody is doing everything their own way, I saw really, really good ways to do dentistry. And I saw really, really bad ways and I saw everything in between. And it not only affects associates, it affects all the team members, hygienist assistants, front desk managers, everybody. And so it’s built this, like I call it dentistry is toxic, and I made a whole reel on it on Instagram, but it’s created this toxic environment. And I think it’s not just one it’s not just one variable. It’s not one reason it’s a culmination of years of this profession, not progressing at the rate where it needs to. So kind of hitting on that thing on that point of, you know, innovation in dentistry and why is it it’s innovation in dentistry is possible because I just don’t think there has been that much in the past which is exciting. It’s a It’s not the best thing, historically. But it’s exciting because of where we can all go. Right. So, back to the story, all these associates chips, they’re adding on, I’m burning out, I’m burning out on dentistry, because I’m just like, Man, I can’t keep a job for more than three to four months. Some things that happened where I work for an owner, couple months later, they’d sell the practice, and then they wouldn’t need an associate. Yeah, other places where, you know, they’d be promising me all this stuff. There’s so much treatment here. There’s so many patients, and then I go in and there’s no patients. It’s like, you know, owners are like taking procedures from me because they’re not busy enough. So they pull from my schedule, and it’s like, okay, well, maybe I just need to, like, keep learning. And so it was just a lot of like, not good fits. That’s kind of how I sum it up. And I always try to take a positive thing away from each of those experiences. But then ultimately, I realized I needed to learn something new, right, I needed to expand my skill set, because I, you know, I was burning out on the basics. So then I learned how to do aligners. And the practice I was at, I basically got to, I tried to implement it, but the owner rejected it. He said, it’s not profitable. And from that, I didn’t believe him, because I had seen and heard too many other dentists that were having success with it. That pushed me over the edge. And so my wife and I moved down to Austin, where I’m currently practicing worked for a small DSO, they had the iTero they had all the support the CEE, they’re like, Hey, go crazy with it, knock yourself dead. So I did, I started 50 cases, in my first six months, I had a mentor, Dr. Cristina blocker, she helped guide me in the beginning. But I really just kind of was just I put my head down, and I went to work. And I was like, I am going to make this work for me. And I’m going to make it work for my patients. So I found all this success. And, you know, I think what happens is when a lot of people find success in something, the natural thing to do is to turn around and share it. So I started coaching up other dentists in the DSO. And I even wanted to create like a position for myself, because I was like, wait a minute, like, I can make a bigger impact, and help more patients and more people and actually like doing this if I am just like doing more of this, like coaching than the physical practicing. So the DSOs shot it down. They just wanted me to practice, you know, but everything happens for a reason, right? Everything happens for a reason. Like, that’s just how it works. And so then my wife, she has a background and finance. So she’s like, Hey, why don’t you just start consulting? And I was like, Yeah, that sounds awesome. I have no idea what that like how to do that. So she helped me out. And I started consulting one on one. And then doctors who had like no experience, we’re starting, like 25 cases in two months, right. So now my cool this curriculum that I have, it works. And what I’ve done is I’ve basically just simplified the aligner process of case selection, implementation, all that just into like a basic strategy and formula that dentists can follow. And then so my next mentor in my journey is Dr. Dinesh Ganatra. He showed he taught me about creating like online programs. So then I took my consulting business, turned it into an online program, so that way, I could have more reach, right? lot easier to make a bigger impact. And that has now basically taken a life of its own. And here we are a year later, over 100 doctors in the program. And I am slowly but surely just kind of chipping away at this. And the other thing that has kind of happened on the side is when I was first consultant doing the consulting, I had to figure out a way to market I was talking to like reps and stuff, but you know, those were getting some leads, but not too many. And I was like listen like Grant Cardone. And he’s just like, hey, social media is free, you should use it, you know, and so my call, just start doing that. So I started posting on social media aligner tips, all the things. I was following all these Instagram creator accounts and taking what they’re using and implementing it to dentistry and aligners, and my page slowly grew and basically had around 800 followers when I first started and now I think we’re up to like 23,000 and it’s been 13 months. So yeah, that’s kind of where we’re at. And basically, the the way that I’m making an impact is by providing a lot of free education to doctors because I noticed there’s a big gap. No one is really making a liner content for free for dentists out there for general dentist. So I started a YouTube channel and then I’ve got the social media page on Instagram. So the combination of the two is helping kind of get the word out and then I tried to get people are then heavy like a concentrated like hour and a half free masterclass that teaches dentists how to do it and then if they want to go deeper with me, then they can enroll into the course itself. So that’s where we’re at. 

 

Shawn Zajas  09:56 

Okay, so I need to say like, you made it seem like it was a normal thing when someone typically gets ahead or has success, they look back and they want to help other people. And I just like to say like, I wish that was more normal. But I love the fact that that is the way that you chose to be like the fact that the DSOs shot you down, like, oh my gosh, here’s a dentist that’s actually wanting to provide value and train up to make other dentists in our organization more profitable, so we can be more, and he doesn’t have an equity stake in our DSO. He’s acting like a business owner and a business leader, even though he doesn’t have equity. And they have freaked out and said, No, 

 

Avi Patel10:34 

get this, they told me that you have to. And again, like I respect them, but they told me, I just don’t I think what I’m doing right now, and this is what happens when you’re an innovator is people don’t get it. They don’t if they can’t understand it, they, they, they don’t react well to it. And I think, for me, they basically thought that I had to be like a practice owner, or have some type of like credibility, to be able to educate and teach these other dentists, which made me laugh, because I did I, I was doing the most cases in the company. And I was like, hey, I can teach people how to do this. Just compensate me a little bit. And I want to work one less clinical day. Like it was like the worst at like, it was the worst deal for me from like a time compensation amount, which is why you know, the universe always looking out for me protects me. But yeah, it was just yeah, it blew my mind. And that’s the thing is in this journey, and this is what I’m realizing very early in this journey. And I’m always trying to not necessarily make everything a deal, but I’m trying to make it a no brainer, right? Like, even when my program first came out, I was like, I’m going to charge $1,000 for this thing. Because that’s like, that’s like nothing, right for how much you can make from cases. And then I was like, But I want everybody like, I want everybody to get in this thing. And like no one was really enrolling. And then I then I was like, oh, okay, like some people did. And then I was like, okay, like, listen to some podcasts and be like, oh, like value and this and that. And so they’re cool. You know what, let’s let’s increase the price, because I always wanted to charge more like I wanted to charge like, I think this information is worth like $50,000 Honestly, because of like, how much it’s transferred, how much? Yeah, it totally changes dentists career. And so I was like, Yeah, my wife was like, you can’t charge people 50,000 She’s like, you don’t even like have like, and I’m like, Nah, debatable, but I was like, I respect you. And like I will, we’ll go through like a business model, right? For pricing increase and stuff. So then I increase the price to like, 2500 after six months, and then we we’ve just people rolling in. So I’m like, what, like, this doesn’t make any sense. But it’s true, right? It’s like it’s perceived value. And if it’s something is so cheap, people don’t think it’s actually going to live up to you know, what is the the desired results? And so it’s kind of finding that that equilibrium, but yeah, it’s it’s been awesome. 

