Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I was the second of 7 children! We were a hard-working family and had a family lawn business. In second grade, I remember bringing my work shirt in for “show and tell”. I feel having to mow lawns after school taught me how to prioritize my time, use money wisely, budget my allowances, and find ways to have additional income beyond a primary job.

I was the only girl in my family until I was 12 years old. Growing up with brothers pushed me to be tough. I played football, soccer, and could play with the best of them. I didn’t give up and I feel being surrounded by brothers who were stronger than me pushed me to become stronger myself.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

To live the life I WANT; not the one I THINK I should. I have chased other people’s dreams for status, acceptance, success, financial reasons, etc., and did it at my own happiness and fulfillment’s expense. Living true to me, in my way, is the easiest, most efficient, and effective way to be my most fulfilled, happy, and successful version.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Dentists are inundated with information, sales pitches, and resources. Truly, dentists often just want to solve their problems quickly and don’t know what is best, so they buy a lot of products that don’t work. This infuriates me!! They are being taken advantage of– this is literally why we created the Dental A Team — to be a wealth of information and knowledge for dentists of people they can trust so they aren’t taken advantage of and know they are the best!

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

There was a time I didn’t want any more tomorrows. I had gone through physical trauma, my marriage had divorce papers on the line, I was anorexic again– weighing in at 98 lbs at 5’8”, I felt distanced from my family and I didn’t want another tomorrow. Hope was literally gone. I believe hope is the strongest element in life. If there is even a flicker of hope, you will continue on.

When hope is gone– it’s very hard to come back from. I attempted suicide. I didn’t want any more tomorrow. Nothing and no one mattered to me. Life felt it was painted bland. There was no joy. No color. No spark. This was my darkest spot. I was playing mental games. I was judging myself and aching from the pain of not being good enough– for me or anyone else. What brought me out of it truly was Hal Elrod’s “Miracle Morning”. I had a friend who literally checked in on me every hour, telling me I was important. He sent me books. This book was the one that gave me something of “what to do”. I didn’t know if it would work but this was the flicker of hope. I still do Miracle Morning daily. It became my foundation. It allowed me to dream again. I had to accept the “old Kiera” was dead. She was gone. And I needed to embrace the new me. No rejection. No self-hatred. I am a firm believer in morning routines, affirmations, visualization, and amazing friends and family who love unconditionally. We never know the battles others are facing.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Traction – Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman literally changed my business. That book maps out how to run a business, how to have effective meetings. Pair that with Mike Michaelowicz’s “Profit First” and I was set on a whole new trajectory. Truly studying from the wisdom of great authors AND implementing their teachings took me from 15% profitability to a 56% profitability on a million-dollar business.

What is your morning routine?

Awwww — morning routines make me so happy! I literally can save it has saved my life. I try to wake up at least 15 minutes to 1 hour early. I don’t have a set time since I travel a lot and had to find a way that worked for me without having resentment for “not doing it perfectly”.

I meditate – Calm is a great app, tons are on Spotify, insight timer is great just for silence and bells. 5-15 minutes

I journal and have a set pattern of what I journal

• What I am grateful for
  3 accomplishments from the day before
  3 areas to improve with specifics of how I will improve them
• My joy from the day before
• My self-love — this came in when I did not like who I was as a person and was insanely hard for me. Over time– it’s become easier and easier
  3 results for the day that I will accomplish
• My annual 3 WIGs- wildly important goals
• My 10 x 10- 10 goals I will achieve in the next 10 years

Workout — this ranges from 1 minute of stretching to 30 minutes of lifting. I do yoga, lifting, hiking, etc. I change this up a lot– but I get my body moving!

Drink a lot of water!

Affirmations read out loud.

Visualization of my goals with my vision board.

Embrace the day with love, energy. Sometimes I will even choose a word for how I want the day to go!

I’m NOT perfect at this– but this is a sketch of what I do about 75-90% of the time. I change it up as I change. It is fluid and morphs as I morph. I think that is key to staying committed.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Being on time hahaha I have been notoriously late for most of my life. I used the excuse — I was a girl so it took me longer than my brothers to get ready! This was just poor time management and also not respecting others. I have since written an affirmation that I am on time to appointments to eliminate stress and to show love and respect for others. It has GREATLY improved but is still a work in progress!!

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

This is a morphing strategy as well. I read a lot and take new ideas often to improve this. Right now it is:

• Sundays – map out my entire week in black of what is set in the calendar– I use a hardcopy journal. It’s easier for me to see everything and time manage better
• Create a “list” of items below that need to get done this week
• Prioritize what is most important and start adding in around the black. I use pink so I know it was added
• Look for where I will add in ME time and relationship time. This is what I WANT and I think of what I need to feel fulfilled, balanced, and rejuvenated weekly. Add that in!! THIS IS IN STONE and doesn’t move.
• I use Boomerang for Gmail which helps a ton– less follow-up for me to remember. It’s automated
• ClickUp is amazing for task management
• I keep condensing my schedule to see how much more efficient I can be on less hours– a lot of wasted time happens and I just don’t see it
• Time journaling every quarter helps me see where I am wasting time or should be delegating
• Traction quarterly meetings help me focus on what is the most important items to tackle in the next 90 days as well. I use their meeting strategy weekly to ensure me and my team are focused on the most important things vs the busy things.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
I was given this book when I was in my 20s by a very successful business owner. He said it was the guide to his life. I read this book and was struck. Giving more value than anyone else has become my motto. Actively looking for ways to give with no attachments has become what our company is known for. It helped me have a perspective change early on and has helped me have a very open heart.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
This book literally saved my business and turned it into a profitable machine. From how to run effective meetings to right person, right seat, to realizing I was a visionary and needed an implementor, to how to track numbers. This book is simple, effective, and insanely great at delivering results. Must read for any business owner

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

“Don’t just dream; do!”
“You create your own reality.”
“EVERYTHING is working out for our good.”