Who We Are, How We Help You, and Why
A personal story about building the dental practice of your dreams.
The People Behind Pugh Leadership Academy
We are just like you. We are owners of a private dental practice. We've seen and clicked on those ads targeting dentists when looking for help. These ads always follow the same pattern. Hook you by mentioning a pain point, then tell you what they do to fix it.
But there's something you never really see clearly in these ads: who these people are and why they're doing this. So I want to share these things about us, right up front.
Our Journey Together
Melanie and I began dating the summer before her second year of dental school. I was 21 and she was 23. We've grown up as adults together, and I've been with her for 99% of her dental journey.
Melanie's Extensive Dental Experience
Melanie has done just about everything in dentistry.
✔ Associate in Appalachian public health
✔ Associate in inner city public health
✔ Worked in a college of dentistry
✔ Associate in corporate dentistry
✔ Associate in a private practice insurance office
✔ Associate in a private practice fee-for-service office
✔ Private practice ownership in a small town insurance office
✔ Private practice ownership in the Fort Myers/Naples market (originally in-network, then fee-for-service)
We have seen a lot in dentistry since 1994!
My Corporate Background
I had my own corporate career specializing in the human side of business.
Marketing Sales
Customer Service Employee Engagement
Culture Development Training & Development
I have a marketing degree and an MBA, with a successful corporate career leading teams to higher sales, better Customer Service Indexes, and improved morale.
Where the Real Story Begins
That's our background, but here's where the real story begins. Melanie was never happy as a dentist.
She had cycled through just about everything you can do in dentistry and couldn't find anything that brought her joy. So in 2005, I left my corporate career to work with Melanie to help her build a practice just for her. One that would bring her happiness.
The Struggle Was Real
It didn't work! At least not at first. It took us years to figure it out, but we kept at it. Today we have the practice she dreamed of.
Back then, there was a major roadblock preventing us from getting there. Her mindset. Her negative mindset around dentistry held us back. It was evident to those around her, but we couldn't help her overcome it.
The Breakthrough Moment
Everything began to change in 2018 when she attended a Tony Robbins event. She had a breakthrough, opened her mind, and finally, we were able to put what we knew into action to build her dream practice.
While I'm here, I want to point out that I'm no hero who came in to save the damsel in distress. I have my own challenges. But Pugh Leadership Academy is about helping private practice doctors who are stressed out and unhappy. Not their spouses!
Building the Dream
Once Melanie had her breakthrough and put her business owner hat on, we were able to…
• Move the office forward
• Go out of network with insurance
• Implement everything needed to build her dream practice
Fortunately for us, the foundation of everything is world-class culture, and even though Melanie was holding herself back, we had still built a fantastic culture.
What We Do
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What We Do |
The Secret to Your Dream Practice
There's a secret right in front of your eyes to building your dream practice. The foundation of a dream practice is world-class culture.
Championship-winning teams have championship cultures, and it's true in business, too.
Our Online Course
Right off the bat, we offer an online course on building world-class culture in your practice.
Coming Soon: Comprehensive Training
Online and in-person courses where we teach you the fundamentals you need to implement in your practice, making it a place you want to be every day because it brings you joy.
Case Optimization Patient Experience
Marketing Leadership
Quality Processes Insurance Independence
Why We Want to Help
There are two main reasons driving our mission.
(1) Helping Others Escape the Struggle
We want to help anyone who is struggling to get out of that pit. Our hearts go out to those living a life of stress because of their dental practice. We know what that's like, and we don't want anyone to go through that because we know it's not necessary.
(2) Doing What Energizes Us
Building teams, developing culture, and implementing consultative selling and customer service are my specialties. I love it and have missed helping others over the last few years. This is what energizes me.
A Little About Our Personal Lives
Melanie and I are both from Kentucky. My parents and Melanie's family are from the same small, eastern Kentucky county of 6,000 people. We grew up in blue-collar, old-fashioned households as kids in the 70s and teens in the 80s.
We have twins in high school and are active members in our church.
Ready to Transform Your Practice?
I hope this gives you insight into who we are, what we do, and why we really want to help you build the dental practice of your dreams.
Your journey to a joyful, thriving practice starts with world-class culture.