 

Shawn Zajas  13:01 

So as you’re sharing, it’s so obvious to see again, like what I was saying early in the introduction is that you are in motion, and you’re moving fast. So even like with the whole hates, not a fit three, four months, like you could have taken that as man is like a sign that I don’t belong in dentistry. Should I just keep putting up with a crappy situation and endure suffering? And you’re just like, this isn’t a fit. Let’s find the next thing. And I think that greatest like entrepreneurs do is they, they just keep going and they learn from it. Like, that’s not that’s not normal, in my experience of how I seen normal dentists, and I’m not trying to do knock on dentists, but you’re massively intrapreneurial. 

 

Avi Patel13:45 

Bro. You can you can knock on them. It’s fine. I knock on them all the time. No, I love I love my dentist. I love my colleagues. I think what it is, is it’s like, no, so I had those thoughts early on. But what happened is I had to build the muscle. And that’s also part of the messaging that I’m trying to get out there. It’s like, Look, if this was if I go in hopeful go in humble, go in hungry, go and willing to learn. But if you’re not learning, if you’re not earning or if you’re not doing something new, evaluate it and get out. You don’t need to stick around like you can like what I’ve realized is it takes three months to know if a practice is the right fit. On average, right? Because if you’re not busy, or if you’re not learning or if you don’t like the way things are after 90 days, what do you think is going to change? Right? Like sure some people can make the argument for oh, like stick around for the recalls. No, if you’re an associate and the practice is not having some type of growth up front, right? Sure. You need to do some like make sure you are actually diagnosing and doing the things that you can. But that’s the meter and that’s coming from someone who’s now worked in 11 associate ships Right, and like my most recent ones have been longer than three months. But it’s like, I get it, I see it. And what happens is a lot of it’s this toxic cycle. And this is kind of where I want to expand on that a little bit is like, pretty much everyone who becomes a dentist or wants to be a dentist, right? They want that. I think I call it it’s like the my three pillars, right? They want time, they want money, and they want fulfillment, right? You want to help people, you want to make money and you want to live a good life with just the ability to have time. reality hits you. And you usually don’t have any of those three, three things. You don’t have money when you first come out because you’re about half a million dollars in debt. Now. 750k you don’t have time because you’re usually trying to like work in multiple practices, or you’re working like you’re willing to take on these like, all these crazy like I was working six days a week, like what dentist needs to be working six friggin days a week, like, who wants to do dentistry on Saturday? Like, come on now. Like, let’s not act like this is some it’s a dentist, like nobody wants to go to the dentist on Saturday. But people the northeast, like that’s they hang their hats on that. But you can tell I’m still processing all that stuff. No, but 

 

Shawn Zajas  16:10 

and then fulfillment out of your, your therapist is telling you it’s good to talk about. 

 

Avi Patel16:14 

Yeah, exactly. So it’s so that so then you have that. And then the whole fulfillment thing, it’s just like in the beginning, you’re not doing you’re not nesting not, you’re just not, it doesn’t line up with what you thought, right? Which is okay. Because sometimes things take patients to takes time to like, make an impact and whatnot. But there comes a point early in your career where you have to know when to like, pull the cord. But what happens is traditionally, right? Dentists go through this pathway, they get an associate ship, their struggle, there’s problems, the owner does something or it’s not a good fit, and then they get frustrated. And then they go through that a couple of times, and they’re like, You know what the answer is, I’m going to just go do my own thing. I’m just gonna open my practice. Yeah, that’s great. If you are equipped and interested in business and running a business, because when you become an owner, you are not just a clinician, you have now absorbed this entirely new career that you have zero education not. So then what happens? They usually don’t invest in the practice, because they get stingy or cheap, or maybe they do and they get burned by somebody. So now they’re like, Go, all consultants are bad. It’s like, No, you just picked a bad consultant. Like so. So then they don’t know how to run a business. They did they did this thing. They’re in more debt, right? Because they opened up a business. And then now they’re not really a good leader naturally, well, they just don’t 

 

Shawn Zajas  17:32 

do anything about that. Why would they be right? Exactly. And 

 

Avi Patel17:35 

some select few are blessed with it. But even then it’s like, I’m like, I know why I’m like, I’m a leader. It’s, it’s in my blood. But like, there’s things that I’ve had to learn over time to refine it. And you don’t learn it in dental school. No one teaches you that right. So now you’re a bad business owner, you’re a bad leader, maybe you’re an okay, clinician, right. And then now you just infect everybody in the office, because the staff gets, the staff gets to work for somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing. And then you hire an associate, and this associate gets burned. Now that associate, now their journey is like, Oh, cool. This is a terrible experience. I’m gonna do my own thing. So you’ve got all these people, who then tell themselves this lie that they feel like they should have been a business owner and stuff. But it’s just like, you weren’t even equipped to do this. Like, that’s what I’ve seen. Right? And again, I’m not, I’m not making a generalized comment, I’m making a pretty edge like, I’ve been in a lot. And that’s my theory, like, that’s what I think that’s why this industry is in the state that it’s in. And that’s why it needs more people innovating. And so I believe the answer is, is there has to be people who are willing to step out of the chair, right, and then use their experiences to turn around and serve the person they once were. Because what I’ve noticed a being on social media, when I share authentic stuff about what I view about the industry, that that stuff pops off, like, you go to my page, and you look at some of the reels that have over 300,000 views. There’s over 1000 comments of people sharing similar stories, and this is just on Instagram. And these people are these are the people who feel comfortable enough to even write it on the internet. Can you imagine how many people are actually like, it’s just mind blowing. 

