A: Well, every human being has a why, including dentists Ultrasonic Scaler. So, when they know why they do what they do and they have a sense of their callings—a sense of purpose, cause, or belief beyond dentistry—it’s the reason their clients and patients love them. It’s the reason their friends love them. It’s the places they find inspiration. Just because you’re a dentist doesn’t mean that all dentistries are created equal, even if everybody is qualified and good at what they do. And if somebody goes to work for one dentist or another, they may enjoy it here but not there. So, to know one’s why not only makes us better leaders, but it also makes us better able to inspire those around us—it commands loyalty. But it also helps us find love in our work. When work becomes mundane and repetitive, it helps us remain passionate. Q: What’s the most surprising business industry you’ve spoken to where you connected more than you imagined? A: I did a thing for some manufacturers. They were sort of...they’re not even manufacturers. It was at a rock quarry where basically the guys who worked there maybe had high school educations or equivalencies, but that was pretty much it. And they come to work and smash rocks for a living. It’s about as blue collar as it gets. And they were just wonderful people. Q: And I guess the thread is that we’re all smashing rocks, in a way. A: Yeah. I mean, we’re all human, and what drives us and inspires us is all the same and has nothing to do with the work that we do. That’s the important thing. Just because you’re in a glamorous business or a business that requires a lot of education doesn’t mean that you get a free pass to inspiration and passion. And just because you smash rocks for a living doesn’t mean that you can’t find passion and inspiration dental vacuum forming machine. They have nothing to do with each other; it comes from other sources. That is sort of what my message is: It’s not the job. It’s why we do the job. Q: For you, it was a friend who noticed something in you. That doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes friends reach out, or sometimes people are stuck, down, sad, or not optimistic. How does a person take that step? Do they have to realize it first? A: It’s not so much the friend, it’s the admission. It’s admitting that I’m not happy as opposed to lying, hiding, and faking every day. You know, in that time years ago, all my energy went into pretending I was happy or more successful and more in control than I felt. A lot of people do that in every profession. So it starts with an admission to oneself. It’s like the first step of the 12-step program: First, you have to admit you have a problem. Rationalizing it away doesn’t help. Accept you’re not doing well or you’re failing. I had to accept failure. And when you do that, it’s actually kind of wonderful. Q: What’s a down day for Simon Sinek? I’m guessing most days are happy because you’re an optimist—it’s on your business card. But what does a down day look like? A: I think, at most, I get frustrated sometimes. I’m normal. I’m a human being. I have all the emotions. I get frustrated. I care desperately that the work matters and that people benefit from it. But I’ve also learned to emotionally disconnect myself from work, so I’ve had it where I’m talking to an audience and someone will raise their hand and say you’re naïve; this doesn’t work in business. And I shrug my shoulders and say, “then don’t do it. What do you want from me? I don’t try and convince anybody, but I like to see momentum, and I like to see that things are going. And when things get stuck and don’t move, I want to move around those obstacles. Q: What’s next for Simon Sinek? A: I’m writing another book. That’s occupying most of my time right now, which is fun, and that should come out next year. It will be called The Infinite Game. I believe dentists are small-business owners first and clinicians second (I know that might not be a popular statement). But, quite simply, if the best clinician can’t keep the lights on and the employees happy (ie, run the business), he or she will never get a chance to see patients and do great work and will go out of business. It’s no longer just about being the geographically closest dentist to a population cluster; consumers are willing to drive an extra 15 minutes for the best. Read Sinek’s book Start With Why and go from there. It will help you see your practice, your purpose, and your life in a different way.  How Long To Brush? for more information.