October 12, 2023

The Elevated Dentist: Finding Balance & Purpose in Dentistry | Humpday Happy Hour™

What does it really mean to be an “elevated dentist”? In this episode of Humpday Happy Hour™, Dr. Jaren Argyle, founder of The Elevated Dentist, joins DINKS to talk about something dentistry doesn't always teach us: how to build a career that actually fits the life you want. Jaren shares his journey from dental school and private practice to becoming a certified life coach and creating The Elevated Dentist. The conversation dives into work-life balance, family, financial success, practice ownership, career fulfillment, and why dentists can become so focused on clinical success that they lose sight of everything else. He also discusses his “Wheel of Life” exercise, the importance of understanding what you actually want from your career, group coaching, challenges facing younger dentists, student debt, DSOs, and why taking control of the direction of your practice matters. This is a candid conversation about moving beyond simply being a successful dentist and asking a bigger question: What do you actually want your life to look like? Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Humpday Happy Hour™ 05:26 – Meet Dr. Jaren Argyle, founder of The Elevated Dentist 11:32 – Introducing Jaren and his approach to dentistry and life coaching 12:53 – Jaren's background and journey into dentistry 16:12 – From medicine to dentistry 18:25 – Choosing dental school and building a career 23:35 – Choosing lifestyle and family alongside a dental career 24:14 – Why work-life balance has always mattered to Jaren 24:46 – Practicing 26 hours a week by design 25:24 – How Jaren discovered life coaching 27:43 – What Jaren learned from a mastermind of dentists 28:04 – Financial success doesn't always equal happiness 28:19 – The “Wheel of Life” exercise 29:19 – Finding your unique abilities 30:05 – Why dentists can become too focused on clinical success 30:46 – What dental school doesn't teach about running a practice 32:27 – “The ladder is on the wrong wall” 32:45 – What do you actually want from your life? 33:40 – The pressures and challenges of dentistry 35:45 – Balancing the business and the patient experience 36:10 – How The Elevated Dentist came to life 36:48 – Group coaching and learning from other dentists 38:17 – The goal of The Elevated Dentist 38:50 – Making coaching accessible to dental students 40:06 – Why qualifications and proper training matter 40:48 – Pivoting and expanding your professional path 42:08 – Challenges facing younger dentists 43:01 – Student debt and the pressure to make money 44:19 – Who might benefit from a DSO career? 45:07 – Mid-career dentists and controlling practice direction 46:57 – Are dentists really meant to just be “tooth technicians”? 48:18 – Why ownership and autonomy matter 49:20 – Redefining success and happiness 50:01 – Final thoughts with Dr. Jaren Argyle