 

Shawn Zajas  19:10 

So that’s the thing. So like, imagine you get into dentistry, and you kind of think that your arc is going to be this linear path. And then anytime there’s a dip because of a trauma, tragedy, something that’s unexpected. That’s where we kind of think, oh, my gosh, I need to erase that because I must have done something wrong. I had a bad experience. Instead of realizing that bad experience I need to solve that, that bought bad experience is the gold that can transform, because that bad experience isn’t just something you had prior chances are, it’s fairly common across the industry. And then now you can actually just kind of embrace the suck of man, it’s luck that you had to go through that. But if you can learn from it now you can bring value because that’s what dentistry needs. I agree with you 1,000% It’s not good for a dentist that owns a practice to have an associate that is being treated poorly just stay in touch. It doesn’t make dentistry better when you leave. And you know, hey, this is why I’m leaving. I’m sorry, it’s not a fit. But A, B, C, and D, at least you gave them a chance to recognize they need to elevate themselves in A, B, C, and D. Or else. The community’s not winning. Like, yeah, you don’t I’m saying and giving them a chance to do that is what makes dentistry great. You turning around and saying, Man, 11 different associate ships, like you could write a book on that, like, you can make a course on that. 

 

Avi Patel20:27 

Oh, I’m definitely gonna write a book. Yeah. 

 

Shawn Zajas  20:30 

That’s, that’s amazing. Now, going back to what you’re saying even about leadership. I was just talking to my wife about this. I was like, You know what? It was one thing because as a, as you’re growing up, you start realizing stuff that you might be good at, right? A strength that you might have. But oftentimes, I realized, just because you have a giftedness, towards something, it doesn’t mean it’s mature. It doesn’t mean it’s actualized. Yet, it just is a place of potential, a potential gifting, like, Hey, I’m actually naturally inclined to be good at this. But you should actually take your gifts and those are the things you should just develop like hell, like develop the hell out? Yeah, like, so even like you being a natural leader? Well, yeah, but how great Could you be like, how high could you go? If you actually double down as an educator, you’re a great educator, as someone that communicates you’re great at communicating. But my challenge is like, well, how, how great can you be? And I think that’s where you are that voracious learner, you’re like, dude, like, I’m going, 

 

Avi Patel 21:25 

yeah, no, you’re right. No, and that’s saying, it’s actually my mom is the one who like pushed me to like, post on social media and like, use my voice. I’ve always been a talker, like I was always the kid in school getting in trouble, like for talking too much. Like, even my family always says, like, he just wouldn’t stop talking. Like all he did is just like, always talk and and so like, I’ve got it, but like, I never realized, like, what that could translate to right. And then so that’s why I think it’s like you couple the ability to talk with like, life experiences with like, the want and desire to share and to like, have this growth mindset and also like someone who’s wanting to learn, and then you just take that, and you put it out there and like you said, double down. And that’s what this last year has been. It’s like, I’ve doubled down on it. And now that I’ve seen and gotten a taste of what it looks like, and what it feels like, like, I mean, I feel so I feel like this is my purpose, right? Like I feel like and it’s not I’m not to say like dentistry wasn’t my purpose. I think people were so would you do it again? It’s just like, yeah, I probably would, because I didn’t know better, right? And it’s like, I also look at it, like, even if I didn’t know better, yeah, I would still do it. Because at the end of the day, like I’m realizing like, I have an ability to elevate this profession and play a role in that entire narrative. And I know, I’m not the only one who can do it. I know, there’s so many other people out there that can and so it’s like, that’s why I love meeting people who have that mindset. And it’s like, hey, let’s like, Let’s do stuff. Like, let’s get out of the chair, let’s bring let’s uplift, it’s like Dr. Simone Ella, she’s another person who’s like, you know, I met her on this journey. And like, she also wants to, like, help elevate, it’s just kind of like, as you start to like, like, do something different. Like he’s, you know, like, you know, in the beginning, it’s very quiet, no one really knows you. No one really, you know, no, like, you don’t have anyone to relate to as much. But then as you keep going, and you keep climbing. Now all of a sudden, your impact, like continues to turn and it’s just like, knowing that and knowing that what I’m saying is being like, valued, and people find something from it, is what motivates me to like, keep doing it. And so that’s, that’s how I see it. And now it’s just like, now I’m realizing like, if I don’t do something, like who, who will? And so it’s like, I’m not trying to wait to answer that question of like, who’s gonna, like, I’m just gonna do it. And it’s like, if you’re gonna do it, too, like, let’s do it together. 

 

Shawn Zajas  23:49 

Okay, so there’s so much to unpack. You just said, like, Okay, I keep wanting to do this, and I can’t, because then you give me such other great things to share. But I just want to honor you first and foremost, for the fact that like, you have such a humility about you. And the fact that you already found two mentors. Like, people that feel the pressure of you have to somehow be this one man or one woman show like that. Just foolishness, like the fact that you’re wise enough. I mean, you’re, you’re also like, marked by wisdom, the fact that you have mentors, the fact that you listen to your wife, like, I’ve heard you say that a few times. Yeah, so that’s how I know you’re gonna make it because you have the character like you have the integrity, who you are, which is just so inspiring to see and then the way your mind is working, is absolutely fascinating. Like the abundance of this is why my whole thing oh, by the way, you’re also massively generous. The fact that you are trying to just say, hey, like, here’s what I learned. Here you go, now, yeah, there’s a part of it that’s behind a door where people need to pay They should, yeah, it should. But the fact that you’re also being so generous with so much of the content you are putting out there, like, I just want to honor you for that. But what I was saying about the abundance is that I really see dentistry gets better when everyone shows up in who they can be. And only they can 100 I can’t I can never be you a obviously I’m not doctor be I’m not nearly as good looking. But like, in a real sense, Doctor, I’m serious, like, because you showed up and we’re who you were, and you believed when we met at Voices of dentistry. It’s like I could tell you this guy’s moving. He’s in motion. He has a certain vibe, a certain energy of like, let’s make stuff happen. He’s betting on yourself. And at the same time, you were brokering trust because I could tell Oh, he’s playing the long game. He’s just screw somebody. And now all of a sudden, it’s like, dang, who knows what’s gonna happen? Because a You made my fire get even brighter. I’m thinking, Okay, who can I connect this guy with? So there’s synergy can come. And now all of a sudden, it’s like, knows what we can do? And what’s going to happen? So that’s why if one of our listeners is playing it small right now, and they’re dealing with you gotta go beyond with all their issues. Well, what are people? What are people like? Don’t know how, what did they misunderstand me or? And you know, I’m doing a caricature of this. That was me, like 10 years ago. What did people see me wrong? 

 

Avi Patel26:17 

It was me too. It was me too. It was me too. I’m not what if I do it wrong? What 

 

Shawn Zajas  26:20 

if all of a sudden, people see that I’m trying and I fall flat on what if? 

 

Avi Patel 26:25 

What if What if I say pisses some people off? Right? Like, what if what I say? What if what I say? You know somebody? Yeah, they overanalyze it, or they don’t take it the right way. Well, if you don’t say it, no one’s gonna know it. So you won’t even know if someone’s gonna take it right or wrong. And honestly, chances are if you’re speaking, like, from a genuine perspective, there will be people like trust me, because I had no, like, I had no business like talking or speaking up when I did. Like, I was just putting it out there. And like, I thought, Oh, me, like a dentist, who’s like, focused on like, alignment, like who am I to educate people? Like, what have I done? And it’s just like, well, I did something which was like, start a new procedure. And like, that changed the trajectory of my dental career. Like, that’s something but like, even something so niche like i Everyone always thinks, right? Like, your niche is like, they’re like niche down niche down and talk about one thing and put it out there. And it’s like, I was like, ah, like, but I want to do so much more. And it’s just like, no, like, if I just stayed focused, and like you said, I’ve stayed focused, I’ve been in motion. And then I’ve been putting things out there which get receives, but to the listeners, to your point, too, it’s just like, yeah, if you’re playing it small, you’re doing yourself and you’re doing all the people who need your help a disservice. Because if you don’t speak up, and if you don’t put out your authentic self, it’s going to come back to bite you in one way or another. Because let’s say you play let’s say you don’t, you’re not authentic. Okay? Let’s say you’re not real. And you’re just putting something out there. And it works. Like maybe you found this like secret recipe, yeah, you may get quick results. But guess what, when the light starts to shine real bright on you, that makeup is going to melt off, and then it’s going to be your true self. And then you’re and then you’re going to feel like, you know, an even bigger imposter. And that’s what happens sometimes when some people do that. And that’s where you’ll see these viral people. And then they have these like, crazy assumptions, and then they crash and burn. But if you’re just real upfront, and you understand who you are, and what you’re trying to do, and you do that work, when no one’s really paying attention to you, you can mess up you can make like, dude, like, if you like something as simple as like my posts, like, if you’re just so worried about how your post is gonna present, no one gives a crap, no one cares what your post looks like right now. And even if they do, who cares, you’re gonna post again, tomorrow, you’re gonna post it again the next day, by but in two weeks, no one’s even gonna see the post, because it goes out like you can’t see it in the feed anymore. Because no one scrolls past the first nine. So use your early days to try things to, to do the self work. That’s where it comes from, for me, because a huge thing that we left out is how like, I also like did therapy, like I did a lot of self work I worked on like my physical health, my mental health, and then this is what’s transpired. And it’s like, I’m able to be more comfortable with myself and be comfortable in my skin, which is why I’m not afraid of other people doing similar things. Because I know that I just gotta keep doing what I’m doing and I’m gonna win, right? Like, I’m, I’m competing with who I was yesterday, and I will be better like every single day. And then the other point is like the word abundance by the way, that’s my, that’s my 2023 word was abundance. And I’m telling you when you put stuff out into the universe, it it works because like here we are six like we’re starting month six. And like abundance is like the only thing that can summarize what I’ve experienced so far. It’s crazy. 

 

Shawn Zajas  29:56 

Dropping so many things that I’m like, my whole thing Like, what makes me good as a host is that I’m actually listening to you. And I’m trying to like really pick out and elaborate and magnify the stuff that you’re dropping that are just gold. And I’m not used to someone continuing to share so much. So 

 

Avi Patel 30:16 

I haven’t been on the podcast in like over a month. So yeah, I’ve this has all been in the box just waiting to get put out there into the universe. 

 

Shawn Zajas  30:23 

But also, I just love the transparency. And just dispelling that that lie that like, again, nobody’s nobody’s watching you in the beginning, that’s the gift of not being known. You can just move on practicing the art of whatever you’re trying to do. And the world isn’t, the world doesn’t care. Like I think that’s what we think somehow, the world is gonna find me and ridicule me. And it’s like, they actually don’t care. 

 

Avi Patel 30:50 

To give to give a little bit more social proof on that. There’s people who don’t even know who I am. Like, there’s people listening to this podcast right now who had no idea who it was. But even 

 

Shawn Zajas  30:56 

though you have 20,000  followers, they’re still exact, like, relatively unknown. 

 

Avi Patel 31:02 

Exactly. And that’s the thing, like I got comfortable with that early on, right. And it’s like, someone told me, I’ll Allison Allison, the courser, like she told me, she’s like, You have to like to go from being unknown to known, you have to stay focused, you have to do one thing and do it over and over and over again. And when you do that, there’s this wall that you’ll break through. And then once you’re known, you can all your ideas can come to life, right? But if you can harness that focus and harness that energy, and then go in one direction, as hard as you can, for as long as you can, you will break through the wall, and then you’ll become known. And even then people will want to know who you are like there are people on this planet who don’t know who Tony Robbins. Right, 

 

Shawn Zajas  31:40 

right. Like crazy. But yeah, so a she is massively inspiring. I just want to throw that out there be I think there’s something about like, if I’m a dentist, and I’m focusing on just being clinically excellent, which is, which is great. And all of a sudden, I develop some sort of a name or reputation for like, you know, I’m excellent in my craft, my community sees me that way. Maybe the profession started seeing me that way. Well, it’s actually really difficult to go into some passion project or some expression. Other than this, where I had to start as a newbie again, where I have to start as an unknown, because now all of a sudden, I’m like, Yeah, but you don’t understand my reputation is like, I’m, I’m respected. I’m revered, I have a lot to lose. If I look foolish, trying something else. And it’s like, a that’s the wrong mindset. Like every single person that starts something is gonna look like a fool. Like, I don’t care how great you are at something like Tom Brady, if he played a sport he wasn’t good at he looked like a fool. It’s not like he’s just 

 

Avi Patel 32:41 

Michael Jordan, when Michael Jordan went to baseball, like, Are you kidding me? And then what? And then he was still humble about it came back and freaking dominated what he did, but it’s just like, he still did it. 

 

Shawn Zajas  32:51 

Perfect. Perfect example. So did you know that you were like a visionary entrepreneur? Like, at what point did you all of a sudden realize, like, I am an entrepreneur, this is the way I’m wired. But when did you own that? 

 

Avi Patel 33:01 

Dude, I, I still struggled to introduce myself as that if we’re being completely honest, it’s just because like, it’s only been a year, but like, when I introduce myself, like, now I say, like, I’m a dentist by trade. And then I’m like, and I’m an entrepreneur, like, it’s like, I’m still getting used to it. And yeah, I but no, I don’t I think what I think so first of all, no, I didn’t see myself in this space, whatever. Like, as as visionary entrepreneur, but I think it all clicked for me last year, when I realized that none of them none of my colleagues are doing this, right. Like when I was posting on Instagram, and I saw other people my age were posting on Instagram, but they were just giving like flossing tips and all that stuff that dentists do on Instagram, where it’s just, I’m like, That’s not me. Like, I’m not. I’m not out here dancing in front of my patients, trying to teach them how to floss like the hygenist. Usually, like, let’s be I’m going to be, but hygenist talks about oral hygiene more than I do, like, period, right? And like, I’m not afraid to admit it. Like, I am not there to do that. Like, I if patients have questions, I will feel them. But I am not diving into that. Like, I’m a realist in that regard, where it’s like, I don’t even floss all the time. I don’t. And I have no problem saying that. I also have never had a cavity in my life. So there’s, you know, I’m lucky in that regard. But like, it was always hard for me to do that to like, be fake on Instagram. That’s why I never posted like, my mom first told me to post cuz she saw some dancing dentists a couple years ago when I first graduated said you should do it. Like, you’d be great at this. And I’m like, No, and it’s not that I yeah, I didn’t want to put myself out there and dance on it on social media. But the other thing was I was just like, I don’t actually I’m not that passionate about educating people on flossing their teeth, or you know what I mean, like and I realize that what I was at, then you evolved and you learn and I was like, damn, but I sure as hell and passionate about telling teach and dentists how to do aligners and all the benefits that come from it. And then I started hitting that message, and I hit it, and I hit it, and I hit it. And then like, this is the result, right? But like, starting from scratch, going back to that topic, you can never, if you if you think that starting from scratch is like, some bad thing, you are missing the point. Because what it is, it’s just another opportunity. And it’s like, it’s honestly more fun, because you can mess up and no one cares. No one can i 

 

Shawn Zajas  35:31 

the mistakes I see people making is that and this is the mistake I made is that I did a lot of my conjectures, and planning and prep, like in the boardroom, and I never let the market tell me it was a good or bad idea. You know, so I was like, theoretically learning that this is probably not going to work, it’s probably not that might not. And I kept almost trying to dial in the Grand Slam. So I could show up and have everything right and ready. So bad. Snow works only learn in the marketplace, like it’s actually better to just get to 70% 50%, you know, some MVP, which in the software world is you know, a minimum viable product, and ship it. And like Seth Godin always talks about is so vulnerable to ship. Like it’s scary to ship because it’s like, oh my god, now people saw I attempted something, then somebody might call your baby ugly, right? You only learn by shipping. And if someone like that’s why you are going to crush it because you probably ship 15 to 20 times more than the average dentist. Okay, maybe more than that. Honestly, if I’m saying average dentist, are you kidding me? You’re shipping all the time. So what does that mean? I’m talking about, it’s all about context mean anything. Content is part of just taking action on ideas, action on ideas. And because of that, you’re failing faster, failing forward and dialing in what works. So you are going to crush it longterm. That’s it. That’s it, like it’s 

 

Avi Patel 36:55 

not appreciate. I appreciate I appreciate that. No, and it’s true, because like even for this course, like I’ve had, I was doing consulting, and then I pivoted to like, then a pivot to the online model in the online model. I’ve had like five different iterations in the last year. But I didn’t like I thought it was the best thing. I was like, You know what, I’m going to do a live call once a month. For hours, I’m going to read a slideshow for whoever shows up. And the first time I got somebody from London tuning in, I didn’t anticipate that was like 9pm their time. And I was like, and I was doing it on a Friday afternoon. And it was just like, that was a shocker. I’m like, Whoa. But like you said, you don’t know until you try like, all of a sudden now. I was like, Okay, I didn’t expect for this like to have to cater to like different time zones. Like I just thought I was going to be doing some couple of dentists in America. And then I’m like, okay, cool. Afterwards, like, how do I solve for that? Right, but I thought I was providing value. And that’s the thing. And sometimes we also think that our ideas are great. And sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not. And like this was not great, because after the fourth time doing it, I was talking about this content for 16 hours, and I was and then it was just like, if I just made a course, more people could access it at their own convenience. And they could revisit it. And I don’t have to spend all that time doing it. And the way I say it is like, you know, they can watch the videos to start speaking the same language as me. And then we can have conversations in that language. And it’s like, you don’t figure that out unless you try. So it’s like, everybody where they’re at today wasn’t never their first idea. That’s something just take that and put it in your pocket. Like it was never their first idea. But as long as you’re in motion, and as long as you’re taking action, Brendon Burchard was just speaking at the Kajabi conference that I went to, and that was his theme. He was just like, Oh, he’s like, if you’re in motion, you will win. And like you’re saying the same stuff. And then that was my lightbulb thing. And I was just like, huh, I have been in motion. And I think that’s why I’m like winning. And it’s like, that’s why I will continue to win because it’s like that positive affirmation, and you just keep doing it and you keep doing it and you keep doing it. Do you 

 

Shawn Zajas  39:04 

know the Man in the Arena quote? 

 

Avi Patel 39:08 

Oh, yeah, that I heard that like, right when I first started. Also, like one of the first things was like, my therapist had told me good things lie on the other side of vulnerability. And that’s like come true, like every time like when you do that, it literally works and then if you do it on social media, it like amplifies everything. 

 

Shawn Zajas  39:27 

I I think it takes so much courage to do that and I love that you’re not afraid to do that. Like again it just it’s super courageous. But I know 

 

Avi Patel 39:36 

when I saw your posts too, and I watched the whole thing and I was like This is beautiful. This is amazing. Like I didn’t know that about you and now like yeah, I feel deeper connection with you. I feel like you know, you’re not just someone I met at a conference like you’re you’re a friend you’re somebody who you know we share similar mindset similar values and and it’s also humanizes you to know some of your struggles because It’s also like, I have also things that that I struggle with. But go ahead. I was gonna say 

 

Shawn Zajas  40:03 

like, the greatest regrets I have in my life are when I was on the sideline, when I was that like, that would be like, Oh, I would have done it better. Oh, I can’t believe they’re doing that. And I think because deep down inside, we all know we, at times, some of us have been the critics were so afraid to step up into the light to get criticized. It’s like, Yeah, but there’s Yeah, fulfillment on the sideline. There’s no fulfillment, you just can just watching other people live out the dreams that are in your heart, like, just go do it. And like both me and you want people to succeed in who they can be. So dentistry gets better. We’re not competing with you. We’re saying do it like step up? 

 

Avi Patel 40:42 

Yeah, literally, I’m out here begging and waiting for other people to do. And there have been people. And that’s the thing is like, as much as there are going to be people who are going to criticize you and try to pull you down some louder than others. There are so many people that will lift you up. Like anytime I get vulnerable on Instagram, like my page is pretty, it’s about as real as it can get. Like, there’s some other pages in dentistry that get pretty real, but like, I get real, and, and it’s and I’m proud of it. Because it’s like, I’m tired of seeing dentists on there. Just doing like inauthentic stuff. It’s like, I know, you like being in the industry, you can just tell and people are not dumb people on social media are you like they’re smarter than you think. And the pages and the people where there’s like that connection and dislike, huge support and following. It’s because that person is being authentic. And it’s scary, but we’re all capable of doing it. It’s just a lot of us have those fears. And to your point, when you do it. The universe will put people in your life that will pull you up, you will hear you’re afraid you’re thinking about the one person or the two people who are gonna make fun of you or bring you down or tell you’re doing something wrong. You’re not even realizing there’s a whole room of people over here who once you speak it are actually trying to pull it like they’re trying to pull you in their direction and lift you up. And it’s crazy because on this journey, like I was just, I always go for like consistency and, and volume for posts and every time when I used to feel because for one year, last year, I made a like a goal like every day I’m gonna post one robe talk in the morning, part of my morning routine hop on Instagram, make a real put a positive message out there or something and I was like this is going to one helped me get comfortable with speaking in front of a camera, which thank God I did because I used to be god awful. Freakin zombie when I did it. But but but I was like, I can do it. If I do it for a year, I’m sure I’ll get good at it. But then also, it was just like, I can put a positive message out into the world. And people liked it. And I got to do different things. It was kind of like my playground with content creation. But it also built this muscle right stopped caring about what my posts look like, and count how many views and stuff they got, because I did so many. But what I’m getting at with it is also the days where I didn’t want to post the days where I felt like, no one’s gonna watch this, like, this is only gonna get like, two likes, whatever. 25 views. I would literally get a DM and someone would say, Hey, your message today was super inspiring. I needed to hear it or like, something like that. And I was just like, huh, all right, looks like looks like gotta keep posting, right. And it’s just like, that’s what happens like, the universe is wild. And when you start being vulnerable, and you start doing the things that you’re meant to be doing. And that you you know, that are that are part of your purpose. It it literally like the the trail just kind of like opens up for you. You just got to keep walking down at 

 

Shawn Zajas  43:52 

I could tell within maybe 30 seconds when Dr. Allison house introduced me to you the table because I think she said next year she’s like, Oh, Shawn, you gotta you got to talk to this doctor. And I’m like, okay, like, what’s the big deal? And you did, yeah. And I’m like, okay, A, this guy is just the, you’re playing, it’s so big, like, I don’t know, like, You’re not still on the sideline, you’re not a dreamer, that’s not willing to do something about it. And I think that’s the difference. Like, there’s a lot of dreamers out there, that dream so big, that it’s so disconnected from reality that they’re not actually doing anything in their day to day to get there, but they just have dreams that someday will be something and it’s almost like they’re protected by this big dream because they know they’re never gonna get it. There’s the visionaries that are like, Well, no, I actually have a burning vision. And I’m obsessed with doing everything I can to head in that direction. So everything’s aligned with that. And when you meet someone that’s aligned, you can tell because you’re like, oh, man, the way they’re talking their energy, their vibe, their tone. It’s like they’re making stuff happen. And you don’t want to hang out with someone that’s always like, oh, like just dominated by fear. It’s like, look, I We’ll help you do everything. But you got to make the choice to swallow the red pill. Or maybe it’s the blue pill, I don’t know which one it is. 

 

Avi Patel 45:06 

It’s one of those pills, pick a pill, pick a pill and just do do whatever happens on the other side of that pill. Right? It’s like people, so 

 

Shawn Zajas  45:12 

we’re going to be wrapping up soon, just for time, I’m gonna honor you. But 

 

Avi Patel 45:16 

this might be a heart, we can we can push, we can push 10. 

 

Shawn Zajas  45:19 

So this might be a harder kind of question. I typically ask people like, what the mindset is that they had to shed to get to where they’re at right now. So if the next question you can’t answer, then go to that one. But with you, I’d like to know, is there a mindset either right now, or that you foresee over the next decade that you’re going to have to grapple with in order to get to where you want to go? 

 

Avi Patel 45:42 

Um, I think well, let me think. I think one that may come up is something that already has where it’s just that the whole like, I don’t know this next. It’s a lie. Basically, the Who am I to do this? Right? Who am I to do this? I feel like I’m past that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes. 

 

Shawn Zajas  46:01 

You’re still because I’ve been enough. So anytime you don’t hear the whole like, hey, like that, like, like you. So I’m glad that that’s amazing. Even with what you’ve done, you still hear the whispers of like almost impostor syndrome, self doubt. Like, you’re not, you’re not old enough for why you and you’re just like, shut up, like I’m betting on myself. Like, we’re doing this. Yeah, 

 

Avi Patel 46:20 

yeah. Well, part of it right is like these recent posts that I’ve been doing, where I’ve just been calling out like things in the dental industry. I had a fear that, I mean, I knew it was going to piss off some dental owners, right, like some practice owners, and that sort of thing, as I always as a good associate with like, reason or take into account the owners mind. Like, I’m always one to, like, take into account the other person’s perspective before I say what I need to say. But then, like the words that I put them, thank God, I did these reels because I put it out there. And all these people are just like, this happened to me this happen to me, this happened to me, this happened to me. And then you have one guy that’s like, oh, well, is it the toxic industry? Or is it you know, the toxic people that are playing victim? And it’s like, No, dude, like, that’s not the case like this. Look at the read the comments, such as me, like, it’s like, if it was, you know what I mean? So, but that right, the Whisper was there, and it got affirmed. But then I actually then did the thing where I turned and looked, and I saw all the other people and it’s like, I’m not doing this to like, boost myself up. Like, I’m putting this out there. Because this is stuff that is happening to people, real human beings in this profession. And nobody else is talking about it. But everybody’s thinking it, everybody’s experiencing it. Everybody’s just accepting it as the norm. Why does this need to be the norm? Right, and and then people like, oh, come up with a solution? Yeah, I want to have a little bit more time, I’ll create a program on how to do it. Like, I’m sure I’ll have enough influence to do that. If anything, I want to empower other dentists to create programs on how to do it. Right. Like, I’m not trying to do everything myself, I can. But like, I know, that’s not like, you know, or I like to think I can, but like, there’s more power in empowering colleagues like, and what’s nice is the next generation coming in, has more exposure. And that’s my goal. I want everyone to know what it’s really like, because when you know what it’s really like, the visionaries will start to feel they’ll get the permission to create look at the permission to innovate. And like that’s my thing is just like, Yo, by the way, all this BS is happening try to fix it. Whereas right now everyone’s just like all this BS is happening. Deal with it. Like it’s it’s there’s two different ways to look at it. Right. So you know, Dr. Mark Costas great example, a he’s somebody who saw gaps in the fields in the industry, and has created crazy good programs to fill the gaps like when we were together voices of dentistry, he talked about his associate onboarding system. Oh, by the way, the hell was this with all those APR? I was like, Why isn’t this standard? Why isn’t and that’s the thing. Everyone’s goal was dental school is, is it lacks a lot of things. And again, another thing that a lot of dentists just acknowledge cool, fine, it takes a while for the education system to catch up. That’s the same thing in every industry. Dentistry is is behind cool. Why don’t we start creating things for people to get into right when they come out of school? Why don’t we start creating the new associate experience and optimize that? Because when you have Young Hungry doctors who are like literally vulnerable, willing to learn, open minded ready, you will never meet a more motivated dentist than a new grad. Because the new grad has no fear. The new grad thinks they can take over the world. The new grad thinks they’re going to be the best dentist in the world. Why don’t we support those people? Why don’t we support those dentists? Why don’t we give them avenues to go down and run and sprint and push the industry forward? And I in a theory of mine is I think a lot of dentists out there. The older ones have big egos, and people get afraid when they see people growing. So what do they do? They want to limit those, like I had one of the first dentists I ever worked for. He told me that, you know, like, CTE is a waste of money. Like, just just do it for them do it for the credit, but like, it’s, you know, that was his thing. And I’m like, okay, so early on, I was vulnerable. But I was like, oh, cool, like, This guy seems successful. I’ll listen to it. Yeah, sees a joke, whatever. That like that. Danford. My right, my, my, just how much I could learn. And that is obviously a big part of me is I am a learner, I’m willing to always like improve. And then when that door open back up later, because of all the different practices, then I’ve started to take off right now. Oh, wow, he’s doing aligners. Like, he’s doing implants. And it’s just like you. It just would have been nice to have somebody being like, hey, people might be telling you this stuff. But this is actually the direction and the path, you got to go down and then see what happens. You just 

 

Shawn Zajas  50:53 

dropped so many ideas. That, you know, I always tell people when they’re listening to the podcast, or any podcast, it’s not what you’re to have a notebook, because it’s not what you’re hearing. For us. It’s what you’re hearing between the lines, where your own subconscious is starting to connect dots. And you’re like, oh, because you know, they know what they’re not stepping into that they should be. I couldn’t call it out on the podcast, you know, we can speak in generalizations. Yeah, it was sudden, they get a specific, ooh, wow. Okay, maybe I need to do that. And you know, when someone’s generous, they’ll share lots of ideas. Because people that aren’t generous somehow think and again, back to like, the whole universe thing. Oh, no, no, like the little I’ve been given I need to protect and hoard. It’s like ideas, honestly, are pretty cheap. It’s how you execute them. So go ahead, like everyone doesn’t try to execute all those different ideas. 

 

Avi Patel 51:40 

Also, you should have, you can, you can have 25 people executing the same idea. Now you have 25 variations of one idea, you know how awesome that is, like, you know why 

 

Shawn Zajas  51:49 

that’s awesome to be there. For other people marketing your idea for you, but you’re not having to pay for people are like, Oh, competition sucks. Look, a lot of the times competition is amazing. Because other that market is already educated. Now, they can just be discerning about whether you’re a better fit, or they’re a better fit. Like, it’s not like you’re on the ocean. Because 

 

Avi Patel 52:08 

when you’re the only person it is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing, because you’re the first and yeah, you get first to market rewards. But it’s a curse, in the sense where it’s like, you have to literally re educate everybody. And that’s what I’m doing. That’s what I’m doing. I have to literally teach like, there are other providers out there like Dr. Galler, and my mentor dr. Blocker, like I’ve learned from them both and like, they’re great, but they’re doing in person stuff. Right? Like, and like Dr. molars, like he does only like these are all Invisalign, right, Invisalign people, Dr. molars, he’s also I haven’t taken his program, but he’s got an online thing. And it’s Invisalign, focus, but like, where’s the marketing for all these people, like, you guys are sure the reps talk about it, there’s a lot more, there’s a bigger ocean than just Invisalign reps, by the way, and like, of course, there’s word of mouth from doctors who have successfully taken their programs. But like, no one is doing what I’m doing on social media for clear for clearly under Content, and I’m realizing like, my posts that are absolute, and I know they’re fire. And this is not, I’m not like a cocky guy, I’m just confident in what my stuff is. My videos will look great, they have a high value, and I’m doing all like the quote unquote, right stuff. And like, they still don’t, and they don’t get as much engagement as I would want them to. But I’m realizing it’s because even though I think I’m talking to the pain points of someone just starting or having not just started, I’m clearly just, I’m still too far ahead. Like I have to go back, I gotta go back more. Maybe I got to start teaching people about the fact like retraining the way they think about the profession, the way that they think about, like, let me capture you at where you thought your hopes and dreams were in what your reality is. And then I can walk you towards this path. So it’s like, it’s like this whole spectrum. And yeah, but that’s the pain that comes. If I had 20 other dentists online talking about aligner education be pretty damn easy for me to re accelerate, you know what I mean? And, and I also want other people to do it. Like if you have, if you see a gap in the lender, education space, which there are tons because it’s a new procedure, and it’s also the fastest growing by the way, which means is a crap ton of opportunity. Start talking about it. Because you’re because you’ll get doctors in your program, then they’ll keep looking for information, then they’ll get my program then my and when mine are done, I can send them to yours. And we can just everyone can cross pollinate, like, education is limitless. And like the more people that are putting stuff out there, the more people are learning, like I have doctors in my program. Like I thought if somebody took Dr. gallery’s course, which he’s like, he’s great, phenomenal educator. I thought if they took his course, they wouldn’t even consider mine. Because right because they go they already learned from him like it’s a great course. I have doctors in my program that have done his course. And they’re like, Yeah, I was just looking. I’m looking for more like I like learning about this stuff. And I was like, whoa, okay, that’s cool. And they’re like, yeah, like it’s So don’t feel as confident. And then they took my program. They’re like, yeah, like you did a great job simplifying it, you gave me all these resources. This is, you know, they are better because they learned from both of us, right? And now imagine if there’s even more people. So it’s just like, this is where I’m like, okay, and then that’s the other thing. It’s like collaboration, right? Like you have to collaborate to grow, I would love for, because I don’t do all aligner cases. And I have doctors in my program who want to learn the more advanced stuff. So they’re asking me, they’re like, Hey, if you come up with a part two, that’d be great. And I’m over here, like, I was it, like, I just gave you everything that I know, like, because I just wanted to provide so much value, you know, and it’s like, Sure, I could cut it up and do like part one, part two and repurpose, like, who knows who knows what I do in the future, but like, these doctors, like, it’s like, when you open up this door, you don’t know where it’s gonna lead. And so it’s just like, the more the more people that are in the space, the better it’s going to be. Whatever your niche is, everybody wins, like dentistry will never be saturated with education and innovators. Because it think about this. This is an I’ll kind of like, let you take it back dentistry is an entrepreneur’s dream. Think about it. It is an archaic profession, it is slow to develop. That means there’s so much opportunity think about entrepreneurs and other spaces, other industries are cutting edge, they’re always evolving. They’re always growing. They’re always adopting tech. They’re doing all the stuff. Dentistry has all this tech and all these advancements, and the the, what’s it called the ratio of that to people actually innovating and moving the industry forward. It’s so skewed, but like if you are remotely into wanting to like drive an industry forward and you’re an entrepreneur, dentistry is literally a gold mined. Like it’s crazy. 

 

Shawn Zajas  56:49 

That’s literally why I say the future of dentistry belongs to the innovators. Okay, so if I’m listening right now, and I’m like, Okay, this guy, everything he’s saying is gold. How do I actually check out his course? Or like, where do you want people’s eyeballs to go? 

 

Avi Patel 57:01 

So the first is go follow me on Instagram. You’re gonna like you can DM me? You can. I’m always posting about stuff on my stories, whether it’s like, you know, directions, but follow me on Instagram. If you’ve got one a resource to just start at. I’ve got the free masterclass. That’s like where I point everybody to to start, like, I’ll teach you like the basics of aligners, which you need to know. And then from there, you’ll get information on the actual paid program itself. I think I gave you the link. But if not, I can send it to you. And then you can just share it with them if you want in the description. 

 

Shawn Zajas  57:34 

Okay, so here here’s the the final, final question as we wind down. When did you graduate? Dental School? That’s not the question is leading up to 20 2018. Okay, so how old are you? 25. Okay, so five years ago, Dr. Patel. You’re walking down the street and you see a 25 year old version of yourself far out in the distance. And you know, you just have a brief sentiment or a brief time to communicate one sentiment to the 25 year old version of yourself, what do you tell yourself? 

 

Avi Patel 58:10 

Don’t be afraid to speak up. 

 

Shawn Zajas  58:16 

I feel like that’s a perfect closing to everything you’ve been saying. It’s like Don’t, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to be you to release your mesh message to share it with the world. And who knows where you’d be at now, if you would have even started early. I’m glad you started when you did. I’m glad you still aren’t like your light is massively bright. And it’s only getting more intense. But seriously, Dr. Patel like thank you, because it’s been easy to honor you as an innovator, as someone that’s pioneering positive change in the industry. And as some of that is just inspiring to just listen to how you think and how you see dentistry. So thank you for spending time with me today. 

 

Avi Patel 58:56 

Thank you. I obviously enjoyed the hell out of this. i These are my favorite types of podcasts. This is one of my most favorite podcasts that I’ve been on. I love what you’re doing. I think innovation in dentistry is something that is not talked about enough. And I think it is very needed. So I’m super pumped to also just hear the other guests that you bring on. Because I think there’s a lot of power and a lot of gold in this in this niche of innovation and dentistry. But yeah, thanks for having me, man. 

 

Shawn Zajas  59:29 

Thank you. Thanks for listening, and be sure to follow so you never miss an episode. To learn more about what’s going on in dentistry. Check out innovation in dentistry.com 

More Podcasts